The afternoon sun painted Queens with a lazy golden hue, but it couldn't calm the ripples deep within William Rodriguez's heart.
He carried his worn briefcase, gazing from afar at a slightly old red-brick house, feeling his heart beat several times faster than usual.
This wasn't due to fatigue, but because he knew that from this house, a future superhero—Spider-Man—was about to emerge.
The faint scent of pizza from the corner shop wafted through the air, mingling with the fresh smell of neatly mown lawns; all these ordinary sights were, in William's eyes, imbued with an extraordinary color.
He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the excitement of a transmigrator's foreknowledge and a hint of imperceptible tension.
Just then, a lanky teenager with a backpack turned the corner and walked towards them.
The teenager looked a bit thin, with ordinary brown hair, wearing black-rimmed glasses, clutching several books, his steps light but with a hint of imperceptible fatigue, as if he had just escaped a long trek from school.
William's gaze instantly locked onto him—Peter Parker.
Although he knew this was inevitable, seeing the future superhero in person still filled him with an unreal excitement.
He quickly straightened his tie; this tie had witnessed too many of his failures and embarrassments, but today, it would witness a historic "sales pitch."
He adjusted his breathing and, just after Peter Parker entered the door, gently knocked on the slightly faded wooden door.
"Knock, knock."
Two crisp knocks echoed particularly clearly in the quiet afternoon, as if knocking on the door of a new era.
The door was quickly pulled open a crack.
Peter Parker's young face appeared behind the door, his eyes showing a hint of inquiry, and the typical teenage wariness of strangers.
"Hello?"
His voice still carried a touch of childishness and sounded a bit tired.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Parker."
William's face displayed the standard salesman's smile he had practiced countless times—gentle yet professional, as if it could instantly bridge the distance between people.
"Uh, I'm Peter Parker. May I ask who you are?"
The teenager pushed up his glasses, his gaze scrutinizing William and the briefcase in his hand, with a hint of confusion amidst his wariness.
A scent of food wafted from inside the house, like roasted meat mixed with some spices, and faint voices, a gentle female voice, seemed to be urging something.
"My name is William Rodriguez, and I am a risk consultant."
William handed over a business card, which read "Hero Risk Protection," but was cleverly disguised externally as the "Community Mutual Aid Risk Assessment Center."
He knew that directly revealing the words "Hero" would only scare away this "Little Spider" who was still in its incubation period.
Peter took the business card, muttering softly, "Risk consultant?"
He was clearly unfamiliar with this title, even somewhat confused.
"Yes."
William's tone was relaxed, and his smile became even more approachable.
"Our center is currently promoting a 'Future Guardian Experience Program' in Queens, aimed at teenagers, especially excellent students like you."
He deliberately emphasized the words "excellent students" and "Future Guardian," while secretly observing Peter's reaction.
Peter's eyebrows subtly arched, his wariness now tinged with curiosity.
The term "Future Guardian" clearly resonated with him.
"Exactly. Simply put, it's a free, experiential personal accident insurance."
William struck while the iron was hot, "You know, young people are always full of energy and love to explore, but they can also encounter small accidents, like sports injuries or damaged experimental equipment."
He paused, his smile unwavering, "This experience program is designed to provide a little help when you encounter these minor troubles."
Peter's eyes flickered; he had indeed been getting himself into a mess recently due to some "extracurricular activities," even breaking some things.
'Accident insurance?' he mumbled to himself. This sounded... a bit coincidental.
"How much?"
Peter asked subconsciously, this being his most pressing question and the best spell William had anticipated to break the deadlock.
"Completely free."
William nodded affirmatively, his tone filled with undeniable sincerity.
"You just need to fill out a simple electronic questionnaire and sign an experience agreement to activate the protection.
There are no hidden clauses, and no subsequent fees."
He patted his briefcase, indicating he was prepared, "I have a portable terminal here; it'll only take a few minutes, definitely not much of your time."
Peter seemed a bit hesitant; he glanced inside the house, seemingly concerned about something.
"Aunt May is busy," he said softly, as if explaining to himself and to William.
He still had a pile of homework, and Aunt May would finish dinner soon.
"It's alright, it won't take long."
William's tone remained gentle and patient, "Besides, this is just an experience; if you feel it's not suitable, you can cancel anytime, with no loss to you."
He knew that for a kind-hearted yet somewhat introverted teenager like Peter, excessive pressure would be counterproductive, only making him rebellious.
Peter pursed his lips, seemingly weighing his options.
Free, it sounded harmless, even a little appealing, especially since he really needed some "protection" lately.
"Alright."
He finally nodded, pulling the door open a bit, "Then... please come in. But try to be quick, Aunt May doesn't like me to be delayed too long."
William's heart rejoiced, but his face maintained a professional smile. 'Got it!' he gave a victory sign in his mind.
"Of course."
He walked in; the living room wasn't large, but it was neatly organized and filled with a cozy, lived-in atmosphere.
Peter led him to a small round table.
William skillfully took a tablet from his briefcase, brought up the pre-set electronic contract, his movements fluid and seamless.
"Ding! Potential client 'Peter Parker' detected."
"Target characteristics: Possesses extraordinary agility and strength (not fully awakened), has nascent Spider-Sense, current status: healthy."
"System recommendation: Can attempt to promote 'Teenage Accidental Injury Experience Insurance (Community Edition)' or 'Extracurricular Activity Equipment Loss Supplementary Insurance (Trial).'"
William's fingertip lightly tapped the screen, selecting the former.
He didn't want to start by selling the future Spider-Man "equipment loss insurance"; that would be too obvious, and Peter probably didn't have any valuable "equipment" yet.
"This is the 'Teenage Accidental Injury Experience Insurance (Community Edition),' and its main coverage includes minor scratches, sprains that may occur in daily activities, and accidental damage to personal study items."
He introduced it concisely, his tone sincere.
Peter leaned over to look; the terms were indeed simple and clear, with no complicated wordplay.
'It really doesn't seem to have any traps,' he thought to himself.
"You just need to sign here."
William turned the tablet towards Peter.
Peter picked up the stylus, hesitating slightly; he always felt something was off, but couldn't quite pinpoint it.
In the end, he still signed his name.
"Ding! Client 'Peter Parker' has successfully signed the 'Teenage Accidental Injury Experience Insurance (Community Edition),' and coverage is effective immediately."
William's lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile; the system's crisp notification echoed in his mind, more melodious than any beautiful music.
On the client list, a brand new name quietly lit up, radiating a golden glow.
"Alright, Mr. Parker. Thank you for your trust."
William put away the tablet, stood up, and handed Little Spider a piece of paper.
"If you encounter any minor accidents covered by the protection later, you can scan this with your phone to report it; it's very convenient."
"Oh, okay."
Peter nodded, still seemingly not fully recovered from this sudden "free insurance," a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"Then I won't disturb you any further."
William politely bid farewell, feeling satisfied.
Peter saw him to the door.
"Goodbye, Mr. Rodriguez."
"Goodbye, Peter."
William smiled and waved.
Stepping out the door, the afternoon sun shone warmly on him, as if the entire World was celebrating with him.
He didn't look back, but he could feel the teenager's scrutinizing gaze; besides confusion, there might have been a hint of thoughtfulness in that gaze.
Turning the corner, William finally let out a soft breath, his taut nerves at last relaxing.
In his briefcase, there was now one more small hope, a hope significant enough to change the future.