Peter waited for Ben to finish fixing the car, thinking he might as well take a break. Just then, Connors saw him approaching and, with a happy grin, pulled him into the lab.
Connors greatly admired Peter's intelligence.
While the previous Lizard Serum had been developed using documents left by Richard Parker, Peter's ability to understand the formulas at a high school age was proof enough of his extraordinary talent.
However, the only thing that dissatisfied Connors was Peter's laziness.
In the mind of this teenager, the desire to become a Super Hero far outweighed the desire to become a scientist.
This made Connors feel like he was failing Peter.
He even felt it was a betrayal of his own intelligence.
It was like Richard Parker had betrayed their research back then, leaving them both and disappearing without a trace, which also made him feel dissatisfied.
But he also understood.
For a teenager, no one didn't want to be admired and adored by everyone. Moreover, Spider-Man's Superpowers were another of Peter's talents.
However, Connors didn't think Peter had to choose just one.
"Power," Connors extended his left hand, clenched it into a fist, then extended his right hand, also clenching it into a fist. "Intelligence, both are your talents," he then brought his two fists together, symbolizing the fusion of two different talents.
"You should utilize them in a comprehensive way, so as not to be a waste."
"I'm just a bit too busy sometimes," Peter shrugged. He didn't dislike studying and research, he just didn't have enough time.
Then, the two of them walked into another laboratory.
Connors said, "The Self-Healing Serum is very complete now, only the production capacity is not enough. We'll be fine once we establish a new Ecopark."
"So what's your plan now?"
Peter put down his schoolbag, changed into a lab coat, and then expertly disinfected himself, putting on a mask and gloves, he asked.
"Naturally, I plan to research other serums," Connors took out a Variometer, and at the same time reached into a nearby incubation chamber and grabbed a Chameleon.
Developing new serums was not an easy task, even with a Variometer, the road ahead was long and arduous.
Firstly, the mutations caused by Animo's Variometer would turn animals into giant monsters, and Primus was not a zoo; they didn't rely on this for revenue.
What Connors had to do first was to simulate the mutated state, and then focus on a single ability of the animal to mutate and enhance it.
This was why the Self-Healing Serum could only improve human self-healing abilities, not grant Humans Superpowers.
Because from the very beginning, Ben had only mutated the self-healing factors within the lizard.
"Eunice, simulate the experimental data," Connors said, while taking a small sample of Chameleon cells and placing it on a microscope slide.
"If Grey Matter could help, the research progress would be much faster," he said.
But in reality, Ben had already completely handed over the biotechnology, especially the reptile technology project, to Connors.
Grey Matter was very intelligent, but he couldn't do everything himself; otherwise, there would be no point in recruiting Connors.
Meanwhile.
Ben was still modifying the Rust Bucket RV.
Among various hovering methods, he still chose sonic hovering.
This technology had existed for a long time, but applying it to a car, making an object weighing several tons fly freely and controllably, was not an easy feat.
In addition, how to deal with the destructive power of sound waves was also a problem.
Of course, although this was not easy for Ben, it was not impossible.
What truly kept him busy was the other modifications to the Rust Bucket RV.
He planned to equip the Rust Bucket RV with weapons and other propulsion systems, and to enable it to have partial deformation to reduce wind resistance.
In his vision, the maximum flight speed of this car should at least be enough to break through the atmosphere, and for that, the Rust Bucket RV would also need to have the ability to operate in space.
"It's a shame Vibranium is hard to come by."
He sighed.
If most of the Vibranium wasn't controlled by Wakanda, and he couldn't buy it even with money, he would have directly used Vibranium Alloy to build the outer shell of the Rust Bucket RV.
"I remember there's Vibranium in Antarctica too?"
Getting out from under the car, after deactivating his transformation, Ben took a sip of water, a piece of information he had vaguely recalled before coming to mind.
Antarctic Vibranium belonged to Vibranium B, also known as Anti-Metal.
This type of Vibranium did not absorb vibrations like Wakandan Vibranium; instead, it emitted special vibrational waves, thereby destroying other metals.
Even Adamantium could not withstand the vibrational waves of Anti-Metal; its internal molecular bonds would be destroyed, and it would be converted into liquid.
Clearly, Antarctic Vibranium was not suitable for making protective gear, but if used properly, it could be used as a weapon.
The problem was that it was not easy to mine Antarctic Vibranium in large quantities in Antarctica.
It wasn't that the development difficulty was too high, but rather that it was difficult not to be discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. or other countries.
"It's best to create an invisibility field first," Ben thought, deciding to put these aside for now.
At least the defense of this car was much stronger than Egghead Fury's car, and he wasn't going to actually drive the Rust Bucket RV into battle.
"It would be best to have a small lab for crafting equipment, just in case."
As he was thinking, Peter and Connors walked out of the lab, looking dejected.
Clearly, their experiments today had yielded no results.
"The experiment didn't go well?" Ben asked.
Peter shook his head, slumping into a chair, exhausted. "It's completely unworkable. All the data came out abnormal. I suspect there's a fundamental flaw. The formula for the Lizard Serum is completely different when used on Chameleon."
Connors, long accustomed to such setbacks, offered comfort. "Failure is common, Peter. Sometimes you might work for years with little progress, but once you succeed, it brings about immense change."
However, such words clearly couldn't immediately lift Peter's spirits.
The sense of accomplishment he got from conducting experiments couldn't compare to being a Super Hero.
Then, as if remembering something, he said, "Oh, right, Dr. Connors, next week Uncle Norman's lawsuit against Green Goblin goes to trial. I think you'll be free soon."
Upon hearing this, Connors shook his head, not holding out much hope.
Cases like this could sometimes drag on for months, even nearly a year, before concluding. The restoration of his reputation seemed a distant prospect.
"It won't take that long," Ben said, shaking his head. "Now that the evidence is complete, as long as Norman releases it, your name will be cleared."
As for the trial of Green Goblin, Ben held no expectations.
Those who wanted the Lizard Serum wouldn't allow Green Goblin to face legal consequences.
With that thought, Ben took out the remote for the Neurotoxin and let out a cold laugh.
It was precisely because of this that he had prepared this contingency. No matter who tried to rescue Green Goblin, they would only get a corpse.
Thinking that he wouldn't have to be confined to the lab anymore, Connors' mood improved considerably.
At this point, Peter brought up his original reason for coming.
"Take pictures? Don't even think about it."
Ben rolled his eyes. "Come on, Peter. While Primus isn't making a fortune yet, the formula for the serum alone is worth hundreds of billions. You want me, a CEO worth hundreds of billions, to dress up as a spandex-clad model for you to take pictures, just to earn a few hundred dollars?
"Not to mention, James is constantly lambasting Spider-Man in the papers. I don't have a masochistic tendency to invite abuse..."
He flatly refused Peter.
Peter didn't seem too disappointed and changed the subject. "Okay, but are you really planning to take this car to the exhibition? It doesn't look futuristic at all."
"Of course not. This is for my personal use. For the upcoming summer vacation, my family and I can take a road trip," Ben said.
The car for the exhibition would definitely need a different look.
Just like the so-called futuristic concept cars, it needed a sci-fi appearance to impress people.
Soon.
The day of the trial arrived.
Ben had no interest in it, even going so far as to ignore it, because he knew Norman and Matt had prepared thoroughly.
Their intention was never to ensure Green Goblin received a specific punishment, but rather to seize his assets.
Unlike Ben, Peter cared deeply about this lawsuit.
On one hand, Green Goblin was a villain who had attacked his good friend Harry. On the other hand, he wanted to see how the law would deal with this evil criminal.
Therefore, when the day of the trial came, Peter entered the courtroom with Norman.
His strong heartbeat immediately caught Matt's attention. The blind lawyer recognized him as Spider-Man almost instantly.
However, he didn't reveal this, instead pretending to meet Peter for the first time and greeting him.
Peter, on the other hand, didn't recognize Matt. After politely greeting him, he sat down next to Harry.
The two began to whisper.
Both Harry and Peter assumed the outcome of the lawsuit was a foregone conclusion. Green Goblin would surely be tried, and it was only a matter of the severity of the punishment.
Because, in their view, it was undeniable that Stromm was Green Goblin, and all other evidence of his crimes had been gathered.
However, Reality proved to be quite unexpected.
In the courtroom, after Matt, wearing sunglasses, listed Green Goblin's crimes one by one, the lawyer defending Green Goblin immediately countered, attempting to acquit him.
Peter couldn't understand why, with irrefutable evidence of Green Goblin's crimes, someone was still defending him.
Why could he brazenly claim his green skin wasn't from using stolen serum, but from a skin disease?
Why, despite being a heinous Super Villain, could he openly accuse Matt and Norman in court of discriminating against him, a sufferer of a skin condition?
He even wore an expression of extreme arrogance and triumph, instead filing a lawsuit against Matt and Norman.
Matt responded calmly and eloquently.
At the same time, through Peter's heartbeat and breathing, he sensed the confusion and anger the other felt at that moment.
He desperately wanted to turn his head and tell him:
"Because of profit."
"This is Reality, Spider-Man."
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