American Comics: The Girl Next Door is Spider-Gwen

"So, how about I pick a few paintings to take with me?"

Tony remembered his original purpose and scanned the studio, selecting a painting that caught his eye.

"Go ahead, as long as you pay."

Ye Li replied indifferently, "Just a heads-up—the gallery is my workspace, but there aren't many paintings here. You should check out the exhibition instead."

Tony shrugged, "I'm just picking casually. I know your real treasures are hidden in the Northern Tower."

"Good that you know, but don't go blabbering about it and causing trouble for me."

Ye Li grabbed a low-alcohol drink from the fridge. "Want some?"

"Of course."

Tony snapped his fingers while browsing, "Pour me a glass."

Ye Li glanced up lazily, set the bottle and glass on the table, "Pour it yourself."

"I'll do it."

Happy stepped in, poured Tony a glass, and handed it over. He poured himself one as well. "Oh, this is good."

"It really is."

Tony took the drink but didn't sip it yet—he was talking about a painting hanging on the wall.

It was a painting of a seductive woman.

"She's been here too? Judging by the signature, it was even earlier than me. You really are something."

Tony recognized her as a cover model he had once invited out but hadn't gotten around to sleeping with due to the Afghanistan incident.

Ye Li sipped his drink. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not like you; it's just a portrait."

Tony exposed him, "Yeah, sure. This is exactly why we get along so well."

He placed the painting back, knowing Ye Li never sold pieces like this.

"I still have three adorable girls behind me."

Ye Li gently removed Skye's playful hand. "Tony, you're not blind; it's best if you say less."

"Alright, alright, I apologize."

Tony said as he wandered around, holding his drink.

Suddenly, something caught his interest. "Let me see what I've found here?"

Tony picked up a small frame casually thrown in a corner. It featured a figure in a red-and-gold suit of armor.

"You like Iron Man?"

Tony dusted off his own portrait. "Leaving it tossed here isn't very polite, but it's well done."

Ye Li said indifferently, "Just a casual sketch. The suit is nice."

This was something he had sketched on a whim; he didn't expect the subject himself to find it.

"I'm taking this one!"

Tony handed the painting directly to Happy.

He then pulled up Ye Li's bank details and, with a grand gesture, transferred a large sum of money.

Ye Li didn't even glance at the payment notification, waving dismissively. "Safe travels. I'm not seeing you out."

Tony choked on his parting words…

I didn't even say I was leaving yet.

"Looks like you want to chat with your little girlfriends, so I'll leave first."

"Remember what I told you."

"Martial arts."

…..

After Tony left, Ye Li didn't continue bonding with Skye and the others as Tony had imagined.

Instead, he instructed them, "You all stay here and practice for a bit. I have something to take care of."

Tony had time to wander around but still hadn't delivered the suit to him.

It seemed necessary to follow him and meet again under a different identity.

…..

Tony returned home, intending to give the painting to his assistant, Pepper, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Beep—

His phone rang.

It was Pepper.

Before he could answer, his face turned pale, and purple veins bulged on his skin...

Obadiah Stane, a senior figure at Stark Industries, stepped out from behind Tony, putting away a small device in his hand.

"I really wanted you to see my Iron Monger suit, Tony, but alas, you won't have the chance."

He sneered and removed the blue Arc Reactor from Tony's chest. "What a shame. You dragged Pepper into this too. I was planning to let her live."

"Hah, look at this."

Before leaving, Obadiah noticed the painting Tony had placed on the couch and picked it up mockingly. "Iron Man? What a joke. Can you even make money saving refugees?"

As he spoke, he prepared to casually tear the painting apart.

"Though I don't know what you find funny, you'd best put that painting down."

A voice emerged from the shadows.

Ye Li, dressed as Knight Spider, walked forward at a steady pace until he stood before Obadiah.

"Black Spider?!"

Obadiah froze, recalling recent reports about this figure—

Had Tony made connections with him?

An unexpected figure...

Whatever Obadiah was thinking, Ye Li simply patted his shoulder and took both the painting and the Arc Reactor from his hands.

Obadiah didn't dare resist.

He knew that this Black Spider was different from other superheroes—he never hesitated to kill.

Even Norman Osborn, chairman of Oscorp, had been casually killed by him.

He swallowed hard and said, "Black Spider, perhaps we can sit down and talk."

Ye Li ignored him and simply looked at Tony.

"Tony Stark."

"I've saved you twice… oh no, counting the Electro incident, that makes three times."

"I don't think you can repay me fully."

"Hurry up and finish what I asked you to make."

I"'ll need your help again in the future."

Tony didn't reply.

He couldn't reply.

He could only scream internally—

Buddy! Could you put the Arc Reactor back in me first? I'm about to GG here!

Ahem... though it wasn't in that tone, the meaning was roughly the same.

Obadiah, ever the shrewd businessman, caught the hidden meaning in Ye Li's words and immediately made a promise.

"Black Spider, whatever you need Tony to make, I can provide it for you too!

And I can do it even better!"

He didn't ask what Ye Li needed but instead made bold claims, projecting an air of reliability.

The silent Tony panicked—he couldn't speak and couldn't negotiate terms! This was unfair!

He felt that he didn't have much of a relationship with Black Spider, and there was a real chance he might side with Obadiah.

As Tony worried, Obadiah continued his relentless attempts to win Ye Li over.

"If you step away from this matter, I can give you even more!

Wealth, power, women!

Anything you ask for!"

Tony desperately wanted to speak—I can do that too! Don't listen to his nonsense!!

Obadiah finished speaking and looked confidently at Ye Li.

"Well?"

"I don't think anyone could refuse such terms. We could have even more opportunities to work together in the future."

"You're too noisy."

Ye Li, however, grabbed him by the neck.

"Uh, you—"

Obadiah, lifted off the ground, clawed at Ye Li's iron-grip arm, staring in disbelief!

Ye Li tilted his head.

"Seems you've misunderstood something?"

"There's only one Tony Stark, but merchants like you are everywhere..."

"You think too highly of yourself."

As Obadiah's legs kicked helplessly, Ye Li used his favored execution move and snapped his neck.

Although Ye Li had no personal grudge against Obadiah, dealing with someone like him was for the best.

Obadiah wasn't dead.

But he'd spend the rest of his life as a vegetable.

That is, if Tony decided to let him live.