Chapter 36: Chapter 35: Strong Wine Flavor
"What's wrong?" Aunt May asked, noticing Peter pause and look puzzled as she cleared the breakfast table.
"...Oh, nothing. I'm just curious about how the glass broke," Peter responded, gesturing to the TV screen. The footage showed alarming cracks on the Empire State Building's side glass, as if struck by a heavy object.
These were the very windows he and Panda Big White had swung past the previous night.
"It must have been a fight. It's dangerous to smash glass like that. Be careful when you go out," Aunt May speculated, not having listened closely to the news.
"Right, I'm heading out," Peter said, waving as he left. Seeing the damage, he thought of Panda Big White. Being a panda, he wasn't as agile and was quite heavy, likely causing the mishap while swinging on spider silk.
---
Meanwhile, Big White lounged on the sofa, no longer focused on the TV but immersed in his system.
"System, activate rough skin and thick flesh evolution."
During last night's mission at the Empire State Building, breaking the glass was easy, given his weight. However, his body still felt sore.
He'd earned 130 destruction points, plus 65 from parkour in New York City, totaling 195 points.
Just five more points to unlock the next level.
Additionally, he gained six points for aiding in the mugger's capture, more than for direct rescues.
Big White surmised it was calculated based on the crime's severity.
"Evolve," the system's mechanical voice instructed. Big White felt a tingling sensation, like being wrapped in electricity.
"...Evolution complete," the system announced, and the tingling subsided.
Rather than immediately checking his condition, he explored possible exchanges for his goodwill points.
"Access skills exchange."
"Detected goodwill points: seven. Available skills:"
"Mantis Acupuncture Technique, seven points."
"Dad Ping's Noodle Soup Skills, three points."
"Crane Calligraphy, four points."
...
Big White lingered over Dad Ping's Noodle Soup Skills but decided to save his points for potential martial arts skills.
With 95 destruction points and seven goodwill points remaining, he exited the system.
He flexed his paws, noticing increased strength.
Examining his reflection, he noticed he seemed slightly bulkier. Unsure, he headed to the bathroom.
In the mirror, the adorable panda looked a bit plumper.
"I wonder how much damage I can take now..." Big White mused, patting his enlarged belly.
Having perfected his basic attributes like Panda Abao, he could now act human-like—using chopsticks, walking upright, kicking.
His foodie talent allowed him to enjoy all kinds of human food.
With his rough-skinned, thick-fleshed evolution complete, his next goal was martial arts, moving toward becoming a Dragon Hero.
---
After his self-assessment, Big White returned to the living room, snacking and watching TV.
But soon, boredom set in. The last five destruction points nagged at him, pushing him to destroy something to evolve further.
He pondered the 95 points, then recalled Mrs. Stacy's complaints about George hiding alcohol. His job often kept him up late, and drinking was harmful.
Though George promised his wife he'd quit, his habit persisted, and he had a stash at home.
As a thoughtful panda, Big White felt he should help George's health.
"Time for some mischief," he chuckled.
With a keen sense of smell, Big White knew where George hid his various wines and sake.
The household's grocery storage rarely saw visitors, making it the perfect hiding spot.
If only George hid money there, Big White thought, he could have broken some furniture too.
"Bang! Bang!" The sound of breaking glass echoed in the grocery storage.
---
Evening.
George drove home.
He'd spent the day examining photos from the Global Times. After enhancement, the once-blurry images now revealed more details.
Spider-Man's presence was expected, but the other figure—short and bulky—puzzled him.
In the enhanced photos, the soles appeared to belong to the Ursidae family, though specifics remained unclear.
The figure's bamboo hat and clothing, featuring a blurred dragon embroidery, hinted at ties to the Dragon Kingdom's chivalric culture.
Bear paw, Dragon Kingdom, chivalry... Kung Fu.
For some reason, George thought of Panda Big White at home.
But it seemed impossible. Despite Big White's agility, he couldn't scale the Empire State Building without Spider-Man.
Wait, Spider-Man?
George recalled Big White's recent disappearance, then his sudden return to Gwen's 20th-floor bedroom. A panda couldn't have quietly navigated the fire escape to Gwen's room.
And the day Big White vanished, Spider-Man was also involved. All attention was on Panda Big White, overlooking Spider-Man.
"Spider-Man!" George fumed, suspecting him of abducting Big White.
Determined, he sped home to question Gwen about Big White's whereabouts last night.
Entering his house, the strong scent of wine hit him immediately, mingling with his favorite sake.
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