Marvel: Master Of Role-Playing

Soon after, two armed helicopters quickly arrived in response to Rhodes' report.

Military personnel on board provided emergency treatment for the heavily injured Rhodes before following the trail to this dead-end alley.

Leading the team was an Air Force major. As soon as he spotted Reid, he stepped forward and shook his hand.

"Mr. Luthor, are you all right?"

Reid nodded his head and gestured toward Norman, who lay unconscious on the ground.

"I'm fine. Major Rhodes had already inflicted serious injuries on him during their fight. By the time he chased me here, he collapsed from his wounds."

Though Reid's punch was what ultimately knocked Norman unconscious, the man had already been on the brink due to severe blood loss. Even without that final blow, he wouldn't have lasted much longer.

So, Reid had no hesitation in crediting Rhodes with the victory.

At this time, a soldier reported Norman's condition. The major nodded, confirming that it was indeed Rhodes' attack that had left Norman severely wounded, causing him to pass out from blood loss during the chase.

"We'll escort you back to Oscorp. Leave the rest to us."

The military had actually long been frustrated with Oscorp's stance. Their relationship had always remained strictly business, with the company refusing multiple investment offers.

It was understandable, though. Oscorp didn't need to go public or seek outside funding. As long as it maintained steady growth, it could expand rapidly on its own. The idea of accepting military investment and allowing them to gain shares was out of the question unless Oscorp was on the brink of collapse.

But with its foundation in super soldier serums, advanced materials, and cutting-edge pharmaceuticals, how could Oscorp ever collapse?

The military had been looking for an opportunity to strengthen ties with Oscorp.

Now, they had one.

Even if it was just taking care of Norman, earning Luthor's favor was still a win.

"I'll leave it to you then."

Reid had always planned for Norman to be judged by the law, so he had no reason to object. Escorted by soldiers, he returned to Oscorp and resumed his work.

As for those injured or killed in Norman's attack, the New York government would handle the aftermath.

...

A few days later, Reid visited Lenox Hill Hospital to check on Richard, who had been injured in the attack.

"I'm sorry, Richard. I had to hold a last-minute press conference, and it ended up getting you hurt."

Sitting by the hospital bed was Richard's wife, Mary. She had been taking care of him these past few days.

"This wasn't your fault, Mr. Luthor. After all, you couldn't have known Norman would be crazy enough to attack you during the conference."

Richard wasn't just saying this to be polite—he truly believed it. He had no idea that Reid had already anticipated Norman's actions and had planned accordingly.

"If anything, it's me who should apologize. Because of my injuries, the launch of the new project will be delayed."

Richard felt a deep sense of guilt. The press conference had already taken place, but now, the project had to be put on hold. He was the lead researcher, and everything about it required his approval.

Technically, as the chairman, Reid could make the final decision himself. But out of respect for Richard, he had chosen to entrust the project entirely to him.

That was why Richard, instead of blaming Luthor for his injuries, actually felt guilty.

"No. The work of a specialist should be handled by a specialist. Even if I understand your project, it's still yours. I won't, and frankly, I don't care to take credit for something that isn't mine."

Reid shook his head, maintaining a magnanimous expression as he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a document.

"5% of Oscorp's shares, consider it compensation for your injuries and recognition of your abilities."

Startup companies often used equity to retain key technical talent, but despite being only two years old, Oscorp had long since outgrown that phase.

With irreplaceable technologies like new materials and the Scarlet Serum, 5% of the company's shares might not grant Richard much influence within the corporation, but their sheer value was enough to tempt anyone.

At the very least, that bald man from S.H.I.E.L.D. would certainly be interested in it.

"This... this is too much." Richard hesitated.

Even someone with a strong sense of justice like him couldn't help but feel tempted. A part of him even wondered if Luthor had already discovered his identity and was trying to buy him off with shares.

"Take it. It's just a small token of my appreciation," Reid continued. "Of course, there's a condition—if you ever decide you don't want these shares anymore, you can only sell them back to me at market price or transfer them to your descendants. You can't sell them to anyone else."

The added restriction put Richard slightly more at ease. After a few refusals, he eventually accepted the valuable gift.

And with that, Reid had achieved his goal.

As Oscorp grew, this 5% stake would be worth billions—perhaps even trillions in the future.

But in the Marvel universe, money was the least valuable thing.

Rather than calling it a gift to Richard, this 5% stake was more like an investment in the future Spider-Man, Peter Parker.

Reid couldn't ignore the vast multiverse connected to Spider-Man.

One particular animated movie had even proposed an absurd scenario—if Spider-Man's fate changed, the entire multiverse would collapse.

It made Reid question whether Franklin Richards had cut corners when fixing the multiverse. Since when had it become so fragile that a single Spider-Man's fate could trigger a cascade of destruction?

Regardless of how ridiculous such stories had seemed in his past life, in this reality, anything was possible. Reid had to prepare for all possibilities.

By using 5% of Oscorp's shares to establish a connection with the person most likely to become Spider-Man, he ensured a legitimate reason to intervene in future Spider-Verse crises. No matter how he looked at it, it was an investment with guaranteed returns.

After bidding Richard farewell, Reid left the hospital room, giving the couple some privacy.

'Now, all that's left is the court trial. Once Norman's verdict is out, I imagine Emily will be at her breaking point.'

The Oscorp situation was coming to a close.

Reid glanced at his role-playing progress, satisfied with the 99% completion. As soon as he fulfilled the last requirement and broke past the limit to 100%, he could hand over the identity of Luthor to the clone and move on to other matters.

Just as he turned a corner in the hospital hallway, he spotted an unexpected person.

"Mrs. Osborn..."

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