Chapter 1313: Interstellar Grand Stage (37)

The midday light of New York shone through the curtains fluttering in the wind into the slightly narrow but not crowded living room. This was an ordinary residential house in Queens, with two floors and a small yard. Compared to the wealthy districts, it couldn't be called a villa, but it could barely touch the threshold of middle-class housing.

The light of the car's turn signal flickered. Ben Parker, sitting in the driver's seat, already had a trace of gray hair at his temples. This middle-aged man was not tall, nor was he strong. He always liked to wear plaid shirts with jackets, or otherwise various colors of work uniforms. A small tool bag was always hanging at his waist, so that in case of any emergency, he could immediately start repairs.

In New York, the job of an electrical engineer couldn't be considered rich, but it was decent, and the income was good enough to support a family. Although occasionally stretched thin, most residents living in this community were like this.

They weren't the poor; they definitely weren't so poor they couldn't afford to eat, because when they were young, they caught the tail end of America's golden age. A blue-collar worker was enough to support a family, and Ben Parker was just like that.

When he was young, he left home early to learn technology in electrical engineering. Before he was 20, he was already working independently, earning a quite good salary, and married smoothly. Both sets of parents each took out a small sum of money as start-up capital for the newlyweds, so they bought a house and a car, and also bought some financial products as long-term income.

However, such days only lasted for a short period. Since the US economy began to decline and its ability to harvest the world became weaker, after the golden age passed, blue-collar workers no longer had such superior conditions. At least the income wasn't as much as before, but the cost of living became more expensive.

Most residents living in this community were like this. Although the income was still okay, they also had to bear high property taxes and insurance, and they had to live frugally. And when looking at the end of the year, there were still no savings.

Ben Parker took his hand off the steering wheel, pushed open the car door, and got out. He looked back at this Cadillac, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.

But this satisfaction wasn't pride for others. Although the achievements Peter Parker made also comforted him, this car was actually bought with his own salary, not bought for him by Peter.

Ben Parker had always wanted to own a Cadillac, but for so many years, the economic situation of the Parker family left them with no extra strength to change to a new car. Even the Ford car they changed to later was dug out from the second-hand market. As long as it could run, they couldn't pursue the brand and configuration.

Standing in front of the car, Ben Parker stared blankly at the Cadillac's car logo. Such a scene fell into the eyes of Aunt May in front of the second-floor window. This lady, who still appeared energetic, dissatisfiedly knocked on the balcony railing with a feather duster.

Ben Parker was startled awake. He looked up at Aunt May, waved his hand, touched the key at his waist, and walked quickly toward the front door.

But just at this moment, Aunt May called him, made a mouth shape at him, and waved her hand. Ben Parker immediately understood; it must be Peter's girlfriend who had come.

At this time, the sunlight outside the window happened to shine on the armrest of the Parker family's sofa. Gwen rested one arm on the armrest, looking at Peter with a troubled face, and said, "Now it's great. Not only do you have to create an alibi, but I also have to create an alibi. I shouldn't have been soft-hearted and agreed to her at that time!"

Peter, who was dismantling a biscuit box next to her, laughed gloatingly and said, "What's more terrifying than Captain George knowing his daughter's boyfriend is Spider-Man? It's him knowing his daughter is also Spider-Man!"

Gwen reached out and pushed him, looked left and right, confirmed no one was there, and then said a bit reproachfully, "Stop laughing. You have experience, help me think of a way. My dad will find out sooner or later!"

Peter shook his head and said, "I realized this point earlier than you, so I've already given up. The fact that there are more than 200 Spider-Men in New York can't be covered up. You'd better hurry up and prepare some blood pressure medicine."

Gwen, wearing a floral dress, slumped to one side of the armrest, supported her head with her fingers, and said powerlessly, "My dad will go crazy. He really will go crazy. More than 200 Spider-Men is enough for him to suffer!"

Suddenly, as if Gwen had remembered something, she turned her head to look at Peter and said, "Aren't you planning to buy a new house for your uncle and aunt? Have you chosen the location?"

"It's not that I want to buy it, it's that my uncle plans to change houses." Peter took a biscuit from a biscuit box that was a specialty of another universe and shared it with Gwen, then said, "Since changing jobs, his salary has risen a lot, and the treatment has also become better. First, he bought a new car, and now he plans to change to a more spacious house."

"Uncle Ben changed to a new job?" Gwen said with some surprise. "Didn't he work at the New York Power Authority before? I remember it seemed to be municipal facility emergency repair?"

"Yes, but this job is actually tiring and dangerous, and doesn't make money." Peter curled his lips and said, "If it weren't for the subsidies in winter and summer, he wouldn't want to do it. You know, he used to be an electrical engineer for a big company. If the company hadn't gone bankrupt during the economic crisis, he wouldn't have been unemployed so hastily, and then rushed to find employment to support me and Aunt May."

Peter broke off a piece of biscuit and put it in his mouth, recalled, and said, "It was probably when I was still in elementary school, Uncle Ben stayed at home for a period of time. That period was really hard to make ends meet, so he could only settle for finding a job, to get through the difficult period first."

"But by the time the difficult period passed, his age was already older. Although he was experienced, he didn't have a senior title, and many private enterprises were unwilling to want such employees, so he could only find a job as an emergency repair person for the Power Bureau."

"Then why did he think of changing jobs again?" Gwen asked.

"It's not that he wants to change." Peter sighed and said, "Since many space transport line stations were established, because they are too advanced and don't match New York's somewhat outdated circuit network, power outages always occur."

"Although the application of new energy has been put on the agenda, unfortunately, changing all the circuit network lines of such a big city is not that simple, so we can only make do with it for now."

"But if it's broken, you can't just let it stay broken. Someone has to go for emergency repairs. Stark installed alarm bells at the New York Power Authority, but the bell hasn't stopped ringing 24 hours a day. Problems are everywhere, and the company my uncle is in is the same."

"Their small group totals more than 60 electrical engineers and apprentices, and even if everyone is dispatched, it's not enough. The problem is, every time they go for emergency repairs, half of the faults they have repaired before, and they can understand it and finish it quickly. But the other half of the faults involve more advanced technology, and no one can understand it, so they can only drag it out and wait for the Stark Group to send technicians over."

"Wait!" Gwen interrupted Peter's words. She said, "Then just let Stark send technicians, wouldn't that be fine? Didn't antitrust laws long ago give a pass to companies like Stark?"

Peter shook his head and said, "Didn't we all work at the Stark Group? Don't you know yet? Those so-called technicians of the Stark Group are actually researchers. It's simple for you to let them draw circuit diagrams and explain the principles, but it's hard to let them personally do the repairs. They will electrocute themselves."

"Now, the biggest problem with New York's power faults is that the experienced old masters who can do the work don't understand the new technology, and the young researchers who know what the new technology is about don't know how to repair it at all. Every time, the two sides have to torture each other for several hours before they can fix a small problem."

Gwen sighed, nodded, and said, "If that's the case, then it's indeed quite troublesome. You haven't said what this has to do with Uncle Ben's new job?"

"I was just about to say it." Peter was just about to speak, when Aunt May walked over with a smile, served two cups of tea for the two, and clapped her hands gently, saying, "Eating biscuits should be paired with tea. This is what the British say."

Peter picked up the teacup, took a gulp of tea, and Aunt May patted his shoulder gently, giving him a look, telling him not to be so rude in front of his girlfriend.

Peter wiped his mouth and said, "My uncle really couldn't stand this situation. He felt that this was completely wasting time, so he randomly grabbed a researcher and asked him to explain clearly what the technology of the shuttle station was all about."

"Actually, it's not complicated. The circuit technology used in the shuttle station hasn't changed fundamentally, and the principle is not much different from before. It's just because the conductors and lines of some key technologies have adopted new materials, which will present different characteristics. Old electricians can understand what's going on after a few times of hands-on experience."

"Every time Uncle Ben meets young Stark Group technicians, he grabs them to give him lectures. As a result, not long after, he became the most efficient emergency repair person in their Power Authority, and even became an expert in shuttle station maintenance."

"With the passage of time, Uncle Ben became more and more proficient, to the point where other personnel in the Power Authority would call to ask him whenever they encountered any operational difficulties."

"With such technology, it's hard not to get promoted. Now my uncle is already the Senior Technical Consultant of the Interstellar Transport Technology Power Service Department of the New York City Power Authority. You know, this job used to be held concurrently by those university professors of electrical science. It's decent and makes money, and it's not tiring. You only need to help answer technical difficult problems."

Peter smiled and said, "Now my uncle leads 9 apprentices, running back and forth between all the shuttle transport line stations in New York, just to accumulate technical experience for these apprentices quickly, so that they can finish their apprenticeship. The Power Authority urges this matter every day, wishing they could personally do it to pull up the seedlings to help them grow. They are crazy about lacking people!"

Gwen was actually just holding the psychology of caring for Peter's elders to inquire at first, but the more she listened, the more fascinated she became. When she heard this, she couldn't help but ask with some confusion, "Is the Power Authority very short of people?"

"Of course, more than just the Power Authority." Ben Parker's voice sounded at the door. He took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack, took down the tool bag at his waist, and said, "I just came from the shuttle boarding center in Queens. Old Pence of the Traffic Authority has complained to me for the eighth time that there are not enough station security personnel, asking if I have any relatives or friends I can recommend."

Gwen frowned slowly, as if she had thought of something, and said, "Since people are lacking everywhere, why is the Bronx still protesting because of unemployment?" ===== CHAPTER 1314 =====