[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-89":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Mental Mentor in Marvel",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2322657,4544,"Chapter 89","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-89",89,"\u003Cp>Amidst a clamor of voices and flashing lights, Stark stood at the interview podium in a sharp suit; no sooner had he taken his stance than a dozen microphones thrust forward—he raised a hand, pressing down to signal them to calm down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, Mr. Stark, I’m Brock, a special correspondent for the Global Daily. Mr. Stark, how do you respond to the accusations that you disregarded human lives by terminating your medical cooperation with the military?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You need to understand one thing.” Stark pointed his finger at the Ma Lei reporter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t shut down the partnership—and with your limited brain capacity, you probably can’t grasp the difference between industrial medical technology and the ordinary medical equipment used in hospitals…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Stark appeared mentally alert, his heavy dark circles betrayed his recent sleepless nights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pepper was overwhelmed; Stark Industries’ smooth operation depended entirely on her. Since Stark’s fallout with the military, he’d faced relentless external pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like this press conference—Stark glanced down and knew at least half these people had taken military money; they’d follow Brock’s lead, hurling tricky questions to pin all the blame on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reporter pressed: “Stark Industries shows far less enthusiasm in medical R&D than Osborn Group. Does this mean you care less about the advancement of human medicine—or lack compassion for patients suffering from disease?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark scanned his press badge. Okay, this Eddie Brock was clearly here to provoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I won’t debate this with you. If you want answers about the termination of the medical cooperation project, ask the Army General.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about Stark Industries’ weapons? After they’re used in war, you refuse to develop more medical technology to save soldiers injured on the battlefield—does this mean Stark Industries only cares about profiting from war, and ignores civilian casualties? Are you a traitor to the people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brock spoke at machine-gun speed; his torrent of words struck every vulnerable point. Stark thought: if not for the military’s script, this man would be a genius journalist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When someone wants to find fault with you, no matter what you do, they’ll find grounds to condemn you from every angle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, New York’s major newspapers published overwhelming negative coverage of Stark, led by Brock, the Golden Reporter of the Global Daily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark knew the military was pressuring him to break—but he knew he must hold firm, or Pepper would be left utterly isolated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These events made him reflect deeply—on love, friendship, family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Iron Man never retreats—not just for his lofty ideals, but for everyone he loves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The military’s propaganda campaign was effective: they not only crushed Stark Industries’ reputation but also elevated Osborn Group. Osborn had always excelled in biotech and medical tech; Stark Industries, by contrast, specialized in defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This became the media’s justification to smear Stark Industries as an inhuman evil organization, branding it a cancer on humanity—as if the world would be at peace without it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To claim these relentless negative reports had no effect on Stark was impossible. If they were mere tabloid rumors, he might have shrugged them off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was: Stark himself knew his weapons had killed many. The media’s claims weren’t entirely false—Stark Industries had been built on war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark, having just emerged from extreme despair, sank back into depression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, during Peter’s sewer exploration, he once again found signs of human activity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since spotting the clues earlier, Peter had kept watch—examining every maintenance access point carefully—and discovered this sewer weirdo hadn’t just lived in one spot; he seemed to scurry daily through the tunnels, leaving traces in five or six access points across the same neighborhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following these traces, Peter drew closer to the truth—he suspected the weirdo had a true base at the convergence point of these trails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Peter’s sewer map grew more complete, he finally pinpointed the likely convergence: near a reservoir, where four tunnels branched out, each leading to a neighborhood with traces. The weirdo probably established his main base there, then set up temporary outposts in the other areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t surprising—not everyone had Spider-Man’s stamina to traverse half the city’s sewers in a single day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sewers were vast, the paths long; no manhole led to the surface near the reservoir. He’d need rest points between the manholes and the reservoir—or he’d collapse before covering the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter also noticed this: the sewer dweller was likely just an ordinary person, unable to trek kilometers through damp, dark tunnels in one go—hence the multiple rest rooms scattered across the network.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This gave Peter confidence: if his opponent was merely human, and Peter caught him off guard, he’d surely capture him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One night, Peter slipped into the reservoir base—he knew the weirdo wouldn’t be there—and pried open the door of the nearby maintenance station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, Peter was stunned: rows of bottles and jars, plus crude, makeshift equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter picked up one bottle, glanced inside—it contained biological tissue samples. Who was this person? Why experiment here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped over the cluttered boxes, moved deeper—and it grew worse: numerous biological specimens, grotesque under the dim, eerie lighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked exactly like the lair of a mad scientist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was cautious—no data or documents remained, only the experimental materials. Peter searched the entire room but found no identifying information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mad scientist conducting biological experiments in New York’s sewers? Peter slowly sketched a sinister image in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t let this continue. Though few came here, the sewers were New York’s lifeline—if dangerous waste was dumped inside, the entire city could be at risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter walked to the door, pulled down the dry, stacked cardboard boxes piled high near the entrance, tore them into shreds, lit a fire, and planned to burn the base to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the sewers were damp, the maintenance station was dry enough—the fire quickly filled the room with thick black smoke. Peter shut the door and watched as flames consumed every piece of equipment inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled in relief—thankfully he’d discovered it early. If the mad scientist had actually developed a toxin or gas, it would’ve been too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After emerging from the sewers, Peter still felt uneasy. He thought: though he’d destroyed one base, the mad scientist might have others—he needed to monitor this area closely these next few days, ideally catch him in the act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the next few days, Peter interned at Stark Industries by day and frequently returned to the sewers at night. Since the base was destroyed, the traces of activity seemed to vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mad weirdo had given up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter felt slightly relieved—but his internship wasn’t going well either. He noticed Mr. Stark had become deeply apathetic; he no longer conducted any experiments, spending his days smoking and drinking, sometimes passing out drunk on the lab floor, forcing Peter to drag him up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter had read the negative reports about Stark—but he didn’t believe a single word. He thought they were pure slander. Iron Man was a superhero—he’d saved countless lives, not the heartless monster the media portrayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter wanted to reverse this situation, but he had no good strategy. He was never good at this—he wouldn’t even dare call to challenge the reports—so he returned to the psychological clinic. He believed Dr. Shiler must know how to turn public opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler had been busy lately feeding the symbiote.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Peter arrived at the clinic, Shiler was bandaging Pikachu, who had leapt onto the kitchen counter while Shiler cooked, his tail dipping into the pot and burning off a large patch of fur. Now Pikachu lay pitifully on the table, letting Shiler treat him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter said: “Hey! Am I interrupting? I can come back tomorrow…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem, come in. I’ve got nothing urgent right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter walked in and roughly ruffled Pikachu’s face. Pikachu wrinkled his nose to dodge—but his tail was still held by Shiler. He jumped sideways, his tail yanked hard, and he tumbled back onto the table, knocking over a pile of cups with a clatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be still,” Shiler said. “Or your tail will stay bald forever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter sat on the nearby chair. “Doctor, have you seen the reports lately? These reporters are insane—they actually claimed they saw Mr. Stark selling weapons to terrorists, even described their negotiations in vivid detail…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s their trade. If they lacked this skill, they wouldn’t survive in the New York press circle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But they’re lying!” Peter slammed his fist on the table. “Mr. Stark isn’t that kind of person!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so? If it were pure lies, Stark’s attitude should mirror yours—you’re furious on behalf of your friend, so the victim himself should be even angrier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then…” Peter was silenced. Shiler was right. When Thompson had spread rumors about him in school, he’d been furious—but why wasn’t Mr. Stark angry? Why didn’t he fight back?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Peter, though awkward with words, had tried hard to explain the rumors to those around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you so certain what you believe is right?” Shiler asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because… I know Mr. Stark isn’t like that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if you’ve only seen one side of him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But…” Peter clenched his fists. “Doctor, isn’t Mr. Stark also your friend? Do you really think he’s the person those reports describe?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler shook his head. “The Stark you see and the Stark I see are likely completely different—like a thousand people see a thousand Hamlets.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One’s perception always shifts with one’s stance. A villain seeing a good man sees a villain; a villain seeing another villain sees a good man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter punched his own palm. “I believe those reporters and Osborn Group are villains seeing a villain as good—they’re all the same, praising each other. And the reporters see Mr. Stark as a villain seeing a good man…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you define good and evil?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… doing good deeds is good, doing bad deeds is evil?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And how do you define good and bad deeds?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At least… they must align with facts, not lie, not break laws… and follow morality, respect moral boundaries—that’s good, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think swinging around New York all day violates traffic laws?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I do it to… okay, I know my intentions are good, my outcome is good—I save lives, right? So a little lawbreaking doesn’t matter…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cheating Emperor Kang”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler shook his head. “One day you’ll understand: there are no purely good people, no purely evil ones. The world is full of bad deeds with good intentions and good outcomes—and good deeds with terrible intentions and terrible outcomes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter scratched his head. “That sounds like a tongue twister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you keep viewing the world through simplistic black-and-white logic, eventually you’ll find the black and white blur into a murky gray.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But good is good, evil is evil. I just want to help more people, do more good.” Peter said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Peter left Shiler’s office, his head still spun. Shiler’s whole good-evil metaphor had left him dizzy. Peter’s thinking was simple: he was good, so he did good—and stopped evil people from doing evil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was so hard about that? Wasn’t it obvious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter shook his head. He believed he was right. If everyone thought like him, the world would be far better. Crime existed only because evil people refused to stop doing evil—if everyone were good, crime would vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking and thinking all the way, Peter checked his watch—it was still early. He’d already taken leave from his internship group, and his uncle and aunt wouldn’t be home yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter thought a moment, then decided to continue his superhero duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found the nearest manhole, climbed down, and decided it was safer to patrol the sewers more thoroughly—to prevent any dangerous actions by the scientist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as soon as he entered the sewers today, Peter felt a chilling dread—not quite spider-sense, but enough to make his spine prickle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reluctantly, he opened his backpack, put on his Spider-Man suit, hid the bag in a corner, and continued deeper into the sewers as Spider-Man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pervasive sense of danger made him move cautiously, not sprinting as before. As he neared the central reservoir of this district, his spider-sense began to hum faintly—he felt uneasy, but couldn’t pinpoint why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking further, he suddenly heard a faint hissing, accompanied by a scraping sound like metal on stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His spider-sense flared—he rolled sideways just as a slab of concrete flew past where he’d been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid flying debris, Peter looked up—and saw a massive silhouette at the far end of the dark sewer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stood at least four to five meters tall. As he drew closer, dim sewer lights revealed it: a bipedal lizard, a colossal reptilian humanoid filling nearly the entire tunnel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spider-Man swallowed hard. Compared to this creature, his own frame looked thin and tiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But clearly, the monster had spotted him. Peter scrambled up the walls to flee; the giant lizard chased after, each step shaking the sewer floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lizard roared, hurling chunks of concrete at Spider-Man. Spider-Man was faster—but only slightly. Worse, the debris forced him to dodge left and right, severely slowing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the sewers, webbing was ineffective. Peter relied solely on his legs. And bipeds have one weakness: lose your balance, and you fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To dodge a slab, Peter rolled right—then a shard of stone struck his left side, knocking him off balance. He tumbled across the ground, rolling several times. The giant lizard seized his leg and hurled him away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter slammed into the sewer wall, coughing violently, tasting coppery blood in his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He struggled to rise, preparing for another brutal fight—but suddenly, the lizard shook its head, seemed disoriented, then turned and sprinted off in another direction, ignoring Peter entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>",2271,"2026-06-20T16:39:12.484Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","95bd7b36208fb2ed73a7b7d5a9d81b3a9399966eed72acf1e5d9cbe54ab891b5","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-90","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-88",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-cover.jpg"]