018. Did I just hit a blue card? Yes, I did!

The criminal was driven away? By whom? The police? The military? Or those mysterious agencies?

"According to eyewitnesses, when the criminal was escaping, he was pulled down from his glider by something resembling spider silk. So, people are speculating that it was probably Spider-Man who intervened."

"Spider-Man? The so-called friend of women?"

Captain George still couldn't quite wrap his head around it. Why would a friend of women suddenly be involved in fighting supervillains?

His subordinate pointed to the stands where Mary Jane was seated and explained, "It's said that the criminal was about to target a girl in those stands, so…"

"Alright, he truly lives up to the name 'friend of women'!"

Captain George understood now. That made sense. Spider-Man wasn't specifically out to fight supervillains—he just happened to come across one while rescuing a girl.

With this explanation, Captain George felt somewhat relieved. At least that guy wasn't deliberately trying to steal his job.

But on the other side, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who rushed to the scene had a different take.

"Spider-Man? Is he a superhero like Iron Man? There's a new superhero in New York, and we didn't even know?" Coulson frowned as he listened to the nearby officers' conversations and questioned his fellow agents.

They exchanged glances. Lately, they had been preoccupied with the Green Goblin and hadn't had time for city matters. Besides, the police hadn't reported anything, so it made sense that they were unaware.

"The Green Goblin has made his move again. We're just passively following behind, which isn't effective. We need to request reinforcements—it's best if we can take the initiative!"

"In addition, assign a few people to investigate this Spider-Man. If we confirm he has superhuman abilities, report to Director Fury immediately."

A woman in a baseball cap stepped forward and reminded him, "Sir, there's also the matter of the man in the iron mask that I mentioned to you previously."

Coulson nodded. "You're right. Handle both matters at once—you take charge."

"Yes, sir!"

When Su Ye returned to Gwen's rooftop, the jacket he’d left for her was still warm.

Well, not from his own warmth, but because Gwen had been hugging it tightly, so it carried her body heat.

"Hey! Problem solved, I'm back!" Su Ye landed, took off his mask, and greeted Gwen with a smile.

But Gwen, abandoning all restraint, rushed over and wrapped her arms around his head.

"Mmm!"

Su Ye never expected that his first time would be so passive.

As a superman, how could he accept this? He had to retaliate!

For a full minute, Gwen was nearly suffocated before Su Ye finally released her.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

With fresh air in her lungs, Gwen's dazed mind cleared, and she began to inspect Su Ye for injuries.

He shook his head, showing off his strength, and described what had happened in a calm tone.

"So, you shouldn't assume that superheroes are all like boxers in a ring, exchanging blows with criminals. Sometimes, brains are just as important!"

"You think you're clever? Second in the class!" Gwen pouted and laughed playfully.

"Oh, you’re not done yet, are you?"

Su Ye strode forward, pulled Gwen into his arms, and launched a tickling assault. Soon enough, they found themselves tangled together again.

This time, it lasted a full two minutes.

Teenagers are like dry wood waiting for a spark to ignite.

They had intended to talk seriously about superheroes on the rooftop, but it turned out to be impossible.

Every conversation ended with them in each other's arms.

If it weren't for the setting, Captain George could be expecting a grandchild next year.

Finally, it got so late that they had to go downstairs.

Even as Su Ye was about to leave, Captain George still hadn't returned.

"Looks like I'll have to wait until next time to have tea with the Captain," Su Ye joked to Gwen before heading home.

It was nearly midnight when he returned. Instead of going to sleep, Su Ye turned on his computer and began searching for martial arts schools.

Today had been his first encounter with a supervillain.

Although he’d boasted to Gwen about using his brains, the truth was, his so-called cleverness was nothing but a substitute and psychological comfort for his lack of strength.

Brute force trumps all. If he could simply overwhelm his opponent with pure power, there’d be no need for clever tricks—just like when he’d kicked Thompson at school.

Not only was it satisfying, but it solved the problem once and for all. See how well-behaved Thompson is now?

As Spider-Man, if he wanted to improve his abilities, the most direct route would be to have Iron Man as a godfather and let advanced tech pave the way for him.

But that was out of the question—he’d never do that, not in this life.

Even if he wanted to, Tony Stark in his current state wouldn’t easily accept a godson.

So, Su Ye decided to study martial arts.

Whether it was kung fu, taekwondo, karate, jiu-jitsu, or boxing, he was willing to give them all a try.

As long as it improved his combat skills, that was enough.

He quickly found plenty of martial arts schools online, covering various styles. He noted down a few with good reputations and reasonable prices, then went to bed.

It was almost midnight. Today was Saturday, and after midnight, a white Girlfriend Card would be credited to his account.

But Su Ye was no longer the naive rookie who, upon receiving his first gray card, fantasized about whether he’d draw an older or younger sister. Now, not even a green card would catch his attention unless he had nearly ten of them.

The moment the clock struck midnight, a notification woke him up.

[Ding! You have completed the Spider-Man storyline event "Outsmarting the Green Goblin." You have received one 'Girlfriend Card (Blue Star).' ]

(Note: Star Card—higher chance of drawing a high-quality card.)

Why hadn’t he triggered a quality upgrade event when he’d defeated the school bully Thompson? Was Thompson too insignificant?

Unfortunately, he didn’t know if achieving such high-quality Girlfriend Cards required sticking to the original plot or if changing the story would work as well.

The question flashed through his mind, but seeing the card’s description made his eyes light up.

A blue card!

Previously, he could synthesize blue cards—ten green cards could yield three blue ones—but single draws rarely brought miracles, and even triple draws had no guarantees, so he’d never bothered.

So this was his first genuine blue card.

And the "Star" label and note suggested this wasn’t an ordinary card—maybe this time he’d actually get something good.

So, should he open it immediately?

Or wait until he had ten blue cards and open them all at once?

Su Ye was torn.

The star card only increased the odds of a high-quality draw; it didn’t guarantee one.

But collecting nine more blue cards would take nearly five months. That was just too long—he couldn’t wait.

Gritting his teeth, he decided to open it now.

Five months was too long—a moment seized is worth more than a lifetime.

[Ding! Opened 'Girlfriend Card (Blue Star),' you have received…]