023. Gwen Wants to Become a Programmer?

Su Ye knew Gwen was very busy, juggling credits and college applications every day, and spending weekends as an intern at Osborn Group. Her schedule was packed to the brim.

But Gwen's idea of busy wasn't just that.

When Gwen pulled out those books from her bag, Su Ye was dumbfounded.

"Algorithms and Data Structures," "General Programming," "The Way of the Java Programmer," "C++: From Beginner to Master," "Python Programming Practice: Creating High-Quality Programs with Design Patterns, Concurrency, and Libraries"...

Just reading the titles made Su Ye's head ache, let alone the contents.

Yet Gwen was excitedly introducing each book.

"This one is about computer thinking, this one is about programming, this one... and this one is about hacking techniques, intrusion, and defense!"

A girl who had been a scientific genius in biological genetics was suddenly showing signs of becoming an IT programmer.

Young lady, do you realize that learning these things leads to baldness? Even if you’re a girl, you can’t be too optimistic. The IT industry doesn’t discriminate—it’s tough on everyone’s hairline.

Still, Su Ye knew Gwen wasn’t studying these to become a coder for some internet company.

After their fight with the Green Goblin, one night when Su Ye returned, the two of them sat on the rooftop discussing the matter of superheroes.

The conversation, interrupted now and then by affectionate distractions, managed to touch on a few real topics.

Su Ye had half-jokingly remarked that in movies, those lone agents and heroes always had a support team behind them—some planning operations, others hacking into enemy networks.

Gwen had taken it seriously, and astonishingly, she intended to handle every aspect of that support herself. One person, one team.

"You don't have to wear yourself out like this," Su Ye said, feeling a pang of concern. "You can have your own life, keep interning, go to college, study what you love, research what excites you."

He hoped Gwen would live for herself, not merely as an accessory to him.

A woman who stands on her own is far more worthy of respect.

If only he could find that super-spider again—let it bite Gwen, turn her into Spider-Gwen, then everything would be perfect.

But Gwen saw it differently.

"I used to think working with Dr. Connors on research was what I loved," she said. "But after discovering your secret and getting involved with all this, I realized being an assistant to a superhero is actually a lot of fun."

"You can call me a superhero’s assistant, but I could just as well say I’m the mastermind behind the scenes."

"Using intelligence to analyze information and direct the superhero to complete missions—you don’t think that’s pretty cool?"

Su Ye couldn’t help but scratch his head. Gwen’s perspective was perfectly valid.

It had the feeling of strategizing from afar and winning battles without direct involvement.

So she would be the brains, and he the brawn? It wasn’t a bad arrangement—would save him plenty of trouble—but it felt as if he’d gained a manager.

Wait a second. Su Ye suddenly considered a more serious issue.

If Gwen really became a computer expert, would she install all sorts of strange monitoring devices on him? All his movements exposed to her gaze.

What about those intimate moments with Mai? Would they be live-streamed? Would he be committing a crime in front of her eyes?

The thought was oddly thrilling.

He figured he’d need to talk to Gwen about this someday—not now, though, lest he dampen her enthusiasm. He’d wait for a better opportunity.

"You’re right, it really is cool. Might even be cooler than me, Commander!" Su Ye grinned, giving Gwen a playful salute.

Gwen laughed, "Alright, Mr. Spider-Man, you’re my first recruit. Don’t let me down, understand?"

Su Ye’s eyebrows rose, "First recruit? Am I not enough for you? Planning on getting more? I think you might be underestimating me—I promise you’ll be overwhelmed!"

"Is that so?" Gwen’s eyes curved into crescents with her smile. "I don’t believe it!"

"Oh, really? Then maybe I should show you why my heart is so passionate!" Su Ye said, lunging toward her.

Just then, a voice sounded nearby.

"Sorry! Am I interrupting?"

It was Harry, apologizing verbally but showing no sign of regret as he sat down right beside Su Ye.

"Honestly, if you were Thompson, I’d have kicked you all the way to the opposite stands," Su Ye said, turning to Harry.

Harry only shrugged. Thompson happened to be nearby, picking up a ball. Hearing Su Ye’s words, he shivered and ran off clutching the basketball.

"I used to get angry seeing Thompson bully people, but now watching him so scared of you, I almost feel sorry for him," Gwen remarked, though it was clear from her indifferent expression that she wasn’t truly invested.

Given what Thompson had done before, any hardship he suffered now was well deserved.

Harry had come to invite Su Ye to a Broadway show that evening.

"MJ’s always dreamed of being an actress, so I pulled some strings to get her a chance to perform on Broadway. Tonight’s her debut, and I want to invite you both to come."

Mary Jane was truly fortunate to have Harry, a wealthy heir, by her side. Often, Harry could provide opportunities with a wave of his hand that Mary Jane would otherwise struggle for, perhaps even degrade herself to obtain.

Unfortunately, Norman Osborn didn’t like Mary Jane, the Cinderella from a poor family, believing she only cared about his son’s money.

Harry understood this well, so he was eager to elevate Mary Jane’s status, making her worthy in his father’s eyes.

Tonight was important for them.

As Harry’s friend—perhaps his only friend—Su Ye knew he had to attend, no matter what.

But Gwen shook her head with her books in hand. "This is for you. You two go ahead. I can’t stay out late tonight, and I need to study."

Handing Su Ye a box, Gwen began packing her backpack.