Chapter 39: Sorry, I’m Expensive

Su Ye had no desire to respond to Harry, and even wanted to roll his eyes at him.

“Sorry, I have no talent, no invincible gear, no vehicles that can fly through the heavens or burrow through the earth, and no interest either. Besides, as someone from the Dragon Kingdom, I tend to be rather stubborn.”

“Uh…”

Harry fell silent. Su Ye was right—he was just an international student here, with no responsibility or obligation to play the hero. Unless…

“What if I paid you a salary?” Harry suddenly thought of a possibility. As the spokesperson and head of the Osborn Group, he could easily offer Su Ye a paid position.

With a salary, Su Ye would have motivation, and Harry would gain a powerful ally—plus, he could fight alongside his best friend as superhero brothers. Wasn’t this the ideal scenario?

Harry’s imagination ran further: he’d buy—not rent, but buy—two luxury apartments across from each other near Manhattan Imperial University. He and MJ would live in one, while Su Ye and Gwen would occupy the other.

With his beloved by his side and his best friend right across the hall, work and life would be perfectly balanced. What could be better?

“Heh! Heh!” Su Ye almost laughed. Pay me a salary? Do you even know who I am? You want to put Spider-Man, Andy, and Terry—a hero who can fly, fight in the air and on the ground, who’s so versatile—on your payroll? Can you even afford that?

No, that’s not it. Do you think I’m someone who cares only about money? Can money turn a hero who acts out of pure interest into someone who sees this as just a job? Can money buy a hero’s noble soul?

Let me tell you, my friend, money isn’t everything!

“How much are you offering?”

“Ah?”

Harry had been preparing a long and persuasive speech—he’d planned to tell Su Ye that being a hero for money wasn’t something to be ashamed of, but something to be proud of.

In this world, people judge poverty, not the pursuit of money. As long as it’s legal and earned through work, no one can criticize you for it, even if you’re making your living on Mars.

But before he could even begin to persuade, the conversation had already moved on to salary negotiations. Was this the legendary Dragon Kingdom efficiency?

“Ahem!” The question of salary required some careful thought on Harry’s part.

This issue hadn’t been brought up with the board, but Harry had a certain degree of autonomy and authority; as long as it wasn’t excessive, they wouldn’t object.

“Well, when Hollywood made ‘The Green Hornet,’ they hired an actor from the Dragon Kingdom and paid him a million dollars. Your abilities aren’t any less than the Green Hornet’s, so I’ll offer you… five million dollars a year. How about it?”

Harry was going all in. As the young chairman, his authority was limited; five million a year was the maximum company asset he could allocate at his own discretion. Any more and he’d need board approval.

So, to secure Su Ye, he was offering his utmost sincerity.

With this salary on the table, his plan to buy apartments might have to be downgraded to renting them.

Five million dollars a year—over ten thousand a day. Compare that to Spider-Man fighting in underground rings for pocket change, losing Uncle Ben in the process, and only walking away with a hundred bucks. The contrast was staggering.

And this sum was being offered just because Harry saw Su Ye as a martial arts expert—a bodyguard, essentially. If he knew Su Ye was actually Spider-Man, the price would probably be ten times higher, and the board would happily approve.

Hiring a celebrity spokesperson can cost tens of millions a year.

Five million dollars is over thirty million in Dragon Kingdom currency—a sum Su Ye hadn’t seen in two lifetimes. Even if his father, the small workshop owner, pooled all his assets, it might not amount to that.

With this much money, he’d never have to work again; the bank interest alone would cover all his expenses.

And yet, Su Ye ultimately declined the offer.

“It’s not that I don’t value our friendship, nor that I don’t like money. I just need to give you a warning.”

Su Ye’s expression grew serious—so much so that Harry instinctively straightened up, as this was a side of Su Ye he rarely saw.

“As a superhero, you may seem unstoppable right now, but you’re really skating on thin ice. Your reputation is built on combating the underworld, but have you ever considered—are these criminal organizations you’ve targeted really just simple underground gangs?”

“If they were so simple, how could they be so rampant in New York, turning the city into such a mess?”

“Don’t underestimate the situation or your enemies. True evil often hides beneath the dazzling veneer of justice.”

“The darkest places are often just behind the light—or even right under its nose!”

“Because light is the perfect cover for darkness.”

“If you were just an anonymous hero like Spider-Man, I wouldn’t be too worried. If you were merely a masked hero secretly backed by the Osborn Group, it wouldn’t be much of an issue. But you’re not. Your identity is public, and you openly represent the Osborn Group.”

“Even Iron Man was attacked. Why do you think you’d be any different?”

“So, from now on, you’ll likely face attacks from all directions. The Osborn Group, too, may come under pressure from all sides of society. What you need to do now is prepare—with the Osborn Group—to withstand these assaults and challenges.”

“In this regard, there’s not much I can do to help. Taking your money would only put a strain on our relationship.”

‘Of course, the main issue is that I’m far too expensive. Five million for the right to call me at night? Dream on!’ He didn’t say this last part out loud.

Su Ye’s warning wasn’t just alarmist talk. According to the MCU’s spin-off series, New York’s criminal underworld is a tangled web, and even just in Hell’s Kitchen, there are some formidable players.

People like Kingpin, or the Hand—they’re not mere rats hiding in the dark. Their power can influence the entire city.

The Osborn Group and Harry were moving too fast; if they provoked retaliation, the consequences could be severe.

Consider this: a single rumor could send their stock price, recently boosted by the Green Armored Hero, crashing down. A carefully planned ambush could leave the Green Armored Hero ruined before he’d even begun.

In fact, such a revenge plot against Harry was already being quietly set in motion.

The conspirators included not only familiar faces like the Hand and Kingpin, but also someone Su Ye hadn’t expected—Justin Hammer.

Unlike the others, Hammer wasn’t involved in the underworld, but they shared a common enemy.

On the West Coast, Stark Industries had Iron Man; now, on the East Coast, the Osborn Group had introduced the Green Armored Hero. With two military-industrial giants seemingly set to clash, Hammer Industries—a military contractor as well—was caught in the middle.

When two tigers fight, one is bound to get hurt.

When Coca-Cola and Pepsi went head to head, a lesser brand disappeared. When Wanglaoji and Jiaduobao fought, Heqizheng faded into obscurity…

If Stark Industries and the Osborn Group go to war, will Hammer Industries be the one to vanish?