I Have a Girlfriend in Marvel

Su Ye didn't want to pay Harry any attention and was tempted to roll his eyes at him.

"Sorry, I don't have any special talents, no invincible gear or flying machines, and I'm not interested. Plus, as a Dragon Country citizen, I'm rather stubborn!"

"Uh…"

Harry fell silent. Su Ye was right—he was just an exchange student with no responsibility or obligation to play hero here, unless...

"What if I offered you a salary?"

Harry suddenly thought of a possibility. As the spokesperson and head of Osborn Group, he could offer Su Ye a paid position.

With a salary, Su Ye would have the motivation to work, and Harry would gain a powerful ally, allowing him to fight alongside his best friend as brother heroes. Wasn't that the perfect scenario?

Harry even envisioned buying—not renting—two high-end apartments near Empire State University, one for himself and MJ, and the other for Su Ye and Gwen.

With the person he loved nearby and his best friend living across the hall, work and life would be perfectly balanced. How delightful!

"Ha! Ha!"

Su Ye wanted to laugh. Offering me a salary? Do you even know who I am? Spider-Man + Andy + Terry—able to fly, strike ground and air targets. Can you really afford to pay a hero this versatile?

Wait, do you think I'm the kind of person who loves money? Can money turn a hero driven by passion into a professional? Can money buy the noble soul of a hero?

Let me tell you, kid, money isn't everything!

"How much can you offer?"

"Huh?"

Harry had prepared a long speech to persuade Su Ye, planning to explain that being a hero for money wasn't shameful but rather honorable.

In this society, people mock poverty, not ambition. As long as it's legal, earning money through labor is respectable, even on Mars.

However, before he could even start his speech, the conversation had already shifted to discussing payment. Was the efficiency always this high? Could this be the legendary Dragon Country speed?

"Ahem!" Harry needed to think carefully about the salary issue.

This hadn't been discussed with the board, but Harry had some autonomy and authority. As long as it wasn't excessive, the board wouldn't object.

"Hmm, Hollywood hired a Dragon Country actor for The Green Hornet and paid him a million dollars. Your abilities are at least as good, right? So, how about... 5 million dollars a year?"

Harry was really pushing his limits. As a young chairman, his authority was restricted. Five million dollars a year was the maximum he could allocate without board approval. Anything more would require formal procedures.

To win Su Ye over, Harry offered his utmost sincerity.

After offering this salary, his plan to buy apartments would likely have to change to renting them instead.

Five million dollars a year was over ten thousand a day. Compare that to Spider-Man, who fought underground for just a hundred bucks and lost Uncle Ben in the process. The difference was staggering.

Moreover, Harry's offer was based solely on Su Ye being a martial arts expert, essentially the price for hiring a bodyguard.

If he knew Su Ye was Spider-Man, the price would probably multiply by ten, and the board would happily approve it.

Even hiring a celebrity spokesperson costs millions annually.

Five million dollars converted to Dragon Country currency was over 30 million. Su Ye had never seen that much money in either of his lifetimes. Even if his father, a small workshop owner, liquidated all his assets, it might not amount to this.

With that kind of money, he wouldn't need to work. The annual bank interest alone would be enough to live comfortably.

However, in the end, Su Ye still turned down the job.

"It's not that I don't consider you a friend or that I don't love money; I just want to give you a warning."

Su Ye's expression grew serious, something Harry rarely saw, prompting him to sit upright.

"As a superhero, you seem unstoppable right now, but it's all built on fragile ground. Your reputation comes from fighting crime and evil forces. But have you considered that those forces aren't just simple underground operations?"

"If they were merely underground gangs, could they operate so brazenly in New York, turning the city into such a mess?"

"Don't oversimplify things, and don't underestimate your enemies. True evil often hides beneath a façade of flourishing justice."

"The darkest places are often concealed right behind, or even beneath, the brightest lights!"

"Because light is the best cover for darkness!"

"If you were just an anonymous hero like Spider-Man, I wouldn't be too worried. If you were simply a masked hero secretly supported by Osborn Group, that wouldn't be a big problem either. But you're not. Your identity is public, and so is your role as the face of Osborn Group."

"Even Iron Man has been attacked. What makes you think you won't be?"

"So from now on, you're likely to face attacks from all directions, and Osborn Group may face societal pressure as well. What you need most now is to prepare, along with Osborn Group, to face these challenges and pressures."

"In this regard, I can't offer much help. Taking your money would only strain our relationship further!"

'Of course, the main reason is that I'm too expensive. You think 5 million is enough to buy my nighttime services? Dream on!' He didn't say this last part out loud.

Su Ye's warning wasn't an exaggeration. As shown in the MCU spin-offs, New York's underground network was incredibly complex. Even Hell's Kitchen alone hid many formidable figures.

Figures like Kingpin and The Hand weren't mere rats hiding in the shadows; they had the power to influence the broader society.

Osborn Group and Harry were moving too fast, risking severe backlash. If retaliation came, it would hurt them badly.

Even a baseless rumor could tank the stock prices Green Armor Hero had helped lift. A well-planned ambush could ruin this rookie hero completely.

In fact, this was already happening. A retaliatory action against Harry was being secretly planned in the shadows.

Those involved included familiar names like The Hand and Kingpin, as well as someone Su Ye didn't expect—Justin Hammer.

Justin Hammer was different; he wasn't involved in the underworld. However, they shared a common enemy.

On the West Coast, Stark Industries had Iron Man. On the East Coast, Osborn Group had launched Green Armor Hero. It seemed like a showdown between two major arms corporations. Hammer Industries was also in the arms business, after all.

When two tigers fight, someone is bound to become collateral damage.

When Coca-Cola and Pepsi fought, Very Cola disappeared. When Wong Lo Kat and Jia Duo Bao clashed, He Qi Zheng vanished...

If Stark Industries and Osborn Group clashed, wouldn't Hammer Industries end up being wiped out?