Chapter 57: Norman's Despair
Crash!
A test tube shattered against the floor.
Then, right in front of the research team, Norman Osborne swept all the hundreds of reagent vials from the table and smashed them to the ground.
"What am I paying you for? Useless—every single one of you is useless!"
Norman was on the brink of hysteria.
Another large-scale experiment had failed. Two months of hard work, down the drain.
Of course, this wasn't his first failure. Norman tried to reason with himself: scientific research wasn't a dinner party—you couldn't expect success just because you wanted it.
But between the worsening pain in his body and the mounting pressure from other shareholders, Norman Osborn was cracking.
"Get out! All of you—GET OUT!"
One by one, the dozen or so researchers filed out, no one daring to stay and face Norman's fury.
The shattered glass on the floor reflected Norman's aging face.
In just two months, it was as if he had aged a decade.
To make matters worse, Oscorp had recently lost a key military procurement bid, and its stock had been plummeting ever since. The company was now standing at the edge of a cliff.
Five major shareholders had already warned Norman:
If this continues, they would demand a new board election.
Norman knew very well—his private genetic disease research was where most of Oscorp's R&D budget was going. If a new board were elected and the finances audited, his embezzlement and misappropriation of company funds would be fully exposed.
At that point, he wouldn't just lose his chance to cure his genetic condition—he'd be heading to prison.
"I'm sorry, Harry…"
Norman muttered. He knew that while young Harry still seemed healthy, it was only a matter of time before the Osborn family disease began to manifest in him as well.
Years ago, when Norman had met Harry's mother, he was full of ambition and vigor.
Armed with his brilliance and relentless drive, he and a small team built Oscorp from the ground up.
But tragedy struck—Harry's mother suffered complications during childbirth.
Her body remained frail ever since and, by the time Harry turned four, she passed away due to illness.
From that day forward, Norman changed.
He became volatile, harsh—often lashing out at Harry, even blaming the boy for his mother's death.
And Harry… quietly endured it all.
Even he believed he was somehow responsible for his mother's death.
So his father's anger, coldness, and severity—Harry accepted it as punishment he deserved.
"...Father?"
A timid voice came from outside the lab.
It was Harry Osborn.
Years of emotional repression had made him fragile inside, despite his polished exterior.
But Harry knew—at this very moment, his father was even more fragile than he was.
He carefully stepped into the lab, avoiding the broken glass on the floor, and approached Norman.
Then, hesitantly, he hugged him.
"Father… if it really won't work out… then maybe… it's okay to let it go.
Oscorp is big enough for us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives.
I may not understand everything going on, but…
I don't want to see you keep hurting yourself like this."
Harry's words hit Norman like a defibrillator to the heart.
To Norman, Harry had always seemed like a weak, helpless boy.
He lived each day walking a tightrope—angry, cold, harsh—all in the hope that it would force Harry to grow up faster.
Because Norman didn't know how much longer he had.
How much longer he could shield Harry from the world.
And now, in the depths of despair, Norman finally felt Harry's quiet, unwavering love.
"I'm sorry, Harry…"
Norman held his son tightly.
Looking at the boy—now taller than himself—Norman suddenly felt that even if everything failed… he could accept it.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I've been too hard on you all these years.
You have to understand—I just… I just wanted you to grow up faster…"
As Harry looked at his father, tears streaming down the old man's face, he realized:
He had never truly understood his father at all.
Harry had always believed that Norman hated him because of his mother's death.
But today, for the first time, Harry saw it clearly—his father had always loved him, deeply.
And now, he could feel it: Norman's body was gaunt, frail. His face was tired and aged beyond his years.
"I'm sorry too… Father…"
The Next Day.
Norman looked at Harry's tall, confident reflection in the mirror.
He felt a rare sense of comfort.
That morning, Norman even had their house staff help them get dressed with care.
He even hired a professional Hollywood makeup artist to do both his and Harry's appearance.
"Harry, today I'm going to introduce you to Oscorp's board of shareholders.
I'm getting older. It's time you start shouldering your responsibilities."
"Listen carefully to everything I say. Remember it.
If something isn't clear, keep it in mind—we'll talk about it at home later."
"Also, don't worry—I've submitted your leave of absence to your school.
Once you've gotten familiar with Oscorp's operations, you can go back and finish your education."
That was Norman's style—decisive and direct.
But this time, Harry didn't feel pressured by his father's dominance.
Yes—he could finally feel it:
The way his father looked at him now… that was the fatherly love he had longed for his whole life.
"Don't worry, Father. I'm your son—I won't run from my responsibilities."
Harry's firm response filled Norman with pride.
He had truly underestimated his son.
"Let's go. Today, you'll be dealing with some very sly people in the business world.
Here's my first lesson for you:
Never underestimate your opponent."
That day, Oscorp's boardroom was hosting a new shareholders' meeting.
Partly to welcome a new stakeholder—and partly because several major shareholders wanted to air their grievances against Norman.
In their view, Norman's stubbornness had been the main reason for Oscorp's massive financial losses over the past two years.
"Well then, now that everyone is here, let's begin.
First, let's welcome Oscorp's newest shareholder: Uchiha Akira."
Polite but lukewarm applause echoed around the room.
All eyes were on two faces in the room: Uchiha Akira and Harry Osborn.
Their faces were so young that, to the average 50-year-old board member, they might as well have been children.
No one in the room seemed to know much about the mysterious new shareholder—Uchiha Akira.
But he now held 13.79% of Oscorp's shares—not a small amount. He was officially among the company's largest stakeholders.
The board members exchanged uneasy glances.
Who had sold such a significant stake to this kid?
As for the other young man—they all knew who he was.
The heir to Oscorp: Harry Osborn.
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