Buying back Oscorp's shares?
Bant glanced at the message Harry sent and let out a thoughtful hum. He immediately understood Norman's intentions.
He knew Norman Osborn's situation even better than Harry did.
It didn't take long for him to piece it together—Norman wanted to take advantage of this crisis to reclaim Oscorp's scattered shares and regain full control of the company.
It was a bold move—borderline reckless. If Oscorp suffered a heavy blow, there was a real chance it would never recover. In that case, Norman would essentially be cushioning the fall for those board members who had abandoned him.
And that possibility was very real.
But when Bant thought it over again, he realized there wasn't much to worry about.
Norman Osborn had started from scratch once already. His father had once been a major industrial magnate, but the family fortune collapsed while Norman was still young. Oscorp was something he built later with his own hands—brick by brick.
And he was a scientist at heart. Starting over? Hardly impossible for a man like him.
With that thought, Bant even felt a small urge to throw in some cash and buy Oscorp shares while they were cheap.
But another thought quickly overrode it. Plemos Tech's future prospects were destined to surpass Oscorp. Even if he doubted himself, he had absolute confidence in Little Trooper.
Early-stage funds needed to be spent where they mattered most.
"Tomorrow's the weekend. We should go look for Dr. Connors and that Dr. Dong Wu," Peter suggested.
But Bant didn't immediately agree. He had far too many things piling up on his schedule. Tracking down Dong Wu was important, but building Plemos Tech was equally critical.
If only I could turn into Ditto or Wobbuffet…He sighed inwardly.
Both Ditto and Wobbuffet were alien heroes with cloning abilities. Ditto wasn't particularly strong, but having multiple bodies would make life so much easier.
"You go. I've got plans on Saturday," Bant said.
As he saw it, Plemos mattered far more than Dr. Dong Wu. Dong Wu, at best, was a B-list villain. If Little Stopwatch hadn't still been on cooldown last time, Bant wouldn't have let him get away.
Besides, Dong Wu's grand goal was to rewrite Earth's genetic blueprint and revert the world to a prehistoric state. Even if he succeeded, Little Stopwatch's gene-repair function could reverse everything. There was nothing worth stressing about.
Though I didn't expect him to vanish without a trace after leaving Oscorp.Bant frowned slightly.
Dong Wu was not the type to stay quiet. His entire ambition was to win global acclaim through groundbreaking scientific achievements.
And nearly every time he appeared, he strutted in with his mutated frogs.
But in this world, Dong Wu was far more cautious.
Bant had been monitoring the news constantly, but there wasn't a single report about mutated creatures. Even if he wanted to track Dong Wu down, he had no lead.
"What're you doing on Saturday anyway?" Peter pressed.
He'd noticed Bant seemed busier than ever these days.
"Sorry, Peter—your cousin's coming to watch our band rehearse this weekend."
Mary Jane, who had already noticed the two walking together, swished her fiery red hair and headed over to greet them. But as she approached, she overheard Peter's question—and her face lit up instantly.
"A performance? You guys?" Peter's eyes narrowed with teasing envy.
But before he could say more, Bant shook his head at Mary Jane.
"Sorry, Mary Jane. I actually have other plans."
He'd been so busy lately that he'd completely forgotten about her invitation. Thankfully, he hadn't explicitly agreed back then—so he wasn't technically breaking a promise now.
"Really?" Mary Jane's brief burst of excitement fizzled into disappointment, though she didn't voice it.
"Well… alright. I guess you won't miss the homecoming show at least. But then you'll only see the same performance as everyone else."
Bant: ???
What do you mean, "a different performance"?
"Ahem." Bant cleared his throat lightly. "Sorry, I really do have plans this weekend."
He didn't elaborate. He wasn't ready to tell Peter about the company yet. He wanted to save it as a surprise—something meaningful—when Peter eventually needed money or a job.
Like paying for college.In this country, going to a good university wasn't cheap. Student loans could haunt you forever—one famous president didn't pay his off until after entering the White House.
Mary Jane shook her head, brushing it off.
Her personality in this universe was nothing like the Mary Jane from the first Spider-Man films. She had a sharp sense of pride and hated showing even the slightest hint of vulnerability.
Her blazing red hair suited her—fiery, confident, and strong.
After the three split up and headed to class, Felicia immediately darted to Bant's desk. Her cheeks were flushed pale pink, and she leaned close to whisper nervously:
"Bant… are you busy this weekend?"
Her voice practically trembled. "I just wanted to ask about… um… the study session—"
"Sorry, Felicia. I won't have time for a study session this weekend."
"Okay…" Felicia's shoulders slumped, her fluffy platinum hair drooping as she retreated to her seat.
Bant stared at her for a moment—and a thought struck him.
He and Harry had originally planned to shop for lab equipment together. With Harry out of the picture, Bant had to handle everything alone.
But he wasn't actually an expert at sourcing affordable, high-quality scientific instruments. He didn't have the connections.
Felicia, on the other hand…
She might know people. And as the heiress of the Hardy Foundation, bringing her along might even score him a discount.
With that in mind, Bant quickly called out:
"Wait—Felicia."
"What?" Felicia's head snapped up, eyes bright with sudden hope.
She thought he had changed his mind about the study session.
"I don't have time for studying… but," Bant said carefully, "I remember you mentioned being interested in science, right?"
Felicia blinked, caught off guard.
She wasn't interested in science—she was interested in someone.
But she still nodded. "My mom thinks science is important. She's invested in several labs."
At that, Bant saw a spark of excitement in her eyes.
"So does that mean you know where to buy scientific equipment—or materials—for cheap?"
"Equipment?" Felicia froze.
She had no idea.Her mom invested the money—she never handled any of the operations.
But faced with Bant's hopeful expression, she didn't even hesitate.
"Of course! I know it perfectly!"
/-\
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