She glanced pointedly at Peter.
"Science Club?" Harry raised an eyebrow and looked at Alice. "Then you'd better be careful, Alice. Once you join that club, you'll have to listen to Gwen recite the 108 rules of the laboratory safety code every single day."
Alice smiled slightly, tossed the wet wipe into the trash can, and dusted off her hands.
"Sounds quite challenging."
As she said this, she raised her wrist and glanced at her vintage mechanical watch.
"To celebrate the school not being blown up by Peter, and to celebrate that we not only survived but also formed some kind of 'Anti-Peter-Blowing-Up-School Alliance,' today's lunch is on me."
Alice's gaze swept over the three people in front of her, the corners of her mouth curling into a playful arc.
"I heard the cafeteria is serving limited-edition strawberry pudding today?"
"Strawberry pudding!" Peter's eyes lit up instantly, looking like a puppy that had just seen a bone. "I've wanted to eat that for a long time, but every time I go late, it's all sold out."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Alice picked up her schoolbag and slung it over her shoulder with a flourish. "Let's go, boys. Today is on me; eat as much as you want, there's plenty."
Ten minutes later, on the rooftop of the teaching building.
It was far from the noise of the cafeteria, with only the breeze, the sunlight, and the undulating skyline of Manhattan in the distance.
The four of them sat around a disused water tank. Alice had generously bought all the strawberry pudding from the cafeteria, lining them up neatly in a row.
"To survival."
Harry raised a carton of milk and said with a smile.
"To survival." Peter, his mouth full of pudding, mumbled in agreement.
Gwen elegantly peeled back the lid of her pudding, looked at this group of childish boys, and shook her head helplessly, but she also raised the orange juice in her hand.
"Alice, did you see the news?" Harry asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.
"Oh? What news?" Alice asked, feigning ignorance, her small spoon gently poking the bouncy pudding.
"That old bastard from Hammer Industries is dead."
Harry lowered his voice. Although he was talking about a dead person, the satisfaction in his eyes was undisguised.
"Just last night, at his mansion on Long Island, he was shot in the head. I heard the scene was gruesome, even his brains were, ahem, anyway, he died thoroughly."
"Harry!" Gwen frowned and put down her orange juice. "We're eating, don't talk about such disgusting things."
"Sorry, sorry, but I really hate that guy." Harry shrugged. "He was like a mad dog, biting competitors everywhere, and even sent corporate spies to steal my father's formulas. It's a good thing for the World that such a piece of commercial trash is dead."
"I heard it was done by a mysterious vigilante."
Peter suddenly chimed in, excitedly wiping the pudding residue from the corner of his mouth, and even made a ninja gesture.
"That's so cool! That's a real superhero, not some 'murderous maniac' like the Daily Bugle says. Hammer deserved it; he was a big villain."
Alice kept her head down, digging a spoonful of pudding and putting it into her mouth.
The sweet strawberry flavor melted on her tongue, masking the flash of coldness in her eyes.
"That's murder, Peter."
Gwen pushed up her glasses, her voice becoming serious.
She was the daughter of the Police Chief and had been raised with an education in order and law.
"Regardless of whether Hammer was a bad person or not, vigilantism is illegal. If everyone thinks they are righteous and can kill at will, then what is the point of the law? That's not a hero; that's chaos."
Gwen turned her head, looking at the city in the distance, her eyes filled with a trace of worry.
"My dad didn't come home all night last night; he was dealing with this case. He said the scene was terrifying. That person simply doesn't value life at all."
The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat heavy.
Although Harry hated Hammer, seeing Gwen so serious, he didn't dare to joke anymore.
Peter scratched his head, feeling a bit at a loss.
"Alice, what do you think?"
Gwen suddenly turned and looked at Alice, who had been silent.
"Hmm?"
Alice looked up, meeting the gaze of the three.
The wind ruffled her bangs, and she squinted slightly in the sunlight, her azure eyes looking clean and harmless.
"I just think today's pudding is delicious."
She said softly, her tone carrying a clarity and indifference beyond her years.
"As for the life and death of those big shots, that's something for S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Police to worry about. The World is too complex, full of calculations and conspiracies."
Alice pointed to the group of teenagers in front of her.
"We are just high school students. Our worries should be next week's chemistry exam, whether we can get a scholarship, and whether we can grab the limited-edition strawberry pudding."
"As long as the people we care about are safe and sound, even if the sky falls outside, what does it matter?"
This sentence was spoken to them, but also to herself.
Gwen was stunned for a moment, then the seriousness in her eyes dissipated, revealing a relieved smile.
"You're right, maybe I'm taking it too seriously."
"Exactly!" Peter immediately revived, grabbing a second pudding. "Whatever, Hammer or hammer, as long as there's no chemistry exam today, it's a good day! By the way, Alice, that container thermal expansion coefficient you mentioned earlier, can you explain it to me again?"
"Peter, you're still thinking about that dangerous experiment?" Gwen glared.
"No, no, I mean for the Science Week, really for the Science Week."
Watching the noisy trio, Harry leaned against the water tank and laughed. Peter gestured wildly, and Gwen covered her forehead helplessly.
Alice sat quietly to the side, a faint smile on her lips.
"Class is about to start. This period is Mr. Fleischer's biology class."
Alice stood up and dusted off her skirt.
"Let's go, Peter. If you're late again, I'll tell Aunt Mei about you stealing two puddings."
"Hey, that's a reward, payment for mental labor."
At least for this moment, the sunlight was perfect.
The laughter of the teenagers echoed on the rooftop, drifting far, far away with the wind.
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