Liu A'dou reflected on things. In the past, there were many things he didn't dare to do, afraid that one wrong step could bring destruction to Earth. But he had forgotten—this world was full of superheroes. He really didn't need to worry so much. Even if he went poking at some big boss, it wouldn't be a problem.
That night was quiet, but Harry Osborn was restless.
His father had changed. No longer kind and approachable, his expression was dark and grim. Harry had no idea that to support Ada in rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D., Oscorp had paid a heavy price. They had hoped to rise by leaning on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources, but the results were disappointing. Nick Fury had long since hidden away most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s advanced tech, leaving Ada with only scraps.
Oscorp ended up running a losing business. Norman Osborn was forced to take a desperate gamble, bringing back the incomplete super-soldier serum. Using himself as a test subject, he became the Green Goblin.
That was the truth. When the Green Goblin started assassinating rivals and slashing military budgets, Harry noticed his father's behavior had become abnormal. But Harry didn't know what had happened to his father, and he had no way to help him.
At the same time, his best friend Parker was often nowhere to be found. Harry didn't know that his father and his friend had already fought several dangerous battles across New York. Any day now, he could lose one of them—or both.
He knew nothing. He could do nothing. And that left Harry Osborn frustrated and uneasy. Even at home, he felt suffocated. His instincts told him the air around him was heavy and stifling, but he had no one to confide in.
Click. Harry heard a sound in the living room. His luxury high-rise apartment stretched across hundreds of square meters, and tonight he was home alone. It was late at night, and the place should have been perfectly quiet.
Could his father have returned? Harry closed his copy of Gone with the Wind and stepped out of the study.
The lights outside were off. He didn't remember switching them off. Luckily, it was his own home, so he didn't trip. He walked into the living room and flicked the switch—nothing. The lights didn't come on. Looked like he'd have to call building maintenance.
Just as he thought that, the lights flickered. Someone? It was only a brief flash, but Harry was sure he'd seen a figure. And it was definitely not anyone he knew.
Grabbing the tall floor lamp by the wall, Harry held it like a weapon and glared toward where he'd seen the shadow.
The lights flickered again. The figure vanished. Still, Harry was convinced he hadn't imagined it. The lights just kept glitching, blinking unnaturally.
Liu A'dou stood there smiling, holding a small disruptor in his hand. Press and hold, the circuits went haywire. Let go, and everything went back to normal. He'd learned the trick from Batman—Batman used it to create darkness. Liu A'dou, on the other hand, used it for dramatic entrances.
The flickering light made the whole mansion feel like a horror movie. The pressure was suffocating. Harry clutched the floor lamp tightly, looking exactly like one of those side characters in a horror film who would soon be scared to death by a ghost.
"Who's there?" Harry shouted. He was sure someone was here, and whoever it was, they weren't friendly. "Show yourself!"
"Were you looking for me?" Liu A'dou released the button, and all the lights in the mansion blazed back on. He stood behind Harry as he spoke.
Harry jumped, swinging the floor lamp backward with all his strength.
Smack!
"Careful now," Liu A'dou said lightly. "That's not a very polite way to treat a guest."
But no guest ever arrived like this uninvited. Harry froze—the lamp wouldn't move. A massive white-gloved hand was gripping it firmly. He looked up and his eyes widened in shock.
"You're Kaitou Kid?"
"That's right. It's me."
"…?" Harry blinked. What was Kaitou Kid doing here? His house didn't even have jewels worth stealing. He didn't get it at all.
"You look confused." Liu A'dou casually plucked the lamp stand from Harry's hands and set it back in its place. "No need for fighting. I didn't come here with bad intentions."
Harry hesitated. He didn't think Kaitou Kid meant him harm, but he still couldn't figure out why the thief was standing in front of him. "You came here just to find me?"
"Exactly, Harry Osborn." Liu A'dou smiled. "Would you like to be my disciple?"
"??" Harry thought he'd misheard. "Your… disciple?"
"Yes."
"But why?" Harry was baffled. He and Kid had never met before. They didn't know each other at all. And now the thief suddenly wanted to take him on as a disciple? It screamed no good deed without a hidden agenda.
Liu A'dou's answer was blunt. "Because you're rich."
"Uh…" Harry froze. The reason was so straightforward it almost made sense. But would Kaitou Kid really take on a disciple just because of his money? Besides, it wasn't like Harry needed to become a thief—he was already wealthy. Why steal?
"You don't like the idea?" Liu A'dou asked with a grin.
"Why should I become your disciple? I don't want to be a thief." Harry shot back.
"Don't you ever feel it? Sometimes you're lonely. Isolated. Surrounded by people, yet unable to truly connect. Like there's a wall separating you from everyone else. The people outside the wall can't reach you, and the ones inside… you can't open up to them. Don't you want to break out of that?"
Harry fell silent. The words cut straight into his chest. Especially lately—he really had wanted someone to talk to, but there was no one. That said it all.
"I can teach you how to tear down that wall and step into a wider world."
Harry couldn't see Kid's expression under the monocle and hat, but he felt the pull. Still, he asked cautiously, "Then what's the price?"
"Kid, why so suspicious?"
"My father always told me—there's no free lunch in this world." Harry narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't suddenly take interest in me without a reason. Is it really just because of my family's money?"
"If I said you had a rare, one-in-a-century talent, you wouldn't believe me," Liu A'dou chuckled. "So I'll tell you the truth. Yes—it's because of your family's money. I'm running a little short these days."
Harry was speechless. The thief sounded ridiculously unreliable. "Aren't you a thief? If you're broke, why not just steal?"
Kid smacked his lips. "You don't get it. The kind of money I need isn't pocket change. I'd have to rob every rich man in New York to scrape together that much. Easier if I teach you, and you fund me with company money."
"Sorry, but company money isn't my money," Harry said firmly. The brief flicker of interest he'd felt was gone. He wasn't about to betray Oscorp for personal reasons.
"That's only for now," Liu A'dou said smoothly. "But soon the company will be yours. Norman Osborn won't be sitting in that chair much longer. When you take his place, the money will be in your hands."
Harry's brow furrowed deeply. There was an ominous undertone in those words that made him uneasy. "What do you mean?"
"Looks like you already have an idea," Liu A'dou said softly. "So, shall we have an honest talk about your disciple's offering?"