Due to George Stacy's firm stance, the military had no choice but to send another team of soldiers.
This time, they learned their lesson.
Not only did they bring an official military order, but they also obtained a directive from George Stacy's superior.
It could be said that when they presented these documents, George Stacy would no longer bear any responsibility.
George Stacy's earlier display of strength was not only to establish authority and avoid disappointing the police officers but also to distance himself from any potential liability.
According to Ronan, the lizard was not only incredibly strong but also highly intelligent, rivaling humans in that regard.
In other words, only Ronan and George Stacy were aware of this information.
Without a directive from his superior, if any issues arose after the handover, George Stacy would be the one to take the fall.
Now, with the directive in hand, even if responsibility were to be pursued later, George Stacy could easily avoid being implicated.
Coupled with the authority he had subtly established within the police department, George Stacy had essentially won big in this situation.
As for Ronan, who had helped him come up with this plan, George Stacy's opinion of him had improved slightly.
Well, next time Ronan visits, he might as well give him a proper reception.
——
Ronan only learned about his father-in-law's change of heart two days later, on Monday, when Gwen Stacy told him.
From what she said, her father had been extremely happy after returning home.
Not only did he ask Gwen's mother to prepare an extra dish for dinner, but he also brought out a bottle of red wine he had been saving for years.
It was clear that he was thrilled.
During the meal, George Stacy repeatedly hinted that Gwen could invite Ronan over for dinner.
But Gwen said she would have to ask Ronan for his opinion first.
This made George Stacy feel like his daughter was no longer his little girl.
Hearing this, Ronan couldn't help but laugh.
The "little considerate little sweetheart" was already siding with him, which had become the norm.
"So, are you coming over for dinner next week?"
Gwen wrapped her arm around Ronan's and asked with a smile.
A woman's heart is as deep as the ocean.
Although Gwen didn't usually have the typical "princess syndrome," Ronan always felt that she was quite perceptive.
Not in an insecure way, but in a way that allowed her to guess what you were thinking.
"You can tell George that I appreciate the invitation, but we might have to schedule it for another time."
Ronan replied with a smile.
"Another time?"
"Are you busy this weekend?"
Gwen asked curiously.
Although she never pried into Ronan's daily activities, she couldn't help but feel curious sometimes.
"This weekend, my teacher, who is also my adoptive mother, would like to invite you to dinner at my place."
"So, would you be willing to grace us with your presence?"
Ronan looked at Gwen with a smile.
Hearing this, Gwen was momentarily stunned.
Being as smart as she was, she immediately understood what this meant.
"Am I really allowed to?"
Gwen blurted out almost instantly.
But she quickly realized that her response might have been inappropriate and hurriedly explained, "I mean, your identity, and your teacher..."
"It's just that..."
"I don't even know how to describe it."
For the first time, Gwen felt what it meant to be at a loss for words.
Seeing her like this, Ronan couldn't help but burst into laughter.
The usually sharp and eloquent Gwen Stacy was now like this, and Ronan found it quite amusing.
After all, such moments were rare.
"Don't worry."
"Since my teacher has invited you, it means she approves of you."
"So, you can relax and come with me."
Ronan patted Gwen on the back, signaling that she didn't need to be so nervous.
As he said, since the Ancient One had invited Gwen, she was prepared to reveal some secrets to her.
"She approves of me?"
"Have we met before?"
As Gwen regained her composure, her sharpness returned.
She keenly picked up on the key point in Ronan's words.
"No, but I can tell you that even though you haven't met, my teacher is very satisfied with you."
"As for how she knows, you'll find out when you come with me."
Ronan didn't elaborate further.
After all, explaining now might be too shocking for Gwen.
But if she had a few days to mentally prepare, the shock might turn into a pleasant surprise.
"Alright then, is it on Saturday or Sunday? I need to go back and prepare."
"What kind of person is your teacher? What kind of gifts does she like?"
Gwen was already thinking about what to wear for the meeting.
Ronan, however, shook his head with a smile.
"My teacher believes in fate, so anything you want to give will be fine."
Hmm... foreseeing the future and believing in fate are somewhat related... right?
"Alright, I'll go back and prepare."
Gwen nodded. Although she tried to calm herself, the smile on her face was impossible to hide.
Being as smart as she was, she had basically figured out the meaning behind Ronan's words.
Believing in fate and wanting to meet her—didn't that mean she and Ronan were destined to be together?
In any case, for the rest of the day, Gwen kept spacing out.
Fortunately, her academic foundation was strong, and even when the teacher called on her several times, she answered correctly without hesitation.
Otherwise, she might have made a fool of herself.
By the time school ended, Gwen unusually didn't walk home with Ronan.
According to her, she needed to go home and figure out what to wear.
Ronan initially wanted to tell her that the meeting was still five or six days away and there was no need to rush.
But seeing how excited she was, he decided not to say anything.
Let her enjoy the excitement.
"Ronan."
Just as Ronan was saying goodbye to Gwen, Peter Parker called out to him.
"What's up, Peter? Don't you have your internship today?"
Seeing Peter still around, Ronan was surprised.
After all, Peter was usually the first to leave after school because Oscorp Industries was far away, and he needed to save every minute.
"I joined a new research group, and the meeting time was pushed back by half an hour."
"But that's not why I'm here. I wanted to say that I still want to look for information about the experiment at Oscorp."
Peter hesitated but eventually shared his thoughts.
This surprised Ronan.
Why was this kid overthinking things again?
"Hold on, let me explain my plan."
"If we can find the experimental data, we might be able to create an antidote."
"Then, we could help Dr. Connors return to normal."
After the sewer incident, the two of them had agreed that the big lizard was Dr. Connors, as no one else fit the description better.
Peter pursed his lips. He was a sentimental person.
Dr. Connors was like a mentor to him and someone he deeply respected.
If Dr. Connors hadn't taken a liking to him back then, Peter might not have gotten the job.
"So, what's your plan?"
Ronan raised an eyebrow.
"I'll sneakily get our new supervisor's employee card, and then at night, I'll infiltrate Oscorp."
"Although it'll be difficult, I've observed the lab's security cameras, and I'm confident I can avoid them."
Peter shared his plan after some thought.
To be honest, the plan was quite rough.
No, it wasn't even a plan—it was more of a spur-of-the-moment idea!
Aside from getting the supervisor's card to open doors, the rest of the so-called plan was just nonsense.
"And then what?"
"Even if you get the data, do you have the right equipment to create the antidote?"
"Even if you can make the antidote, have you considered whether Dr. Connors even wants to return to normal?"
"Or, now that Dr. Connors is in military custody, will you even have a chance to reach him?"
Ronan fired off several questions in a row.
Each one left Peter speechless.
After a long pause, Peter looked up, his eyes filled with determination.
"I know. I'm aware of all these possibilities."
"But for me, Dr. Connors is my benefactor. Without him, I might not be where I am today."
"I need this job to save money for college."
"If it weren't for Dr. Connors, I might still be working at a convenience store."
Peter looked at Ronan, his eyes showing rare stubbornness.
To him, Dr. Connors' kindness wasn't something that could be easily explained.
Besides helping him get the internship, Dr. Connors had also taken care of him in many ways.
For an intern like Peter, it would normally take at least a year or two to be involved in important experimental work.
But Dr. Connors had made an exception for him, even allowing him access to classified information.
In that sense, Dr. Connors was practically his mentor.
Both a benefactor and a mentor.
So, Peter couldn't just abandon Dr. Connors.
"Alright, Peter. If you're determined, then I can only wish you good luck."
"I have no experience in infiltration."
"After all, if I need to go somewhere, I just open a portal."
Ronan shrugged. In matters like this, he really couldn't help much.
The most he could do was open a portal for Peter to get into Oscorp.
But Peter already had that part figured out.
"It's fine. I just hope you can be my backup."
"If I run into trouble, I'll be counting on you to open a portal for me."
Peter said with a smile.
Ronan sighed.
It wasn't that he was dissatisfied with Peter, but he felt that the kid was too grateful.
Did Dr. Connors really do him such a big favor?
Yes, he did.
But was it worth Peter taking such a huge risk?
Ronan didn't know.
Perhaps only Peter himself knew the answer to that question.
Thinking of this, Ronan glanced around, and his gaze suddenly landed on a car not far away.
The driver's side window rolled down, revealing a familiar face.
Skye.
What was she doing here?
Seeing Skye waving at him, Ronan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Was she here for him?
With that thought, Ronan suddenly had a new idea.
"Come on, Peter. Let me introduce you to a new friend."
"She can definitely be a big help in your plan!"
With that, Ronan pushed his bike over to the black SUV.
Peeking through the driver's side window, Ronan saw that Skye was alone in the car.
Good, the HYDRA spy wasn't here.
"Get in the car!"
Ronan tilted his head at Peter, and the two of them stashed their bikes before climbing into the car.
Skye was extremely confused about Ronan bringing someone else along.
Was it appropriate for a third person to hear their secrets?
"Wait, I know what you're about to say."
"But before that, I need you to do me another favor."
Ronan cut off Skye before she could speak.
He didn't want Peter to know about some of his other secrets just yet.
Hearing this, Skye looked at him with confusion.
Another favor?
"My little buddy here wants to visit Oscorp tonight."
"But he's worried about the security cameras catching him, so he's a bit nervous."
"I'm sure a small task like this is no problem for you, right?"
Ronan looked at Skye with a smile.
If he remembered correctly, Skye wasn't a superhero yet but a hacker—a very skilled one at that.
"Oscorp?"
"What are you planning to do there?"
Skye wasn't living under a rock. She knew what Oscorp represented.
Although the company wasn't as famous as Stark Industries, it was still a powerhouse, especially in the field of biotechnology, where it ranked among the top in the U.S.
What were they planning to do there?
"Mind revealing your true identity?"
"This guy here is trustworthy."
Ronan glanced at Peter.
If Skye was going to help, she would inevitably find out about Peter's identity.
After all, Peter would have to wear his Spider-Man suit, and for a hacker who could control cameras, hiding his identity was pointless.
Perhaps Peter had also thought of this, as he nodded and shot a web.
The web stuck to the car's rearview mirror, and the sight of the web flying past left Skye stunned.
It took her a good ten seconds to realize what the web meant.
Wasn't this the friendly neighborhood hero who had been making waves in New York lately?
Spider-Man???