America: A Prodigy of Stereotypes

Peter picked up the newspaper, read the news carefully, and then discreetly put it back.

Peter turned around and saw that Liqun, Gwen, and Harry had already dispersed in the bookstore.

Peter picked up another copy of the New York Newsweek, where he found more detailed coverage of the Columbia University Science Fair, with color photographs that made the event even more vivid.

Peter felt he had to buy the copy of New York Newsweek. He took the magazine to other people, hoping to invite Li Qun and the other two to visit Columbia University together.

Even without the science fair, Peter was very interested in Columbia University because the university he wanted to attend was Columbia University in New York.

"Science Fair?"

“It doesn’t feel as good as Stark Expo,” Harry said.

“How many years has it been since Stark Industries held a Stark Tech Expo?” Gwen said.

"Spiders? There's a room dedicated to exhibiting spiders!"

Li Qun immediately noticed a relatively obscure exhibit among the dozen or so exhibits at the Columbia University Science Fair.

This is what he has been waiting for.

“Liqun, are you interested in spiders?” Harry shuddered.

"In ecology, spiders can effectively control pest populations. If you have annoying pests in your home, you can keep a small spider in your room, and it will help you deal with the pests."

Spiders are basically harmless to humans.

"Moreover, the study of spider silk has always been a popular topic for scientists, with promising prospects in the fields of materials, medicine, and aerospace," Li Qun said.

“Shall we go see this tomorrow?” Peter said.

"How much are the tickets?" Gwen asked with concern.

“$25, about the same price as a museum ticket,” Peter said.

“It’s still too expensive,” Gwen said.

“Where is it expensive? For just $25, you can see the most cutting-edge technological achievements of mankind in the early 21st century,” Peter said earnestly.

“Selling tickets is really profitable. Maybe I can suggest to my dad that Osborn Industries hold an Osborn Technology Exhibition,” Harry joked.

"Exhibiting lab mice?" Gwen asked.

“Compared to spiders, mice are cute,” Harry said.

“Peter, remember to bring your camera tomorrow. We can’t let the tickets go to waste; we need to take lots of pictures,” Harry said to Peter, turning to him.

"Is even starting to consider cost-effectiveness, young master Harry?" Li Qun joked.

“I’m never stingy when it comes to good food,” Harry said.

"Did you see where the cookbooks are?" Harry asked.

Peter noticed that Gwen was holding five books: two bestselling novels, a non-fiction book, a fashion magazine, and a Chinese textbook.

Chinese language textbooks?

“Over there,” Gwen pointed to the location for Harry.

A short while later, Harry returned with a copy of MFK Fisher's "How to Cook a Wolf".

"This book doesn't actually teach people how to cook and eat coyotes, does it?" Peter asked hesitantly.

"Isn't the title intimidating?" Harry said.

“This book was a bestseller during World War II in the last century. The blurb on the cover reads, ‘How to defend the dignity of being human with food in times of hardship,’” Gwen said.

Chapter 136 Peter Parker Has a Fever

Li Qun and Shuang Xi sat on a bench at Columbia University, with Li Qun wearing sunglasses.

Double happiness was not originally planned.

Last night, Liqun told his aunt that he was going to visit a science fair at Columbia University the next day, so his aunt asked Liqun to bring Shuangxi along as well.

Shuangxi didn't want to come, but his summer homework required him to participate in an educational activity during the summer vacation, such as a science lecture. And there was no better option for his aunt than to visit the Columbia University Science Fair with Liqun.

"Hey, you guys arrived? Can you see me?"

"My cousin and I are together."

"We've found us, good."

Li Qun hung up the phone, stood up, and waved to Gwen.

Gwen walked over and was somewhat surprised to see Shuangxi, who had the physique of a North American brown bear.

"Shuangxi, you've gotten so big."

“Maybe I’m eating too much every day.” Shuangxi stood up, and Gwen looked up to see Shuangxi’s face.

“I have a feeling Peter might be the last to arrive,” Li Qun said.

“Really? I bet ten that Harry will be the last one to arrive at school. He’s usually the last one to get to school,” Gwen said.

"Look, isn't that Harry's car?"

Gwen looked back and saw Harry getting out of the car. Bernard spoke to Harry, and Harry took out his phone to start looking for someone.

“I’ll ask Peter where the men are.”

Harry saw a tall, strong Asian man standing under the shade of a tree in the distance, and then glanced at the bench next to him and saw Li Qun and Gwen.

Harry smiled at the two of them from a distance, revealing two rows of white teeth.

"Harry, this is my cousin Shuangxi. He's here to do his summer homework," Liqun introduced Shuangxi.

"Hello!" Harry tilted his head slightly.

“Liqun’s cousin, are you on the basketball team at school?” Harry asked.

"No."

"You can give it a try."

"I'm not very good at sports," Shuangxi said.

"Where's Peter? Did he go to the toilet?" Harry asked.

“He hasn’t arrived yet, but he texted me saying that he and Mary Jane will be there soon,” Gwen said, looking at her text message.

“Mary Jane?” Harry was somewhat shocked.

"Liqun, you look very handsome in sunglasses."

“Thank you. These sunglasses were a Christmas gift from Stan Lee, but I haven’t had a chance to wear them yet,” Li Qun said.

After waiting for Peter for about ten minutes, Peter and Mary Jane got out of the taxi and jogged toward the bench.

"Have you been waiting a long time? There was a traffic jam on the way." Peter and Mary Jane's faces were full of apologies.

"Hi, Mary Jane!" Harry raised his hand in greeting.

"Double Happiness!?" Peter was surprised to see that Double Happiness had arrived as well.

"I bought the ticket too early..."

Li Qun took out tickets from his shoulder bag and handed out several tickets. He skipped Peter's ticket and gave the ticket to Mary Jane instead.

The tickets are folded into the shape of small booklets and also serve as guidebooks for the science fair.

“I’ll go buy the tickets,” Peter said.

“There it is, not far from the entrance to the exhibition, let’s go there together.”

“Let’s buy some water and take it with us,” Gwen said.

“I know a new coffee shop that just opened nearby. Shall we go there for coffee after we’re done shopping? It’s on me,” Harry said.

"Luckily it's summer vacation. If it were during school hours, how many people would come here?" Mary Jane remarked.

“Many students are still on campus even during summer vacation, and those working at the exhibition are all Columbia University students,” Li Qun said.

"I've bought the tickets," Peter ran back.

Six people lined up to have their tickets checked and began their tour of the Columbia University Science Fair.

Peter held the camera in both hands, and the group stopped to take pictures at each stop. Next to each exhibit, a graduate student in a white lab coat stood to explain to the visitors.

After strolling around for more than half an hour, Peter and his friends arrived at the transgenic spider project on display at Columbia University's genetic engineering laboratory.

"Could the spider in here be a model?"

Harry approached the transparent enclosure, which was set up with a micro-ecosystem, where different types of genetically modified spiders spun webs of various shapes in their respective enclosures.

“They are all living spiders, and some of them are the only ones of their kind in the world,” the Asian female researcher in the white lab coat replied to Harry.

"Can I take a picture?" Peter asked, holding up his camera.

"Please turn off the flash," the researcher said.

"No flash."

Peter looked at his camera, then raised it and started taking pictures of the spiders in the transparent enclosure.

At this moment, Li Qun silently took out his phone and pointed the phone's ultra-low pixel camera at Peter, who was taking pictures.

A spider slowly descended from the ceiling and landed silently on the back of Peter's hand, which was holding the camera.

Peter Parker was bitten by a spider.

It felt like I was pricked by a needle on the back of my hand.

Peter looked up and glanced at the back of his hand; a spider had jumped off.

The tiny spider, no bigger than a grain of rice, darted into the corner in the blink of an eye, and Peter couldn't find it no matter how hard he tried.

Li Qun watched Peter's movements, walked behind Peter, leaned slightly and glanced at the back of Peter's hand. The skin on the back of Peter's hand was normal, and no bump immediately appeared.

"What's wrong?" Li Qun asked in a low voice.

“It’s nothing,” Peter replied.

Peter wondered if he was imagining things and that nothing had actually happened.

The group left the laboratory and headed towards the next exhibit.