America: A Prodigy of Stereotypes

"Ate."

"Okay, you'd better remember to fill your stomach."

"And remember, find somewhere to shelter from the rain," Uncle Ben teased Peter as he turned around from the sofa.

“I’m not stupid,” Peter said.

“Peter, aren’t you almost an adult? I wonder where you’ll go to college.” Aunt May sighed.

“Right in New York, either Imperial College London or Columbia University, I’ll come back to see you often, as long as I’m allowed to come back,” Peter said.

“How could we not allow you to come back?” Aunt Mei said, feigning anger.

Are you going out with your friends tomorrow?

“The club has group activities on Sundays,” Peter replied.

"It's fine." Aunt Mei smiled.

“When we were young, we all liked to form bands,” Uncle Ben said, turning around on the sofa and leaning against the back of it.

"Come on, you play bass," Aunt May shouted at Uncle Ben.

"What's wrong with the bassist?" Peter asked, puzzled.

"Peter, when you listen to a rock band play, can you distinguish the bass?" Aunt May asked.

"...I think so?" Peter hesitated.

"If you don't answer immediately, it means you didn't understand."

“Peter, if you want to woo girls, you have to learn to play the guitar,” Aunt May emphasized.

“I don’t have a girl I’m pursuing right now,” Peter said.

"Yes, we all know."

Uncle Ben laughed on the sofa when he heard Aunt Mei's words.

"I really don't understand, Peter, don't any girls chase after you at school?" Aunt May reached out and fixed Peter's hair.

Peter's hair was a little messy because of the spider silk headgear, and he had already scratched it himself.

"There are still some."

Aunt May knew it was a lie as soon as she heard Peter's tone.

“Peter, I’ve noticed it since you were little; you unconsciously rub your fingers together when you lie,” Aunt May said.

"really?"

Peter looked down and raised his hands, finding his right hand clenched, his middle finger, index finger, and thumb rubbing together.

"is not it?"

“Don’t listen to what May is saying, she’s just trying to scare you, Peter. You only do these little things when you’re nervous,” Uncle Ben shouted from the living room sofa.

I want to eat something.

Peter opened the refrigerator door to see what Aunt May and Uncle Ben had left over from their dinner.

Chapter 196 Four Champion Candidates

The final match in Queens was held at the "Abandoned Factory." This time, the venue was not drawn by lottery but designated by the organizers.

The Abandoned Factory is the largest of the four venues. To facilitate spectators' viewing experience, the interior of the Abandoned Factory has undergone extensive renovations, and the organizers intend to use it as a long-term fighting arena.

On Saturday morning, Peter received a call from the event organizers, asking him to go to the "abandoned factory" that afternoon for a rehearsal. A television crew would be filming the final, and the organizers didn't want any unexpected incidents to happen.

Peter Parker went outside and put on the spiderweb hood in a secluded corner near the abandoned factory.

So far, Peter has not let anyone see his face under the mask.

"Hi, champion, you've arrived."

As soon as Peter stepped through the gates of the abandoned factory, staff from the event organizers greeted him.

"Champion? I'm not a champion yet."

"In my eyes, you are the champion of this year's Queens, and the champion of last year is no match for you."

Peter didn't take what the staff member said to heart. After entering the factory, Peter found the staff member who had been in contact with him and got the script for the awkward drama before the competition from him.

“Why am I still a bad guy?” Peter complained.

"Because you're wearing a mask, it's that simple."

Peter sighed. People who wear masks are always labeled, and no one else cares whether the person behind the mask is a good person or not.

"The finals last year were held on the top floor of the Fisk Tower. Why isn't it organized like that this year?" Peter asked the person in charge next to him while looking at the script.

“After the regional champions are decided, every game will be held on the top floor of the Fisker Tower until the overall New York City champion is determined,” the person in charge told Peter.

"Is there a mini-theater segment?"

"No, that's all..."

"That's good."

"I quite enjoy watching the short skit segments. Red Spider, you win so quickly, always taking down your opponents in less than a minute," the manager said to Peter.

"However, once you get to Fisk Tower, you probably won't have another chance to defeat your opponent in one blow. The champions from each district are all top-notch. Would you like to hear about the champion candidates from other districts?"

"tell me the story."

“Johnny Rogers, the ‘Wanderer’ of Brooklyn, seems to have the same fighting style as you, and no one can withstand his punches.”

"Ed, a top contender for the Manhattan title, is a former professional boxer... I should add that our street fighting tournament is off-limits to professional fighters, and this former professional fighter has taken advantage of a loophole."

"Alex from the Bronx, skilled in wrestling and throwing, nearly killed one of his opponents."

"You four newcomers are truly someone to look forward to."

Peter looked up at the Queens manager, who had been watching the factory gate and immediately went to greet the pizza vendor when he saw him standing there.

"Miyagi, welcome."

"I brought some pizzas and some pizza shop coupons. Let's give them to everyone."

Goro Miyagi casually surveyed the interior walls of the "abandoned factory." The manager beckoned over two people, who then distributed the discount coupons and specialty pizzas that Goro Miyagi had brought.

Holding a pizza alone, Goro Miyagi walked straight up to Peter. Among the dozens of people present, the man with the red hood stood out conspicuously.

"Want some pizza? I brought it especially for you, let's eat together?" Goro Miyagi said to Peter with a smile.

“I don’t eat food given to me by others,” Peter said in a low voice.

"That's such a shame."

"My master's newly developed potato wedge pizza is especially delicious."

Goro Miyagi pulled out a folding stool, sat down next to Peter, and started eating potato wedge pizza while reading the script.

Peter had seen enough kung fu movies, and poisoning one's opponent before a fight was a classic plot device that couldn't be missed. Peter didn't know if his mutated body would be immune to toxins, and he didn't want to take the risk.

“Shall we go over our lines?” Goro Miyagi looked up at Peter.

“Okay,” Peter said, keeping his voice low.

Peter and Miyagi practiced their lines until they were memorized.

Miyagi often mispronounces his lines, but he manages to express the meaning of the original lines in his own way. Peter doesn't mind, though he suspects that Miyagi Goro might have a reading disability.

"You can rehearse here. That's where the TV crew sets up their cameras. You need to do your best," the person in charge said from the side.

“Of course,” Goro Miyagi said with a smile.

Peter noticed the jacket that Goro Miyagi was wearing, which had the Miyagi Pizza logo very prominently displayed.

Goro Miyagi's enthusiasm seemed more like that of someone trying to take advantage of the situation and advertise.

"I almost forgot."

"Here, take this. It's a 50% off coupon. Nobody else has it." Goro Miyagi handed the coupon to Peter, and this time Peter didn't refuse.

"Do you know Liqun?" Goro Miyagi suddenly asked.

"Huh? Who?"

"Li Qun, a kung fu master, told me that the person he trained would meet me in the finals. Is that you?"

Goro Miyagi scrutinized Peter's red spider silk mask; Peter's eyes were covered by two swimming goggles.

“You can guess,” Peter replied.

"Never mind, we'll find out tomorrow." Miyagi smiled at Peter.

Peter and Goro Miyagi patiently rehearsed their small theater piece in the venue. When they realized it was almost time for Aunt May to finish get off work, Peter ended the rehearsal. As long as the small theater was watchable, that was enough; he had to go home.

Peter walked out of the "abandoned factory" and found that Goro Miyagi had followed him out as well.

Goro Miyagi had no intention of uncovering Peter's identity behind the mask. He rode his motorcycle back to the pizzeria, going in the opposite direction from Peter's journey home.

Wearing the Starscream mask, Peter walked into the deserted alley, and in the blink of an eye, Peter Parker, having removed the mask, appeared on another street.

These days, Peter Parker, who switches between the identity of "Starscream" and the ordinary high school student, is becoming more and more skilled at "superman transformations."

Peter was passing by a store when he suddenly thought that since he was already out today, he might as well buy some cooked food to take home and lighten Aunt May's workload in making dinner.

Peter took a detour to Chinatown and bought a roast duck. When he got home, he saw Aunt May's car already parked in the driveway.

“Aunt May, I bought a roast duck.” Peter placed the roast duck on the table.

“Peter, you need to keep your allowance for yourself,” Aunt May said to Peter.

Chapter 197 Frenzy

"Liqun, buy me the Dragon Ball anime DVD."

"Hulk, have you finished reading the comic?"

“He’s practically worn out the comics,” Bruce Banner remarked from the side.

"Buy it for Hulk." Hulk stared at Li Qun.