"Huh?"
When Harry heard Peter mention starting a business, an enormous question mark practically appeared over his head.
"What kind of business are you talking about? A homemade burger stand? An ice cream cart?"
Harry wasn't deliberately trying to mock Peter.
It was simply that, given Peter's family's financial circumstances, those were the kinds of small businesses Harry imagined they could realistically afford to operate.
Of course, even if Peter genuinely wanted him to participate in something as ordinary as selling burgers or ice cream on the street, Harry wouldn't hesitate to join him.
He might be the wealthy heir to a major corporation, but Peter had been his closest friend since childhood.
Their friendship was genuine.
"This isn't really the place to discuss it. Let's go somewhere quiet."
Peter climbed into Harry's convertible.
Before long, they arrived at a secluded café.
Once they'd found a table and sat down, Peter didn't bother keeping Harry in suspense.
He immediately took out the smartphone designs he'd drawn during class and spread them across the table.
"Harry, what do you think mobile phones will look like in the future?"
"Future mobile phones?"
Harry looked confused.
He glanced down at the latest BlackBerry phone he was carrying.
Although its screen was relatively large, it still lacked touchscreen functionality. Entering messages required pressing the small physical keys arranged beneath the display.
"Maybe they'll be bigger, with more features?"
"Better reception? Or perhaps they'll be able to play more games?"
Harry thought for a moment.
"Or maybe you could press a button and make a holographic projection appear!"
"No."
Peter shook his head.
He pushed several design sketches across the table.
The drawings depicted smartphones that would eventually become commonplace in his previous world.
One resembled an iPhone 6, with a large display and only a single Home button on the front.
Others featured true edge-to-edge screens.
There were even designs for various types of foldable smartphones.
"Don't get me wrong. I'd love to see interactive holographic projection technology become a reality."
Peter tapped the drawings.
"But something like that is still too far ahead of what current technology can achieve."
"Rather than focusing on purely conceptual products, I want to manufacture phones that are genuinely practical with the technology we have now."
Peter began explaining his vision in considerable detail.
As he described the features, functions, and design philosophy behind these smartphones, Harry's eyes gradually widened.
His breathing became noticeably faster as he studied the simple concept drawings in his hands.
He wasn't a professional scientist or engineer.
But as the heir to Oscorp, Harry possessed business instincts that were far more developed than those of most people his age.
And the more Peter explained, the more Harry realized that the proposed smartphones had enormous commercial potential.
If they could actually manufacture these devices, every existing mobile phone company would eventually face only two choices.
Either follow behind them and fight over whatever scraps of the market remained...
Or disappear into the dustbin of history!
"Peter... did you really come up with all of this yourself?"
Harry's voice trembled slightly.
"Of course."
Peter nodded calmly.
Then he dropped another bombshell.
"More importantly, a friend of mine and I have already solved one of the biggest problems: battery technology."
"Once we incorporate the new batteries we've developed, our phones will have more than three times the battery life of competing products."
"You understand what that means, right?"
By the time Peter finished explaining his plans, Harry could barely remain seated.
After all, he was only eighteen years old, a high school senior.
He didn't possess Peter's extraordinary maturity or composure.
"Peter! This idea is incredible!"
"And it's actually realistic!"
"Almost every technical challenge you've described can already be solved using existing technology!"
Harry's excitement grew with every word.
"And with that special battery you and your friend developed giving us a major competitive advantage..."
"As long as we secure enough funding, there's practically no way this project won't succeed!"
Harry was becoming almost obsessed with the idea.
And there was a reason for his excitement.
Norman Osborn's harsh, constantly critical parenting style had left a deep psychological shadow over his son.
For as long as Harry could remember, he'd desperately wanted his father's approval.
He dreamed of accomplishing something that would finally make Norman look at him with pride.
Until now, however, Harry hadn't possessed any particularly impressive achievements of his own.
Whenever his father criticized or belittled him, all Harry could do was swallow his frustration and brood over it alone.
But Peter's revolutionary smartphone proposal had changed everything.
For the first time, Harry felt that he might finally have an opportunity to prove himself.
He suddenly grabbed Peter by the shoulders, his eyes burning with excitement.
"Peter, this could really work!"
"As long as you bring me a working sample of that battery, I'm certain I can convince my father to consider investing!"
"At the very least, I can arrange a private meeting between the two of you!"
"And believe me, when you show him these designs and explain what you're planning, even my father is going to be amazed!"
Harry could already imagine the scene.
Norman Osborn would place a proud hand on his shoulder, his normally stern face filled with approval.
'I knew you had it in you, son!'
The very thought filled Harry with happiness.
He thumped his chest confidently and promised to handle everything necessary to make the meeting happen.
...
What Harry didn't know was that his supposedly all-powerful father was currently facing the greatest crisis of his life.
At the top of Oscorp Tower, inside the chairman's private office, Norman Osborn gripped the armrests of his chair so tightly that veins stood out across the backs of his hands.
He was holding a medical examination report.
According to the results, the genetic degeneration affecting his body was accelerating.
His private physician had even warned him that, unless an effective treatment could be found, Norman might have less than a month left to live!
Death was approaching.
And it was drawing closer with every passing day.
Yet there was something that frightened Norman almost as much as his own mortality.
Oscorp.
The company he'd devoted his entire life to building was now standing at the edge of a cliff.
"Norman, the military has delivered its final ultimatum."
A member of Oscorp's board of directors sat across from him, speaking in a grave tone.
"They have absolutely no interest in our military aircraft project."
"They even said that Stark Industries and Hammer Industries already provide everything they need in terms of conventional weapons."
"The only thing they're interested in obtaining from us is the human performance-enhancement formula."
The board member paused before delivering the worst of the news.
"If we can't demonstrate satisfactory results this week, they'll withdraw all their funding."
"That would be a disaster we simply cannot afford."
The announcement struck Norman like a hammer.
His nerves were already stretched to their limits.
Over the past several years, his worsening health had prevented him from paying proper attention to the company's numerous projects.
As a result, several shareholders had made appalling business decisions, investing enormous sums of money in projects that offered practically no return.
Those failures had steadily drained Oscorp's resources.
The corporation's financial position had become increasingly precarious, and its cash flow was now close to breaking down entirely.
If news spread that Oscorp had also lost its military funding, the company's stock price would undoubtedly collapse.
And the shareholders who had long resented Norman would descend upon him like sharks drawn to blood.
They wouldn't hesitate to tear both Norman and the corporate empire he'd founded to pieces!
"I understand."
Norman waved a weary hand.
Once he'd dismissed the board member and the office door closed, the last of his strength seemed to abandon him.
He slumped helplessly into his chair.
For nearly half a minute, he sat there in defeated silence.
Then he rubbed his face and forced himself to regain his composure.
Harry wasn't yet capable of managing Oscorp independently.
For his son's sake, Norman had to survive.
He had to remain alive long enough to eliminate every obstacle that might prevent Harry from eventually inheriting the company.
And to accomplish that...
He was willing to pay any price!