Doctor Octopus was a middle-aged man, wearing brown sunglasses, looking utterly ordinary, as if he wore the same drab yellow trench coat year-round. His build was stocky, and his face even carried a hint of coarseness. Only his eyes revealed a focused, stubborn, and chillingly cold expression, suggesting that anything not pertaining to his own concerns could be discarded without a thought.
Truthfully, Doctor Octopus’s first impression was decidedly un-doctoral; descriptions like a long-haul trucker or a mob enforcer seemed far more fitting.
Due to an accident during a nuclear experiment, his spinal cord had fused with his mechanical arms, and his body had mutated due to the radiation, becoming unnaturally strong. Components within the radiation altered his brain tissue. Because he gained four extra limbs, his brain internally reorganized its neural pathways to optimize his body's function. Now, these tentacles operated entirely according to his will.
The four mechanical arms sprouting from his back were not to be underestimated; each possessed powerful artificial intelligence, capable of lifting eight tons independently. They were simple to operate, completely radiation-proof, and possessed exquisite precision. Their retractable nature allowed them to coil and hide beneath his wide trench coat, enabling him to complete groundbreaking experiments and author countless new theories that brought him global renown.
Fang Senyan raised his arm to block Doctor Octopus’s strike, but even so, he trembled violently and was driven back several paces. However, Fang Senyan immediately seized another mechanical arm. Taking advantage of Doctor Octopus’s momentary shock, he exerted tremendous force with both arms, unexpectedly flinging the Doctor backward!
Doctor Octopus’s heavy frame slammed violently onto the roof of a nearby sedan, shattering the windshield into shards that flew everywhere, accompanied by the wailing of the alarm. A massive crater was instantly pressed into the car’s roof. Having suffered a loss, Doctor Octopus erupted in fury. One mechanical arm snapped forward, clamping onto a car door, tearing it from the chassis effortlessly, and hurling it toward Fang Senyan.
This mode of attack immediately caught Fang Senyan completely off guard. He dodged left and right, but before Doctor Octopus had even finished dismantling half the car, Fang Senyan was being pummeled with nowhere to hide. Immediately following this, the steel tentacles swept toward him, smashing Fang Senyan nearly ten meters away. A sinister grin spread across Doctor Octopus’s face; this had finally purged some of his humiliation.
But just as he prepared to press his advantage, Fang Senyan rolled to his feet and shouted:
“SHOP!”
Then, with a snap of his wrist, the +13 Westblade was in his hand. Doctor Octopus threw his head back and laughed arrogantly:
“You think this child’s toy can…”
His laughter choked off abruptly. The young man before him stepped forward and swung his blade. A palpable, dazzling sharpness seemed to emanate from the steel. A nearby Citroën sedan was sent rolling several times by the sheer force of the cut, its metallic screeching painfully audible, the car cleanly sliced in half! This weapon alone proved it possessed the power to threaten Doctor Octopus’s appendages.
Doctor Octopus sneered, raising one tentacle. The aperture at the tip widened, revealing a dark, gaping muzzle of a gun barrel. He roared:
“You think a broken knife can threaten me?”
Fortunately, after delivering that blow, Fang Senyan ceased his attack, standing his ground and spreading his hands wide:
“Wait! I came to find you not for some noble nonsense like justice, but because I want to invest.”
“Invest?” Doctor Octopus was stunned, likely having not heard such a proposal in ages.
Fang Senyan now approached openly, hands still raised: “Yes, invest. I have analyzed all the scientists, and I believe you, Doctor, possess the most potential and value worth investing in.”
This subtly flattering remark immediately closed the distance between them considerably. Doctor Octopus remained cautious:
“Then what project are you looking to invest in?”
Fang Senyan shrugged: “I don’t think this is a suitable place to discuss business. Why don’t we find somewhere to grab a cup of coffee?”
Doctor Octopus narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Fang Senyan deeply, then suddenly inquired: “Since you came to invest, why did you start by fighting me?”
Fang Senyan spread his hands in a wry smile: “Because while someone recommended you to me, if I had approached through normal channels, you certainly wouldn’t have given me a chance to speak.”
Doctor Octopus grunted, curious: “Who recommended you to me?”
Fang Senyan offered a bitter smile: “It seems we’ve attracted quite the crowd. To prevent you from getting suspicious, perhaps I could just follow you?”
Their bizarre confrontation had indeed drawn a sizable crowd. If this location hadn't been deliberately set aside by the government as a black market zone, police sirens would surely have been blaring nearby already.
It had to be admitted that Fang Senyan had successfully piqued Doctor Octopus’s curiosity. He looked at Fang Senyan and chuckled darkly: “You can come with me, fine! But you must be held by my mechanical arms.”
Fang Senyan shrugged and sighed: “No problem. Killing me yields you no profit, but keeping me alive could push your scientific endeavors to new heights.”
Two of Doctor Octopus’s mechanical arms immediately extended and seized Fang Senyan, menacingly squeezing his head, appearing capable of crushing it with ease. However, if Fang Senyan were that fragile, he wouldn't have gotten this far.
Against any other villain, Fang Senyan certainly wouldn't have been so careless, but when dealing with Doctor Octopus—that fanatical obsessive obsessed with scientific research—murder wasn't his primary goal. Especially when it conflicted with his research interests, Fang Senyan was almost certain he would choose science.
To Fang Senyan’s surprise, after bringing him into the car, Doctor Octopus drove him to an abandoned factory in the suburbs. Near New York, there were hundreds of satellite cities, and within them, areas akin to economic development zones, which often featured unfinished projects. This derelict factory was clearly located in one such stalled development zone; the concrete road they drove over was cracked, and wild grass grew thick on both sides, threatening to spill into the drainage ditches.
Clearly, Doctor Octopus had established his temporary scientific research facility here. He unceremoniously dragged Fang Senyan into a dilapidated office nearby and said impatiently: “Now you can state your business. My time is short.”
Fang Senyan nodded, took out a device given to him by Professor X, and placed it on the desk. Immediately, a very primitive video communication screen flickered to life. Professor X’s spectral image nodded at Doctor Octopus:
“Hi, Otto. Long time no see.”
Doctor Octopus glanced at Fang Senyan and sneered: “Others fear your mind control, but I do not.”
This was the truth. His four mechanical arms possessed sophisticated artificial intelligence, which had almost usurped his primary personality at one point. Professor X’s mental influence might work on humans, but for an intelligent AI, it was a highly awkward tool. Professor X addressed Doctor Octopus seriously:
“Now is not the time for old grievances. Do you realize? Our world is on the verge of destruction.”
Doctor Octopus immediately burst into wild laughter, wiping tears from his eyes: “I never thought you’d fall for such ridiculous nonsense.”
Professor X’s tone grew grim: “I have confirmed it. It’s not nonsense; it’s fact—ironclad fact. Otto, do you think I’m someone who speaks carelessly or fabricates things? Or perhaps you think both Magneto and I have suddenly lost our minds?”
The camera in the image pulled back, revealing Magneto sitting on Professor X’s sofa, brow deeply furrowed, studying the array of visual data Fang Senyan had brought. Upon seeing Doctor Octopus, he stated coldly: “I still don’t know the authenticity of these things they brought, but I can tell you clearly: since the year 2008, the rate of change in Earth’s magnetic field has accelerated a thousandfold. Based on my estimates and calculations, within a month, this rate of change will reach its peak.”
The smile finally froze on Doctor Octopus’s face. At that precise moment, Fang Senyan conveniently offered the related materials he had brought. After reviewing them, Professor X said earnestly: “Frankly, Otto, I really don’t like you. In my opinion, Tony Stark (Iron Man) should have been the primary leader. It was only because Mr. Mariner spoke so highly of you that I agreed to entrust the main responsibility—no, I should say, entrust my life and that of my student—to your hands. If you doubt this matter, decline immediately. Our time is precious.”
In fact, Doctor Octopus had a catchphrase that perfectly described his personality. When his wife urged him to rest, Doctor Octopus would always say:
“Did Edison sleep before inventing the lightbulb? Did Marconi sleep before inventing the radio? Did Beethoven rest before composing the Fifth Symphony?……”
That profound arrogance and fierce temperament immediately became self-evident.
Hearing Professor X’s words, Doctor Octopus’s dark eyebrows shot up. He slammed his hand onto the desk, roaring furiously: “How dare you compare that bastard Tony Stark to me! The great Doctor Otto Günther Octavius! You short-sighted fool!”
Professor X shrugged, spreading his hands: “Tony Stark’s favorite thing to do is silence people with facts.”
In his raging anger, Doctor Octopus brought a mechanical arm down, smashing the communication device into a lump of scrap metal. But then he suddenly calmed down, looking at Fang Senyan: “Wait. If what you say about the government building an Ark is true, then there is someone I know who definitely bought a ticket. I need to confirm it with him.” (This site..com Your support is my greatest motivation.)