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Chapter 3: Meeting Spider-Woman Gwen – Is New York Really This Small?
🕑 Added 2025-03-24 18:36:45 +0000 UTCIn this world, no one understands its dangers and horrors better than Luo Chen. The entire world is filled with peril, and being a superhero often means a tragic fate. Take Tony Stark, for example—he snapped his fingers and died.
Superheroes not only face life-threatening battles but also risk being replaced by new-generation heroes. Sometimes, their demise is dictated by forces beyond the fourth wall—actors leaving, scandals surfacing, or creative shifts leading to their downfall.
But being an ordinary citizen in the Marvel universe is even more dangerous, especially in a high-profile city like New York. Criminals run rampant, and supervillains lurk in the shadows, making everyday life a gamble.
At least this is Marvel.
If this were the DC universe, Gotham’s darkness would be enough to drive anyone to despair. Batman may claim to uphold justice, but his refusal to kill criminals has led to their repeated prison escapes, countless catastrophes, and innocent lives lost—all because his moral code outweighs common sense.
Luo Chen sighed, flipping through the pages of his diary.
"Who in their right mind keeps a diary? But for the sake of survival… I guess I will."
Little did he know that this very diary had already fallen into Tony Stark’s hands.
A Tutoring Gig
For now, Luo Chen wasn't thinking about any of that—he had work to do.
Today, he had taken on a tutoring job. Despite being a recent Harvard graduate, he had lost interest in the usual job-hunting process. After discovering a much easier way to make a fortune, he had no desire to sit through interviews. Instead, he took on part-time tutoring gigs to make ends meet.
In the United States, families from the middle class and above prioritize their children’s education, just as they do in many other countries. Only those at the lower end of society let their kids waste their days idling around.
And let’s be honest—what superhero with actual superpowers would willingly work a nine-to-five job?
Arriving at the given address, Luo Chen found himself in a well-secured, middle-class neighborhood. In the U.S., different economic classes live in entirely different worlds—the poor, the middle class, the elites, and the ultra-rich rarely cross paths.
A middle-aged Caucasian woman answered the door, greeting Luo Chen with a warm smile.
Seeing an Asian tutor at the door didn’t surprise her—there’s a common stereotype about East Asians, particularly Chinese people, excelling academically. Luo Chen fit the image perfectly: well-educated, polite, and youthful in appearance, almost like a teenager.
"Is this Mrs. Stacy?" Luo Chen asked politely.
"Yes, and you must be Luo Chen," she replied with a smile. "Come in. You look younger than I expected!"
Of course, she wasn’t worried about Luo Chen being an imposter. He had been hired through a reputable tutoring website, with all the necessary credentials verified.
"My daughter is sixteen and in high school, but she struggles with math. I hope you can help her improve. Asians are usually good at math, aren’t they?" Mrs. Stacy remarked.
Luo Chen chuckled. "No problem at all."
Given that he had graduated from Harvard, tutoring high school math was a walk in the park.
As he stepped into the room, Luo Chen’s gaze landed on a teenage girl sitting at a desk, staring at her math homework with a look of frustration.
"Gwen, this is Mr. Luo, your new math tutor," Mrs. Stacy introduced.
Hearing that, the girl looked up—and was momentarily stunned.
Before her stood a man with sharp, well-defined features, exuding an air of elegance and intelligence. Her heartbeat quickened, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
"So… handsome!" she thought.
Meanwhile, Luo Chen was just as shocked.
"Wait a minute… Gwen Stacy?!"
The Gwen Stacy? The tragic heroine of The Amazing Spider-Man? The unlucky girl who fell to her death?
"New York is way too small."
Gwen quickly stood up. "Hello, Mr. Luo!"
"Please, have a seat," Luo Chen replied, recovering from his surprise.
Mrs. Stacy smiled. "If it’s alright, can we start the lesson now?"
"Of course," Luo Chen nodded.
"Great. I’ll leave you two to it and prepare some snacks," Mrs. Stacy said before exiting the room.
Luo Chen glanced at Gwen’s math problems. As expected, the general math level among Americans was quite poor. However, the middle and upper classes often pursued additional education beyond what schools provided. Even so, this was nothing difficult for him.
Within moments, Luo Chen had identified the solution and began explaining it step by step.
Gwen listened intently, but her attention kept drifting toward his face.
"How is he so smart… and so good-looking?" she thought, feeling a deeper admiration growing inside her.
Meanwhile, at Stark Tower…
In the chairman’s office of Stark Industries, Tony Stark was in the middle of his work when J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice interrupted him.
"Sir, the diary has been updated."
At that, Tony immediately put everything else aside and picked up the diary to read the new entry.
Sure enough, fresh text had appeared at the bottom:
"June 10th, sunny. Damn, New York is ridiculously small. I just took a tutoring gig and ended up meeting Gwen Stacy—the famously unlucky heroine."
Tony Stark raised an eyebrow.
"Unlucky heroine? Gwen Stacy…?"
He quickly memorized the name.
From what he had read so far, he was beginning to suspect that, if this universe truly was a story, he must be the protagonist.
After all, according to the diary, he would be kidnapped but would ultimately escape. Instead of his career collapsing, he would pivot to a new industry and rise even higher.
If that wasn’t protagonist treatment, then what was?
And now, this Gwen Stacy—could she be his future love interest?
Tony leaned back, rubbing his chin.
"Interesting…"
