Schiller saw that Stark was indeed on the brink of madness, his ntal state in shambles. With telepathic abilities, Schiller could feel the pounding headache caused by Stark's chaotic and tangled thoughts, even through the walls.
Schiller took a deep breath and walked in. As Stark glanced up, his eyes rolled, giving Schiller a disdainful look.
Although he appeared a bit worn out, he wasn't disheveled. The consequence of his pride was that Schiller could sense he was teetering on the edge of collapse, but he didn't want to show it in front of Pepper.
Schiller cleared his throat, and Pepper looked at Stark with concern before leaving the room. Schiller sat opposite Stark and said, "Mr. Stark, may I ask you a question?"
"What do you want to ask? Are you going to talk philosophy with or discuss useless psychological theories?" Stark replied.
"Cough, no, it's not that. I just wanted to inquire about my hourly rate," Schiller said. "When Miss Pepper discussed the price with , I was drunk and woke up with no recollection."
Stark was taken aback by this question. He looked incredibly surprised and said, "What did you say?"
"I said I want to know the price for my psychological counseling because I forgot everything after I got drunk during the conversation with Miss Pepper," Schiller explained.
Stark was left speechless, and he waved his hand dismissively, saying, "You shouldn't choose abstract topics or those common psychologist subjects... like the aning of life or objects of sorrow... "
"Yes, that cos later. It's what happens after the formal counseling begins. But first, I need to confirm if you can afford my fees for psychological counseling."
Stark widened his eyes, shocked, and said, "What did you say? Do you know who I am? Goodness, are you so primitive person? Don't you recognize ? Don't you know this is Stark Tower?"
"Yes, I know you're very rich, Mr. Stark, but how much money you have and how much you're willing to pay are two different things."
"...How much do you want?"
"One million dollars per hour, non-negotiable."
"Fine! Fine! You, you materialistic mad doctor. Have you lost your mind? One million dollars! With that, I could hire a dozen beautiful won on a yacht..."
"I vaguely recall hearing soone claiming to be wealthy."
Stark was truly rendered speechless by Schiller. He said, "Are you here on behalf of Pepper to ss with ? Well done! Go tell her she succeeded! I've already explained that the party I threw last ti was only to bid farewell to those ex-girlfriends, not to do anything else. Why doesn't she believe ?"
Schiller said, "A dozen beautiful won on a yacht won't make you feel any better, especially when you feel like you're about to die."
Stark's exaggerated gestures ca to a halt. He stiffened for a mont, turned to look at Schiller with a suspicious gaze.
Schiller calmly sat there and said, "You're afraid of death right now, but perhaps what you're truly afraid of is not having a chance to redeem your mistakes..."
"Rubbish. Who are you? Who are you really?" Stark's emotions started to escalate, and he said, "Did Pepper tell you sothing... No, she doesn't know either. You..."
Stark stared directly at Schiller, saying, "Don't play these tricks with . I don't believe in any supernatural mind-reading abilities in this world."
"There are no mind-reading abilities in this world, only psychology," Schiller said.
He stood up, facing Stark, and said, "You can continue to dismiss it, as my fee is one million dollars per hour. We can waste a little more ti, and then I'll be able to buy a new car."
Schiller's alternating serious and nonchalant remarks gave Stark a headache. He said, "How did you figure it out? With your ridiculous psychology?"
"That's not important. What's important is the only advice I can give you is to resolve the issue of death first. Of course, you may find my suggestion simplistic."
"But the thod is..."
Schiller paused, and Stark stared at him intently. Schiller said, "First, pay a fifty percent deposit, and then we can proceed with the rest of the treatnt."
Stark was practically blowing smoke out of his nose in frustration. He was so exasperated by Schiller that he picked up the phone and called Pepper, saying, "My sweetheart, where did you find a vampire doctor?... Yes, he charged one million dollars per hour for consultation..."
Schiller snatched the phone away and said, "Miss Pepper, Mr. Stark considers one million dollars as the equivalent of a yacht filled with beautiful won..."
He then hung up the phone and shook his mobile phone, saying, "It'll be transferred in five minutes."
Stark continued to glare at him.
Stark crossed his arms and said, "Co on, let's hear what you have to say."
"What have you been avoiding all this ti?" Schiller asked.
"What? What have I been avoiding?" Stark replied.
"You better ask yourself that question. The answer lies within, and I'm not talking about Miss Pepper's killer phone calls or ambiguous ssages from ex-girlfriends. I'm being serious..."
Schiller leaned against the table, crossed his arms, and pushed his glasses up, saying, "I've never seen such a peculiar case before. It's unique, very rare..."
Stark shuddered and said, "Hey, I don't swing that way. Keep your distance."
"You're not as absurd as you pretend to be. I know soone who's a lot like you. He masquerades as a playboy, living in the mont, never thinking about tomorrow."
"But he's smart, too smart for his own good. So he's been waiting for soone to give him an answer, an answer that cos from... his past."
Stark looked at Schiller, and Schiller looked back at him. Stark whispered, "I'll give you two million dollars. Leave this place, and I'll tell Pepper that your treatnt was effective. I..."
"If I'm not mistaken, Miss Pepper is listening right now," Schiller interrupted.
Stark fell silent. Schiller said, "Two million dollars, and I'll tell you a genuinely useful thod."
"Deal."
"In that part of your past that you avoid, you'll find all the answers you seek. I saw it in the news once, the founder of Stark Industries, your father..."
"That's enough," Stark said.
He turned away, his expression hidden from Schiller. Stark's voice trembled as he said, "Pepper will transfer the consultation fee to you. Leave this place."
"...He will grant you a second chance at life. God bless you."
"Get out of here!!!"
After Schiller left, Stark smashed the glasses on the table. In the SHIELD office, Nick Fury held his headphones and said, "Imdiately investigate a psychologist nad Schiller. I want all his materials right away."
After Schiller left, his account quickly received a large sum of money. He happily thought that although dealing with Stark was difficult, you get what you pay for, and he was willing to help this wealthy troublemaker solve his problems.
And soon, there was another surprise. Schiller discovered that he could replicate Spider-Man's abilities.
It turns out that the previous lack of this function was not a system glitch, but rather because Peter hadn't been bitten yet. Now that his spider abilities had appeared, Schiller could naturally replicate them.
Schiller clicked on "Replicate" and gained the ability of "Spider-Sense (Low-level)." Compared to the mont he obtained telepathic abilities, this ti it seed rather unremarkable. Schiller felt a slight enhancent in his five senses, being able to see farther and hear more clearly. As for intuition, Schiller hadn't felt it yet.
He felt a bit regretful, wishing he could have the physical abilities of a spider. However, since it was a weakened version, it probably only provided a slight improvent in his physical capabilities. Far from being able to do extraordinary feats.
Spider-Man didn't initially possess imnse strength either. His spider abilities developed gradually. Currently, it seed that he only exceeded the capabilities of an ordinary person by a bit, without being overly exaggerated.
But since Spider-Man's storyline had begun, Peter's uncle might also encounter trouble. Schiller thought for a mont and decided to send a ssage to Peter, saying, "How are you doing? Do you want to co to the hospital? I'm a doctor and can introduce you to a reliable trauma doctor."
Peter's reply ca quickly. He said, "Wow! You're actually a doctor, that's cool. Which hospital do you work at? What kind of doctor are you? Are you an orthopedic doctor? But I don't think I need a surgeon anymore. I'm really happy right now, I think Gwen will agree to go out with soon..."
Schiller said, "I advise you to co and get checked. Being bitten by an animal is not a joke. Besides, it's also an opportunity for us to et..."
Peter hesitated clearly. After all, eting soone from the internet at this ti wasn't a good idea. He had just obtained spider powers and was extrely excited, not wanting to do anything else. Schiller said, "I think you can bring Miss Gwen along. I'm at the Presbyterian Hospital. I can arrange a comprehensive check-up for you all for free, and afterward, you can go to a nearby coffee shop..."
Peter was intrigued. Firstly, his family situation wasn't good, and he didn't have the opportunity for any check-ups. Moreover, the Presbyterian Hospital was a renowned institution in New York that everyone had heard of. He said, "Thank you, but I want to bring my uncle and aunt along. They are getting older, although it might be a bit presumptuous. If it's not possible, just forget I ntioned it."
Schiller thought about it and realized it might be better this way. He said, "Sure, I'll book an appointnt for this weekend. You can also try inviting Miss Gwen and her family. I have plenty of available slots."
Peter happily went to call Gwen. You see, he had always been helped by Gwen because his family's conditions weren't great. Gwen would always bring him snacks and yogurt, and Peter always felt guilty for not being able to help Gwen in return.
But this was a great opportunity for compensation. It wasn't easy to get into the Presbyterian Hospital, even if Gwen's father was the commissioner of the New York Police Station. Getting an appointnt for a comprehensive check-up required waiting in line for a long ti, or sotis it couldn't be arranged at all.
Peter felt like he had been extrely lucky recently. First, he gained superpowers, and now, a friend he t online turned out to be a doctor at a major hospital.
It seed that he was even a specialist doctor. Now, his uncle and aunt wouldn't consider his internet chats a waste of ti anymore.
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