The next morning, when Peter finally returned home, he was unsurprisingly scolded by Aunt May.

After all, they had been living together for many years, and Peter's excuse to spend the night at Harry's house didn't hide them for long. After seeing the series of explosive news on the nightly news, Aunt May, who was anxious, called Peter more than 20 times in a row, but they were only busy. And when she called Harry directly, the lies he had woven before were shattered.

"Young man, do you know how worried I am!?" Aunt May angrily poked her fingers back and forth in Peter's chest, and the short gray hair that swayed with her words made her look like a lion. "More than twenty calls! I've called you more than twenty times in a row! I'm going crazy! As soon as I close my eyes, I see you covered in blood! ”

At this, her body suddenly shook unnaturally, as if the nightmarish image appeared in her mind again. Uncle Ben, who was behind her, also held her shoulders at this time. And the next moment, she returned to the lioness and slapped Uncle Ben's hand away.

"What are you doing!? From the very beginning, you stood by and didn't speak, and you taught him a good lesson! Aunt Mei said angrily to Uncle Ben, and she stood aside and tried to control her breathing, which seemed to be really angry.

Uncle Ben looked at Aunt May helplessly, patted her on the back, and then turned his gaze to Peter, who bowed his head and said nothing.

"First of all, say about your punishment. Young man, you are grounded now. Within three days, you will be back to my house immediately after school, without taking a step out of our sight. That's your punishment. ”

"Four days!" Aunt Mei's shouts came from behind Uncle Ben, and it was obvious that she hadn't lost her breath yet.

"Okay, okay, then four days." Uncle Ben shrugged, his tone stern, but not reproachful. "However, there is no point in merely punishing. The purpose of punishment is to teach you a lesson and not to make the same mistake again. ”

He paused before speaking again. "So, do you understand what you're doing wrong?"

"I—" Peter opened his mouth, but his mind went blank and he didn't know what to say. He didn't even dare to meet Uncle Kamimoto's gaze directly, so he could only tilt his head to the side. "I... I shouldn't have worried you..."

"No, you're wrong." Uncle Ben reached out his hand and stroked Peter's bangs. "I've been watching you grow up and know that you're a man now. Men naturally want to go out, to find their own opportunities, to live their own lives, and it is inevitable that we old guys are worried. But you shouldn't lie to us. ”

Peter's cheeks flushed with shame. He lowered his head again, and the apology was as thin as a mosquito that even Uncle Ben who was standing in front of him couldn't hear clearly.

"Yes... I'm sorry, I'm really sorry..."

Uncle Ben's hands held Peter's face, forcing him to look into his eyes.

"You may think this lie doesn't matter, but it has irreparable consequences." Uncle Ben's voice was not loud, but his words struck Peter's heart word by word. "It has damaged the trust between us."

"We used to trust you unconditionally, and as long as you say it, we will naturally believe it, because we believe that you will not lie to people at will. But from now on, we have to think twice. After all, you've lied the first time, how do we know if you're going to lie to us a second time, a third time? ”

"I... I—" Peter's lips squirmed a few times, but he couldn't organize the language he wanted to speak. For some reason, a tear came from the corner of his eye. This boy, who did not show any negative emotions in the face of bandits and superpowered criminals, was said to cry in this situation. "I'm not going to... Definitely not. Again... Never again. ”

"But how can we trust this promise of yours now?" Uncle Ben didn't accept Peter's apology so easily. "Trust is not something that can be paid lip service. It can easily be damaged, but it takes a long time and action to rebuild it. ”

"I—" Peter once again didn't know what to say. He regretted everything he had done, and now he only hoped that the two old men in front of him would forgive him.

And at this moment, Uncle Ben's face softened a little, and the corners of his mouth faintly showed a smile.

"So Peter, are you willing to re-establish trust between us?"

"I do!" Peter wiped away the tears, but it was as if he had flipped a switch, causing his tears to burst down.

"Do you think you can do it?"

"I can!" Even though he couldn't wipe the tears from his face now, his voice was extremely firm.

"Good, that's the answer I want to hear. Let me see if you can do it! Uncle Ben patted Peter on the shoulder and smiled with satisfaction. He pulled Peter next to him and lowered his voice in Peter's ear. "I've passed this level, and now you're going to get rid of your aunt."

Peter, who had just wiped the tears and snot off his face, was suddenly stunned, and he looked at Aunt May, who was still angry, and had a headache again.

-----

Columbia University, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Law. Professor Torrey glanced at the paper in his hand and placed it back on his desk. At the top of the document, which was printed with dense small print, the four big words 'application for leave of absence' looked a little dazzling in his eyes.

"Mr. Murdoch, are you sure you want to do this?" He looked at the young man in front of him, and couldn't help but have some doubts in his heart. "Columbia University is one of the best universities in New York, and the competition is fierce. If you ask for a leave of absence in this case, I may not be able to guarantee that there will be a vacant seat waiting for you at the Academy when you return. ”

"I understand." Matt nodded.

"You—" Before he could say anything, Professor Torrey stopped. He rubbed his forehead, which had begun to fall, and reorganized his language.

"Mr. Murdoch, your talent is evident even among the many outstanding students in our law department. I'm sure Columbia University can help you achieve your every dream. "Tori tries to make his words sound as tempting as possible, but anyone can tell he doesn't do that kind of thing very often." I understand that you may have other plans for now, but I hope you don't waste your talents. ”

"I understand, Professor Torrey. Thank you very much for your appreciation, but now the situation around me prevents me from continuing my studies here. Matt politely but firmly rejected the middle-aged man in front of him.

Professor Torrey couldn't help but sigh, the young man in front of him didn't even hesitate at all when he refused, it seemed that it was quite difficult to keep him. But at this time, he still didn't want to give up and wanted to make a final effort.

"Don't you really think about it again? This is an opportunity that countless young people want, and you just want to throw it away? Seeing Matt's expression, which still hadn't changed in the slightest, Professor Torrey gritted his teeth and continued to speak. How about we all make a step? If you are willing to change this leave of absence to half a year, I will definitely be able to keep your seat. ”

Matt's face showed a subtle sadness, but he shook his head resolutely.

"One year! How about a year? Give me a moment and I'll go talk to the director. Professor Torrey stated his bottom line. He really didn't want the best students of this class to completely give up this golden road because of his family.

Matt was silent for a moment, then slowly stood up and bowed to Professor Torrey.

"Thank you so much for taking care of me all the time." Matt whispered. "But I have something very important to do. I'm sorry. ”

Professor Torrey exhaled, speechless. After a long while, his expression was relieved.

"Matt. Murdoch. He held out his right hand toward Matt. I hope you don't give up on the path of law, you will definitely become a good lawyer. ”

The two shook hands, and Matt walked out of the office under Professor Torrey's regretful gaze. He reached into his coat pocket and grabbed the ticket to Nepal.

I'll make them pay. Matt silently swore in his heart, and a raging flame burned in his heart.