"Why were you tied to the Cross?"
"We'll get him down."
Their words came one after another.
Lex quickly pulled Jino back, saying, "Wait, Jino, what if this guy is some bad person who was tied to this Cross?"
Jino paused slightly, then stood in front of the man with Lex. He put away the small knife in his hand and stared at the young man, saying, "Tell me, why were you tied up here?"
The man weakly hung his head, his voice faint and low, "It's bullying, campus bullying from the local high school prom. They pick the most unpopular kid in school to play the role of the Scarecrow."
"…A whole day and night!"
By the last sentence, the man's tone had a hint of gritted teeth.
"Campus bullying." Jino sighed a little. The person in front of him was thin and appeared mild-mannered, perfectly fitting the image of a bullied nerd in American high schools.
"We'll get him down."
Jino was about to cut the ropes when he heard Lex cry out in alarm, "Wait! Look up!"
Jino looked up and saw several streaks of fiery light streaking across the clear blue sky, leaving long tails as they flew towards the town.
One of them was rapidly approaching the three of them!
The nerdy young man's face changed dramatically. The meteor suddenly crashed into a field not far from them.
Boom!
The huge impact of the meteor hitting the ground kicked up churning dirt, mixed with a terrifying air current that spread outwards from the impact point!
Lex pushed Jino down first, pressing him beneath him, "Get down! Jino!"
The next second, the air current mixed with dirt slammed onto Lex's back, and countless clods of earth buried their figures.
At the same time, countless meteors fell across various parts of the town. Some landed in streets, causing a series of explosions and screams, smashing cars and taking the lives of innocent people, while others fell into homes, killing families of three on the spot.
For the town, today was a terrifying disaster!
At seven in the evening, the setting sun streamed through the window, shining on the pristine white hospital bed.
Jino's eyes fluttered. The air was filled with a strong scent of disinfectant, immediately letting him know where he was.
He was in a hospital.
Jino felt a sense of relief. Thank goodness I was rescued.
But then, worry for Lex rose in his heart.
Although he always complained about Lex being timid and childish, the two had grown up together, and their bond was undeniable.
Jino struggled to lift his eyelids, his gaze sweeping around. He quickly spotted an unconscious Lex on a nearby bed.
He glanced at his cheap older brother's electrocardiogram, confirming he was alive. Only then did Jino relax. As long as he's not dead, even if he's in a vegetative state, I can save my cheap older brother given enough time.
"But this feeling of having no power and being at the mercy of natural disaster is truly awful," Jino slowly raised his head, his expression melancholic as he stared at the setting sun in the distance.
A thought crossed his mind, and a card, visible only to him, appeared in his hand.
Having been familiar with the origins of DC superheroes in his previous life, Jino naturally knew where these meteors came from.
Perhaps he couldn't be sure when he first arrived in this town, but the violent meteor shower that affected the entire town confirmed to Jino that the future human god, Clark Kent, had finally landed in this town.
"The arrival of a human god is accompanied by destruction. What an interesting irony."
Jino got out of bed and, still in his hospital gown, went to his cheap older brother. Their savior was also lying in the adjacent hospital bed.
Jino rubbed Lex's cheek, and the next second, his cheap older brother slowly stirred awake.
"Whew, where are we?" Lex opened his eyes, breathing rapidly, his face filled with terror as he looked at his surroundings, clearly still reeling from the meteor explosion.
Jino lightly slapped Lex's cheek, exasperated, "Wake up, Lex, we're in the hospital. We were rescued."
With Jino's explanation, Lex finally realized he was lying in a hospital bed.
"Damn it," Lex muttered, then glanced around the room, "Where's Dad?"
Jino shrugged, "Probably busy with business."
Their father, Lionel Luthor, was a shrewd businessman, a man richer than a nation, one of the most successful businessmen in the free United States. Anyone who met him had to show him respect. He spent almost all his time creating wealth, naturally neglecting his family.
"Heh, he's never satisfied with his wealth. He always wants more, like a greedy bloodsucker!" Lex's young face showed a hint of anger. His two sons were in the hospital, and he was still thinking about business.
"Jino, are you feeling okay?" Lex decided to stop thinking about Lionel. He looked at Jino and asked.
Jino waved his hand, "I'm fine."
"But the guy tied to the Cross got unlucky." Jino pointed to the unconscious young man in the next bed. Despite wearing a hospital gown, the "S"-shaped Red Paint on his chest was visible.
Lex sneered, "Heh, if it weren't for him, maybe the meteors wouldn't have affected us."
Just as Lex was about to speak again, the door opened and their father, Lionel, walked into the room.
Upon seeing Jino and Lex awake, the man clearly breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness, you two are alright."
"Yeah, Dad, besides waking up and finding you weren't here, we're pretty happy," Lex sarcastically remarked. Lex had no affection for his cheap father who loved money more than his sons.
Listening to Lex's sarcastic remarks, Lionel frowned and scolded, "Hey, don't blame me! I plan to build a fertilizer processing plant here, and it will bring a considerable profit to our Luthor Family!"
"So, how are things going, Father?"
Jino quickly interjected, cutting off the conversation. If Lex said a few more words, his cheap old man, enraged and humiliated, would surely beat up his cheap older brother.
Hearing Jino's question, the man rubbed his forehead in annoyance and complained, "Hmph, the negotiations went very smoothly, except for a farm owner outside of town who absolutely refuses to sell their land."
"That's also why I'm here. I'll offer them a price they can't refuse, and they'll accept it!"
Jino became interested and asked curiously, "Which couple is so stubborn?"
Could it be the Kent family?
His cheap old man thought for a moment, then frowned and said, "I think their names are Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent?"
Jino wasn't surprised to hear those two names; only Jonathan and Martha would be able to refuse a massive acquisition proposal.
(End of Chapter)