"In what way?" Eric asked the other party.
"In every way." Lionel's eyes flickered with an unclear light. "'Having seen all the horrors that the universe contains, even the spring sky and summer flowers are poison in my eyes after that.' Imaginative and insightful words. You are like a knight of light, exploring the secrets of the universe, illuminating it, and exposing yourself. I have read all your books."
Lionel's words were unhurried, yet seemed to hold a deeper meaning.
"But currently, I only have one book."
"Mmm-hmm." Lionel, exposed by Eric, showed no sign of embarrassment. "In my eyes, this one book is vast and boundless, something I could never fully comprehend, no matter how much time I spent on it."
Perhaps noticing that the current setting was not ideal, Lionel glanced at Jonathan and Martha behind Eric. "I'd like to talk with you, but now isn't a good opportunity."
Saying that, he handed a business card to Eric. "If you have time, we can chat. Actually… I'm an astronomy enthusiast who's very interested in the universe."
After handing the business card to Eric, Lionel prepared to leave. "I apologize for talking so little today. You must understand a father who just lost his son; his mental exhaustion is quite severe."
After Lionel left, Jonathan and Martha walked over.
"What does he want?" Jonathan asked warily.
His negative impression of Lionel surpassed that of Lex.
Lionel's blatant destruction of the town, and his merciless wielding of the "big stick" of money and power to suppress individuals and businesses in the town, were major reasons for Jonathan's dislike of him.
"I don't know. He handed me a business card and said he was an astronomy enthusiast who wanted to discuss my book." Eric casually showed the business card in his hand to Jonathan.
"Although what just happened to Lex is unfortunate, and what I'm about to say might be inappropriate, the Luthors cannot be trusted." Jonathan looked at Lionel's disappearing back and said, "Especially Lionel."
"I know." Eric nodded. He didn't throw away the business card in his hand; instead, he put it away. "I know how to deal with an old fox like him."
…
Late at night, in the barn.
Eric ascended the stairs under the cover of night.
A crescent moon hung in the clear sky, and the air was fresh, perfect for a stroll.
The second floor of the barn, near the east side, was Clark's "secret base," while other areas were filled with various items.
Eric walked to a box. On top was a broken photo frame.
Picking up the shattered frame, Eric gazed at the photo inside.
The photo showed a family of four in front of a corn pile on the farm.
Eric stood to Jonathan's left, Clark to Jonathan's right, and their slightly shorter mother stood in front of the three.
Jonathan and Martha smiled at the camera, while Clark had one hand behind his back, one hand on his hip, and a slight upward curve to his lips.
Eric, however, looked at the camera with a cold expression.
Such a timeless photo made him feel a little dazed.
When was this photo taken?
Was it taken when he and Clark had just entered high school?
But why did it feel like so much time had passed?
Staring at the photo inside the broken glass frame, Eric fell into deep thought.
As he was lost in a jumble of thoughts, footsteps suddenly sounded outside.
Eric put down the frame and looked down.
He saw Jonathan and Martha entering the barn.
Upon seeing them, Eric let the darkness conceal his figure.
"We've paid off the bank loan, so we don't have to worry about these things being repossessed anymore." Jonathan looked at the storage boxes in front of him and said with some emotion, "It's all thanks to Eric, really."
"Yes, Eric always puts our minds at ease. He's a good boy." Martha said to her husband, "Weren't you always worried before? You're the third generation of this farm, and Eric and Clark would be the fourth generation. But even then, you were worried, would the fourth-generation farmer be Eric or Clark? I told you then that they were both going to college and would eventually leave the town. They don't belong to the farm."
Martha suddenly started crying as she spoke. "I knew one day they would leave us, but I didn't expect Clark to leave the town now. I don't know if he's still willing to come back. I don't know why life has to be so unfair to us…"
Jonathan saw his wife's distress and walked over to hug her. "That's just how life is, Martha. We have to learn to adapt. Do you remember the day we found out we couldn't have children?"
Jonathan's eyes welled up with tears as he comforted Martha. "You held my hand and told me not to worry, that happy days would always come. You were right, Martha, we did have happy days, with Eric and Clark. Even though Clark isn't here now, I promise you, happy days will return."
Hiding behind a storage box, Eric listened to his father and mother's words, his expression complex.
His hands caressed the broken frame he held, and a flood of mixed emotions surged within him.
Meanwhile, in Metropolis.
In a five-star hotel, Clark tossed and turned, unable to sleep on the luxurious bed.
Even though it was the most expensive bed, he still felt it wasn't as comfortable as the one on the farm.
He got up and walked to the telephone, picked up the receiver, hesitated for a moment, and finally dialed the familiar number.
As the phone rang, Clark held the receiver with some hesitation, wanting to hear the other person's voice, yet also a little afraid.
He was caught in such a contradictory state of mind.
After a few seconds of ringing, no one answered from the farm.
Clark slammed the phone down.
While he was relieved that his parents and Eric hadn't picked up, a faint sense of disappointment also rose within him.
…
The next morning.
Clark rode the hotel elevator upstairs, his head down.
His mood hadn't improved at all after a night's sleep.
His head was a mess, and the scene of his conversation with Eric yesterday kept replaying in his mind.
Was that truly the life he wanted to choose?
"Ding!" As he was thinking, the elevator door suddenly opened, and a familiar figure appeared outside.
Chloe stood outside the elevator with her bag. Her eyes lit up immediately when she saw Clark, and she rushed into the elevator.
"Hey, Clark! I finally found you!" Chloe exclaimed with surprise. "I'm interning at Planet Daily, and Mr. Lionel offered me the opportunity. I investigated so many hotels and finally found you!"
Faced with Chloe's surprise and excitement, Clark remained very calm.
"Chloe, you shouldn't be here."
"I think you need help, Clark."
"I don't need anyone's help! Besides you, who else knows I'm here?" Clark took a step closer to Chloe with an unfriendly expression.
"No, no one else knows. I'm keeping quiet, Clark, but we need to talk." Chloe took a step back, facing Clark, who looked somewhat fierce.
"No need." Clark shook his head. When the elevator reached the floor he wanted, he walked straight out.
Chloe immediately followed.
"I don't know what happened. Since you came to Metropolis, you've completely changed, Clark."
"Perhaps this is the real me." Clark said without changing his expression.
"Is that so? If it is, I prefer the Clark from the farm." Chloe said as she kept pace with him.
"Click." The electronic door lock activated, and Clark entered his room.
Chloe followed him into the room, looking at the luxurious decor inside with an expression of extreme surprise.
"How can you afford to stay in such an expensive room, Clark?"
Clark rolled up his sleeves. "Mmm-hmm, what do you want to do? Report it extensively in your column? No wonder you said you'd keep my secret."
"I'm keeping your secret because you asked me to. Clark, I hope you can calm down and go home. There are still people waiting for you in town: Eric, your parents, Lana…"
Faced with Chloe's barrage of words, Clark impatiently interrupted her. "I've already erased the town from my mind."
"Is that really true? Then why are you still wearing your school ring? Why do you keep staying in Metropolis? Because you hope someone will find you!"
"I don't want to discuss this with you now. Now, immediately, leave here!" Clark felt somewhat agitated, and the burning mark on his chest was throbbing faintly.
Chloe found the Clark in front of her utterly unreasonable, and anger surged within her. "Clark, you're not being forced into exile; you're running away from your problems. You're not being open and honest at all, you cowardly weakling!"
As Chloe berated him, Clark's chest hurt even more, and his emotions uncontrollably erupted. He grabbed Chloe by her collar with one hand and pushed her out.
"Get out, Chloe!"
"If you tell anyone I'm here, I'll leave Metropolis and let no one find me!"
"Get out!"
Faced with Clark's pushing and rough actions, Chloe didn't resist; she merely retreated under Clark's shove, while staring at him with cold eyes.
"Clark, I know what kind of person you are now!"
After Chloe left, Clark could no longer suppress his terrible emotions. He aimed a punch at the coffee table in front of him.
"Crash—" The glass coffee table immediately shattered, sending glass shards flying everywhere in the room.
A thought he had been hesitant about before, he had now made a decision.
He wanted to do something bigger!
No longer just simple money-making like robbing a bank, but a method that would bring in more money and allow him to vent his violence even more.
--- Aside ---
Demon Suppressing Museum. A novel about a Sili Xiaowei suppressing demons. If you like it, you can check it out.
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