bookbashuk Chapter 4340 Body of Steel (45)
Chapter 4340 Body of Steel (45)
Chapter 4340 Body of Steel (Forty-Five)
As she lay in her hospital bed, looking directly into Clark's eyes, she tried to find blame or distrust in them. But in reality, she only saw a deadly amount of emotion and tears in those intensely blue eyes.
No one can bear to see Superman cry. Lois couldn't help but turn her head away. But Clark showed no sign of letting her go. He sat down by the bed, took Lois's hand, and said, his voice trembling, "You've done so much for me, Lois..."
“Ahem, well, I admit that I did do part of it,” Schiller said.
Clark rolled his eyes at him in a moment of emotion.
“Actually, it wouldn’t matter if my background were revealed,” Clark said. “You don’t need to risk your health to do this. I’m not as fragile as you think. Even if they don’t trust me, I will do what I have to do.”
Louise shook her head and said, "No, Clark. Think back carefully, in all the years you've been on Earth, haven't many people helped you?"
Clark pondered her question. The answer was, of course, yes. Over the years, he had met countless good people.
Putting aside everything else, back in school, he displayed his special abilities countless times, but in reality, the news never even got out of the school gates, and no one leaked it.
There were quite a few people inside that school bus that had overturned into the lake, and he pulled it out right in front of them. Even the chubby boy who had been the most hostile towards him and constantly mocked him, later had his mother bring him to thank her and promise never to tell anyone about it. And the other children must have received similar guidance from their parents.
It's important to understand that although the students attend school in a small town, their parents aren't necessarily from there. They might have returned from big cities or received higher education. They have connections with the outside world, and if any one of them makes a phone call to report something, intelligence agencies will be knocking on their door the next day.
It could be said that he didn't experience a childhood of hiding and displacement, but rather lived a stable life on the Kent family's farm. The simple and honest folk customs and the kindness of the people in Smallville played a crucial role. Clark sometimes couldn't understand how so many people would choose to protect themselves without prior arrangement; it was actually quite counterintuitive and a bit too idealistic.
Not to mention that after he grew up, he found a job every time he was in trouble. He also saved colleagues in danger in several other jobs. People found out about it, but nothing happened in the end. Everyone kept quiet about it as if it had never happened.
After starting work at Planet Daily, I did encounter some annoying colleagues, but these annoying people were like that to everyone, not specifically targeting me. Although the editor-in-chief had a bad temper and liked to take advantage of others, he actually approved my leave without hesitation when I asked for leave due to an injury.
Clark was actually a little guilty, because what his editor-in-chief had said about him was true. He hadn't really followed up on the cases the editor had assigned him, and he had been distracted when writing political reports, revising them again and again. And yet, he was still able to keep his job as a reporter. Thinking about the homeless people who lost their jobs because of small mistakes and were forced to live in tent camps, Clark felt a little ashamed of himself.
Moreover, even though he had no connection with Bruce Wayne, and their relationship was initially quite bad, Bruce still helped him, rarely refused his requests, and even spent time talking to him.
Even if Bruce isn't Batman as much anymore, he still has such a huge corporation. His time is very valuable, and I've taken up his entire night. If he spent that time working, he could probably earn millions of dollars.
And Diana, the two of them had never met before, but Diana still took him in and even tolerated him causing a ruckus in her house. Not only were her demands on him incredibly low, but she also helped him with everything she could.
As for Louise, needless to say. They didn't really have any relationship. If you had to say, they had just bumped into each other a few times. Let alone a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, he hadn't even dared to confess his feelings yet. She really went out of her way to help him solve his problems.
Then there's Schiller. Although he's a complete fraud, Clark thinks he's the kind of person who, because a baby is crying and won't take their medicine, will wrap it in candy and force it into their mouth. The process is a bit rough, and there's a lot of deception involved, but the medicine is indeed effective.
So when Louise asked him, Clark nodded vigorously and said, "Yes, so many people have helped me, it feels a little unreal."
"One or two people might just be acting out of kindness, or they might be good people who help everyone, but I think you've already realized that it's impossible for all of them to be like that. So why do you think they would all help you?"
Clark thought for a long time, but really couldn't come up with an answer. He couldn't very well say it was because he was worth it, could he? He wasn't that worth it, was he?
Louise wanted to say something more, but at that moment the nurse came in and said, "I'm sorry, visiting hours are over. Please don't talk to the patient anymore; she needs to rest."
So Clark and Schiller had no choice but to leave the ward together. Standing in the corridor, Clark fell into deep thought, clearly still pondering that problem.
He glanced at Schiller, then looked away again, cleared his throat, and said, "Did you hear what Louise said?"
"Of course. I'm glad you didn't intend to hide it from me."
"It's not like we can hide anything from you. Seriously, why do you think that is?"
Schiller stopped, and the two stood by the window in the hospital corridor. Schiller looked out the window and said, "There are very few truly kind people in this world, you should admit that, right?"
Clark nodded.
"Most people do good deeds to provide emotional value for themselves, and in most cases, that's all they can do. After all, stories of someone saving a beggar and then becoming the world's richest person to repay their kindness many years later probably only exist in books."
Clark nodded again. He could understand what Schiller meant; some people do good deeds out of compassion, while others are genuinely motivated by a sense of moral obligation. But this couldn't be judged harshly, because regardless, they were still doing good deeds.
“But you’re different,” Schiller said, turning to look at Clark. “People see a possibility in you.”
"what?"
"You may have heard the story of a child walking on the beach, constantly throwing fish back into the sea. Someone said, 'Nobody cares if these fish are saved,' to which the child replied, 'This one cares, that one cares.' Now, suppose he wasn't throwing fish back, but a nuclear bomb?"
Clark couldn't help but scratch his head. He squinted at Schiller, his face saying, "Are you serious?"
"If he had thrown a nuclear bomb back, a lot of people would have cared. Because a nuclear bomb can pollute an entire coastline, and if he kept dropping them like that, it wouldn't be long before the whole Earth became nuclear wasteland."
"What I'm saying is, if he's picking up fish, then he only has emotional value. Throwing fish won't bring him any reward; it'll just make him happy. But if he's throwing a nuclear bomb, and he happens to be an anti-human and anti-social element, then that will help him destroy the earth, which is his greatest wish. This kind of behavior brings him huge benefits."
"Do you really have to use this analogy?" Clark said, hands on his hips. "Can't you use something more positive?"
“You get the idea,” Schiller waved his hand and said, “What I mean is, you’re like that nuclear bomb. People usually do good deeds just to satisfy themselves; they know in their hearts that it won’t change society, and they alone can’t make the earth a better place.”
"But you're different. In their eyes, you're an incredibly powerful superhuman who can save many people with a simple wave of your hand. So, if they invest some goodwill in you, it's no different from the good deeds they've done in the past, but it could potentially bring about a change as massive as a nuclear bomb hitting the sea."
"Don't use that analogy!"
"Okay. In short, they see the possibility of change in you. They know they don't have that power, so they're pinning their hopes on you, hoping that one day you can truly change their lives. That's possible, and very likely."
"And what they have to do is not that difficult. They just accept you like they would any other person, without making a fuss about your special qualities, or helping you as much as they can. This is obviously a sure-fire investment."
“But…” Clark was still a little skeptical. He said, “Then why don’t they do the same to others? I mean, there are other superpowered people, right? Why don’t they pin their hopes on others? Why does it have to be me?”
"Leaving aside how rare superpowered individuals are, an ordinary person is already extremely lucky to encounter even one. There's an inevitability to this."
"inevitable?"
"Among those who help you, the poor and the weak have received your kindness, such as those you have saved, or those who think they might be saved by you one day. Even for their own survival, they will not offend you, but will protect you, hoping to receive your help one day as well."
Clark nodded; he understood. He'd received similar hints many times before. Some of his colleagues, after discovering his special abilities, had suggested they keep quiet, a practice often seen in high-risk professions like forest rangers and sailors. These people desperately wanted a superhuman by their side, someone who could save their lives in a pinch. Parents felt the same way; after all, American schools weren't exactly safe.
"And those strong individuals, the best in ordinary society, help you more like an investment. For example, Bruce, and Diana. They believe that your strength can come in handy at times, stopping disasters and defending against external enemies. As long as they help you become better, the safety of the entire planet will increase, and no one wants the planet to be safer than them, so they will help you."
“I see,” Clark said.
"Actually, this kind of kindness is better than simply having good intentions. Because as long as you can remain righteous and strong, they will always stand by your side. As long as you do what you should do, they can tolerate many of your shortcomings and be very patient with you."
Clark couldn't help but nod vigorously. He had already realized that Bruce and Diana's requirements for him were basically just to know to run home when it rained. If not slightly above a baby, then second only to a paramecium.
"how about you?"
Clark suddenly realized that Schiller didn't seem to fit any of those categories. He looked like the kind of terrorist who wanted to see the Earth burn to the ground; there was no reason for him to help him, was there?
Schiller smiled, looked into his eyes, and said, "I must have been your fan in my past life."
"what?"
“I really like Superman.” Schiller lowered his eyes and said in a voice so low that even Clark could barely hear him, “I’ve read all your stories, they’re very good, I love them.”
(End of this chapter)