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Chapter 438: Metropolis Doubts (22)

On the fourth floor of Manor, the floor where Bruce and Selena's room was located, Bruce was dragging the still unconscious Benjamin towards the staircase in the dark corridor. Selena was leading the way, creating distractions.

Benjamin, as the overall head of all agents in Manor, had disappeared for most of the night, raising alarm among all the other agents. If it weren't for Benjamin's habit of undertaking secretive tasks alone without informing his subordinates, the other agents would have already started searching the entire Manor. They were aware of his independent style of work.

However, this disappearance gave Bruce an opportunity to interrogate Benjamin. He and Selena had moved Benjamin to a storage room on the third floor. As Bruce dragged him inside, Selena stood by the door, holding it open and told him, "You better be quick."

She glanced towards the window at the other end of the corridor, where there were faint flashes of light, resembling someone walking by with a flashlight. Selena turned her head to Bruce and said, "The explosion in the reception room was too loud; they will definitely start searching from there."

She looked at her watch and added, "It takes about 6 to 7 minutes to get from the reception room back to our bedroom. Even if they search, it will delay them, and they'll find this place within 20 minutes at the latest."

Selena's brow furrowed tighter as she said, "Anyway, I'll go over there and cause a commotion to buy you some time. You better get this done quickly."

Saying that, she turned and walked away. Bruce closed the door to the storage room and began trying to awaken Benjamin.

Unlike the tender and affectionate scenes of lovers splitting up in some movies, Bruce knew better than to underestimate Selena's skills. Even if she couldn't win a fight, she could surely run away from any danger.

Meanwhile, Lex had just come out of Schiller's room. The professor had made it clear that he just wanted to sleep, leaving Lex with nothing else to say. He wished him sweet dreams and began heading upstairs to find Clark.

Previously, Lex had noticed various peculiarities about Clark, and it was impossible for him not to be curious. He knew that Bruce also wanted to figure out who Clark really was, and Lex wanted to deal with this question before Bruce to prove that he was stronger.

As the door was knocked, Clark was still a bit drowsy. He had only slept for a short while, and his mind was still somewhat foggy. But soon, the drowsiness disappeared, and a long-lost feeling of relaxation set in.

Feeling in a good mood, Clark didn't mind Lex's interruption. He opened the door and invited Lex inside, even offering him a chair. He said, "Hello, I already introduced myself earlier, now it's your turn."

Lex snorted and replied, "I don't need to talk to you to know that we definitely won't get along. You're just a dumb country bumpkin..."

"How can you say that? It's a good thing you're not a student at Metropolis University; if you were, they'd expel you for personal attacks."

"You're a student at Metropolis University. What's your major?" Lex quickly began prying into Clark's background...

He felt an unusual aura about Clark, one that he had never sensed in anyone else before, a kind of divine compassion.

This aura made him feel strange because he sensed that he, too, was an object of pity.

It was ridiculous. He, Lex Luthor, needing others' sympathy? Not to mention that the person sympathizing with him was an ignorant fool.

Yet, this feeling surrounded him, making him uneasy, and a vague anger started to rise, affecting his demeanor.

Clark also noticed Lex's strangeness. He held out his hands and said, "We're probably around the same age. Which university are you from? Or are you still in high school?"

This question struck a nerve with Lex. Earlier, Bruce had mentioned some of his experiences at Gotham University, and now Clark was talking about Metropolis University. So among the three of them, he was the only one who hadn't attended college.

Lex felt he shouldn't be emotionally affected by this, but whenever he thought that Bruce might get along better with Clark, he couldn't help but feel a strange sensation.

Clark had the ability to sense people's pulses and heartbeats. He could discern their emotions through the information he could perceive. He was puzzled by the intensity of Lex's emotional fluctuations and didn't understand why.

After thinking for a moment, Clark asked, "Did you have a fight with your friend? The guy with the black hair from earlier?"

Lex took a deep breath. He couldn't fathom why Clark's every question was so perceptive. With a grim expression, he said to Clark, "Who are you exactly? How did you end up here?"

"I already explained, didn't I?" Clark replied with a hint of exasperation.

"Do you expect your foolish lies to fool anyone? Not to mention the distance between Metropolis University and the mayor's mansion, the violent blizzard outside, and the absurdity of the firetruck water tank appearing in the flowerbed downstairs..."

"Clark, has anyone ever told you how obvious your facial expressions change with my emotional fluctuations?"

Clark's movements stiffened, and instinctively, he touched his cheek. He wanted to explain but couldn't find a good reason. After a while, he sighed and said...

"It's strange, everyone I've met today seems to notice something unusual about me, more so than anyone I've encountered in the past few years," Clark said.

Lex let out a sneer and replied, "You think they can't tell? If you don't believe me, try discussing this matter seriously with them, and I guarantee they'll be terribly embarrassed."

Clark scratched his head, seemingly reluctant to imagine that scenario. He shrugged and said, "So what? Our relationships are good."

"But believe it or not, if you were to fly in front of them or suddenly lift a car, their first reaction would be fear, and they might even attack you," Lex retorted.

Getting up from the chair, Lex began pacing around the room as Clark crossed his arms and said, "That won't happen. My friends and family won't fear me just because I'm different from others."

"Even with strangers, if I use my abilities to help them, why would they be afraid of me?"

Lex paused and turned his head to look at Clark, his gaze cold and intense. He said, "Let's make a bet. Once you reveal your superhuman abilities to the world, you'll become a global enemy."

"I won't," Clark firmly denied. "Though I don't want to be a savior, I have never thought of ruling the world either."

"Since I gained these powers, up until now, I've never used them for anything malicious or selfish. On the contrary, I've helped many people..."

Lex shook his head, his tone icy as he said, "Unregulated superpowers are a poison to humanity and society. They're also a danger to you. Sooner or later, they will destroy you."

Clark didn't agree with Lex's viewpoint. He shook his head and said, "It seems you're a pessimist, but I'm the opposite."

"My parents always told me that although being cautious with people might keep you safer, if you don't open your heart to the world, the world will never accept you."

Lex looked at Clark's face, and he was about to mock his naivety. However, when he saw Clark's serious and determined expression, he found himself at a loss for words.

Clark's eyes were always crystal clear, free of impurities. Looking into his eyes, one could clearly understand what he was thinking.

Lex had never seen anyone like this. In the two years since regaining his sanity, everyone he had encountered had hidden secrets and desires in their eyes.

Two years ago, Lex had regained his sanity, but he hadn't exposed himself in order to wait for an opportunity to kill Lionel. In these two years, he had seen and experienced too much. People smiled kindly at him, patting his head and saying sympathetic words, but their hidden malicious emotions were unmistakable.

Behind Lex's arrogance about his intelligence, there was indeed a pessimism about human nature. People like him and Bruce were gifted with intelligence, but it was also a curse. Skepticism would accompany them through all stages of life.

However, now Lex suddenly realized that his mockery and disdain towards Clark, the seemingly hopeless idiot, weren't entirely genuine.

He had thought he could easily manipulate Clark, make him spill all his information, and then revel in his intellectual superiority. But now, he found himself engaged in a serious debate with Clark, and his intelligence didn't give him an advantage in this matter.

"What exactly are you here for?" Clark looked at Lex, perplexed by the constant changes in his expression. Lex seemed to lack a clear purpose, as he asked a couple of questions upon entering and then remained silent in the room.

"I just... never mind... I just wanted to make sure you aren't a threat to Metropolis. This is my territory, and it's better if you don't cause trouble for me or yourself," Lex said.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lex fell silent again, realizing that he was behaving like a middle school delinquent, threatening children younger than himself not to mess with him.

He leaned on the table, covering his forehead with his hand. Since he entered this room, he had become somewhat abnormal. The details he was contemplating were entirely incomprehensible to Clark, yet Clark could sense his emotions, leaving him speechless.

"It seems you're not a student at Metropolis University," Clark observed Lex. Lex still looked somewhat slender, and his face had a boyish quality, making him appear younger than Clark. Clark guessed that Lex might still be in high school, so he asked, "You must be about to apply for college, right? Which university are you planning to attend?"

Before Lex could reply, Clark continued, "I think Metropolis University is pretty good, although it doesn't rank as high as other East Coast universities, its campus facilities and club atmosphere are great."

Lex let out a disdainful "tch" sound, seemingly ready to discuss schools with higher rankings. However, just as they were about to dive into that topic, gunshots rang out from downstairs, followed by explosions.

Lex nearly fell out of his chair from the shock, while Clark had already reached the door. He pushed it open and walked to the staircase, looking downstairs to see Selena rushing up, followed by a series of agents.

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