amaotonovel Chapter 4322 Body of Steel (27)
Chapter 4322 Body of Steel (27)
Chapter 4322 Body of Steel (Twenty-Seven)
"2000 casualties???" Clark couldn't help but exclaim in shock. No, he lifted the building immediately, how could there be 2000 casualties?
For a moment, Clark genuinely wondered if he had arrived too late, causing vulnerable humans to be tossed around like filling in a pie during the building's collapse.
However, upon careful recollection, he realized that when he lifted the building, the angle of tilt was definitely no more than 15 degrees. While it's possible that the sudden tilt caused someone to hit a wall and sustain minor injuries, such a tilt, lasting only about two seconds, wouldn't be fatal.
But he said there were 2000 casualties, meaning maybe 1999 were injured and only one died. Now that's something to learn from journalism.
Even with 2000 people injured, Clark was still skeptical. He possessed not only superhuman strength to lift buildings, but also superhuman hearing and vision. When he flew over and lifted the building, the screams from inside weren't particularly loud; they were more like gasps than screams of agony.
After all, he was right below the building at the time. From the moment he heard the sound of the building collapsing to the moment he flew over, it was only two seconds. Many people probably just noticed the floor gradually tilting, then cried out in surprise, and were caught. Many people didn't even realize what had happened until the building was leveled.
"This news is way too exaggerated," Clark couldn't help but think. "They're just making things up without thinking."
He sat down on the sofa with his water and shook his head. Even after being a journalist for so long, he still found it hard to get used to the exaggerated claims in the news industry. Making things up just to grab attention was going too far.
He switched to a few more channels and found that they all gave similar reports. Some said more than 2000, some said more than 3000, and some even said that tens of thousands of people were injured.
The news photos were also a mess. There were pictures of ambulances stuck in traffic, taken from who-knows-where; there were various people crying while being interviewed; and some shop owners vividly describing how terrible the disaster was.
After seeing so much, Clark started to doubt himself. Luckily, he was a witness to the events; if he hadn't been there, he might have actually believed it.
Wait a minute. Clark took out his phone and started checking Luther Group's stock, then gasped.
Indeed, if the casualty figures reported in the news are accurate, then this is definitely the most tragic accident of the 21st century. An accident of this magnitude is enough to bring down a super corporation.
It's not that public opinion is really useful, but those who want to take over or divide up the corpses won't let go of this great opportunity.
Clark sighed. What a self-inflicted wound! But he felt it should be more like "the wicked will be punished by the wicked." That damned bastard Luther had finally fallen into Schiller's hands. Just for that alone, once this was over, he'd definitely have to treat Schiller to a meal.
After finishing a glass of water, Clark checked his phone, intending to call Diana to ask how things were going on his end. Before he could even dial, another call came in.
"Hey, Clark Kent! Where are you?!"
The voice sounded strangely familiar, and Clark didn't immediately recognize it. But soon he heard the voice on the other end say, "I'm Luther, I'm coming to find you!!"
"Wait, what do you want?!" Clark stood up from the sofa and said, "Don't come near me, or I'll beat you up!"
"I need to see you now!!!" Luther roared on the other end. "We must meet right now! Immediately!!!"
Clark's temper flared. He said in a low voice, "Are you crazy, Luther?! What's our relationship? Why would I need to see you?! Get out!"
After saying that, he hung up the phone and angrily threw it on the sofa. He stood there for two seconds, then picked up the phone again, turned it off, and placed it on the table next to him.
Since it wouldn't take me long to fly to the Arctic, I might as well go directly to Diana. I could personally verify the research findings there and avoid Luthor going crazy over me.
Without hesitation, Clark flew straight towards the North Pole. At his speed, he set off at dusk and arrived at the North Pole before nightfall. After circling the North Pole, he finally located Diana's base.
"My God, couldn't you just make a phone call?" Diana said helplessly. "Are you trying to scare the scientists at the other research stations to death? They'll think they've encountered a Yeti!"
Clark laughed and said, "I may be a bit strong, but I'm not at the level of a Yeti, am I?"
"Do you want to see what you're wearing?" Diana reached out and tugged at the drawstring of his hoodie.
Clark then realized that he had been in such a hurry that he had forgotten to wear a coat. So, to the other researchers at the research station, he appeared to be wearing only a thin hoodie, walking through the snow and knocking on their base door. To simply mistake him for a Yeti is simply a lack of imagination on the part of the researchers.
Clark shook his head, brushing the snowflakes off, and then asked, "How's your research going?"
"Actually, it's not bad. Being a scientist is quite interesting. If it weren't for the ton of work waiting for me at the museum, I'd want to stay in the Arctic all the time."
“That day will come,” Clark said after thinking for a moment.
“Oh, Doctor, it’s nice to see you.” Clark went up and hugged the expert, then said, “I just wanted to make sure everything is going well for you.”
"Not bad, I haven't been this focused on research in a long time," the expert said. "I'm comparing the differences between Krypton's atmosphere and Earth's atmosphere, while my assistant is cracking the radiation detector."
Just then, the assistant came over with a radiation detector and said, "Doctor, I've successfully read some data from it, but it's incomplete. Can you tell me anything?"
The expert frowned and said, "Don't be too hasty. Without complete data, deciphering it could be very difficult. After all, we need to find patterns in the numbers in order to..."
“Excuse me, may I take a look?” Clark said. “Just recently, I discovered that I know the language of Krypton, which might be of some help.”
“My God, this is a huge help!” The expert quickly came over from the lab bench, removed his goggles, and moved closer to Clark. Clark picked up the printed text and read aloud:
"The star's radiation is 9... uh, what's more... um... 63..."
The expert looked at Clark with suspicion, and Clark blushed immediately. He scratched his cheek and said, "Sorry, I might not be very good at English."
Diana, who was standing nearby, covered her forehead and said, "Don't you understand the technical terms? Why don't you use simpler language?"
"Okay. This phrase means, 'comparing here and here'..."
"ratio."
"This word means that if it's high, then it's high..."
"Positive correlation".
"This refers to a tiny object..."
"particle."
"This should be the code name for some kind of element, and this one is also the code name for something else, but it doesn't have any real meaning..."
"That must be an element."
After much effort, Clark finally managed to decipher the information. The expert, though somewhat exasperated, patted him on the arm and said, "Thank you so much, you've been a great help."
Clark wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground. Why had he been acting like a complete country bumpkin in front of everyone lately?!
Clark began to doubt himself, wondering if he was really too stupid and outdated. He was so embarrassed by his own foolishness that he almost cried.
Diana seemed to sense his frustration. She patted Clark on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, your race's lifespan is probably as long as mine. By that logic, you're still a baby. Take it slow."
Clark couldn't help but cover his face. He finally understood why Diana had been so patient with him. In her eyes, he was just a crying baby who couldn't understand human speech. Although a little annoying, he was too small to be harsh.
Then he remembered what the black officer had said to him before he entered the dream—"You're still too young."
So that's how it is? Clark began to wonder, even though he already looked like a human adult, was he still just a child on Krypton?
Thinking about this, Clark couldn't help but feel a little curious about the average lifespan of his race, how old they were when they reached adulthood, how old they should be when they could take care of themselves, how many years they went to school, and when they could start working.
Clark originally thought he wouldn't care about these things because he grew up on Earth and considered it his home. What happened to Krypton was none of his business.
However, this view now seems somewhat superficial. Every intelligent life has an instinct to seek its roots, because only by understanding the norms of its own race and homeland can it compare itself to these norms and thus come to know itself.
At that moment, Clark realized that he might have made a mistake in comparing himself to the people around him.
Because I look like an adult just like them, I feel like I'm an adult too; because I can handle daily work just like them, I feel like I can work as well. But in reality, it might be completely different.
I look just like them, but because of the different developmental cycles, Kryptonians grow taller first; and I can handle daily work because I have a super brain, I have a good innate condition, and I have the intelligence of a 30-year-old when I am only 5 years old.
In reality, his mental development may not be as mature as that of the people around him, which is why he has poor emotional self-control, insufficient reasoning ability, and lacks education and knowledge, ultimately making him appear foolish.
Clark closed his eyes and sighed. His immediate priority was to read more books. He really couldn't continue being a mute country bumpkin.
"Excuse me, could you lend me your phone for a moment?" Clark asked Diana. "I left it at home."
"Sure, but what do you need a phone for?"
“I’d like to look it up in the dictionary,” Clark said. “I think there should be an English word that accurately describes my current state.”
Diana clearly didn't understand but respected, so she gave the phone to Clark. Clark searched for a long time, from anthropology to sociology and then to psychology, and actually found a very suitable term: "regression." It refers to a defense mechanism in which people, when faced with stress, actively or unconsciously regress to an earlier psychological stage (early childhood), manifested as emotional release such as crying and then seeking comfort. It sounded very fitting for him.
This led Clark to a further realization that anger stems from helplessness, and helplessness is a regressive phenomenon.
Infants lack autonomy and are essentially helpless. At this stage, when they have needs, they can only alert those around them by making noises, such as crying, to satisfy them.
Anger is actually a habitual expression of physical discomfort when infants feel helpless. Essentially, it is still reminding others, "I need help."
In fact, anger is more often seen in victims, or more precisely, in those who perceive themselves as victims. People feel they have been wronged and need help, so they express anger as a cry for help. It's an instinct.
Just as Clark was engrossed in studying psychology, Diana's phone suddenly rang. As soon as he answered, Luther's furious roar came from the other end: "Clark Kent!!! I know you're there!!!"
This time, however, Clark didn't hang up immediately, because he realized that Luther's unwarranted anger wasn't because he was crazy, but because he needed help—or more accurately, because he needed Clark's help.
(End of this chapter)