American comics: You're asked to fish, but you catch a Superman template?

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"Please put it down. So, do you support Ms. Waller's point of view?"

Almost everyone raised their hands, except for General Henry.

“Very good, then this matter is basically resolved.” The big man nodded slightly. “Ms. Waller, you can start outlining your detailed plan.”

“Before that, I need to introduce one of my key partners, who is also leading this project. This person is already here for the meeting.” She paused, shifting her plump body slightly.

The front door opened, and a figure appeared inside. The light from the corridor cast a long, dark shadow on the smooth, shiny tiles.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Amanda Waller rose from her seat, “come and meet the professionals who study the Superman problem.”

Chapter 1761 Account Crisis

Holidays always fly by, and often before you know it, they're over. On the last day before Xu Fu returned to school, his wife mustered a hundred times more energy than usual, grabbed a broom and mop, and rushed over to the father and son, insisting that the first major cleaning after Christmas must be exceptionally thorough.

Mr. Xu Fu did not want to do this, but he never mentioned it to his wife, so he had to find another way and secretly discuss it with his son.

"Hey, Xu Fu," he muttered, turning to Xu Fu while his wife wasn't looking, his voice low and menacing like that of an undercover agent, "Could you perhaps improve the cleaning and things...?"

Xu Fu immediately understood his father's intention and gave a wry smile: "Yes, but I think Mom will be unhappy. I think she said that there can't be any superpowers in the house."

“It’s alright, I’ll keep an eye on you,” Mr. Xu hesitated for a moment, “We can do it while she’s mopping the floor, she won’t notice.”

In my opinion, this is more like a treacherous underground agent.

“I think so, but I have to do your part of the work for you?” Xu Fu raised an eyebrow.

“Of course,” Mr. Xu Fu said, “this is called division of labor and cooperation; I am the one who maintains order.”

Xu Fu had no choice but to give up, so the "cleaning duo" began their work. Almost as soon as they finished mopping the bathroom, Mr. Xu Fu urged him to take his tools back to the room, while he leaned against the wall outside the door, pretending to peek into the bathroom to prevent Mrs. Xu Fu from coming out.

In fact, Xu Fu didn't need anyone to supervise him at all; he could make the whole house look brand new in seconds. He finished cleaning the study and his own bedroom in one go, and then flew into Xu Fu and his wife's bedroom like a whirlwind.

He could have finished the task immediately, until his attention was drawn to a small brown leather notebook on the bedside table, titled "Household Accounts".

Xu Fu paused for a moment, subconsciously realizing that he had never paid attention to the family accounts in all the time he had lived in this household. After thinking for a moment, he put down his work, picked up a small notebook, and began to look through it.

To his surprise, the family's financial situation was far from as comfortable as he had imagined. The monthly expenses section was filled with entries; he never expected there to be so many daily expenses, most of which were monthly mortgage payments. In the end, almost every page showed a deficit.

A commotion broke out outside the door, and their actions seemed to be threatened. A few seconds later, Mrs. Xu broke through Mr. Xu's defenses and stormed into the bedroom, but when she noticed the account book in Xu's hand, she immediately lost her temper.

"Why didn't you show me this before?" Xu Fu looked up and asked, "You know, if you mentioned your family's difficulties, I had many ways to help."

Mr. and Mrs. Xu stopped arguing and exchanged glances. Then, Mr. Xu cleared his throat and stepped forward, saying, "Xu Fu, these are our problems. We don't want these tedious little things to distract you. You're the new Superman, and Mom and I think you have more important things to do than trivial matters like household bills."

As he said this, he smiled gently and stroked Xu Fu's hair affectionately. When standing in front of Xu Fu, he had to tilt his head back slightly because his son was half a head taller than him.

“I am proud of you,” Xu Fu said. “Your mother and I are both proud of you. You belong to that blue sky and are destined to achieve great things. It’s just a pity that we can’t guide you on your future path, so I think we can at least stop letting our shortcomings in the family trouble you.”

Mrs. Xu Fu also came over, smiling as she took the account book from Xu Fu's hand: "Your father isn't always right, but he did the right thing this time. Don't worry about it, your father and I will file everything properly. We promise that when you're tired of flying and want to come back to Earth to rest, our whole family will be with you."

Xu Fu looked at his adoptive parents, unable to contain his emotions, and didn't know what to say.

Perhaps it's not just him, but also millions of parents around the world. They work hard, using their blood and sweat to build their homes into safe havens for their children, shielding them from all storms with their own bodies, and bringing warm smiles to their children's faces.

Xu Fu didn't say anything, he just hugged each of them.

That night on the top floor of the Daily Planet

For some time, the huge gilded sphere on the top floor of the newspaper office had been Xu Fu and Kara's main meeting place. This was not only because it was the most beautiful spot in the metropolis at night, where no one would come up to disturb them, but also because it was where they talked on the first night they met, giving it special significance for them.

“They never told me.” Xu Fu looked down at the brightly lit metropolis. From this distance, he could even see the license plates of all the cars speeding by on the street.

Kara straddled his lap, her legs together. A cool night breeze blew in from above, ruffling the two intertwined red cloaks.

“I’m not interested in money, nor in power. Because I’ve always thought: if I can jump from here to the moon, what use is money?” Xu Fu said in a low voice. “But I realized that my reasoning overlooked an important point: not everyone lives at that altitude. I may be able to escape gravity, but my parents can’t. They are an ordinary couple living on the ground, relying on water, electricity, and air for their livelihood.”

Xu Fu paused for a moment, then suddenly turned to Kara and said, "All along, I've only considered what I wanted and pursued my personal goals, neglecting their needs. Am I being selfish?"

“You’re making things difficult for me,” Kara said softly.

Xu Fu shook his head: "Maybe it should be me. My parents adopted me, and I'm their only child. I really should do something."

"Maybe we could start a company?" Kara said, half-jokingly and half-seriously. "If we used Lonely Fortress's technology to start a business, we could definitely make a lot of money."

“That makes sense,” Xu Fu said, pretending to be serious. “The company’s name will be Superman Technology Enterprise, with a big ‘S’ at the top, and it will definitely attract a lot of money.”

Why does it look more like a professional toy factory?

The two looked at each other, pondering this amusing scene, and couldn't help but laugh.

“But seriously, stop joking,” Xu Fu said after they had both laughed, “this might actually be a good idea.”

“Huh? Write an ‘s’ on a building?” Kara looked at him in surprise. “Are you serious?”

“No, I meant starting a company,” Xu Fu said after thinking for a moment. “It doesn’t sound complicated.”

Chapter 1762 Fundraising Gala

Clark Kent awkwardly tugged at his tie, as if it were suffocating him. He frowned, looking at the scene unfolding in the noisy hall through his thick camouflage glasses.

The banquet was attended by the most distinguished people in the metropolis. Ladies, gleaming in gowns and robes, resembled a walking jewel show. Men from all walks of life, impeccably dressed in suits, sipped fine martinis and discussed everything from politics to urban planning. The hall resonated with the gentle strains of a top-notch orchestra, and the shimmering marble floors reflected the iridescent light of the crystal chandeliers—everything was perfectly harmonious, just as one would expect at a high-class banquet.

This was far from the best way Clark Kent could imagine spending a weekend night; he was there purely for work. It wasn't that he had any prejudice or aversion to such high-society events; his dislike stemmed entirely from the fact that tonight's host was Lex Luthor, the smartest guy in the metropolis.

Luther has proven his help in previous events was genuine and did indeed play a role in defeating the center. Even so, Luther's reputation in Clark's eyes hasn't improved. If he were to evaluate Lex Luther as a person, he would not hesitate to give him a negative assessment.

This wasn't his fault; Superman's deep-seated prejudice against Lex Luthor was entirely his own doing. Clark has lost count of how many self-destructive 080 plans this bald guy has carried out, and that's just the "carried out" plans; Clark believes that the number of plans Luthor has conceived in his bald head is probably comparable to the number of punches he's used in his entire life.

Has Lex Luthor suddenly reformed and decided to join forces with Superman to create a better future?

"You're dreaming, Clark," he muttered to himself.

“I know you don’t like Luther,” Louise Lane, who was acting as the reporter’s partner, walked over and chuckled softly, “but you don’t have to wear that on your sleeve all the time, do you?”

"Really?" Clark adjusted his glasses.

“It couldn’t be clearer.” Louise smiled, taking a glass of red wine from a passing waiter’s tray. “Look on the bright side. Luther was a jerk in some ways, but he had his good moments too. At least I don’t see anything suspicious about this charity fundraiser; maybe he really wanted to help those who suffered in the previous war. You know, if there’s something fishy about something, I can always smell it, haha, look! It’s here right now, as we’re talking.”

The guests made way, and the crowd quieted down slightly. Lex Luthor, the owner of the charitable foundation, accompanied by a partner, took to the stage with the confident smile characteristic of successful people.

She was a red-haired girl with a very neat appearance. She wore a sparkly black dress and handcrafted high heels, and her gait was graceful and natural, with an aura comparable to that of a top star. She easily took the hand of the bald president standing next to her, and they walked side by side through the crowd.

Clark adjusted his glasses, his eyes narrowing into slits: "Lana?"

Louise asked, "Who?"

“Lana Blue, my high school classmate,” Clark paused, then added quietly, “my first love.”

She was the first girl to know about my special ability. Clark thought to himself, but in the end, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he didn't tell Louise this detail.

"Ha!" Louise deliberately raised her voice and laughed teasingly, "So you're a small-town girl too?"

Clark didn't answer; his attention was entirely focused on Lana. At that moment, the redhead and Lex Luthor walked to the front of the crowd. Lex Luthor cleared his throat and stepped forward to begin the traditional thank-you speech.

Luther's clichéd speech consisted of thanking the guests for coming, expressing his firm determination to help people rebuild their homes, and urging everyone present not to be stingy with their spare change and to do their part for charity.

His inspiring speech drew rounds of applause, but Clark listened, stunned. He didn't mind his first love being with someone else; he wasn't that petty. But Luther was a completely different story. That damned bald man was hypocritical, evil, cunning, and treacherous. Clark instantly hurled every derogatory word he could think of at Luther, which only strengthened his resolve to persuade Lana to stay away from him.

The speech ended, and the guests once again applauded enthusiastically. Louise seemed to see through his thoughts, chuckled softly, and whispered in his ear, "Alright, you go and immerse yourself in your youthful memories with your first love. I'm going back to this damn fundraising gala; it's so boring, I'm starting to doze off."

Clark turned around, trying to explain: "Louise, it's me."

“I know, I know.” Louise smiled gently and covered his mouth with a finger. “I’m not angry, really. After all, who doesn’t have a story? It’s normal for you to need to talk to her.”

Clark breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you."

“Good luck.” Louise waved her hand, then seemed to remember something: “Be careful not to get caught by Luther. My gut feeling tells me he won’t be very generous.”

Clark waited another half hour before his turn came. During this time, Lana was almost inseparable from Luther, until a phone call forced Luther to temporarily leave the meeting place. Clark didn't leave his seat; he took a cocktail from the waiter's tray and approached Lana.

"What would you like to drink?" He smiled and took out a wine glass.

"No need, thank you. That's me." Lana instinctively turned away, but immediately turned back, a look of surprise on her face.

"Clark!"

"it's me"

"My God, it's been so long!" She looked at him in surprise. "I heard you were back, but I've never come to see if you're really still alive?"

“A thousand times more,” Clark said, then added after a moment’s thought, “Besides, I didn’t actually die; I just lost my memory.”

"Amnesia?"

"uh-huh"

"Six whole years?"

I think so.

Lana stared at him incredulously for a while before finally taking the cocktail from his hand and taking a big gulp.

"My goodness!" she wiped her mouth and repeated.

Clark pondered the matter carefully for a moment and decided to summarize the case in one sentence.

“Listen, Lana. I didn’t know you were with Luther, and I have no right to interfere with who you’re with, but…”

"Is Luther dangerous? Is he evil?" Lana interrupted him, cutting off his next two words.

"Yes, that's right."

“I know how you feel about Lex.” “I even know a little about your beef.”