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

Page 1374

Indeed, Superman is still in Antarctica, but that doesn't mean they can rest easy.

The red and blue tree stumps swept across the street like a hurricane, rushing into the bank lobby.

In the first second, the two thugs guarding the door didn't even have time to react before they were blasted into the corridor. One smashed the call box, while the other flew over the head of the hostage lying on the ground, crashed into the wall, and sparks shot out from a dented glove.

At the same moment, a hostage-guarding thug used high-tech equipment to fire a blue energy ball at the tree stump that flashed into the hall, but the energy ball was bounced back by a powerful shockwave, knocking the thug to the ground.

In the third second, the robber at the vault door picked up the laser pistol at his feet, but before he could even turn the muzzle, he and another accomplice were thrown together. The laser pistol in his hand was taken away at some point, the barrel was bent into an arc and tied together, and the head and tail of the pistol were fused together by the high temperature, and no matter how much he resisted, he could not be freed.

In the fourth second, Xu Fu, who had rushed into the hall, stopped. His gaze fell on the last remaining bandit nearby. He cleverly selected a pretty girl who looked only seventeen or eighteen years old from among the hostages and pressed the muzzle of a gun against her head. The girl trembled with fear, not daring to utter a sound. Her watery eyes looked at this newcomer, Superman, with a mixture of fear and expectation; this was her last hope for a safe escape.

Xu Fu took a step forward, while the robber and the girl took a step back in a businesslike manner, shouting in terror, "Don't come any closer!"

His wildly beating heart and trembling hands revealed that although the robber put on a fierce facade, he was terrified inside. To calm the panting bull, he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Don't come any closer! Otherwise, I'll take the girl away!"

Perhaps, if he were allowed to continue, he might have revealed something different from the usual gangster tactics, but Xu Fu didn't dare listen any longer. The man's half-sentence abruptly ended with an unusual groan and a series of metallic clanging sounds. The kidnapped girl felt a hurricane whipping her hair around her ears, and the man behind her vanished. Everyone watched in disbelief as he swept across the room, smashed through the glass, and rolled onto the sidewalk.

The armor could have protected him from harm, but Xu Fu ensured that all of its functions were disabled by this attack. Xu Fu clapped his hands: "Sorry, I'm in a hurry today."

The rescued hostages erupted in cheers. The little girl, who had narrowly escaped death, clung tightly to his cloak, too excited to utter a complete sentence, yet unwilling to let him go. Xu Fu flew out of the hall at top speed, leaving the anxious crowd behind. With a "click," he broke the sound barrier and leaped into the air.

As mentioned before, he was in a hurry. The new Superman bravely and beautifully saved the world, and he soared into the air, leaving behind a handsome silhouette, heading straight for the final exam hall. He was going to be one minute late.

Yes, unfortunately, today is the last exam of the semester, and he's going to be late.

Such a scene has hardly occurred since the real Superman returned three months ago. Initially, many were skeptical, but people quickly accepted and believed that the real Superman had returned to Metropolis, which also meant that Xu Fu's workload as the new Superman had been greatly reduced. Most events were decided by Superman himself, unless someone else, like today, towed an icebreaker to Antarctica, in which case Xu Fu would have to do it for him.

Superman sealed the Stone of Eternity within his Fortress of Solitude as part of a vast collection of dangerous alien artifacts. However, even with the Kryptonian technology within Fortress of Solitude, Superman couldn't figure out how these spacetime energy entities worked or where they came from. Therefore, he had to seal them in a special shell to at least prevent them from causing spacetime chaos again, leading to something like "apocalypse" or worse.

Xu Fu no longer believed that the world needed a new Superman. Reynolds once said that his sudden appearance at the moment the world lost Superman must have been God's intention, but now he felt that the position God had given him must have been temporary, as if he had been hired while the principal was away, and once the principal returned, he would have nothing to do with it.

Perhaps Superman is right; he has an important place in this world, and he just needs to find it. But who knows what the future holds? As for Xu Fu, he only knows that he can focus more on his personal life. For example, he got A's in all his subjects this semester, which strengthened his resolve not to mess up his final exams, so he rushed to the exam hall even faster.

He was a little late, but luckily the examiner didn't scold him or ask why he took so long to go to the bathroom. He took the exam paper, found a seat, and quickly got into the zone of answering the questions.

The exam itself wasn't difficult. Surprisingly, he was the only student in the class to pass. When he handed in his paper, the usually stern professor showed a rare, gentle smile—a compliment reserved only for the most outstanding students. As he handed in his paper, Xu Fu was absolutely certain he had gotten his last A of the semester.

His roommate, however, was clearly unlucky. That afternoon, Mike finished his last exam, and when he walked into the dorm, his grades were clearly written on his face; he looked rather "unhappy."

Before he could speak, Xu Fu asked, "Let me guess, next year?"

“Let’s wrestle again next year.” Mike sat dejectedly on the bed, gently lowering himself to all fours. “I don’t want to think about anything anymore. I just want to get a good night’s sleep and then go home for vacation.”

· ·Requesting flowers····· ·······

If they had just met, Xu Fu might have been fooled by his lifeless eyes, but a semester together had given him a good understanding of his hot-tempered roommate's personality. He bet that in another half hour, he would have put aside his worries about grades and started thinking about how to spend his vacation.

This quickly proved that Xu Fu had underestimated his roommate's self-regulation ability. He woke up from his dormant state in just a few minutes, sat up abruptly, and asked, "Hey, when are you planning to come back?"

I plan to go home after the weekend next week.

"Me too. How about we go out and have some fun this weekend? Like, maybe use electricity?"

“Sounds good.” Xu Fu shrugged. “But forget it, I have other plans.”

“Other arrangements?” Mike raised an eyebrow, jumped off the bed, and plopped down on Xu Fu’s desk, sniffing at something like a hunting dog. “Seriously, what do you usually do? You don’t play video games, and you don’t watch movies much. As far as I know, you don’t have any hobbies? I mean, besides studying?”

0 .... ....

Xu Fu scratched his head. "I don't think so."

"You have to crack a joke eventually, right? You must have some way to kill time, right? Like on weekends? I've noticed you rarely stay here on weekends, where do you go?"

The weekend? Let's see if I can survive last weekend: I caught an office worker jumping into the river from an overpass, stopped a truck with broken brakes, and probably blew a cute brown kitten down from a tree. This is only because Superman got most of the important stuff done back in Metropolis; otherwise, I'd probably still be towing an icebreaker in Antarctica this morning, and I can't say I missed the last exam of the semester.

Of course, this is just an idea; he can't say it out loud.

"Nothing much, just wandering around the neighborhood." Xu Fu waved his hand: "Listen, I'm really not a very interesting person, except for the occasional time I can be with Kara."

“Ah! You remind me of your pretty girl.” Mike’s face showed concern. “See, that’s the difference between you and me. You have a beautiful girlfriend with you, while I don’t… Forget it, I suddenly don’t want to talk to you anymore. I feel like I’ll keep getting blown up like this.”

He sat back on the bed, turned away, and looked like he was done talking. But that only lasted thirty seconds before he turned back, seemingly unable to contain himself: "Okay, I still have to ask a more important question: how did you get such a beautiful girl?"

Xu Fu thought to himself, "If you and she happen to be the only two endangered species left in the universe, then it's not difficult at all."

"I don't know either, but I think in this situation it's all the same, just let things take their natural course," Xu Fu said. "When you meet the right person, you'll find out for yourself."

"Hmm, that seems to make sense, but why do I feel more uncomfortable hearing you say that?"

“Okay, let’s not talk about that now,” Mike turned around. “How about tonight? As is customary, the first night of the holiday is for partying. How about we grab something to eat late at night?”

Xu Fu said, "That sounds pretty good." After thinking for a moment, he added, "But I must warn you, I absolutely do not want to go to that store again this time, never."

Chapter 1699 Thinking

The bar directly opposite Metropolitan University's shopping street.

Mike's choice of location was at least less "hot" than at the beginning of the semester, and the absence of glamorous strippers calmed Xu Fu down a bit. They ordered some simple appetizers and spent their first night of vacation at the pool table with champagne. Although Mike didn't seem like a very reliable person, he was a fairly challenging opponent at the pool table, so Xu Fu didn't need to use his superpowers to cheat.

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that they put down their golf clubs and sat back down at the bar, chatting and drinking champagne. Xu Fu had to admit that Mike was a good friend: warm, honest, and innocent. He could talk about his first love and first girlfriend without any reservations, and was even willing to joke about his unpleasant experience in the girls' restroom when he was in elementary school.

Xu Fu thought, this must be this guy's talent. Since coming to this world, Xu Fu has had few friends. No matter how he tries to hide it, he is different from "047". It's like a crane in a chicken coop; loneliness is inevitable.

However, there are occasional exceptions, such as Mike Marcus. Xu Fu was lucky; his roommate didn't care about Xu Fu's outstanding achievements in various fields, nor about his many quirks and habits. Instead, he treated this "eccentric" roommate with the same enthusiasm as everyone else and hoped to become his friend.

He could talk, and he could boast. Mike bragged for an hour or two, drinking a whole bottle of champagne. Xu Fu noticed he looked flushed and almost breathless. He even boasted that he had met the new Superman in person, and judging from his every smile and gesture, he had even waved to him quite solemnly. It took Xu Fu a while to remember that he had actually caught a glimpse of him in the crowd when he came out of the emergency room in Pingdingshan. He had subconsciously glanced in that direction because he had noticed his roommate, which was exactly what Mike had described him as.

However, having known Mike for so long, this was the first time Xu Fu had heard that he was actually from Seaside City. Xu Fu couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Seaside City? Is that Green Lantern's hometown?"

“That’s all in the past,” Mike said with a wry smile. “Green Lantern is a thing of the past. Unlike Metropolis, Seaside City hasn’t had its own superhero for a long time.”

He took another sip of the liquid in his glass, as if trying to swallow all his problems in one gulp.

“But you haven’t forgotten him, have you?” Xu Fu also took a sip of champagne. “What else does this seaside town have to say?”

“Fearless City,” Mike chuckled, a hint of pride in his eyes. “You’re right. Green Lantern is gone, but we’ve never forgotten him. We have a statue of him in the city center, and we even have a Green Lantern theme park. Do you know how to say that?”

Any suggestions?

"The day is bright, the night is dark. Demons and monsters have nowhere to hide. Dissidents and rebels revere my divine light. The Green Lantern shines eternally!" Mike recited the Green Lantern oath fluently and solemnly, as devoutly as a believer reciting the Bible.

Xu Fu wanted to know: "Do you know how to pronounce 'green light promise'?"

“Of course, a lot of people do that in Seaside City. It’s like an inspirational slogan, something you don’t see in the metropolis, right?” Mike said, a hint of pride in his voice.

As he tried to order another bottle of champagne, Xu Fu stopped him, saying, "Buddy, you're really going to get drunk if you keep going like this. Wells Bar may not be strictly controlling the amount of alcohol for the time being, but I think you should control your temper."

“Don’t worry, this is the first time my dad has given me whiskey since I was ten. There aren’t many people who can drink more than me.” He smiled confidently. “Screw alcohol control and all that. Unless you admit you’re scared, we can consider going straight back.”

“I just wanted to take care of you.” Xu Fu shrugged and took a new bottle of champagne from the waiter. “But if you insist, you can have it yourself from now on.”

The outcome was unsurprising, but Xu Fu was still somewhat impressed by Mike's drinking capacity. This guy was like a deep barrel: every sip of alcohol was instantly digested and broken down by his powerful metabolism, essentially no different from drinking several bottles of mineral water. Yet his simple-minded roommate had actually drunk the same amount of liquid. Watching Mike dramatically down champagne, even the amount of mineral water, he could barely bear the deception of his own superpower. He thought that what Mike had said earlier might not have been an exaggeration; at least, "very few people can drink it all in one go" was true.

But no matter how good his alcohol tolerance was, his contest with the Kryptonians would undoubtedly end in the same way: he would slump on the table like a noodle, snoring through his nose and reeking of alcohol.

Xu Fu was already starting to regret bringing his roommate to this point, because it meant he had to carry him back to the dorm. Unable to stand the smell of alcohol, he carried Mike back to the dorm, pinched his nose, threw him on the bed, and then closed the door and left the room.

With the strong smell of alcohol and loud snoring, he had no hope of falling asleep if he stayed overnight.

Xu Fu removed his outer garment, and the badge on his chest automatically activated his robe and cloak. He smoothly rose into the air, like a feather, silently ascending into the sky above the city. Unlike Gotham, even in the dead of night, Metropolis was brightly lit, the bright lights illuminating the city in a golden glow, a breathtaking and mesmerizing sight from above.

He continued his steady ascent until he emerged from the atmosphere, gazing up at the blue planet from the cold, dark universe. At that moment, the sun was in the other hemisphere, which seemed to be asleep, shrouded in a vast shadow.

It still looks so beautiful.

Sleep isn't mandatory for Kryptonians. Xu Fu always liked to float in that silent vacuum during the nights when he was awake, lost in thought. He had seen Superman in comic books and movies before; he always liked to float alone on Earth from that angle. He thought it was just because artists thought that angle was more beautiful, but now he seemed to understand a little.

You are here because no one else can do this, and it reminds you that you are different. You are here because the absolute quiet and solitude of the vacuum environment allows you to calm down quickly, making it easier to clarify the situation and sort out your thoughts.

When he first appeared as the new Superman, he was there to replace Superman. Now that Superman is back, perhaps the world no longer needs him. But what's next? Will he take off his cape and return to being an ordinary person?

Perhaps he had never thought about this question before 5.8, but now, after experiencing all of this as the new Superman, he has to confront it again. He was never an ordinary person from the beginning, and although he pretended to be like everyone else, he ultimately couldn't fool himself.

He could graduate from university with unprecedented honors, find a cutting-edge job in any field, and easily earn a high salary, but so what? Just like in university life, he would always be a high-and-mighty figure, too outstanding in the eyes of others, forever unable to integrate into society and become a part of it. Yes, he could make a lot of money, but that wouldn't appeal to him. If you could easily manipulate the physical laws that have governed the vast majority of the powerful and wealthy on Earth for years, then the money and power that people usually yearn for wouldn't be so attractive.

Xu Fu carefully closed his eyes and murmured to himself.

Chapter 1700 Naxinor's Morning

Nachino, early morning.

As the sun rose, the modern city slowly awoke, golden light illuminating the entire city. Faint sunlight streamed through the apartment curtains, reflecting a dark orange glow onto the bed in the bedroom. A young girl lay on the bed in a rather awkward position: the blankets were crumpled, half of her pink pajamas were exposed, one slender, pale arm was almost rolled up to her shoulder, and long golden hair draped over the white pillow.

Aside from her slightly improper sleeping posture, the overall scene was quite captivating. The girl was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling rhythmically with her steady breathing. The dim light filtering through the curtains made her fair skin appear even darker, and a faint fragrance filled the room.

Everything was so beautiful and harmonious until the shrill ring of the bedside alarm clock echoed throughout the bedroom. The girl's golden eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyelids slowly opened, revealing a pair of beautiful, emerald-like eyes. She slowly crawled out of bed, turned off the alarm clock, and let herself return to her warm bed to sleep a little longer.

But about ten seconds later, a clear knocking sound came from behind the curtains, like someone tapping on the window with their knuckles. She lazily stood up, her drowsy mind unable to immediately understand why someone would be knocking on the window of an apartment building more than ten stories high. With her sleepy eyes open, she walked to the window and pulled back the curtains.

The golden sunlight streamed in unobstructed, making the girl's skin almost translucent. She saw Xu Fu drift past the window, a paper bag from her favorite sandwich shop in his left hand, smiling as he tapped on the windowpane. He was wearing a smart uniform, his red cloak fluttering gently in the wind.

The girl blinked, seemingly waking up a bit, and began trying to determine if she had slowed down in her sleep.

"Good morning, Kara," Xu Fu said with a smile. "I brought you breakfast, your favorite. I hope you don't mind. Would you mind if I opened the window?"

Kara began to realize that this was not her dream, and she noticed even more quickly how she appeared before Xu Fu: messy blonde hair, with a few strands sticking up on her head in a very inappropriate way, and pink pajamas tightly wrapped around her body with a cute little bear printed on the chest.

She immediately felt her cheeks burning, as if they were being roasted by a blazing sun, her face turning red to her ears. Now she really wished Xu Fu could hide behind the curtains, because she was sure she would fall asleep in a rather unseemly position.

When Xu Fu saw Kara pull back the curtains at lightning speed and float out the window, he couldn't help but look out. Half a second later, she pulled back the curtains, poked her head out, and said, "I didn't just come out, you didn't see anything!" Then she closed the curtains again.

Therefore, Xu Fu politely floated outside her window, hoping no one would peek in early in the morning and see a new superhero carrying a bag of breakfast floating outside a girl's room—it sounded like headline news. Of course, he behaved very well, keeping his eyes closed and not peeking behind the curtains, although he couldn't deny that the thought had crossed his mind.

Perhaps due to the incredible speed, the curtains were quickly drawn again, and the girl in the room looked refreshed. She had changed into a knitted pullover dress, her golden hair flowing smoothly down her back, and the few strands of hair that had just been lifted from her head were now neatly combed, revealing the temperament of a sophisticated urban woman. She looked almost completely different from her former self, and the speed of her transformation left Xu Fu speechless.