Chapter 305: Open Plot Guidance, Investigative Reporter Has Entered the Game
The books in Kamar-Taj were still turning as the system finished calculating all paths.
A data interface visible only to Lin Nuo covered his vision. The God Mark, the Six Authorities, and Earth-1's rules were disassembled into interrelated structures.
[Kryptonian lifeforms possess stellar-level biological fields.]
[This field can maintain the synchronization of cells, consciousness, and local causality, and can be used to stabilize polluted time laws.]
Lin Nuo glanced over the last line, and the target profile unfolded accordingly.
[Target: Lois Lane.]
[Identity: Daily Planet investigative reporter.]
[Associated Object: Clark Kent.]
[Emotional State: Highly stable.]
Jean could not see the interface, but she could tell from Lin Nuo's expression that he had found a solution.
"Who are you eyeing this time?"
She leaned against the bookshelf, her Phoenix consciousness capturing the vague coordinates of Earth-1.
"A reminder first, the God Mark is still there. If you drag this body around recklessly, I will drag you back to the estate and lock you up."
"Someone who can open the Kryptonian biological field for me."
Lin Nuo raised his hand and put away the filtered classics.
"I am going to Metropolis. You stay near the Two-Realms Passage; if the Celestials project their consciousness along the mark again, burn the coordinates directly."
Jean stared at him, not accepting this arrangement.
"Did you make me stay because you are worried the Phoenix will get close to that woman, or are you preparing to keep hiding the danger?"
"The timeline could tear at any moment, and only the Phoenix can protect both Earths at the same time."
Lin Nuo reached out and cupped her chin.
"When I get the repair permissions, you can check however you want. For now, do not let Arishem the Judge sneak into our rear."
Jean slapped his hand away, but did not stop him further.
"I will guard the passage. If you disappear from my senses, Metropolis will welcome a Phoenix in a very bad mood."
Lin Nuo walked through the space gate and returned to Earth-1's Star Umbrella stronghold.
The Metropolis branch had completed its expansion. The time rewind caused by the Celestials left no obvious traces, with only a few devices still flashing non-existent production dates.
Lin Nuo walked into the top-floor office and connected to the Gotham clock tower.
Selina's image appeared quickly. She was crouching on a rooftop opposite the Daily Planet, her telephoto lens aimed at the news department entrance.
"After going missing, you make me watch a reporter; the boss's interests change faster and faster."
Selina moved the camera, locking onto Lois, who walked out of the building holding documents.
"This one is much harder to approach than Gotham's socialites. She rejects luxury goods and does not accept corporate hospitality. Last time someone gave her a car, the next day it became front-page material for a bribery report."
"I want all her social connections."
Lin Nuo sat down in the office chair, the crimson mark between his fingers flashing a faint light.
"Pay attention to who she trusts, who she makes exceptions for, and why she actively breaks into Star Umbrella. Do not touch her family, and do not create low-level accidents."
Selina put away her joke.
Having infiltrated the Daily Planet for days, she had figured out Lois's action habits. This woman would risk her life tracking arms dealers, but would not abandon an investigation because of personal threats.
"The person she trusts most is her partner, Clark Kent."
Selina switched the screen, and Clark, wearing black-rimmed glasses, appeared at the street corner. He was carrying two cups of coffee, his pace ordinary, yet his body was always positioned to protect Lois.
"Clark's resume is so clean it looks made up. He is from a small town in Kansas, and after entering the Daily Planet, he participated in many Superman reports. Their relationship is not public, but the way they look at each other cannot deceive anyone."
Lin Nuo looked at Clark.
The Kryptonian's biological field repelled the surrounding dust. Even though he deliberately lowered his heartbeat, the stellar energy still formed a stable cycle deep within his cells.
That was precisely the time anchor the system needed.
"Has Bruce contacted him?"
"He sent a multi-layer encrypted email last night."
Selina brought up the transmission trajectory she had intercepted.
"The content did not go through network plaintext, I only got some keywords: Central City, Speed Force, Star Umbrella, and a sentence: 'Do not trust Lin Nuo'."
Bruce beginning to warn Superman meant Clark had already grown wary.
Lin Nuo did not ask Selina to intercept the email. Instead, he had the terminal complete the transmission path and sent that warning to Clark's commonly used private device.
Selina raised an eyebrow.
"You intentionally let him receive it? If Clark believes Bruce, Lois will also treat you as an investigative target."
"What I want is for her to investigate actively."
Lin Nuo brought up the industrial structure of the Daily Planet.
"If a hero's girlfriend only knows how to stay home and wait for rescue, her raiding value is not that high. The more she believes in her own judgment, the more thorough she will be when overturning Clark's warning."
Emma walked into the office from the cross-border passage.
She brought Star Umbrella's acquisition plan for the Daily Planet. The original editorial team was retained, while the investigative department obtained independent clauses, preventing the capital side from deleting or modifying reporters' signed articles in advance.
"The Daily Planet's board of directors has accepted the offer."
Emma placed the document on the table.
"Editor-in-Chief Perry still has doubts. Lois publicly opposes the acquisition, believing Star Umbrella wants to use the media to cover up the industrial expansion in Gotham and Central City."
"Hand the independent clauses directly to her."
Lin Nuo turned to the last page of the document.
"In addition, make some projects of the research center public. Whatever she wants to investigate, give her a pass that allows her to walk in."
Emma saw through his goal, a hint of scrutiny flashing in her eyes.
"She has a stable partner and takes her professional principles very seriously. Capital acquisition will only make her reject you even more."
"A reporter?"
Lin Nuo looked at Lois in the profile.
"Just right, I need someone to beautify public opinion for Star Umbrella."
Emma did not point out the malice in those words.
She had spent too much time with Lin Nuo and knew very well that the so-called beautification would never come from coercion.
Lin Nuo would make Lois write every single word herself, and make her believe it was the choice she made after guarding her journalistic ideals.
"Selina, organize Bruce's failure in Gotham into verifiable clues. Only open half of it, and let Lois find the remaining part herself."
Selina got up from the rooftop and put on her trench coat.
"Give her the truth, then hide the key motives. Once she discovers the information Bruce concealed, she will doubt why Clark trusted him."
"Do not jump to conclusions for her."
Lin Nuo reminded her.
"An excellent reporter hates others spoon-feeding answers most. You are only responsible for letting her see the contradiction, and she will push the door open with her own hands."
Inside the Daily Planet, Perry placed the acquisition document on Lois's desk.
Lois quickly flipped through the independent clauses, her resignation letter, which she had prepared beforehand, stopping at her fingertips. She did not believe capital would voluntarily give up content control, nor did she believe Lin Nuo would allow reporters to investigate his group.
Clark stood beside her, his super hearing already capturing the dialogue coming from the research center.
He clearly heard Lin Nuo mention his name, and heard Selina talk about Bruce's warning.
"Lois, this interview can be given to someone else."
Clark lowered his voice.
"Bruce investigated Star Umbrella, and he paid a huge price for it. Lin Nuo opening the research center might just be waiting for you to walk in."
Lois closed the document and put the interview pass into her bag.
"Bruce refuses to make the evidence public, and you refuse to explain why you trust him. Letting me give up the investigation because of two men's secrets is exactly what Lin Nuo wants to see most."
Clark could not expose Bruce's identity, let alone explain why he could confirm the lingering Speed Force traces in Central City.
This momentary hesitation was seen by Lois.
She picked up her recorder, left the news department, and headed straight for the Star Umbrella research center.
In the top-floor interview room, Lin Nuo changed into a white shirt and put on his gold-rimmed glasses again. The God Mark was pressed into his cuff, leaving only the open projects and independent clauses on the desk.
Footsteps came from outside the door.
Selina's message arrived simultaneously: "Boss, Lois Lane has entered the research center, and she also brought the warning letter Bruce sent to Clark."
Chapter 306: Gentle Noose, Privileges Open to You
Lois pushed open the door of the interview room, and Lin Nuo was sitting at the desk at this moment.
"Ms. Lane, the formal interview will be postponed for a moment."
Lin Nuo closed the project materials on his desktop.
"The acquisition of the Daily Planet will be announced downstairs, and you can go to the press conference first. Any questions raised there will also be recorded."
Lois did not move.
"You knew long ago that I would come, and you knew that I got a warning against you."
Her gaze did not leave Lin Nuo.
"Inviting an investigative reporter into the headquarters, is it confidence, or is it a PR performance you have prepared?"
Lin Nuo glanced over her handbag.
"Reporters protect their sources, and I respect this principle. As for that warning, if it can withstand verification, it should be made public; if it cannot withstand verification, it is merely someone's stance."
A prompt sound came from outside the door, and Emmahad completed the final round of board signatures.
The equity delivery of the Daily Planet's parent company was approved, and with only the public release remaining, the transaction would enter the regulatory procedure.
Lin Nuo stood up and buttoned his cuffs.
"You can keep the warning on you. Conducting interviews with suspicion is always better than writing a corporate biography with adoration."
Lois followed him out of the interview room.
This polite remark did not lower her vigilance.
People who are truly good at controlling the media rarely directly ask reporters to shut up; they prefer to provide a room that seems to have no door locks.
The press hall downstairs was already packed with reporters.
Star Umbrella's logo and the Daily Planet's Earth emblem appeared side-by-side on the main screen.
The board representatives sat in the front row, their expressions carrying the ease after completing cash-out.
The Daily Planet's news department was watching the live broadcast.
Perry stood beside the editing desk, clutching the opposition opinion that had already lost its meaning.
The newspaper's advertising revenue continued to decline, and the board refused to invest funds again. Star Umbrella's offer was enough to shut all opposing votes up.
A financial reporter took the lead in asking a question.
"Mr. Lin Nuo, the price paid by Star Umbrella is far higher than the market valuation. The outside world has reason to suspect that what you bought is not a newspaper, but Metropolis's most influential public opinion portal."
Lin Nuo did not avoid the camera.
"The value of the Daily Planet has never been in the office building. It has reporters who are still willing to track down facts, and this kind of asset cannot be calculated with short-term financial reports. The premium represents Star Umbrella's recognition of its long-term value."
The screen immediately announced the acquisition terms.
The original editorial team was retained, and the investigative department had an independent budget.
Any reports involving Star Umbrella did not need to be submitted to the group for review in advance.
A brief commotion appeared in the press hall.
This promise was more lenient than most media acquisition cases.
Several reporters who were originally prepared to make trouble began to lower their heads to review the terms, trying to find control conditions hidden in the appendices.
Lois picked up the microphone.
"Capital may not delete articles, but it can determine the flow of budgets and who has promotion opportunities. You promise editorial independence, but the board of directors is still controlled by Star Umbrella. How long can this independence last?"
Lin Nuo looked at her, his tone steady.
"The investigative department's budget will be borne by an independent fund, and the manager will be elected by the editorial team. Star Umbrella has no right to replace the editor-in-chief due to the content of the reports. This term will be written into the transaction documents and subject to the supervision of employee representatives."
Lois turned to the last page of the document.
There indeed existed restrictions that could not be unilaterally revoked.
Lin Nuo even wrote potential conflicts too clearly, causing some of the questioning she had prepared to lose its landing point.
Another reporter followed up on the layoff issue.
Lin Nuo brought up the financial plan.
"In the coming year, editorial and reporting positions will not be cut due to the acquisition. Star Umbrella will stop board dividends and inject funds into overseas reporting stations and the fact-checking department. If operations incur losses, the group will bear them."
The board representatives in the back row of the venue had stiff expressions.
Not all of these contents appeared in the summaries they had seen.
Taking advantage of their eagerness to sell, Lin Nuo took away both management authority and revenue distribution.
Lois saw those ugly faces.
Lin Nuo was using capital to oppress the board of directors, yet converting the pressure into the resources reporters needed.
She loathed this method of control, yet temporarily could not find direct evidence that would harm the news department.
Perry's phone rang at this moment.
The board of directors asked him to cooperate with the handover and arrange for core reporters to complete an exclusive interview with Star Umbrella's chairman.
Refusing meant violating the newly effective cooperation arrangement, and the newspaper would also lose the new budget.
Perry hung up the phone and walked over to Lois's workstation.
"Put away your resignation letter. You can oppose this transaction, but you cannot leave the field when you should be questioning the most."
He pointed to Lin Nuo in the live broadcast.
"You are responsible for the exclusive interview. Dig out what he is unwilling to show."
Lois looked at the screen.
"The board of directors has already decided the interview subject for me, and you still want me to believe the editorial department has independence?"
Perry lowered his voice.
"They decide who sits across from you, but they can't decide what you ask. If even you back away, the independence clauses will only become decorations hanging on the wall."
In the press hall, Lois's question was brought up again by the host.
Lin Nuo did not let the PR department answer on his behalf.
He signaled the staff to upload the complete agreement to the public platform, allowing all media to check the provisions.
"Ms. Lane is worried that Star Umbrella will use capital to shape facts, and this worry is very reasonable."
Lin Nuo said facing the camera.
"Therefore, regarding the exclusive in-depth interview on this acquisition and group expansion, I only accept her to be in charge."
Lois raised the microphone again.
"If I find Star Umbrella violating the law during the investigation, will you also allow the content to be published?"
"As long as the evidence can withstand questioning, I will personally provide it with a front-page position."
Lin Nuo pushed his gold-rimmed glasses.
"During the interview, you can enter the public research area, and you can also contact any resigned employees."
All the cameras in the venue turned to Lois.
Refusing the interview would make her lose the opportunity for verification, while accepting meant stepping into the venue arranged by Lin Nuo voluntarily.
Whichever side she chose, Star Umbrella had already taken the initiative.
Lois put away the acquisition agreement on the table.
"I do not accept preset questions, nor will I let your team check the interview draft. Regarding parts involving public interest, I reserve the right to publish immediately."
Lin Nuo did not ask her to back down.
He took the independent pass from his assistant's hands and placed it in front of Lois in front of all the media.
"Of course, I believe in Ms. Lane's professional ethics."
Chapter 307: Seeing Through the Body, the Brand on the Chest Burns Hot
Clark heard that sentence on the rooftop across the street.
The traffic noise of Metropolis could not affect his super hearing.
The sound of page-turning and cameras operating in the press room, and even Lois's accelerated breathing when she clenched her pass, clearly fell into his ears.
Only Lin Nuo's body lacked a normal heartbeat.
There were several overlapping vibrations inside that body.
Part of it was like stellar matter flowing, part of it was close to thunder, and there was another frequency that would suddenly disappear after appearing, as if the heart had been briefly removed from reality.
Clark gripped his phone tightly.
Bruce's encrypted email popped up again.
The attachment recorded the corporate acquisition path of Star Umbrella after entering Gotham, and also listed the abnormal energy after the Central City laboratory accident.
The email ended with a hospital photo attached.
Barry lay on the hospital bed, his bodily functions without serious damage, yet he had lost all reactions related to the Speed Force.
Bruce could not prove that Lin Nuo had made a move, only confirming that Star Umbrella had controlled the scene before and after the accident.
Clark returned to the press room from the rooftop.
He was still wearing a reporter's suit, black-framed glasses masking the vigilance in his eyes.
Seeing him come in, Lois moved aside, but did not return the warning letter.
"Mr. Lin Nuo, when the Celestials appeared in the Solar System, you used power that does not belong to Earth." Clark took the microphone.
"You did stop the trial, but time anomalies appeared on both Earths. Shouldn't you make the source of your power public?"
Lin Nuo's gaze fell on him.
The God mark in the core of his consciousness grew slightly warm.
The stellar energy inside Clark spread across the venue, making the crimson brand temporarily quiet.
"Making defense technology public will make it easier for the next batch of invaders to crack it." Lin Nuo answered very calmly.
"I am willing to accept evaluation by independent agencies and will also bear post-war repairs, but I will not send Earth's trump card onto a live broadcast."
Clark activated his X-ray vision.
There was no conventional bone shadow under Lin Nuo's skin.
Six kinds of lights operated alternately around his chest, and the crimson runes were stuck at the energy intersection, swallowing a part of the life response with every flash.
That mark seemed to perceive the prying eyes.
Double images appeared before Clark's eyes for a moment.
After the Kryptonian vision passed through Lin Nuo's body, it unexpectedly saw an unfamiliar torn Earth.
He quickly stopped his X-ray vision.
Lin Nuo picked up the water cup, as if he hadn't noticed any abnormality, and just tapped his fingertips lightly against the cup wall.
But Clark heard a warning from that sound.
After the press conference ended, Lois took her pass and entered the elevator.
Clark reached out to block the door before it closed.
Ignoring the gazes of the surrounding reporters, he pressed the button for the underground parking level directly.
"Cancel the exclusive interview." Clark controlled his tone.
"Lin Nuo's body does not belong to any known human structure, and the clues left by Bruce also point to Central City. He is dangerous; you should stay away from him."
Lois did not press him on how he judged the physiological structure.
She was long accustomed to Clark occasionally uttering unexplainable information, but this habit had now become a new contradiction.
She could tolerate her partner keeping secrets, but couldn't accept secrets replacing evidence.
"You're asking me to believe someone who refuses to reveal his identity, and then give up the investigation based on an email with obscure sources." Lois took out the warning letter.
"Clark, freedom of the press cannot be established on the basis of whom you think is dangerous."
The elevator arrived at the parking level.
Clark followed her out, lowering his voice to dissuade her.
"I've seen people with powerful forces lose control. Lin Nuo took over order outside the judiciary in Gotham, and controlled the accident scene in Central City. Him saving the World doesn't mean all his methods are reasonable."
Lois stopped by the car.
"Then give me evidence that can be published. If you judge a person based solely on fear, you have no qualification to ask me to write guesses as facts."
Clark could not hand over Bruce's identity.
He couldn't even more tell Lois that he had just seen the cosmic authority inside Lin Nuo's body through the skin.
Silence made his warning appear even more untenable.
Lois opened the car door.
"I will investigate him, and I will investigate Star Umbrella. If Lin Nuo really has a problem, I need to get close to find the answer. If you want to protect me, you can respect my work."
The car drove out of the parking lot.
Clark stood in place, hearing her heartbeat gradually fade away.
At the same time, the sound of an unfamiliar device starting up came from the underground area of Star Umbrella.
After night covered Metropolis, Superman landed above the research center.
The exterior walls of the building used composite materials capable of interfering with X-ray vision.
It did not completely block Kryptonian vision, only refracting the internal structure into a large number of false images.
Superman searched downwards along the power lines.
Star Umbrella did not activate weapons.
Some security doors even opened by themselves when he approached, as if someone had long anticipated his investigation route.
In the center of the underground experimental layer stood a stellar energy simulator.
The spectrum released by the device was close to a yellow Sun, but changed its frequency when Supermanapproached.
Surrounding sensors began to record his cellular reactions, and the screen displayed bio-field capture prompts.
Superman raised his hand and crushed the detection terminal.
Behind the device popped up the Gotham governance archives.
Inside were records of gang stronghold clearance, as well as footage of Wayne Enterprises secretly purchasing equipment; the data had obviously been filtered.
Clark finally realized that this was an investigation route deliberately left behind by someone.
Lin Nuo knew that powerful life would enter here, and was also using the invaders to complete equipment calibration.
No matter who the visitor was, Star Umbrella could collect a set of precious data.
Super hearing suddenly captured movement on the top floor.
Lois arrived early at the exclusive interview scene.
The interview room entered confidentiality mode, the floor-to-ceiling windows turned into a closed state, and communication signals were also isolated.
Lin Nuo sat opposite her and opened the archives of the Gotham control zone.
"Miss Lane, the upcoming content involves vigilantes and local government. The confidentiality door will temporarily close. Whenever you want to leave, you can press the button by the table."
Clark heard the door lock drop.
At the exact same moment, the underground equipment displayed a new prompt: Kryptonian life field initial recognition complete.
That exclusive interview was obviously also part of the bait.
Superman rushed out of the experimental level, his red cape sweeping across the outer wall of the building.
Inside the interview room, just as Lois was about to open the first archive, the entire floor-to-ceiling window filled with cracks before her eyes.
The next second, a red cape slammed into the floor-to-ceiling window of the interview room.
Chapter 308: Heat Vision Closing In, A Bloodstained Figure Blocks the Way
The glass shattered inward into the interview room.
Lin Nuo raised a hand to press down on the desktop, and an invisible barrier blocked the way in front of Lois.
All the fragments hovered for a moment, then fell into the empty seating area, hurting no one.
Superman stepped across the shattered window frame.
His gaze first confirmed Lois was safe, then locked onto Lin Nuo.
The detection device in the underground laboratory had stopped, but that set of Kryptonian data was being uploaded to an unknown terminal.
"Shut down the equipment and lift the lockdown on the entire building." Superman stood in front of the interview desk.
"You still need to explain why you are establishing a rule in Gotham that is not subject to elections."
Lois got up from her seat.
She hadn't expected Clark's warning to be fulfilled in this way, nor had she expected Superman to break into a formal interview.
The commotion left by the broken window was drawing floor security, and the situation could spiral out of control at any moment.
Lin Nuo withdrew the barrier and pressed the voice recorder.
"You broke into a private building, disrupted the interview scene, and even demanded a reporter stop recording."
He pushed the device to the center of the table.
"Since we are discussing public power, it's more appropriate to let the public hear."
Superman did not attack the recording equipment.
"Gotham's neighborhoods have been taken over by Star Umbrella armed personnel, and multiple businesses have sold their equity under threats."
"You package control with safety, and a decrease in crime cannot grant you the qualifications to rule."
Lin Nuo turned on the main screen.
Gotham Police Department's crime reports, emergency center data, and community sampling surveys appeared simultaneously.
Every document was marked with its source, and third-party verification portals were also retained.
"After Star Umbrella entered Gotham, violent crime in the main control areas dropped by 90%."
Lin Nuo looked at Superman.
"The recovery rate of missing persons continues to rise, and the cheap drug channels controlled by gangs have also been cut off."
Lois quickly browsed the data.
Some statistics came from independent institutions and could not be simply classified as corporate-made materials.
But behind the drop in crime rates, there was still an expansion of power, and she wouldn't stop questioning because of pretty numbers.
"These data cannot explain the forced acquisitions."
Lois switched to the list of companies.
"Multiple former shareholders refused public interviews, and some left Gotham after the transaction."
"What kind of pressure did Star Umbrella exert on them?"
Lin Nuo brought up a piece of attack footage.
In the footage, a Star Umbrella transport truck was besieged by gangs, and the accompanying employees were dragged off the vehicle.
Subsequent rescue records showed that someone inside the Gotham police had leaked the route in advance.
"They first kidnapped my employees, and then used shell companies to transfer contraband weapons."
Lin Nuo handed the unedited files to Lois.
"The acquisitions took place after the judicial freeze, and the prices were assessed by court-designated institutions."
Superman saw the gaps in the files.
Some gang members went missing, and Star Umbrella did not explain their whereabouts.
Bruce was severely wounded precisely while tracking down these people, and to this day he couldn't leave the recuperation area.
"You only show what you allow her to see."
Superman took a step forward.
"Where did those who refused to accept Star Umbrella's order go? A vigilante in Gotham almost lost his life investigating you."
Lin Nuo raised his eyes to look at him.
"Please state the true identity of that vigilante and provide evidence that I harmed him."
"If you refuse, I can only interpret this statement as mutual vouching among masked individuals."
Superman stopped in his tracks.
Revealing Bruce's identity would push both the Waynefamily and the Batman family into danger.
He couldn't answer, but he also knew this silence would allow Lin Nuo to seize the narrative advantage.
Lois sensed his hesitation.
"Superman, do you have evidence to prove that the attack was instigated by Lin Nuo?"
She gripped the voice recorder.
"If so, I can pause the interview and verify your materials right away."
"Some evidence involves the safety of others, and I cannot make it public."
Superman looked at Lois.
"You should leave here first, while I confirm this building has no threats."
Lois's brows furrowed.
"You broke in without permission and want to take away a journalist who is working."
"Protection cannot replace my decision, nor can it let unverified accusations automatically stand."
Superman's gaze fell back onto Lin Nuo.
He saw that the mark of God was devouring the power in Lin Nuo's chest, and also saw several spatial laws quietly connecting to the underground terminal.
This person was injured, yet still dangerous enough to surpass any enemy in Metropolis.
The red light of heat vision surfaced in the depths of Superman's eyes.
He did not release an attack, only wanting to penetrate the barrier of laws surrounding Lin Nuo.
But Lois couldn't tell the difference, and the interview room's alarm automatically sounded due to the rising energy.
Lin Nuo moved sideways to block in front of Lois.
This action didn't touch her, but it forced Superman's gaze to cross over him first.
The scarlet mark under Lin Nuo's cuff split open as a result, and golden blood seeped into his white shirt.
"If you want to scan me, you can continue."
Lin Nuo took off his glasses and wiped away the glass powder on the lenses.
"Don't let the energy pass through her. Miss Lane does not have a Kryptonian body."
The red light in the depths of Superman's eyes quickly receded.
Lois saw the bloodstain on Lin Nuo's cuff, her vigilance didn't disappear, but her judgment began to shift.
The intruder before her possessed absolute power, while Lin Nuo had at least been sitting in his original seat accepting questions all along.
Lin Nuo put his glasses back on.
"Superman, do you hope I let criminals continue to control Gotham, or are you jealous that Star Umbrella is more efficient than you?"
This sentence made Superman's fists clench abruptly.
He could catch falling airplanes and rescue a street full of people in disasters.
But when criminals were sent back to the failing judicial system, he couldn't guarantee that those people wouldn't harm citizens again.
"Efficiency cannot wash away your methods."
Superman stared at Lin Nuo.
"If you are truly helping Gotham, accept public oversight and hand over the enforcement authority of your private armed forces."
"I have already invited resident representatives to form an oversight committee."
Lin Nuo handed the unpublished agreement to Lois.
"Star Umbrella security can only protect corporate facilities, and neighborhood patrol rights will be gradually handed over to local agencies."
Lois checked the signing date of the document.
The agreement was completed long before the press conference, and the third-party list even included public interest lawyers who had long criticized Star Umbrella.
Lin Nuo had clearly prepared for this round of questioning.
Superman also saw the signatures.
Continuing to make hardline demands would only make himself look like he was rejecting facts.
He turned and walked toward the shattered window, his cape lifted by the high-altitude wind pressure.
"I will find out everything that happened in Gotham and Central City."
Superman looked back and warned.
"If anyone is hurt because of your plan, I won't wait for a press conference to give answers anymore."
Lin Nuo did not stop him, but instead made a gesture of invitation.
"Things that are broken need to be repaired next time, Mr. Superman. Please use the front door next time."
Chapter 309: Alone in the Secret Room, the Cape Instantly Becomes a Stubborn Squatter
The red cape disappeared into the night, and Lois looked at the blood seeping from Lin Nuo's cuff.
"You knew he would break in, so the underground equipment and the interview were both decoys." Lois did not accept the blanket handed to her by the staff member. "You utilized his vigilance, and you utilized me as well."
"Miss Lane." Lin Nuo rolled up his blood-stained cuff, "If a few public archives could sway your judgment, that would be an insult to you. Whether the interview continues is up to you to decide."
"Continue." Lois pressed the recording button again. "Star Umbrella spans energy, medical, military, and media. You concentrate so many resources in the hands of one person; by what right do you expect the public to believe in your goodwill?"
Lin Nuo did not answer, but instead opened another set of data.
A large number of markers lit up on the map. Free medical stations were deployed along multiple conflict zones in Africa, and mobile surgical vehicles avoided combat zones to provide local residents with medicine and basic treatment.
"These medical stations treated hundreds of thousands of people last year." Lin Nuo brought up the drug transportation records. "Star Umbrella bears the cost of equipment and medicine, and local Doctors are responsible for management. Patients do not need to provide proof of property, nor are they asked to purchase group insurance."
Lois flipped to the source of funds, and her gaze immediately stopped.
"You subsidize these projects with high-profit industries, and then collect disease data through the medical stations. Public welfare and business are tied together, making it hard to tell who is serving whom."
"If pure goodwill cannot operate long-term, it will sooner or later be cut by the next budget."
Lin Nuo pushed the data authorization agreement over to her.
"Disease information is kept by local medical organizations. Star Umbrella can only obtain anonymous statistical results. If you doubt this, I can let you contact the manager directly, and the public relations department will not participate."
Lois did not use the list he provided. She found a Doctorstationed in Senegal for a long time from her own address book and dialed the video call on the spot.
Lin Nuo did not stop her, but instead signaled the technicians to open the external signal.
After the video connected, that Doctor recognized Lois. After listening to the question, he walked through the operating clinic with the camera.
"Star Umbrella's people are indeed difficult to get along with; they require every batch of medicine to leave a complete flow record, and also forbid local officials from cutting in line." The Doctor lowered his voice. "But the equipment belongs to us, and the Doctors are chosen by the local committee. There are no armed personnel of theirs here."
Lois continued to pursue questions about the data.
The Doctor brought up the authorization terminal.
"They cannot get patient identities. Half a year ago, a researcher asked for raw data, and left after we refused. The funding did not stop because of that."
The call ended, leaving only the sound of equipment running in the interview room.
Lois had originally thought this would be a meticulously crafted charity facade. Yet Lin Nuo handed her the most vulnerable entry point, and the verification results did not reveal the loopholes she had expected.
"Medical aid can build reputation and also open up local markets for Star Umbrella." Lois closed the terminal. "This still fails to prove that your goal is to eliminate poverty."
"Then take a look at another item."
Lin Nuo switched the screen, and the energy price curves of multiple cities in the Middle East appeared accordingly.
After the clean energy stations built by Star Umbrella were put into use, the electricity expenses of local residents continued to drop. Remote areas relying on fuel power generation also obtained stable power supply.
Several companies monopolizing transportation channels went bankrupt as a result, and the armed organizations behind them lost their source of funding. Attacks on energy convoys instead decreased significantly within half a year.
Lois discovered that one of the projects had been judged by international organizations as impossible to advance. Local forces were complex, and any aid might be intercepted, yet Star Umbrella directly bypassed the original contracting system.
"You froze the funds of several local companies and also had private security control the transportation routes." Loisraised her head. "Such methods bypassed normal judicial procedures."
"Those companies used aid funds to buy weapons and had once kidnapped engineers."
Lin Nuo did not gloss over himself.
"I could wait for them to finish lengthy litigation and watch the villages continue to suffer power outages. Or I could cut off the funding chain first and let the hospital's ventilators resume operation tonight. I chose the latter, so I am accepting investigation."
Lois heard the sharp edge he intentionally left behind.
Lin Nuo did not play a flawless philanthropist. He admitted to being tough, and also placed all controversies alongside the actual results, forcing critics to answer the same question.
If his method is not used, then who should solve those dilemmas that are currently happening?
"You are treating efficiency as a moral exemption." Loissaid. "As long as the results are good enough, you can make decisions for everyone."
"I have never asked for an exemption."
Lin Nuo removed the blood-stained cuff links and put them into the medical box.
"I build projects and also leave traceable responsible entities. If Star Umbrella causes harm, the victims at least know who to look for, rather than facing a group of committees passing the buck to each other."
He raised his hand to bring up Metropolis's disaster data over the years.
"Superman can save a car full of people when a bridge breaks, and can push an out-of-control plane back to the ground. He is worthy of respect, but no matter how keen a person's hearing is, he cannot hear every village lacking medicine."
Lois's gaze grew a bit colder.
"You just used him, and now you are treating him as a foil. Rescue and social governance are simply not the same thing."
"That is why I did not negate him."
Lin Nuo leaned back against the chair back, his voice still gentle.
"He makes disasters produce fewer tombstones. What Star Umbrella wants to do is to create conditions where more disasters do not happen. Heroes are responsible for rushing to the scene, and I am responsible for making there be fewer scenes."
This sentence hit the anxiety Lois had always been unwilling to admit.
She had reported on Superman saving entire streets, and had also seen rescued families forced to continue crowding into temporary camps because their housing was destroyed. The camera would follow the cape away, but the remaining problems rarely made the front page.
Clark always believed that people could slowly repair everything.
Lin Nuo chose to directly transform the structure that created problems; the methods were unsettling, but the results were right before their eyes.
Perhaps Clark's judgment of him had already been influenced by Bruce.
After this thought appeared, Lois quickly suppressed it. She did not allow personal relationships to replace verification, nor would she change her stance because of a few sets of data.
"I want all raw materials of the medical stations, energy projects, and security operations." Lois took out a storage device. "Parts involving privacy can be desensitized, and I will find an independent team to review them."
"You can, but you missed one item."
Lin Nuo brought up a yet-to-be-publicized proposal.
The Metropolis Affordable Housing Plan was expected to accommodate tens of thousands of low-income residents. The first batch of sites was chosen near the old industrial zone, with Star Umbrella responsible for cleaning up the pollution and bearing all construction costs.
"This area has been vacant for many years, and the municipal department has no ability to rebuild it." Lin Nuohanded the permissions to Lois. "You can enter the site following the construction team, and reporting rights will not be restricted."
Lois scanned the map and found that it was precisely the area where Superman frequently conducted rescues.
Rapid footsteps came from outside the door, and the project manager pushed the door open and entered. He ignored the interviewing camera and directly projected the live scene onto the main screen.
Heavy drilling equipment was pinned in place by a hand draped in a red cloak, and hundreds of workers waiting for work were gathered outside the cordon.
The manager's face looked ugly.
"Mr. Lin, Superman stopped the project. He demands that we never touch that underground area."
Chapter 310: Thirst
When Lois rushed to the old industrial zone, the construction site was already surrounded by various media outlets.
Superman stood in front of the drilling platform, holding down the equipment support with one hand. The engineering personnel did not conflict with him, nor did they evacuate, while residents waiting to move in gathered on the periphery.
A mother holding a child raised her application form.
"We passed the review and have waited for months. If you found danger, at least tell us where the danger is. You can't just say stop work and make everyone go back."
Superman did not look at her.
His vision pierced through the strata, locking onto the green mineral vein deeply buried in the rock layers. The drill bit continued downward and would soon smash open the lead shell enveloping the ore.
That batch of Kryptonite had obviously been artificially processed.
Someone had buried it underground in advance and deliberately let Star Umbrella choose this place for the project. What made Clark even more uneasy was that several energy pipelines were connected around the ore.
Once forcibly destroyed, the entire block would be affected.
"There is an unknown substance underground, and construction must stop." Superman withdrew his X-ray vision. "I will find a safe way to handle it. Before that, any drilling could harm the surrounding residents."
The project engineer opened the geological report.
"We have completed multiple rounds of surveys, the rock layers are stable, and no flammable pipelines were found. If you have additional information, please hand it over to the municipal department, and we are willing to cooperate with the investigation."
Superman's Adam's apple moved slightly.
Revealing Kryptonite meant announcing his fatal weakness to the World. The person who hid the ore would also know that the plan had been exposed, and would subsequently transfer other arrangements.
He could only continue to block in front of the equipment.
"The report has omissions. Trust me, this place cannot be touched."
The rushing reporters raised their equipment one after another.
This sentence spread throughout Metropolis via live broadcast. There was no evidence, no deadline, and no institution to hold accountable—only a powerful alien demanding that everyone obey his judgment.
Lin Nuo's motorcade stopped on the periphery.
He did not bring armed security, only having his entourage hand over the latest construction data to the municipal representative. Lois noticed this, and a bad premonition arose in her heart.
The more procedural Lin Nuo was, the more overbearing Superman appeared at this moment.
"All equipment stops running, and workers evacuate the core area." Lin Nuo walked up to the warning line. "Before the risk is eliminated, Star Umbrella will not gamble with the safety of the residents."
Disappointed discussions sounded among the residents.
Just as Superman was about to let go of the equipment, Lin Nuo's next words made the situation tense again.
"I apply for a joint review by the municipality, the Daily Planet, and an independent laboratory." Lin Nuo looked at Superman. "You can designate a supervisor, or you can stay at the scene the whole time. As long as you are willing to explain what needs to be tested."
Superman could not answer.
The Kryptonite mineral vein had already begun to affect his body. The stinging pain spread along his chest, but he still maintained a steady respiration, not letting the cameras capture any abnormalities.
"Ordinary equipment will be in danger when approaching there." Superman lowered his voice. "Transfer the construction rights to me, and I will handle the problem underground."
The municipal representative's expression changed.
"Superman, we thank you for protecting Metropolis, but this land belongs to the city. You have no right to demand that the government hand over public works to an individual for disposal, let alone prevent professional personnel from checking."
The dissatisfaction in the crowd gradually increased.
Superman had saved many people here. But the families waiting for housing would not give up asking for today's reasons because of past merits.
Lois crossed the warning line and came between the two.
"Lin Nuo, did you know in advance that there was an abnormality underground?" She turned on the recording equipment. "The site selection report was provided by Star Umbrella, and you have the responsibility to explain why the survey did not find any problems."
"Before the project started, we only found abandoned pipelines and routine pollution."
Lin Nuo handed the survey authorization to her.
"Miss Lane can take away all the equipment records. If it is proven that Star Umbrella concealed the risk, I will terminate the project and bear the temporary resettlement costs of the residents."
He delivered the right of choice into Lois's hands.
Superman could only stand in place, watching that green light pierce through the rock layers and erode his power.
A metal support he was holding suddenly broke. The heavy platform tilted sideways, and several workers did not have time to retreat.
Superman reached out to support the platform, but his movement was half a beat slower than usual.
Lin Nuo crossed the warning line and propped up the other side with one hand. Spatial power spread along the support, smoothly placing the out-of-control equipment back to the ground.
The workers quickly evacuated.
The cameras recorded the actions of the two, and also recorded Superman's slightly pale face.
Lin Nuo did not take the opportunity to interrogate, only throwing a detector to Superman.
"You are unwilling to disclose the reason, and I respect your concerns. The detector will not upload data, and you can use it to mark the danger range. Star Umbrella is responsible for evacuating the residents."
Superman caught the equipment, but did not start it.
Any test results targeting Kryptonite could reversely deduce his physiological reactions. He looked at Lin Nuo, finally confirming that the other party was forcing him to make a choice.
Accepting the equipment, the secret would fall into the hands of Star Umbrella.
Refusing to cooperate, he would become a privileged person obstructing people's livelihood projects.
"I will not use your equipment." Superman gripped the detector tightly. "The entire area must be sealed off, and I will contact someone I can trust to handle it."
He put the detector back on the ground and flew away from the construction area.
The onlookers looked up at that red figure, their emotions not as excited as before. Some silently put away their housing applications, while others questioned in front of the cameras when the project could resume.
That night, all media outlets were reporting on this conflict.
The Daily Planet did not use inflammatory headlines, only broadcasting the complete on-site record. Other platforms, however, intercepted footage of Superman refusing the test, portraying him as a privileged person obstructing affordable housing.
The topic "Does an alien hero possess city veto power" quickly surged onto the trending list.
Perry looked at the steadily rising traffic, and his expression was not good-looking.
"Take down all headlines with qualitative words." He tapped the editorial desk. "We report facts, we don't convict Superman on behalf of Star Umbrella, nor do we let Superman ignore the demands of the residents."
The editor handed over a monitoring report.
"Lin Nuo did not ask us to publish any content. The popularity comes from other platforms, and he even publicly called for a stop to attacking Superman."
Perry stared at the statement on the screen, his heart even heavier.
Actively cooling down the opponent instead allowed Lin Nuo to occupy a more respectable position. If Supermancontinued to remain silent, the public would only interpret this restraint as the victor's magnanimity.
When Clark returned to the newspaper office, Lois was organizing on-site materials.
The stinging pain inside his body had not yet subsided, and his complexion was even uglier than at the interview site. Lois closed the page and pulled the office door shut.
"What on earth is underground?" She looked directly at Clark. "You warned me in advance to stay away from Lin Nuo, and stopped construction when the project started. Don't use sources as an excuse anymore, I need facts that can be verified."
Clark took off his glasses and rubbed his brow tiredly.
"I can't tell you what it specifically is. Someone set a trap there, and Lin Nuo probably knows. He put the residents, the media, and the construction team together just to force someone to expose their weakness."
"You still only have judgment, no evidence."
Lois suppressed her disappointment.
"Lin Nuo is willing to open records and is willing to suspend the project. Yet you demand that the entire city obey an inexplicable warning. Have you ever thought that your own prejudices are affecting your judgment?"
"I am protecting them."
Clark wanted to hold her hand, but Lois handed the on-site report in front of him.
"Protection cannot become a permanent excuse for refusing to explain. You used to believe in procedures and believed that others had the right to participate in decisions. Now you are starting to be like Bruce, only believing in the secrets hidden in your own hands."
Clark's hand stopped in mid-air.
A low roar suddenly came from outside the window. The night sky above the newspaper office was torn open by a purple-black crack, and a giant claw covered in bone spurs reached out from deep within the crack.
Amidst the sound of alarms, Lois saw Clark take off his glasses, and he only had time to utter one sentence.
"Stay away from the window, they have found Metropolis!"
Chapter 311: The Man of Steel Miserably Brought Down by a Potion
Before the giant claws smashed through the outer wall of the newspaper office, Clark had already stepped in front of Lois.
The impact overturned the desks and chairs inside the office.
He propped up the fractured wall, sent Lois to the safety corridor, and then rushed beneath the spatial fissure.
The monster's body squeezed out from the spatial tear.
It had no fixed form, and gray energy flowed beneath its bone armor.
Ordinary weapons hitting its surface would only make the fissure expand faster.
Superman grabbed the monster's arm and dragged it away from the densely populated area.
His heat vision sliced open the outer bone armor, but corrosive energy spewed out from inside.
The edge of his cape was burned through, and several wounds were left on Clark's arm.
"Everyone evacuate the main building, don't get close to the falling tissue fragments!"
Lois picked up a megaphone to guide the crowd.
When she looked up, she saw dozens of Star Umbrellarescue drones cutting through the buildings, releasing stabilizing beams toward the fissure.
Lin Nuo appeared inside the command cabin.
"Medical teams take over the block, engineering groups establish spatial anchors." His command was transmitted through the public channel.
"Superman, push it toward the east side. That area has already been cleared and won't hurt the residents."
Hearing the arrangement, Superman did not refuse.
He changed direction, slamming the monster into an abandoned factory area.
Star Umbrella's anchoring devices activated simultaneously, compressing the edges of the fissure onto the monster.
Lin Nuo raised his hand to sever the connection between the gray energy and the fissure.
Superman delivered the final blow, blasting the monster back into the different dimension.
After the fissure closed, shattered bone armor littered the factory area.
Star Umbrella personnel wearing sealed suits entered the scene.
Some people recovered the different-dimensional remnants, while others extracted samples along Superman's route of action.
The bloodstains clinging to the steel beams were sealed into medical containers all together.
Superman landed on the ground, blocking one of the technicians.
"This sample belongs to me. Delete the testing records and hand over the container."
The technician did not argue and placed the container on the isolation platform.
"It may be contaminated by the different dimension, and we need to confirm whether it will spread."
"You can supervise the testing, and all results will be destroyed after completion."
Superman directly crushed the container.
His blood evaporated in the high temperature, leaving no usable substance behind.
The technician retreated back to the team without showing any abnormality.
Lin Nuo stood in the distance watching this scene, pressing the confirmation key on his terminal.
The real collection device was hidden in the rescue drone's filtration system.
The respiratory particles generated when Supermancrashed through the monster had long since been sent into an independent storage compartment.
No one would notice a set of air purification equipment at a disaster scene.
The first fissure was just the beginning.
The spatial structures disrupted by the God war collapsed one after another all over the globe.
Different-dimensional creatures continuously appeared in coastal areas, cities, and mountainous regions, and Superman's distress channel almost never stopped.
He had been rushing around continuously for three full days and nights.
Falling passenger planes were sent back to the runways, and hospitals besieged by monsters were uprooted and lifted out of danger zones by him.
Every time he completed a rescue, the Sun energy inside his body dropped by a notch.
The Star Umbrella rescue team always followed closely behind.
They were responsible for evacuation, treatment, and sealing fissures, filling in the areas Superman could not manage.
The number of battle losses continuously decreased because of this, and the rescue efficiency was repeatedly reported by media around the world.
Clark knew there was a problem with this cooperation, but he couldn't drive the rescue team away.
They had indeed saved people.
If he refused support simply due to suspicion, there would be no difference between him and Lin Nuo's dispute over the affordable housing project.
On the third night, a fissure appeared once again above the North District Hospital in Metropolis.
When Superman arrived, the stellar energy stored in his body was close to depletion.
He still smashed away the monsters lunging toward the inpatient building, using his body to block the incoming spikes.
The bone spurs pierced his suit, leaving wounds on the side of his shoulder.
Superman grabbed the bone spur and flung the monster high into the air.
His heat vision only lasted for a moment before extinguishing on its own, and the monster lunged back again taking advantage of the falling impact.
Lin Nuo leaped down from the rescue drone.
A spatial barrier supported Superman, and he himself slammed straight into the monster.
The Olympus divine power erupted along his arm, cracking that layer of bone armor extensively.
"Its core is at the back of its neck."
Lin Nuo braced against the monster's forelimbs and shouted to Superman.
"I will suppress the spatial fluctuations, you only have one chance left. Don't waste your strength on doubting me."
Superman did not respond.
He stepped across the spatial barrier deployed by Lin Nuoand moved behind the monster.
A final burst of heat vision pierced through the bone armor, accurately shattering the gray core hidden at the back of the neck.
The monster let out a harsh screech.
Lin Nuo opened a spatial channel to send the collapsing body away from the city.
After the channel closed, the crimson mark on his chest split open again, and golden blood oozed down his shirt.
Superman fell from high altitude.
Lin Nuo raised his hand to catch him, and the two of them slammed into the hospital plaza.
The spatial barrier absorbed most of the impact, and the surrounding wounded were not affected.
Lois arrived at the scene following the rescue vehicle.
She saw Lin Nuo half-kneeling on the shattered ground, supporting Superman—who could no longer stand steadily—with his arm.
The Star Umbrella medical team rushed forward, but was stopped by Superman raising his hand.
"Don't touch me, and don't collect any samples."
His voice lost its usual stability.
"Save the people in the hospital first, I can still move."
"If you keep pushing yourself like this, your next fall might crash right into a ward."
Lin Nuo didn't let the medical personnel get close, simply taking out a bottle of energy drink from the rescue box.
"Ordinary sugar and electrolytes, the packaging has no shielding layer. You can check it yourself, or you can refuse. The choice is yours."
Superman activated his X-ray vision.
There were no abnormalities in the drink's ingredients, and no mechanical structures existed in the bottle itself.
The nanobots hidden in the liquid remained inert, their appearance indistinguishable from ordinary carbon molecules.
Clark heard a new cry for help coming from the distance.
An evacuation bus was trapped on the overpass by the remnants of a fissure, and more than a dozen children were still inside the vehicle.
He needed even just a little stamina to continue rushing over.
Superman took the drink and tilted his head back, drinking more than half of it.
Lin Nuo did not stop him from getting up.
The nanobots only began to deploy after entering the Kryptonian's body.
They avoided cellular attacks, only recording the operational path of stellar energy, and sent positioning pulses to the Star Umbrella terminal.
Superman rushed toward the overpass.
Lin Nuo also rushed under the bridge with the rescue team, deploying a spatial barrier to catch the falling vehicle.
Superman supported the back of the car, and the two forces jointly sent the bus back to the safe road surface.
The live broadcast camera recorded this scene.
Lois stood outside the rescue zone, watching Lin Nuo hand the last child over to the medical staff.
All previous suspicions had not vanished, but she likewise could not deny that Lin Nuo had always been in the most dangerous position.
When Superman landed beside her, his legs could no longer support his body.
Lois hugged his arm.
"The medical area is right behind, you must rest. There is also the Star Umbrella rescue team here, they can seal the remaining fissures."
Superman wanted to refuse, but a faint pulse that had never appeared before came from within his body.
That thing had hidden itself inside his biological field.
Clark tried to lock onto the source, but his vision rapidly darkened.
Before losing consciousness, he saw Lin Nuo walking over from a distance, the gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses chillingly calm.
He gripped Lois's hand tightly, warning with his last bit of strength.
"Don't trust him..."
Chapter 312: Draping a coat closely, looking at the green light outside the window
Clark's hand slipped from Lois's wrist.
Lois stood in front of the Star Umbrella medical team, directly pointing at the hospital's emergency response group.
"He stays here, and will be under the charge of the hospital Doctor. No blood or tissue samples are allowed to leave the emergency room, and all equipment records must be handed over to me for safekeeping."
Lin Nuo stopped outside the cordon, not attempting to contest control.
"Carry out Miss Lane's instructions. Star Umbrella only provides energy, and all medical data will remain at the hospital."
This cooperation left Lois with nowhere to vent her frustration. She guarded outside the emergency room until the morning sunlight pierced through the glass, and only then did Clark open his eyes.
His complexion was still pale, but a faint red light lit up again deep within his pupils. Those foreign objects hidden within his bio-field were flowing along with the Sunenergy.
"The thing you drank was problematic, wasn't it?" Loisturned off the bedside monitor. "Before you fell unconscious, you saw Lin Nuo and told me not to trust him."
"There is a pulse inside my body." Clark propped himself up against the edge of the bed and sat up. "It is recording my strength, and may also be transmitting my location outward. I must leave Metropolis and go to a stronger stellar radiation zone to clear it out."
Lois pressed down on his shoulders, preventing him from getting up further.
"You just woke up. We can find an independent laboratory, or contact someone you trust. You can't just leave me behind in place to wait for the results every time you encounter danger."
"This time it involves my body structure, and ordinary laboratories cannot bear the risk." Clark held her hand, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "When I return, I will tell you everything I can say. Now stay away from Lin Nuo, and don't see him alone."
Lois stared at their clasped hands. Clark was still deciding for her who she could contact, yet refused to provide evidence sufficient to support that judgment.
"You always say 'when I return'." She withdrew her hand. "Yet you never tell me how long I need to wait, nor do you ask me if I am willing to wait."
Clark heard cries for help coming from the other side of the city. He put on his coat, paused at the doorway for a moment, and ultimately left only an apologetic look.
When the Sun rose, the red cape rushed out of the atmosphere. The positioning pulse on Lin Nuo's terminal weakened accordingly, but did not completely disappear.
That morning, the Daily Planet held a department integration meeting.
The conference room was filled with editors and reporters. The job adjustment list on the screen cut multiple redundant operating departments, and some field teams were also asked to merge.
Perry slammed the document onto the table.
"The news department is not a factory assembly line. Just because an investigative reporter hasn't finished an article in half a year doesn't mean he's wasting his salary. Whoever dares to use click counts to decide who stays and who goes can get the hell out of my office first."
Enduring everyone's gazes, the group's HR director still opened the placement plan.
"The core editorial departments retain their independence, and the targets for layoffs are concentrated on redundant administrative positions. Those who accept the transfer can enter other departments of Star Umbrella, while those who refuse will be compensated according to their original contracts."
Lois flipped to the photography team list. Several colleagues who had accompanied her into the war zone were among them.
They knew how to identify the direction of artillery fire and how to protect their interviewees. Yet the spreadsheet only recorded costs, output, and job overlap rates.
"Lin Nuo promised editorial independence." Lois closed the file. "Now he avoids news content, turning instead to take away the people who provide the news. There is no technical breach of contract, but the result is no different."
The conference room door was pushed open. Lin Nuowalked in alone and turned off the terminal in the HR director's hand.
"The integration plan is suspended. Mr. Perry and the heads of various departments have the right of review, and the human resources department must not send out termination notices before the review is completed."
Perry's expression did not soften because of this.
"If you truly respect journalism, you should have stopped it before the list was sent over. Walking in to save the day now only makes me suspect that this crisis was a performance all along."
"Suspicion is the right of the editor-in-chief." Lin Nuo put down the authorization document. "I am responsible for the group's direction and cannot verify positions for every department. Withdrawing a decision after making a mistake is always more valuable than maintaining authority."
After the meeting ended, Lois stayed at her workstation to organize the list. She contacted the affected colleagues one by one, adding interview projects and professional competencies to the review opinions.
Night fell over the glass curtain wall, and only the lamp on her desk remained in the editing area.
A cup of unsweetened coffee was placed next to the documents. Lois looked up and saw Lin Nuo had taken off his blood-stained coat, with medical bandages still wrapped under his White shirt.
"If you came to persuade me to accept the integration, you can save this cup of coffee." Lois didn't touch the cup. "The news department won't thank you for taking away their careers just because you're willing to compensate them."
"I came to listen to objections." Lin Nuo pulled out the chair opposite her, but didn't sit down. "You've already written review reasons for everyone on the list. At least let me know why these reasons are worth the group changing its decision."
Lois pushed the photography team's materials across. Lin Nuo didn't interrupt, read through them page by page, and on the spot withdrew several of the transfers among them.
He didn't appease her with promises, only handling things based on specific positions. Lois's prepared interrogation lost its target, and her tensed shoulders slowly relaxed.
"There is still a restaurant open nearby." Lin Nuo glanced at the cooled coffee. "If you continue working, tonight you'll only get through it by relying on coffee. Eat first and then come back; I can continue listening to you curse the group."
Lois wanted to refuse, but the spasms in her stomach gave the answer first.
There was no private buyout in the restaurant, nor any public relations team waiting to take pictures. Lin Nuochose a window-side seat and left both the menu and seat selection to her.
"You seem very familiar with how to deal with reporters." Lois put down her cutlery. "Step back a little, admit a little, and then prove through practical actions that you are willing to change. This set of methods makes it very easy for people to let down their guard."
"If I deny it, you will think I am hypocritical. If I admit it, you will treat it as a technique." Lin Nuo pushed his gold-rimmed glasses. "It seems the safest answer tonight is to listen carefully to the end."
Lois was blocked by this candid response. She thought of the back view of Clark leaving the hospital, and the emotions suppressed for a whole day finally showed a breach.
"I know his work is important, and I know many people need him. But he always makes me wait after danger occurs, and then tells me after he returns that everything is already over."
Lin Nuo didn't ask where Clark went, only pushing a Water cup toward her fingertips.
"Clark is a good person, but he doesn't understand your persistence as a reporter, because he never needs to worry about making a living. He is accustomed to solving immediate danger, and also accustomed to treating concealment as protection."
Lois gripped the rim of the cup, her fingertips pausing for a long time.
"Sometimes I feel like Clark lives in another World." She said in a low voice. "He loves this World and is willing to save everyone. Yet when I stand by his side, I still have to guess when he will return."
This sentence crossed the boundary she had always guarded. Lois raised her head, wanting to find smugness on Lin Nuo's face, but only saw a brief silence.
"I too once lost the person I loved." Lin Nuo untied his cuffs, letting the bandage no longer press against the wound. "I thought that as long as I had enough power, I could bring them back from disaster. In the end, all I grasped was a constantly collapsing timeline."
That experience was spoken of very lightly by him. Yet Loissaw the scarlet cracks emerging beneath the back of his hand, like some kind of unhealed old wound.
"So you build medical stations, energy projects, and rescue teams?" For the first time, Lois did not ask in an interrogation tone.
"Because people waiting for rescue shouldn't be left with only waiting." Lin Nuo picked up the bill, his tone returning to calm. "Tonight's meal does not come with an interview exchange, nor will it require you to change your reporting conclusion."
When leaving the restaurant, the night wind carried a chill. Lin Nuo draped his coat over Lois's shoulders, withdrawing his hand after just touching the edge of the fabric.
And outside the restaurant window, Clark, who had just returned from the Sun, saw Lin Nuo draping the coat over Lois's shoulders.