Chapter 444: The Battle of the Kryptonians (2)
A Public Relations Rescue
As a seasoned veteran of the media industry, Lois Lane was perfectly clear on the rules of the game.
"No matter what Zod's goal is, we have to act proactively. Clark, you're a good person, a hero who saves the world. You can't let them slander you. Once mud is slung, it's difficult to wash off."
Clark knew his girlfriend was looking out for him. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "What do you think I should do?"
"Step up, explain the truth, and clearly state your position, regardless of the outcome."
Lois was highly capable. She instantly spotted the crux of the problem. With her boyfriend's consent, she immediately used her connections to contact the White House, arranging a special "Face-to-Face with Superman" interview to be held that afternoon at 3:00 PM.
However, she never imagined that the person responsible for liaising with Superman would be her own father, General Sam Lane.
Inside a certain military base, Lois, accompanying the "Superman" in handcuffs into the interrogation room, instantly froze when she saw the old man in military uniform nearby.
Clark was equally stunned. Why was his future father-in-law here?
Sam Lane was just as astonished. He knew his elder daughter was dating a simple-minded boyfriend from a farm. He had repeatedly used his resources to investigate the "fool's" identity and relaxed only when he found nothing abnormal.
But he never imagined that the simple-minded boy would look so much like Superman.
Pfft!
Luke Shaw burst out laughing, examining the trio with an incredibly peculiar gaze before swaggering into the waiting room. He wanted to see how Lois was going to talk her way out of this.
The Interrogation of 'Superman'
The atmosphere was incredibly awkward.
Lois sat in the interrogation room with the handcuffed "Superman," unable to utter a single line of her prepared speech. The thought of her father staring intensely through the window made her skin crawl, and her hands and feet began to tremble.
If she was miserable, Clark was worse.
His first time meeting his future father-in-law was in this setting, making him extremely anxious and restless. He was terrified of being recognized, which would leave him utterly unable to explain himself.
After a long time, Lois finally coughed.
"Let's... let's start with your origin."
"You came from an alien civilization, the same place as General Zod."
"Yes."
"Why did you come to Earth?"
"It was an accident, and a choice. A choice my parents made for their child. They believed I could survive here and do something meaningful."
"Something meaningful—do you mean saving people?"
"Yes, using my strength to do everything I can."
"From an objective standpoint, you've done excellent work."
Lois tried her best to remain calm. "According to our statistics, you've saved at least a thousand lives, and they are all grateful to you. But now Zod has arrived as an invader. If he starts a war, what will you do?"
"That is why I am here. If surrendering can end the conflict, I am willing to try."
The War is Inevitable
The conversation lasted forty minutes. While it stumbled a bit initially, it became increasingly fluid as both of them shook off the shadow of Sam Lane and recovered their professional demeanor.
It had to be admitted that Lois was a very clever woman.
This carefully arranged event completely reversed Clark's awkward position. Even if war did break out, it would be difficult for Earthlings to pin the blame on a hero.
Unfortunately, Sam Lane didn't see it that way. He stared intensely at Clark Kent through the glass, growing more suspicious of the boy's identity. The thought of his beloved daughter being romantically involved with an alien was enough to break his heart.
Luke Shaw rubbed his nose. Seeing the conversation conclude, he spoke.
"General, do you have any questions?"
"No," Sam Lane snorted, leaving without looking back.
Luke Shaw beckoned to the commanding officer.
"Take your men outside. I have something to discuss with them."
The officer hesitated, looked at the person in charge, and only after receiving a nod did he motion for his subordinates to leave the waiting room.
Luke Shaw carried a chair into the interrogation room and sat between them, his tone full of teasing.
"General Lane's face was as dark as a pot bottom when he left. I'm very curious about the scene when you eventually visit your father-in-law's house. It's going to be hilarious."
Clark was incredibly embarrassed, but Lois was tense.
"Don't joke around, there are surveillance cameras here."
"Relax. The moment I walked in, all the cameras went dark. No one knows what we're saying."
Clark asked curiously, "Why are you here?"
"I'm the security consultant specifically hired by the White House for this event. Of course, Linda is also a reason. Zod has declared war. How are you going to respond?"
"Surrender, let them take you away, or fight hard?"
Clark remained silent. He had been thinking about this constantly. Lois, knowing Luke Shaw's methods, couldn't help but ask,
"Do you have any suggestions?"
"War is the only way to solve this problem."
The sentence instantly froze them both. Luke Shaw continued.
"Two years ago, Linda and I encountered Zod and his crew when we returned to Krypton. They hijacked Linda and tried to seize control of the Fortress of Solitude. I defeated them and severely humiliated them."
"Zod's target isn't you; it's the Codex—the Life Code. The Codex contains the genetic blueprint of all Kryptonians, and possessing it will allow him to rebuild Kryptonian civilization."
"Finding you is just the first step. The next is seizing the Codex and altering the Earth's environment to make it suitable for Kryptonian growth. Therefore, no matter what you do, war will break out."
"It's the inevitable result. Unless you can talk Zod out of his plan to rebuild civilization, which I don't think is possible. Even if you somehow succeed, there's still H'el..."
"He's the most troublesome opponent."
The atmosphere in the interrogation room was heavy. Clark had been wondering why Zod hadn't called out Kara and only demanded his surrender. Now he knew it was for the Life Code.
Rebuilding Krypton on Earth meant starting a war with the entire civilization.
Lois thought more deeply, speaking solemnly, "Is everything you're saying true?"
"Linda was there. You can call her."
Hearing this, Lois stopped doubting. She nervously squeezed her fingers, unable to hide her worry.
Few sane people wish for war. Once war begins, life becomes worthless. Both for personal reasons and from a public perspective, Lois did not want to see conflict erupt between the Kryptonians and Earth.
After a while, Clark looked up.
"I have to go see him."
Luke Shaw shed his friendly demeanor, speaking coldly, "There's one more thing I haven't told you: Your birth father, Jor-El, died at Zod's hands. Do you still insist on seeing him?"
"Yes, I must go."
Clark's expression was firm, but perplexing.
Luke Shaw could not understand his insistence. In his view, an enemy of life and death should be eliminated by any means necessary, not engaged in futile talk. That only happens in comic books. Doing that in reality would lead to utter destruction.
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