"Blackmail?"
Barry blinked.
"I don't think they would do that. I think those police officers are good. I even met Commissioner Gordon of the Gotham City Police Department. He's a very good person, and I talked to him for a bit. If I were a police officer in Gotham, I might be willing to follow him."
Barry gave a relatively positive evaluation of the police in Gotham.
"Commissioner Gordon?"
Hearing Barry mention that name, Eric's brows furrowed.
"I think you should forget a very important fact, and that is—"
Hal picked up the coffee from the table, took a small sip, and frowned slightly, disliking the bitter coffee. He said, "Barry, you're also a police officer. Although you're a police officer in Star City, you belong to the same profession."
"But I don't think that matters."
"Don't you know that bureaucrats and bureaucratic systems always collude and conspire with each other? And you can't see your own problems, just like an observer sees a chess game more clearly than the player."
Hal had never had a good impression of American politics and politicians, and by extension, he didn't trust the police either.
Even though he prided himself on being a "Cosmic Police."
"Hmm."
Barry thought for a moment, then said to Eric, "Regardless, I don't think you should bring the enhanced army into Gotham, Eric."
"Why not?"
Eric had originally turned his gaze towards the window, looking at the city skyline.
The midday sun cast a dazzling light on the buildings.
After hearing Barry's words, Eric turned around and looked into his eyes.
"I…"
Looking into Eric's eyes, Barry was momentarily speechless.
"Just because you think there are many good people in Gotham, you think I'm wrong, Barry?"
Eric asked Barry.
"No, I… I didn't think that, Eric. I just… I just think we shouldn't interfere too much."
Eric withdrew his gaze from Barry and picked up the coffee Hanna had prepared for him on the conference table.
He took a small sip, and the bitter coffee made his taste buds exceptionally happy.
"There's one thing you said that I agree with, Barry, and that is Gotham, as the city with the highest crime rate in America, needs to make some changes."
As he spoke, he pulled out a document and threw it on the table.
"Look at this."
Eric gestured for Barry to look at the document he had thrown to him.
Barry didn't know what Eric meant, so he picked up the document in confusion and carefully read the text on it.
The document in front of him was an investigation report.
And the person being investigated was one of Gotham's underworld kingpins—Penguin!
"That city has countless people plotting against me. The person you're looking at, Penguin, Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, the owner of the Iceberg Restaurant, the largest force in Gotham's underground gangs.
He is a master criminal, an engineer, who uses his genius intellect to obtain money and power through criminal means.
He has enough wealth to make friends and connections.
Despite his extensive criminal history and prison record, he can easily escape and continue his crimes.
He has even tried to enter politics multiple times and spent huge sums on election campaigns.
He also knows many underworld bosses in Gotham City and has his subordinates spy on their activities.
He uses his influence to profit through cunning, witty intimidation."
Eric's face was cold as he said, "There are countless criminals like him in Gotham. I let such a person off the hook, but he secretly supports those unstable elements in Gotham, providing them with funds, intelligence, and information. He thinks what he does is flawless and can escape my eyes, but my eyes can see every corner, I can track down anyone I want to catch, I can hear any sound I want to hear!"
"When the Green Lantern Corps arrived, various hidden forces in Gotham were stirring, and even organizations that had been destroyed were preparing to make a comeback. Their actions have long been known to me."
Eric put down his coffee, his eyes gleaming with a cold light.
This dangerous gaze even made Barry somewhat uncomfortable.
Barry coughed, making sure his gaze didn't directly meet Eric's.
"The Court of Owls, the League of Assassins—these organizations hidden in the dark corners of Gotham, only by uprooting them will Gotham become somewhat normal. However, it will only be somewhat normal; it's impossible for it to be completely normal. It's completely rotten, beyond saving."
Hearing Eric mention the "Court of Owls" and the "League of Assassins," Barry was stunned.
He had never heard of these names.
"I…"
After a long silence, Barry said to Eric with a bitter taste in his mouth, "I think we can leave this kind of thing to the local government and the police department, like Commissioner Gordon of the police department, he's a very good police officer."
"Don't be too naive, Barry."
Eric gave Barry a displeased look and said, "You are not a politician, nor are you an activist who understands the ways of the world. For this kind of thing, it's best not to get too deeply involved. Compared to sending enhanced soldiers into Gotham this time, preventing Congress from dissolving the American government is something that goes even more against the so-called 'American spirit,' Barry, yet you did that without hesitation."
"That's different, I think…"
Barry wanted to say more, but under the table, Hal reached out and pulled his arm, signaling him to stop talking.
He looked at Hal, who shook his head slightly.
Finally, he sighed and decided to remain silent.
In the afternoon.
Eric left the Justice Society Hall and headed home.
At Kent Farm, Martha was working at the Talon Club, and Rachel was at school, leaving him alone on the entire farm.
Watching the livestock in the farm fence, Eric sat on the second floor of the barn's Secret Fortress, quietly sensing the farm's atmosphere, not speaking.
The warm sun from afar streamed in, illuminating the barn, creating a boundary between light and shadow.
Eric sat in the middle of the boundary, half his body bright, half in shadow.
The winter sun shone into the attic, bringing some warmth to the otherwise cold and damp barn.
At the edge of the Secret Fortress, a telescope was placed.
This was a spying tool Clark often used before he awakened his superpowers.
It was used to peek at the girl he liked, the school cheerleader—Lana.
Reaching out, Eric gently stroked the surface of the telescope, wiping away the dust.
Dust covered the telescope's surface, and the lens was even scratched.
Since he and Clark had completely broken off, few people had come here.
Except for Martha occasionally coming to clean, the place was deserted the rest of the time.
Eric gently wiped away the dust from the telescope, picked it up, and aimed it at his eyes.
The distant scenery suddenly rushed into his view.
What he saw through the telescope was Aunt Neil's farm.
Pale yellow rooms, desolate grass, a long-uncleaned pasture, a stable with fewer and fewer horses…
These familiar sights made his mind somewhat hazy.
Eric vaguely saw Lana there.
Lana's petite body, riding Tyson, galloped happily across the grass.
Tyson, due to illness, stopped after running for a while and began circling the hitching post.
Lana tugged on the reins, trying to make Tyson move forward, but Tyson wouldn't budge.
Finally, Lana had to dismount and gently pressed against Tyson's ear, softly comforting him while gently stroking his head.
After calming Tyson, Lana remounted, gripped the horse's flanks, and began to gallop forward.
The evening sun shone on her body, bathing her in a faint red glow.
Mid-ride, Lana turned around and smiled slightly in Eric's direction.
The familiar smile even made Eric feel like he was dreaming of his middle school days.
The next second, these illusions, born from his hazy mind, suddenly vanished.
Lana and Tyson's figures also disappeared in an instant.
Withdrawing his gaze, Eric slowly lowered the telescope in his hand.
He gently stroked his forehead, trying to relax his mind.
According to his personality, why would these sentimental and emotionally unconnected presences appear in his mind?
He clearly had no feelings for Lana; he just considered her a familiar stranger.
Why would he see her phantom in the telescope?
Had he become weak recently?
Or had he become affected by these fragile and useless emotions, leading to baseless thoughts?
Eric gently exhaled, closed his eyes, lowered his head, and gently pressed his temples to make himself more comfortable.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
A few minutes later, footsteps sounded behind him.
Then came the creaking sound of feet on wooden stairs.
Someone was coming upstairs!
"Brother? It really is Brother. I saw a figure here and thought it might be Brother, so I ran over."
Rachel's surprised voice sounded from behind Eric.
Turning around, he saw Rachel walking towards him.
Rachel, wearing a purple trench coat and a hood, happily looked at her brother, who was playing with the telescope.
"Why is Brother here?"
Rachel asked Eric curiously.
"I know!"
Before Eric could speak, Rachel looked as if she had suddenly understood.
"I know, Mom said this is where Brother and Clark often come. Did Brother come here because he misses Clark?"
Eric froze for a moment when his sister mentioned Clark.
He looked down at the telescope in his hand.
Was it not because of Lana, but because of Clark, that he subconsciously came here?
Emotionally 鈍的他, he finally realized.
"No…"
Eric naturally wouldn't admit it, shaking his head at Rachel.
"I just saw that no one was on the farm, so I came over to tidy up some odds and ends."
Eric said to Rachel, "Some of these farming tools need repair, and some are beyond use and need to be replaced. Also, the lawnmower has been broken for a long time, and I plan to help fix it."
He stood up and pointed to the tools stored on the first floor.
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