The Confession and the Wager
Luke didn't immediately answer the girl's question, instead teasing,
"Didn't you say you weren't interested in the armor?"
Linda's eyes darted. "That was before. Now it's different."
No one ignores something that could potentially threaten their life.
Luke raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. While organizing the data, he said casually, "It's fine to be interested, but don't get any ideas. The Phantom Armor has a self-destruct system. If something happens, don't say I didn't warn you."
Linda snapped, "What do you take me for? This ugly armor? I wouldn't wear it if you gave it to me for free."
Hey!
Luke was displeased. "Do you understand art? If you don't, don't talk nonsense."
"Look closely. Beyond the streamlined exterior design, the Phantom 1 has five key elements: Black Death, Purple Mystery, Blue Fantasy, Metal Technology, and Mecha Warfare. These five elements are distinct in style, yet I have perfectly integrated them to create a groundbreaking work of art."
"It's like an assassin who traveled back from the future—cold, mysterious, ruthless, and filled with a haunting beauty. You call something this perfect ugly? What a waste of those eyes."
Linda curled her lip. "A pile of scrap metal, and you call it art! Aren't you embarrassed?"
Luke: "..."
"There's no way to communicate with you. We have nothing to discuss."
Linda pulled up a chair next to Luke and said seriously, "But I want to talk to you."
Luke asked suspiciously, "About what?"
"You agreed to help me. Was it because of this armor?"
"Why are we talking about the armor? They're completely unrelated!"
"Don't change the subject." Linda's face grew serious. "I may not like schemes and conspiracies, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid. You're helping me because you want to get Kryptonian technology from me to perfect the Phantom Armor, right?"
Luke stopped his work and slowly nodded.
"Undeniably, you are absolutely correct, but you missed the most important point: Fate."
"Fate?"
Linda scoffed. "That's the most shameless explanation I've ever heard."
Luke smiled and asked a question. "Do you know how much energy that last test cost?"
He held up four fingers.
"40%!"
"In less than two minutes, nearly half the energy was consumed."
He sighed, sounding frustrated and helpless.
"A man who doesn't worry about size but fears weak knees and insufficient 'kidney power'—a guy who can't last five minutes—what good is he?"
Linda's face flushed, and she glared at him angrily. Bastard! He's talking dirty again.
Luke continued, "To solve the energy problem, I tried virtually every technology on Earth. I even built a nuclear reactor as an auxiliary power source. The result? Still no good."
"For two whole years, I guarded the Phantom 1. The ideas in my mind surged like a tsunami, but they couldn't be realized because of the energy issue. Energy was like a dam, blocking every path. You don't know how agonizing that feeling is. And then, you appeared, bringing more advanced alien technology right to me."
"To me, this is fate. I help you deal with the FBI and regain your freedom, and you help me solve my energy problem."
Linda said with a tight expression, "So, this is just a transaction."
Luke shrugged. "Personally, a transaction with no emotional entanglement is the best choice. After all, you're an alien, and I'm an Earthling. We are fundamentally different. But reality always throws in surprises."
"Sometimes I wish you were an insect. If you were, I could use every means necessary to knock out whatever I wanted from you. Unfortunately, you happen to be a beautiful woman with fair skin, and that makes things a headache."
Linda narrowed her eyes, staring hard at him. "I could kill you with one punch for that last comment."
Luke laughed dismissively. "People love to hear lies because they sound pleasant, and the truth is annoying. Even when choosing between the two, most people will choose the former. A beautiful life within a lie is far better than a tragic situation in reality. Don't you agree?"
"I don't want to hear your sophistry. I'll just ask you one thing: If I give you Kryptonian technology, will you use it against Kryptonians?"
"Yes!"
Luke answered without hesitation, his serious demeanor infuriating. This bastard really thinks I can't do anything to him.
"Enough. Don't test me with such a childish question. I know what you're worried about, and I understand your feelings. The reason I won't give you a guarantee is that I don't want to lie to you."
"The future is always changing. No one knows what will happen. Suppose one day you are mind-controlled and come to kill me. Should I just surrender and let you slaughter me?"
Linda was speechless.
Luke continued, "If you're still uneasy, you're welcome to be my presidential assistant at ShowMe anytime."
"I am not going to be your secretary! Don't think I don't know your intentions—you just want a meat shield, a personal enforcer, and a maid rolled into one. Dream on."
Linda stood up to leave. At the door, she turned back.
"We leave tomorrow night. Before then, get your company affairs in order. Once we're aboard, I will grant you access so you can freely study the knowledge in the Fortress of Solitude. The limit is one month. It's not like you'll learn much anyway."
With that, she vanished.
Luke curved his lips, his expression strange.
"One month? You greatly underestimate Kryptonian technology reserves."
To a genius who mastered quantum theory by the age of five, one month was an eternity.
The Departure
The next morning, Luke called a company-wide meeting. He handed the detailed update plan and future arrangements to a few trusted employees and announced that Charlie would temporarily assume the role of CEO during his absence, responsible for all company affairs.
Cindy, Zacks, and a few others asked why he was leaving. Luke didn't explain much, only saying he had important matters to handle and would be back in a month, telling them not to worry and to focus on their work.
After arranging company matters, Luke called his family and friends, then began preparing clothes and supplies.
Having lived two lives, totaling nearly half a century, he had never left Earth. The thought of leaving the planet and stepping into the vast galaxy filled him with an unstoppable thrill.
The feeling was like traveling abroad for the first time—curiosity and excitement mixed with a bit of apprehension.
At eleven o'clock that night, a container loaded with his gear lifted off from the Coast City dock and vanished like a shooting star.
Under the cover of darkness, the container traveled rapidly from south to north. Before long, it landed on an island in the Arctic Ocean.
Luke, wearing an arctic survival suit, stepped out of the container and looked curiously at the behemoth rising from the ice.
The numerous crystal pillars, shimmering with different lights, stood against a colorful sky. The interplay of light created an oil-painting-like spectacle of majestic beauty.
"So this is the Fortress of Solitude?"
"It's absolutely beautiful!"
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