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*****
Starlight Corporation, press conference venue.
In the past half year, as Starlight Corporation expanded its operations, one superhero after another had appeared in the public eye, becoming superstars. At the same time, Starlight itself grew at an astonishing pace, becoming nothing short of a "miracle."
Today, Starlight was about to introduce yet another new superhero — and every time they launched one, it became the focus of the entire world.
The press conference was only minutes away.
"Clark, come quickly!"
Lois smiled and reached out her hand to him.
Slap!
Another hand landed on hers, pushing it aside.
Carrie glanced sideways at Lois and said, "What are you pulling him for? We're about to arrive."
Lois, still smiling, brushed her hair aside and replied, "I'm weak, unlike you. You're strong as an ox — you don't need a man to take care of you."
At those words, Carrie's lips twisted with irritation.
She might not need a man's care, but she certainly needed Clark's care.
And she couldn't afford to lose her temper in front of him.
So, she forced a graceful smile, her face full of concern, and said, "Oh my, that's why I told you — you should be resting. Feeling weak during pregnancy is perfectly normal."
Lois's eyes widened.
Pregnant? You're the one who's pregnant!
Clark sighed wearily.
He had to find the right moment to come clean to them both.
He was in love — with someone else.
Thinking of that face, Clark couldn't help but smile faintly.
Watching the two women bicker, Clark was about to quiet them down when his phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID, joy flickering across his face, and quickly stepped aside to answer.
"Dad, are you back from your trip?"
"Mm."
Mike's calm voice came through. "I called as soon as we got back. Sorry to make you all worry."
"As long as you're back, that's what matters."
"By the way, did anything happen at home while we were gone these past few months?"
"Nothing at home, but this world has changed a lot," Clark replied after a pause. "Step outside or check online, you'll see."
He hesitated, then added, "Also… Tony wants to discuss some things with you."
"Discuss things? What kind?"
"Some matters regarding Starlight Corporation."
Mike paused briefly, then said, "We'll talk after you're off work. As for Gwen's school—"
"No need to worry, I got her a long leave."
"That's good."
After a moment of silence, Clark asked, "Didn't you say it would only be a few minutes?"
"Ah, that… Since we stayed longer over there, Gwen grew up quite a bit. So I adjusted the return time."
"Is that so?" Clark muttered. "I thought maybe something went wrong with your return."
"How could anything go wrong?" Mike chuckled. "I'll check online and see the changes you mentioned."
He hung up quickly, only to find Gwen, fresh from her shower, standing in the doorway, staring at him speechlessly. Mike cleared his throat and said, "I asked for you. Your brother arranged a leave of absence from school, so you won't be expelled."
Relieved, Gwen exhaled. "That's great."
"I'm going to see Peter and the others."
It was Sunday, and she had already called them in advance.
"Go on."
Mike waved her off. "But come back early."
"Mm!"
Gwen nodded and hurried out.
Mike then called Charles and Erik to let them know he was back safely before heading into the shower.
A few minutes later, tea in hand, Mike sat down in front of his computer.
Opening a news page, his brows furrowed.
Superhero Shadow rescues an innocent girl at night.
Superhero Firewave defeats robbers, prevents bank losses.
Superhero…
Everywhere he looked, the headlines were filled with superhero stories — more than half the news was about them.
But most of these heroes were unfamiliar to Mike. Stories about the X-Men or the Avengers were rare.
Of course, that might simply be because no major crises had occurred lately, nothing requiring their intervention.
But apart from those reports, there was another type of news that made Mike smile.
It was about Future Technologies.
In just a few months, the company had released several products, all of which were well-received in the market. It was growing stronger and stronger.
"Erik and the others are doing quite well," Mike said with a smile. But his expression hardened again as he turned back to the superhero news.
Why were there so many new superheroes?
"Is it because of that… Starlight Corporation?"
Mike suddenly remembered the company that had appeared six months ago, just before he left — the one built around superheroes as its business model.
He searched for it. Reading the news, his frown deepened.
This company was now the hottest corporation in the world — the center of global attention.
Its rapid development and its strategy of launching superheroes as celebrities all carried an unsettling air.
Superhero merchandise. Superhero endorsements. Superhero rankings. Superhero fan clubs. Superhero movies…
Every business revolved around superheroes, and the profits were staggering.
These days, if you stopped ten people on the street, at least half would be fans of some superhero.
In contrast, while the X-Men and Avengers had also gained more fans, they weren't like Starlight's heroes, who flaunted themselves daily. Even catching a robber became a headline. They wanted the whole world to know about every move.
And so, as Starlight's roster of heroes grew, the X-Men and Avengers were steadily overshadowed.
But they didn't care.
They weren't concerned about publicity or popularity. Their duty was simply to do what had to be done — handle crises, protect people, safeguard cities, and defend the planet.
Mike closed the computer, troubled by the feeling that this situation could grow into a major problem.
Thinking of what Clark had said earlier about Tony wanting to see him, Mike dialed Tony's number.
There was no answer, so he set the phone aside.
Just then, Gwen burst into the room.
"What is it?"
Mike casually pulled a tissue from his dimensional space and wiped the sweat off her forehead.
They'd been gone for just over six months, and now it was August — the hottest time of year.
Catching her breath, Gwen said excitedly, "Dad, Luke wasn't home — do you know what he's doing?"
"What is he doing?" Mike asked absently as he tossed the tissue into the trash.
"He's become a superhero!"
"Hm?"
(End of chapter)