"Alright, that should do it, right?"
Driving his tractor, Locke shoved the oval-shaped object covered in black cloth into the basement of his own barn. Going through the motions, he asked, "You two are really planning to adopt that baby?"
"You know we've always needed a child."
Jonathan patted Locke's shoulder. His voice was firm, though a trace of weariness flickered in his eyes.
Locke frowned, his gaze sweeping toward the still-smoldering wreckage of the Kent family's barn. He asked worriedly:
"But your barn was just burned down. What about this year's harvest? Financially…"
"Hahaha…"
Jonathan gave an embarrassed laugh, scratching his head.
"Actually, this afternoon I hadn't had time to move the grain into the barn yet, so the loss isn't too bad."
"Most of the wheat is still stacked under the temporary shed by the fields."
Hearing this, Locke's guilt eased somewhat.
He couldn't shake the feeling that it was because of him—that Dio's arrival had caused this disaster.
That fire… that mysterious man who vanished… it was all too strange.
Was this really how the so-called "adoption golden finger" worked—by delivering him a child like this?
"Come on, Martha's waiting for us."
Breaking Locke's train of thought, Jonathan's tone grew lighter.
The two of them walked together toward the Kent house.
The afterglow of the moonlight spilled across the charred remains of the barn, leaving a dark red glow.
Fortunately, this was a remote farm. A single barn fire wouldn't draw much attention.
Only Locke, whose house was built closer to Jonathan's, had noticed it right away.
Thunk!
Pushing open the door, they found Martha sitting on the living room sofa, cradling two infants, her face filled with worry.
"You're back!"
She lifted her head, eyes scanning them anxiously. "That… spaceship—did you hide it?"
Locke nodded and said quietly: "I put it in my basement, covered with a black cloth. No one will find it for now."
Martha let out a long sigh, her tense shoulders finally relaxing.
"But it really is strange…" Jonathan muttered, sitting down on the sofa, his rough fingers gently stroking Clark's swaddled forehead. "How did the barn suddenly catch fire? The wiring was fine, no thunderstorms, not even sparks around."
Martha shook her head, her expression puzzled:
"We had barely left when the fire started. It was almost like…" She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Like something directly crashed into it?"
At this, Locke's heart skipped a beat. Clearing his throat, he said half-truthfully:
"Maybe the weather's too dry? The heat built up inside the grain stack and caused a fire?"
"When I found this baby at my doorstep, I heard a loud boom… and right after that, your barn went up in flames."
At his words, Jonathan and Martha both raised their heads, their eyes darting between Locke and Dio.
"You're saying…" Jonathan frowned, "The moment this baby appeared, the barn caught fire?"
Locke nodded, deliberately showing a helpless expression:
"I think it's odd too, but… that's the truth."
"I see…" Martha was silent for a while. Then she let out a soft sigh, lowered her head toward the two babies in her arms, and slowly smiled. Her gaze was so gentle it could melt ice and snow: "Perhaps… this is a blessing in disguise."
She lowered her eyes, looking lovingly at the infants.
"The more I look at them, the more I like them. Especially this little one—he's sleeping so soundly."
She gently brushed Clark's forehead, then glanced toward Dio on the other side. "Though this blond little one… he cried terribly just now. At least he's quiet now."
Jonathan froze for a moment, then chuckled.
"Yes. Even though we lost a barn, we've gained two wonderful children."
Unable to hold back a smile, Locke stepped closer and looked down at Dio.
The infant's blond hair gleamed faintly under the lamplight, while the star-shaped birthmark on his neck stood out vividly.
He couldn't help but reach out and touch Dio's tiny hand—only for the baby to suddenly grasp his finger tightly.
"Looks like he really likes you, Locke." Martha smiled as she passed the infant into his arms, but then her expression dimmed slightly. "Are you really going to adopt this child? You're still single… if you take him in—"
"Well, since I just happened to find him…" Locke took Dio into his arms, holding him close. "Maybe this is fate between me and him—just like you and that little one."
"Hahahaha!"
"Then from today on, our family will have two little ones! Clark Kent, and…"
Jonathan paused, glancing at Locke. "What should this child be called?"
Locke fell silent for a moment. In his mind flashed the image of that man turning to ash, and the cold system prompt echoing in his ears.
Taking a deep breath, he said slowly: "Dio Kent."
"Dio Kent…" Jonathan repeated, nodding with a smile. "Good name!"
...
Seven years passed in the blink of an eye.
No one paid much attention to two ordinary households suddenly gaining two extra children.
If anything, perhaps thanks to these two little ones, the farmers of Smallville had been living better and better these past years.
Even Locke, once a struggling novice farmer, had managed to expand his farm. With careful planning and Jonathan's constant support, he finally escaped the crushing burden of taxes.
Jonathan and Martha were the same—their barn had long been rebuilt, larger and sturdier than before, and even that old tractor had been replaced with the latest model.
But what the townsfolk loved to gossip about most… was still the Kent family's two boys—
Clark and Dio.
Clark had shown unusual traits from an early age.
His strength was astonishing. By five years old, he could lift hay bales that grown men couldn't budge; when he ran, he was like the wind—faster even than Smallville's quickest sheepdog.
Jonathan and Martha, having discovered Clark's difference from ordinary people, were filled with both pride and worry.
Again and again, they reminded him: "Be careful. Don't let anyone find out."
By contrast, Dio was the very picture of—
The "perfect child."
By three, he could read fluently. At five, he was already helping Locke alongside Clark, always polite and respectful to everyone.
Even in kindergarten, teachers praised him as a "well-mannered prodigy child."
The townsfolk admired him greatly, often visiting Locke to ask for parenting advice and details about Dio's daily life.
So then…
What did the "prodigy child" do in daily life?
"Daddy…"
"Uncle Jonathan, wuuu…"
"Clark, did you bully Dio again?" Martha crouched down, gently wiping Dio's tears. "There, there. Don't cry."
"I didn't!" Clark protested helplessly, holding up a book dripping with slop. "I just wanted to see what Dio was reading. I didn't mean to throw it into the pig trough—I just used too much strength by accident."
"Clark, don't use force on your brother. Your strength is too much. Dio is just an ordinary child," Jonathan sighed. "You need to learn to control yourself."
"I really did hold back!" Clark's voice cracked, his eyes turning red. "I swear it wasn't on purpose!"
"Alright, Clark," Martha soothed, stroking his hair. "You're the older brother. Go apologize to Dio."
"Why is it always me who has to apologize? I wasn't even wrong this time!"
Bang!
The door opened, and a man stepped in, folding up his umbrella and grumbling, "The weather's been way too unpredictable lately. Jonathan, better keep an eye on your haystacks."
"Huh?!"
As if suddenly remembering, Jonathan bolted outside. "My haystacks!!"
…Well, those two really hadn't changed much in seven years.
Of course, that wasn't exactly true.
Locke had grown much stronger, and somehow even taller—as though he'd gone through another growth spurt.
Measured carefully…
He had gone from 187 cm to a staggering 195 cm!