mtl008 Chapter 4296 Body of Steel (1)
Chapter 4296 Body of Steel (1)
Chapter 4296 Body of Steel (Part 1)
The desolate and bleak winter arrived as scheduled. The gray brick walls of the cemetery turned bluish-black from the seeping snowmelt. The layers of Gothic roof decorations were covered with snow, whiter than white itself. The dense branches of deciduous trees stretched out in the distance, creating a gray expanse. The moon blended into the pale light, revealing only a faint outline.
A figure stood before a tombstone. He was tall and strong, yet appeared so small amidst the endless rows of tombstones. Another person stood beside him, their profile obscured by the moonlight.
“You never told me this.” Clark Kent looked down at the name on the grave, then at the person standing beside him. The other man was as serious as ever, and Clark sensed an emptiness in his grief, which sent a chill down his spine.
Bruce Wayne, a man who looked somewhat aged, bent down, brushed the snow off the tombstone, and said, "This is not your responsibility. You don't need to know."
“I just…” Clark Kent’s abrupt pause was like the sluggish braking of a car after it had hit something. He lowered his head, closed his eyes briefly, and then said, “The media never reported that you had a son. And nobody knew he was dead. If I had known, I…”
Would you be more polite to an elderly father who has lost his son?
Clark turned his head away, gazing at the distant falling snow. He drifted into thought, trying to recall if, over the years, he had ever heard a child cry for help, or a father weep in anguish. But he couldn't remember, and so he remained silent.
“This is you, Clark Kent.” Bruce Wayne stood up, looked at him and said, “The things you think you should bear will cloud your judgment and ultimately lead to a terrible mistake.”
“I won’t,” he said stubbornly. “I can prove it. Those things won’t break me; they’ll only make me better.”
“A month ago, the probe I deployed in low Earth orbit detected a signal activity that doesn’t belong to Earth. I think it’s coming to cause you trouble. Are you prepared?”
“I won’t do less than you,” he said. “You have to admit that, Batman. Whatever I become, good or evil, I will change the world.”
Bruce Wayne turned away, took one last look at the tombstone, and said, “I never deny that. It’s just that, more important than me or ordinary people, is whether you can handle this change. Like I said, the things you’re carrying might weigh you down and lead you to make a terrible mistake.”
He walked away into the snow without looking back, and Clark Kent stood there, watching his figure disappear into the grayness. He turned to look at the tombstone. Snow had also settled in the tiny cracks between the inscriptions on the tombstone.
“Damian Wayne,” he said softly, “I’ve never been good at letting anyone down, including your father.”
As he turned and left, and the last snowflake fell on the grave mound, fine pebbles rolled down from the thinnest layer of soil and into the pure white snow, like a series of tiny footprints.
“Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Prince. I am Schiller Rodriguez, a businessman and antique collector from England. This is my business card.”
Diana Prince sized up the man opposite her. He wore a slightly retro Scottish-patterned suit, his hair was a little long but neatly combed back, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses. He seemed to have just returned from vacation, still bearing some lingering sunspots. His eyes were deep-set, his eyebrows were downturned, and the corners of his mouth were faintly upturned, giving him a very approachable appearance.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rodriguez.” Diana Prince smiled, her lips pressed tightly together. “I’ve read the email you sent me about the ‘disappearing serpent’s tail. To be honest, it’s quite astonishing. I simply can’t imagine that the ‘Serpent of Frigan’ in the British Museum is actually a fake, as rumored. If this gets out, the art collecting world will probably be shaken up again.”
"As you said, madam. This treasure from ancient Egypt was switched at some point. That is indeed shocking enough, but what's more troubling is that in 1961, the British Royal Family—to be precise, Her Majesty the Queen—lent this exhibit for a Royal Charity Exhibition at the end of 1961. Prior to that, all the evidence indicated that there was nothing wrong with this precious snake tail."
“Oh, this is really troublesome,” Diana said, frowning deeply. “A royal scandal.”
“We believe the Queen was unaware of this matter. His Majesty must also be unaware of it. However, we cannot keep this a secret for long. Due to changes in foreign policy, we need to return this precious artifact to Egypt. This decision was made on the 10th. The Queen does not want to go against the Prime Minister.”
“This is a huge problem,” Diana said, pressing her hand to her temple. “If we return the fake one, we’ll become a laughingstock.”
“Exactly. The Queen cannot afford to lose face like this, and MI6 cannot change its foreign policy because of it. Some people from MI6 have come to me; they need me to solve their problems. I’ve done some investigation, and all the clues point to another continent.”
You mean America?
"Yes. During World War II, many collectors moved their collections to this relatively safe continent, which formed a fairly mature system. And this is also where the thief who switched the treasures sold his loot. That's why I came to you, madam. I hope you can help us find the precious serpent's tail."
Diana shook her head slightly, as if to shake it, but perhaps only to express uncertainty. She pressed two fingers to her temples and said, "I'm not some famous collector. Why would you come to me?"
“We all know that the best collectors are not the kind of clowns who jump around in the spotlight. It is precisely because you are mysterious and reserved that we feel you are the best person to do this.”
Diana sighed softly and said, "I do not wish for any diplomatic incident between Britain and Egypt, and I regret what has happened to the Royal Family. But I'm afraid I really can't help. I have no clue what to do about it."
"Don't rush, ma'am. You can take a look at this first."
Diana saw him place several photographs on the table. She picked them up, glanced at them, and frowned. The photographs were all of her, and they were all quite old.
"Madam, in that turbulent era, every country's intelligence agencies were pulling out all the stops to find incriminating evidence against each other and capture classified information. You should have expected to appear in the photos. After all, someone whose appearance hasn't changed for decades would definitely be a prime target for these hyenas."
Diana took a deep breath. Her eyes turned cold as she looked at the man opposite her and said, "You're trying to threaten me?"
To his surprise, the other party shook his head and said, "Of course not. Neither my employer nor I are foolish enough to think that a person only has a long lifespan and no other abilities. We would not threaten such a person. We just want to tell you that if you want to live better in ordinary society, you need the help of some professionals. If you help us as well, we can both benefit."
Diana seemed somewhat angry. She stared at the photos, flipping through them one by one. But just as she reached the last one, the familiar face of the man in the photo seemed to deflate her spirits.
“Steve…”
“Tell me about the snake’s tail,” she heard herself say. “I can’t guarantee I can really find it for you; I can only do my best.”
“That’s enough, madam. Let’s talk about this treasure. The Serpent of Frigan is a huge sculptural mural, 3 meters wide and 1.5 meters high, divided into three sections: the serpent’s head, body, and tail. What we’re looking for is the tail, which has long been replaced with a fake. The main reason this section is considered a treasure is because it’s inlaid with a superb emerald with a diameter of over 40 millimeters.”
The rooftops of the tallest buildings in the metropolis were also covered in snow. From the floor-to-ceiling windows of the top-floor offices, the entire city looked like a castle inside a crystal ball, completely transformed and appearing even smaller.
A young man in a suit turned around. He looked young, but his attire was somewhat dated. He began pacing back and forth in the office, muttering something to himself.
“Let that liar in!” he said. “God will punish him.”
A man in a tartan suit walked into the office. He nodded to the young man and said, “Good afternoon, Mr. Lex Luther. I am Schiller Rodriguez, a businessman and collector from England…”
“Alright, enough nonsense!” Lex Luthor pointed and said, “I’ll give you ten seconds to convince me to buy your junk. Otherwise, I’ll dump you and all those 100+ emails you sent me into the Atlantic Ocean.”
“It won’t take that long, sir.” He said slowly, “I have the original tail of the Phrygian Serpent in the British Museum’s collection. It’s a world-class treasure.”
“Ha!” Lex Luthor laughed loudly. “Treasures? A pile of junk buried in the sand thousands of years ago?!”
"Now that you've read the email I sent you, you must have seen the radiation test report. I think this emerald on the snake's tail buried in the sand will catch your eye."
“Don’t try to fool me.” Lex Luthor, hands in his pockets, strode over, almost touching the man’s face, and said, “Tell me what that thing is. If it really satisfies me, name your price.”
“I don’t know what it is, Lex,” he heard him say. “But I do know, and you can know. You can have it tested first, and pay me if you’re satisfied.”
Lex narrowed his eyes, shook his head, and stepped back. "You said it was a radioactive substance. That's dangerous."
"Yes. But I think you deserve such danger."
"Hahahahahaha!" Lex suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. He stretched out his arms, spun around, stopped, stared out the window, and said, "Go kiss the Atlantic, you bastard!"
"Should I call for help?" The voice from behind Lex remained light and airy, sounding completely unnerved. "Or should I call 'Superman'?"
Lex whirled around, staring at him like a venomous snake. The other man's eyes were half-closed, and when his eyelashes drooped, the color of his pupils was not even visible.
"Perhaps I should indeed find another buyer for this dangerous treasure."
"You think Superman could afford that?!"
"If everyone is worried about radiation, then perhaps only this god-like hero can take on the task. I'm willing to pay whatever he can afford; I just want to get rid of this hot potato."
Lex gritted his teeth, the muscles in his cheeks trembling slightly. After a long pause, he said, "Give me the money. Take it and get out of here!"
"Thank you for your patronage, sir. This priceless treasure will not disappoint you."
(End of this chapter)