Chapter 434: Metropolis Suspicions (20)_1

"So, what is your view on their attitude?"

Clark pursed his lips, hung his head low, in a somewhat somber tone he said, "In Metropolitan University, there are a lot of athletes, about half of the track team is comprised of professional sports students."

"Their training is very hard, it's practically non-stop 365 days a year, with high intensity and long hours, and injuries are common."

"Before, the senior that introduced me to the club once told me that this path wasn't easy, that it was pretty much about sacrificing life for achievements."

"Some of them train hard for several years, and just because an injury keeps them from participating in large events, they miss one and never get another chance. They can only go back to their hometown and become a physical education teacher or switch professions."

"I am not a sports student, and I don't have any professional sports training, but, I can easily achieve better results than they do. The coach praised me for having talent and being a genius, yet I always feel guilty."

"Because I'm not relying on effort, let alone talent. I'm totally different from them. They think that this already shows great talent, but in fact, I have been trying hard to minimize my power - I can do so much more."

"The way they look at me - with jealousy, envy, some with anger and malice, I can understand. If I were in their shoes, I might not be able to control myself either."

"Do you know? When the coach asked me to participate in a long-distance race, and I declined without a second thought, everyone's looks at me changed."

"To them, an opportunity for which they need to strive and put in considerable effort was declined by me."

"But, I can't explain. I can't just fly up into the sky and tell everyone, 'Look, I'm a freak'…."

Clark's emotions became rather intense. Clearly, he'd been bottling up these feelings for a long time. He vented, "They don't know that I too encountered many problems. I'm not the kind who gets benefits without effort and pretends to be noble, but…."

Shiller watched Clark with his eyes. Clark noticed his gaze and his voice slowly faded. He looked into Shiller's eyes, waiting for him to speak.

"I understand what you're saying." Shiller turned a page of the medical chart and continued, "You're different from ordinary people, you have abilities that surpass theirs. When you accidentally show these abilities, you rise to a high position in ordinary society."

"People in the same field must put in more effort than you to barely reach your level. Even then, they might never catch up to you in their entire life. You feel that this is unfair to them."

"But, you also feel wronged by their malice towards you because this isn't something you can control. Even though you have capabilities beyond ordinary people, you also have your own troubles. You feel they won't understand you, that they'll just think you're a bastard who doesn't appreciate his gift."

"You can't openly talk about these special abilities, possibly to protect yourself, or perhaps to protect your family. This has resulted in a vicious cycle with no one deriving any positive feelings from this situation."

Clark nodded in agreement with Shiller's analysis. He seemed to have a lot more to say, but considering Shiller's status, he decided to swallow the words.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" Shiller looked into Clark's eyes and asked.

Clark nodded, so Shiller asked:

"When you first discovered that you had abilities beyond ordinary people, were you happy or terrified?"

"Terrified." Clark replied quickly, without hesitation, "When I first found that I was amazingly strong, I was scared to death. I thought I had some terminal illness!"

"How old were you at the time?"

"Uh… I don't quite remember, but I should have been less than ten years old? I think I found out when I was helping my dad move hay bales into the warehouse."

"Though you were not mature then, it does show that until then, you were living in a rather simple human social environment."

"Yes, at that time, there weren't even comics in our town. My only reading material was the newspaper, delivered once a week, which only reported things happening in the metropolis."

"The first time you took advantage of this power to benefit, did you feel ecstatic or proud?"

Clark thought hard for a while, then shook his head, "I remember I was somewhat happy when I helped my dad push his tractor out of the mud pit, but I wasn't ecstatic."

Shiller didn't say anything more but continued asking, "If you're certain that this ability could let you rule the world, would you do it?"

Clark shook his head. He asked somewhat puzzled, "Why would I want to rule the world?"

"Haven't you ever fantasized about using your special ability to rule the world, to achieve the highest status, power, and wealth?"

Clark pondered for a moment and said, "My mom often told me that people who want to rule the world are villains. They drag many innocent people into wars to fulfill their evil plans. I don't have a good impression of such people and don't want to become one."