"No matter what kind of trap one sets, no matter who that trap harms, destroying your own backyard is too high a price to pay. Nobody would do that."
Mexico is extremely crucial to America. They wouldn't allow even the slightest possibility of communism. Using this approach to set a trap is unimaginable for them. As Alfred mentioned, they're desperate, which implies things are beyond their control.
"Indeed. They're now so desperate that they want to dispatch Clark Kent to resolve this issue. We've never even directly confronted Clark, but they already want to utilize him. They're in disarray," Kira said over the phone.
"Clark?" Alfred uttered the name with some confusion then continued, "What are you planning to do then?"
"Obviously, we'll bluff our way through it. Say we can't persuade him, or simply state that he's intensely resistant and we dare not push him," Kira replied with expertise. After all, any KGB agent embedded in the CIA must master the art of deception.
"Do you know anything about Clark?" Alfred asked.
"We keep tabs on him 24/7, understanding every aspect of his daily habits and routines…"
"No, I meant in terms of character," Alfred interjected.
"Character? He's just an ordinary college student. Ah...like those naive young men from small towns. He's pure-hearted, kind, and likes to help others."
"Have you considered sending him to Mexico?" Alfred asked.
Kira fell silent for a while before finally answering, "Isn't that a bit too risky? What if he ends up assisting the CIA…"
"Do you really think the kindhearted and extraordinarily naive small-town young man you've described would help the CIA after seeing the true nature of labor and peasant movements?" Alfred posed a potentially fatal question that Kira found hard to confirm.
Alfred understood Clark's character better than Kira. He knew that the so-called naive small-town young man actually had a brilliantly smart mind and a compassionate heart akin to a saint's.
He was neither foolish nor would he be easily deceived by false appearances. Now was the time for him to encounter and comprehend the world.
"Kira, I remember telling you a long time ago that without witnessing or personally experiencing hardships suffered by the destitute, reading countless theories in school is useless."
"I hope that more kind-hearted people can witness the real misery in this world. Even if these people don't join us, they can at least become kind-hearted individuals who are willing to help others, right?"
Kira took a deep breath and said, "Perhaps you're right, Alfred. It was witnessing the harsh work conditions of some Eastern European laborers and the plight induced by illness and poverty that made me choose this path."
"I almost forgot about these things. Work has become everything to me. Solving one problem after another, achieving one goal after another, has diluted my original aspirations..." Kira said with some sadness, "Maybe it's hard for me to ever go back."
"This is only human nature. If everyone could vividly remember their initial aspirations, then the events wouldn't have turned out this way," Alfred responded, his tone devoid of disappointment. Perhaps he's become utterly disillusioned.
His objective, sober, and clear-headed view of the issue was purely because he no longer participated but had become a bystander.
Kira remained silent for a long time, but finally made up her mind. She said, "Okay, we'll attempt to guide Clark to witness the misery firsthand. Hopefully his kind nature allows him to comprehend these hardships. Even if he doesn't become a comrade, he could at least become a good person."
However, Kira soon ran into another problem. She said, "We've never been in direct contact with Clark, so it's hard to earn his trust. Plus, his power is immensely strong. If it explodes, the people of Metropolis…"
"I think you can start with people he knows and trusts, let them persuade him, that should work well," Alfred suggested.
"People Clark trusts... The last time Lex Luther invited me to his manor, he specifically stood up for Clark. The two of them must have a good relationship. Lex is a typical American. Maybe I could persuade him…"
While speaking, Kira started to devise a plan and then slowly drifted into a dream.
The next afternoon, when Kira left Luthor Manor, she felt invigorated. Lex didn't give a clear answer, but his ambiguous attitude suggested that there was room for negotiation.
Inside the bedroom of the Luthor Manor, Lex picked up the phone and dialed a number watching Kira departing. He then spoke into the phone,
"Hello? Professor, have you heard about the sudden eruption of the farmers and workers' movement in Mexico?...Yes, the CIA has approached me now, asking me to persuade Clark to resolve this issue. What do I do?"
"Send him over, huh? Alright, I'll persuade him...Thank you and enjoy your holiday, Professor."