Chapter 155: I, Clark, Stand by My Own!

From Hope's account, Clark finally understood the truth of the matter.

Mindy, being a child star, was naturally the object of jealousy among the girls at school. However, thanks to her maturity, she managed to maintain a harmonious relationship with her classmates.

But this morning, a group of students who were particularly antagonistic towards her suddenly sought her out, seemingly intent on bullying her.

Their audacity was substantial, but unfortunately, they chose the wrong target.

Who is Mindy?

Despite her sweet and adorable appearance, she is actually a killing machine with a higher body count than Clark himself! If everyone adhered to the rules, she would be content to follow suit.

But since the others had broken the rules first, why should the young girl hold back? Consequently, those classmates were in for a bad time, thoroughly trounced by Mindy.

However, following this incident, the school authorities, without investigating, pointed the finger at Mindy and even contacted the parents of the bullies, blocking the school entrance to teach her a lesson.

Hope was at the school handling the situation, which had become quite tricky, prompting her to call Clark.

Hearing the details, Clark could only laugh.

He knew troubles would come one after another but never imagined the first "surprise" would involve Mindy.

Considering this a minor issue, Clark decided not to intervene directly, opting to resolve everything via remote control.

He first had Qingfeng investigate the bank accounts of the troublesome teacher and the students' parents, uncovering large sums of money deposited within a day. Some received direct transfers, others made cash deposits, and some engaged in extravagant spending.

In short, these individuals appeared to have suddenly come into wealth.

Upon discovering this, Clark called Nalan Bai, instructing him to send Nirvana Group's legal team to assist Hope, aiming to imprison those troublemakers for their actions! Furthermore, he had Qingfeng purchase the school outright, and the instigating teacher was immediately fired.

Wealth, as it turns out, has its own ways.

With a few words, Clark was amused at how easily the issue was resolved.

The opposition really was desperate, considering this a trouble? But since they sought trouble, he would treat them with the respect they deserved, showcasing his methods.

He aimed to intimidate!

Such a level of intimidation might not deter Hydra or any other hidden hands, but it was enough to scare off potential paid troublemakers.

Clark decided to make a spectacle of this situation, ensuring widespread knowledge.

This way, it would be harder for the opposition to find ignorant pawns to do their bidding.

So...

Appeasement?

Out of the question!

You dare to point fingers, I'll cut them off! Protective?

Absolutely!

Clark is protective! And what of it? Normally, Clark wouldn't indulge a child so recklessly, lest he raise a tyrant. But Mindy was different. As a superhero, albeit with an anti-hero vibe, her morals were firmly established by Damon.

And those morals were not easily swayed.

Regardless of whether Damon's teaching methods were appropriate, Clark felt Mindy's values were sound.

Thus, Clark didn't need to worry about how to educate her; unconditional support was all that was necessary.

For troubles she could handle, let her; for those she couldn't, Clark was there to help.

After all, he was her guardian.

Clark had anticipated that the opposition wouldn't let things lie. He even predicted their next moves.

They would likely resort to pity plays and unfounded slander, gaining sympathy as the perceived underdogs despite lacking evidence.

Clark had already prepared for their backlash, which surprisingly did not come. Until that evening, when he received shocking news.

The teachers, students, and parents who had taken bribes were found in a burned-down warehouse, their gathering gone awry, leaving no survivors. It took the police considerable effort to identify the bodies.

The fire was ruled an accident.

This news felt oddly familiar to Clark, reminiscent of the demise of the mob boss Frank Damico ten years prior.

With Mindy's situation resolved, the focus shifted to Captain America. Yena seized the moment, unleashing a torrent of negative media coverage across the nation. Despite skepticism from some, Captain America's once-illustrious image suffered greatly.

He was knocked from his pedestal, reduced to a mere mortal.

The matter of Bucky remained unresolved. Media forces led by Yena not only smeared Captain America but also clung to Bucky's case, spawning numerous malicious speculations.

Their stance was clear: they refused to believe Clark's denial of any direct connection with Bucky.

To this, Clark's response was simple: "The US is a country governed by the rule of law."

Meaning, produce evidence or hold your peace.

The opposition's retort? "We'll slander without evidence!" It was a pointless battle of words that Clark chose to ignore.

His focus was on rallying superheroes across the US, inviting them to a meeting to elect a representative for their community.

The deadline for assembling the heroes was set for the end of the year. While not ideal for the government, it was reasonable compared to other elections. The government, wanting to incorporate superheroes into the system, had no choice but to accept.

Clark and the government maintained a restrained approach to this negotiation.

Though the government's tactics were unsavory, they hadn't crossed the line, and Clark refrained from exposing any dark secrets of the lawmakers. Boundaries remained intact.

Clark's main concern was Hydra, uncertain of their next move in this unprincipled game.

Yet, for his goals, he was ready to face these challenges head-on! After another exhausting session in the gravity room, Clark faced the dilemma of consuming a not-so-tasty nutritious meal prepared by his chefs.

With a focus on nutrition, taste often suffered.

Despite attracting many scientists in biology and nutrition, only Dr. Connors, the future Lizard, remained after Old Pi's selection.

His research on limb regeneration wasn't immediately helpful to Clark, who adopted a hands-off approach, funding the doctor's work without further involvement.

In the original timeline, Dr. Connors became the Lizard out of desperation, using himself as a test subject prematurely due to pressure from OsCorp Industries.

Clark, not rushing for results, avoided OsCorp's mistake, potentially leading to a breakthrough in limb regeneration.

Such a discovery could elevate Nirvana Group to new heights and earn Clark significant favors, possibly aiding Bucky.

But those were considerations for the future.

Currently, Clark faced the challenge of finishing his meal.

Reluctantly picking up his utensils, he was about to cut into his steak when he paused, opting instead to activate a Kimoyo bead bracelet, a product of Wakandan vibranium technology.

Tapping a bead, he projected an image of T'Challa, who greeted him with a Wakandan salute, announcing the shield Clark requested was ready.

This was perhaps the only piece of good news Clark had received lately.

T'Challa's offer to deliver the shield prompted Clark to suggest an alternative meeting location, wary of surveillance.

An hour later, reenergized, Clark flew out of his villa, breaking the sound barrier towards New York City, evading the watchful eyes of the agents tasked with monitoring him.

The agents, unable to keep up with his flight, could only report his departure to their superiors, leaving the FBI to scramble in New York in anticipation of his arrival.

However, Clark circled back to Chicago, blending into the evening crowd and vanishing from the agents' sight.

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