Playing with Fire [16]

Clark and Chloe continued walking, leaving the players behind while the distant sound of laughter and conversations from other students filled the air. They reached the school building, where classes were about to start again. Chloe gave Clark's hand a light squeeze before saying goodbye.

"I'll see you later," Chloe said, smiling before walking off to her next class.

Clark waved to her, still with a light smile on his face. He began walking through the hallways, his thoughts drifting as he prepared for the next class. However, something caught his attention as he approached one of the common areas in the school courtyard.

"What did you want me to do, Lana?" Whitney asked, his voice irritated, his arm wrapped in a bandage, indicating his recent injury.

"I wanted you to care about something other than yourself!" Lana replied, her voice raised in frustration. "Your friends cheated, Whitney! They deserve to be punished for it, and all you care about is getting kicked off the team!"

"That's all that matters, Lana!" Whitney shot back, clearly annoyed. "I need to play, it's my chance to get a scholarship! Do you think I'm going to give that up just because of some stupid test?"

Clark paused, watching the argument from a distance. "He only cares about the team and himself," Clark thought, shaking his head in discontent.

Lana, now visibly frustrated, crossed her arms and looked directly at Whitney. "I can't believe you're being so selfish."

Whitney huffed, clearly irritated.

"Maybe you just don't understand what's important, Lana."

Lana shook her head in disbelief.

"Maybe you're the one who doesn't understand, Whitney." With that, she turned and stormed off, leaving Whitney standing there, still fuming.

Clark watched as they walked in opposite directions, the weight of the argument still lingering in the air.

"That relationship is getting more complicated," Clark murmured to himself before continuing on his way to class.

Clark was about to enter the building when he heard someone call him from behind.

"Clark! Hold up!" The out-of-breath voice was unmistakable. It was Coach Walt, who was running toward him, visibly tired from the effort.

Clark stopped and turned, watching the coach approach, trying to catch his breath. "What is it, Coach?"

Walt, still trying to control his breathing, placed his hands on his knees for a moment before straightening up.

"I… I wanted to talk to you. Have you thought about joining the football team? We need a player like you, especially now."

Clark raised an eyebrow, already knowing where this was headed. He knew Walt was desperate because of the situation with the team and that the coach was the next problem he would have to deal with.

"Why would I want to join your pathetic team that isn't going to win anything?" Clark responded, crossing his arms with a provocative smile. "You're history, Coach. Your team is done."

Walt stood there, shocked for a moment, clearly surprised by Clark's boldness. He tried to regain his composure, but the anger was already beginning to show on his face. "What did you just say?"

"I said your team doesn't stand a chance. And honestly, you've had your time. It's time to stop trying to relive the glory days and accept that you're going nowhere."

Walt's expression changed, and Clark saw the fury growing in his eyes. "Perfect," Clark thought. "Now he's going to direct that anger at me."

"You're going to regret saying that, Kent," Walt said through gritted teeth, his voice filled with rage. "I'll show you what my team can do."

Clark just smiled, pretending to be dismissive. "Good luck with that, Coach. You're going to need it."

Without saying another word, Clark turned and entered the building, leaving Coach Walt standing there, still furious. He knew he had achieved what he wanted—Walt was now focused on him, and Clark was ready to face him when the time came.

"Now I just need to wait for him to make his next move," Clark thought as he walked into his class.

….....

At the Luthor mansion, the atmosphere was tense. Lex was sitting at his desk, with a determined look on his face, while Dominic, Lionel's business consultant, entered the room accompanied by other members of the consulting team. There was a weight in the air, and Lex knew exactly what they wanted to discuss.

"Lex, we need to talk about the Smallville plant," Dominic began bluntly, walking up to the front of Lex's desk.

"The profits are down, and you know it. We're 20% below projections, and Lionel won't like hearing that."

Lex, without taking his eyes off Dominic, stood up and walked over to the window, looking out for a moment before responding.

"I already knew that, Dominic," Lex said calmly. "But unlike what you and my father think, the solution isn't to cut the workforce. On the contrary, I'm planning to increase it by 20%."

Dominic was speechless for a moment, clearly caught off guard by the response. "Increase the workforce? Lex, that's insane! The plant is already underperforming. Cutting costs is the only viable solution."

Lex slowly turned to Dominic, a cold smile forming on his lips. "That's why my father is stuck in the past. He surrounds himself with people who accept his outdated business practices without question. I, on the other hand, plan to increase productivity and marketing. Only then will the plant experience sustainable growth."

Dominic shook his head in disbelief. "Lex, you can't just defy projections and expect the market to adjust. Lionel won't accept this approach. You're spending money recklessly, like that purchase of a publishing company you made recently."

Lex narrowed his eyes, the smile fading from his face.

"The publishing company purchase is a long-term investment, Dominic. I'm planting seeds now to reap the benefits later. Unlike you and my father, I can see beyond immediate numbers."

Dominic crossed his arms, clearly skeptical. "You can call it an investment, but Lionel won't see it that way. He'll consider it a waste of money."

Lex took a few steps forward until he was standing face to face with Dominic. "Then let my father come talk to me. I'll handle him. But here in Smallville, I run the operations. And I'll make sure this plant not only meets expectations but exceeds them."

Dominic, visibly uncomfortable, looked at the other consultants, who also seemed unsettled. "If that's how you want to play it, Lex, then so be it. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Lex gave a slight smile of disdain. "You're dismissed, Dominic. I have more important things to deal with."

Without saying another word, Dominic turned and left the room, followed by the other consultants. Lex watched them leave, feeling the weight of the decisions he was making. He knew he was betting big, but that was how he always played—on the edge.

As the door closed, Lex returned to his desk, picking up a sheet of paper with the new projections he had developed. He knew the path he was taking was risky, but he trusted his instincts.

"I'll make this work," Lex murmured to himself, determined to prove his vision was right.

....

Clark was in the classroom, sitting in his chair, pretending to pay attention to the history lesson while his mind worked in a different direction. He had already decided his next step. The incident with Coach Walt was escalating, and Clark needed to find out more.

"I need to figure out what Principal Kwan knows about Coach Walt before something worse happens," Clark thought as he discreetly glanced at the clock on the wall.

Trimm!

The sound of the bell announcing the end of class echoed through the room.

"Now's the time." Clark murmured quietly to himself, quickly standing up and leaving the room with determined steps.

The hallway was busy, filled with students heading to their next classes, but Clark didn't care. He had a clear goal.

.....

Knock knock!

In Principal Kwan's office, the atmosphere was quiet and formal. Clark knocked lightly on the door before entering.

"Clark Kent, can I help you with something?" Kwan asked, looking up from some papers on his desk, with a slightly surprised expression.

Clark gave a friendly smile, closing the door behind him.

"I just wanted to talk for a bit, Principal. Is everything okay with the football team?" Clark asked, trying to bring up the subject casually.

Kwan frowned, clearly not expecting that question.

"Everything is under control, Clark. Why do you ask?" the principal replied, leaning forward a little, curious.

Clark kept the smile on his face, but internally, he was already using his powers to access Kwan's mind.

"Let's see what you know, Principal," Clark thought as he penetrated Kwan's mental barriers, sifting through his memories.

Images began to surface in Clark's mind. He saw a recent meeting with one of the football players. The kid seemed nervous, his words hesitant.

"Coach Walt… he… gave us the answers to the math test," the player confessed to Kwan, visibly uncomfortable.

Kwan seemed surprised, but his expression soon hardened. He knew something was wrong, but he hadn't officially acted on it yet.

"So that's it… Walt is more involved in this than I thought," Clark reflected, absorbing the information. "He manipulated the players' grades."

Clark continued to sift through the memories, seeing Kwan's concerns about how to handle the scandal without damaging the school's reputation.

"He's trying to find a solution, but he's hesitating," Clark thought.

Knowing that Kwan might become Walt's next target, Clark made a decision. He couldn't leave the principal in danger.

Vwoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Clark moved with his super speed and gently placed his hand on Kwan's head.

"It's for your safety," Clark murmured, as he used his powers to erase specific memories related to Coach Walt.

He erased the bad memories about Walt's involvement in the scandal, leaving only a vague recollection of a routine investigation into the players.

Kwan blinked a few times, seeming confused for a moment, as if trying to remember something important but unable to.

"Clark, I think I'll need a moment to finish some paperwork. Is there anything else I can help you with?" Kwan asked, already returning to his normal routine, unaware of what had happened.

Clark shook his head, smiling politely.

"No, Principal. Thank you for your time." He said, turning and quickly leaving the office.

As soon as Clark left the office, he took a deep breath.

"Now, the next step is Coach Walt."

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