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"He might have already found the door to the underground and entered. If you still want that treasure, you better speed up,"

Bruce's mind wasn't focused on the treasure anymore. He glanced outside the door, the agents haven't caught up yet. He spoke rapidly, "Are you certain he was claiming to be the Joker?"

"Yes. He claimed he'll be holding a comedy show here. As he spoke, he chuckled incessantly, like a psychiatric patient unable to control himself. Before hanging up, he laughed maniacally. The shrill laughter made my eardrums hurt..."

"Listen..." Bruce's tone became grave, "Even though I don't know why he's here, I need to remind you, he is the most dangerous madman in the world."

"If he calls you again, don't trust him, don't consider his logic, and don't ask him why..."

Lex's expression gradually became serious. Even though he hadn't known Bruce for long, he admitted that the man before him shared his level of wisdom.

He also understood that the playboy Bruce pretended to be was actually a solemn person who was not much for laughter or levity. He wouldn't joke lightly. When he spoke about something seriously, it meant the severity of the issue might exceed anyone's expectations.

"Sounds as though you know him. Don't tell me he's the madman from Gotham."

"No..."

When Bruce denied, Lex breathed a sigh of relief. In the two sane years he had, he had occasionally heard about Gotham from people. They said it was a city of lunatics, and any criminal from there in any other town would be the most lethal killer.

But soon, Bruce's cold voice arrived:

"Compared to him, the others in Gotham can hardly be called lunatics."

This sentence was colder than the still ongoing snowstorm outside. When the harsh wind hit the glass, like a symphony of eccentric classical music, the sound resonated in the corridor, bringing a slightly eerie and shocking atmosphere.

Clark hurried back to his room. He didn't feel cold, just slightly irritated. The agents hadn't said a word or asked anything, just kept shooting at him. He had never met such people before.

He took a deep breath, walked to the bed to pick up the pillow, then threw it back onto the bed. He exhaled loudly from his nose, much like any young man from a small town on the East Coast would when they were angry. When Clark was upset, he just wanted to stay in the barn back home or take a stroll in the wheat field.

He stood back up, walked to the window. The sunlight reflected off the snowy ground was so bright he had to squint. It was very clear that there were no barns or wheat fields here, and his parents who would look for him in those places were nowhere to be seen.

Clark began to miss home again.

During the time at the university in Metropolis, he encountered many problems that small-town youths would face. He didn't recognize much, and he wasn't familiar with many rules. He had even been laughed at because of this.

The world outside was not as wonderful as he had imagined. Or rather, the price he had to pay for the wonders was much greater than he had anticipated.

He was desperate to share these worries with his parents back home, but unfortunately, he was caught up in a whirlpool again that he was not familiar with and had no idea how to free himself.

Clark's thoughts were a tangle. He stood by the window for a moment, then turned to leave. He wanted to go up and have a chat with the professor, thinking that it could make him feel better. But then he thought about what Shiller had mentioned, that he hadn't slept for even two hours last night. Clark decided it wouldn't be polite to disturb him like this.

But he was in a desperate need to vent to someone, so he thought why not go find Lex. Maybe they could continue on the topic they were previously discussing.

Just then, with a "bang", the door was kicked open and several agents rushed in. They pointed their guns at Clark. Instinctively, Clark took two steps back, and then he realized these were the same agents who fought with him earlier.

"What are you...?"

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Several guns fired simultaneously, and bullets rained down on Clark, making his face turn even more livid.

He waved his hand and all the bullets stopped in mid-air. Then a fast silhouette swept through the suspended bullets. "Bang", the gun in the lead agent's hand was knocked away.

"Bang! Oh—"

With a loud bang followed by a gasp, the leading agent was thrown onto the bed by Clark.

The agent standing by the door tried to fire his gun again, but Clark grabbed a table lamp and threw it at him, knocking him to the ground. The last agent was taken down with a swift elbow strike from Clark.

Clark gasped. Not because he was tired, but because he was angry. He couldn't understand why these people were targeting him.

From the start, his goal was to put out the fire, which he did successfully. He didn't offend anyone in the process, but these people started shooting at him as soon as they saw him.

Just as he thought of this, Clark turned around and instinctively held back the assaulting agent. The agent on the bed wasn't unconscious as Clark thought, but was waiting for a chance to counterattack.

Clark was genuinely upset now. But just as he was about to throw a punch, he suddenly felt dizzy. Then, a spreading weakness swept over him. Clark clutched his chest and coughed, then fell to the ground weakly.

He felt as if something was interfering with him, making his biological field extremely small. His strength was depleted, and he was unaccustomed to not feeling the surge of power. He struggled to adjust his body.

The agent, seeing Clark collapsew was stunned for a moment. But he quickly reacted, turned around, and walked to the other side of the room, trying to retrieve the gun that was knocked away by Clark. Clark tried his best to stand up and stop him, but his body wouldn't cooperate.

Just as the agent came over with the gun, Clark was still at the same spot, plagued by his cough. But at this moment, a shadow rushed past him. "Bang, bang, bang," there were several sounds. Clark saw the agent's gun, clenched in his hands, fly out again.

His vision blurred, he saw the shadow crouch down to check his condition, then he saw Bruce's face.