Chapter 56: Confrontation (Edited)

The Christmas of 1998 was, for Clark's family, arguably the most miserable Christmas they had ever experienced.

Hank Pym had fallen ill, Hope naturally had no mood to celebrate, and Mindy, being sensible, did not express any desire to celebrate. Perhaps she never cared much for such holidays to begin with.

After all, her father had never treated her as a normal little girl from the start.

As for Clark, he was even more indifferent.

He had celebrated Christmas in his previous life when he was young and had nothing better to do, but his attitude towards it was the same as most people who celebrate Western holidays in China.

The holiday itself and its significance didn't really matter.

After arriving in China, all Western holidays inevitably turn into festivals of food, shopping, and romance.

Simply put, they didn't care about the essence of these holidays; they were just looking for an excuse to enjoy themselves.

For a holiday that Clark never really cared about, he certainly wouldn't let it interfere with more important matters.

Thus, the entire villa felt cold and empty.

Unlike China's Spring Festival, which can be celebrated for over a month, Christmas, even as the grandest holiday in the West, lasts only three days.

December 26th, the last day of the three-day Christmas festivities, known as Boxing Night, saw Clark dressing up early and heading to the New York TV station to participate in the variety show "The Real You."

Since the program was broadcast live, there wasn't much preparation involved. To ensure the show's authenticity, the TV station didn't even arrange for Clark to meet with anyone besides the host before the live broadcast began.

In this episode, Clark truly experienced how irritating the supporting hosts' sharp tongues could be.

After a brief introduction, the questioning segment began. A white chubby man in his twenties raised his hand first. After receiving the microphone, he immediately posed a highly provocative question.

"Mr. Clark," the chubby man said with a smile, but his words revealed his biting nature: "As far as I know, you're still a high school student. I wonder, don't you think it was wrong to choose writing over studying properly? Although you succeeded, don't you think your approach was mistaken?"

The host glanced at Clark, worriedly, fearing the live show might turn into a brawl, given Clark's youth. He wouldn't worry as much with other guests, but Clark was so young.

Clark gave the host a reassuring look and then directly responded, "First of all, your claim that I didn't study properly shows you don't know me well. This semester's mid-term exams saw me ranking first in every subject across the entire school year. I believe it will be the same for the final exams."

Clark's response left the chubby man speechless.

The premise of his question was Clark's supposed negligence in studies, but Clark's mention of his grades made any further questions on that point unnecessary.

The backstage impression scores surged so rapidly that even Clark couldn't keep up, opting to ignore them and wait for more questions from the sharp-tongued hosts.

The same chubby man, unwilling to be outdone, asked again, "What about sports? Physical education is very important during school, and as far as I know, you seldom, if ever, participate in any sports clubs."

"Do you think neglecting physical education is healthy for your physical and mental development, or do you believe sports are not important?"

This guy really had no shame!

His question escalated to an interpretation of the educational system. Setting aside the merits and demerits of Western education, which is widely accepted in the U.S., debating this with him would leave Clark unable to clear his name.

Seeing Clark's previous response, the host was somewhat reassured and didn't rush to smooth things over, instead making a few noncommittal comments to give Clark some time to think.

Clark, using the precious time the host bought him, began... to undress?

Even the host was baffled by Clark's unexpected move.

What was he doing?

Clark had taken off his jacket, revealing a short-sleeved shirt and the well-defined muscles that a short-sleeved shirt couldn't possibly conceal.

A gasp went through the audience, with some particularly excited women screaming out loud.

Patting his chest muscles, Clark glanced at the chubby man's corpulence: "I don't think you're in any position to question me about physical education."

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. The Westerners don't really understand modesty, so Clark didn't hold back in the show.

The chubby man's face turned red from Clark's retort, but since it was a live show, he couldn't just rush up and settle it by force.

Most importantly, after seeing Clark's formidable muscles, he was convinced he couldn't beat this young Easterner.

With the first sharp tongue silenced, the second one quickly followed. This one was a middle-aged man wearing black-framed glasses, looking scholarly. His question was much more professional: "Mr. Clark, many prominent figures in the literary world have dismissed your work as worthless, even calling it trash. What's your take on that?"

"I don't care," Clark's response took everyone by surprise: "As long as my readers approve, that's all that matters. I'm not aiming for a Nobel Prize in Literature, so why should I care what they think?"

"Besides, everyone has different tastes. Even Benjamin Franklin is only universally adored when printed on dollar bills."

The scholarly middle-aged man persisted despite being rebutted: "Since Mr. Clark doesn't care about scholars' opinions, let's change the subject."

"There were reports saying your book is so addictive that some have used it to successfully quit drugs, making drug rehabilitation centers across Europe your loyal customers."

Hearing this, not just Clark but even the host was puzzled.

This guy was known for his sharp tongue. Why the sudden change in style?

Just then, the middle-aged man shifted his approach: "So, Mr. Clark, would you say your book is a kind of substitute for drugs, a different kind of mental drug?"

This statement stirred up a storm.

Such a pointed accusation almost cornered Clark, drawing everyone's attention to see how he would respond.