Just as Benjamin was rallying the agents of the entire manor to search for the entrance on the first floor, the atmosphere at the entrance has started to grow increasingly tense.
Just after Shiller stated that the underground treasure could be a special mineral capable of weakening superpowers, Bruce and Lex took opposing sides.
These two skeptics wouldn't believe that the other wouldn't misuse the item. At the same time, they were both control freaks, adamant believers in total control over the item, regardless of whether it had anything to do with them or whether they would ever use it, only then would they feel secure.
Moreover, they were both very typical Americans, their zero-sum mentality deeply ingrained in their genes. They did not believe in a win-win scenario; they always felt if one has more, the other has less, and would be exterminated by the other.
This constant sense of insecurity urges them to move forward, but also makes them prone to manipulation. At the mere hint of Shiller's potential treasure, the two brilliant geniuses never doubted that this could be Shiller's plot to sow discord among them.
Perhaps they considered the possibility, but weren't willing to gamble on whether Shiller was ever telling the truth.
After this youthful version of the Justice League split at the scene, the atmosphere became charged with tension.
Because in Bruce's plan, he aims to use Kryptonite to weaken Shiller, so naturally, he positioned himself against Shiller. Since Lex was also vying for the Kryptonite, he was against Lex as well. This in turn placed Shiller and Lex on the same side.
Comparing Lex and Bruce, there is little difference in their wisdom. Bruce excels in physical prowess and fighting skills. So if they were to face each other, Bruce would have a significant advantage.
However, the fact that Shiller chose Lex's side nullified Bruce's sole advantage of physical power, forcing him to seek out a powerful ally.
When Clark was called by Bruce, he was confused because he didn't comprehend the situation. From a distance, he asked loudly, "What is going on? Aren't we partners?!"
"Clark, we can't let this stuff fall into the hands of Luther. His previous actions have shown he has no bottom line when it comes to destroying the human race."
"Don't listen to him, Clark. If I get the treasure, I won't use it against you."
"You're lying, Lex. You want that mineral called Kryptonite to guard against Clark, don't you?"
Lex also showed no signs of backing down and stared back into Bruce's eyes, questioning him: "And who are you planning to guard against with these minerals?"
After he asked these questions, Lex and Bruce instinctively turned their gaze to Shiller. Shiller, who had been studying his umbrella, looked up when he noticed a sudden silence. He glanced at Lex, then at Bruce, and asked, "Why are you both staring at me?"
"I told you I wanted to go down, but you didn't let me. And when I tried to leave, you stopped me. Now are you trying to dump all this on me?"
"Hey, stop fighting!" Clark came forward. Seeing Shiller taking a step back, Clark stopped, raised both hands to stand between Lex and Bruce, and said,
"Regardless of who ends up with this thing, we must first confirm whether the item is harmful to ordinary people. That's our primary objective in this collaboration."
With that, Clark walked towards the cellar entrance and said, "If you can't agree with that, I won't let any of you in."
"To me, it doesn't matter who gets this object. Therefore, I won't help any of you fight the other. If you are going to keep this impasse, then I will go down first."
Clark was then about to move into the cellar when Bruce and Lex exchanged glances, suddenly diffusing the tense atmosphere.
Clearly, both of them understood they couldn't let Clark get his hands on that magical mineral. If Clark were to go alone without anyone around to influence him, he couldn't necessarily be stopped even if the mineral could weaken his superpowers.
Seeing Lex and Bruce standing side by side again, Shiller shook his head. Clark's approach had thwarted all of Shiller's manipulative plans. Faced with a resolute Clark, Bruce had no option but to ally with Lex.
The complexity of Lex and Bruce's argument lies in their individual worldview and standpoints. Choosing between them would require an analysis of their behavioral logics, just like what Shiller did. The reason he took Lex's side was because he knew that Bruce intended to use the object against him. Even if he sided with Bruce, he foresaw being betrayed in the end.
But Clark decided not to side with anyone, remaining oblivious to everything else while focusing on his goals, bulldozing his way forward, ironically neutralizing Shiller's scheme. Faced with an unwavering Clark, Bruce had no choice but to join forces with Lex.