"Mrs. Cassandra has passed away?"
Martha put down the vacuum cleaner and asked her husband in surprise.
"Yes, it was quite an unexpected piece of news."
Jonathan, who was feeding the livestock, replied while washing his hands, "Although she could see other people's futures, she couldn't see her own. I don't know if that's unfortunate or sad."
Martha didn't say anything further, but a faint sorrow appeared on her face.
On the other side, Eric received a phone call.
"Dr. Hamilton, I thought you were going to stick to selling plastic meteorites forever."
Eric said to Dr. Hamilton on the other end of the line.
"People change, just like the worst quality in scientific research is stubbornness."
Dr. Hamilton's calm voice came through the phone, "Does your previous promise still hold?"
"You mean funding your research? Of course, it does, anytime."
"Good, then you should come to my lab, I have something to show you."
Eric raised an eyebrow, "Lab? You mean your warehouse?"
Dr. Hamilton was silent for a moment on the other end of the line, then said, "Yes."
With that, he immediately hung up the phone, seemingly displeased with Eric's teasing.
Half an hour later.
"I've commissioned someone to purchase a lab and equipment in Metropolis. If you want to return, you can do so at any time."
In Hamilton's warehouse, Eric said to him.
"No, I don't think it's necessary right now."
Hamilton casually placed a newly collected meteorite on the lab table, "I still think this small town is suitable for me. If you agree, you can give me some money to buy equipment, Boss."
Hamilton shrugged and called Eric "Boss" in a mocking tone.
Eric didn't mind his tone and nodded, "Sure."
He then glanced at a strange flower in a glass culture dish, "You're still cultivating plants?"
"Nicotiana, a plant from the 18th century, now extinct."
Hamilton walked to the culture dish and stared at the Nicotiana flower, "Before the 18th century, this place was a frontier land. Nicotiana was also known as the 'Devil's Flower' by the locals. No one dared to step foot where it grew. Anyone who inhaled even a little pollen would become bloodthirsty and insane."
"Later, the local armed forces burned all these flowers. Maybe it's because this place was affected by meteorites, I found this extinct flower and cultivated it."
Eric nodded and looked at the glass cabinet.
"Zzz!"
The "Devil's Flower," which had been motionless, suddenly turned and sprayed a puff of gas at Eric.
But because it was behind glass, the gas only hit the glass, leaving a patch of white mist.
"Doctor, you didn't call me here just to see this Devil's Flower, did you?"
"Of course not."
Hamilton walked to the corner of the room and took an octagonal metal piece from a safe, handing it to Eric.
As soon as Eric took the octagonal metal piece, he froze.
"What is this?"
The moment he touched it, he recognized it as the same material as the spaceship under his family's barn.
Although shocked, he quickly hid his expression.
"I can only tell you that this is not 'something.'"
"I don't like beating around the bush, Doctor."
"Well, then this will give you more headaches."
Hamilton paused and said, "This alloy cannot be found on Earth. It looks bizarre and incomprehensible."
"Where did you find this thing?"
Eric asked him.
"Near your farm, but Eric, believe me, I fully respect your family's privacy. I only searched the outskirts of the farm and did not enter the farm itself."
Hamilton replied to Eric.
"Do not approach Kent Farm again, Hamilton. This is my first warning."
Eric put away the octagonal metal piece and warned him.
"You're the boss now, you call the shots."
Hamilton reluctantly handed the item to Eric and turned to leave.
"One more thing."
Eric called out to him and took a transparent plastic bag from his pocket.
The plastic bag contained several ruby rings, the same ones that had changed Clark's personality.
"Uh-huh."
Seeing the ruby rings in Eric's hand, Hamilton squinted.
"Graduation rings with space meteorites instead of rubies?!"
"You've seen these before?"
Eric asked him in surprise.
"I've heard about them. I sell fake plastic meteorites to tourists, and the school sells meteorite rings as rubies to students. We're in the same business."
Hamilton took the ring from Eric and examined it with a thick pair of glasses. Then he walked to a shelf and took down a piece of limestone wrapped around a red meteorite.
"A meteorite found near Hobbs Lake, characterized by its dark red color. It's a unique, non-crystalline glassy substance. Of course, it's not as fragile as regular glass."
Handing the red meteorite to Eric, Hamilton explained, "I excavated this from near Hobbs Lake. There's a crater 17 meters deep and 124 meters in diameter there. If it wasn't submerged in lake water, I believe more could be discovered at the bottom."
"Will red meteorites alter human cell structures like green meteorites?"
Eric asked the doctor.
"Not sure yet, I haven't done much research on this meteorite."
Hamilton shook his head.
"Then I think you should put the red meteorite research on your agenda."
Eric said to him, feeling the coolness emanating from the meteorite.
Returning to the farm from Hamilton's warehouse, Eric opened the door and saw Jonathan half-exposed, lying under the sink, fixing the pipes.
Seeing Eric come in, he motioned for him to pass the wrench.
"Need help welding the pipes, Dad?"
"No, thanks."
Taking the wrench from Eric, Jonathan refused his help.
"You know, if I rely on you too much, my movements will get slower."
He said, showing Eric a gasket, "You wouldn't believe it, but now the superpowers you have are less useful than a copper gasket."
Seeing the copper gasket in his father's hand, Eric smiled.
"Where's Mom?"
Not seeing Martha, Eric asked Jonathan.
"She was just here, maybe she's outside tidying up the artichokes."
Jonathan said casually.
Eric nodded, walked to the yard, and didn't find his mother. Instead, he heard strange sounds coming from the usually closed barn.
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