"Consider it a gift."
Su Sheng casually lounged on the sofa, watching Lois Lane as she continued to caress the golden coffee table in disbelief.
"A gift... for me?" Lois Lane stammered, still stunned by the sight of the pure gold coffee table. How much could this be worth? Although she had made a name for herself in journalism and earned a decent salary from the Daily Planet, this amount of wealth was overwhelming. However, she quickly composed herself, a natural response for someone who had seen her share of high-stakes situations. "You don't seem like you need money, so... what do you want?"
"You're a reporter. I'll give you a story. What do you think I want?" Su Sheng replied with a smile.
"You want me to publish the story and let the world know about him. Is he... really an alien?" Lois Lane quickly caught on to Su Sheng's intent. "But why? Why do you want to do this?"
"Why not?" Su Sheng tilted his head slightly, thinking it over before continuing with a smile. "I can tell you everything about him. I might even know more than he does. Not long ago, an organization even higher than the FBI wanted this information, but I refused. So, Miss Lane, you should consider yourself lucky."
Lois Lane took a deep breath, finally putting her wallet back. "Go on."
"This person comes from a planet called Krypton. Kryptonian technology was far ahead of Earth's. Thousands of years ago, they sent out reconnaissance ships to determine whether other planets were suitable for Kryptonian colonization. The ship you saw in the polar region was one of those sent to Earth around 20,000 years ago, but for some reason, it failed. Over time, Krypton consumed too many resources, leading to its eventual destruction. Before the planet exploded, this man was sent to Earth by his parents. His name is Kal-El."
"He's been living on Earth under a hidden identity for years. You've seen him—he looks just like any human. Kryptonians are indistinguishable from humans in appearance. On Krypton, they were no different from ordinary people. But on Earth, due to the different atmosphere and the sun's radiation, they gain incredible powers, becoming what you might call superhumans."
"Superman?" Lois Lane whispered the name as she motioned for Su Sheng to continue.
"Kryptonians used genetic engineering to predetermine the roles of their people at birth—workers, soldiers, scientists, and so on. Their fate was decided before they were even born. But he was different—he was born naturally, the product of..." Su Sheng paused, then clapped his hands three times rhythmically.
Lois Lane hesitated, then understood.
"Applause for love," Su Sheng said with a sly smile, clapping three more times. His humor was not lost on Lois Lane, who couldn't help but smile at his wit.
"His body carries the Codex, the genetic blueprint for all Kryptonians. After Krypton's destruction, not all Kryptonians perished. Some survived, led by a former military commander named Zod. Zod seeks to rebuild Krypton, and to do so, he needs the Codex. When the reconnaissance ship was activated, it must have sent a signal, so... Zod will be coming soon."
The thought of an alien invasion, a scenario that had played out countless times in movies, now seemed on the verge of becoming reality.
"And you? How do you know all this?" Lois Lane's instinct as a reporter kicked in. What Su Sheng said didn't sound made up, but it left the question—how did he know?
Kal-El, the Kryptonian known as Superman, was certainly mysterious, but Su Sheng seemed just as enigmatic to Lois Lane.
"Aliens are nothing special," Su Sheng said with a chuckle as he stood up. "Now, hurry and write the story."
"You're leaving?" Lois Lane asked quickly. "How can I contact you later?"
Su Sheng shook his head. "I'm not planning to leave. If you don't mind, I intend to stick around for a while. Because once the story is out, I think he'll come to find you."
"Is that your real purpose?" Lois Lane asked.
Su Sheng merely shrugged, offering no further explanation. Lois Lane didn't press the matter and turned to her computer to write the story.
Lois Lane had written countless articles before, but this one she revised carefully, over and over, focused so intently that she lost track of time. Finally, she leaned back to stretch and take a break, only to glance over and see Su Sheng still sitting on the sofa, his wrist raised. From the bracelet on his wrist, a virtual projection was displayed—something that looked like a map, as if he were searching for something.
"What's that?" Lois Lane asked curiously as she walked over to Su Sheng.
"Gideon," Su Sheng replied.
"Hello, Miss Lois Lane," the virtual projection suddenly shifted, and Gideon's image appeared, greeting Lois Lane.
"Uh, hello," Lois Lane responded, stunned. "Is this... artificial intelligence?"
"Sharp as always, Miss Lane," Su Sheng said with a chuckle.
"Are you... looking for something?"
"Exactly."
As if suddenly tired, Su Sheng smirked and rolled over, resting his head on Lois Lane's lap.
Lois Lane stiffened, wanting to push him away, but before she could, Su Sheng spoke slowly. "The yellow sun enhances the abilities of Kryptonians. On Earth, they're practically gods, with almost no weaknesses—except for their vulnerability to magic and their biggest weakness: green kryptonite. Kryptonite weakens them, making them as fragile as normal humans."
"Are you looking for kryptonite... to use against him or Zod?" Lois Lane asked.
"No," Su Sheng replied with a mischievous grin. "I just want to see the look on someone's face when they realize all the kryptonite they need is in my hands."