American comics farmer: start by adopting the villain savior.

Chapter 207 Luther Technology Creates a New Future!

Clark followed Lionel through the gleaming revolving door.

The excellent sound insulation allowed them to instantly step from the hustle and bustle of the city into another world.

The incredibly high-ceilinged hall was cold and grand, its marble floor reflecting their silhouettes as they walked.

Wherever he went, the employees in their crisp uniforms stopped in their tracks, bowed their heads respectfully, and addressed him in unison as 'Mr. Luther'.

Those gazes, a mixture of awe and curiosity, finally focused on Clark, who was dressed simply, standing next to Lionel.

This made Clark feel like a stranger who had wandered into a foreign land, and he felt extremely uncomfortable.

“Clark, you’ll get used to these looks sooner or later.” Lionel’s lips curled slightly, as if he were used to it all.

Then, with a leisurely stride, he led Clark to an elevator.

The metal door seemed to sense his arrival, silently sliding open as he approached, revealing an interior space that was more spacious than anyone could imagine.

Clark followed him inside and stood somewhat awkwardly in a corner.

The elevator doors closed, blocking out the outside world and amplifying the silence inside.

Lionel turned to face Clark and chuckled, “Welcome to the future, Clark.”

His voice echoed faintly in the enclosed space.

But just when Clark thought the elevator would take them soaring into the sky to the highest level, which usually symbolizes the pinnacle of power...

Lionel reached out and pressed an inconspicuous button on the control panel.

The indicator light unexpectedly flashed downwards.

The elevator vibrated slightly and began to descend steadily, carrying a heavy potential energy, as if it were diving into an unknown deep sea.

"The real future... is never about chasing the height of the sky."

Lionel shook his head, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
"People instinctively yearn for heights, building skyscrapers, believing that power and answers lie there. But the true power that can reshape the foundations of the world often lies buried underground, in unseen depths."

"Excuse me... is there any difference?" Clark couldn't help but ask, his voice barely audible in the rapidly descending elevator car. "Buried underground? Why?"

"Uh, I mean...don't we all yearn for higher, brighter places?"

“You can also understand it that way, Clark,” Lionel explained patiently, like a tutor enlightening a student with limited knowledge. “This is the most fundamental difference between ‘up’ and ‘down’.”

"Striving upwards is a civilization that is shown to the world."

"Skyscrapers, bustling streets, glittering expositions."

"These are green pastures for the sheep to see."

As he spoke, he flipped his palm and slowly pressed down.

"But in reality, the foundation of all this lies deep within the earth."

What is Uncle mumbling about?
"."

Clark wanted to complain, but out of respect for his elders, he nodded as if he understood.

The elevator continued to descend for so long that Clark, alone in the enclosed space with Lionel, almost lost all sense of time.

He could only feel a persistent sense of weightlessness, pulling him down into the depths of the earth.

The elevator came to a steady stop with a very faint thud.

The smooth metal door slid open silently to both sides, revealing a breathtaking view.

It's not the dark and oppressive underground space you might imagine.

Instead
It is a pure white corridor with an extremely futuristic feel.

The light was soft and bright, yet no clear source could be found; it was as if the walls themselves were emitting light.

The corridor was surprisingly spacious, and the floor was as smooth as a mirror.

On both sides were sheets of special, foggy glass. Clark instinctively tried to see through them, but it was as if he was looking through a layer of fog, and he couldn't see anything clearly.

“Put these on.” Lionel handed her a pair of glasses. “They have special glass; you can only see clearly with specially made lenses.”

Clark secretly marveled at the precision of this high technology.

This was the second time he had encountered materials that could not be seen through.

As for the last time?
It was around Christmas time when he glanced at his uncle's safe but saw nothing.

Putting on his glasses, Clark turned his gaze back to the direction.

Then you can clearly see behind the glass a series of dazzlingly busy laboratories.

Researchers wearing white or blue sterile gowns moved among them.

Various sophisticated instruments he had never seen before shimmered with a deep blue or emerald green light.

The holographic projections I saw at the expo this morning are just ordinary objects here; complex data and rotating molecular structure models flow everywhere like waterfalls.

Moreover, he even saw in a laboratory that a robotic arm was assembling some complex component with a cold metallic sheen at a speed beyond human perception.

Robots?!

“My dad might really like it here,” Clark exclaimed sincerely. “It’s so futuristic.”

“Really? Speaking of which, Jonathan seems to really like robots.” Lionel smiled slightly, made an elegant gesture, and said in a relaxed tone, “Then we can take a look at the parts your father might be interested in first, and you can tell him when you get back.”

As he spoke, he led Clark a few steps forward and stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary, foggy glass.

He reached out and tapped the glass lightly twice.

Something amazing happened.

Clark instinctively took off his glasses, simply because the fog that had been obstructing his vision had dissipated, the thick glass had become invisible, and the interior space was now fully exposed before him.

Almost simultaneously, several researchers inside, dressed in white lab coats, noticed the commotion outside and quickly approached, bowing respectfully and saying, "BOSS."

Lionel nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the interior of the laboratory, and asked in a casual tone, "How's the progress?"

One of the leaders immediately replied, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement: "Very smoothly, sir. The energy output has stabilized and fully met the standards for the second phase of the live-fire exercise."

Lionel smiled slightly and gestured to the researcher who had spoken earlier.

The other party understood immediately, turned around and deftly took a jet-black rifle-like weapon from the weapon rack.

The gun body was covered with dark blue energy patterns, but it did not reflect any luster under the cold light of the laboratory, suggesting that the coating on it was very special.

“Let me introduce you, Clark.” Lionel took the pulse rifle, feeling its weight in his hand. “These will become standard issue for soldiers in the military in the near future.”

As he spoke, without waiting for Clark's reaction, he casually raised his chin.

The researchers in the laboratory immediately set to work, raising a heavy composite steel plate from the ground and fixing it in the test area.

Lionel raised his rifle, and without even aiming carefully, casually pulled the trigger.

"Wow——!"

There was no deafening gunshot, only a blinding blue pulse beam shot out and instantly hit the steel plate.

The expected impact puncture did not occur. Instead, the sturdy steel plate melted and vaporized at a visible speed, like butter exposed to high temperatures. The part that was hit emitted a bright white light.

All that remained was a large, irregular hole with its edges still glowing red and dripping with molten material!

Clark gasped, speechless with astonishment.

This is what he usually sees in the news.
These are completely different from modern weapons that rely on kinetic energy and fragmentation to kill!

This is... an energy weapon?!

Is this really the level of technology currently achievable on Earth?!

Moreover, Lionel seemed to feel that the presentation was not over yet.

Seeing Clark's shocked expression, his smile deepened, and he gestured to his men to raise another display stand.

This time, a set of armor with a sharp design and a cold, silvery-gray metallic sheen was permanently mounted on the stage.

"Exoskeleton armor, 'Fortress' series."

Lionel raised his pulse rifle again, aimed at the breastplate of the armor, and pulled the trigger.

"Buzz!"

The same blue pulse beam struck the armor. But this time, it only created a ripple that spread outwards from its surface.

The surface of the silver armor remained spotless, without a single scratch.

Lionel lowered his rifle, a hint of pride in his voice, “It was designed specifically to deal with what might happen in the future… um… ‘special threats’.”

He gave Clark a meaningful look, then, as if suddenly struck by a brilliant idea, joked, "How about it? Maybe we could give Jonathan a set? It might make farm work much easier."

Clark's lips twitched slightly as he listened, and the bizarre image of Jonathan, dressed in gear comparable to a Space Marine, driving a tractor to harvest corn flashed through his mind.

If it were his immature father...
She'd definitely wear that outfit even while eating and sleeping, right?!

"No, no need!" Clark waved his hand hastily, shaking his head vigorously. "Absolutely not! It would spoil that man!"

"Haha, just kidding."

Lionel was amused by Clark's reaction, laughing and patting him on the shoulder. He said nothing more, and led the complex-looking Clark out of the laboratory.

The moment they stepped out of the invisible boundary, the misty, special glass reappeared, once again isolating the world filled with futuristic weapons.

The two continued walking along this seemingly endless white corridor into the future.

The laboratories on both sides remained busy, with holographic images flashing and robotic arms moving.

Clark's gaze swept over them, his mind still replaying the groundbreaking weapons demonstration he had just witnessed.

However, out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but stop in front of a new observation area.

Behind the glass wall here is not a laboratory with sophisticated instruments, but rather a highly modern military training ground.

Several muscular men in unmarked dark gray combat uniforms appeared to be conducting physical fitness tests.

Their movements were incredibly swift, and every single action they took was bursting with astonishing power.

One of them was facing a thick concrete wall.

He took a deep breath and unleashed a powerful, unadorned punch!

"boom!"

A burst of shattering!
The concrete wall, which was strong enough to withstand ordinary bullets, collapsed instantly at the point where his fist landed, scattering debris and revealing the twisted steel bars inside and the metal structure beneath.

Almost simultaneously, on the screen of a punching power meter connected to a sensor next to it, the numbers jumped wildly, eventually settling on an astonishing value.
—1.2 tons!
Clark's heart skipped a beat.

This effect is not achieved by using an exoskeleton or any visible equipment.
This is pure power originating from the body itself!
这 是
Superhuman?
Lionel noticed Clark's pause, slowly walked over to him, and glanced at the scene on the training field. "Amazing, isn't it?"

“These are former Navy SEALs, elites who volunteered for the ‘Super Soldier’ program.” He tilted his head slightly, looking at Clark, an unfathomable light gleaming in his eyes behind his glasses. “And what they embody is precisely the next step in human evolution that I envision.”

"Human evolution?"

Clark unconsciously repeated the word.

Just now in the car, Lionel's discussion about the difference between 'man and God' involuntarily came back to mind again.

Could it be that……

As he gazed at the superhuman strength of the 'soldiers' behind the glass wall, a vague yet startling thought uncontrollably surfaced within him:
Is it evolving towards 'god'...?
Lionel seemed oblivious to the turmoil raging within Clark.

Or rather, he didn't care.

For him, this was merely a glimpse into his grand vision for young people, like an appetizer before a meal.

He calmly turned around and led Clark to the other side of the corridor.

The atmosphere here is distinctly different from the previous militaristic style.

"One of the purposes of technological development is to serve humanity and improve the quality of life," Lionel said, stopping in front of a display stand.

A minimalist platinum watch lay quietly on the table.

He picked up the watch and skillfully put it on his wrist.

Then, he did nothing.

He simply tapped the surface of the watch lightly with his other hand.

A wondrous sight occurred.

If Clark didn't have super hearing, then it would be accompanied by an almost inaudible buzzing sound, and countless silver particles, barely perceptible to the naked eye, would rapidly emerge from the watch.

It instantly covered Lionel's arm and quickly spread throughout his body.

They intertwine, combine, and take shape in the flow.

In the blink of an eye, Lionel's expensive custom-made suit disappeared, replaced by a stylish casual outfit made of a high-tech-looking fabric that perfectly fit his figure.

"Nano-like metal technology".

"It can read and store the user's scan data or personal design of clothing, and automatically generate the corresponding clothing on the body surface when needed."

Lionel chuckled, then added an even more enticing feature, "Moreover, the generated clothing can automatically adjust temperature and humidity according to the external environment, and even possesses basic stain resistance, waterproofing, and a certain degree of impact resistance..."

"In theory, this set of 'clothes' alone can help the user adapt to most extreme environments on Earth."

As he spoke, he took off his wristwatch, his movements still composed.

As the wristwatch left his wrist, his futuristic casual wear disappeared, returning him to his original suit, as if everything that had just happened was a vivid illusion.

He handed the watch to Clark, who was staring in disbelief.

The tone was so casual, it was like handing over a piece of candy:
"Take it, consider it a Christmas gift from your uncle to make up for the one he missed last year."

Clark almost instinctively reached out and took the warm, smooth watch.

He opened his mouth, about to refuse the gift that was far too valuable and even beyond his comprehension.

This is outrageous, how could he accept this...?

but.
Christmas gift
The word struck a chord in his heart.

And with this
Does this mean we'll never have to worry about buying clothes again, especially clothes that never fit or tear easily?
This simple yet somewhat awkward thought crowded out Clark's mind, shattering his previous heavy reflections on human evolution and the relationship between God and man.

For a young man who is still growing and whose clothes sometimes burst due to his rapid increase in strength, this is a dream come true!
Think about it, you'll never have to worry about being set on fire by the gods again.

No need to worry about your T-shirt turning into strips of cloth after skills training, or even...

If there are occasions like today in the future where it is necessary to conceal one's identity, wouldn't one be able to change into whatever clothes one wants?
The immense surprise and practicality completely won over Clark.

Damn
Future technology will be so convenient.

Come to think of it, isn't that what Uncle Locke often taught us?

There is an old proverb in the East that says, "One should not refuse a gift from an elder."

Accepting the kindness of elders is also a form of respect and courtesy, isn't it?
"Thank you, Uncle Lionel!"

Clark expressed his gratitude, his voice filled with pure joy.

His steps unconsciously became lighter as he followed Lionel along the futuristic white corridor.

My mind was already excitedly racing with plans.
Which of my favorite shirts and jeans should I scan when I get back?

However, just as he was almost completely immersed in the joy of acquiring this novel technology, with a slight smile still playing on his lips…

They passed the next huge observation window.
Clark habitually glanced at the view inside the window out of the corner of his eye.

That one glance made him abruptly stop in his tracks.

Through those special glasses, he could clearly see a space completely different from all the previous areas.
An extremely quiet medical area, even with a somewhat solemn atmosphere.

A soft blue light enveloped the entire space, where dozens of advanced medical pods, resembling hibernation chambers from a science fiction movie, were neatly arranged.

The milky-white hull gleamed faintly, and complex vital signs data flowed across the transparent hatch.

What truly puzzled Clark was one of the people lying in one of the medical pods.

His eyes were closed, his face was sickly pale, and he was connected to various tubes. He seemed to be asleep, or perhaps receiving some kind of deep treatment.

A thin body, short brown hair, familiar features...

Stuart.

Lana had mentioned the pitiful person to herself during a casual conversation at lunch.

Stuart, the boy from the next class who has leukemia, hasn't been seen in the school hallways or classrooms for a very long time.

(End of this chapter)