American comics farmer: start by adopting the villain savior.

Chapter 66 Sam Lane
The next morning.

The blizzard that had raged all night finally ran out of power, leaving behind a world covered in thick, pure and flawless white snow.

The sun shone through the thin clouds and shone on the Kent farm, reflecting a dazzling light.

The air is clear and transparent, and it feels as cool as ice when you inhale it into your lungs.

Last night's violence seemed like a nightmare. Only the huge icicles hanging from the eaves and the fence almost buried in the snow silently told of the white catastrophe.

The sound of a pickup truck engine came from far away, breaking the tranquility of the early morning after the snow.

A dark green military four-wheel drive vehicle covered in muddy snow and a slightly old brown car, like two small boats in a sea of ​​snow, struggled through the knee-deep snow and finally stopped on the almost buried path in front of Kent's house.

The car doors opened almost at the same time, and a group of people rushed down with unconcealable anxiety.

The leader was a burly middle-aged man wearing a neat army uniform with silver stars on his epaulettes.

His face was angular, his eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and he had the fortitude unique to professional soldiers and a hint of suppressed fatigue.

As soon as he got out of the car, the man's eyes scanned the door of the farmhouse eagerly like a searchlight, and his feet subconsciously rushed forward.

Almost at the same time, the door was pushed open.

Locke and old Henry, wrapped in a thick coat, walked out and happened to meet the eager gaze of the man in military uniform.

In an instant.
Locke's calm eyes shrank slightly, imperceptibly.

When he heard 'Gabe and Sam' on the phone last night, he had thought 'Sam' was a common name and hadn't given it much thought.

But at this moment, the resolute, familiar face that appeared countless times in military news briefings, and the military uniform that symbolized great power and responsibility,
It connected the information together instantly.

Sam Lane.

Lieutenant General of the U.S. Army, Senior Advisor to the Department of Defense, and Clark's father-in-law in countless timelines, of course
No communication with them now.

Um.
Young Locke has not yet learned about the grievances between General Ryan and his good friend Logan.

"You are Mr. Henry's family, right?"

Looking behind Sam Lane, Locke saw a man wearing a thick cotton jacket, with a stubble on his face and eyes as red and swollen as walnuts, who was excitedly supporting a young woman with tears streaming down her face.

The woman was also holding two little girls tightly in her arms, who were sniffling and had tears in their eyes.

Old Henry walked quickly forward, and the four members of the family hugged each other, crying and laughing.

The excitement of the reunion almost broke through the silence of the snow.

That's right.

Old Henry is the father of the bearded man, and Sam Lane is the brother of the tearful woman, and the man and the woman are exactly the same.
"Mr. Kent!"

Before Locke could fully digest the subtle feeling brought about by this relationship, Sam Lane strode forward.

This senior official of the Ministry of Defense, who usually makes plans in the Pentagon and whose eyes are always full of suspicion and calculation, is now completely calm.

Those eyes that had witnessed countless crises were now filled with pure, almost overflowing gratitude and fear.

He stretched out his hands and grasped Locke's shoulders firmly, with a strength that was sincere only for a soldier.

"Thank you so much!"

"Thank you! Really... Thank you so much! If you hadn't saved Father Henry in time, then..."

"My sister Moira, my brother-in-law Gabe, Chloe and Louise... this family, really..."

He didn't say anything else, but just squeezed Locke's shoulders vigorously, his eyes swept over his sister and brother-in-law who were crying bitterly behind him, and the unfinished words were extremely clear -

This family almost fell into the abyss of sadness.

Feeling the warmth of the other's palm and the heavy gratitude, Locke shook his head slightly, a gentle and understanding smile on his face. He repeated what he had said to Old Henry last night, his voice steady and earthy:

"You're welcome."

"Since Mr. Henry has come to Smallwell, we are all Smallwell people and neighbors."

"Helping each other out has been the most natural thing in this land for thousands of years."

Looking into Locke's open and honest eyes, devoid of any self-satisfaction or unease, Sam nodded emphatically.

He could feel the frankness and strength in the other person's words. Based on his understanding of the peasant society, this was obviously not a courtesy, but a deep-rooted belief of the people on this land.

So this powerful general made a move that surprised Locke a little.

An imperceptible, almost clumsy embarrassment flashed across his dignified face. He reached into the crisp inner pocket of his military uniform, fumbled around, and pulled out a dark gray business card with an extremely simple design but made of an unusually crisp and thick material.

There are no fancy decorations on the business card, just two clear lines of information:

Name, a contact number.

Sam Lane solemnly handed the business card to Locke, his action carrying a sense of ritual that was almost like entrustment.

"Mr. Kent, I'm deeply grateful for your kindness. I'm a person..." His tone was characterized by a soldier's directness, with a hint of helpless self-deprecation, "I don't have many things that are truly valuable that I can show off."

"Keep this card. From now on, if you or your family encounter anything... well, anything beyond common sense, anything that can't be solved by ordinary means... well, anything that you feel is wrong, anything that might involve 'special' dangers..." Sam paused, his eyes becoming extremely serious. "Call this number and tell me my name."

"As long as it is within my authority and ability, I will do my best to help."

"..."

Looking at the heavy business card in his hand, he looked up at Sam Lane's business card, which was full of sincerity and even a little bit of -

'I'm sorry, but this is the only way I can repay you.'

Seeing the sincere face, Locke couldn't help laughing for a moment.

Reward with money?
Or use your power to provide secular conveniences?
These ways of rewarding each other are indeed not in line with the style of this 'General Ryan'.

Just look at the crying family members wearing ordinary winter clothes behind him and you will know that he obviously did not use his power to seek any special treatment for his relatives.

The only 'reward' he could think of and was willing to give was in his most core area of ​​responsibility—

Fight against threats beyond human comprehension, such as superhumans.

This is very Sam Lane.

Absurd, yet extremely real.

Locke understood. He weighed the business card and did not refuse it. Instead, he calmly put it away and put it in the pocket of his work pants.

Then, facing Sam's sincere gaze, he smiled calmly and said slowly:
"General Ryan, I received your kindness."

"Although I'm just an ordinary farmer and don't understand what you mean, but..."

He looked up at the sun-drenched Smallville fields, which had just cleared after the snowfall, and said calmly but with a certain certainty, "I actually hope that this kind of business card will never be dialed."

Sam Ryan was slightly startled when he heard this.

Then, a rare smile of relief broke out on his face, which always looked too serious.

The sun shines on the snow.

It also falls on these two men with completely different identities and backgrounds, who briefly meet because of a snowstorm and an old man.

The air was filled with the freshness after the snow and a strange, tacit tranquility.
-
Along with the crackling of the firewood in the fireplace, the low and grateful conversations of the adults in the living room came faintly through the window.

And outside the door of Kent's farmhouse, on the snowy field, the sun was shining brightly.

Three children——

Lois Lane, Chloe Sullivan, and Clark Kent.

They were looking at each other awkwardly.

As for Dior?

He had already been immersing Sarafiel in obscure books in the nursery upstairs.

The snow and human voices outside the window had nothing to do with him at this moment.

(End of this chapter)