American comics farmer: start by adopting the villain savior.

Chapter 28 Locke's Bottom Line (Please Read Further)
The morning dew was still hanging on the ears of wheat, reflecting golden light under the morning sun.

Locke walked along the ridges of the fields, one foot deep and one shallow, his boots making a squeaking sound as they rolled over the wet soil.

He took Clark and bent down from time to time to check the fallen straw.

After all, the heavy rain and the monster's rampage last night caused damage to a lot of oats that were about to mature.

As for Dior?

Dio should still be sleeping. For some reason, the child couldn't be woken up no matter how many times I called him in the morning.

He refused Clark's invitation to get up by snoring like a pig.

"That boy"

Locke wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked back in the direction of the farmhouse. "What did you do last night?"

"I couldn't even bear to eat the blueberry pancakes."

Clark swallowed hard at the mention of pancakes.

He ate four servings by himself this morning, including Dio's portion.

"It's okay Uncle Locke, I can do Dio's job."

"Clark," Locke said helplessly, "just spoil him."

Reaching out and pulling Clark to his side, he carefully observed Clark's expression.

The sunlight shone on the boy's curly face, giving it a golden edge.

Although still a little pale, the blue eyes have regained their former brightness.

The effect of Kryptonite is almost negligible.

"Clark, stay away from those green stones from now on." Locke said solemnly, "If someone approaches you with that kind of stone, the first thing you see is that you should not engage in close combat, even if you want to throw the stone at them. Do you understand?"

“That stone.”

"It takes your power away."

"It dulls your senses, like"

Clark shuddered at the words, remembering the terrible feeling of powerlessness he had felt last night.

It was as if someone had pulled out all his bones!
At that time, even breathing became a luxury.

"But Uncle Locke." He blinked in confusion, "If a bad guy threatens you and uses a green stone."

"Then we should keep our distance!"

Locke suddenly raised his voice, scaring away the sparrows on the edge of the field.

"Listen, Clark." He bent down and picked up a handful of soil, letting the brown particles fall through his fingers. "Farmers know that when dealing with a locust plague, you can't just rush into the swarm and swing your fists."

"Use smoke to disperse them first."

"So." Clark slowly clenched his fist, "If I see a green stone."

“Just think of it as a barn on fire.”

Dio's voice suddenly interrupted.

At some point, he had followed the two of them, still eating half a pancake in his hand.

"Any idiot would know to sound the alarm or find water first, rather than rushing in to save a bag of oats and getting themselves hurt."

The blond boy took a vicious bite of the pancake, his red eyes like two dancing flames in the sunlight.

He had two buttons on his shirt wrong, and his hair was a mess—

He had obviously gotten up in a great hurry.

Locke raised his eyebrows: "Finally got up?"

"Stop nagging me! You old man who can't even wake me up!" Dio stuffed a pancake at Clark and turned to walk towards the fallen wheat field. "I'm here to supervise the big guy's work!"

Looking at the warm pancakes in his hand with blueberry jam on the edges, Clark smiled, his blue eyes curved into crescents:

"Dio, thank you."

"Shut up! Eat your pancakes!"

".oh"

The arrogant Dior and the natural Clark.

Locke just found it funny.

I really want to know what these two kids will be like when they grow up.

"Hey"

"You two." Locke stopped and pointed to the center of the wheat field. "Look at that ear of wheat."

"?"

They stopped at the same time and looked in the direction of the finger. Among the countless fallen oats, they saw a plant standing stubbornly.

Its ears of wheat are full and drooping, swaying gently in the morning breeze like a proud general.

"Wow!"

"Cool!"

Clark trotted over and carefully touched the ear of wheat. "It's so strong! Does uncle want us to be like it?"

"You've all learned to answer first now?" Locke couldn't help but chuckle. "Clark, you've grown up too."

"But what I want you to see is..."

He changed the subject, squatted down and ran his fingers over the fallen straw beside him, "These."

The fallen wheat was covered in mud and some had even broken.

The once full ears of wheat now lay scattered in the soil, their bent stalks lifeless.

"Listen up, you two."

Locke's voice was soft, but every word was clear. "Standing is certainly something to be proud of, but falling does not mean failure."

He broke off a fallen stalk of wheat, revealing the green section inside.

"Look, they're still alive."

"As long as they are not blown away, this rainstorm will allow their roots to grow deeper. Next year, they will absorb more nutrients and grow stronger."

Clark blinked, then suddenly squatted down beside Locke and began to examine the straw like his uncle:
"So. The future that Giorno was talking about."

Locke burst out laughing.

Obviously, although this guy kept saying that he didn't care, he actually cared a lot in his heart.

Ask whenever you get the chance.

"Like these fallen ears of wheat."

Locke took over the conversation and brushed off the mud on Clark's trouser legs. "It's just a little bit of wind and frost. Just keep trying to grow. The miracle of nature will give birth to new life."

"no no no"

"Dad, you're not right."

Obviously
There are always rebellious sons who want to oppose Locke.

Dio stood on the edge of the field, his arms folded across his chest. He pouted, his red eyes flashing with a gleam of defiance. He strode into the wheat field, his boots rolling over the soft soil, and squatted down to point at the fallen ears of wheat.

"I have read books."

"In the wild, this fallen wheat won't even make it to next year."

"They will rot, mold, and eventually become food for the 'lucky one'."

The young man poked the only standing ear of wheat, causing the grains to fall, and snorted coldly:
"I, Dio, don't want to be used as food."

Locke was stunned, the sunlight flickering in his surprised pupils.

Survival instinct?

Isn't this the dark will?
He didn't expect that Dio could think of this level now.

"Interesting." Locke's mouth curled up slowly. "So you want to be the last one standing?"

"Of course!" Dio raised his chin, but then frowned, "But..."

His eyes swept across the entire wheat field, and a hint of confusion flashed in his red eyes.

“I actually want to”

"Well," Clark looked at Dio, then at Locke, and suddenly interrupted, "Then can I be the ridge?"

Both Kents turned their heads at the same time, their expressions showing identical confusion.

"Look."

Clark gestured, his blue eyes sparkling.

"The ridges won't be blown down by the wind, and they can protect the wheat from being trampled."

"Idiot!" Dio slapped Clark on the head. "Tiangen is dead! You are alive! And Tiangen is sacrificing himself to be stepped on every day!"

"Sigh~"

"Clark, is your head made of iron?!"

Looking at the two teenagers making a mess, Locke suddenly burst into laughter.

The laughter startled the skylarks in the wheat field, and they fluttered off into the blue sky.

"All right, boys." He held a head with one hand. "There are a thousand Hamlets in the hearts of a thousand people."

Dio frowned, "Ham what?"

"That's right." Locke thought for a moment and then changed his words. "Some people want to be standing ears of wheat, some want to be ridges in the fields. That's fine."

"But remember—"

His expression suddenly became serious, and he tapped the chests of the two teenagers with his fingers: "You can be whoever you want to be."

"The only thing you can't do is be a bad guy."

The sunlight became particularly bright at this moment, casting the shadows of the three people in the wheat field, stretching them very long.

Dio's red eyes flickered slightly, Clark's curly hair was stained with golden spots, and Locke's voice, like a seed, quietly fell into their hearts:

"This is me, Locke Kent, to you"

"The final bottom line."

(End of this chapter)