American comics: Starting in Arkham, a system-based Batman

Chapter 121 "Be Forgiving Towards Clark"

An angel! This is definitely an angel!

As Jung Eun ate the delicious food, she became even more certain of this. Thinking of the unjust superhero in her mind who was like a firecracker, she couldn't help but feel regretful.

"Speaking of which, Clark, you just got off work, right? How was your job?"

Neither Zheng En nor Clark had the habit of not speaking while eating or sleeping, so they inevitably chatted during the meal. Zheng En intentionally steered the conversation towards Clark, who didn't think much of it, only assuming that Zheng En was a kind person who cared about him.

"well enough."

Since it was rare for someone to bring up this topic, Clark hesitated for a moment before finally revealing some of his inner turmoil, "To be honest, I'm not really used to it."

"For example?"

Zheng En stood up and went to the refrigerator to get some wine and ice. He had moved in a few days ago; the room was simple, but it had all the common appliances and food. Otherwise, after inviting Clark over for dinner, the two of them would have been left staring at each other waiting for takeout.

Place the glass on the Clark table, toss in ice cubes, and pour in the wine.

The clear liquor rippled in the glass, making the young man's face appear somewhat distorted. "Sometimes what I say or do makes people laugh."

Superman is a popular hero, trusted and loved by most people, but Clark, a young man from a small town in Kansas, is a rookie.

He had only been at the Daily Planet for a short time when he made quite a few laughable mistakes. Many unspoken rules that were commonplace for others were completely foreign to Clark.

Just like a coffee cup casually placed on a public table, it's not a beverage that everyone can take as they please. In big cities, the sense of boundaries between people is much stronger than in small towns where people exchange things freely.

Items in public areas are not necessarily shared; this is common sense that even aliens with special abilities might not have noticed.

There are many more details like this; sometimes, Clark doesn't even understand what others are laughing at.

The colleague who organized the gathering jokingly asked him to treat everyone next time. He simply responded seriously to the other person's words, which caused everyone to burst into laughter again.

The other person put their arm around his shoulder and wiped away tears. "Oh, man, you don't have to be so serious, like you're about to go to the front lines of World War II."

Clark didn't understand, but he could tell from everyone's reactions and the atmosphere that he had made a fool of himself again.

Maybe he'll get used to this kind of workplace atmosphere in the future, but at least for now, he doesn't understand what people in big cities are thinking.

He sighed dejectedly, "—Well, actually, often."

Zheng En didn't interrupt, but listened quietly. His silence gave Clark the courage to continue.

"I know they meant no harm, and I didn't take it to heart." He was just a little uncomfortable and embarrassed. Clark hoped to integrate into the workplace in the big city as soon as possible, but after actually getting into work, he felt lost again.

"Working at Planet Daily is a little different from what I imagined."

People seem to prioritize sensationalism and sales figures over authenticity. He's the type to describe data and real situations in detail, but that makes it too bland.

Clark's submissions were criticized for being uninteresting more than once. Perry had a fiery temper and high standards for submissions, and even veterans who had worked at the Daily Planet for many years were often harshly criticized.

Clark, being a newcomer, was no exception to the trend.

He was feeling down, and kept downing glass after glass of wine that Jung Eun poured for him. "Maybe I'm not cut out to be a reporter—"

'

"Don't talk nonsense. The most important thing for a journalist is to seek the truth."

Zheng En could tell at a glance that the other person was stuck in a rut. "Didn't he think your writing was too boring? Being realistic and being interesting are not contradictory."

Clark was stunned.

He seemed to have drunk too much; his head was spinning.

Do Kryptonians get drunk? Jung Eun remembers that Supergirl Kara even flew to an alien tavern with a red sun in order to get drunk.

Clark simply had a mental lapse.

The poor young man from the small town was overwhelmed by the bustling city life and high-pressure workplace when he first entered the metropolis. Even his super brain almost couldn't keep up.

"Come up with a sensational headline, and then write your article in a way that's both realistic and interesting." Although it sounded like sarcastic, Jung Eun believed that if it were Superman, doing both wouldn't be too difficult. "You can do it, Clark, right?"

Clark's eyes widened.

Jung Eun seemed to see a light bulb light up above his head.

Although he knew that Clark would eventually come to his senses even without his reminder, Jung Eun couldn't help but sigh.

Going to work is bullshit.

Even the Kryptonians, who are all-powerful under the yellow sun, feel like they've eaten dog poop after going to work.

"you're right!"

As soon as Zheng En spoke, Clark quickly regained his energy. "Sorry, I have to go back and finish my manuscript!"

He hurriedly left the dining table, almost tripping over the threshold as he went.

"Be careful, Clark."

Jung Eun finally understood why there were scenes in comics where the other person would press a button and bend a handle.

No matter how powerful Clark is, at heart he is just an ordinary small-town youth, fresh out of school, naive and reckless, like most recent college graduates, full of curiosity and exploration about the unfamiliar society.

They may feel sad because they are away from home, feel uncomfortable because they are not used to the unfamiliar environment, and lie to their parents to report that they are safe so as not to worry them, even if life is tense and rushed.

"What a useless piece of trash."

Injustice Superman's cold words echoed in his mind once again. Compared to before, his anger had subsided considerably, but he still displayed considerable aggression when encountering Clark.

"If he can't even handle something as simple as going to work, is his super brain just for show?"

"How could someone who refuses to focus on anything worthwhile and performs poorly even as a human being be my counterpart?"

Forget about isotopes, that guy is you.

Jung Eun fell silent, but this time, rather than refuting him, he realized the deeper meaning behind the words of the Unjust Superman.

Useless, serious business —

"What do you think he needs to do to avoid being useless? What would constitute doing something worthwhile?"

This seems like a pointless question; Jung Eun had already anticipated the other party's answer before Injustice Superman could even reply.

"Of course, he should do what he's supposed to do."

Just like when he first appeared, Injustice Superman spoke with an air of self-righteousness, "Just like I said at the beginning, establish a new regime, strong enough to rule the world, eliminate war and crime, and bring complete peace to this world."

Jung Eun disagreed.

"No one can place all the world's responsibilities on his shoulders." He said calmly, "No one can place all the world's responsibilities on one person."

"Superman is not allowed, Batman is not allowed, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Shazam—no matter if they are human or from which planet, they are not allowed."

Injustice Superman remained silent.

"Your regret and your hatred should not weigh on anyone's head."

Even yourself.

Jung Eun swallowed his last words, realizing that Injustice Superman had never forgiven himself.

Zheng En was unsure how much of the other party's words carried the lingering influence of his rule over the Earth—the ideas of dictatorship and tyranny—but he felt that the original source of these thoughts was his wife and children who had tragically died at the other party's hands, and the deaths of tens of millions of people in the metropolis.

I wish I had killed the Joker sooner.

In the dead of night, does Injustice think like this? Does he recall countless times those who died unjustly, and does he take responsibility for their deaths upon himself?

"Be more lenient with Clark."

Be kinder to yourself.

Injustice stopped speaking and remained silent for a long time, so long that he didn't speak again for several days.

After his manuscript was successfully approved, Clark excitedly invited Jung Eun to dinner at a fried chicken restaurant not far from his apartment.

This is a Mexican-owned shop. The fried chicken pieces are plentiful and large, with a savory and juicy texture. Served with their special sweet and spicy sauce, each bite reveals a crispy exterior and firm, springy meat. The hot and spicy flavor explodes in your mouth, leaving Clark sweating profusely.

While eating, he recounted to Jung Eun the story of how he submitted his manuscript.

You have no idea how nervous I was back then.

His cheeks were bulging like a hamster's, but when he spoke, no saliva or crumbs flew out, and he didn't annoy anyone. "When I went in, I felt like everyone was looking at me."

That wasn't an illusion, because someone had already gone in before him.

Perry's office was always left slightly ajar, allowing employees to come in and report on their work at any time.

It also makes it easier for people outside to observe the situation.

The person who went in before Clark was a long-time employee of the Daily Planet. While Clark was hesitating with his documents in his hands, the other person simply opened the door.

Clark watched with admiration as the other person went inside.

Less than two minutes later, Perry's shout came from inside, "Here, read it yourself, read it loudly!"

Clark twitched his ears; with his super hearing, he could clearly hear the conversation inside.

"According to reliable sources, actress Celia and director met privately for three hours, confirming their relationship. They will soon make an official announcement—" The old employee's voice was initially normal, but Perry quickly suppressed it.

"Reliable information? What reliable information did you get? Did you see it with your own eyes? Did the other party admit it themselves? Do you have photos? Recordings? A second source?"

"I—I saw it on forums and from leaker accounts," he argued. "I know these channels are unreliable, but the chances of this happening are high, and it's a hot topic. If it's published, sales will definitely be…" *Clang!*

That's the sound of a thick ceramic cup being slammed onto the floor.

The employees outside froze for a moment, their movements became much lighter, their eyes darted between the sky, the ground, and the screen, and their ears were strained to listen carefully to what was happening inside.

"What do you take the Daily Planet for?! This isn't some tabloid that'll sacrifice the truth for sales!" Perry snapped. "Go back and rewrite it!"

"If I see another piece of this fabricated nonsense, you're fired from Planet Daily!"

The old employee, who had been thoroughly scolded, walked out dejectedly. Seeing this, Clark couldn't help but swallow hard, but he quickly regained his optimism.

Zheng En is right. Perry did find his article boring, but he didn't want him to fabricate facts.

The most important thing in reporting is to be truthful.

He mustered his courage and went inside. Everyone who had just witnessed the veteran employee being scolded looked at him with admiration.

Perry was still angry in the office, and the teacup he smashed on the floor spilled water everywhere.

He gave him a cold look, and Clark quickly handed over the printed manuscript in his hand.

He was too nervous.

While Perry was looking at the manuscript, Clark was staring at the floor, and he almost burned it with his heat vision.

He waited anxiously, but Perry remained silent.

"It's not bad."

After a long pause, Perry finally offered his comments. Clark's face lit up with joy, but the criticism came immediately: "It's a bit over-the-top. It's a big improvement over before, but it still needs some tweaking."

He made a few comments and then dismissed Clark.

As he stepped outside, all eyes were on Clark, with Jimmy, who was closest to him, even putting his arm around his shoulder. At that moment, Clark appeared incredibly imposing in everyone's eyes.

"I made some changes based on Perry's suggestions, and it was approved quickly."

Clark tore off a large piece of fried chicken. "Next time, next time I'll try to get it right in one take, and make Perry look at me in a new light."

"Good, that's ambitious!"

Jung Eun raised her Coke and toasted him, the bubbles churning in the black liquid. An explosion sounded not far away; the two were right by the window, and looking up, they could see plumes of black smoke rising.

problem occurs.

Jung Eun instinctively tried to stand up, but Clark was faster. "Sorry, I suddenly have to go."

He had barely finished speaking when he ran out of the restaurant, the revolving door still spinning at the entrance.

Zheng Engang sat down on the chair again after he had just gotten off.

"He's still a newbie after all."

He suddenly leaves whenever something happens, and then Superman suddenly appears. It seems suspicious no matter how you look at it.

If it were a mature Superman, he would just say he was going to the bathroom.

Most villains are easy to deal with and can be dealt with in a few minutes. If you encounter a really tough one, you can just say you're constipated.

Although he may never be able to shake off the bad reputation of having frequent urination, urgency, and poor kidneys, his secret identity can be guaranteed, of course, assuming he doesn't run into Batman.

Since Superman came to the rescue, Jung Eun decided not to join in the fun.

He pretended to pull a monocle from his pocket and looked over, his gaze passing through several buildings to the street at the center of the chaos. Superman, dressed in a red and blue suit, was quickly moving the citizens present to other locations. Only after ensuring that no one else was around did he float and confront the enemy.

The human, who was entirely mechanical, retained his original skin only on his face. He grinned maliciously, and the green stone on his chest gleamed.