Chapter 234: Uninvited Guests!
The Homecoming
After days of indulgence, Luke set off on his return to Coast City.
The house hadn't changed at all in the half-month he was away, but when he saw the Kryptonian girl standing at the main gate, hands on her hips and a cold expression, his legs mysteriously felt a little weak.
A while ago, Luke had used the Green Lantern Ring to play a trick on her, which resulted in him being "hunted" and forced to go into hiding to avoid the heat. He thought she would have calmed down after half a month, but she was still acting the same way.
"You're getting more beautiful every day, Linda, and your figure is great. Congratulations, congratulations."
Luke laughed awkwardly. Before he finished speaking, a gust of wind hit his face, and the girl abruptly appeared in front of him, holding up the Green Lantern Ring on her hand. She said coldly,
"Are you going to explain this ring or not?"
Luke said awkwardly, "It's been so many days, why bring it up?"
"Liar! Bastard!"
Linda yelled in fury. "I thought you had changed your ways and were giving me a gift. It was all a trap! The crystal ring is a Green Lantern Corps weapon. You stole it from Hal Jordan and then gave it to me so I would take the blame and become the Corps' target."
"Luke Shaw, you are such a jerk! I've never met anyone like you."
The enraged girl raised her hand, ready to strike.
"Wait a moment."
Luke quickly backed up, speaking fast. "Have you met people from the Green Lantern Corps?"
"Of course I have, or how else would I know about the disgusting things you've done?"
The girl stepped forward again, and Luke retreated again. As he backed away, he tried to reason with her, "Let's talk this out, don't use force. My body can't handle one punch from you. If you kill me, who's going to support you?"
"Get lost!"
Linda raised her fist, grinding her teeth for a long time, but finally did not strike. She kicked the floor instead, leaving a large crater, and returned to the mansion without looking back.
Luke let out a long sigh of relief. Damn Green Lantern Corps, always causing trouble for me.
Passing through the main door, he saw Grandpa Fu lying on a deck chair basking in the sun. Luke rushed over to greet him, but the old man not only ignored him but impatiently waved him away.
Luke, snubbed, could only head to the main hall. The Old Master was playing chess with the Old Beggar. The two were locked in a fierce, back-and-forth battle. Luke watched with interest, tempted to speak, but when he glimpsed the leather whip in the Old Master's hand, his mouth twitched twice, and he turned to the backyard.
An'an and Bei'bei were gnawing on bones. Luke tossed two sausages into their dog bowl, but the two German Shepherds took a bite, immediately spat them out, and went back to gnawing bones.
Luke: "..."
What the hell? Did I go to the wrong house?
A depressed Luke went to the kitchen and pulled Aunt Li aside, lowering his voice.
"Aunt Li, don't you think the atmosphere in the house is really strange?"
"No, I don't! It's perfectly normal!"
"Why are Grandpa and the others ignoring me?"
Hearing this, a flash of veiled disdain crossed Aunt Li's eyes, and her voice became cool.
"The Young Master had a great time playing around these past few days, didn't he?"
The question caught Luke off guard. He paused for two seconds, then asked hesitantly, "Has something happened at home?"
"Nothing major, just fighting every day."
Fighting?
Luke's eyelid twitched. He felt a sense of impending doom. "Who was fighting who?"
"Earlier, it was a few aliens in green robes. They wanted the ring Linda has. Oh, and I heard that ring was a gift the Young Master gave Linda."
Aunt Li glanced at Luke, who coughed awkwardly and looked away guiltily. She continued,
"Later, it was Ms. Ferris. Ms. Ferris and Linda don't get along. They argue every time they see each other. I don't know why..." At this point, she glanced at Luke again,
"After arguing a few times, well... you know."
"They... fought?"
"Yes, they fought."
"How many times?"
"Four or five times, I think! One time, they almost took the roof off."
Luke inhaled sharply. He felt completely unwell.
Aunt Li forced a sarcastic smile. "Men! They're all the same. They want the red flag to stay firm at home while flags of all colors wave outside. But they don't know that the more outstanding a woman is, the stronger her self-respect. Women as smart, beautiful, and powerful as Ms. Ferris and Linda are rare. One is hard enough, let alone two."
Luke chuckled. "You have a point, but my heart is too big, it holds too many things."
"Then wait to suffer the consequences!"
Aunt Li ignored him, picked up a fruit plate, and headed to the main hall.
To ease the awkward atmosphere at home, Luke personally cooked dinner, preparing a table full of fine dishes. With Ava's coaching, every dish was perfectly executed, full of color, aroma, and taste, reaching near-master level.
With the delicious food as a cushion, the Old Master finally put down his whip.
The Visitors
After dinner, two unwelcome guests arrived at the house: Amanda and Jason Lowe.
In the reception room, looking at the two people in formal attire, Luke said with a hint of sarcasm,
"Your information network is certainly quick. I arrived home at noon, and you show up tonight."
Amanda acted as the intermediary, introducing, "This is Jason Lowe, Special Assistant to the President. Like you, he's also from California."
Luke gave a lukewarm nod.
Jason Lowe, however, seemed very interested. After sizing Luke up, he smiled. "I've long heard the name Young Master Shaw of Coast City. This is my first time meeting you. I didn't expect you to be even younger than I imagined."
Luke signaled Aunt Li to serve tea and said indifferently, "As the President's Special Assistant, why are you here instead of campaigning with the President during the election?"
"Don't worry about the election. We're going to win for sure."
"Oh?"
Luke raised an eyebrow, a little confused. "As far as I know, the President's approval rating has just passed forty percent, while Thompson's is fifty-six percent. With a difference of sixteen points, how will you win?"
"It's classified information. I can't tell you."
Luke smiled, sizing him up casually. "It seems the President is quite confident about his re-election. If that's the case, why are you looking for me?"
Jason looked at Amanda next to him, and she spoke.
"Recently, a powerful energy fluctuation erupted in the Swamp Forest. According to our investigation, a battle broke out between senior FBI agents, metahumans from the Paranormal Investigation Unit, and a cult organization called the Serpent Spirit Society. The battle resulted in the deaths of thirty senior agents and the destruction of a large area of trees. What's even more surprising is that the participants included not only the current FBI Director, Jack Harvey, but also you, Luke Shaw, the underworld boss of Coast City. You were also a participant, and even the main orchestrator, of that battle."
Luke spread his hands. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. I've been vacationing in Keystone City for the past few days. I don't understand a single word of what you're saying."
Amanda said sharply, "Luke Shaw, I'm warning you, don't try to deny it. We have a special warrant from the President. If you don't cooperate with the investigation, we have the authority to place you under administrative detention."
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