Chapter 275: The Dust Settles
A Talk with Supergirl
In the evening, Luke returned home and spent a warm dinner with his family.
His grandfather said nothing about his decision to return to Metropolis. He had always been like that, rarely interfering with his grandson's choices—whether it was dropping out of school, founding the Young Master Gang, or eliminating rivals. As long as Luke deemed it necessary, he would not object.
Having such a grandfather was Luke's greatest luck since crossing over; without him, he wouldn't be where he was today.
After dinner, Luke went to Linda's room and spoke directly.
"Miss Danvers, we need to talk."
The girl snapped back irritably, "What's there to talk about?"
Luke pulled up a chair and sat across from her, his expression serious.
"What are your plans for the future?"
Linda was taken aback. "Why are you asking?"
Luke sighed. "Don't you think your current state is strange?"
"Is it?"
"Of course it is."
Luke straightened up. "Think about it. How many days has it been since you went outside? How many days since you went shopping? How many days since you wore anything other than sportswear? How many days since you spoke to anyone outside the manor? Do you do anything besides practice martial arts every day?"
"You've completely shut yourself off, isolating yourself entirely from the world. That's not healthy."
Linda frowned deeply, displeased.
"What exactly are you getting at?"
Luke looked at her steadily. "Are we friends?"
"Barely!"
"Since we're friends, I need to warn you: if you continue like this, your future life will be completely bleak."
"I know the destruction of Krypton was a huge blow to you, but so much time has passed. You need to wake up. Whether you accept it or not, Krypton no longer exists. You are destined to live on Earth in the future. If that's the case, why don't you try to integrate into human life?"
The girl whipped her head away and retorted angrily, "I refuse to be an Earthling!"
"Then what do you want to be?"
"A Kryptonian."
"Alright, Miss Kryptonian. What do you plan to do in the future?"
"I..."
Linda was speechless. Her eyes suddenly looked lost. It was clear she had no plans for the future.
Luke shrugged.
"With all due respect, if your deceased parents saw you like this, they would be very disappointed. I see no passion in you. You're like a dried-up old person; there's no difference between being alive and dead."
"Linda, you have to break away from your current state. At least find a job and engage in basic social activities."
The girl slowly raised her head, her expression guarded.
"Are you trying to hire me?"
Luke spread his hands. "If you need it, absolutely. But you haven't even graduated from university. My company might not have a suitable position for you."
Linda curled her lip, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, piercing Luke like an arrow, as if trying to see through him.
That damned bad guy! He's scheming against me again.
Having lived in the manor for so long, Linda had heard much about Luke from her master and the two old men. To prevent his hard-won apprentice from being "snatched by a pig," Lingxu Zi had even detailed Luke's major character traits in front of Linda: he's lustful but not greedy for money; he's cold but doesn't bully the weak; he's loyal but not foolishly so; he's cunning but not malicious. In short, his motto was "nothing ventured, nothing gained," and he was utterly ruthless in achieving his goals. The warning was clear: Be very careful around him. Don't let him trick you emotionally or steal your virtue.
The girl ground her teeth, fighting the urge to punch him in the face. She finally held back, muttering,
"You have so many subordinates. Why are you looking for me?"
"They can't compare to you. Whether in looks, temperament, intelligence, or fighting strength, the gap is too huge."
The compliment hit the mark, and her tone became slightly more arrogant.
"Seeing you groveling like this, fine. What do you need my help with?"
Luke suppressed a smile. This girl must be going soft from all that martial arts practice; she can't even tell where she stands.
He placed a prepared contract on the table. "This is your future work arrangement. Take a look. If there are no issues, come back to Metropolis with me tomorrow."
With that, he got up and left the room. He was confident Linda would give a satisfactory answer.
The Unstoppable Presidency
Voting Day arrived as scheduled. Due to yesterday's explosive news, many assumed Joel Nash would lose the re-election due to his foolish action.
But reality slapped them hard in the face.
Throughout the day, large-scale rallies supporting Joel Nash erupted across many regions. Supporters wore shirts printed with the phrase "No Lies, Sincere Leader," creating striking visual art.
These people even flooded the White House plaza, loudly cheering the President's name.
Coupled with Luke's full-scale effort to leverage his network for online publicity, Joel Nash was briefly hailed as an "American Hero."
His popularity soared to an unbelievable degree.
Faced with this situation, the Department of Defense and the Senate fell into an ominous silence. Everyone saw that the situation was dire. Their only hope now was that the final tally wouldn't be too bad.
Unfortunately, their greatest fear materialized.
As the votes were counted after the close of the polls, and the results from various states converged on the White House, the Senate and Department of Defense felt a shadow descend over them. Of the 50 states, only 27 had reported results (with 23 still pending), and of those 27, an astounding 17 were colored red!
Joel Nash represented the red color, meaning that barely halfway through the count, he was already leading his opponent by seven states. This gap was unimaginable. At this rate, the final margin could exceed ten states.
After the data was released, many media outlets immediately declared the result of the 2003 election: Joel Nash had been re-elected and would serve another term as President of the United States.
This victory was completely different from his success four years prior. Back then, he had won unexpectedly with extremely low approval ratings. Now, he had won fair and square, defeating his opponent with an incredible mandate.
With broad public support after the election, Joel Nash could now reorganize his cabinet without fear. Neither the Senate nor Congress had the power to stop him. He had reclaimed the power of the presidency and become the true master of the White House.
A Secret Pledge
Inside the Pentagon, Norman Gant called an emergency meeting, attended by eight powerful generals, including Sam Lane.
Before the meeting began, an assistant conveyed the latest statistics. Learning that Joel Nash's approval rating was nearly 60%, everyone wore complex expressions.
Norman Gant rapped the table, drawing everyone's attention.
"I received word from the White House: the President will reorganize the cabinet after the election... This is likely the last internal meeting I will call as Secretary of Defense."
At his words, everyone looked up, their eyes reflecting a touch of sadness.
Norman Gant chuckled. "Don't look at me like that; it's just a reassignment. Before I go, I have something to tell you. No matter how the situation changes in the future, you are forbidden from revealing the truth about the demon Ghast. This is a request, and it is also an order. Let it rot in your hearts. Understand?"
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