"What's wrong? Why aren't you happy even after winning the game?"
In the stands, Peter walked over and sat beside Clark. They sat together facing the field.
"I don't know why Dad left," Clark said, feeling down.
"Your father had something urgent to attend to at the farm, so he went back first," Peter explained, giving Jonathan a reason, and then encouraged Clark, "You did great today, Clark."
"I actually know," Clark said, indicating that he knew why his father left. "Dad was unhappy because I used my superpowers to win the game, but my abilities are tightly bound to me. They are a part of me, and unless they are taken away, I can't easily separate them."
Feeling low, Clark looked at his hands. "Now I feel like this gift isn't just a mission, but more like a curse."
He looked up at Peter blankly. "Godfather, I actually want to experience the life of an ordinary person, unconstrained and free."
Peter stroked Clark's hair and said, "Everyone lives in shackles, Clark. True freedom is something no one can achieve."
"Even if I give up my superpowers and don't pursue the great mission my father talks about later, I still won't be able to be free?"
Peter was startled when he heard Clark talk about giving up his superpowers.
This kid isn't really uninterested in his mission to save the World, is he?
This is not a good start; he felt it was necessary to correct this kid's decadent thinking.
"No, even if you give up your abilities, you won't be truly free, Clark."
"Really?"
Clark lowered his head in frustration, then looked up a moment later and asked him, "Godfather, what kind of person do you hope I become?"
"Hmm… That's a complex question."
Peter thought for a moment and said, "Godfather hopes you become someone who, even when bound by shackles, still has hope in his heart."
"Hope?"
Clark repeated the word aloud.
"Yes, hope. This is what you should have most of all."
Peter watched the crowd on the field and suddenly remembered a story from a parallel Universe in DC. "Godfather will tell you a story, Clark. Do you want to hear it?"
Clark nodded. "Yes, Godfather."
Although he was past the stage of bedtime stories, he still really wanted to hear his Godfather's story.
"It's a story from an alien Planet. On this Planet, people were enslaved by someone named Mongul."
"Mongul used gladiator fights to allow people to gain higher status. The more they fought, the more people they could enslave."
Peter's voice gradually drew Clark in.
"Later, a hero joined the battle. He overthrew Mongul, freed these slaves, and completely destroyed this game of power. More and more slaves began to raise their hands, waving the chains in their hands."
"Did he succeed, Godfather?"
"No, the hero was later captured. Do you know why he failed, Clark?"
Clark lowered his head in thought for a while, then asked Peter, "Was it because his power wasn't strong enough?"
"No, he was very strong, the strongest hero in the entire Universe, but he still failed because his enemy wasn't a single villain, but a concept—'slaves crave a hero to save them, but they also resent the hero'."
Clark asked in confusion, "Why?"
Peter continued to tell Clark, "Because the slaves had become accustomed to these shackles; they were actually addicted to this game of power."
"A powerful king not only controls a person with physical shackles and violence but also binds people with an oppressive atmosphere and constant lies."
"Chains are physical, and they are also mental. Chains are a tool, and they are also a concept. It is that feeling of helplessness and frustration that is the hero's greatest enemy."
Peter watched the setting sun, paused for a moment, and continued, "The slaves of the entire Planet are in a kind of shackle. They are not free, but they resent breaking free from this. So, Clark, humans will always be trapped in shackles, whether passively or actively."
As Clark listened to Peter, he seemed to understand something.
He took a deep breath and said to Peter, "So, Godfather, what did that hero do in the end?"
Peter coughed and asked him, "If it were you, what would you do?"
In fact, he was telling the story of Superman from a parallel World, and the hero in it was Superman.
He wanted to see what Clark, as the future Superman, would choose to do.
"I… I think, Godfather, I would give those slaves hope and courage."
Peter looked at him in surprise upon hearing this.
This kid really has the character of Superman.
"That's a good answer, Clark."
Peter rubbed Clark's head and said, "Later, a friend of the hero appeared, intending to help him escape from prison, but the hero refused."
Peter paused and continued, "His reason was: I am locked up here, which is perfect for talking to the remaining gladiators.
Even if we win today, we can't save them. It depends on whether the people here truly want to escape, otherwise nothing will change. What I need to do is give them the hope of freedom."
"Hope?"
Clark, who was somewhat engrossed in listening, repeated the word again.
"Yes, hope. Godfather hopes that even when bound by shackles, you will become a person of hope, giving hope to yourself and to others."
Saying that, he stretched out his hand and drew an "S" on Clark's chest.
"Let's go, it's too late. We need to go back."
Peter stood up, clapped his hands, and shouted to Star-Lord, who was playing on the field in the distance, "Star-Lord, come up, we need to go home."
Hearing his father call him, Star-Lord immediately ran to the stands at top speed.
Clark followed Peter out of the field. When he reached the entrance, he glanced at the setting sun, then looked down at his chest.
He seemed to really see a large "S" glowing brightly on his chest.
The next day, early morning.
Clark and Mark traveled from the farm to Smallville School.
At this time, Smallville School was holding a graduation dance ring sale.
Although the senior graduation dance did not allow lower-grade students to participate, the graduation dance rings were sold, which was also a tradition of Smallville.
"It is said that this year's graduation dance rings are made from precious Ruby, and the origin of this Ruby is a very precious meteorite."
Mark shared the information he knew.
The two talked as they arrived at the place where the rings were being sold.
Looking at the long queue in the corridor, Clark couldn't help but gasp, "So everyone likes graduation dance rings?"
Mark nodded, "Yes, I want to buy one too."
Clark looked at him in surprise, "Are you serious? These rings cost 35 U.S. dollars each, which isn't cheap."
"Will Godfather agree?"
"He should. This money is my allowance from working on the farm, and Dad said I have the right to spend it."
Mark pulled out thirty-five U.S. dollars and stood at the back of the line. "I want to buy one as a gift for Dad."
"Alright."
Clark thought for a moment, felt his pocket, and stood behind Mark.
Mark looked at him in surprise, "You want to buy one too?"
"Yes, I want to buy one too, for Godfather. It would be great if I could engrave an 'S' on it."
Mark asked, somewhat confused, "Why engrave an 'S'?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but it probably means hope, Godfather told me."
Clark said as he pulled out his wallet.
"You actually have money too?"
Mark grew even more surprised, "How did you save it?"
"I also earn allowance on the farm, and I borrowed money from Godfather."
Hearing the other person say he borrowed money, Mark said somewhat unhappily, "You should have borrowed from your dad, Jonathan, not my dad."
"I'll pay it back anyway."
Clark walked up to the person responsible for registration and asked if he could engrave a letter.
After receiving a positive reply, Clark excitedly asked the person to engrave an "S" on his ring.
After some busy work, the two put on the rings they had bought.
Clark curiously examined the Ruby on the ring and asked Mark, "Is this a real gem?"
"I don't know, but it probably isn't valuable, otherwise it wouldn't be so cheap. I guess the value of this meteorite Ruby isn't high."
Clark, finding it reasonable, shrugged his shoulders and put the Ruby ring on his hand.
The moment the ring was put on, Clark suddenly felt an inexplicable chill invade his body.
Blood-red, spider-web-like presences appeared on the back of his hand and then spread throughout his body along his blood vessels.
Feeling the indescribable changes occurring in his body, Clark examined the ring on his finger. The next second, his eyes instantly turned Ruby-red.
At the same time, Whitney was leading a group of friends, queuing behind to buy rings.
Seeing Clark still standing in front and not moving, someone impatiently shouted at him, "Hey! Don't block the way, get out of here!"
Hearing the voice, Clark not only didn't move away but walked directly towards Whitney and the others.
Standing in front of a tall, strong guy, Clark, with an unfriendly look in his eyes, asked the other person, "What did you just say?"
"I said: Get out of here!"
The student, knowing Clark's introverted and "cowardly" nature, glared at Clark and repeated what he had just said.
"Bang!"
The next second, Clark directly reached out and pushed the other person.
The tall, strong student, pushed in the chest, immediately fell to the ground uncontrollably, sliding backward along the floor.
Finally, with a "bang," he heavily hit a metal locker, making a muffled sound.
Witnessing the sudden scene, the crowd gasped!