As she lay on the hospital bed and looked directly into Clark's eyes, she wanted to find some blame or distrust there. But in reality, she only saw a deadly amount of emotion and tears in those piercing blue eyes.
No one can face Superman's tears head-on. Lois couldn't help but turn her head away. But Clark had no intention of letting her off the hook. He walked to the bedside, sat down, held Lois's hand, and said with some choking in his voice, "You've done so much for me, Lois..."
"Cough, cough, I admit, some of it was indeed my doing," Shiller said.
Clark, amidst his emotions, rolled his eyes at him.
"Actually, even if my background is revealed, it wouldn't be such a big deal," Clark said. "You didn't need to risk your health doing this. I'm not as fragile as you imagine, and even if they don't trust me, I will still do what I need to do."
Lois shook her head and said, "No, Clark. Think carefully. Over the years you've been on Earth, hasn't there been so many people helping you?"
Clark followed her question into thought. The answer, of course, was yes. Over the years, he had encountered countless good people.
Not to mention, back in school, he didn't know how many times he revealed his superpower, but in reality, that matter didn't even get past the school gate; no one leaked the secret.
The school bus that flipped into Lake had many people sitting inside, and he pulled the bus out right in front of them. Even the fatty who had the most malice towards him at the time, who often mocked him, later his mother brought him to thank Clark and promised never to spread the word. The other kids must have received similar teachings from their parents.
Remember, though students studied in the small town, their parents might not be town folks; they could be back from big cities or received higher education. They had means to connect with the outside world, and if even one of them made a call to report him, those agent organizations would be knocking the next day.
He didn't actually experience a childhood of hiding and wandering but lived peacefully on the Kent family's farm. Smallville's simple folk customs and people's kindness played a crucial role. Clark sometimes couldn't understand why so many people would unanimously choose to protect him; it was indeed against common sense, somewhat overly idealistic.
Not to mention, when he grew up and looked for jobs, he hit the mark every time, and he had saved colleagues in danger in other jobs, all noticed by others, yet nothing happened; everyone kept their mouths shut as if it never happened.
After joining The Daily Planet, he did encounter some annoying colleagues, but this group was like that to everyone, not specifically targeting him. The editor, despite having a bad temper and loving to take small advantages, when he was injured and took leave, the editor approved without saying a word.
Clark felt somewhat guilty because the words the editor scolded him with were indeed true. The cases the editor had him keep tabs on, he mostly ignored, and during political reporting, his mind was not focused, revising the article again and again. Yet, he was still able to continue as a reporter. Thinking of those who lost their jobs for small mistakes and had to live in tent areas, Clark felt somewhat disgraceful.
Moreover, despite having no real acquaintance with Bruce Wayne, and their relationship initially being quite poor, Bruce still helped him, never rejected his requests, and even spent time talking with him.
Even though Bruce wasn't much Batman anymore, he still had such a huge group; the time of such a person was precious, yet Clark took up a whole night of his. If he spent that time on work, he might earn a million dollars.
And Diana, they had truly never met, but Diana still picked him up, tolerated him causing a stir in her house, and not only set incredibly low demands, but helped in every way she could.
Lois, needless to say, they actually had little connection, if anything, just happened to meet a few times, not even a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship; he hadn't even had the courage to confess his feelings, yet she resolved his troubles wholeheartedly.
Then there's Shiller, though he's a dead liar, Clark felt he's like someone who, when a baby refuses to take medicine, disguises the meds as candy and forcefully puts it in the baby's mouth. The process seemed rough, deceptiveness was heavy, but it was indeed effective.
Facing Lois's inquiry, Clark vigorously nodded and said, "Yes, too many people have helped me, so much that it feels somewhat unreal."
"If there's one or two, maybe it's just them being overly kind-hearted, or perhaps they're someone who helps everyone, but I believe you've noticed, not all could be like that among so many people. So, why do you think they are all willing to help you?"
Clark thought for quite a while but genuinely couldn't come up with an answer. Couldn't say because he deserves it, right? He isn't that deserving, is he?
Lois wanted to say something more, but at that moment, the nurse came in and said, "Sorry, visiting hours are over, don't talk to the patient anymore, she needs rest."
Thus, Clark and Shiller could only leave the hospital room together. Standing in the corridor, Clark fell into contemplation, clearly still pondering that question.
His gaze glanced at Shiller, then swayed away, cleared his throat, and said, "Did you hear what Lois said?"
"Of course. Glad you didn't intend to keep it from me."
"Sounds like we could keep it from you anyway. Jokes aside, why do you think it is?"
Shiller halted his steps, the two standing before the window in the hospital corridor of this floor. Shiller looked out and said, "There are few purely kind people in this world, would you agree?"
Clark nodded.
"Most people do good deeds to provide themselves with emotional value, and most of the time it only provides emotional value. After all, stories about saving a beggar who later becomes the world's richest person and comes back to repay you only exist in books."
Clark nodded again. He understood what Shiller was saying; some people do good deeds out of compassion, but some truly do it to satisfy their moral needs. But this can't be criticized, because regardless, they are still doing something good.
"But you're different." Shiller turned his head to look at Clark and said, "People see a possibility in you."
"What?"
"You might have heard a story: A child walks along the beach, continuously throwing fish back into the sea. Someone said, 'No one cares if these fish get saved,' to which the child replied, 'This one cares, and that one does too.' So, suppose instead of fish, he's throwing back a nuclear bomb?"
Clark couldn't help but scratch his head. He squinted at Shiller with a "Are you serious?" expression on his face.
"If he's throwing back a nuclear bomb, a lot of people would care. Because one nuclear bomb could pollute an entire coastline, and if he continues to throw them like that, the whole Earth would soon become a nuclear wasteland."
"What I mean to say is, if he's picking up fish, it only has emotional value, throwing fish won't bring him any reward, it only makes him happy; but if he's throwing nuclear bombs and happens to be an anti-humanity and anti-social person, then it can help him destroy the Earth, which is his greatest wish, and this behavior brings him huge benefits."
"Do you really have to use such an analogy?" Clark said with his hands on his hips, "Can't you choose something a bit more optimistic?"
"As long as you understand the point." Shiller waved his hand and said, "My point is, you're akin to that nuclear bomb. When ordinary people do good deeds, it's merely to satisfy themselves; they know in their hearts that it won't change society, and they alone can't make the world a better place."
"But you're different. In their eyes, you're a very powerful superpower user, you can save many people with a mere wave of your hand. So if they invest some goodwill in you, it's no different from good deeds they've done before, but it might bring about a massive change, like throwing a nuclear bomb into the sea."
"Stop using that analogy!"
"Alright. In short, they've seen the possibility of change in you. They know they lack this power, so they pin their hopes on you, hoping you'll truly change their lives one day. It's possible, and the chances are great."
"And what they need to do isn't so hard, just accept you like they would an ordinary person, not go around shouting about your uniqueness, or help you as much as they can, this is clearly a win-win investment."
"But..." Clark was still a bit skeptical and said, "So why don't they do this for others? I mean, there are other superpower users, right? Why don't they pin their hopes on others? Why is it me?"
"Let's not talk about how rare superpower users are, an ordinary person meeting one superpower user is already incredibly lucky. This involves an inevitability."
"Inevitability?"
"Among those helping you, the poor and weak might have benefited from your help, saved by you, or might think they could be saved by you one day. Even if only for their own survival, they wouldn't offend you; instead, they would protect you, hoping you could help them one day."
Clark nodded; he understood this. He had received many such hints before, where some colleagues, upon discovering his unique abilities, hinted that they wouldn't spread the word. This often happened in high-risk professions, like forest keepers and sailors. These people couldn't wish more for a superpower user by their side for potentially life-saving moments. The same goes for parents; they know American schools aren't that safe.
"And those strong people, the elites of ordinary society, their help for you appears more like an investment. Like Bruce, and Diana. They believe your powerful abilities can be useful at critical times, stopping disasters and defending against foreign threats. Helping you become better raises the Earth's overall security, and no one wishes more for Earth's safety than they do, so they help you."
"So that's it," Clark said.
"Indeed, such goodwill is better than mere benevolence. As long as you can remain just and strong, they will always stand by your side. As long as you do what you should, they can be very tolerant of your flaws and patient with you."
Clark couldn't help but nod vigorously. He had realized that Bruce and Diana's requirements for him were basically to know to head home when it rains, not much more than a small child, certainly not much above a paramecium.
"What about you?"
Suddenly, Clark realized that Shiller seemed not to fit either category. He looked like one of those terrorists who would watch the Earth burn for fun. Why would he have any reason to help?
Shiller looked into his eyes with a smile and said, "In my past life, I was your fan."
"What?"
"I really like Superman," Shiller lowered his gaze, speaking in a voice almost too quiet for Clark to hear, "I've read all your stories, they're really good; I love to read them."