Matthew Atkinson
London, United Kingdom
An interview was definitely not an option.
Because the identity Matthew was currently using was fake.
The more he talked, the more misinformation he would expose.
Therefore, Matthew refused the reporter's request for an interview without hesitation.
"Sorry, I don't give interviews."
Upon hearing this, the female reporter was very disappointed but dared not make any further moves.
This wasn't Earth. This world was a supernatural world.
A powerful superhuman held a high status here.
After a superhuman explicitly refused to be interviewed, any reporter who dared to pester them deserved to be beaten to death.
"Grand Magister Russell, let's go," Matthew said.
Grand Magister Russell immediately took Matthew onto the transport plane.
After the two found seats, they sat down.
Grand Magister Russell then asked, "Clark, that was a great opportunity to make a name for yourself. Why didn't you want to be interviewed?"
Without much thought, Matthew said, "I'm not very interested in these things, and besides... for us supernatural individuals, fame and fortune are all meaningless. Only our own strength is fundamental."
Upon hearing this, Grand Magister Russell couldn't help but nod, a gratified smile spreading across his face.
Low-key, humble, clear-headed, and determined...
Grand Magister Russell was increasingly pleased with Clark Kent.
Soon, the transport plane, carrying the two men, returned to the guild building.
"Clark, it's already noon. Why don't you have some lunch before you leave?" Grand Magister Russell said. "How about we eat in the cafeteria?"
It was hard to refuse such hospitality.
Matthew hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Grand Magister Russell immediately ordered the cafeteria to prepare their signature dishes for lunch for two of them.
A moment later, he led Matthew to the VIP area's private room in the cafeteria.
The dishes on the table may not look as exquisite as those in a big hotel, but they were delicious and visually appealing.
"Clark, don't be shy. It's just some home-cooked food. I don't have any fancy rules here, so please help yourself."
Grand Magister Russell said.
There were only two of them in the private room.
Matthew was indeed a bit hungry at this point, so he said, "Grand Magister Russell, then I won't stand on ceremony."
"Don't call me Grand Magister Russell." Grand Magister Russell said with a smile, "Since you are of the same generation as my daughter, why don't you just call me Uncle? It will seem more intimate."
Matthew hesitated for a moment before saying, "Okay, Uncle Russell."
Upon hearing "Uncle Russell," Grand Magister Russell smiled broadly.
"Haha, come on, Clark, have some food..."
He personally served Matthew some food and poured him a glass of wine.
This made Matthew feel highly uncomfortable.
Natalie's old man seemed to be a little too enthusiastic towards him.
Matthew decided to leave immediately after finishing this meal.
A moment later, seeing that Matthew had slowed down his eating pace, Grand Magister Russell started chatting with him about everyday things.
"Clark, may I ask what your parents do?"
"Doing business, just a small business," Matthew said casually. "Neither of my parents is superhuman."
This was no lie.
His parents were indeed businesspeople, and they weren't superhuman.
Even his uncles were not superhumans.
There were only three extraordinary individuals in the entire Atkinson family: the old man, his eldest cousin, and Matthew.
Grand Magister Russell nodded. The main reason for asking this question was to determine whether the young man's family background was clean.
Next, Grand Magister Russell asked Matthew a few more questions about his family background, which Matthew answered one by one based on his actual situation.
Suddenly, Grand Magister Russell asked, "Clark, what do you think of my daughter?"
This question puzzled Matthew a little, but he quickly replied.
"Uncle Russell, Junior Natalie is recognized as the number one freshman. Her excellence is beyond my need to elaborate."
Grand Magister Russell was delighted with Matthew's answer.
However, he still wanted to confirm. "Clark, what do you think of Natalie's appearance?"
"Is that even a question?" Matthew replied without hesitation, "She is gorgeous. It's no exaggeration to say that she is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."
Matthew wasn't sure whether she was the most beautiful woman in the world in others' eyes. But to him, she was.
But because this false identity would be exposed to Grand Magister Russell sooner or later, everything he says now must be done in the manner of dealing with his father-in-law.
Therefore, Matthew preferred not to give a very detailed answer.
"Alright. In that case, go and pursue Natalie."
Grand Magister Russell suddenly uttered a shocking statement.
"Cough, cough..."
Matthew, who was drinking water, choked on the spot.
He looked at Grand Magister Russell in surprise. "Uncle Russell?"
Matthew initially thought that Grand Magister Russell was being so enthusiastic because he wanted something from him, but he never expected it to be this.
"What's wrong? Clark, is there something you're worried about?" Grand Magister Russell asked with a smile, "Or do you think Natalie isn't good enough for you?"
"No, no, Natalie is so outstanding, I am the one not good enough for her."
"Clark, I admire you and believe you will be a good match for Natalie, so I will support you in pursuing Natalie."
Upon hearing this, Matthew immediately said, "But... I heard that Natalie already has a boyfriend. Even her 'Flame-Flame Fruit' was given to her by her boyfriend. Their love story is very popular online, and many young people in relationships now regard them as role models."
"It wouldn't be good if I got involved..."
Grand Magister Russell was naturally prepared for this problem.
"Clark, I understand your concerns, but don't worry, their relationship isn't what you think at all. The reason my daughter has been teaming up with that Atkinson kid is entirely out of gratitude, worried that something might happen to him in the Supernatural Realm. Once he safely passes through the tenth level of the Supernatural Realm, they won't team up anymore."
Hearing this, Matthew blinked and asked, "Uncle Russell, is this Natalie's true thought, or is it just your guess?"
Grand Magister Russell said, "My daughter told me this herself before she started university."
Matthew nodded, then asked, "Is it possible that after spending these past few months together, they have developed a deep affection for each other?"
Grand Magister Russell: "..."
This was not a possibility, but it was already a fact.
Last time, Grand Magister Russell had subtly probed his daughter's attitude about this and discovered that it had changed dramatically.
However, Grand Magister Russell was a clever man and very good at playing word games.
He immediately said, "This is also what I'm most worried about. That's why, Clark, I suggested that you pursue Natalie. I hope you can win her over."
Matthew couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Russell, I feel like you have a lot of issues with that... junior Atkinson? Can I ask why?"
Grand Magister Russell shook his head and said, "No, I have no problem with the Atkinson family's boy. On the contrary, I am very grateful to him for giving the Flame-Flame Fruit to Natalie. If that boy has any requests, I will do everything I can to satisfy him."
"I am grateful, but as a father, my first concern is my daughter's lifelong happiness. I can't just stand by and watch Natalie jump into a fire pit."
'A fire pit, huh? Okay, okay, old man. Is that your opinion about me?' Matthew thought.
"Uncle Russell, that junior Atkinson has been making quite a splash lately. It's said that his strength has already reached the ranks of the strongest among the freshmen. How can he be considered a pit of fire?"
Upon hearing Matthew's words, Grand Magister Russell shook his head again and said, "Clark, as a superhuman, you should be very clear about the importance of abilities. It can be said that a superhuman's abilities are the true foundation."
Regarding this point, Matthew indeed agreed.
His superhuman ability not only allowed him to become stronger easily but also activated abilities that were all incredibly ferocious.
His Steel Body and Super Strength skills provided him with immense boosts.
Without these two abilities, based on his current attributes, he would at most be a third or fourth-tier superhuman.
"The Atkinson family's kid is only successful because Natalie helped him achieve godlike results in the Supernatural Realm, which allowed him to gain a large amount of attribute points and build up his strength. But this cannot change his fundamental flaws."
Grand Magister Russell continued, "The gap between him and Natalie will only widen in the future. On the path of pursuing the supernatural, Natalie will only go faster and faster, while he will fall behind sooner or later. Therefore, even if the two of them are forced to be together, they will not be happy in the future."
"Furthermore, watching Natalie grow stronger day by day, I worry that one day his mentality might change, and if he regrets his initial decision and develops a desire for revenge, he might even harm Natalie."
"That's what I'm most afraid of."
"After all, he is a man, and men have a stronger sense of self-esteem than women."
"Natalie is too young, and I doubt she can think of these things. I'm afraid she might make a wrong decision in a moment of impulse and regret it later."
"So, Clark, I hope you will pursue Natalie and help me correct her mistakes."
These words were absolutely Grand Magister Russell's most genuine thought.
Was it wrong for a father to think so much about his daughter?
Of course not.
But…
The person sitting in front of him right now was none other than Matthew himself.
That was so damn embarrassing.
Matthew couldn't help but say, "But that Flame-Flame Fruit originally belonged to Junior Atkinson."
Upon hearing this, Grand Magister Russell paused for a moment before sighing, "He shouldn't have used that Kryptonian Bloodline Card, and he shouldn't have embarked on the path of pursuing the supernatural with such useless talent."
"If it were Natalie herself, she definitely wouldn't use it. She would choose to discard it instead."
Matthew retorted, "Uncle Russell, Kryptonian Bloodline Cards are extremely rare in the Holy Land. You could even say they are one of the rarest abilities. So far, including Junior Atkinson, they have only appeared three times. According to the saying that the rarer the Holy Land ability, the stronger it is, perhaps the Kryptonian Bloodline Card hides some amazing ability? Many experts say so."
"If Junior Atkinson discovers it in the future, then your decision now will cause Junior Natalie to miss out on a good man."
Upon hearing this, Grand Magister Russell couldn't help but smile. "What I dislike most is gambling. Besides, this concerns my daughter's happiness. She's my only daughter, more important than my own life. I would never let her gamble with her own happiness."
Upon hearing this, Matthew was already hesitating about whether to take off his glasses and let this old man see who he was.
However, after careful consideration, he abandoned the plan.
Although the old man kept saying he felt only gratitude towards Matthew.
However, his prejudice against him could still be heard in his words and attitude.
This old man was looking down on him, Matthew Atkinson.
For safety reasons, Matthew decided to wait a little longer.
In addition, the old man just made him sound completely worthless, and if Matthew took off his glasses now, it might be good to slap him in the face, but it would also embarrass the old man and leave him with no way to save face.
He was my future father-in-law, after all.
Grand Magister Russell's starting point was also for Natalie's sake.
Matthew didn't want to make the relationship between the two parties too awkward.
That would put Natalie in a tough position.
So, taking off his glasses now was definitely not the best option.
The best course of action was to let Natalie find an opportunity to confess to her father after Matthew returned.
...
Seeing that Matthew remained silent for a long time, Grand Magister Russell thought that Matthew was unwilling to get involved in his daughter's affairs, so he said.
"Clark, just consider it a favor to me. If you don't like Natalie, you can help me break them up. As long as you can do this, when Natalie matures and becomes more sensible, she will be grateful to you."
Matthew: "..."
'Okay, okay. Old man, if you put it that way, don't blame me for bullying your daughter.' He thought.
"Uncle Russell, you've misunderstood. Who wouldn't be attracted to a girl as outstanding as Natalie?"
Matthew said, "I was just thinking that Natalie and Matthew must have a very good relationship right now. If I wanted to get involved now, it would probably be challenging."
Upon hearing Matthew's words, Grand Magister Russell immediately smiled.
"Don't worry, I will definitely give you my full support... I'll send you some information later, it's all about Natalie's usual preferences."
"Natalie is a bit stubborn, and she's also very principled. It would be tough to win her over directly. So, I suggest you start with the Atkinson kid, for example, by using your advances to make him make a mistake."
"Your chance will come as soon as Natalie is disappointed in him."
"In addition, whenever there is an opportunity, I will help create space for you to be alone."
...
No wonder he was her biological father. He understood his own daughter very well.
'What a pity, old man.'
'You've made a thoroughly wrong choice.'
'You want me to use my tactics on myself? How could you even think of that?'
'And, if I date your daughter, wouldn't that be considered "being ordered to date"?'
'If I get your daughter pregnant, you'd better not regret it.' Matthew thought.
"Understood, Uncle Russell, I will do my best."
Matthew said this with absolute certainty.
Grand Magister Russell immediately smiled and patted Matthew on the shoulder.
"Clark, go for it. I believe in you."
...
Leaving the guild building, Matthew declined Grand Magister Russell's offer to take him to the station and left alone in a taxi.
On the way, he bought a train ticket with his mobile phone to create the illusion that he had left.
After getting out of the taxi, he did not go into the station but instead went into the shopping mall next to the station.
Then, he wandered around the mall, deliberately avoiding the security cameras, and finally slipped into a fitting room.
When he came out of the fitting room, he had already returned to his original appearance.
The glasses that could change his appearance were in his pocket.
Then he took a taxi back to the city and arrived at his home.
---------------
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.111: Visiting Home
Ch.112: Coming Clean