Natelie Russell
Oxford, United Kingdom
Shortly after Matthew left, Grand Magister Russell then called his daughter.
"Natalie, the senior you found for me is truly an outstanding young man..."
During the phone call, Grand Magister Russell showered Clark Kent with praise, then said, "Natalie, do you know? This young man named Clark Kent is incredibly strong. According to our country's rating system, his overall strength has already reached the sixth tier."
"The spacetime rift that appeared in London City this time was prevented from causing a large-scale disaster only because he single-handedly stopped the monsters."
Upon hearing this, Natalie finally couldn't help but ask, "Has a spacetime rift appeared in London City?"
"Yes, this has already made the news, didn't you know?"
"...I was training before and didn't check the news."
"Many news reports are about it. You can check them out later and see how your senior performed on the battlefield. He is really powerful. You could say he turned the tide of the battle."
At this point, Grand Magister Russell added, "Speaking of which, it was quite a coincidence that you had Clark come today, Natalie. If it weren't for Clark's appearance, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to talk to you on the phone right now."
Upon hearing this, Natalie fell silent.
She never expected that her decision would lead Matthew to save her father and the entire city of London.
Natalie had a deep understanding of the dangers of spacetime rifts, having experienced one of them firsthand.
Then, she realized that what she owed Matthew was something she could never repay in this lifetime.
On the other end of the phone, seeing that his daughter remained silent, Grand Magister Russell began to try to soothe her.
"Natalie, Clark is really a great young man. I rarely see young people like him. He is humble, polite, of good character, ambitious, and courageous... In short, such a young man's future achievements are definitely immeasurable. I have high hopes for his future."
"Natalie, you should get to know this senior better."
Hearing her father praise Matthew's fake identity to the skies, Natalie looked at her phone strangely.
Because she knew very well that her father looked down on Matthew.
"Is he really as good as you say?" Natalie asked.
"He's even better than that Atkinson kid." Grand Magister Russell couldn't help but say, "He's many times stronger than him."
Upon hearing this, Natalie's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself, 'Oh no.'
Just like how Grand Magister Russell understood her daughter, Natalie also understood her father's temperament very well.
"Dad. Have you ever spoken ill of Matthew in front of Clark?"
Natalie immediately asked.
"No." Grand Magister Russell said, "What I told Clark was the truth."
Natalie had a terrible headache.
She knew that her father must have complained about Matthew himself while talking with Matthew, while he was under his secret identity, Clark Kent.
Just thinking about that scene made Natalie so embarrassed that she wanted to cover her face.
"Dad, you really are..."
"What's wrong with me?"
"It's okay, I'm going to check the news. I'll hang up now."
"Okay... remember what I said. Get to know outstanding young people like Clark more often..."
"I understand." She said and ended the call.
Natalie opened a news website and, sure enough, saw news about London City.
Many media outlets reported on this.
Furthermore, the content all mentioned a young hero who wore glasses.
The news about this was currently generating a lot of buzz.
She believed it would soon top the trending searches.
Many news reports also included videos.
When Natalie opened the video, she immediately recognized that the man who had descended from the sky and delivered the earth-shattering punch was Matthew.
The girl was shocked.
She knew Matthew was strong, but she didn't expect him to be this strong.
No wonder he was able to win the title of champion of the three-race tournament in the third layer of the supernatural realm.
With such strength, who among the freshmen could compare with him?
Although Natalie was hailed as the top student among the freshmen, she knew that she was nothing more than an accessory on Matthew's side.
The actual number one was Matthew.
Below the news article, there were also many comments from netizens.
"This is too strong. Who is this young man?"
"What kind of move was that punch that came down from the sky? It was incredibly powerful."
"Holy crap. I never thought a spacetime rift could appear near London City. Luckily, this big shot was there."
"Yes. If it weren't for him, London City would have been in danger during this disaster."
"Such strength should be a sixth-tier standard. To be able to master such strength at such a young age, the United Kingdom truly has a wealth of talented people."
"I'm from London City. I just experienced all of this firsthand. When I heard the sirens, I was terrified because my parents and children were here. When I heard that the disaster was over, I was moved to tears… I want to thank the hero who saved London City, but I don't know who the hero is."
"I'm also very curious. Such a young and powerful person should be very famous, but I have no impression of this big shot at all."
"The big shot might be a low-key person..."
...
Seeing netizens praising Matthew, Natalie's pretty face showed a proud smile.
But Natalie saw everyone asking about Matthew's identity, and she realized something was wrong.
Matthew's false identity couldn't withstand scrutiny.
With such a big commotion this time, she expected some people would want to investigate Clark Kent's detailed information.
Fortunately, when she processed the fake ID for Matthew, she didn't have Matthew appear directly. Instead, everything went through her.
Those people would eventually find themselves drawn to her.
After thinking for a moment, Natalie felt it was better to take precautions to keep Matthew's false identity hidden for as long as possible.
Then she picked up her phone and dialed a number.
...
Matthew Atkinson
London, United Kingdom
At the same time, at Matthew's home.
Serena Atkinson and her husband were watching TV.
The news on television was about today's spacetime rift.
Seeing a young man appear, turn the tide, and save London City, the couple were overjoyed and filled with gratitude for him.
Serena Atkinson, who had survived the ordeal, suddenly said, "Will, don't you think this young man looks a lot like our son?"
Upon hearing this, William Atkinson couldn't help but scoff. "What kind of wishful thinking are you having? If our son were even a tenth as good as him, I'd be happy to die right now."
Upon hearing this, Serena Atkinson immediately became angry.
'Who talks about his own son like that?'
Just as Serena Atkinson was about to get angry, the sound of a door opening suddenly came from outside.
"Dad. Mum. I'm home."
Upon hearing her son's voice, Serena Atkinson's anger vanished instantly, replaced by a delighted smile.
"Matthew?!" As she spoke, Serena Atkinson ran out to greet her son.
A relieved smile appeared on William Atkinson's face as he stood at the door.
"Son."
In the courtyard, Serena Atkinson was very excited to see her son return safely.
The reason for this was that she had just experienced great danger, and her mood was bound to fluctuate wildly, which was a time of great emotional turmoil.
In the shelter, Serena Atkinson almost thought she would never see her son again.
So, she was so excited to finally see her son, whom she had been longing for.
Matthew knew that his mother must be very worried, so he immediately went up to her and gave her a big hug.
"Mum. I miss you so much."
This sentence was more effective than any other form of comfort.
Serena Atkinson immediately smiled, her eyes filling with tears.
"It's good you're back. Come inside quickly."
Serena Atkinson pulled Matthew into their house.
Inside the house, William Atkinson was happy to see his son, but he still wore a sour face and lectured him.
"Why did you come back at this time? Don't you know that London City is not safe right now?"
The spacetime rift was currently shrinking, but it hadn't completely disappeared, and monsters were still appearing.
It was not entirely wrong to say that London City is unsafe.
Matthew was used to his father's scolding-style concern and immediately smiled.
"It's precisely because it's unsafe that I've come back to stay by your side. I have to protect you."
Hearing his son say he wanted to protect them, William Atkinson was initially somewhat dismissive.
Still, after thinking it over, he realized it was his son's way of showing filial piety, and he couldn't very well scold him.
So, he could only say, "Just take care of yourself and don't worry about us."
Serena Atkinson pointed at Clark Kent on the television screen, who was wreaking havoc, and asked.
"Son, do you recognize the young man on TV? Our London City was saved this time entirely because he single-handedly held off the monsters, buying London City half an hour till reinforcements came."
"I heard he's from Oxford too and an alumnus of your university. If you know him, remember to thank him properly later, and maybe try to build a connection..."
Matthew instantly understood what his mother meant.
Gratitude was secondary. Building relationships was the main thing.
William Atkinson couldn't help but retort to his wife. "What are you thinking? How could a freshman like him possibly know such a powerful person? Moreover, such an outstanding young man must come from a prominent family. Would he even look at someone from a humble background like ours?"
But before Serena Atkinson could reply, suddenly, Matthew's uncle's voice came from outside the door.
"William. Are you home?"
"I'm here."
William Atkinson said, then got up and opened the door for his brother.
Upon seeing his uncle, Lukas Atkinson, Matthew politely stood up and greeted him, "Uncle, good afternoon."
"Huh? Matthew is back?"
When Lukas Atkinson saw Matthew, he immediately asked, "When did you come back?"
"Just got back," Matthew replied with a smile.
Lukas Atkinson immediately said, "Then come to my home for dinner tonight, and I'll have your aunt make your favorite dishes."
That was just polite talk, and Matthew would be foolish to agree immediately.
"I missed my mom's dishes. I'll have my mom's cooking tonight, and I'll try my aunt's cooking another day... Uncle, remember to come too. I'd like to have a couple of drinks with you."
Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson were very satisfied with their son's answer.
Lukas Atkinson also laughed and said, "That's great. The University of Oxford truly lives up to its reputation as a prestigious university. It really trains people."
After a pause, Lukas Atkinson added, "By the way, William, I just came from the old man's place. He wants you to come over. He has something to say to you."
William Atkinson was taken aback. "Didn't the old man just come back from the battlefield? Didn't he need to rest?"
"He said he didn't need to. The old man isn't in a good mood, so you'd better be careful later," Lukas Atkinson reminded him.
Upon hearing this, William Atkinson immediately felt a headache coming on.
All four brothers were somewhat afraid of their father.
"You should go quickly. Don't keep the old man waiting. I'll head back now."
Lukas Atkinson left those words behind and then headed towards his home.
Just as William Atkinson was about to leave, Matthew suddenly said, "Dad, let me go with you."
"Hmm?" his father asked, "What are you going to do?"
Matthew said, "I feel that the old man's bad mood might be related to me..."
Previously, on the battlefield where they were holding back monsters, after reinforcements arrived, he noticed the old man staring at him several times, with a displeased look in his eyes.
Matthew didn't know what had happened.
Anyway, if there was a misunderstanding, he should clear it up.
William Atkinson was reluctant to let his son go.
Despite his tendency to scold his son upon meeting him, he genuinely cared deeply for him.
He was afraid the old man would punish Matthew.
However, last time, the old man passed on his precious supernatural skill, "Fist Impact," to Matthew. In a sense, Matthew could be considered the old man's "successor."
There were some things that Matthew should face.
These thoughts raced through William Atkinson's mind, and he agreed to his son's request.
...
The old man's villa was right behind theirs. It was just around the corner.
The old man currently lived alone, and a housekeeper came over to cook his meals.
It was a little past one in the afternoon. The housekeeper had already gone home and would come back to cook dinner in the evening.
Actually, all four brothers wanted to invite the old man to eat with them, but the old man himself disagreed.
When Matthew followed his father to the old man's villa, he saw from afar that the old man was watching TV in the living room.
The television was showing a scene of Clark Kent slaughtering monsters.
"Dad." William Atkinson called out cautiously.
The old man ignored him and continued to stare at Clark Kent on the television.
Helpless, William Atkinson could only say, "Your grandson Matthew has also returned and insisted on coming to see you."
Upon hearing this, the old man then turned his head and looked at Matthew.
Matthew initially thought that the old man would definitely scold him when he saw him.
Unexpectedly, after looking Matthew up and down, the old man smiled.
"Good. You look stronger."
Both father and son breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
"Dad, why did you call me over?" William Atkinson asked.
The old man paused for a moment, then suddenly pointed his cane at Clark Kent on the television and asked, "What do you think of this kid?"
William Atkinson was taken aback upon hearing this, but still replied truthfully, "He is the hero who saved London City, and at such a young age, he has such strength. Of course, he is an outstanding talent."
The old man nodded and then asked Matthew, "Matthew, what do you think?"
Matthew: "..."
'Let him evaluate himself?'
He was a little embarrassed to compliment him.
So, he said, "It's just so-so..."
William Atkinson frowned immediately and said with dissatisfaction, "So-so? That's really arrogant. If you had even a tenth of his ability, I'd be happy to beg for the rest of my life."
Matthew was startled and quickly said, "Dad, please don't say that. What am I supposed to do if you go begging? I want to be a rich kid, so you have to get rich."
"Stop being so cheeky."
William Atkinson quickly retorted to his son.
'Are you fooling around here? Don't you even know where you are?' he thought to himself.
The old man didn't seem to care, but said, "Matthew, if I were to put you in a competition with this kid, are you confident you could succeed?"
Matthew was taken aback. "Competing? For what?"
"To win over that girl from the Russell family."
Matthew: "..."
---------------
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.112: Coming Clean
Ch.113: Do You Like Watching Cartoons?