ShowMe and the Superhero Craze
The emergence of ShowMe transformed the world's news landscape.
Previously, people only occasionally heard about city vigilantes on local television, often knowing nothing about their identity, purpose, or principles.
Now, it's different. Whenever a vigilante appears in any city, they're posted the very next day in ShowMe's Superhero Feature section.
Young people enthusiastically debate the elusive, anonymous heroes who use various abilities to fight crime. Some even revere them, believing they are the future of the world.
This is understandable. In an era plagued by disasters, rampant cults, and soaring crime rates, only justice-driven superheroes can provide ordinary people with any sense of security.
"Superhero" became a hot topic, and new heroes emerged:
A fisherman rescued from a shipwreck by a muscular man riding a shark posted a photo of the man leaping from the sea. The feature section gained a hero called "Shark Rider."
During a robbery at a Central City convenience store, an untraceable red flash of light rushed in. Two robbers immediately collapsed, completely stripped naked save for their tiny underpants. Central City citizens affectionately called the lightning-fast figure "Electric Boy."
A sexy woman wearing a crop top and riding a golden staff dropped off a cult leader at the police station and strolled away. When the police uploaded the woman's photo to ShowMe, "Pole Dance Girl" instantly became famous.
Compared to burly male superheroes, people naturally prefer hot, sexy female superheroes—it's human nature.
As time went on, similar events increased. With Luke's intentional push, the Hero Feature became a daily must-read for young people, one of ShowMe's key identities.
The Batman Effect
However, the growing superhero craze also brought negative consequences.
People started imitating them, wearing crude costumes to fight crime in the night. The results were terrible. Drug dealers and gangsters don't care if you're the real deal—if you show up, they open fire.
Every day, young people are injured, and serious cases result in death.
This problem is most acute in Gotham City. While heroes like Superman, Electric Boy, and Shark Rider are impossible to imitate due to their superpowers, Batman is the exception.
Professional analysis of Batman's videos concluded that he is merely an ordinary person with superior combat skills. With enough effort, anyone could potentially become the night's hunter.
Consequently, Batman's influence and fan base soared. More and more young people aimed to follow his example, leading to daily injuries and deaths among youths in Gotham.
Bruce Wayne clearly realized this. To prevent the situation from escalating, he was forced to release statements advising young people to value their lives and not imitate him. The effect was minimal; young hearts aren't easily convinced.
Unable to handle the youth directly, he had to target the source.
This is why the Wayne Group is so desperately trying to buy into ShowMe.
Luke had a rough idea of Bruce Wayne's intentions, but he would absolutely not agree to it, even if the man's motives were good.
ShowMe occupies a crucial position in Luke's future plans and is an essential piece of the puzzle. It cannot fall into the hands of others.
Financing is fine; control is not!
A Message for Linda
After several busy days, the backlog of work was finally processed. It was time to go home.
Luke returned to his residence. While organizing his belongings, he spoke to the Kryptonian girl lounging on the sofa.
"Your current state is nothing but eating and more eating. If you keep this up, you'll become useless."
Linda glanced over but didn't speak, scrolling through channels with the remote, unsure what to watch.
Luke walked up to her and suggested,
"Maybe you should set a life goal for yourself."
"A goal?"
The girl grimaced dismissively. "Like my cousin, wearing a cape and fighting crime? Don't make me laugh. I'm Kryptonian. What do the squabbles of Earthlings have to do with me?"
"Theoretically, nothing, but don't forget, you're living on Earth now." He paused, then added, "And you're staying in my house."
"Do you want me to pay rent?"
"No, I don't."
Luke took off his shirt and put on a T-shirt. "I'm a generous person. I don't care about a little money. By the way, I need to tell you something: I'm going home to Coast City. I might be gone for a while. I'm trusting you with the house while I'm away."
At this, the girl immediately became alert.
"You're going back?"
"Yes."
"Why are you going back?"
Luke threw his hands up, exasperated. "Do I need a reason to go home?"
The girl was speechless. He's right; you don't need a reason to go home.
Luke went into the basement and emerged wearing the Phantom Armor. He decided to fly from Metropolis to Coast City tonight, experiencing the majesty of soaring through the sky while simultaneously testing the armor's performance.
Seeing Luke shoulder his backpack and prepare for launch, Linda finally couldn't sit still. She said hesitantly,
"Um, can I go back with you? If you leave, I'll be too bored alone."
"I'm afraid not. My grandfather has arranged a marriage for me. If you come back with me, he might get angry."
Linda's mouth dropped open. "M-marriage? How old are you? And you want to get married?"
Luke shrugged. "It's the old man's plan; I can't help it. Anyway, you stay here, protect the items in the basement, and don't let anyone steal them."
With that, he leaped into the air. Blue flames shot out from his palms and soles. Driven by the powerful thrust, he ascended directly into the sky.
"Ava!"
"Yes, Young Master!"
"Activate Artificial Intelligence Auxiliary Program!"
"Adjust Internal Structure!"
"Engage Energy Field!"
The armor began to retract, transforming into a streamlined shape for minimal drag. An invisible force field enveloped his body, greatly reducing air resistance.
"Full speed flight!"
BANG!
The air fractured with a sonic boom. The Phantom Armor became a streak of light, rocketing through the clouds at extreme velocity.
The fierce wind whistled in his ears. The familiar ground turned into specks of starlight. Luke, tearing through the clouds, couldn't help but cheer.
The feeling of flying is so unbelievably awesome!
Free and unhindered, soaring into the sky, gliding like a bird above the world—it was exhilarating.
Luke cut the power. The armor went into a freefall. Its speed increased rapidly. The surface even began to glow red—the thermal energy generated by the machine's friction with the atmosphere.
The Phantom Armor plummeted from the sky like a meteor.
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