Chapter 2216: Late Autumn in the Golden City (Part 16)

The autumn evening had a unique coolness. The dense, layered leaves of the French plane trees swayed gently in the breeze and then drifted down. The garden was already piled with thick fallen leaves, and the dew had dampened the top layer, pressing the others down to pave a soft, golden road.

Shiler was making final checks on the banquet RSVP letters at the manor table. This was an important document to ensure the actual number of attendees, and it had been well organized and placed in the very center of the table.

The ones Shiler had already looked at were neatly placed on his left, and the five or six he was currently looking at were spread out in the middle. He had to put on his monocle to switch between looking near and far to confirm the arrival time information marked on the one in his hand and the several on the table.

Guests could not arrive all at the same time, otherwise someone would always have to wait, and the steps in front of the door also had to be swept in the gaps between arrivals, otherwise there would be footprints.

So Shiler would mark the expected arrival time for each person on the invitation, and the guests would tell him in their RSVP whether they could arrive at this time. If not, they would specify if they would be a few minutes early or late, and Shiler would then adjust the order according to this time and arrange the reception.

Most guests would not raise objections to the time arrangement, but there were also some who had urgent arrangements beforehand and needed to postpone, as well as some who came together, and those who needed to stagger the arrival times of certain guests who didn't get along.

Actually, all of this had been completed three days ago; this was just the final confirmation, because there would indeed be people canceling their trips in the last few hours.

After reading the last few, the sun had begun to slant westward. Shiler sighed with some fatigue, walked to the phone, picked up the receiver and said to the other side, "How is Lex prepared?"

"Almost ready, sir," Merkel's voice came from the other end of the phone. He was helping Lex adjust his bowtie.

Lex was wearing a traditional British tuxedo, with dark gray-blue silk inlaid on the buttons, lapels, pocket edges, and trouser sides, a black silk bowtie, and a white pocket square.

At this moment, he was adjusting his bowtie in front of the mirror, while Merkel was cleaning his double-stitched Oxford shoes.

Knock, knock, knock.

A heavy knocking sound came. Lex looked back, Merkel also raised his head, and Shiler pushed the door open and walked in.

"Professor." Lex nodded slightly while pressing his bowtie. Merkel stood up, walked over and said, "Everything is ready, sir. I will go and clean the fallen leaves in the parking lot one last time in a moment, and then we can welcome the guests."

"When will Cobblepot arrive?"

Merkel raised his eyes to look at his watch and said, "According to the original plan, he will arrive in half an hour, and then spend 20 minutes making slight preparations. It is expected that the reception matters will be arranged within an hour."

Shiler nodded, also glanced at his own watch and said, "I need 40 minutes to change clothes. If Cobblepot arrives early—I think he should arrive a bit early—then let him wait for me in the reception room for a while, or you take him to visit the reception route."

"Rest assured, sir, everything will arrive as scheduled."

Shiler sighed slightly and said, "I know this is very troublesome, but it counts as an attempt. Guests from multiple universes will participate in the grand event in Cat Getan, and this banquet will allow them to become familiar with each other, which can allow them to communicate better later and gradually integrate into the atmosphere."

Then he cast his gaze on Lex and said, "We should have celebrated your graduation in a more private way. I am very sorry for this."

"Please don't have any burden, Professor," Lex walked over and said. "For me personally, I very much hope we have a warm family gathering, but if it is for the Luthor Group, a grand event will be a shot in the arm. This is my honor."

Schiller looked at Lex. It had not been long since their last conversation, at which time Lex's graduation project was already completely finished and obtaining his degree was only a matter of time, and Schiller and Victor had held a discussion regarding Lex's academic issues during their lunch break.

One has to admit, Lex's strategy was completely correct.

He didn't insist on answering physics and chemistry on a psychology exam like Bruce, but rather Shiler issued a psychology exam, and he took the questions he didn't understand to ask Victor; Victor issued a physics exam, and he took the difficulties he encountered while answering to ask Shiler.

Specifically, when manufacturing the device to disperse the dark clouds, he would discuss his R&D ideas with Shiler, and after the device was completed and showed initial results, he began to discuss with Victor the impact of Cat Getan seeing the sun again on urban policy and individual citizens.

To say that these two professors had absolutely no insight into this would not be the case. Lex usually wouldn't ask highly professional questions, but just talked in general terms.

For example, he would discuss with Shiler whether to block the dark clouds or eliminate them, whether to exert great effort from the macro level to create miracles, or to carry out fine elimination from the micro level. They would often talk about this problem for two or three hours without feeling bored or empty.

He would discuss with Victor the new policies launched after Cat Getan rebuilt the sunshine, and express his evaluation opinions on this. He also often talked about the interesting anecdotes of Gothamites who felt various discomforts due to seeing the sunshine again, often being able to chat for an afternoon, with a relaxed and pleasant conversation atmosphere.

This actually couldn't be called an academic discussion, because it almost didn't involve professional knowledge, but during this period, the views Lex expressed were enough for Shiler and Victor to see his professional level.

This led to the fact that when Lex almost completed his project, Shiler and Victor agreed in the discussion that although this method was not without opportunistic elements, it also precisely explained Lex's strong professional ability.

Because he didn't receive professional guidance in appropriate technical aspects, didn't learn physics technology from Victor, and didn't ask Shiler to guide his sociology thesis, but he still excellently completed the graduation design and graduation thesis, which showed that he was not only excellent but also very independent.

In the eyes of Victor and Shiler, geniuses should be like this. They actually don't need too much guidance, only some basic theories to build solid high-rise buildings, and even on this basis, carry forward the past and forge ahead, daring to innovate.

And most importantly, from beginning to end, Lex's mind was very clear. He didn't encounter difficulties without being able to handle them; he just adopted the way of normal people with stable emotions to replenish energy when facing the frustration of encountering difficulties and the joy of making breakthroughs—going out to relax, finding friends to confide in, and then setting off again.

No teacher would dislike such a student, including Shiler and Victor, especially Shiler and Victor, because in these short few years of teaching career, this group of maverick students in Cat Getan had given them too many shocks.

Then they agreed that it was necessary to increase the concentration of normal people in this city. They hoped Lex Luthor could stay in Cat Getan.

But this was actually not easy, and even having a long-term connection with this city was difficult for him. The foundation of the Luthor Group was in Metropolis, and there couldn't be two super groups in one city, so Lex would always have to go back.

But it was foreseeable that the recent years were an important transition period for Cat Getan, and there could never be too many helpers.

After going back, Shiler seriously thought about this problem. Although there were also interest considerations of this kind, he indeed believed that the original Shiler had a responsibility to Lex.

That night in Metropolis, Lex's father Lionel didn't have to die. Although he had the suicidal behavior of wanting to use Shiler, it was obvious that although Lex was fragile, he didn't need saving.

Or rather, people like them would be able to save themselves sooner or later. If Lionel had lived for a while longer, perhaps the Luthor Group would have been handed over to Lex in a more stable way. The plot of the comic should have been like this too.

Shiler intervened, actually putting greater pressure on the then-younger Lex, forcing him to have to think of every way to stabilize the company's shareholders and snatch the biggest piece of meat from a group of hungry wolves as soon as he woke up from the control of drugs. He could have done this when he was more mature and better prepared.

Shiler pushed him. Whether it was good or bad, it was not yet discussed, but it did produce a certain change in his life trajectory. If it weren't for the original Shiler's approach at that time changing Lex's life trajectory, he wouldn't have chosen to apply for Cat Getan University and come here.

Although this matter wasn't done by Shiler, it was the same principle as inheritance law: inheriting property meant inheriting debt. Taking the power borrowed from others naturally meant helping him clean up the mess.

Fortunately, Lex Luthor didn't count as a mess. He was much more normal than Batman, except for being a bit extreme when it came to human supremacy, everything else was very good.

But Shiler had seen human supremacists more extreme than him. If the Earth where Strange was had Superman, he would definitely have to replace the entire Mount Ximalaya with Kryptonite.

And it was feared that Shiler was facing some trouble at that time. He was trying every means to break the situation, and such a strong person going all out would definitely bring great shock to the bystanders who witnessed all this.

So Lex had always had a following and worship psychology towards Shiler based on strength. Although he didn't say it explicitly, Shiler could of course analyze it, and he could analyze more, but he had been hesitating whether to confess to Lex.

Finally, he decided to have a talk with Lex, because obviously Lex was a non-mentally ill patient who could communicate normally. Communication helped any normal person clarify his relationship with others.

It was the same autumn afternoon. After Lex went to Victor's office to submit the final graduation design materials, Shiler, who had just finished the first class in the afternoon, stopped him at the door of the office.

"Good afternoon, Lex. Do you have time tonight?"

Lex looked back at Victor with some doubt, but he still said, "Yes, I have time, Professor. Is there something wrong with my thesis? If you point it out now, I can probably send the revised version to your email before 3 PM."

There was no doubt that the graduation season was also a torture for Shiler. This sentence was surprisingly pleasant among the unrepentant emails sent by a group of maverick undergraduate students, making Shiler's mood much better.

"No, the thesis is completely fine. By tomorrow at the latest, I will sign your completion file, and you will receive your degree certificate within a week."

"What I want to say is another matter, but I hope we can have enough time to discuss it. If possible, 7 PM tonight at Rodriguez Manor, I will arrange dinner."

"A banquet?"

"No, just a simple meal, only the two of us."

"Okay, Professor, I will visit on time." ===== CHAPTER 2217 =====