Chapter 466: Secrets of the Past (Part 2)

Kara stared wide-eyed at Alfred, never having imagined that Alfred was the legendary agent who held the list and manipulated East Coast intelligence operatives like puppets.

"But from Britain to Moscow, you shouldn't need to pass through the U. S. East Coast, right?" Kara asked, puzzled.

Then she realized, slapped her own forehead, and said, "Oh, right—you can't head straight for Moscow; they'd intercept you along the way…"

"But even if you had to detour, why go this far? From Britain to the U. S. East Coast, then to the Soviet Union—that's almost circling the entire globe…"

"Until today, thirty years later, the whole world is still searching for this list. Haven't you realized how important it is yet?"

Hearing Alfred's words, Kara thought carefully. Indeed, now it seemed the list's main purpose was to cover up intelligence failures—but it was nearly thirty years later, and the list wasn't just outdated; many names on it were likely dead.

But thirty years ago, a list recording the key spies of every nation? Its importance went without saying.

Alfred pulled a piece of deer hide from his pocket and began polishing the barrel of his hunting rifle. "Moscow offered many routes, but all of them fell within the CIA's sniper range."

"Back then, the CIA was everywhere. You have to admit, American agents back then were far stronger than they are now."

"So why… oh my God, the most dangerous place is the safest place?! So you went straight into the U. S.??"

Alfred smiled, as if amused by Kara's youth. "The most dangerous place is the safest place—that's got some truth to it, but it can't be the decisive factor in a major decision."

"In 1961, Allen Dulles, the longest-serving director of the CIA, stepped down. He was a formidable old man who propelled the CIA's prestige, both domestically and abroad, to its peak."

"But after 1961, his successors weren't nearly as capable. A year passed, and he achieved almost nothing. Just organizing the mess left by his predecessor took him ages. Even civilians mocked him as the air force's greenhorn. Moscow knew it well."

"And during Dulles's tenure, the CIA's jurisdiction expanded dramatically—even replacing some congressional functions. He did his job too well; the CIA's reputation and influence soared too high."

"So Congress would have moved to restrict them, right?" Kara asked, then added dismissively, "Americans are always like this—endless infighting."

"Yes. They deliberately appointed an incompetent successor to replace Dulles, let him bungle everything, then revised the security laws to further limit the CIA's jurisdiction. In short, during that period, the CIA…"

Alfred drew out the word, shook his head. Kara understood his meaning.

If Alfred's account was true, then the U. S. mainland was indeed a very safe place. To curb the CIA's power, Congress would have refused to let the agency intervene—even if they knew a spy had slipped into the country.

Tomato Novels

Americans' greatest talent is creating an agency, then creating another to restrict it, then another to restrict both, and calling the whole mess "separation of powers."

Whenever these three institutions beat each other's brains out, they called it "the victory of democracy."

And when more institutions, for the same reason, beat each other's brains out, they didn't care about the plummeting efficiency or the absurd accidents of tripping over their own feet or blocking their own hands—they only thought their oversight mechanisms were brilliantly successful.

"Besides, Gotham has always been a lawless place. Even though the Falcone family already ruled Gotham back then, the Twelve Families system hadn't fully taken shape—or rather, it was precisely in the throes of reform, with gangs fighting everywhere, perfect for slipping through the cracks."

"True. That's a clever plan. If you lay low in Gotham for a while, and Moscow leaks word that the list has reached them, your return becomes far safer," Kara nodded.

"The original plan was exactly that—but some unexpected events occurred…"

Kara looked at Alfred. "What kind of unexpected events?"

Alfred sighed—a rare gesture—as if recalling something he'd rather forget. "In Gotham, there has always been a hidden, unique force. They wear masks, lurk in shadows, watch everyone, and seek to control the city."

"They call themselves the Court of Owls."

"They're a bunch of madmen who stop at nothing for power and status. One day in March, while I was praying in church, I 'accidentally' overheard a conversation between Gotham's godfather Falcone and the cathedral's bishop, Daniel…"

Kara noticed Alfred's emphasis on the word "accidentally." She understood—he'd been watching those two, investigating them, and had deliberately heard what he needed.

"They said the Court of Owls had acquired a magical egg. They planned to place it in a special pool beneath the cathedral…"

"An egg? What kind of egg?" Kara asked, utterly confused.

Alfred took a deep breath and said:

"A monster's egg."

"What? A monster's egg?"

Beneath the estate, in a vast hall, Lex frowned at the object in the center.

At this moment, every member of the underground exploration team looked strange. Bruce and Lex were surrounded by wisps of gray mist—they could see it themselves, yet said nothing. Bruce supported Clark, whose face was pale, still coughing weakly.

After descending from the cellar entrance, they found it was just an ordinary cellar. But soon, events spiraled beyond their imagination.

The corridor leading from the cellar showed no obvious anomalies—it looked like a medieval noble's bunker, devoid of technology or anything unusual. The special mineral Shi Le had mentioned didn't appear.

But after walking through that corridor, Clark felt something strange—he began to feel weak.

At the corridor's end, Lex and Bruce tried to persuade Clark to turn back, but Clark insisted on confirming the mineral posed no threat to ordinary people, so they pressed forward.

Soon, a faint green glow appeared. Shi Le stopped everyone. "You don't plan to just walk right in, do you?"

"Let me remind you—this mineral emits radiation harmful to ordinary humans too. And it's unlike any radiation found on Earth. Standard radiation suits may not work."

Lex and Bruce exchanged glances. In each other's eyes, they saw the same emotion: unwilling to risk it, yet intensely curious.

"I have a way to protect you. But…"

Shi Le drew out the pause, then suddenly said, "I've heard Wayne Enterprises and Luthor Group are the economic lifelines of the Mid-East Coast—and the pillars of the American economy."

Bruce looked bewildered, unsure why Shi Le had brought this up. But Lex instantly understood. He nodded smoothly.

"A method to defend against unknown mineral radiation is worth a fortune. The Luthor Group is willing to pay a price for such technology, Professor. We can discuss the exact amount later—but you won't be disappointed…"

Bruce stared at Shi Le's smile, stunned. Then he narrowed his eyes—he sensed something was wrong.

When had Shi Le started caring about money???

Had he lost his mind???

When Shi Le turned his gaze back to him, Bruce didn't know how to respond at first. But soon, he cleared his throat and said, "Price isn't important. What matters is effectiveness."

Shi Le waved his hand. Two wisps of gray mist curled around them. Visibly, the faint green glow was blocked—clearly effective.

Clark immediately turned to Shi Le, gazing at him with hopeful eyes. But Shi Le acted as if he hadn't seen them, walking straight ahead.

Clark hurried after him. "Oh! Professor, is there some misunderstanding between us?"

"Professor! I need protection too! Professor…"

"It won't work on you," Shi Le rejected him coldly. Clark's face fell. He could only follow behind.

Deeper inside, the situation grew more serious. They entered a large hall. The walls were almost entirely built from the green stone. No lamps were needed—the glow of kryptonite alone illuminated the entire chamber, revealing its sheer quantity.

Here, Clark could barely walk on his own—he needed Bruce's support. But seeing Shi Le's calm demeanor, Bruce and Lex knew they'd been tricked again.

But by now, the mineral's function itself no longer mattered. What mattered was: who built this place? And why?

Clearly, the rumors were wrong. Bruce found no lab equipment here. Radiation experiments—human or otherwise—require vast specialized tools. There was none.

Beyond the hall, after another corridor, they reached a vast underground cavern. The sight was breathtaking.

In the cavern, most of the walls remained untouched natural rock, still dripping water. But numerous reinforced walls, like wedges driven into the earth, stretched vertically throughout the entire space.

At every reinforced wall stood a bizarre device. At its center was a massive chunk of kryptonite.

Now, the kryptonite's glow seemed guided by the device's glass casing, forming solid green beams. Several beams crossed, converging on a single point. Suspended above that point was a platform—and on it, an egg.

The egg was enormous. All of them had to look up at it. Its overall color was gray, covered with rocky spines whose tips emitted faint blue light.

As Lex was about to ask his question, Shi Le's cold voice came from behind: "Step back."

Bruce turned. He saw Shi Le standing far away. Seeing his expression, Bruce knew Shi Le likely knew what it was. "What kind of egg is this?"

"A monster's…"

"What monster?"

"A terrifying one—even Clark at his peak couldn't defeat it…"

Shi Le's gaze never left the egg. His low voice echoed through the cavern, reverberating with distant resonance:

"It's called… Doomsday."