"Carrie, come eat with us."
Lucas looked at Carrie, whose drool was practically dripping onto the floor, and waved at her with a smile.
"Thank you, big brother!"
Carrie immediately trotted over happily, sat down beside Lucas, picked a dish, and began eating with gusto.
"Has little Carrie not had breakfast yet?"
Lex Luthor asked with an expression full of concern.
"She already ate," Lucas replied while eating.
"She just digests food too fast and gets hungry easily."
"Then that's my fault for not preparing something for her as well. Shall I have someone deliver more right now?"
As he spoke, Lex was already reaching for his phone.
"No need," Lucas said casually.
"There's plenty of ingredients in the fridge. Just cook more."
He had no intention of being polite—free chefs were free chefs.
As a Saiyan with a bottomless appetite, plus one human black hole named Carrie, having fewer than two refrigerators at home was simply impossible.
"Alright, we'll do it your way."
Lex nodded and gestured to the two chefs with his eyes.
After that, Lex sat quietly to the side and did not interrupt their meal again.
Once everyone was well fed, they returned to the coffee table.
"Alright, say it—what do you want from me?"
Lucas asked lazily, picking his teeth with a toothpick.
"The spacecraft hovering above your house."
Lex pointed upward.
"It hasn't been officially taken over by anyone yet, has it?"
"You're the first one to see me after it was parked," Lucas replied directly.
"That's the best news I've heard all day!"
Lex broke into a broad smile.
The thing floating in the sky was being watched by every major power on Earth.
While LexCorp held influence in North America, it was still insignificant compared to true world powers.
Being able to get a share first was priceless.
"No need to be so formal between us," Lucas said with a smile.
He had no intention of keeping the spacecraft.
First, it was a Kryptonian ship, and he couldn't fly it.
There was no way he was going to ask Kara or Clark to teach him the Kryptonian language and writing system.
He neither had the time nor the interest.
Second, keeping it would only invite hostility and attention from every major force on Earth.
In his original world, unless someone carpet-bombed him with nukes, he could bulldoze an entire country alone.
But this world hid too many abnormal existences.
Until he reached an absolute level of power, he wasn't taking that risk.
Third, he wasn't giving it away for free.
If there was no profit involved, why hand it over?
And if negotiations failed—then fight.
He wasn't afraid of threats when they came knocking.
After all, war was simply the extension of interests.
And he knew perfectly well that no one would nuke the planet over a single alien ship.
Fourth, Earth had plenty of geniuses.
Letting them dissect the ship would unlock technology far faster.
With his strength and connections, benefiting later would be effortless.
Much better than letting it rust in his hands.
Fifth—and most importantly—to raise Earth's technological baseline.
Earth's tech was pathetically outdated.
Against Thanos' fleets, even the Chitauri from Avengers 1 could completely overpower Earth's military.
And compared to Darkseid's Apokolips armada?
That was the difference between a primitive tribe and a modern weapons civilization.
LexCorp, as one of America's top industrial giants, absolutely had the ability to extract advanced technology from the ship.
As for Lex himself—setting Superman aside—he was a qualified pioneer of humanity.
"This ship was obtained through great risk on your part,"
Lex said seriously.
"I'm willing to offer you five percent of LexCorp's shares, and increase your annual salary to fifty million dollars."
"Any technology or patents derived from the ship—you will have priority access, free of charge."
"Our laboratories will always be open to you."
"And if you have any other conditions, feel free to name them. As long as I can agree, I will."
As he finished speaking, a ten-million-dollar check was slowly pushed in front of Lucas.
"I understand."
Lucas smiled calmly and slipped the check into his pocket without hesitation.
"When the time comes, I'll put in a word to let LexCorp participate."
Lex immediately stood up with satisfaction.
"Then I won't disturb you any further."
He knew that many heavyweight figures would arrive next—and this was his cue to leave.
Carrie, her belly full, patted it contentedly as she watched Lex go, then flopped into the hanging chair in the corner of the living room and promptly fell asleep.
Lucas shook his head.
Soon after, the doorbell rang.
Elaine rose naturally and went to open the door.
The moment it opened, two men in black suits rushed in and shoved the door wide open.
"Get out!"
Elaine staggered from the push—
—and Lucas' eyes instantly narrowed as he roared.
An invisible but overwhelming force slammed outward, sending the agents flying.
Seven or eight of them crashed onto the lawn outside in a clatter.
Lucas stood and walked out the door.
On the grass, more than a dozen agents were pointing Glocks at him.
His expression darkened.
"Stand down!"
A familiar voice rang out.
A bald black head squeezed through the crowd.
"Lower your guns! Have you people lost your minds?!"
"Nick Fury,"
Lucas said coldly.
"Give me an explanation."
Before Fury could speak, another figure stepped forward.
"I don't believe I owe you one."
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
He recognized the man from television—President Ellis of the United States.
Ellis' expression was grim.
Since taking office, neither Congress nor those shadowy figures behind the scenes had ever made him wait like this.
Yet he'd been forced to wait an entire night just to meet this man.
"Mr. President,"
Lucas said calmly.
"What brings you here?"
Ellis disliked Lucas' gaze—
the look of a sharp mind staring at a fool.
With clear displeasure, he said:
"You obtained an unknown extraterrestrial spacecraft on American soil.
As a American citizen, you are obligated to hand it over to the state without compensation."
Lucas immediately turned his head and looked at Nick Fury.
"Are you sure he didn't get his head caught in a door this morning?"
Fury's face darkened.
"I represent S.H.I.E.L.D., Lucas."
Only then did Lucas recall—
S.H.I.E.L.D. answered to the World Security Council, a coalition of global superpowers.
America alone didn't have absolute authority here.
Understanding dawned.
Lucas gave Fury a meaningful look.
Then he turned back to President Ellis and said slowly:
"So, Mr. President…"
"Are you trying to represent America—"
"and declare war on me?"
___
T/N: Here is a task for you guys, if we reach 100 power stones in this month then I will upload two extra chapters