Emperor Building.
Lex Luthor's office.
Lex Luthor, who held the second-highest position in the Bardi Pyramid's power structure, had an exceptionally large authority over the business affairs of the Barmulodi Group.
It could be said that Lex Luthor had been instrumental in the development of the Barmulodi Group to this day, holding one of the world's most advanced commercial exhibition plans.
His office was located only on the first floor of the Emperor Building. From the wide floor-to-ceiling windows of his office, one could see a magnificent view of the entire Metropolis.
Whenever the sunlight cast a golden glow across the city's buildings, reflecting the beautiful scenery, Lex's eyes would flicker slightly. Witnessing all of it, he could not help but feel a faint satisfaction from deep within, a small smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.
Much of Metropolis, and even many parts of the world, had been changed and rebuilt under his influence.
This gradual transformation of Metropolis, the changing of the world's lifeline, and leading the world forward, filled him with joy and a profound sense of accomplishment.
He had witnessed the journey from the Barmulodi Group's humble beginnings to its miraculous rise, to becoming a godlike force capable of controlling nations. Although military operations were not under his jurisdiction, through the mobilization of economic materials, he could infer and glimpse the broader military movements.
The sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, slightly warming his pristine white suit. His bald head felt a little hot under the sun, and his skin tingled with the warmth.
Through some of His Majesty's material mobilizations, Lex had seen the outline of Bardi's entire operation and could predict it without difficulty.
Bardi's army was not solely composed of Kryptonians or superhumans. A significant portion consisted of human soldiers equipped with cutting-edge technological weaponry. Soldiers from more than ten countries had accepted Bardi's rule and formed a massive force, capable of conquering and overwhelming any nation.
Lex Luthor's sharp eyes looked at the computer screen, though he did not linger on any of the data for too long. Military operations were not under his authority. He was now focused on the research and oversight of the Doomsday Cell Project, concentrating on the even greater harvest that was Doomsday.
In his mind, the fate of the entire Earth was no longer as important as the results of the Doomsday experiment.
The future evolution of Doomsday made his heart pound. This was a true monster weapon, a terrifying force capable of destroying gods.
Although less than one percent of the project had been completed, according to Lex's calculations, it was a weapon that could be truly brought to life.
With Doomsday, he could destroy anyone's rule, any god's rule, at any time.
Closing the material transfer report, he immediately pulled up dozens of recent Doomsday cell test results, studying them with a solemn expression, comparing and contemplating the data seriously.
The sunlight caught the floating dust in the office, creating a faint, quiet scene.
The entire office was silent except for the occasional tapping of Lex Luthor's fingers on the keyboard.
Suddenly, there was a loud 'bang.'
The door to the office was violently pushed open, and a man entered with a dark expression, slamming the door shut behind him and locking it.
Lex Luthor casually glanced at the intruder—Mike, with his towering frame straining against his suit, his movements heavy like a mountain.
Luthor, familiar with Mike's nature, was not surprised by such reckless behavior. He and Mike had always harbored a mutual dislike for each other.
Luthor turned his attention back to the computer screen.
Mike, with a grim face and a yellow paper envelope in hand, strode over to Lex's desk and slammed the envelope down in front of him.
"Luthor! You dare betray His Majesty!"
Mike's face was dark, his voice erupting into a low growl of rage.
Mike's fists clenched tightly, his body radiating an aura of anger like a furious bear, his muscles so tense it seemed his clothes might rip apart.
Luthor continued to look at the computer, his expression focused, before slowly shifting his gaze to Mike's furious face, without the slightest ripple of emotion.
Mike would never call him "Luthor."
Mike had always addressed him condescendingly as "Luthor boy," his tone laced with sarcasm, envy, and hatred over Bardi's greater trust in Lex.
Mike was deeply loyal to Bardi.
Despite his brutish appearance, Mike possessed a surprisingly delicate heart and mind.
In reality, even if Lex had truly betrayed them, Mike would not waste time getting angry. He would either report it immediately or kill Lex without hesitation. Anger was meaningless.
Lex scrutinized Mike and suddenly noticed something odd about his behavior. There were inconsistencies and small details that did not match the Mike he knew.
For example, when Mike was truly furious, he would slap the flesh on his cheeks, widen his eyes, clench his teeth on the left side of his mouth, and slightly hold his breath when inhaling—like a leopard preparing to strike, subconsciously ready to kill at any moment.
None of these behaviors were present in the Mike standing before him now.
"Shouldn't you be back in the country of Tegus?"
Lex retracted his gaze, picked up the yellow envelope from the desk, and examined it calmly.
His eyes scanned the documents swiftly.
The documents contained detailed information regarding the collection of advanced military equipment, warehouse locations, and transportation routes over the past few years.
"Don't try to change the subject, Luthor. These are the routes and locations you provided to Deathstroke over the years, letting him rob our military equipment—the Air Force's Iron Man armors, the Army's individual exoskeleton suits, the Navy's battle whale suits, electromagnetic guns, energy weapons, and more."
"No wonder Deathstroke has been consistently targeting our Barmulodi Group and robbing us of so much. It turns out you're the mole!"
Mike snorted angrily, his nostrils flaring. His eyes were bloodshot, and his fists clenched so tightly that the joints cracked loudly, his bulging muscles straining as if they might burst from his body.
Lex glanced at the documents and nodded slightly. The contents were detailed, with a few deliberate errors planted.
If there was no mistake, these documents could only have come from His Majesty's supreme intelligence network or directly from Deathstroke's hands.
It was clear that this Mike was connected to Deathstroke.
"Yes. It was me."
Lex placed the documents back on the desk and calmly admitted it.
The air grew still.
Sunlight filtered through the dust, casting a faint, serene glow.
Lex's meaningful gaze met Mike's, calm and steady.
At that moment, after Lex's calm confession, his gaze seemed to pierce directly into Mike's heart.
The furious Mike suddenly changed. His expression shifted from rage to eerie calm as he stared back at Lex with a composed gaze.
Between the two men, sparks of intellectual warfare seemed to silently ignite.
(To be continued.)
***
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