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Chapter 463: Hidden Secrets (2)

Kayla stared at Alfred with wide eyes. She had never imagined that Alfred was the legendary agent who held the list and manipulated the East Coast intelligence personnel.

"But, shouldn't you avoid passing through the East Coast of the United States when traveling from the U.K. to Moscow?" Kayla asked with some confusion.

But soon, she realized her mistake, slapped her forehead, and said, "Oh, right, we can't head straight to Moscow; they would intercept us along the way..."

"But even if we needed to take a detour, it wouldn't have to be this far, right? Going from the U.K. to the East Coast of the United States and then to the Soviet Union is almost circling the Earth..."

"Even thirty years later, the whole world is still searching for that list. Haven't you realized how important it is?" Alfred's words made Kayla ponder. Indeed, now it seemed that the primary purpose of the list was to cover up intelligence mistakes. However, after almost 30 years, the list might be considered obsolete, with many of the people mentioned on it possibly already deceased.

But if we consider the situation 30 years ago, a list containing vital spies from various countries would be extremely valuable.

Alfred took a piece of deerskin from his pocket and began wiping the barrel of his rifle. He said, "Moscow provided many routes, but without exception, they all fell within the scope of the Central Intelligence Agency's sniper range."

"At that time, the CIA had infiltrated everywhere. I must say, the U.S. agents of that era were much more formidable than they are now."

"Why... Oh, my goodness, the most dangerous place is the safest place?! So you headed straight to the U.S. domestic territory?" Kayla asked.

Alfred smiled, seemingly touched by Kayla's youth. He said, "The most dangerous place is indeed the safest place. There is some truth to that saying, but it shouldn't be the decisive factor in an important decision."

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

"But after 1961, his successor was not as capable as him. A year went by with almost no progress in his work, spending much of his time sorting out the mess left by the previous director. Even the public jokingly referred to him as an inexperienced Air Force officer. Of course, Moscow knew about this."

"Moreover, during Allen's tenure, the CIA's scope of operations expanded significantly, even replacing some functions of Congress. He did his job too well, and as a result, the CIA's prestige and reputation soared."

"So, Congress would certainly try to restrict them, right?" Kayla asked, then added with some disdain, "That's how the U.S. folks are; they endlessly fight amongst themselves."

"Yes, they deliberately found a successor with limited abilities to replace Allen, making a mess of things. Then they amended the security laws, further restricting the CIA's scope of operations. In short, during that period, the Central Intelligence Agency..." Alfred paused, shaking his head, and Kayla understood what he meant.

If Alfred's account was accurate, then at that time, the U.S. domestic territory was indeed a very secure place. To limit the CIA's functions, Congress would not allow the agency to intervene, even if they knew there might be spies running around.

The U.S. people were most adept at creating an institution and then setting up another institution to restrict it. They would continue this cycle, naming it "separation of powers."

Whenever these three institutions fought with each other, they considered it a "victory of democracy" even if they tangled each other up and hindered their efficiency.

"And, Gotham has always been a lawless place. Although the Falcone family ruled Gotham at that time, the Twelve Families' system had not been fully established. In fact, it was during a period of reform, with shootouts between gangs everywhere, making it a perfect place to hide and gather intelligence."

"Indeed, that's a clever method. If you lurked in Gotham for a while and then Moscow spread the news that the list had arrived there, your return journey would be much safer," Kayla nodded in agreement.

"That was the original plan, but some unexpected events occurred..."

Kayla looked at Alfred and asked, "What unexpected events?"

Alfred sighed unusually, as if recalling something he didn't want to remember. He said, "In Gotham City, there has always been a unique force hiding in the shadows, wearing masks, watching everyone, and trying to control the city."

"They are called the Court of Owls."

"They are a group of fanatics who spare no means for power and status. One day in March, while I was praying in a church in Gotham, I 'accidentally' overheard a conversation between Gotham's Godfather Falcone and the bishop of Gotham's largest church at the time, Daniel..."

Kayla noticed that Alfred emphasized the word "accidentally," indicating that he had long been investigating these two individuals and had gathered some information.

"They said the Court of Owls had acquired a magical egg and seemed to want to place it in a special sink beneath the big church..."

"An egg? What kind of egg is it?" Kayla asked, utterly confused.

Alfred took a deep breath and said, "An egg of a monster."

"What is that? An egg of a monster?"

In the depths of Wayne Manor, in a spacious hall, Lex looked puzzled at the object in the center of the hall and asked, "This is what? An egg of a monster?"

At this moment, the entire exploration team in the underground felt strange. A haze surrounded Bruce and Lex, visible to themselves, yet they didn't raise any objections. Bruce was supporting the pale-faced Clark, who was still coughing weakly.

After coming down from the cellar entrance, they found that it was indeed an ordinary cellar, but soon, events took a turn far beyond their imagination.In the corridor leading to the cellar, nothing unusual was apparent. It looked like a medieval aristocrat's fortress, lacking any scientific or technological elements and devoid of the so-called special mineral that Schiller had mentioned.

However, after passing through this corridor, Clark began to feel something amiss, as he started to feel weaker.

At the end of the corridor, Lex and Bruce tried to dissuade Clark, but he insisted on ensuring that this mineral wouldn't harm ordinary people, so they continued further inside.

Soon, a shimmering green light appeared. At this point, Schiller called out to everyone, saying, "You're not planning to go straight over there, are you?"

"I must remind you that this mineral emits radiation harmful to ordinary people, and it's unlike any other mineral on Earth. Humanity's radiation suits might not be effective."

Lex and Bruce exchanged glances, and they both saw the same emotions in each other's eyes – the reluctance to take the risk, yet curiosity about what lay inside.

"I have a way to provide protection for you, but..." Schiller hesitated and then suddenly said, "I heard that Wayne Enterprises and Luthor Corp are the economic lifelines of the East Coast and the pillars of the U.S. economy."

Bruce looked puzzled, unsure why Schiller suddenly brought this up. However, Lex quickly understood and responded, "A method to defend against unknown mineral radiation is worth its weight in gold. Luthor Corp is willing to pay a price for this technology, Professor. We can discuss specific figures later, but we will definitely not disappoint you..."

Bruce looked at the smile on Schiller's face and became somewhat stunned. Then, he narrowed his eyes as he noticed something was amiss.

Since when did Schiller become interested in money???

Did he take the wrong medicine???

Seeing Schiller's gaze return to him, Bruce was momentarily unsure how to respond, but he cleared his throat and said, "The price is not important. What matters is the effectiveness."

Schiller waved his hand, and two strands of mist surrounded them, visibly blocking the shimmering green light. The effect was quite apparent.

Clark immediately turned to Schiller, looking at him expectantly, but Schiller acted as if he didn't notice the eye contact and continued walking forward.

"Oh, Professor, do we have some misunderstanding?" Clark tried to catch up, saying, "Professor! I think I need some means of defense too! Professor..."

"It won't work on you." Schiller coldly rejected him, leaving Clark looking disappointed as he followed the others.

As they continued inward, the situation became more serious. They entered a large hall where the walls were mostly made of the green stone, emitting enough light from the Kryptonite to illuminate the entire space. The quantity was enormous.

By this point, Clark could hardly walk on his own and needed Bruce's support. Yet, seeing Schiller's nonchalant attitude, Bruce and Lex realized they had been fooled again.

But by now, the function of the mineral itself was no longer important. What was important was who built this place and why...

Clearly, the rumors were wrong, as Bruce didn't replace any experimental equipment here, whether related to radiation or human testing. Such experiments would require specialized equipment, which was entirely absent.

After passing through the hall and another corridor, they arrived in a massive underground cavity, which was truly breathtaking.

Most of the walls in this cavity were untouched, consisting of natural rock formations, some even dripping with water. However, there were also reinforced walls, like wedges driven into the ground, distributed throughout the cavity.

At each spot with a wall, there was a peculiar device, centered around a massive green Kryptonite crystal.

At this moment, the light emitted by the Kryptonite seemed to be guided by the glass exterior of the device, forming a solid green beam. Several beams intersected and converged on a suspended platform, where an egg was placed.

The egg was enormous, causing everyone to look up at it. It was predominantly gray, with many rocky spikes on its surface, emitting a faint blue glow at the tips of the spikes.

Just as Lex was about to ask the question, they heard Schiller's icy voice from behind, saying, "Step back."

Bruce turned around, looking at Schiller standing far away. From Schiller's expression, Bruce knew that Schiller probably knew what it was. He asked, "What kind of egg is this?"

"A monster..."

"What kind of monster?"

"A very frightening monster that even Clark, at his peak, can't handle..."

Schiller's gaze remained fixed on the egg, his voice echoing in the hollow, with a distant echo:

"It's called... the Destruction Day."

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