Chloe's Frustrating Day

After Chloe and Clark parted ways.

"I don't know why."

Chloe complained to Pete, "Ever since he joined the football team, Clark has clearly grown distant from us. He trusts his coach more than he trusts friends like us."

"Chloe, didn't you say that friends should be good at making assumptions and reserving doubt?"

After waving to a student nearby, Pete said, "You make assumptions, while Clark reserves his doubts about you. I think you two are very in sync as friends."

"Okay, Pete, you really surprised me today. I thought all you remembered were football, women, and comics. I didn't expect you to know Nietzsche too."

"Isn't that normal?"

Pete felt insulted. "Just like how you occasionally mention Laser Man Arthur Parks. Same difference."

Chloe casually tossed her coffee cup into a trash can and asked, "Then do you know the second half of Nietzsche's quote?"

"What?"

"The second half is: Let your assumptions be your compassion, but first you must know whether your friend needs compassion!"

Annoyed, Chloe said, "My assumptions just now, including my suspicion that Coach Watt was the murderer, were meant to keep Clark from getting hurt. Not physically, of course—more mentally. But... clearly, Clark doesn't need my compassion."

"Sounds like you're hurt, Chloe."

Pete and Chloe walked into the hallway together, squeezing through the crowd near the lockers.

"Not hurt. Just frustrated at not being recognized."

Speaking as rapidly as a little machine gun, Chloe said, "Principal Guan wanted to investigate the cheating scandal, so the coach burned him to death in his car. He was yelling at the players in his office earlier because someone betrayed him. Maybe that player told Principal Guan about how the coach had provided test answers for cheating, and then everything makes sense..."

"Hey—hey! Chloe, I've got something to do. Let's talk this afternoon."

Pete cut off Chloe's endless speech, patted her shoulder, and ran straight toward a Black girl he had just met.

"Whew."

Watching Pete's retreating figure, Chloe let out a dejected sigh.

She felt a little discouraged that even her friends did not believe her.

The downcast Chloe stood there in a daze for a moment before suddenly thinking of someone.

Eric Kent!

Completely unaware that someone had set their sights on him, Eric was using his super vision to peer through layer after layer of obstacles into the principal's office.

Inside, Principal Morton was discussing yesterday's traffic accident with a reporter.

A heavy ceramic ashtray sat on Morton's desk, used to hold his pipe tobacco. Eric could even see the image of Rodin's The Thinker on the ashtray.

"Mr. Morton, I'm very sorry that Principal Guan suffered such a misfortune."

The reporter first offered his condolences to Principal Morton.

"Yes, it truly is unfortunate!"

Principal Morton cleared his throat and said in a low voice, "As vice principal, Guan's main duties were to formulate teaching plans and maintain school discipline. When disciplining students, he always tried to project the image of an endearing John Wayne, but his genial smile always ruined the effect."

"As for Guan's traffic accident, I'm sorry, but I can't provide the information you want. Perhaps you should ask the police. They should know more than I do."

Faced with Principal Morton's refusal, the reporter replied with a smile, "I've already spoken with the police, so now I'd like to speak with you. The police said the person who reported the accident was a Smallville High School student, Eric Kent, I believe that was the name."

"Eric Kent?"

Principal Morton frowned and stroked his thinning hair. "Let me think. He's Jonathan Kent's son, isn't he?"

"That's right."

"When you've been at a school for thirty years like I have," Principal Morton said, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, "you see a child who looks familiar, then discover that his father was among your first students. It's truly a wonderful feeling."

"I'd like to interview Eric Kent, but before that, I need to know some information about him. Mr. Morton, could you provide me with his 'credit and evaluation file'?"

Seeing the principal constantly rambling, the reporter directly stated his purpose.

"His credit and evaluation file?"

Morton pondered for a moment. "According to regulations, student files are not made public, Mr. Chris."

The reporter, Chris, explained to the principal, "Although I'm a reporter by profession, that doesn't mean I can't keep secrets. Mr. Morton, I won't disclose any student information. I merely hope to learn more about Eric Kent before the interview."

Eric, who had been peering into the principal's office with his super vision, turned serious when he heard the reporter wanted his credit and evaluation file.

A credit and evaluation file not only included personal information such as a student's name, parents, address, and birthday, but also the results of various ability assessments and every teacher's evaluation of them.

Reviewing a "credit and evaluation file" was a way to gain a comprehensive understanding of a high school student.

This reporter... wanted to investigate him?

Which side was he from?

What was his purpose?

Eric pinched his chin and fell into thought.

This reporter... was hiding quite a few secrets.

And what Eric loved most was dragging out those bugs hiding in the shadows with secrets.

The day's classes ended quickly. After school, Eric was packing his things at his locker.

"Hey, Eric, can I talk to you?"

A female voice sounded behind him.

When he turned around, he saw Chloe from the Torch.

Faced with Eric's icy expression, Chloe could never relax around him the way she did around Clark. She coughed and said to Eric, "About Principal Guan."

"Principal Guan?"

"I heard you were the one who called the police at the accident scene. I have some clues. Maybe we can talk and exchange information. We might find something new, and perhaps identify the murderer who killed Principal Guan."

Chloe spoke hesitantly.

"There's something you've got wrong, Chloe."

"W-what?"

Eric's voice carried a touch of coldness. "I have no interest whatsoever in who the murderer is, nor do I have any interest in this so-called detective game."

"But..."

Chloe said, somewhat unable to understand, "If we catch the murderer, we can stop more people from being harmed."

"Sounds nice, but that has nothing to do with me."

After saying that, Eric turned and left, leaving the young reporter standing there in a daze.

He still had to investigate that suicidal reporter, so he had no time to play detective games with Chloe.

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