Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics

Batman has no supporters here, because the super villains who would normally support him are all locked up in Arkham Asylum. Shiller has repaired the emergency restriction measures; the game hasn't started, and they simply can't get out. Others can't get in either, so their support is invalid.

Adding insult to injury, Penguin Man, who has successfully become a senator, exerted his force. He initiated a major debate on the human rights of super villains in the State Council.

Penguin Man was utterly righteous and stern, claiming that these individuals greatly endangered the safety of the lower-class population and should have been shot on sight. It was only in consideration of their human rights that the method of punishing them was changed to disclosing their information. This was to increase the cost of crime and also to make the public more vigilant.

Of course, he also proposed, for those who committed only one or two offenses, they could be spared, but for those incurable super villains who committed crimes eight or ten times, they must be hit hard. Once caught, their masks should be ripped off and their information broadcast in the prime-time news repeatedly.

Initially, Superman did not support the real-name system, but after hearing Penguin Man's argument, he also felt there was some truth to it.

After all, it targeted criminals who were caught committing crimes day in and day out. Superman also knew these people were beyond redemption; even if they were locked up, they would escape. Even as Superman, he might not be able to manage them all. It would be better to disclose all sorts of information, letting ordinary people stay alert and keep away when they see them.

Now Batman truly was isolated and without support.

However, he also found out that the elite had changed their previous attitude and suddenly cared so much about super villains for the sake of gambling, not because they had really changed.

This actually relieved Batman.

During this time, Shiller had already set up the traps he had invested in and arranged inside Arkham Asylum.

The prize pool had accumulated to an astonishing amount by then. Even Batman would have to waver for at least ten seconds upon seeing it; Gordon might even black out on the spot.

In the end, Batman compromised, but his demand was not to implement some shitty registration act; he could disclose this information privately.

Still, he kept some reservations, cleverly revealing just enough to be useful for the elite to analyze the odds of winning, but not enough to be fully exposed.

But after giving the information, he began to regret it. If he had known it would come to this, he might as well have sold the information.

With the information and the odds analyzed, the upper class still wasn't satisfied. Essentially, they did not want to participate in the gamble, but to control it.

So far, not many could directly interfere with the betting. Shiller was the closest one, but he was difficult to handle.

On one hand, he stayed in Arkham Asylum and did not come out, running the place like an iron bucket, impenetrable to others. On the other hand, it was very likely he was aligned with the Pale Knight. As long as the Pale Knight remained mayor, the upper class could not break with him openly.

Apart from Shiller, there was another person, that was Fels, now managing the casino.

Quite predictably, Fels was invited for a coffee. The content of the discussion was nothing but persuading him to find a way to intervene in the betting so that certain people placing bets could win.

Fels actually hadn't had news from Shiller for a long time. He wasn't very smart himself and didn't know how to deal with others in such a situation.

Furthermore, many sugar-coated bombs were thrown at him, promising a bunch of benefits and praising him as a genius for coming up with such an awesome gambling game. He got carried away with flattery.

He completely forgot whose idea it was, only feeling that he indeed had the power to control the gambling game, thumping his chest with assurance and promising fulfillment to whoever asked.

But the people of the upper class weren't as foolish; they could tell at a glance that Fels would not amount to much and was simply their opportunity to gain access to the casino.

You should know, all the money in the bets goes into the casino.

Right, these people suddenly realized, getting involved in the gambling game wasn't as good as outright burglary.

As long as the betting money mysteriously disappeared, only Fels and that Rodriguez would take the blame. After all, it was those two who cooked up this scheme, so it wasn't like they didn't deserve it.

The wealthy weren't shooting in the dark. Right from the start, they had people watching the casino. All the bets were accounted for, no money going in or out. Even the sewers were monitored, and no one saw anyone moving the money. That meant the money had to be in the casino.

Little did they know, Shiller had a Gray mist that could devour anything. They simply thought that if there was no trace of transport, the money must still be there. So they tried every means to send people into the casino.

Although the casino wasn't as tough to infiltrate as Arkham Asylum, it wasn't a place just anyone could enter. After searching high and low, they found Catwoman.

Catwoman was nothing like Batman, who would say no to money thrown his way. She was the total opposite, gobbling up everything she could. With the money she made this time, she could live a carefree life in Hawaii for the rest of her days.

But even though she got in, she indeed didn't find the money. The conclusion was the same for the other people the rich folks sent, guessing that Shiller probably had some other way to move the money.

But the wealthy didn't get discouraged. There are plenty of ways in this world; if one doesn't work, there's always another.

Isn't Shiller one of the pale knight's people? Then find the pale knight. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Just say what you want, stewed Sabretooth or braised mammoth; as long as you have the money, there's nothing we can't get for you.

But where is the pale knight now? He's at Wayne Manor. Although he had an argument with Batman in court, he really had nowhere else to go, so the two of them just had to make do.

When the wealthy folks saw this, they thought that a stone in the cesspit wasn't enough—it needed a titanium alloy protective shield on top.

The corrupt influences we spread to the pale knight, you little rascal, have all been pocketed by you as kickbacks!

Maybe Batman is whispering in his ear every day, and that's why the pale knight is blown into being so righteous and kind. Otherwise, how could a small-town boy, a poor nobody from the lower class, have such a strong willpower to resist temptation?

Without Batman, maybe the mayor would've been easier to talk to?

So why is the pale knight at Wayne Manor?

Obviously, because the government went bankrupt.

And why did the government go bankrupt?

Because they ran out of money.

It's just money, right? Take it! There's no refusing it. As long as the pale knight moves out of Wayne Manor right now, immediately, government funds will be in place.

And the city hall building? It's fine if it's emptied out, right? Aren't there plenty of buildings out there? They'll immediately clear out a building with a river view in the prime CBD location, with the mayor's office on the top floor, overlooking Gotham and living the high life.

Before the pale knight knew what hit him, he was packed up along with his luggage and tossed into a luxurious modern flat, standing in front of a 12-meter-high floor-to-ceiling window with his head full of question marks.