Chapter 1011: Scarecrow's Bad Luck (Part 1)

"Batman, perhaps you don't know that I have been observing you in secret all along. This was much earlier than you imagine. At the earliest, it can be traced back to the time you first came to Cat Getan University to report."

Jonathan sat in the chair, and Batman stood at the doorway, watching him quietly, neither taking a step forward nor responding to any of his remarks.

Yet Jonathan continued on his own: "On the first day you arrived here, Schiller and I both knew what kind of person you were. Thus, we simultaneously faced a choice—leave, or stay?"

"The good Professor Schiller you know is what kind of person, I am that kind of person. We two are incomparably similar, yet also different."

"When you appeared on the campus of Cat Getan University, we both understood a fact at the same time: a student with such a personality would definitely become our enemy."

Jonathan sighed and said, "Perhaps you know that I am constantly conducting cruel human experiments, but unfortunately, Schiller is no better than me. I know it was he who took my fear toxin. So, where else could he use this stuff?"

"I guess you should have already experienced the power of the fear toxin. That is my proudest work... Forget it, I've digressed. Let's get back to the point."

"We both know that we shouldn't be doctors, but rather lunatics in straightjackets in a psychiatric hospital. And you, Batman, you are the same. You are clearly a patient, yet you insist on imagining yourself as a doctor."

"Such a person is very troublesome, especially since you are also Bruce Wayne." Jonathan seemed to be fearless, pointing out Batman's identity directly. But Batman remained completely unmoved by this, staying silent and not responding at all.

"I admit that in this regard, I am completely inferior to Schiller, because when I learned this fact, I had thoughts of retreating." Jonathan sighed lightly again, took a sip of water, and continued:

"I don't have complete certainty that I can cure you, and I also know that it's impossible for me to eliminate you. Since that's the case, staying at the school and facing you head-on is not a good choice... And Schiller, he is much crazier than I am."

"This mentor of yours..." Jonathan shook his head, as if recalling something, and said, "Only a true lunatic would choose to stay under such circumstances. Only someone crazy to a certain degree would want to cure Batman."

"And what's even crazier is that he really achieved progress." Jonathan turned his head to look at Batman, as if sizing up a rare treasure. The possessiveness and madness in his eyes could not invade Batman in the slightest.

"Just like that, I chose to avoid the sharp edge and left Cat Getan University, while Schiller chose to stay, stay and circle around you, and attempt to cure you." Jonathan took another sip of water, tilted his head, looked at Batman, and said, "Aren't you tired standing there? Come over, sit down."

And to his surprised gaze, Batman really walked into the room and sat down opposite the dining table. He even poured himself a glass of water.

Previously, Jonathan had spilled the water from his cup, leaving a stain on the table. He dipped his fingertip in the water, traced on the table, and said, "Do you know, Batman? The result I tested with hundreds of human lives, which is my proudest fear toxin, was taken away by Schiller in large quantities—at least a warehouse's worth. What do you think he will do with these fear toxins?"

Batman lowered his eyelids, looked at the calm water surface in the cup beside his hand, and then looked at Jonathan, asking: "How did Schiller obtain these fear toxins?"

Jonathan's fingertip stiffened. He took a deep breath and then gritted his teeth, saying: "... He is a despicable thief, stealing my research results..."

"How did Schiller steal the fear toxins?" Batman asked again.

"He entered the warehouse where I stored the goods and swept away all the fear toxins!" Jonathan's tone became a bit shaky, but Batman nodded calmly and said: "Then, where is your warehouse?"

"Mo Sen District, of course, it's in the Mo Sen District..." Jonathan had just finished speaking when he suddenly reacted. He thought Batman was trying to fish for information, but Batman shook his head and said: "There are no professional warehouses in the Mo Sen District at all. You wouldn't have just piled your research results in some basement and called that a warehouse, would you?"

Batman raised his eyelids and looked at Jonathan with an unruffled gaze, saying: "Schiller is at least better than you in one point: he highly values his research results and wouldn't just throw them in some basement in the slums..."

"Or rather, in your circle—I mean, the circle of people who are both psychologists and mental patients, both doctors and murder enthusiasts—does this kind of careless behavior really not lower your reputation?" Batman stared into Jonathan's eyes and asked.

Jonathan's breathing frequency became much faster, but afterward, he tried hard to calm down, sank his expression, and said: "It seems Schiller taught you many things, but have you ever thought that his treatment of you is precisely based on his use of the fear toxin..."

"Every change in your mood in front of him is actually because you are under the hallucinogenic effects of the drug. All your genuine revelations, in his eyes, are just sample data under the action of drug experiments."

Who would have thought, Batman nodded and then asked: "You also have fear toxin, so why don't you want such sample data? Is it because you don't like it?"

Jonathan's fingers tightened instantly, clenching into a fist. He looked at Batman with a face as calm as water and said: "Do you know, you have become exactly like him, just like the lunatics and criminals you hate the most—knowing how to use words to pierce into others' hearts, and then with an indifferent attitude, watch their jokes."

"Do you want to tell a joke?" Batman asked again.

Jonathan tilted his head, slowly relaxed his fist, placed his palm on the table, and said: "It seems he didn't just cure your illness, but also taught you a lot of knowledge. I have to say, for a psychologist, this is already an achievement worth praising for a lifetime."

"But this is useless, Batman. You cannot save Cat Getan. You don't know where the darkness here actually comes from? You don't know that the criminals you hate the most are actually just innocent citizens transformed by dark forces..."

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Batman squinted his eyes slightly. Listening to Jonathan's tone, he seemed to know some information others didn't. Sure enough, Jonathan continued: "I am different from Schiller. Although I am a psychologist, I am not just a psychologist. I am also a chemist, and one of the world's top ones at that..."

"Your criminal record has already explained this point, and I think, besides this, your skills might also be better than his." Batman still said very calmly: "Otherwise, how did you escape from Arkham Asylum, where Schiller served as the attending physician?"

With a "Bang—", the cup was knocked over. Jonathan's entire arm began to tremble, and his chest heaved violently because Batman had hit the nail on the head again.

Back then, Jonathan and Hugo were chased and fled non-stop inside Arkham Asylum. This was another past he couldn't bear to look back on.

"Then, world-class chemist, what brilliant conclusions do you have?" Batman asked.

Jonathan squinted his eyes and looked at Batman. His facial contours were very young, and those blue eyes were shining brightly. When the faint light from the window shone on them, it was like shimmering light rippling on the sea surface.

Such an appearance was completely different from that professor. However, the techniques Batman used during the negotiation and the temperament he revealed made Jonathan, in a moment of distraction—when the micro-dust in the room was illuminated by the light—faintly see another figure.

With such an impression, the conclusion Jonathan was about to say became less confident.

At first, he thought he was going to face a greenhorn who had just graduated from college, possessed many psychological flaws, and had mental illnesses. But in reality, although he hadn't seen Schiller for a long time, he had once again had a long-awaited reunion with him.

"After your four years of long investigation, you should have already obtained a small conclusion, which is that Cat Getan's rain has a problem. But do you know what that problem is?"

"What is the problem?" Unexpectedly for Jonathan, Batman did not go into a long-winded speech to state his conclusion to seize the initiative, but instead humbly asked for advice like a student. This resulted in the scene Jonathan had rehearsed—picking faults line by line and pressing step by step—not appearing.

Jonathan always had an illusion that Batman seemed very good at dealing with such situations.

Jonathan knew that there was a best state in the negotiation field. It was not being extremely nervous, cautious, performing at 100%, nor was it being mocking, despising the opponent, or being too relaxed.

A true negotiation veteran would combine the two, not giving an inch in the most critical parts, while actively bringing up relaxed topics when needing to ease the atmosphere, expressing a relaxed and unguarded attitude—just like someone flying a kite, constantly letting out and pulling in the line, making the opponent fall into mental exhaustion.

However, negotiation is not solving a problem. What one is facing is not a rigid theoretical question, but a living person.

Human psychology is the most wonderful thing in this world. Even if one does many psychological profiles and background investigations, one cannot predict what the other party will say.

Although some people have a special talent in this regard, wanting to truly achieve ease and freedom still requires adopting the "sea of questions" tactic.

Seeing more, hearing more, and suffering more losses, one naturally understands what strategy to adopt when facing a certain type of opponent in order to defeat them.

Wanting to hone skills in this regard requires high-intensity clashes in a short period, while lengthening the front line, exchanging time for experience.

But Batman was so seasoned that he didn't seem like someone in this age group at all. Jonathan also couldn't figure out what kind of experience could allow Batman to practice such clash techniques within four years.

It was as if a child, in the first grade, scored last in the class, and in the sixth grade, was recommended for university.

Jonathan stared tightly at Batman, observing every subtle change in his expression. Then, he saw a kind of boredom on Batman's face. This instantly made Jonathan feel as if his heart had been stabbed with a knife.

He suddenly flushed, his breathing frequency reached the extreme. He was panting with some difficulty, swallowing saliva at a frequency of three or four times every ten seconds. The muscles on his shoulders trembled along with his fingertips.

"Professor Crane, you should calm down." Batman looked at Jonathan and said expressionlessly: "The whole world does not hope that you, on the eve of publishing a great academic conclusion, will die of a heart attack."

"Shut up... Schiller!" ===== CHAPTER 1012 =====