Chapter 1260: Shadows Within Shadows (17)

The atmosphere in the banquet hall suddenly turned subtle. The tension of everyone focusing on one person vanished, and everyone withdrew their attention, appearing as though they were each harboring their own thoughts and secrets, or perhaps feeling a bit uneasy.

"Oh, I understand now!"

Schiller suddenly raised his voice. It was very obvious that the hands of several people holding glasses tightened, as if they had suddenly heard an alarm clock in a dream.

"I know, the slightly chaotic public security situation in Cat Getan makes everyone lack confidence in the FBI, and the FBI indeed doesn't like to cast its gaze here."

"But I believe this is actually unjust. The FBI should treat every city in every state equally, rather than abandoning a place just because maintaining order there is more difficult."

"Of course, I can also understand that as victims, you all have noble morals and compassion, and don't want to add burdens to the institutions that maintain national security. But it doesn't matter; I maintain good relationships with some colleagues in Congress, the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI. I can certainly help you all resolve your worries..."

"Mr. Schiller." Bruce interrupted Schiller. At this moment, his slightly low voice sounded like a beautiful melody to everyone, cutting off Schiller's devilish whispers.

"Yes, this matter is indeed quite serious." Bruce's opening made everyone's eyes go dark. The two old men standing behind the stairs were so anxious they were almost stomping their feet, wishing they could rush up immediately and cover Bruce's mouth.

"The FBI is a nuisance everywhere." Constantine curled his lips in evaluation: "No one likes dealing with them. It's best if the FBI doesn't target this place; everyone can live in peace. But if they insist on coming, even if they can't find anything, it's annoying enough."

"Don't think I don't know that those big families in Cat Getan all have more or less black-market businesses." Hal rolled his eyes: "Coast City is the same. Every family with a bit of power and status is involved with smugglers. They spent so much effort to keep the FBI from noticing this place. Schiller wants to invite the wolf into the house; can they not be anxious?"

"More importantly, this professor's performance makes others believe that his status in the Department of Homeland Security is indeed significant." Diana said.

"Cat Getan is indeed like a 'three-no' zone, but it is still on federal territory after all. It's impossible to be completely autonomous. If the FBI can't manage Cat Getan, can't they manage the few ports that have logistics dealings with Cat Getan? Just by causing a little trouble in logistics, no one will have an easy time."

"It seems this is the purpose of Batman inviting Schiller to the banquet. He had long anticipated that March would set a trap for him. Just wait, the good show has only just begun." Greed's voice echoed with a smile.

"Especially the tragedy encountered by Mr. March..." Bruce changed the subject and looked at March beside him: "This gentleman held a sincere heart and wanted to participate in the construction of Cat Getan, but suffered such persecution. It is truly a strange injustice in the world. I think he must need the FBI to come here to seek justice for him."

Schiller also turned his gaze to March's face. Before March could speak, he grabbed the lead: "Heavens, sir, why didn't you mention this when we talked yesterday? You really shouldn't have hidden such important circumstances from your psychologist; this would lead to my misjudgment of your psychological state."

"Of course, your situation cannot be called a mental illness, just some anxiety that ordinary people are prone to. I dare say, everyone present here has more or less such emotions."

"But if such emotions come from the physical harm you suffered, besides anxiety disorder, I also have to make a diagnosis of 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'. My professional ethics require me to do so."

"No, I am not..."

March had already noticed the change in the eyes of the people around him. Undoubtedly, having a bit of mental illness in Cat Getan is not a big deal, or rather, those who can stay here all have more or less some major illness.

But because of being beaten by a killer and developing psychological illness, even leading to PTSD—just because of getting hurt a little, having to see a psychologist—that is simply the most pathetic, most contemptible kind of mental illness. It is sick without any thought, sick without any personality.

March gritted his teeth. He very much wanted to say that he didn't go to see a psychologist at all, nor did he allow Schiller to talk about his situation. But these words circled in his mouth and were swallowed back down.

Schiller is a psychologist. If he didn't go to see him for treatment, what else could it be for? To enjoy the thrill of fooling the police after killing someone? Self-destructing on the spot, right?

"Hahahaha!" Harley was already laughing until she was bent over, clutching her side. She laughed while saying: "This idiot trapped himself! To make Batman look bad, he said himself that he suffered severe harm from the killer. Schiller took the opportunity to imply that he went to see a psychologist because he was afraid of pain and death, and he can't explain it! Hahahaha!"

"What can he say? He can't say, 'I killed someone, and I wanted to show off in front of someone, and that person happened to be a psychologist!' But if he said that, maybe these people would look up to him a little bit more! Hahahaha!"

Just as Harley said, the eyes of the people around looking at March had changed a bit. Still, in Cat Getan, you cannot show weakness.

In the dark forest where the strong prey on the weak, you can also see a doctor because of your madness, your anxiety, your confusion, and incomprehension, but you cannot do so because of fear.

Gradually, March discovered that the look of contempt was gradually turning into another emotion: greed. What happens when a pack of hungry wolves discovers a sheep wearing a wolf's skin in their midst?

March felt that the bright lights could no longer provide him with a sense of security. One pair of bright, torch-like eyes after another lit up in the darkness, staring covetously at the lamb that had exposed its weakness.

"Ahem." Bruce's soft cough broke the gradually eerie atmosphere. He stepped forward, shoulder to shoulder with Schiller, and then turned to look at Schiller. Schiller also turned to look at him.

March was completely excluded from the two of them. Clearly, this was another signal. In this conversation, March had lost all initiative, and he was only one step away from being kicked out.

"As a friend of Mr. March, I sympathize with his encounter. He suffered harm within Wei En Enterprises, and this is also my fault." Bruce lowered his head, appearing very guilty.

"To be honest, I didn't expect that when he felt sad, he didn't come to me to confide in the first place, but found you."

"Actually, I was quite surprised too." Schiller nodded lightly: "I just arrived in Cat Getan not long ago, and I already have my first patient. Cat Getan is not as unapproachable as the rumors say."

"They are mocking March for being a traitor." The Bruce in the theater explained: "When something happens, instead of discussing it with his own people first, he goes to find an outsider, and one who just arrived not long ago and isn't understood by anyone. He even revealed what is happening inside Cat Getan. A traitor through and through."

"Sometimes, I don't understand you Gothamites. You always like to treat each other as enemies, fighting until your heads are broken and blood is flowing, never dying until the end. But you also really hate outsiders interfering in your behavior of torturing each other. It seems that in some aspects, you are inseparable, closer than allies." Clark expressed his feelings.

"Hit the nail on the head." Constantine evaluated: "If you haven't been to Cat Getan, you haven't seen true madness."

In the screen, Bruce and Schiller spoke one after another, one singing the red face and the other the white face. They didn't mention March at all, but every sentence was about March, until they had completely molded March's persona into a cowardly, timid traitor who sought help from outsiders after being frightened.

Finally, March couldn't stay in the center of the venue anymore. He could only grit his teeth and find a slightly clumsy excuse to leave.

And after he left, everyone's disdain for him deepened, because in this kind of occasion, he shouldn't have found any excuse. He should have just spilled wine on his clothes and exited.

Just as Diana evaluated, March's body revealed a kind of awkwardness where his words and actions didn't match, and the bystanders all had a direct feeling about this at this moment.

"A beautiful combined attack." The Morbid one finally spoke: "But it's not over yet. Batman must deal with the issues regarding the FBI. He cannot resist, but he cannot accept, and at the same time, it must be reasonable and decent enough."

"Regarding the FBI issue, I think we can consider it again." Bruce shook the wine in his glass without lowering his volume, still appearing full of confidence. He said: "I certainly believe in the FBI's ability, but don't you think it's completely superfluous to have them send agents here?"

"Oh? I'd like to hear the details."

"You are a professor at the FBI's trainee agent academy, and you have worked in this position for many years. That is to say, the elite backbone agents of the FBI now are all your students. Since the teacher has already come, why bother painting a snake and adding feet?"

A round of applause came from the back of the theater. Greed lowered his head, smiling while clapping. And this round of applause also echoed in everyone's hearts. One had to admit that this response was indeed reasonable and decent.

It not only lifted Schiller to a high position, making him unable to refuse with a tough attitude, but also played a little logical trick, describing the teacher's ability as the sum of the students' abilities, emphasizing the concept that the teacher must be greater than the students. This could erase the necessity of the students—who were agents—coming here.

After all, according to this logic, the teacher who taught so many agents is already here. If the teacher isn't capable, what's the use of the students coming?

"Professor Schiller, just as I said before, people's attention to mental health is a manifestation of social progress. I think everyone should take this seriously, especially myself."

Bruce suddenly changed the subject, but Schiller understood his hint. So he stepped forward and looked into Bruce's eyes: "Yes, Mr. Wei En, then I wonder if I might have the honor of getting your business card, so that when you have doubts related to psychology, you can remember what you said today?"

Bruce turned around silently and took a business card from the attendant dedicated to him, pulling one out and handing it to Schiller. Schiller also took the business card silently and put it into his suit pocket.

Schiller again lightly tapped the side of Bruce's wine glass with his own, and took a sip of wine. And this time, Bruce also picked up his wine glass and drank.

When lifting the cup, the wine flowed toward one side of the glass wall. Both of them looked at each other through the blurry wine glass and the clear, shining wine under the lights.

And at the same time, in the other's eyes, they saw the joy of a close confidant achieving victory through perfect cooperation, and also saw the murderous intent, calm and unruffled, beneath the undercurrents of a mortal enemy who had engaged in several confrontations.

Schiller stopped, and Batman turned to Red Hood again and said: "Go back where you came from, don't let me say it a second time."

"You plan to be with him, to cover up criminals with this inexplicable outsider? Batman, are you already impatient to admit that you are a coward?"

Red Hood always spoke with thorns, whether it was the tone or the wording, it made people feel very uncomfortable. Batman was about to open his mouth, but Red Hood interrupted him in the second before he made a sound, saying:

"You clearly heard me say that there was an assassin who attempted to murder the city council spokesperson, but you are not anxious at all, and you want to reason with people. Get out of the way, no matter how hard his mouth is, I can pry it open!"

"Where did this guy come from?" Hal, who was watching the screen, asked with some confusion: "He is running wild in Cat Getan like this, and can still live to this day? Is Batman his sugar daddy?"

The expression on Barry's face was about to collapse, but he was still desperately enduring it. A hand patted his shoulder, which scared him into a shiver. He turned to look at Bruce's expression and swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"The pain brought by your inner contradiction and guilt is all seen by them. They won't hope you are like this, because they have long forgiven you in a higher way, and that is returning to your side."

"Your speculation of hatred for them is completely narrow-minded prejudice, is trampling on their nobility, is measuring a gentleman's belly with a villain's heart, is wasting their intentions."

"Enough."

"I don't think it's an adopted son," Diana put forward a negative opinion: "No matter what, the Wei En family couldn't possibly raise an adopted son with the temperament of a street punk."

"Perhaps you often hear that a child of a big family is very rebellious and doesn't do proper things, but the rebellion of young masters and street punks are two completely different things, and the temperament is completely different. Obviously, this guy wearing a red hood is the kind of street punk from the bottom, and he doesn't have anything to do with the wealthy life of the Wei En family."

Hal and Constantine both felt it made sense, so they nodded. Constantine supported his head with his right hand and said: "I guess. Maybe Batman saved him, a street punk who was framed on a rainy night, was rescued by the great Dark Knight, and since then embarked on the right path, taking solving criminals as his own responsibility, although the means are rough, the heart is good."

Several others nodded in agreement, feeling that the detailed scene described by Constantine was very convincing. After all, so far, there are not many strangers who have appeared, and even fewer are masked. If there is such a person in Cat Getan now, they must know him, at least Constantine, who wanders on the street every day, should know him.

But at this time, the expressions of several people changed. The first to open his mouth wide was Harley. The little girl didn't reason from words and deeds, she purely felt that the voice was a bit familiar because her hearing was better than others.

Followed by Jason, because as Red Hood walked forward, after his figure entered the light, Jason saw the familiar hood, which was different, but generally consistent.

And finally, it was Bruce. He suddenly had a bad premonition. The hand he pressed on Barry's shoulder tightened. He just wanted to open his mouth to let Barry not say that name, but Barry surrendered because of fear.

"Jason Todd—he is Jason, and he is Red Hood!"