Chapter 2583

After Clark and the others arrived, a peak flow of people followed. Cars parked one after another beside the woods, and everyone who got out of the cars was surprised that Shiler would actually be here to welcome them.

And Shiler finally knew where Victor's stereotype of him came from. Everyone thought that what would greet them would be an empty lot or a venue for an academic seminar, including the graduate and doctoral students who had been doing work-study with him just a few days ago.

The way they looked at Shiler even carried a hint of fear.

It was akin to: "Although our professor wasn't easy to get along with before, you'd better return him quickly, otherwise we won't be having dinner with an unknown monster."

Everyone brought rich gifts. Rather than gifts, they were more like excellent patches. Now Shiler confirmed that the anxiety Victor mentioned—that "Shiler probably won't do anything"—was real, because someone even brought a pool table.

Each of them seemed very worried that if they didn't find something to do for themselves, Shiler would find something for them to do, so they were fully prepared to entertain themselves.

Lex even brought six computers and a server, as well as the newly developed, not-yet-released-on-the-market Luthor-brand game console and over 50 family-friendly video games. As soon as they were taken out, they attracted the attention of all the young people.

That was fine, Shiler thought. Many of his colleagues brought their children; the youngest were five or six, and the oldest were almost in college. It was very difficult to find a common hobby for these people.

Obviously, it was unlikely that these children would like fishing or playing poker. The younger ones could go run wild in the woods, and the older ones had nothing to play with besides helping with the barbecue.

The game console could well alleviate this awkwardness, especially those family-friendly games that required multi-player cooperation. Regardless of age or gender, everyone could find fun in them. A group of people gathered around as soon as the machine was put down.

Moreover, the vast majority of guests invited by Shiler were either high-level intellectuals like doctors and professors, or wealthy people who could afford houses in the rich district. In this era when electronic equipment was still relatively expensive, these people would obviously be the future customer base for this type of game console. Lex could even do machine testing and user satisfaction surveys while he was at it.

Shiler began to believe a little that Lex Luthor was the smartest person in the world.

The number of people who came far exceeded expectations because many brought their families, even bringing the four children and two dogs from home. Fortunately, Victor and the others had prepared extra tents, otherwise what Shiler had prepared might not have been enough.

After almost everyone had arrived, a gray car finally arrived late. The car door opened, and a figure that shouldn't have appeared but was not unexpected to Shiler appeared on the grass.

It was Amanda Waller.

Her complexion wasn't very good. Behind her followed a bodyguard and a middle-aged man who looked like a researcher. Everyone else was here to share good news, but they looked like they were here for a funeral.

To be precise, she was indeed here for a funeral, because as soon as Amanda opened her mouth, she said, "Long time no see, Professor Shiler. May I ask where you've taken all my subordinates?"

Shiler was in a very good mood now, so he couldn't be bothered to argue with her, and instead said, "I remember I didn't send you an invitation, but if you want to come and participate, I won't turn you away."

After saying this, he turned and walked down the gentle slope. Amanda followed him closely and said, "They are going to be an important part of the A. R. G. U. S. organization. You can't just..."

"What did I do to them?"

"They went missing, and completely lost contact with headquarters."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"They went missing right around you."

"Why would they come around me?"

Amanda was choked up. Shiler stopped, looked back at Amanda, and said, "Whatever legitimate reason you have is not a reason for a whole pile of trouble to surround me. You knew what the consequences would be if you did this, yet you insisted on going your own way. It wasn't me who made them go missing, it was you."

"But you clearly could have..."

"Could have what? Done nothing? Do you think there's even a shred of possibility for that?"

"I mean, you don't look surprised at all."

"What should I be surprised at? Surprised that you did this? I'm sorry, ma'am, I'm afraid there aren't many people on this entire earth as stupid as that."

Amanda was no longer angry at Shiler for calling her stupid; she just wanted to solve the problem. She said, "Fine, I sent them over to test their strength in the first place. If you destroyed them, so be it, but why cut off their contact with headquarters? We need their black boxes."

"And then have them become evidence for you to convict me?"

"They won't store video data inside; I just need the data on their physical strength and operational logic!"

"Why should I believe you?"

Amanda sighed and said, "I was the one who formed A. R. G. U. S. together with your good student. Do you think the FBI's technical means could create clones like these?"

"So this is Bruce's work?"

"Not entirely. Obviously, some people don't trust things like clones, so they weakened them a lot. We are thinking of our own ways to innovate the technology, which is why we need that data."

"Whose idea was it to send them over?"

"Mine, but Bruce didn't refuse either."

"Because he knew that even if he refused, you would still do it. You never listen to advice, so why should he waste his breath on you?"

"Fine, this time it's my fault." Amanda said, "But I knew that if I invited you to conduct tests in the normal way, you wouldn't agree."

"This isn't a question of testing." Shiler looked at Amanda and said, "You are still settling personal scores, trying every possible way to harass the serial killer you think you know just to vent your own anger."

"Why can't I do that?"

"You certainly can do that. You are righteous, so stop bothering the serial killer you hate the most. Please go back."

Shiler turned and walked toward the woods. Amanda gritted her teeth but followed anyway. She said, "I think we can make a deal. I only want the black boxes."

Shiler didn't say a word until he passed between two large trees, and only then did Amanda see that there were so many people here.

Her gaze and her intuition made her immediately lock onto several people in the crowd, including Jonathan, Valentine, Jack, Victor, and so on. Very well, she had actually broken into a serial killer's party.

But soon, a burst of noise made her dizzy. She looked in that direction and found that there was actually a machine and several computers placed in the clearing, with a group of children and young people shouting and yelling around the computers.

What is this? Serial killer reserves?

"Ms. Waller, why are you here?" Gordon walked over, shook hands with Amanda, and said, "How have you been lately?"

"So what are you all doing here?" Amanda asked.

"Just a normal housewarming party. Professor Shiler moved into a new home and hosted a camping party. It's not bad, is it?"

Just as Amanda was about to speak, Gordon said, "I actually have something I'd like to ask you, regarding Mexico. Can we step aside and talk?"

Amanda keenly caught the keyword. She looked Gordon up and down with some vigilance and said, "Mexico? I don't have anything to do with that mess in Mexico. You've got the wrong person."

"Then what about the Black Power movement?" Gordon raised an eyebrow and said.

Amanda's complexion turned somewhat ugly. She said, "Whoever told you this news, I won't pay any more for it."

"I just need some intelligence. Please come over."

Gordon and Amanda walked to the less crowded side to talk. Amanda appeared a bit absent-minded, guessing how Gordon could possibly know that she had ties to the Black Panther Party.

Amanda knew that she didn't look at all like someone who would have contact with this group of people. Anyone who saw her appearance and knew what she did would think she was just a government lackey, with no connection to the left wing at all.

But if a Gotham police commissioner knew about this, it proved that either he had eyes and ears everywhere, or there was a problem within the Black Panther Party.

Just as Amanda was worried, she saw Shiler and another figure walk to the riverbank to talk. If she wasn't mistaken, that person had exaggerated Joker makeup painted on his face.

But that didn't look like the Joker. Amanda knew that Joker Jack was a truck driver and didn't look like that. Could it be a Joker from another universe?

What were the two of them talking about? Could it be that the Joker helped Shiler deal with those clones? Or were they sharing the data in the black boxes?

Amanda somewhat wanted to go over and eavesdrop, but Gordon clearly wouldn't give her the chance, stepping forward to block Amanda's view.

Amanda moved a step to the side without changing her expression, intending to read Shiler's lips, but the next second, Shiler kicked that Joker into the river.

Both Amanda and Gordon were stunned.

No, why did he just start fighting for no reason? Shiler didn't seem like the type to get angry and start fighting either.

The two of them had no interest in talking anymore and returned to the campsite, each with their own thoughts. Before long, Shiler also returned, followed by the Joker, who looked like a drowned rat.

It wasn't the Joker Jack from this universe, but the Joker from the Batman-Who-Laughs universe. Shiler's last invitation was written to him.

At this moment, he was yelling at the others like a madman, "The bottom of the lake!! There's a monster at the bottom of the lake!! I saw it!!!!"

Everyone else stared at him blankly. Not to mention Jonathan, Victor, and the like, even Amanda didn't believe his claims; "Joker" was synonymous with "freak."

"Calm down, sir." Gordon lived up to being a responsible police commissioner. He still tried his best to appease the yelling Joker and said, "What did you say? What's at the bottom of the lake? Fossils?"

"There's a monster, with countless arms, legs, and bones. I saw it when I fell in just now. It's climbing up!!"

"No, sir, this isn't funny. If you want to tell a cold joke, perhaps you can wait until the meat is grilled; that will make us all warmer." Gordon shook his head and said, "There is no monster. This is just a camping party."

"But I saw it!! I saw it with my own eyes!! This is what that madman made..."

"Sorry, excuse me, Commissioner." Victor walked up, weighed the freeze gun in his hand, and said, "I said it, this is a perfect camping party. If someone wants to ruin this perfect event with his not-at-all-funny cold jokes, he'd better think about whether he can run faster than a bullet."

The others didn't look at him very kindly either. We know you're a lunatic, but can you pick a time and place to go crazy? Everyone is having a good time right now, do you have to be such a killjoy?

The Joker was furious.