Chapter 4570: Day of White (36)

Deathstroke frowned deeply. Actually, this is a bit counterintuitive. Precisely because that boy was outspoken, Deathstroke had never heard him complain, so he felt that everything must be fine. Because if something were wrong, the other party would definitely say it directly and wouldn't be coy at all.

However, considering it from the angle Schiller mentioned, it is indeed a bit abnormal. Because Deathstroke had more contact with that boy, he knew: the other party had many advantages, but the disadvantage was that his temper was relatively irritable, and he was overly protective, igniting at the slightest touch.

Before, when he came to their house to play, they went to the mall to shop together. Someone snatched their parking space, and he jumped down and wanted to fight with the person. Although it was indeed the person's fault, his reaction was too intense, and he spent the whole way back talking about how lacking in public morality that person was.

In fact, objectively speaking, that person might not have deliberately wanted to snatch their parking space; he just saw that there was a vacancy there and drove over. But the boy described the other party as heinous. This proves that he is indeed a very emotional person who likes to exaggerate.

However, even so, Deathstroke probed a few times and asked him clearly several times "whether Joseph was bullied at school," and he said no. This is a bit strange.

Could Deathstroke not know? Regardless of whether it is a public school or a private school, there must be many weirdos. The number of weirdos in public schools is large because public schools have no threshold, and the quality is uneven. But the weirdos in private schools are even weirder because they generally have good family backgrounds and have people to support them in making trouble.

And Joseph actually looks like the type who is easy to bully: most of the time silent, likes to read books or play with toys quietly. Although he also does physical exercise, he doesn't like competitive projects; it's more like simple physical fitness. This personality is definitely not popular in American high schools, which very much need social interaction to consolidate status.

Many people know how weird American universities are. In addition to the sky-high tuition fees, various small groups and gang organizations are also a part that must be tasted. But universities are at least more open than high schools. If you are determined not to socialize, then it doesn't actually matter. But American high schools are different.

Some church schools in very conservative states, the kind where the teacher's authority is greater than the sky and all students live in fear, might be slightly better. But most American high schools are too social; it is not a joke to say that you cannot survive here without socializing.

Many campus shootings in the United States have occurred in such schools, not even the kind of very poor public schools, but private schools that are ranked locally. It is because social interaction is too important, and there is no room for any low-sociality people here. If you don't socialize, you are socially dead. This is instead another kind of high-pressure environment.

Forcing extroverted and active people to be quiet and study in a high-pressure environment every day is painful. However, forcing those who are naturally quiet to cater to various social norms, communicating with others every moment, guessing their thoughts, and making a positive appearance of integration is not much better. Both are contrary to nature, and they are about the same.

Then logically speaking, Joseph must have encountered some people who were not very friendly to him. And according to that boy's personality, as long as his friend encountered the slightest grievance, he would have to shout until the whole world knew. But he had never said anything at all.

And according to Deathstroke's own understanding—he has his own intelligence channels, otherwise he wouldn't dare to send his child there—Joseph is indeed doing well. Although he neither joined the student council nor joined any clubs, and most of the time he is alone, his grades are good, he also has a few close friends, he has no conflicts with his roommates, and social practice classes and the like have all been completed smoothly.

This is obviously not right. Deathstroke carefully recalled his own middle school era: people like Joseph are very likely to become targets of various small groups. Even if private schools are more restrained, it is impossible to let him go so easily. What is going on here?

Only at this moment did Deathstroke admit that he really didn't know Joseph well enough. There are many places on Joseph that he hadn't noticed. Is it because he didn't care enough about him?

"It's that you underestimate him," Schiller said again as if reading his thoughts. "You think violence represents strength, and people whose violent traits are not obvious represent weakness. But this is obviously wrong."

"That's true," Deathstroke admitted readily. "Anyway, I never thought that someone like you could make the noise of a train."

"I am an exception," Schiller said slightly helplessly. "Don't use this to make an analogy; I am talking about Joseph. He behaves relatively quietly, so you think he is incompetent."

"I didn't say he was incompetent," Deathstroke retorted. "I just think such a person is not suitable for being involved in violent events. Because in this kind of thing, you can't just wait and defend blindly. You must move forward to find a way out. And moving forward requires aggression."

"I don't disagree with this point. However, you shouldn't tie violent traits and aggression together. Some people don't show obvious violent traits, which doesn't mean they don't have aggression. On the contrary, they just deliberately hid it."

"Just like you?" Deathstroke stared at Schiller and said. "Seriously, your temperament gives me the feeling that if I had the ability to look directly at the wronged souls now, the world around you would probably be ten thousand times livelier."

Schiller lowered his head and laughed. He said: "Then you should be proud of yourself. Joseph didn't become like me because he had a good father."

Deathstroke's fingers paused again. He said: "Since you think Joseph is very similar to you, then let's talk about you."

"I really have nothing to talk about," Schiller said. "This is not an excuse, it's just that the story is very cliché; I guess you can guess it."

"Hmm... orphan?" Deathstroke tried.

Schiller nodded. Deathstroke seemed to be encouraged. He thought for a while and said: "Human experiments?"

Schiller nodded again.

"Experimental subject escaped?"

Nodded again.

"Revenge?"

Still nodding.

"Okay, this is really a bit cliché," Deathstroke had to admit. "But you don't look that evil either. There must be something that redeemed you, right?"

Schiller nodded again. Deathstroke raised his hands and said: "Even more cliché than I thought. Who is it? A gentle and kind girl? A teacher full of sympathy and tolerance?"

"Doctor," Schiller said. "It's doctors and nurses."

"Okay. You're really lucky, oh, no, it should be said that I'm lucky. If it weren't for them, I should have been hit by a train into the Red Sea by now," Deathstroke said half-jokingly.

"Let's talk about business," he continued. "What means did you use?"

"What?"

"Revenge, what means did you use for revenge?"

"If I don't kill people, do I rely on watching?"

"What I'm asking is precisely what you rely on to kill people," Deathstroke said. "What you can't deny is that killing is an extreme violent act, naturally linked to violent traits. In the case of hiding your violent traits, how do you complete your revenge action?"

"It is precisely to complete my revenge action that I hid my violent traits," Schiller said. "An image like yours can go to many places, but an image like mine can go to more places."

Deathstroke hesitated for a moment and said: "So your enemy is those people in the upper class?"

Schiller nodded and said: "That's right. This set is better for the upper class. Whether it's playing a newcomer at a loss or a playboy at a celebrity party, it allows me to kill the target silently. Light and fast, never missing."

"That proves you are a born killer," Deathstroke said. "Because the most important thing is not your disguise, but that you have to seize the opportunity. Only by acting at the right time can you succeed and retreat unscathed."

"That's for people like you," Schiller said. "You think the trust I gained is shallow. They like me, but they still have doubts about me. So I need to find that fleeting opportunity to kill them. Otherwise, even if I show a trace of flaw, I will be seen through."

"Isn't it?"

"Of course not. The main reason my revenge plan can succeed is that I manipulated them. I let them trust me completely and have no doubts about me. So I only need to arrange their deaths according to what I want to do later. Usually, it doesn't take much effort. If I'm in a good mood, I will even hold a small funeral for them and then let them walk into the coffin themselves."

Deathstroke listened and felt creepy. He said: "You mentally controlled them? Is this your superpower?"

Then he said somewhat incredulously: "You have both powerful strength and mental control ability—it's time to go to Batman's Tower of Babel to see how he plans to deal with you."

At this time, Deathstroke suddenly remembered what Schiller said before: Batman reminded the Justice League that if they found out that Schiller was making trouble, then pretend not to see it, and just invite the other Schiller over.

Very good, Batman is truly worthy of being the smartest person in the world.

"But Joseph doesn't have superpowers," Deathstroke decided to bring the topic back to the origin.

"Does he really not have them?" Schiller looked into Deathstroke's eyes and asked. "You should have had him after accepting human body modification, right? Why do you think your edited genes have no effect on him?"

Deathstroke stiffened for a moment, then said: "But he has never..."

"He might just not have shown it," Schiller said. "I can tell you responsibly: either he is a genius in mental manipulation and can brainwash others easily; or he has superpowers in mind control."

A gust of wind blew from behind the two. Deathstroke and Schiller turned their heads at the same time. The shadow cast by the wide wings of the Boeing 787 swept across them, and amidst the huge roar, the landing gear was lowered. The plane landed steadily on the runway.

The cabin door of the plane opened, and Deathstroke looked over there subconsciously. The moment the two pairs of blue eyes met, both were stunned.

"You lost," Schiller turned back to lean against the railing and said with a smile. "Remember, you owe me a favor."

Just as Deathstroke was about to say something, a cold voice suddenly sounded: "Stay away from him."

That was Joseph's voice, but Deathstroke had never heard him speak in such a voice. And Joseph was clearly still hundreds of meters away; how could his voice appear so clearly in the ears of the two?

"I said. Stay away from him!" Joseph's voice suppressed a kind of anger.

Schiller slowly turned back, looked at the teenager standing in front of the plane, and slowly made a mouth shape: "Child, don't be afraid."

"Leave there, Slade." His voice sounded in Deathstroke's ears again. Deathstroke was startled and said: "What the hell! Also, I am your father, how can you call me by my name directly..."

"Leave there quickly. Slade Wilson... please!"