Chapter 824

"The second round of internships will no longer be campus-based simulations; you must go to Arkham Asylum and become familiar with its diagnostic procedures..."

In the Gotham University classroom, Schiller, explaining the requirements for the second internship, coughed lightly. Yin Wensi, seated in the front row, jolted awake with a dazed expression, then lowered his head upon meeting Schiller's gaze.

Schiller continued: "Over the next two months, you will have your best opportunity to engage with this society. If you wish to secure a relatively respectable job in this city, then these fifteen hospitals licensed for psychiatric and psychological care are your pathway..."

"Next, I will introduce you to the specific details of these hospitals..."

Schiller had just finished speaking when he paused again—he saw Yin Wensi had fallen asleep. He sighed, did not wake him, but called Yin Wensi to his desk after class. "What's wrong? Why are you so exhausted?"

"Uh, sorry, Professor..." Yin Wensi rubbed his eyes. "I've been busy lately, sleeping late..."

Yin Wensi sighed inwardly—he knew Schiller was displeased. Schiller hated students sleeping in his class.

Yet over the past four years, Yin Wensi had always maintained the image of diligence—he had never once fallen asleep in class.

But Yin Wensi had no one to complain to. Gotham University's internships were not mandatory, yet no one dared skip them because Schiller taught them. The first round was called an internship, but it was merely simulated case analysis—more like a group assignment.

Yet in Gotham, few took their studies seriously, and even fewer had real ability. Almost the entire project fell on Yin Wensi's shoulders alone.

As the logistics industry slowly recovered, Falcone Family's original logistics hub was no longer sufficient. The Patriarch entrusted his son with building a secondary center.

At first, everything went smoothly—all warehouses and infrastructure were built, transportation routes were streamlined. But then, as the first shipment arrived, an unexpected intruder broke in.

Alberto was a perfectionist. He could not tolerate setbacks at the final stage of his plan, so he rushed to investigate Vandal Savage's background.

Even though they had two personalities, they shared one body, working nonstop day and night, suffering severe mental exhaustion. Now Yin Wensi walked with a stagger.

He explained: "Alberto told me a strange man broke into our territory. His identity is complicated—he's investigating, while I handle the day and he handles the night. We haven't rested in a long time..."

Schiller looked at his weary face but said nothing more. "If you're truly exhausted, take a few days off. The requirements for the second internship are here—take them home and study them carefully."

After Yin Wensi left, Schiller shook his head.

Soon, it was afternoon. In the Gotham University classroom, Schiller was annotating a textbook when he looked up at his watch and frowned.

He knew last night's heavy rain had severely tested Gotham's drainage system, leaving streets flooded and traffic disrupted. Delays were expected. But an hour had passed since class began—and Jason, who had promised to attend, had neither arrived nor called. Schiller felt Jason would not do this.

Even if stuck in traffic or delayed by child gang matters, Jason would have called from somewhere. Not vanish without a trace. Schiller stood from his seat, deciding to find Jason.

Schiller knew where the Tailhook Gang's territory lay—Jason had told him. But when he arrived under his umbrella, Jason was nowhere to be seen. Schiller stopped a child. "Do you know Jason Todd? Where is he?"

The child immediately grew wary. Schiller waved his hand. "I'm his teacher. I don't know if he told you, but he's currently studying under me. He didn't come to class today, so I'm looking for him."

The child sized Schiller up—his attire and mannerisms seemed genuine. In Gotham, polite, refined people were rare—clearly a teacher or doctor. The child spoke: "Boss Jason got hurt. He's in the hospital."

Schiller immediately frowned. "Injured? How?"

The child shook his head, then glanced around and lowered his voice: "Yesterday—or maybe the day before—a man in a red hood came. He left with Boss Jason. When they returned, Jason was injured." 【37】 Jason shook his head. "It's nothing, Professor. Just a minor thing. Sorry I couldn't call to take leave—I got drenched in the rain, maybe caught a fever, and passed out right away..."

"You probably don't know—yesterday was chaos. I was terrified..."

Schiller paid no attention to the rest. He heard only one word: red hood.

But he didn't understand. Red Hood was Jason's future identity. Jason was only eleven—he hadn't even become Robin yet. How could he be Red Hood now?

And if the man in the red hood was someone else, then who was he? The Joker?

Thinking this, Schiller decided to go to the hospital. At Zhongxinyi Academy, he found Jason Todd's ward.

When Schiller entered, Jason was still asleep. He lay on his side, bandages wrapped around his waist. His hand, exposed from under the blanket, gripped a red hood tightly.

Schiller leaned over, examining the wound. The bandage's shape suggested it wasn't deep—no internal damage, just external. Yet a faint metallic scent of blood lingered.

Schiller checked the IV bag on the rack—fever-reducing and painkiller medication. Jason must have had a fever last night. As Schiller adjusted the IV bottle, Jason woke.

Seeing a shadow above him, Jason instinctively recoiled—but recognized Schiller. He exhaled, squinted sleepily.

Schiller pulled a chair to the bedside. "What happened last night? Why were you injured? Why are you in the hospital?"

Jason shook his head. "It's nothing, Professor. Just a small thing. Sorry I couldn't call to take leave—I got drenched in the rain, maybe caught a fever, and passed out right away..."

Schiller shook his head, touched Jason's forehead. "No fever now? Sore throat?"

Jason swallowed. "Throat still hurts a bit, but fever's gone. Maybe I can come to class this afternoon."

Schiller looked at the bandages. "How did you get hurt?"

"Really just a small thing—child gang business. They told us to find someone. I found a lead, figured out a way to sneak in, but I wasn't skilled enough, got caught, and got slashed..."

"But it's really nothing," Jason quickly added. "Just a knife cut while running away..."

"Why did the gang ask you to find someone? Who were you looking for?" Schiller asked.

"Well, it was supposed to be simple—a guy named Vandal Savage annoyed the Patriarch's son, made him furious. So they gave us the job. If a bunch of kids found him, it'd be embarrassing..."

"So Savage hurt you?" Schiller rubbed his wrist.

"No, not him. Just a guard at the Leftkov Hotel. I never spoke to Savage personally—only saw him from afar, got his room number..."

"You said he annoyed Little Falcone," Schiller asked again. "How did he annoy Yin Wensi?"

"I heard he broke into Falcone Family territory late at night. That area's important—they planned to turn it into a secondary warehouse hub..."

"Falcone had already gone to bed. He'd been busy with internships, looked exhausted. Woken up in the middle of the night—he got angry."

Seeing Schiller's expression darken, Jason swallowed. "Professor, don't be mad... I'm really fine. Being a child gang boss in Gotham—getting hurt's normal..."

Schiller gave a false smile. "I thought maintaining a quiet atmosphere within Gotham University would be enough to give you a good learning environment. Clearly, I didn't think deeply enough."

"As a teacher, my duty is to ensure my students have a pure environment to study and unleash their talents. I thought Gotham University alone was sufficient."

"But now I see—the home-school collaboration initiative isn't without merit. If family and societal environments are toxic, even the most diligent and talented, like you and Yin Wensi, will be plagued by absurd problems—sleep deprived, or lying in hospital beds..."

Schiller's tone was gentle. Jason broke into a cold sweat. "Professor, I think Gotham University is enough. I'll stay on campus for the next few days. I'll study hard..."

But Schiller pulled out a syringe, seized Jason's arm, and injected it. Jason opened his mouth to ask—then felt a tingling itch in his wound. Schiller bent down, unwrapped the bandages. Jason cried out: "Professor, wait! The doctor said not to remove the bandages yet!"

Before he finished speaking, he saw the wound beneath the bandages had already healed. It had never been large. A full dose of Lizard Serum was overkill—like using an anti-aircraft gun to kill a mosquito. Instantly, the skin sealed.

Jason stared, wide-eyed, at his waist. Schiller pulled Jason's shirt back up, then handed him the coat hanging by the bed. "Put it on. Come with me."

"Wait, Professor!" Jason hurriedly pulled on his coat. "Where are we going?"

"To reform the learning environment."

Half an hour later, in the Mayor's office, Mayor Luo Yin looked up from financial reports as his secretary rushed in. "What's wrong? Why the hurry?"

"A Professor Rodriguez wants to enter, but he has no appointment, so..."

"Let him in." Luo Yin immediately set down his papers and stood.

Luo Yin shook hands with Schiller, who cut straight to the point: "I believe Gotham's learning atmosphere is insufficient. I intend to launch a learning rectification campaign. What do you think?"

"Learning atmosphere?" Luo Yin paused, as if confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Schiller pushed Jason forward. "This is my student. He's currently studying basic grammar, but due to certain events, he was injured—this delays his progress. I consider this unacceptable."

"Of course, he's a street kid—hardships are normal. But my other student, Yin Wensi Falcone, has also been unable to rest properly due to interference, causing his learning quality to decline."

Schiller planted his umbrella on the floor, looked straight into Luo Yin's eyes. "Mayor, to address this, I intend to reform Gotham's learning environment. What do you say?"