[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-851":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Mental Mentor in Marvel",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2323419,4544,"Chapter 851: Savage","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-851",851,"\u003Cp>When the renovation project reached nearly three months, both Phase One and Phase Two were nearing completion; the three interchanges between them only needed final safety tests before opening to traffic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Phase One and Phase Two, along with the road construction, used Batman Cave technology—meaning residents had to provide fingerprints, iris scans, and genetic samples, upload them to the Batman Cave system, and then, inside the buildings, access was strictly governed by the Permission System; unverified individuals could not enter under any circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more critical was transportation: all three interchanges used the same authentication system, verifying not just people but also vehicles—unregistered or cloned cars were barred entirely; drivers attempting to force entry encountered defensive systems emerging from beneath the road, nearly as formidable as the High Tower, minus only its slogan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Residents felt nothing unusual about the data collection—just stick your hand in for thirty seconds, and your car could pass without hindrance; once most people realized forced entry was impossible, they accepted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, the major crime syndicates and the Twelve Families noticed something wrong: if residential zones held the power to deny entry to unauthorized persons, it meant the syndicates could no longer control these residents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they broke the rules, the syndicates had no way to punish them—once they reached home, no one could break in, something the syndicates absolutely could not accept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this reason, the leaders of the Twelve Families once again approached Bruce; this meeting lacked any pretense of civility—it looked more like a witch hunt. As soon as Bruce walked in, he saw the syndicate leaders’ faces were grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough. Cough.” Bruce cleared his throat and said: “The Wayne Tower phone rang nonstop from last night until this morning—what urgent matter could possibly require you to interrupt me during these busy days?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wayne, don’t play games with us. What’s this Permission Recognition System you’ve installed? Can’t my men even enter their own territory?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They can enter—but they must be authenticated.” Bruce shrugged. “Have you had them get certified?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course we have! After certification, your damn system said he wasn’t a resident and refused him entry—he went to collect protection money and got thrown out! Wayne, are you insane?! Do you want to fight every syndicate?!” Lawrence slammed his fist on the table, glaring at Bruce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Protection money? Of course they’ll pay.” Bruce gave an unexpected answer. “No one’s stopping them from paying. Didn’t your staff tell you? Every 3rd of the month, staff collect the protection money, deposit it into a unified account, then transfer it to your bank cards. Haven’t you received it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several front-row leaders of the Twelve Families froze. One stood up, stepped into the adjacent reception room, made a call, spoke a few words, then returned with a dark expression: “True. There’s an unexplained deposit in the account—but it doesn’t match the amount we used to collect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because I’m taking a cut.” Bruce crossed his arms. “You don’t think I’m running a charity, do I? After completing Phase One and Two, do you know how much I invested? I’m a businessman—I need to recover costs and make a profit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you can’t siphon off our protection money!” Lawrence shouted. “You should go ask them for more! Take it from the people paying—what’s it got to do with us?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you know I didn’t ask them for more?” Bruce raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t just raise rent—I demanded an extra 20% in protection money from residents, while simultaneously cutting your share by 20%. That’s cost recovery.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t forget, the defense system I designed doesn’t just block hostile intruders—it also prevents theft, bombings, even prostitution, drunkenness, and drug abuse…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Inside Wayne Group buildings, any john, drunk, or addict who causes trouble in the hallway will be electrocuted by robots; anyone who starts a brawl will be separated by armed staff.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t think maintaining this safe, stable lifestyle comes at a cost, do you?” Bruce countered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we never asked you to…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you never objected!” Bruce tapped the table. “You yourselves said banning excessive drinking was good—it ensures the young enforcers you recruit stay healthy, not collapsing dead in bars after getting paid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You yourselves said eliminating prostitution was better—so no one catches diseases and spreads them around, making interrogations nerve-wracking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You yourselves said cutting down on drugs was wise—so they don’t stagger around, can’t hold a gun steady, miss their shots during turf wars, waste bullets…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You yourselves said preventing brawls was ideal—so one gang doesn’t attack another’s men and drag the conflict to your doorstep, or cripple someone and bring the fallout to you the next day…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bruce spread his hands. “I’ve perfectly delivered on all of it. From now on, these residential towers will have no drunks, no johns, no addicts—everyone lives peacefully and safely. A perfect reserve force for your syndicate’s enforcers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You…” Lawrence was speechless, then grew uneasy—because everything Bruce said was exactly what they had previously discussed and agreed upon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Bruce first presented his plan, he had already emphasized what these buildings would become. At the time, the Twelve Families’ leaders had praised these security measures enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, the syndicate system’s strength was rapid turnover—but its weakness was the same: everyone was hot-headed, inevitably sparking one brawl after another. Smaller gangs were manageable, but when major syndicates clashed, only the Twelve Families could mediate—and if they failed, they’d face public criticism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the Spencer Family before: they worked hard but gained nothing, and it only bred internal family conflicts. Over time, the Twelve Families’ leaders grew tired of these messy incidents and hoped their underlings would just stay quiet and not cause trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans are always greedy: they want those who bring them profit to be wolves outside, tearing flesh off enemies, but at home, they want them to be obedient pets, sitting quietly in cages, causing no trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ideally, they want them to be ATMs—pay out when needed, stay still when not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when Bruce raised these issues, they dismissed them entirely, even praised him, thinking he’d solve many of their problems, reduce mediation cases, and give them more time to indulge in luxury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lawrence clenched his fist and pounded the table. “Listen, Wayne—no matter what, you can’t interfere with where we go. Our territory is ours—only we decide what happens there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bruce nodded again. “Yes, your territory is yours to control. I never said otherwise. But you cannot infringe upon my private assets—I have the right to defend them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough, Lawrence.” An older leader of the Twelve Families spoke up. “And Mr. Wayne, don’t be angry. We’re here not to quarrel. I suggest we sit down and talk reasonably.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lawrence turned his head away. Bruce nodded. “When I asked if you wanted to invest, you said no—you’d handle it yourselves. But now that I’ve done it myself, isn’t this my own asset?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can’t have both: no money spent, yet full access. If such a thing existed, Wayne Group would’ve already ruled the world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… you want money?” The elder leader asked Bruce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not that I want money.” Bruce repeated. “It’s that you want access. The only way to gain access is to invest in me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Otherwise, you can try brute force—if you can blow up the buildings, this won’t be an issue. But I must warn you: the defense system is automated, not under my control. It won’t kill, but it will use aggressive measures to subdue threats.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for energy and ammunition, don’t worry—the weapons in the defense system use energy, not physical bullets. The energy comes from my newly developed reactor—nearly infinite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bruce Wayne, you’re pushing us too far!” Lawrence raised his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve said it before—this is negotiable. This is only Phase One and Two. Dozens, even hundreds of phases remain. If you insist on meddling, then invest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bruce shrugged, recalling Shiler’s earlier instructions, and adopted a classic capitalist expression: “I’ve said it before—I’m a businessman. My only goal is profit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I chose to renovate Gotham because it’s the best way to make money. To do that, I must first control them—so they can help me earn. That’s why I invested without counting costs to improve buildings and transportation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you want a share of this profit, you can’t expect to invest nothing. Why should I give you a cut of what I earned?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What form of investment do you accept?” The elder leader asked, clearly recognizing the staggering profit behind Bruce’s renovation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, no one knew Bruce genuinely wanted to benefit humanity—they couldn’t imagine this playboy was such a noble figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They only assumed Bruce invested so heavily because he expected a staggering return—and upon further thought about his plan…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It became obvious: Bruce intended to enslave the entire city. If everyone lived in his buildings and used his roads, they’d have no choice but to obey him—pay whatever he demanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much money could be squeezed from Gotham’s entire population? Just imagining it made even the wealthy Twelve Families members feel their hearts race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gotham was far richer than some small nations. And if one could become a real power in a small nation, the wealth one could extract was unimaginable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If viewed purely as an investment—should they invest or not?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the family leaders exchanged glances. Bruce scanned the room and spoke at the right moment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take your time to consider it. Wayne Group stands ready to welcome you at any time.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1577,"2026-06-20T16:39:22.658Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7a2c8d7b4d2decdbddfb40fe0eb7bab3906d772058e290e7a52ca12687a3a379","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-852","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-850",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-cover.jpg"]