"Mr. Karl, what are you planning to do now that you've acquired the television and radio company?" the female host asked with a sweet smile.
Hearing the question, Karl thought to himself, I don't think I'm even at the point where I can talk about my plans yet.
But then another thought occurred to him. His broadcasting company lacked a good advertising channel, so what he really needed was a gimmick—something eye-catching enough to draw everyone's attention.
"To be precise, everything is still in its early stages. But we already have film and television production facilities here, along with an excellent creative team," Karl said with a serious expression. "So I'm planning to invest in a television series. It'll be our very own Gotham!"
The host immediately became interested.
"Oh? A television show that belongs to Gotham? What kind of story are you planning to tell?"
"Think about it. Every city has its own superhero!" Karl said. "Take Superman over in Metropolis. The entire Daily Planet practically makes a living off that guy in the red underwear. Nine stories out of ten are about Superman either rescuing a kitten from a tree or helping some little girl retrieve a balloon that flew away…"
Karl only dared to say something like that because Clark was an honest, easygoing guy who wouldn't come looking for trouble afterward.
If it had been someone like Diana, she probably would have killed him on the spot and shoved his head into a toilet.
"So I thought, why don't we make a superhero series about Gotham?" Karl continued. "Why should Metropolis get all the attention?"
The entire audience immediately erupted with excitement.
The host stared at him dumbfounded before hurriedly raising her microphone.
"W-Wait… Mr. Karl, are you saying you're going to film… to film… this is…"
Karl looked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
The woman clearly thought he had completely lost his mind, but his answer was delivered with absolute seriousness.
"You've probably guessed it by now. I'm going to produce a television series starring Batman!"
…
...
In theory, a morning talk show in Gotham City wasn't something capable of attracting an enormous audience.
But the moment Karl announced that he intended to bring Batman to television, the audience response exploded.
Listeners and viewers flooded in one after another.
Some cursed Karl for having lost his mind and wondered why he would suddenly do something so ridiculous.
Others desperately wanted to know what plans he had for the television series.
In short, the situation quickly descended into chaos, and the station was forced to cut to commercials to interrupt the interview.
Meanwhile, at Wayne Manor, a bearded Bruce Wayne lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Being forced into this situation without warning, lying around while drinking ginger juice and even insect-dropping remedies, was extremely uncomfortable.
More precisely, Bruce had long grown accustomed to spending his busy nights fighting criminals and then sleeping for only a few hours.
That lifestyle had become deeply ingrained in him.
The last time he could remember simply lying in bed with absolutely nothing to do had probably been before he turned eight.
Just then, Dick burst into the bedroom in a panic.
"Mr. Wayne! Turn on the television! Gotham City Television is broadcasting a live interview with Karl…"
Hearing that familiar name, Bruce frowned.
Even so, he didn't move. He had already decided to keep his distance from Karl and had no intention of wasting any more thought on the man.
Seeing that Bruce wasn't reacting, Dick immediately switched on the television and spoke rapidly.
"Just now, Karl announced his latest plans during an interview… That lunatic seriously intends to invest in a television series based on Batman!"
"What?! Karl…? What the hell is that guy planning this time?"
…
...
Back in the studio, Karl completely ignored the audience's complaints and continued enthusiastically discussing Batman.
"Mr. Karl… Batman's reputation in Gotham City…" the host stammered. "Compared to Superman's reputation in Metropolis, his seems rather… polarized. At the very least, what he does isn't exactly legal. A number of human-rights organizations have protested his vigilantism…"
She clearly still hadn't recovered from the shock and was struggling to phrase her question in a way that wouldn't offend half the city.
"Yes, compared to Superman, Batman really does enjoy breaking criminals' ribs, smashing the bridges of their noses, and making sure they spend at least six months in Blackgate Prison unable to move properly," Karl said with a straight face.
"But there's nothing wrong with that.
"Back when I patrolled the streets, I often saw thugs bullying and threatening people. But according to police regulations, we weren't allowed to interfere unless we actually witnessed a crime taking place.
"Whenever that happened, I'd think to myself: if only I had a mask, I could at least walk over there and smash those bastards' noses!"
The host rested a hand against her forehead and sighed.
She had almost forgotten who she was interviewing.
Karl was Batman's number-one supporter in Gotham City—not to mention Bruce Wayne's personal nemesis.
This was the same man who had publicly sung Batman's praises during a police press conference and casually described the Bat's actions as "chivalrous heroism."
There was absolutely no need to guess what side Karl would take today.
"Let's not dwell on that," the host hurriedly said, changing the subject. She had no desire to receive a mountain of complaints from feminist organizations. "What I'd really like to know is what your current plans are for the Batman television series."
Karl suddenly found himself in an awkward position.
The whole idea had come to him on the spur of the moment.
He had no money set aside for it.
He hadn't recruited any actors.
He didn't even have a finished script.
So Karl closed his eyes for a moment and bluffed.
"We already have several possible scripts under consideration."
The host's eyes immediately lit up.
Apparently, this wasn't merely a joke after all.
If they already had several scripts prepared, then the project must have progressed further than she had thought.
"Could you reveal some of those possible storylines?"
"No problem."
Karl cleared his throat.
"The opening story would probably go something like this.
"There's a child whose parents died when he was young. He's raised by his uncle and aunt. He gets excellent grades, behaves properly, and is generally an obedient kid.
"Then one day, he accidentally gets bitten by a bat contaminated with radiation and gains extraordinary bat-like abilities.
"At first, however, he has absolutely no intention of using those powers to uphold justice. He even deliberately lets a petty thief escape.
"Later, during a robbery, that same criminal kills the protagonist's uncle.
"That makes him realize that with great power comes great responsibility…
"And from that day forward, he sets out on the path of becoming Batman."
(End of Chapter)
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