Karl struggled to suppress his laughter as he spoke, but eventually he couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Hahaha! That's just the basic plot. I won't spoil anything else!"
The female host frowned.
What she had just heard sounded like an extremely ordinary tragic revenge story. There didn't seem to be anything particularly complicated about it.
Of course, when it came to television, simpler was often better.
Still, something about the whole thing felt strangely wrong, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
So she changed the subject.
"Do you have any other scripts in mind for this project?"
"There'll be plenty to choose from. After all, Batman is practically a mysterious creature to us. We don't even know who he really is, which gives us plenty of room for imagination. For example, I'm already planning another version!"
Karl continued in an exaggeratedly old-fashioned tone.
"In this version, the protagonist is a rich kid whose family made its fortune in the weapons business. He's one of the richest men in the world, but he has a terrible personality and does whatever the hell he wants!
"Unfortunately, because of his arrogance, his company is secretly taken over by one of his subordinates, who eventually kicks him out and leaves him penniless and homeless.
"Consumed by hatred for the villain, our hero travels around the world, seeks out renowned masters, and learns martial arts. Then he returns to Gotham City and launches into a full-blown Hamlet-style revenge story…
"Finally, using everything he has learned, the protagonist builds himself a high-tech suit and begins fighting throughout Gotham City, earning himself the nickname…"
Karl paused dramatically.
"Iron Batman!"
Far away at Wayne Manor, three furious roars practically shook the building.
"What the hell is an Iron Batman?! That's absolute garbage!"
Bruce Wayne's face was practically turning purple.
The television remote in his hand shattered beneath his grip.
His emotions were already teetering on the edge of an explosion.
He had spent the past several days feeling suffocated and frustrated, and now his temper had reached an unprecedented height.
At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to reach through the television and strangle the bastard who was sitting there spouting complete nonsense.
Karl, of course, had no idea that someone was currently imagining beating him half to death.
Instead, he continued boasting cheerfully.
"I came up with this whole thing specifically for that cold, domineering billionaire CEO character. We should go find Bruce Wayne! He's the only person who could perfectly portray someone so cold-blooded, arrogant, womanizing, and shameless…"
The female host knew that Karl and Bruce Wayne had a terrible relationship.
Even so, she had never imagined that things between them were so bad that Karl would create fictional characters specifically to torment Bruce through television.
"Bruce Wayne is the richest man in Gotham City. I doubt he'd consider accepting a role like that," the host said weakly.
"Didn't he recently announce that he was stepping away from Wayne Enterprises indefinitely? If he has nothing else to do, why shouldn't he come join us? It's a chance to get up close and personal with all kinds of actresses. I'm sure that'll interest him!"
Karl shrugged indifferently.
Back at Wayne Manor, Bruce Wayne nearly exploded when he heard that.
He struggled desperately to get out of bed.
Although his lower body still couldn't move, he forced himself over the edge and immediately rolled onto the floor.
Unable to get back up, he ended up sprawled there in an embarrassing heap.
Alfred and Dick were startled and hurried forward to lift him back up.
Bruce Wayne's face was completely expressionless.
Clenching his teeth, he forced several words out through his throat.
"Damn you! How dare you talk about me like that, you Arkham-bred stallion, you walking pile of filth!"
"This is outrageous! No matter what it takes, I'm going to get my hands on you…"
Suddenly, Bruce remembered something.
He looked up at Alfred with a serious expression.
"Contact Lucius immediately! Last time we spoke, he mentioned a hydraulic system that would allow mechanical limbs to be controlled through neural signals!"
"There is such a system," Alfred said with obvious hesitation, "but I believe it's still in the experimental stage."
After all, Alfred had absolutely no desire to see his master resume flying around Gotham City every night in the name of justice, risking his life while further destroying his already deteriorating body.
Lying quietly in bed like this wasn't such a bad thing.
If Bruce was lucky, perhaps he would recover in a few years.
Maybe he would even meet a beautiful, dependable woman and finally start a family, ensuring the Wayne family had an heir sooner rather than later.
But before Alfred could continue, the young master of Wayne Manor had already made his decision.
…
Meanwhile, Karl was completely unaware that he had just placed himself on someone's blacklist.
He continued chatting happily with the beautiful television host.
"Hahaha, Mr. Karl, you really know how to joke. Bruce Wayne is the richest man in Gotham City. What kind of actress hasn't he already met?"
The host secretly praised the master of Wayne Manor before teasing Karl.
"Still, I'm actually looking forward to seeing the two of you end up in bed together on-screen. He really is handsome, after all."
Then she returned to the subject at hand.
"If we're going to make a television series, especially one involving extremely dangerous criminals, we obviously need suitable actors. Do you have anyone in mind?"
"You're talking about the Joker, right?"
Karl's expression remained cold.
"I won't deny that lunatic is one of the most dangerous people I've ever encountered, but there's no way anyone could truly imitate him.
"In fact, I'm planning to organize a massive open talent competition and invite people from every walk of life to participate.
"Anyone with real talent will not only have the chance to win a generous cash prize, but may also be signed by our company as a professional performer and participate in the production of our television series!
"In other words, bring me whatever talent you have!
"And I guarantee that I'll invest at least one million dollars into developing the winners and turning them into the next generation of Gotham City superstars!"
As Karl said this, his thoughts turned toward America's Got Talent.
The long-running talent competition placed very few restrictions on what contestants could perform. Almost anyone with an unusual or impressive talent could walk onto the stage, and the sheer variety and entertainment value of its performances were difficult to match.
It was one of America's best-known television talent competitions.
For some reason, however, Gotham City didn't seem to have anything similar.
Most of the competitions filling its television channels were beauty pageants.
Then again, when Karl thought about it, that actually made perfect sense.
Success in a beauty pageant could serve as a shortcut into the circles of the rich and famous.
For Gotham's extremely pragmatic and materialistic residents, that sort of competition suited their tastes perfectly.
That was precisely why Karl now had the confidence to shamelessly borrow the concept and make things up as he went along without worrying about someone suing him for copyright infringement.
At that very moment, however, in a dark corner near a small reservoir in Gotham City—
Crash!
A television was violently smashed onto the ground.
A pair of white patent-leather shoes stepped down on top of it.
At the same time, a nauseating burst of manic laughter echoed through the darkness.
"Hahahahaha!"
"How could you not understand?!"
"How dare you say my humor can be imitated?!"
"Who in this entire world understands it better than I do?!"
Ever since saving Batman, the man had remained in a strange, almost absent-minded state.
But after watching the live television broadcast, his entire demeanor had changed.
He radiated murderous agitation as he continued muttering to himself.
"Hehehehe…"
"You think some ridiculous little talent competition is enough to find someone capable of playing me?"
"How wonderfully arrogant!"
"I'm going to teach that bastard exactly what happens to people who dare turn me into a joke!"
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]