After the television interview ended, Karl politely declined the female host's invitation to go out with her and quietly slipped into the restroom.
Once he was certain nobody else was inside, he pulled out his phone and called Ed, ordering him to get moving immediately.
"Hey, Ed! Did you take care of what I just told you?" Karl asked anxiously. "I'm talking about the insurance! Anything we buy today has to take effect immediately! Right! And file a patent application for the idea behind this project right away…"
Despite how outrageous his words sounded, Karl headed downstairs.
He knew perfectly well that he was playing with fire, so he wasted no time asking about additional precautions.
"It's not that there aren't any options. There are insurers in Metropolis interested in taking us on, and they're willing to underwrite our policies…" the Riddler replied. "But not a single insurance company in Gotham City is willing to cover us, no matter how much money we offer."
The Riddler obviously hadn't watched the program and had absolutely no idea what Karl was so worried about.
"Then that settles it! As soon as the money comes in, send it straight to Metropolis. Buy as much coverage as you possibly can! Even if it only lasts three days!"
Karl finally breathed a sigh of relief after giving the order.
After all, running his mouth on television was one thing.
Taking precautions once the cameras were off was another.
…
Night fell.
Beneath Wayne Manor, however, the cavern was bustling with activity as equipment was tested and adjusted.
The Batcave had remained closed for a long time and was now covered in dust and cobwebs.
Alfred had originally intended to shut it down permanently.
He certainly hadn't expected Bruce Wayne to return to it so soon.
Bruce Wayne wore a thick suit of armor as he carefully tightened its screws.
He had always taken a personal interest in anything he wore into battle, making sure that he understood every step and component.
That way, even in the middle of combat, he could quickly make adjustments and repair damaged sections himself.
"It's a carbon-fiber framework equipped with a hydraulic system. It reads the signals along the surface of your nerves and evaluates your muscle activity," Lucius explained from beside him.
"To put it simply, you practically don't even need a functioning body. As long as your brain works, that alone is enough to operate one extremely impressive suit of mechanical armor!"
Batman said nothing.
After tightening the final screw, he experimentally moved his legs.
His previously motionless legs immediately responded, allowing him to spring around with agility that wasn't much worse than usual.
"You haven't recovered at all!" Alfred pleaded. "Especially now that Karl has even defeated Bane. In your current condition, I'm afraid you may not be a match for him!"
Bruce Wayne frowned slightly.
He walked over to the Batmobile, reached down with one hand, and gently lifted.
The exoskeleton generated tremendous strength.
A vehicle weighing several tons rose effortlessly from the ground as though it were nothing more than a toy.
"I'm not planning to fight him," Batman said coldly. "But there are some things I need to discuss with that troublemaking bastard."
Nobody present took his words seriously.
With the murderous look in his eyes, any "discussion" between the two men would probably involve fists.
…
The weather was as miserable as ever.
It was almost as though God himself intended to punish this fallen city.
Batman had disappeared from sight long ago, and even the Bat-Signal that once summoned him had lost its power to intimidate criminals.
With Gordon gone from office, Gotham's crime rate had risen to increasingly absurd levels.
If the Arkham District hadn't managed to maintain some semblance of basic order, Gotham City might already have been declared a war zone.
Especially after Falcone's withdrawal, Gotham's criminal gangs, which had previously kept themselves restrained, were already preparing for the next war.
A young woman returning home late after finishing her night shift had missed the last subway.
She looked at the terrible weather, then at the few thin bills remaining in her pocket.
Gritting her teeth, she decided to cut through the nearby park.
The shortcut would save her twenty minutes, and it was the fastest way home.
There was only one problem.
She might run into robbers.
The park had once been a comfortable public space for everyone.
Now, however, it had become gang territory.
Several immigrant gangs had occupied the area and demonstrated control over their territory by attacking civilians who wandered inside.
Those gangs had temporarily vanished during Gordon's period of martial law.
Whether they had returned was another matter entirely.
"Well, well, well! Look what wandered into our territory. A lost little lamb!"
One of the men grinned.
Another walked forward without the slightest hesitation, snatched the girl's purse away, and roughly tore it open.
"This is our territory. Since you came here, you'd better behave like a good little victim!"
The girl froze.
She hadn't expected her luck to be this terrible.
She had barely entered the park before running into trouble.
All she could do was watch helplessly as the thugs stuffed the wages she had worked so hard to earn into their pockets.
But at that very moment—
Whoosh!
A black Batarang tore through the dim light cast by the streetlamps and buried itself directly in one thug's wrist.
A tall figure ripped through the darkness, descending from above and landing before them.
"What?!"
"Batman?!"
The thugs stared at him in horror, as though they had just witnessed the most terrifying thing imaginable.
"Weren't you already taken out by Bane?! How could you possibly…"
…
Ignoring what was happening in the nearby park, a group of unfamiliar faces crowded into Karl's relatively small office.
They were the few remaining employees who had previously worked for the broadcasting company.
But now clearly wasn't the time for idle conversation.
"The reason I kept all of you is very simple. Out of everyone who worked here before, you're the most capable and the most valuable people this company had!"
Karl spoke with his eyes wide open and an utterly sincere expression.
The company had just changed ownership and gone through a round of layoffs.
Naturally, everyone who remained was still nervous.
Karl knew he needed to reassure them immediately.
"A lot of people are gone, but everyone here will be replacing the useless people who never did any work in the first place.
"Any wages the previous owner failed to pay will be issued immediately.
"And from now on, every one of you will receive extra money with your monthly salary!
"Consider it a little compensation for everything you've been through!"
Karl maintained a completely serious expression as he spoke.
What he was actually thinking, however, was something entirely different.
You might be getting the salary of one extra person, but you'll be doing the work of three.
The employees obviously had no idea what sinister intentions their new boss was hiding.
Instead, delighted expressions appeared across their faces.
Morale throughout the room immediately rose.
Karl nodded in satisfaction.
"Now tell me—what exactly is going on with this announcer?"
(End of Chapter)
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