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Chapter 10: Pride and Prejudice (One)

Compared to Schiller, Jonathan appeared to be the epitome of a good guy. He had a slender physique with long limbs, a messy tangle of curls on his head, and sported oversized black-framed glasses. Perpetual dark circles under his eyes rendered him frail, resembling the archetypal recluse.

His personality at school mirrored that of a benevolent soul. Every student at Gotham University knew that Jonathan ran a lenient classroom, and his exams were a breeze. Even when some students skipped or arrived late, he'd merely adjust his glasses and let them take their seats without reproach.

He was the quintessential bookworm, while in contrast, Schiller, the new psychology professor, seemed like an advanced member of Arkham Asylum. Schiller's appearance had a mixed-race quality, with black hair and gray eyes, and he, like the original protagonist, had a decidedly heterosexual aura. His wardrobe consisted primarily of black or gray, mostly coats, scarves, and business attire. Schiller had yet to go shopping since his arrival, which meant he continued to embody the original owner's fashion sense. With Gotham's frequent rain these days, Schiller was almost always seen with a black umbrella.

This image made him seem somewhat out of place as the ultimate antagonist in a TV drama. However, Schiller had only been at the university for a short while, and his students soon discovered that he was an exceptionally strict professor. Despite his high teaching standards, he showed no mercy to latecomers or early departures. Additionally, he administered surprise quizzes every few classes, openly stating that at least thirty percent of the class would fail. This left everyone feeling anxious.

Although Gotham University students hailed from well-off families, rebellion still ran through their veins. No mature student appreciated such a professor. Initially, there were a few troublemakers in Schiller's class, but soon enough, word got around about Schiller's background, and his students began behaving as meek as lambs in his classroom.

After all, no matter how you looked at it, a normal person couldn't have participated in so many consecutive murder cases. In no time, Schiller became a legend on campus.

Some said their professor was actually the perpetrator behind these serial murders, while others believed he carried some kind of unfortunate curse with him. According to the imaginative, Schiller had a tragic background, and he was involved in the investigations of these murders as a form of revenge.

Stories of various versions always managed to satisfy the students' inner desires. Among the students, these bizarre and somewhat terrifying tales spread like wildfire, and in a matter of days, the majority of students knew about Schiller's past.

Schiller went out to grab breakfast, and the window he stood by remained unoccupied. All students observed him from a distance, and in class, he received an unprecedented number of assignments. No other professor had ever achieved this.

Since the confrontation that night, Schiller could often sense Bruce following him, even during the daytime on campus. Fortunately, his Spider-Sense alerted him each time Bruce attempted to install cameras in his dorm room, the counseling office, or on the classroom podium.

However, this provided Schiller with inspiration.

It seemed that the young Batman had not given up. Schiller noticed that Bruce appeared to have made some sort of agreement with Gordon. Schiller ventured to Morrison District several times at night and discovered that they seemed to be truly cooperating.

Finally, one night, as bedtime approached, Gotham's sky turned as dark as ink.

Schiller had no intention of going out tonight; he wanted a good night's sleep. University teaching wasn't as easy as he had imagined. Offering psychological therapy occasionally to students genuinely in need, whether to relieve anxiety, ease depression, or provide genuine psychological advice, was exhausting work. So, he decided to get some rest.

But fate had other plans. Jonathan, who usually only emerged in the wee hours, unexpectedly left campus in the early evening. Schiller knew he was probably out to capture a new batch of experimental subjects.

Indeed, with Gordon and Bruce recently active in Morrison District, Jonathan was aware that he couldn't compete with the police. If he were caught, he'd surely be imprisoned. His physical condition was worse than Schiller's, and he might even mishandle the fear gas. Since Batman had been gaining notoriety for battling the sewer gang and other small gangs in Morrison District, Jonathan hadn't dared to show his face for several nights.

However, his fear gas was on the verge of a breakthrough. No mad scientist could afford to fail at this critical juncture. His experimental materials had long run out, and he had to capture new subjects.

Though physically weak, capturing subjects was relatively simple for him. All he needed was to find a house with an open window, insert a tube, and inject a large quantity of anesthetic medicine. Then, he'd pry open the door and drag the person out.

Schiller watched him leave campus and had to put on his coat and grab his umbrella. He didn't have any altruistic motives or aspirations to be a superhero savior. Still, when tragedy unfolded before him, he felt compelled to intervene.

What was more important was that allowing Jonathan to continue his recklessness would soon leave Morrison District with few inhabitants. Batman's journey to becoming a hero would be cut short, as Scarecrow would inevitably be apprehended by Batman sooner or later. Schiller believed it was better to strike now than later. Additionally, Schiller had a little trick up his sleeve; he intended to teach Batman a lesson to snap him out of his arrogance.

At present, Batman still had room for error. Joker was still just a circus performer, and Schiller couldn't help but wonder how Batman would fare if he encountered Joker now. Batman, though young, had acquired many skills during his travels abroad.

However, Jonathan was not a meticulous criminal mastermind. He had no special training and lacked any counter-surveillance awareness. Many of his clues had been discovered by Batman and Gordon.

Working together, they traced their way to a small underground church, where they stumbled upon Jonathan's laboratory. It was far from a sophisticated laboratory; one could even describe it as a shady operation.

Dimly lit and cramped, it emanated an unpleasant odor. Batman, eyeing a drainage pipe in the basement, remarked, "I think I might know where those people have gone."

Gordon approached, handgun in hand, and reluctantly said, "Though I'd rather not ask, my operational report needs to include the truth."

"Aqua regia. It can dissolve not only metals but also the most resilient parts of the human body."

"I get it, no need to go into detail," Gordon replied. "I don't want to hear it."

They investigated the small laboratory further, and suddenly, Gordon found some traces under an old wooden crate—a few shattered pine needles.

"North American red pine," Batman said. "I see its needles."

"Damn it, where in all of Gotham would you find pine trees? Otherwise, the weather here wouldn't be like this," Gordon commented.

"I think there's a place with these plants," Batman replied. "Gotham University, it's the greenest part of the city. These plants line both sides of the widest pedestrian walkway there."

Gordon crouched down, carefully examining the traces. "The killer must have stepped on these pine needles with muddy shoes. Obviously, the heavy rain these past few days troubled him. When he arrived here, the stains must have fallen off, and he didn't bother to clean up."

Gordon looked up and asked, "Is the killer a student at Gotham University?"

"Or possibly a teacher," Batman said.

"Is it the person you threatened that day?" Gordon inquired.

"I wasn't threatening him," Batman replied.

"But you slashed his throat with a batarang, causing him to bleed heavily. A wound that long is bound to leave a scar," Gordon stated.

"You sympathizing with a criminal?" Batman asked.

"He's not a criminal, at least not until he's been through due process."

"Due process..." Batman scoffed.

Gordon sensed Batman's distrust of the justice system but didn't vehemently argue against it. He had been a cop in Gotham for quite some time, and he knew that the city's justice system was far from trustworthy. In fact, the entire order system in this city couldn't be trusted.

"But in my eyes, you wield dangerous weapons and injure an unarmed civilian freely. That's a threat," Gordon said.

"Unarmed civilian..." Batman muttered.

He suddenly found himself unable to argue with Gordon because, to his knowledge, Schiller didn't seem to have received any professional combat training. Batman was confident that one punch could bring him down.

But he had been troubled by this man for many days, and he had no solution. He suddenly remembered a phrase he had heard during his travels on the road: "Words are mightier than fists."

However, that was where it ended, Batman thought.

The killer had to be connected to Gotham University; there was almost no other answer left. Wasn't this evidence conclusive enough? Perhaps it was time to send that mad professor to prison.

He looked at the stained drainage pipe at his feet, the place where the souls of over forty people had vanished. Among them, there must have been someone's parents.

On that fateful night long ago, his parents' lives had disappeared in an alley, and yet no one had paid the price they should have.

But things were different now. With him around, these criminals would all eventually end up where they belonged, and not a single one could escape.

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