From Gotham to Night City, my infamy is known to all.

"...Me?" Poison Ivy looked bewildered. "What did I do now?"

“You are the spokesperson for the Green of All Things, Ivy. We cannot allow those damned humans to tarnish the image of the Green of All Things and slander its spokesperson as a madman! It's unfair to it, and it's unfair to you!”

Poison Ivy stared at him, lost in thought.

She... hadn't really thought about this issue. As the spokesperson for the green of all things, her current situation was indeed a bit awkward.

"No! Don't listen to his nonsense!"

Harleen couldn't help but join the conversation.

“Ivy, you really do have a mental illness. We’ve analyzed it—you’re a typical misanthrope with abandonment issues. You befriend plants to avoid contact with humans.”

You yourself admit that, and... you're human, you can't completely think from a plant's perspective!

"Uh……"

Poison Ivy looked at the only person she trusted in Arkham and was caught in a dilemma.

Harlin's disruption was also within Leo's expectations, and he retorted without hesitation:

"Ivy is of course human, and a new human who is more perfect than the old humans. I have always believed that the future direction of human evolution is the kind of physique that has chlorophyll in its body and can reduce the need for food through photosynthesis, like hers."

If everyone could do this, humanity's demands and harm to the Earth would be greatly reduced. As for her mental illness, she can continue treatment after her release from prison; there's no conflict between the two.

Harlin was rendered speechless by his rebuttal and was clearly losing ground.

Leo smiled smugly to himself and launched a final attack on Poison Ivy—he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a large, red apple.

The apple's lush green stem still held a few green leaves, exuding the unique fragrance of fresh fruit.

"Plants!?" Harleen panicked. "No plants are allowed within 50 yards of Ivy! How did you bring them in!? Police... Waaah!"

The poor psychologist was gagged again.

Leo smiled slightly and handed the apple to the incredulous Poison Ivy with one hand:

“Take this, Ivy. These are ripe apples picked from the tree this morning. Enjoy their sweetness and keep the seeds. If those ungrateful humans in Arkham dare to deny our bail application, then we’ll coordinate from the inside and blow them out! All for the sake of the great Green of All Things!”

With fresh fruit right in front of her, Poison Ivy overcame her aversion to humans and rushed forward to take the apple in her hand.

Yes, this is a ripe fruit, containing more than a dozen healthy seeds, she can feel it!

With this, she was confident she could create chaos and successfully escape from prison!

The young man in front of me had prepared a backup plan; he was truly sincere.

At this point, she was completely certain—the person before her was a true revolutionary comrade!

"Then it's settled! When can you process my bail?"

"Wait a moment, let me ask the legal department."

Leo took out his phone, typed in a few random characters, and sent them to Bruce, knowing he would definitely be listening the whole time.

The reply came quickly, and was equally brief.

Tomorrow morning.

As expected of Batman, his efficiency is as high as ever.

Leo looked up at Poison Ivy, whose eyes were full of expectation, and said, "I'll come to pick you up from prison tomorrow morning and take you to the Botanical Institute. Keep this computer. We've spoken with the director, and from now on, you don't need to participate in any prison schedules. Just prepare to leave."

"By the way, I can guarantee that the people I bring won't leak anything. The guards outside won't hear anything coming from inside. The only variable in this matter is—"

He lowered his head and looked at the female psychologist whose face was filled with terror.

Yes, Harleen Quezel was the only person who might have snitched.

Poison Ivy's expression changed slightly as she slowly walked over.

Leo wanted to see what she planned to do, so he released his left hand from covering Harlin's mouth.

“Ivy…”

Harleen watched as the Poison Ivy woman walked towards her, her mind racing with images of her.

She recalled her high school and college days, when she was an Olympic-level gymnast and acrobat. Many people advised her to continue in that field instead of becoming a psychologist, but she…

“Harlin—”

Poison Ivy's drawn-out call interrupted her reverie.

"Am I the kind of person who likes to kill innocent people indiscriminately in your mind? Don't worry... I'm not that bad. I will use my pheromones to temporarily control you, but don't worry, this control will naturally disappear after a few days."

After saying that, Poison Ivy looked at Leo and said, "Step back a bit, don't get caught in the crossfire."

Leo obediently stepped back, leaving the weak and helpless Harlin huddled in the computer chair, trembling.

Poison Ivy shook her head. "Don't be afraid, it won't hurt."

She held the apple up to Harley, and without Harley making any move, a small flower automatically grew from the apple's stem.

With a gentle breath, a pale green pollen enveloped Harlin's face.

Harleen had been trying to hold her breath, but Poison Ivy's pheromones clearly took effect directly through her mucous membranes, quickly making her eyes glaze over.

"Alright, now Harlin won't leak anything."

Poison Ivy held the apple to her nose and took a deep breath, a look of ecstasy on her face.

"I have to eat the apple here, or the guards outside will sound the highest alarm."

As she spoke, she began to eat with gusto, her eyes squinting with satisfaction.

After finishing the fruit, she hid the plant seeds on her person and in Harleen's pocket, planning a backup plan.

"That's good. Wait for our good news, Miss Ivy."

Leo took the opportunity to say goodbye. They had already been there for more than ten minutes, and staying any longer would arouse the guards' suspicion.

Poison Ivy scrutinized his face, noting down every detail. "One last question: you haven't introduced yourself yet."

Leo smiled slightly: "That's right. My name is Leonardo DiCaprio, and I am the chairman and CEO of Blue Dream Corporation."

Poison Ivy was genuinely surprised. "You're the company's chairman?!"

After she finished speaking, she realized that her tone was not very polite, and added, "I didn't mean anything by it, I just didn't expect you to be so young and come to see me in person."

“It’s nothing. I’m a staunch supporter of the Green of All Things, so it’s only right that I come to see you. Besides, this old gentleman is Alfred, an assistant sent by the Wayne Group.”

Poison Ivy greeted Afu, still a little dazed.

I never expected it to really be someone from Wayne Enterprises... No wonder they were so confident in getting her out of there.

In Gotham, there are few things they can't do.

As she watched them leave, the two special visitors departed the counseling room, completely satisfied.

Rising to Fame: Chapter 239 Leo: "No one knows better than me how to win Poison Ivy's heart!"

Back in the corridor, after chatting with the guards for a few minutes, Leo and Afu returned to the car.

With a gentle press of the accelerator, the Lamborghini sped away like a gray lightning bolt.

In the rearview mirror, the steel gates and electrified fences of Arkham Asylum sped away.

Afu couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Leo, were you serious about what you just said?"

Upon hearing this, Leo's lips curled into a smile: "Of course it's false, that's just a simple fallacy of equivocation. If we were to follow that logic, the dominant plant in the United States would be corn, and the obesity problem among Americans would be largely caused by corn syrup."

Of course, if Alcohol-2 crops were actually developed, and Poison Ivy were in charge, then it's quite possible things could develop in the direction I'm describing. But this is just a hypothetical scenario, and the great Batman wouldn't let that happen, wouldn't you agree? — Mr. Bruce, who's been listening in.

Afu did not speak.

A few seconds later, Bruce's voice came through Alfred's phone: "I'm not great, but I certainly won't let something that threatens human survival happen. On the other hand, your ecological environment is deteriorating rapidly. Are you planning to bring the power of greenery there?"

"No, no, no, that's absolutely not allowed."

Leo denied it without even thinking.

"The green of all things is part of the elemental power. In addition, there is the red of all living beings and the black of decay, etc. Together they maintain the elemental balance."

Our world is purely technological; we don't have these kinds of monsters and demons. Bringing the Green of All Things there alone, allowing it to dominate, would be terrifying; it would amplify everything I just described countless times over.

Bruce paused for a moment, then continued, "I thought you were really going to join them. You were too friendly to Poison Ivy, you even gave her an apple."

“Isn’t this what I learned from you? Obedience test.” Leo looked at the trees outside the window, his gaze deep. “If I’ve put in all my effort and she still doesn’t trust me or cooperate, and uses the seed I gave her to escape on her own, then I’ll have to find a way to exploit her weakness and force her to work for me.”

"Don't worry, I think your bluff worked pretty well. She's still on her laptop right now, studying the aquatic plants of Night City."

After saying that, Bruce's voice disappeared, as if he had gone to attend to something else.

Leo also lost interest in talking and drove quietly.

He knew he wasn't good at negotiation, nor did he know the so-called art of managing people. He just hoped that his negotiation skills, which combined genuine treatment with shared benefits, would still work.

*

Back at Wayne Tower, I rested for a few hours.

In the afternoon, Bruce called Leo to the botanical research institute in the northern suburbs.

Leo was quite surprised when he arrived by car—he had originally thought the research institute would be built in the science park in the Diamond District, where the infrastructure was complete and it was close to the GCPD headquarters, and the security was relatively good.

Bruce explained, "This location is close to Wayne Manor, which is currently under reconstruction, and is far from the city center. It is sparsely populated, which can effectively reduce the intrusion of gang forces. If problems arise, they will not affect a wide area."

He didn't say it, but Leo knew one thing: this place was close to the Bat Cave, practically right under his nose.

With him watching over things every day, this place is one of the safest places in Gotham.

Leo had no objection to his choice; he only cared about when the two crops would be available, helping his small company fire the first shot in its "conquest of the world."

Bruce stated that the venue, equipment, and personnel were all readily available; the exact time required depended on Poison Ivy's abilities. He had summoned Leo here to inquire about any special requests.

Leo thought for a moment and suggested that he go to Poison Ivy's residence.

So the two entered the research institute and arrived at a detached house located in the southeast corner of the institute.

This is a three-story building that used to be a communal lounge, but has now been converted into Poison Ivy's new home.

Leo went inside and quickly noticed the problem: "The layout here is very elegant, but it lacks her favorite thing - plants."

Since she's been in contact with plants every day since she arrived here, there's no way to prevent it, so we might as well build her a 'dream mansion' so she'll willingly live here.

"For example?" Bruce glanced sideways.

"Get more glass in the sunroom to increase light transmission. Bring all kinds of ornamental plants and create a cozy plant paradise. Even the ground should be covered with a real lawn carpet. Also, I remember she once successfully cultivated a magical plant that was half plant and half animal and could talk. Where did you put that thing?"

Bruce paused for a few seconds before replying, "In my secret containment facility, that thing is strange; it's more like a plant and a human than a plant and an animal... Are you going to return it to Poison Ivy?"

Leo nodded: "You must have already studied this. If the danger isn't high, let's return it to her as a symbol of our sincerity."

"Hmm...then prepare a red rose and try to propose to her. Judging from my experience, with all that you've done for her, the chances of success are probably only 10% or 20%."

Bruce devised a plan for him in the voice of Aquaman.

Leo knew he was talking nonsense, but still gave a reply: "No thanks. Unless I become immune to her pheromone control someday, I won't get close to this dangerous woman who can control my mind at any time."

"Danger can sometimes be alluring..."

Bruce seemed to be thinking of someone, and his mind wandered for a brief moment.

Subsequently, taking Leo's advice, he hired a construction team to completely renovate Poison Ivy's residence once again.

Leo wandered aimlessly around the research institute for a while.

As a former tech geek, he had little interest in studying plants, which he knew nothing about, and quickly returned to his residence to begin his daily exercise.

*

Time flies and it is the next morning.

Leo, adhering to the principle of doing a good deed to the end, personally went to pick up Poison Ivy from prison.

Wayne Group's legal department handled all the formalities and released her on medical parole.

Although anyone can see how far-fetched this reason is, but... this is Gotham, and it was Wayne Enterprises that made the bail request, so whatever they say is right!

Five minutes passed after leaving Arkham Island before Poison Ivy came to her senses, straightened up, and stopped staring blankly out the rear window.

"I didn't expect it to go so smoothly. I thought there would be some unexpected changes..."

Leo gripped the steering wheel and said with a smile, "Our partner is the Wayne Group, and their name carries a lot of weight in Gotham."

"Then...shall we go to the botanical research institute now?"