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

[Pure White, prematurely dispel cognitive distortion protection. By the way...didn't you copy Bartmouth's Rabid virus? Upload it to the network immediately. If Batman really wants me dead, then nobody will get away with this. Give him a big one before he dies!]

With that thing, even without the presence of roving AIs on the DC universe's network, it could still expose all the confidential documents of countries around the world, causing massive losses.

Maybe it can even start a new season...

[Understood, I'm already working on it. But don't be too pessimistic. According to the information I found online, Batman is still the same righteous superhero. It's best to try and cooperate with him.]

【I know. 】

Leo was still counting on Batman's angel investment, so of course he didn't want to fight him to the death.

The "invisibility" status was lifted ahead of schedule.

Batman spoke up: "Wait there, and don't try anything funny."

Leo rolled his eyes: "Fine, fine, I'll wait here. We need to have a serious talk, Bat... Mr. Bruce Wayne."

He changed his form of address at the last minute.

Since we're going to cooperate, let's be polite from the start, since he might be a major shareholder of the company.

Batman didn't reply; he's probably already on his way.

Leo sighed, stepped off the pressure plate with an air of nonchalance, and wandered around the room.

He kept touching this and that, and soon confirmed that the cell was really sturdy, and that a light explosive device probably couldn't break it.

There's no other way then, let's wait for Batman to arrive...

*

Just minutes later, he saw Batman—still wearing that classic black armor, his exposed corners of his mouth slightly downturned, looking very unfriendly…

“Mr. Bruce Wayne, it’s a shame to see you again…”

Leo sighed and walked toward him.

Before he had taken more than a few steps, Batman raised his right arm, still with the capture net launcher attached to his forearm.

Leo was speechless and took a step back: "Don't be impulsive. We're not enemies, can't we talk this out?"

Batman stared at him for a long time before lowering his hand.

"So, it's me again, Mr. Bruce Wayne. It seems you can't use that teleportation-like ability of yours casually... there's a cooldown period?"

Ma·Leo·Ma.

That's why he hates smart people. You can talk to him nicely, but he insists on thinking about all sorts of trivial things. It's really annoying!

Seeing that he didn't speak, Batman raised his hand and threw a folder at him.

Leo nimbly took it and quickly flipped through it.

At the top are dozens of photos, taken by street-side store cameras, traffic cameras, bank cameras, and even by his "former colleagues" using their mobile phones.

The photo shows none other than...himself.

Leo was shocked. He had only been in Gotham for 24 hours, yet he had left behind so many photos and documents.

Turning the page, you'll find testimonies from the arrested bank robbers, with the information highlighted in red pen concerning him, a "new recruit forcibly conscripted into the army."

After reading it all, a deep sense of fear rose in his heart—I'm done for!

Why is Batman doing this too!

...No, that's what Batman loves to do. He stuffs surveillance cameras into everyone he meets. What a beast!

Nobody: Chapter Sixty-Eight Leo: "I hate clowns!"

"Tell me, who are you?"

Batman's voice was indifferent, but his tense posture showed that he was ready for battle.

After undergoing V's intensive training, Leo has developed some combat awareness.

He could tell that Batman was a particularly difficult opponent—he had no weaknesses, and just standing there gave people a strong sense of oppression.

I feel like... if Krenzhikov were in 4th gear, he could put up a fight with him for a bit, but he wouldn't win.

In the end, I decided against it. He was there to do business, and we should try to make money peacefully.

“My full name is Leonardo DiCaprio, you can also call me Leo. I am a businessman.”

"..."

Batman scrutinized him but did not respond.

But it's clear that he doesn't believe Leo at all, not even a single punctuation mark.

After a few seconds, he slowly nodded: "Let's say that's how it is. So, what are you doing in Gotham?"

"I'm a businessman, so of course I'm here to do business. By the way, you're my ideal business partner."

Leo extended his right hand in a friendly gesture, inviting a handshake.

The two were about ten meters apart, and the gesture looked somewhat comical, but it was also a symbol of friendship.

Unfortunately, Batman didn't react at all, maintaining his aloof demeanor.

Leo couldn't stand people who were taciturn; the suffocating awkwardness and pure emotional abuse were unbearable.

He withdrew his hand, his gaze darting around, searching for a possible "escape".

However, Batman shattered his hopes once again: "Don't bother, there's an even more heavily guarded room outside this one, you can't escape."

Now, put on the handcuffs yourself and come with me.

He took out a pair of high-tech handcuffs and casually tossed them over.

Leo caught it blankly and looked down to examine it—it was clearly a high-tech handcuff with positioning and discharge functions, and it didn't even have a locking mechanism. Even the Lock King would be moved to tears.

"Put it on."

Batman urged him again.

Leo raised his head in dissatisfaction: "I'm just an ordinary citizen who was coerced into robbing a bank, and we didn't even succeed. You have no right to arrest me! Besides, where are you taking me, the police station?"

"Even if you were coerced into attempting to rob a bank at gunpoint, you should still go to the police station to make a statement."

“Those guns are fake! Is it illegal for me to carry a toy gun?!” Leo argued.

Batman paused for a moment: "The gun is real, I checked it."

The air suddenly became quiet.

Leo was stunned, carefully recalling his experience from a week ago.

He remembered clearly that the gun was fake; the Joker had tested it in front of him and it had never left his hand; it couldn't have been switched.

Batman is an expert in criminal psychology and can guess his thoughts simply by analyzing micro-expressions: "That gun was given to you by the Joker, wasn't it? You've been fooled by him."

"Impossible! I fired a shot, and the gun sprayed out the Stars and Stripes!"

"Really... I bet he didn't put the flag back in front of you, did he?"

Leo was taken aback.

"If you pull the trigger again, you'll be firing a real bullet. There's no doubt it's the Joker's 'prank,' he's just an incomprehensible madman."

Besides, I've seen the testimonies; they all said you'd never handled a gun, so you couldn't tell from the feel and weight that it was a real gun.

"..."

"Fuck the clown—!"

After a long silence, Leo finally broke down.

So, whether he chooses a real gun or a "fake gun," he will ultimately end up with a real gun.

If he were to fire a gun indiscriminately to scare people, it could lead to an irreparable tragedy.

It's not that he has exceptionally high moral standards and would never want to kill anyone. If he were asked to kill those stupid thugs or clowns, he would pull the trigger all the way down and even laugh out loud.

But... accidentally killing an innocent passerby would be troublesome. Not to mention, this "law enforcer" in front of him wouldn't let him off easily.

Thinking of this, Leo tried to defend himself: "You said it yourself, I didn't know it was a real gun, and I didn't fire a single shot. I'm a law-abiding citizen!"

Batman's expression remained unchanged; he simply pointed to the handcuffs, as if to say, "Put them on first."

Leo looked conflicted as he slowly picked up the handcuffs.

[Leo, your acting is too deliberate, relax a bit!]

Chunbai communicated with him secretly through her personal terminal.

Leo's heart skipped a beat, and he quickened his pace.

That's right, the pain and struggle were all an act. He's a man with spatial abilities, and he can store these small handcuffs, which are in contact with his skin, into the singularity space at any time.

If you want, you can also hold a grenade in your left hand and an automatic pistol with the safety off in your right, giving Batman a super big surprise.

Handcuffs are nothing, so be it.

After he handcuffed himself, Batman continued, "I won't take you to the police station; you don't deserve that. But your situation is special and may pose unknown dangers to Gotham. I need to observe you for a few more days before deciding your fate."

Since he'd already said that, what could Leo say? "Fine, whatever. I can't beat you anyway. If you really want to get rid of me, please buy me a plane ticket to the Metropolitan Area. I'll go there and look for business opportunities."

Batman silently stepped aside and opened the door behind him.

Leo walked forward dejectedly.

Actually, she was afraid to look him in the eye, afraid that he would see through her true thoughts.

Stepping out of the room, you enter an even larger room.

A quick scan revealed no turrets or deadly traps, but suspicious equipment was mounted on the ceiling, which Pure White pointed out might contain hypnotic or anesthetic gases.

Leo was impressed; Batman built him a luxurious double-decker prison in just 7 days.

I don't know how he figured out he would turn back the way he came...

He was led out of the second-floor room and finally saw the light of day again.

It was nearly eight o'clock in the evening, and the sky was overcast, just like his gloomy mood.

Batman's car was parked at the exit of the alley.

Its deep black body and technologically advanced, perfectly sculpted lines resemble a beast of the night, poised to pounce and speed away.

Leo's mood instantly took a 180-degree turn.

"The Batmobile! Wow—!"

He jogged forward, pressed his hands against the headlights that resembled the eyes of a ferocious beast, and savored the strange, cold, and hard texture.

He then rubbed his hands together and walked forward, stroking Batman's car all over.

Nice car!

What a great car!

He tried to open the driver's side door, but failed.

"Can you let me open it?"

Turning his head, Batman gave a disapproving look, which seemed to contain a hint of disgust.

He pointed to the passenger seat, the meaning of which was self-evident.

"How stingy..."

Leo shook his head and walked back to the passenger side. This time, the door opened automatically.

From the moment he got into Batman's multi-million dollar car, his hands were never still, constantly groping around.

Batman got into the driver's seat, about to give him a warning, when he heard Alfred's voice coming through his earpiece:

[Master, something terrible has happened! The Joker is heading to the Illinois Center; he's going to kill Harvey!]

Unknown Soldier: Chapter Sixty-Nine, "Batman: The Dark Knight"

The temperature inside the car plummeted to an extreme low, as if it had instantly turned into an icebox.

Leo couldn't hear the conversation in the encrypted headset, but he could feel Batman tense up immediately.