Villains Die from Stupidity

Victor and the principal of Gotham University were thinking about how to deal with Bruce, but Batman was also thinking about how to deal with them.

After the trials of these past few days, Batman had figured out many things. For example, for every question Schiller asked him, he had found an answer.

Now he admitted that he was different from the police; he was not an embodiment of absolute justice. In fact, he was no different from those criminals, because none of them followed the law. Batman had forged a resolve to only uphold his own justice, without caring about legal justice.

Therefore, his methods for investigating Christine's disappearance were no longer awkward or reckless.

Once Batman figured things out, no one could match his strategy and execution.

He first started with the principal of Gotham University. Compared to Victor, an old police officer who had been in the force for many years, the principal of Gotham University, although also cautious, had not attended police academy and had not undergone professional counter-surveillance training. Furthermore, in terms of physical fitness, he was just an ordinary person, much easier to deal with.

One night, Batman sneaked directly into the principal's home. Although he did not find the location where Christine was being held captive, he discovered several inconspicuous call records on the principal's landline.

He guessed that the principal would not have personally kidnapped Christine; he would have accomplices or subordinates, and contacting them through the landline was the safest way. This was because not everyone could crack the means to access landline call records, and ordinary people couldn't check which numbers an old-fashioned landline had dialed.

Bruce resumed his student identity and specifically went to the principal's office. His reason was also legitimate: he had completed his homework, but Schiller had still deducted points from his assignment, and he intended to complain to the principal.

During his conversation with the principal, Batman used professional equipment to collect the principal's voice sample and then used a voice changer to call that unknown number.

Batman's conversational skills were also formidable. He didn't ask any questions, but instead said ambiguously, "How is the person now?"

The person on the other end did not seem to be a cautious individual and answered without thinking, "Sir, we haven't touched her as you requested. However, she's such a beautiful young lady, my subordinates are finding it hard to control themselves..."

"If anything happens to her, you're finished," Batman said.

"Of course, of course. I'll keep them in line."

As soon as the person on the other end spoke, Batman knew they were just a few mobsters. All the gangsters in Gotham were the same; Batman was all too familiar with them.

Immediately after the call, Batman locked onto the location of these gangsters. Although Batman's equipment was not yet perfect, the Wayne Family had so many satellites in the sky that tracking a phone signal shouldn't be difficult.

Upon finding the location, Christine was indeed not in danger. The principal didn't intend to use her to threaten Wayne; instead, he wanted to threaten her into becoming an informant. Naturally, he couldn't harm her, otherwise, how would she go on dates with Bruce?

Batman rescued Christine. Although she suffered no physical harm, she was greatly traumatized mentally. After Batman sent her to the hospital, Christine also stated that she was willing to testify in court to identify the principal as her kidnapper.

Meanwhile, Victor was also not having a smooth time. In front of an old hand like Victor, a hothead like Gordon who only wanted to uphold justice was the most difficult person to deal with. After all, Victor couldn't just shout in the police station that Gordon's pursuit of justice was wrong; he had to pretend to be righteous.

Gordon knew what kind of person Victor was but still had to play along with him, stalling for time so that Victor wouldn't have time to destroy evidence for Jonathan or tamper with the files.

Gordon had secured everything related to Jonathan too tightly, and he was the one who had solved the case. It was difficult for Victor to guarantee that after destroying the evidence in the police station, Gordon wouldn't have a backup plan. This newcomer, although reckless and difficult to handle, did have some skills.

As for Maroney, he was even more unlucky. To increase Maroney's sunk costs, Schiller went to the chemical plant to cause trouble every few days. He didn't do anything major; one day he'd remove a couple of parts from a machine, the next day he'd clog a drainage pipe. These small incidents would only be seen as accidental occurrences, but they were very time-consuming.

Some parts in the machines could only be purchased from the original manufacturer, and Maroney had to spend a great deal of effort to buy them. For those that the original manufacturers didn't provide, he had to spend even more money to buy them from others.

With these back-and-forth issues, nearly a million dollars had been spent, yet not a single ripple had been made.

Maroney believed that these problems arose because of the delay in bailing out Jonathan. He thought the workers were unprofessional and that only Jonathan could handle it, so he pressured Victor.

When Victor became anxious, he had no choice but to seek out the principal again. However, the principal discovered that Christine, whom he had kidnapped, was missing. All their plans had been stillborn before they even began.

Moreover, Victor was desperately eager to find him to implement this plan. After the Police Chief and the principal realized the key person was gone, under immense pressure, they could only take a risk and plan to directly kidnap Bruce.

On the day Schiller accepted Bruce's invitation to dine at Wayne Manor, Bruce went to find Schiller after class. They got into the car together and planned to head directly back to Wayne Manor.

Gotham University was quite a distance from Wayne Manor. Although not as far as the diagonal East End, it still took at least half an hour to drive.

If there was one advantage to Gotham, it was that it wasn't as congested as New York. The roads in this damn place were straight and wide, allowing for unrestrained acceleration.

To show his sincerity, Bruce did not have the driver pick them up; instead, he drove himself.

Perhaps with a certain subtle desire to show off, he drove not a bulky security vehicle, but a beautiful Lamborghini, bright blue and quite flashy.

Just as Bruce was about to reach 140 mph, several masked men suddenly rushed out from a corner, their dark gun barrels pointed at the car. Bruce's first reaction was to swerve the steering wheel.

He wasn't afraid, but the professor in the passenger seat had not undergone any training. He shouted, "Professor, get down!!"

Schiller calmly said, "I'm quite sure that car your butler ordered for you must have bulletproof glass and tires."

Then he added, "If you want to find out who's behind this, you can pretend the car has lost control and knock yourself out. Perhaps you'll get some clues later."

Bruce could tell that these people were likely there to kidnap him; otherwise, they wouldn't have been shooting at the lower part of the car.

Bruce hesitated. If he were alone, he would definitely do it. But he regarded Schiller as an ordinary person. If he were kidnapped, the kidnappers would definitely not kill him, but it was uncertain for Schiller.

Schiller said, "I think you don't need to worry about me; I won't joke with my own life."

Bruce finally stopped the car. He forcefully turned the steering wheel, making the car spin a few times across the road, and finally its rear hit a lamppost, as if the brakes had failed. Then he slumped his head onto the steering wheel, and Schiller also pretended to have fainted.

The kidnappers were somewhat honorable; seeing that Bruce was not alone in the car, they did not directly kill them but instead bundled both Schiller and Bruce into the car. They were cautious enough to put hoods and handcuffs on both of them.

After driving for a while, they likely arrived at a slum. Bruce and Schiller were taken out and led into a room.

Their hoods were removed, and both Schiller and Bruce feigned expressions of shock. But then Schiller was truly shocked because the principal actually walked out directly.

He really hadn't expected the mastermind to dare to walk out so brazenly, without even a mask, and even wearing his work suit. Schiller was speechless.

Even if you didn't know Bruce was Batman, you've covered ninety-nine steps of your wrongdoing, and you're only missing this one crucial step?

If you were to pick up Bruce and shake him now, and not have at least two pounds of micro-cameras fall out of him, then he'd be considered careless!

Of course, just like in the movies, the portly principal began to elaborate on his evil plan.

He said he had prepared a double for Bruce long ago, and after kidnapping Bruce, he would immediately replace him. He had originally intended to achieve the kidnapping by abducting Christine, but he hadn't expected Bruce to be so weak that only a few gunmen were needed to succeed.

In his boasting, he confessed all his crimes.

In short, after making every mistake a movie villain could make, Schiller lost his patience with him and directly said, "Bruce, make your move."

Bruce leaped up, the handcuffs no hindrance at all. The principal was standing too close, and within two seconds, Bruce had him pinned, the handcuffs now on the principal's own wrists.

The gunmen waiting outside rushed in and were subdued by Bruce one by one. When Gordon arrived, the principal still tried to use Victor to intimidate him, but Gordon said, "Sorry, but the Police Chief was arrested by me on the spot last night for secretly breaking into the archives to destroy evidence. Although he broke the surveillance camera, Harvey, under the guise of tidying up, placed another camera there. The evidence is conclusive, my friend."

Bruce said, "It seems they've exhausted all their tricks. We have one more person to deal with next."

Schiller took out a file from his briefcase and said, "Just as we planned, I've obtained the detailed map and personnel configuration of that chemical plant. I think a certain 'tight-suited oddity' can start moving out."

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