The High Table's Request

The next day.

When Anton arrived at work and saw a crowd of fellow reporters blocking the entrance to the Daily Bugle, he was startled at first, then immediately got a splitting headache.

"Mr. Anton, do you admit to what people are saying online?"

"Are you Batman?"

"Batman has grossed over 600 million worldwide, and during the Continental Hotel incident in New York not long ago, a real-life Batman also appeared. Is there any connection between the two of you?"

A group of reporters surrounded Anton as soon as he got out of the car, firing off questions like a barrage, as if they would not let him leave until they had wrung him dry.

"Everyone, Batman is just a coincidence."

With no other choice, Anton stopped and faced the screens thrust in his face, forcing a smile. "Bruce Wayne is merely a character I created. No such person exists in reality. As for why a Batman appeared in real life, I can only assume that he agrees with everything I envisioned for Batman."

"Then how do you explain that the assassins Batman took out at the Continental Hotel were actually there to target you and the Daily Bugle?"

These reporters were not afraid of his denials. They were only afraid that he would refuse to speak.

As long as he talked, they could make something of it.

"Also, why did Batman appear in San Francisco as soon as you arrived in San Francisco, and personally deliver the Life Foundation's founder, Carlton Drake, to the police..."

"Mr. Anton, could you explain that?"

The reporters continued questioning him.

"It was just a coincidence."

Anton spread his hands. "Coincidences are difficult to explain, no matter how you try."

After saying that, he stopped answering questions entirely. Only after entering the Daily Bugle building did he finally escape the reporters' interrogation.

Inside the Daily Bugle, Betty saw Anton drenched in sweat from dealing with the reporters and could not help teasing him. "Anton, this is the most bedraggled I've ever seen you."

"If you could pour me a cup of coffee, I'd be very grateful."

Anton glanced at her, his head throbbing at the thought of the reporters outside.

He realized that he had underestimated Batman's influence.

At present, Batman's fan points in the system space had already exceeded fourteen million.

That was an astonishing number.

One had to remember that he had previously spent 9.98 million to purchase Batman's main template.

If he exchanged those fourteen million fan points for another hero's template at an equal rate, he might not be far from achieving the goal of creating another identity.

And those fourteen million fan points were not useless, either.

At the very least, whenever he transformed into Batman and fought other opponents, both the armor and equipment would suffer wear and tear.

At times like that, the fan points would have another use.

Of course, fourteen million was more than enough for now, not to mention that the number was still steadily rising.

"Although I expected Batman's identity to become an open secret sooner or later, I didn't expect that day to come so quickly!"

Anton rubbed his temples and pondered for a moment.

Although public opinion online currently put the odds of him being Batman at eighty percent, there were still people who refused to believe he was Batman no matter what.

The best way to deny a fact was to sever the connection between the facts.

Right now, the biggest piece of evidence for the supporters was the deep connection between Batman and the Daily Bugle.

Second, Batman appeared wherever Anton appeared.

These two facts gave people room for speculation and deduction.

To sever the connection, the first point was easy to handle. He could keep denying it and blame it on coincidence.

The second would take some work.

A thought suddenly struck Anton.

He remembered that Jim would be holding a gala in Los Angeles in a few days, and he would definitely make an appearance under the media's watchful eyes.

As long as Batman appeared at the same time, he could directly sever the fixed connection between himself and Batman.

Then, he could naturally "clear himself" of any connection to Batman.

But to achieve that effect, he needed a certain "prop," or rather, a special suit of armor.

With the justice points he currently had, he could purchase that special armor.

Rubbing his chin, Anton made up his mind.

It was necessary.

Making a high-profile declaration like Tony Stark that he was Iron Man did not suit Anton's personality.

Anton preferred to lie low behind the scenes for the time being.

The reason it was only temporary was that as the DC Company he had just founded continued to grow, as its helmsman, the more DC heroes appeared, the harder it would be for him to remain hidden—he would shine as brightly as a firefly in the night.

But at least until he was ready, Anton had no intention of exposing himself to the public.

Keeping Batman's identity confined to a small circle for now was the best way to avoid trouble.

After all, Anton believed he feared nothing except trouble.

After work.

Anton first told Betty to check whether there were still reporters at the entrance. Only then did he cautiously leave the office building, afraid of being surrounded by reporters again.

Some people said that reporters were the only "creatures" in the world more annoying than flies.

At that moment, Anton understood that deeply.

Soon, when he opened the car door his driver had brought around and saw the short-haired woman inside, he froze for a moment. Then he calmly got into the back seat and sat beside her.

"Someone from the High Table?" he asked.

"Yes. I am an adjudicator of the High Table." The short-haired woman introduced herself. "Aisha Kate. You may call me Aisha."

Anton's tone was calm, though it carried a trace of impatience. "I hope we can make things clear in the shortest possible time."

"Of course."

Aisha said, "Regarding that assassination attempt, I offer you the High Table's apologies."

"I thought you were here to cause me trouble. It seems the people holding seats at the High Table are not fools."

Anton raised an eyebrow.

Although he had vaguely guessed the outcome, he was still pleased by the attitude the High Table had shown.

At the very least, it showed that he had not disgraced the name Batman.

Aisha did not respond to that. Instead, she changed the subject. "Besides expressing our apologies, we have one main request in coming to see you today."

"A request?"

Anton said flatly, "If it is anything unreasonable, then you can shut your mouth and get out of my car right now."

Aisha explained, "Rather than a request, it would be more accurate to call it an appeal, or a collaboration."

"What appeal? What kind of collaboration?"

Anton frowned slightly.

At the moment, the High Table seemed to be yielding a little too much.

Though he had not taken the High Table seriously, it was still one of the world's top assassin organizations. It commanded considerable power and was a force to be reckoned with in the underground world.

For Aisha to use the word "appeal" was clearly no simple matter.

"We want to ask you to kill someone," Aisha said.

"Who?"

Anton looked surprised. "The High Table itself is a top assassin organization. If even you can't kill this person, why do you think I can?"