What Does Batman Have to Do with Me, Bruce Wayne?

The rooftop of an unfinished building!

The cat was fast asleep on the beach chair, its sleeping posture quite ungraceful, its body limp and boneless, sprawled out like liquid.

Simply put, this cat sleeps flat, and sometimes it even slumps down the beach chair like water.

The reason for its exhaustion is that this is not a good cat. It is fickle and greedy. Even with Russell, its owner who is willing to spend a lot of money and provide good food and drink, it is still not satisfied. Last night, it went crazy at some wild woman's house all night and only staggered home with its tired body at dawn.

Upon learning that the cat possessed extraordinary abilities, Russell specifically researched the relevant information and confirmed that it was a cold-hearted Egyptian Cat.

It is entirely gray with leopard-like spots on its fur. It is of medium size and belongs to the spotted tabby breed. Because of its naturally spotted pattern, it is known as the 'miniature leopard'.

Most remarkably, there is a pattern resembling Scarab Beetle between its eyebrows.

Russell doesn't know much about cats and doesn't have high requirements; he just wants to be petted. But he has to admit that, in terms of appearance, this Egyptian Cat is very marketable, attracting a bunch of cat owners who fawn over it at the mere sight of it.

At this time, the sun was shining brightly. Russell, wearing a floral shirt and beach shorts, sat under a parasol, fanning himself.

Fanning the Egyptian Cat was out of the question; the fickle creature reeked of wild women. Russell decided to let it cool off for four or five hours before forgiving it.

He's fanning himself while grilling!

A thick gold chain would be too tacky, giving off a nouveau riche vibe, and wouldn't suit his refined and elegant lifestyle. So, despite his sunglasses and barbecue outfit, he wore Starlight Sapphire Cross Necklace.

That's very elegant and understated!

The rooftop door was pushed open, and the new assistant, with his prominent cleavage, jogged to Russell's side. "Boss, a distinguished guest has come to visit and is waiting in the office, wishing to meet with you."

Russell flipped the roast meat over, raising an eyebrow. "Distinguished guest! How expensive?"

"The really expensive kind, probably the most expensive in Gotham."

"Oh, let him come up, I'm too lazy to go down."

The assistant hesitated, "But... Boss, he is Bruce Wayne, the Chairman of Wayne Group. I think it would be better if you went to his office to see him in person."

Russell stopped what he was doing, pulled up his sunglasses, looked up at his female assistant, and when he realized he couldn't see her face, he leaned back slightly until his vision became clear.

The assistant felt uncomfortable under Russell's gaze and stammered, "Boss, is there something wrong?"

"It's not just inappropriate, it's extremely inappropriate! You take my salary, but you side with the Chairman of Wayne Group. Tell me, what use are you to me?"

Russell said with displeasure, "You don't need to come to work tomorrow. Go report to Wayne Group!"

"But... but boss, today is my first day at work!"

The female assistant was completely bewildered. What happened? How did she suddenly lose her job? Was her cleavage just for show?

Bang!

The rooftop door opened again, and Bruce, with a warm smile, said, "Russell, my old friend, what's got you so angry? Can you tell me?"

"Bruce, what brings you here? Honestly, you just showed up without giving me any advance notice." Russell tossed aside his fan, stood up with a smile, and gave Bruce a big hug.

The reunion after a long separation is always a touching moment. The two laughed heartily and patted their old friend's back vigorously, as if a light pat wouldn't be enough to express how happy they were.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud—

As he patted him, Bruce couldn't take it anymore. He looked like he was about to cough up blood. Cairo forcefully, took a few breaths, and laughed, "Buddy, why are you getting angry? Did I make things difficult for your assistant?"

"Yeah, she said you were waiting for me in the office and even suggested I come down to meet you myself. Look at what she said! She has no idea what our relationship is." Russell pulled Bruce aside, and the two sat facing each other by the barbecue grill. He complained, "She takes my salary but puts you first. Seeing how much she fawns over you, I got so angry that I made her start working at Wayne Group tomorrow."

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

Bruce laughed heartily, turned to look at his female assistant, and realized he couldn't see her face. He leaned back slightly to make out her features, then handed her a business card. "Go to the Wayne Consortium's HR department tomorrow, give them my name, and they'll arrange a suitable position for you."

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne."

The assistant bent down, paused for a second, took the business card with both hands, and then left the rooftop with a beaming smile.

As for her former boss, Russell, the female assistant said she didn't remember who he was.

Russell rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Bruce, what are you doing here, you playboy? Let me make it clear, I've already given up on parties where people are basically naked."

"Buddy, I heard that your pile of dog shit has become even more stinky after being reheated, so I came all the way to visit you. But the way you're treating me is absolutely inhuman. Is it because I'm not wearing a white flower on my chest?"

Bruce was always polite and courteous, adhering to the Wayne family's principle of treating people with respect.

"Don't say that. If I hadn't been in a good mood last night, I should be the one wearing white flowers and singing and dancing at the grave today!" Russell smiled slightly, picked up a half-cooked skewer from the barbecue grill, and handed it to Bruce.

Bruce took the skewers of meat, placed them on the grill, opened a bottle of beer, and said with a swig, "You've changed a lot, it's quite remarkable. I thought you would deny it outright."

"The mask isn't for protecting yourself, but for protecting those around you. Unfortunately, I have no one around me, so admitting it or denying it makes no difference," Russell said, speaking in a way only the two of them could understand.

"Then let's get back to the main topic..."

Bruce dropped his nonchalant, arrogant demeanor and coldly asked, "Deathstroke, what are you planning to do? And where did you get your power from?"

"Bruce, now that you've switched to Batman's persona, shouldn't you also change your voice? Use that kind of voice... I have no idea what you're saying without subtitles."

As Russell spoke, he picked up a skewer of grilled meat and ate it, saying, "Beat up zombie sauce, shut up that damn shorty Batman!"

"..."

Bruce remained silent, utterly lacking in humor. Russell shrugged. "You're so boring. A hero walking in the shadows should smile more. Trust me, if you carried out justice with a grin on your face, I guarantee criminals wouldn't dare venture out at night."

"Answer my question: Where do you get your strength from?"

"Where else can I start? Of course, it's myself!"

Bruce scoffed, "Heh, you think you're something special?"

Russell retorted dismissively, "Don't look down on me. You're a piece of dog shit during the day too. Pretending to be Silly Bird isn't your privilege; I can do it too."

No, you're not faking it, you're a real Silly Bird!

The two locked eyes, and Russell, sensing Bruce's disdain, snorted and led him away from the rooftop to his gym.

Russell pointed to the abandoned Vertical Takeoff Glider in the corner. "Believe it or not, I built this machine myself."

"In this gym? Where are the tools? Don't tell me you're using a hammer?"

"Look at your big forehead, and your hairline is starting to recede. You're really smart..."

As Russell spoke, he picked up his newly bought hammer, stepped forward, and began smashing the wrecked glider until it looked brand new, leaving Bruce dumbfounded.

Is this your ability?

Bruce narrowed his eyes, suppressing the shock in his heart. His Money Power was already unreasonable, but compared to Russell, it was simply insignificant.

"Alright, Batman, any more questions? If not, turn right ahead, and I won't see you off."

Bruce said coldly, "Whether you really want to be a superhero or not, I'm warning you first: if you dare to cause trouble in Gotham, I will make you pay the price, because I am..."

"Because you are Batman!"

Russell answered quickly, leaving Bruce speechless, and continued, "I understand what you mean. After all, Gotham City has been bombed again and can't withstand too much turmoil."

"It's good that you understand."

Russell said earnestly, "Believe me, my childhood dream has been to become a superhero, fighting crime and upholding justice and peace. My childhood dream has sustained me to this day. I can say with a clear conscience that I am a good person and have never done anything illegal or disorderly."

"Hmph, the loan sharks you control don't think so."

Russell raised an eyebrow. "What, is Batman, overflowing with a sense of justice, going to seek justice for loan sharks?"

"I'm not that bored."

Bruce is indeed not that saintly; he is the Dark Knight, unlike the positive and sunny superheroes, but he is not an extreme anti-hero either. Loan sharks are not on his bottom line.

"In that case, let's end this unpleasant exchange!" Russell pointed. "Turn right ahead and you'll find the main gate. If you don't leave now, I'll make you leave manually."

"Batman and Deathstroke are indeed not much to talk about, but..." Bruce's cold expression turned into that of a brainless rich kid. "But Bruce Wayne and Russell have a debt dispute that needs to be dealt with."

Bruce didn't believe a word of Russell's nonsense, and even if he did, the corresponding emergency measures would still be implemented.

However, he now has a very thorny issue to deal with: the hundreds of photos Russell has in his possession, his dark history, must be destroyed as soon as possible.

"Debt disputes..."

Russell pursed his lips, about to explain something, when a stack of loan agreements was slapped in his face, totaling 50 million US dollars, making his face turn blue.

Russell wasn't entirely unprepared; he'd dug a hole for himself last night. "Regarding the debt, my Vertical Takeoff Glider is worth $200 million. How should we calculate that?"

Bruce chuckled, "That was Batman who broke it. He's gone now. I'm Bruce Wayne. It's no use talking to me like this."

The implication is that Batman's affairs have nothing to do with Bruce Wayne; since Batman damaged the glider, he should seek compensation from Batman.

Russell's eyes flashed with hostility. "So, according to you, Deathstroke posting Batman's picture online tonight has nothing to do with me Russell!"

"..."X2

The atmosphere instantly became tense. With no room for further conversation, Bruce stood up coldly and walked towards the door.

"I'll have a lawyer talk to you about the debt. Be prepared for the court summons! If you can't pay, this building will be transferred to my name. As for you... leave Gotham!"

Watching Bruce's departing figure, Russell shook his head repeatedly. "The Joker is right, Batman has a split personality and should move into Arkham."

Thirty seconds later, he clapped his hands and hurriedly began to search the room. Given Batman's sinister intentions, he must have left something in the room.