The only sound left in the study was the crackle of burning logs in the fireplace. Time seemed to freeze for a full five seconds.
The languid smile on Bruce's face receded like the tide. He showed no anger, offered no denial, and betrayed none of the panic people usually displayed when their secrets were exposed.
His posture did not change at all, but his entire presence had shifted from wealthy playboy to apex predator.
Under his gaze, the temperature in the study seemed to plunge more than ten degrees.
"Don't you have air-conditioning here?" Li Jie rubbed his arms. "Is it just me, or did it suddenly get cold?"
"When?" Batman ignored his wisecracking and went straight to the question.
"Hmm..." Li Jie frowned, pretending to think, careful not to give anything away. "Wayne Tower, to be precise."
"Wayne Tower..." Batman repeated in a low voice. The room suddenly warmed again, and the smile returned to Bruce Wayne's face.
"Doctor Fries's Cryogenic Grenade?"
"Uh-huh." Li Jie nodded. "The doctor went to work for Wayne Enterprises. And considering how practiced he was at freezing his wife, he had to be the one who made it for you."
"But what if I merely funded Batman, rather than being him myself?"
"You'd already said publicly that you couldn't understand Batman's actions at all."
"Hmm..."
Bruce Wayne nodded. "I had considered that flaw. But taking unnecessary steps to patch it afterward would only make it look as though I had something to hide. It might draw the attention of people who hadn't noticed in the first place."
He thought for a moment. "Since you guessed my identity back then, why didn't you make it public?"
"Make it public?" Li Jie asked, looking baffled. "What would I gain from that? Never mind that I