Capítulo 3425: Chapter 2561: Whistling Down (Nine)

Cobblepot was no longer young, and the image of the thin little umbrella boy that Shiller first saw was becoming more and more distant.

Because he obtained steady work during his teenage years and was well cared for by the Falcone Family, Cobblepot's development wasn't delayed and he grew to a height of 1.8 meters. Although he wasn't as physically imposing as those with broad, muscular frames, he still looked like a normal person, neither short nor fat.

Since his demeanor wasn't as gloomy, his eagle hook nose no longer seemed so obtrusive; instead, his firm and tranquil gaze was more likely to draw attention.

If one had to describe his appearance, it was fairly average: normal height, normal facial features, normal clothing and dress, the kind of person one might struggle to find in a crowd.

However, this image had its advantages, particularly in the mayoral race where it was more relatable to the public. In these tough economic times, everyone needed a mayor who could sympathize with the lower classes, and Cobblepot had a significant edge in this respect.

Yet, the one concern that troubled people was his mob origins. He had never concealed this fact, and many in the city who wished to completely disassociate from the past feared that Cobblepot might lead them back into the mob's abyss.

But overall, Cobblepot held an advantageous position, and if things continued on this trajectory, his chances of becoming mayor were high.

Without external threats, however, there were internal concerns. Cobblepot's mother was completely opposed to his mayoral bid. After listening to Cobblepot's narrative, Shiller jotted down on his notebook "Paranoid tendencies, excessive imaginings, and a bit of anxiety."

"This is also a common issue with patients recovering from schizophrenia," Shiller said. "A once-shattered psyche glued back together naturally lacks the stability of normal people, and even a minor disturbance could trigger an immense reaction."

"So, can it be cured?" Cobblepot asked.

"A psychologist can't act as a lobbyist to get someone to support your decisions. I can only say I can help her regain her sanity, but whether she supports you afterward depends on your own performance," the Doctor replied.

"That's enough for me," Cobblepot said. "My mother has actually always supported me; otherwise, I wouldn't have made it this far. But perhaps having someone close going into politics brings back some unpleasant memories for her..."

Cobblepot shook his head and added, "She always says that my father changed the day he entered the political arena, becoming obstinate and refusing to listen to others. Otherwise, he wouldn't have..."

"Well, that's all well-trodden ground, no use going over it again," Cobblepot said. "I await your good news about the move and do not forget to invite me to the housewarming party."

Shiller stood up and said, "There won't be a lavish party, perhaps just a small gathering among acquaintances. If you care to honor it with your presence, I will send an invitation."

Cobblepot left soon after but not before leaving behind a sum of money. It wasn't for future treatments for his mother but for the last time he and his mother got a prescription from Shiller. It wasn't much, just a little over a thousand US dollars.

Back when Cobblepot had no money, it was Gordon who paid for his and his mother's medical expenses, while Shiller provided the prescriptions for free. Later, when he had money, Cobblepot gave Gordon an estate in the North District.

Of course, this dedicated detective usually still lived at the police station, mainly because the estate was too large and he felt uneasy living there by himself. It improved somewhat after Barbara, his daughter from another universe, arrived and even more so when his girlfriend Barbara returned.

However, after Barbara found a job, she moved out, and Gordon moved back to the police station.

Cobblepot had never given Shiller any valuable gifts. He simply paid the full amount for the past and future prescriptions, a fact that made Shiller feel that there was a good reason Cobblepot had made it as far as he had.

Gordon had paid for his medications, but at the time, Gordon's income wasn't high, and taking on the additional expenses for two people's medications was indeed a great sacrifice, even though Victor took care of them in other aspects of life. Just spending money wasn't easy.

But prescribing medicine was a simple task for Shiller. After all, he was a professional doctor, and schizophrenia wasn't a particularly difficult disease to treat; maintaining normal life was manageable as long as one could afford the medicine.

Writing such prescriptions hardly required any effort; one simply needed to follow the usual procedures.

Therefore, while Cobblepot gave Shiller due compensation, he felt an obligation to give something extra to Gordon because the level of assistance they provided differed, and in reality, Gordon had given much more.

And while Shiller held a higher social status, compensating Shiller and Gordon equally might easily seem like favoritism toward Shiller because of his importance and the help he offered, suggesting that the extra compensation was a deliberate attempt to curry favor.

If one were to look at it that way, it wouldn't be a problem since social climbers indeed rely on ingratiating themselves.

But Cobblepot was a smart climber. He understood that sometimes ingratiating oneself with one person might equate to offending another, and the help garnered from the flattered might not outweigh the harm caused by the slighted person's subsequent backlash. He wouldn't engage in such foolishness.

If he gave Shiller and Gordon the same compensation, or even more to Shiller, Gordon would undoubtedly feel hurt. Even if this righteous police chief's rationality told him not to dwell on such matters, people are emotional, and repeated disappointments eventually lead to a cooling of the heart.

Therefore, Cobblepot adopted a more moderate approach, that is, without using extra financial incentives to curry favor with Shiller while still providing Gordon with enough compensation to keep things balanced.

Although on the surface, this appeared to be the middle way, avoiding offending both parties and also missing the chance to rise higher, in reality, currying favor also depends on whether the other person is willing to be flattered.

Shiller was obviously not too keen on engaging in social exchanges. By Cobblepot not currying favor with him, it was as if he was helping Shiller, so in fact, it was a win-win situation, with Cobblepot winning twice.

When Cobblepot suggested that he hoped Shiller would provide psychological counseling for his mother, after explicitly stating that he came only after hearing about Shiller's financial situation from Victor, Shiller was somewhat troubled.

Although he needed to earn money through psychological counseling, surely he couldn't force counseling on someone who had no issues? That would not only make him uncomfortable but also leave him owing Cobblepot a favor without knowing how he could repay it.

Fortunately, Cobblepot was not one to do such awkward things. His mother did indeed have psychological issues, perhaps not urgent, the kind that could be treated or left untreated, but he was not short of money, and it was better for Shiller to take care of it.

But this was also considered giving Shiller a favor, which he soon repaid by hinting to Shiller to invite him to a housewarming party.

Shiller understood his meaning, even mentioning that there wasn't any grand party, just a small private gathering, suggesting, "I consider you one of my own, and so my connections are naturally yours."

And the consultation fee Cobblepot left behind was also a way to express, "Don't worry, I will still pay what is due, no extra social exchanges necessary."

This effectively pacified Shiller because, despite having to deal with many unfamiliar patients afterwards, the thought of complicated social interactions with all the accompanying pleasantries made him feel anxious.

After all, these were not concerns for the average person to worry about, and he was not fully living as an ordinary person yet. The upper echelons of society could wait until later.

Though Shiller always claimed to be an ordinary person, he had little opportunity to live like one, especially here in Gotham. If he truly lived by past standards of normalcy, he would have been dead long ago.

Plus, with Mad Laugh lingering in the background, Shiller had not been fully aware of his real-world potency and was constantly on edge. He couldn't just disregard the possible backlash he might face in his quest to lead a normal life.

But now things had improved. Gotham was in better shape, it was possible to survive without so many absurd life skills, and Mad Laugh had finally shown his face, allowing Shiller to see that some problems are best left to ferment and rot in their own filth without extra attention.

Thus, he was finally in a position, both in opportunity and mindset, to truly try living a normal life.

Of course, there's one more critical point to mention: precisely because of the pressures mentioned above, Shiller had to forge connections with many—Bruce from DC, Victor, the Primary Universe Batman, Superman, and from Marvel's side, the Unscrupulous Quartet, Mutants, Asgardians, and so on.

Although these were all for his plans, they significantly strengthened Shiller's connections with others, and one sign of recovery from autism is the ability to establish normal social connections.

Whether by coercion or consent, once these connections form, they become difficult to sever. Emotional bonds continuously develop, naturally making it hard to detach as he might have done in the past.

The improvement in Shiller's condition was indeed the main reason he was able to attempt leading a normal life.

Returning to the current situation, if he could really purchase the house at such a low price, Shiller could even consider buying it outright without a down payment.

However, he was still short of paying the full amount outright, which would require Shiller to face the hellish challenge of his autistic and introverted personality—asking friends for money.

This was the very last of the last steps, and Shiller hadn't even included it in his plan, tossing aside this solution with an evasive attitude and still intending to try to earn the money himself.

The money Cobblepot left was of little help for Shiller's house-buying plan since the houses in the South District were too expensive, just a drop in the bucket. However, this money would at least prevent Shiller's wallet from being completely deflated after purchasing the house.

Now that it was dark, Shiller decided to deposit the money into the bank and then go to check out that so-called haunted house.

He planned his route in his mind, remembering that driving to the mansion would take him through a bustling commercial street. The bank there was open 24 hours, so he could deposit the money en route.

He drove toward the commercial street and quickly found the biggest bank in the middle, which held most of his deposits.

Carrying his bag, Shiller walked into the bank, noticed there were hardly any customers at the counters, didn't need to take a number, so he sat at an unoccupied counter, handed over his bank card and money, and just then, he heard a roar from outside.

"This is a bank robbery! Hands on your head and squat down!! Put the money and bags on the table!!"

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