Bab 713: Chapter 488: Small Skilled Hand for Getting Rich (Part 2)_1

After sending Constantine away, Merkel picked up a cloth and wiped the chair he had sat on and the table, back and forth several times. His distaste was plain on his face.

Just as he was done with all this, the second visitor arrived as scheduled. When Merkel went down to greet him, he saw Bruce waiting outside the manor.

Bruce had an appointment, so Merkel was warmer when he greeted him. He opened the door for Bruce. As soon as Bruce entered the manor, he headed straight for Shiller's study as though it was his own home.

Arriving in the study, Bruce's gaze fell on the abacus. Seeing Shiller moving the beads while scrutinising a bill, he immediately knew the topic of the day was finance.

"You're here? Have a seat." Shiller pointed at a chair opposite him. When Bruce sat down, Shiller was about to say something, but Bruce beat him to it: "I will complete my thesis by tomorrow."

Shiller sighed, about to speak again when Bruce declared, "I've written 3,000 words."

Once again, before Shiller could open his mouth, Bruce interjected: "I've made sure this time that it stays on-topic, and I've checked the symbols carefully."

Sighing again, Shiller said, "You sure have a knack for jumping in, but that's not what I wanted to discuss today."

Surprise flickered across Bruce's normally expressionless face, he stared at Shiller as if he was seeing a parrot that had grown a second head overnight.

Shiller put out his hand and said to Bruce, "Where's the invoice I mentioned over the phone? The one with the rebuilding and compensation costs for Gotham's destroyed buildings?"

Bruce handed Shiller a document. As Shiller started to read it, he immediately grimaced and said, "I forgot to mention, the compensation isn't in US dollars, but in Green Lantern rings."

"You mean to ask the Green Lantern Corps for compensation?" Bruce quickly understood Shiller's intent. He shook his head and said, "They won't compensate us. If they really cared about humans, they would not have been so brazen in their appearance, leaving the place unrecognizable."

"That doesn't matter, we just need a cause."

"What will you do if they refuse to pay?"

Shiller sighed, telling Bruce, "I'll say it again, it's not about me issuing an invoice to them and then they decide whether to compensate."

"If they refuse to pay, would you plan for a big event again? Even go as far as blowing up their home planet?"

At this, Shiller's expression froze. Bruce's face also hardened, staring at Shiller, "You wouldn't really consider an explosion, would you?"

Shiller lowered his head again to tinker with the abacus, Bruce stared at him and said, "I don't object to you trying to gain more benefits for the human race in the cosmos through certain measures, but if it is too extreme, it may just cause unnecessary losses..."

After a few coughs, Shiller awkwardly shifted the subject, "I know, normally we create an invoice for the other side, if they disagree, we go to court. But the problem is, they themselves are the court."

"There is no third party in the cosmos that can adjudicate this, or it wouldn't be beneficial for us to make contact with them prematurely."

"So, I'm not planning to go through the legal process with them. Have you forgotten? We have a man on the inside."

"Before, I've done some research, the structure of the Green Lantern Corps is very basic, practically rudimentary. A corps leader typically has two assistants. One is responsible for external military affairs, and the other for internal management, mainly personnel arrangements and financial management."

"However, because Sinestro suddenly defected from the Green Lantern Corps, the current leader was appointed in an emergency. He has not yet found two suitable deputies, so the two roles have been combined into one, currently held by Hal."

"I'm sure you've noticed that with the high concentration of responsibilities and lack of corresponding oversight, many operations have become feasible. This can save us from the legal process or the process of military threat, and we can still achieve our goal."

As Shiller was speaking, Bruce was staring at him intently. After listening, he said: "It seems your anxiety disorder is severe, severe enough to cause a split personality. Who are you really?"

"I am Shiller. But if you talk to the Shiller you know in this way, your final scores are likely to get into trouble." Shiller said, shaking his head.

Bruce was taken aback, before revealing a classic skeptical look on his face. Before he could press Shiller with more questions, Shiller grabbed the bill and said, "Even if the price on this is in US dollars, it's way too conservative."

"One traffic light lost at the Central Roundabout? 'Traffic light' isn't quite accurate. Have you forgotten? Gordon borrowed your Bat Light and refitted it as a traffic light for the Central Roundabout."

"What technology does your Bat Light use? ... Never mind, I wouldn't understand even if you explained it. Just write fusion technology."

Shiller put on his glasses, moving the bill further away from him and continuing to read with a furrowed brow. Soon, he continued, "The tar road surface was destroyed… hang on, when the entire ground has a 3.5-meter hole blown into it, that's just 'road surface damaged' to you?"

"Let me think… your Batcave does have a subterranean component, right? Is there a land permit?"

"Later, go to the mayor and register the Batcave as part of the Central Roundabout public construction area. Use the shared area for building a fire exit, report the damage to important equipment. As for what important equipment was damaged, it's up to you, Victor and the other tech guys."

"What else? Ah, here, the reconstruction of this part also needs a change."

"Remember what was said during the traffic planning? When the Central Roundabout was first established, it was too restrictive because the area was too small, limiting the flow of traffic. It would be just right to expand it now."

"By how much?"

"Would 2000 kilometers be enough?"

"... I'm afraid the Soviet Union won't agree." Bruce replied with a poker face, "If you're planning on turning the entire Pacific into Gotham's transportation hub, you might need to negotiate with the Kremlin first."

"Then, let's consider the Pacific as common area for Gotham... well, let's start with restoration according to the extent of the damage. How extensive is it?"

"It has been increased to 1.5 times the original diameter. According to the joint report by the City Planning Bureau and the Architecture Department of Gotham University, it is already large enough."

Shiller sighed deeply, took a glance at Merkel beside him, and asked, "Can we not make a call to the Kremlin?"

Bruce just looked at him with that classic expression, saying nothing. Shiller dropped his gaze to continue reading the report, then pointed at another item and said, "There is a big problem with the damaged warehouse."

Shiller pondered for a moment and said, "Do you have any plans to travel to the moon recently?"

Upon hearing this question, Bruce's countenance showed a slight change. Noticing Bruce's expression, Shiller froze for a moment and asked, "You don't actually have any plans to go to the moon, do you?"

Bruce remained expressionless. Shiller sighed and continued to look at the bill, saying, "Let's file all the warehouse goods as cosmic engine and corresponding parts, report the damage, and then report the costs of electronic waste disposal, chemical disposal, radiation and hazardous materials handling..."

"Are you trying to mortgage their planet to you?"

Shiller shook his head, "I don't want a massive planet of waste. Just the energy will suffice."

He put down the bill and looked at Bruce saying, "The military demands a budget every year to wage wars against oil-producing countries. It's not that they are interested in the desert land, but the oil fields beneath."

"The Emotional Spectrum is like the oil fields in the cosmos. At present, the human race does not have the capability to exploit this oil field on a large scale. Now we have two options; one is to continue stealing a bit of oil with the clumsy methods I used before, but this method is risky, unsustainable, and truly troublesome."

"The other method is similar to what the military and ourselves are doing now; start a war, create a bunch of trouble, rearrange their internal affairs, plant our own people, gradually destabilize their leadership, then make some of them willingly sell the oil to us."

"So, up next you are going to..."

Shiller put away all the bills, gently moved the beads on the abacus, then revealed a smile that Bruce had never seen before.

The next day, in the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps, in the detention chamber, Vice-Captain Owen stared hard at Hal in front of him. But Hal no longer spoke with the former angry tone. Instead, he calmly said:

"I guess you must be quite angry now, thinking that I've taken everything that should have been yours. But I must tell you, anger is useless."

"Did you come here to mock me, then?" Owen yelled in rage, but having been deprived of his lantern ring, he was powerless against Hal, who was covered in a strong green light.

"Don't be agitated. In a way, I can understand your sentiment. Don't you find the selection mechanism of the lantern to be rather unreasonable?"

Owen kept his icy gaze on Hal, but it was apparent that he was waiting for Hal to continue.

Hal turned the ring on his hand and said, "In truth, I wasn't particularly outstanding in my hometown. Before receiving this ring, I was a nobody, earning a meager salary doing dangerous work."

"In my hometown, there are too many individuals stronger than me. They are smarter than I am and more visionary than I am, but due to the elusive concept of willpower, they are denied this powerful force."

"I guess you are in the same state, aren't you?" Hal looked into Owen's eyes. Owen averted his gaze, but one could tell from his tight lips that Hal had hit a nerve.

"I surmise that you were an exceptional individual in your hometown, having received a good education since childhood, shown great talent, and achieved quite a bit growing up. You believed yourself to be an extraordinarily wise and talented person, but the lantern didn't choose you..."

"Enough!" Owen's tone was filled with restrained rage, as if someone had revealed his inner wound. He said, "If you came here to mock me, you have succeeded. Can you get out now?"

Hal crossed his arms, and said very calmly, "I'm not here to mock you from a victor's standpoint. I want to tell you that I, too, find it unfair."

"My hometown is in a remote area, but there are many talents there. They are denied by these vague rules, while in contrast, in some prosperous sectors, more people can have this powerful force. I don't think this is fair."

"If my mother star could have several lantern heroes, we might have flown out into the cosmos long ago. Now that I am in this position, why shouldn't I seek some benefits for my homeland?"

Owen turned his head, looking into Hal's eyes. He couldn't see a hint of jest in Hal's eyes. Suddenly, he smirked coldly and said, "I knew it. All those who shout about justice are just putting on an act."

"Tylenol is the corps commander, and you are the vice commander. Whom should one try to please, isn't it clear? But also, it's clear whom one should do business with."

"What do you want to do?" Owen fixed his eyes on Hal and asked.

"I've already said…" Hal drew close to Owen and looked at him: "No matter how we got to this position, we can join forces to take back what we deserve."

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