Chương 1234: Chapter 831: The Charm of Education (Part 3)_1

As night descended, a long-absent shadow appeared on top of a building, accompanied by an even smaller figure.

Two shadows leaped between the buildings. The leading shadow was cloaked, with a fit figure exuding strength, like a cheetah.

The figure trailing behind, though shorter and leaner, had a stance that was more smooth and graceful, like a bird soaring through the sky.

"This is so awesome!!!!!!" Dick yelled as he ran, "I never knew running and jumping could be this fun!!!!!!"

"You can go even faster!" Batman yelled back. After speaking, he launched the grappling hook from his wrist, swinging to the roof of another building. Dick followed suit. When they landed, he took a deep breath, crouched down and looked at the city lights below.

He wasn't in costume, merely wearing a simple hoodie and sweatpants, with only a Robin mask on his face. His eyes twinkled beneath the mask.

"This is so fantastic! I feel like there's a motor in my lungs that is now in overdrive. It hurts a bit, but it's really exhilarating!" Dick spoke between breaths, "I thought I wasn't good at physical activities…"

Batman stood beside him, a silhouette in the light, due to his black attire. He said, " You have to keep moving to know just how wonderful it feels to have exhausted every ounce of your strength..."

"Yes, I feel it!" Dick's mask glowed golden under the lights, he stated, " I want a costume too, a black one like yours. That would be so cool!"

Batman paused for a moment, then replied, "If that's what you want, you'd better learn how to make one first. Then you will know what you want, and how to do it."

Dick seemed to want to avoid the topic. He asked, "What are we doing next? Are we going to fight crime?"

"Yes, but in a more fundamental way."

Half an hour later, the two of them arrived at the top of the Living Hell Building. Batman took out a notebook from his suit and handed it to Dick, saying, "Now go around here and tally up how many overpasses there are and note them down for me."

Dick looked at the notebook and pen in his hands, slightly confused, "Wait, what? We need to take notes to fight crime?"

"I said, you need to go around here, count how many overpasses there are, write them down, and give it to me." Batman patiently repeated his instruction, "If possible, jot down the shape and length of each bridge as well, and look at the traffic flow at this time."

"You go south, I'll go north. We meet back here in half an hour." And with that, Batman hopped off with another notebook, leaving a thoroughly confused Dick alone in the cold wind.

Counting overpasses? What kind of strange task is that? Dick wondered. He'd imagined that his first mission with Batman would involve thrilling fights, cunning strategies, epic stories...

But this...counting bridges around the Living Hell? Dick just couldn't understand.

However, he was still rather pleased with his day. Sneaking in to play with the gymnastics equipment while Bruce was out was lots of fun, though he was caught. Dick thought Bruce would scold him stonefaced and then force him to do homework.

But, to his surprise, not only did Bruce let him play, but he also joined him. Bruce even held him up, helping him backpack flip nine consecutive times. Now they were out just taking in the night air. It was a dreamlife beyond his imagination.

So, he did as he was told, despite his confusion. He went around the southern part of Living Hell, took note of all the overpasses, and even created structural drawings. As soon as he returned to their meeting spot, he immediately handed over his notes.

Batman opened the notebook and seemed a bit surprised. Dick had noted everything in great detail. Besides what Batman had asked, he had even calculated the minute-by-minute traffic flow, and had noted both the common and official names of every overpass.

Batman put aside the notebook and saw Dick looking at him, his eyes shining with anticipation. At that moment, Batman felt a strange emotion stirring in his heart.

He thought, perhaps, this was the charm of education.

"That's the charm of education...." Shiller's voice came across. Jason lifted his shirt for Shiller to inspect his wound. While examining it, Shiller said, "Not only will theoretical knowledge teach you a lot, but so will practice. Practice will guide you to think more deeply. If you find yourself struggling, it means that you're lacking in theoretical knowledge..."

"The wound has healed completely, there's not even a scar left. But I still have to ask, how exactly did you get this wound?" Shiller removed the cotton swab, and let Jason drop his shirt. They then moved over to the guest area of the office. Jason took a sip of water, and started explaining.

"Originally, the infiltration plan was going smoothly. I successfully made it into a hotel on a transport truck. But because I'd never dealt with carpets before, I didn't know which type would hold footprints. I wasn't careful and left a footprint at the edge of the carpet between the hallway and the room."

Jason sighed, "I was really careful, but still left a little trace. Because my foot size is very different from that of adults, it drew the attention of security."

"They thought that a guest's child had run out. They were afraid that the hotel would be held responsible if a child got injured, so they were very tense."

"A security guard found me in a storeroom. I was originally planning to hide there and wait for Savage to come out through the door crack. But to my surprise, he barged right in."

"I looked different from the children of the hotel guests, and I was wet from the rain. He was very alert and wanted to drag me out. I saw the gun on his belt and knew I had to run."

"I darted out from beside him, but he still managed to grab my arm. Even before he heard the noise in the prop room, he had the dagger in his hand. He swung backward and I took a hit..."

Jason shook his head, "The gap between us is too huge. He probably weighs twice as much as I do, I can't fight him head-on, so running was my only option."

"However, my recklessness and lack of careful reconnaissance also contributed to this. If I had discovered earlier, maybe things wouldn't have ended this way."

Shiller also took a sip of water and asked, "Have I ever told you how to incapacitate someone when they have a significant size advantage?"

Jason turned his head with interest, "Professor, you know about this stuff? Hmm, you don't look like someone who knows how to fight... "

"Indeed, I don't like resorting to violence to solve problems, but there are some tricks worth knowing when self-defense is necessary."

Jason stared at him with hopeful eyes, "That's great! Professor, if you could teach me, I could pass it on to the other kids in the gang. They're okay when it comes to brawling with other kids, but against adults, they can't even outrun them..."

Shiller chuckled again, got his umbrella, and Jason watched as Shiller dismantled the umbrella strap. The strap was detachable, secured to the umbrella canopy with a button, and could be turned into a separate tie strap.

Shiller straightened the umbrella strap, "I once saw a case…"

"A little girl who had been abused by her father long term and malnourished with little strength, still managed to kill her father using a shoelace…"

"Jason, did you know? When someone's neck is resting against the top of the backrest of a chair at just the right angle, if they get caught in a rope from behind, they won't be able to break free."

Just as Jason was about to speak, Shiller handed him the umbrella strap. "If you ever need to tie something with an umbrella, this is a good option, just remember not to lose it."

Jason took the strap, looked at the satin sheen, and swallowed without saying anything. Shiller asked him, "Earlier, you mentioned you've been pondering something. What is it?"

"I... when I heard Bruce say, 'The old order should give way,' I was deeply shocked."

"I've thought about it countless times but didn't know who to talk to. I want to say, these damn people exploiting us should die, they should have been overthrown a long time ago, but I've never shouted it out..."

"Why?" Shiller asked.

"Because I didn't think of the words, like 'the old order' or something, I didn't know how to express it, perhaps my grammar isn't good enough, I can't think of so many words…" Jason frowned, "I feel like there must be a word in this world that can express what I'm trying to say, but I don't know what it is."

"Then you should really read more books." Shiller replied, "You can tell me directly what problem you are trying to express, and I can help you find the books."

Having said that, he stood up, wandered over to the bookshelf, running his fingers along the spines, suggesting, "Philosophy… Sociology… perhaps you need this one?"

Jason continued to speak while sitting on the couch, "Ever since I took over the Tail Gang, a mobster once broke a kid's leg just because he picked up a cigarette butt too close to him."

"Since then, I've felt angry, but others simply shrugged it off saying at least he's alive, it was his fault for picking up the cigarette butt anyway, but I was really angry."

"This kind of anger makes me want to scream, but I have no words to express my feelings, all I know is that when I heard him scream, I wanted those who bully us to disappear."

"But I know it isn't that simple. Any extreme moves I make would implicate those around me, no kids would survive."

"I can move the Tail Gang from here to somewhere else, but we will still be bullied wherever we go. We could move again, but we will always be wanderers, can't we find a safe place where everyone has food to eat and no one is bullied?"

"I've expressed my viewpoints, but no one agreed with me. They all said the status quo is good enough, everyone's gone through it, some even warned me not to let others hear what I was saying, or else we'd all be doomed…"

Shiller stopped sifting through books. He checked his wristwatch, then said, "The afternoon class is about to start, I should probably go. Help yourself to the books here."

Having said that, he left without looking back. Jason caught the key words in his tone, and after Shiller left, he got up and walked over to the bookshelf.

He noticed a book slightly protruding, sandwiched slanted between other books. Jason looked around before reaching out and pulling it out.

He flipped open the book to the first page, and there it read:

"A specter is haunting Europe…"

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