Chapter 794: Deadly Joke (21)_1

In the end, Bruce did not choose to return to Selina's newly rented house. He worried that he might suffer a stroke from either food poisoning or high blood pressure if he continued to stay.

During the course of their romance, Bruce speculated time and again about the type of environment Selina lived in and the experiences that shaped her compelling persona.

At that time, Bruce had an undefined perspective about the East District, and he felt sympathy for everyone there, including Catwoman.

However, when he went there, he realized he was the one to be pitied, as Selina seemed to adapt exceptionally well.

She was like a fish in Shallow Bay, not a single pebble could escape her attention. Whether it be renting a place, taking public transportation, finding jobs, buying groceries, all of which Bruce would need to learn slowly, Selina seemed to handle effortlessly.

Of course, it could be attributed to the fact that Bruce had been there for less than two months, while Selina had spent 20 years there. However, men often possess extra pride, particularly when facing their girlfriends.

The truths Selina revealed made him understand he had really been tricked. Yet, at the same time, he felt bewildered.

He had not heard any calls for help or complaints about the miserable life in the slum.

While strangers could have refrained from showing weakness, Bruce realized, upon reflection, that even Selina who was very close to him, never uttered an ill word about the slum.

This was astounding, considering Selina was a fortunate girl from the slums who made it to the upper-class communities. After dating Bruce, she had dined in high-end restaurants throughout Gotham and the entire East Coast, lived in luxury hotels, and been accompanied by chauffeurs and bodyguards throughout.

She felt like a genuine high-born lady who had seen the worldly desires and prosperity. Bruce once imagined listening to Selina's vulnerable inner self and her unbearable past. He also wondered if Selina had distanced herself from him because she realized their different class statuses.

But on this day, Bruce discovered that Selina had never felt inferior because of his background, and that she could still live well in the slum even after having enjoyed the most luxurious life.

This was strange, wasn't it? Bruce thought. People strive their lifetime to climb the social ladder to create a better living environment, and it is generally easier to transition from frugality to extravagance than the reverse. Any house in Hell's Kitchen would look like a shabby shack after having lived in Wayne Manor.

But Selina did not seem to dislike it here. She had no intention of letting Bruce Wayne take her away. Bruce even got the impression that Selina seemed to prefer living here.

What is there to like in this place?

Confused by this question and given his own bitter experiences, Bruce thought people here should feel as though they've descended into Hell.

Yet, when he regained a slightly more objective mindset and was no longer controlled by his emotions, he found that people here were not negative at all. To some extent, they could even be characterized as optimistic.

The smiles they showed were perhaps not bitter but genuine.

Again, this shook Bruce. He believed that he might wrestle with this question for a long time, and that he should stay here to find the true answer.

Soon, he had new trouble.

Following Constantine, Gordon, Harvey, Alfred, and Selina, a person who should have found this place sooner finally did—Shiller.

Shiller was awakened in the middle of one night by a call from Victor.

The first thing Victor said was, "Shiller, I need to tell you something, but please don't get angry. Really, calm down, don't get angry..."

At that moment, Shiller felt slightly annoyed at being woken up by the call, but because it was Victor, he could tolerate it. However, what Victor said next made Shiller absolutely livid.

Victor told him that Bruce Wayne, his once prized student, and now known as Batman, had missed class for an entire month and had not shown up for the first round of internships after Shiller loosened the reins.

Those who have ever been teachers, parents, or even elder siblings know this situation is the most aggravating: when you believe a stubborn child is finally showing signs of improvement, they turn around and make an even larger mistake.

Absenteeism from class for a month at Gotham University is a major issue. Shiller would have no hesitation writing a student's death certificate if any other student missed class for that long, but lo and behold, this student happened to be Batman.

Even though Shiller was keen on writing Batman's death certificate, his logic told him that Batman was unlikely to have died, and he would not have been dead for a month, even if he had.

Reluctantly, Shiller admitted that Batman had progressed a lot. Apart from his fighting skills and inventiveness that were already present, he had also made slight progress in dealing with people and in his emotional IQ.

The external environment of Gotham had become a bit more peaceful due to Shiller's various interventions. Everyone was busy making money and disregarding Batman.

With the right timing and favorable conditions, the likelihood of Batman's death was minimal. Therefore, if he was still alive, why didn't he attend class?

With this question in mind, Shiller found a haggard Bruce in the East District.

When Shiller saw him, he thought he had seen it wrong. He asked Grey Mist to adjust his visual cells, ensuring that he was not hallucinating.

When Shiller and Bruce met on the street, Bruce was wearing a dirty gray jacket, muddy pants, mismatched rain boots, and held an umbrella with three broken ribs.

More unusually, Bruce now had a beard, shoulder-length hair, hollow cheeks, and a large burn scar from the neck to the cheekbone. His face bore marks of chemical corrosion.

At the sight of such an image, Shiller almost yelled 'Joker', not until he used his Spirit Vision did he confirm that this was Bruce, Bruce Wayne, a man who was called Batman just over a month ago.

Both stared at each other speechless.

Shiller speculated that Bruce might have done something, yet he had no idea what to say to Bruce in such a state.

He stood for at least two minutes before approaching Bruce. He tapped the ground in front of Bruce's feet with his umbrella, saying:

"Maybe you should just go back and work on your thesis."

Bruce was taken aback too. He hadn't expected the professor's first word after two months' absence would be this.

Bruce had never hoped to hear any kind words from Shiller, this professor despised the world in a condescending manner.

His language was based on the assumption that everyone had owed him millions. His style was to equally breach the defenses of anyone he spoke to, no one was exempt.

Bruce was certain that this was the most moderate sentence he had heard since he knew Shiller. The professor hadn't even mentioned absenteeism and homework.

With a sigh, Shiller said, "No matter what made you become like this, no matter what you are struggling with now, you can always go back to school. It's a great place for anyone, including you, Batman."

"Thank you, but I don't want to go back," Bruce said, feeling a ringing in his ears.

"Where do you want to go?" Shiller asked, frowning.

"I want to stay here, stay in the slum, and live here."

Shiller looked around. They were on a very chaotic street in the East District. Even now, greedy eyes from the dark alley were targeting every living thing here.

"Why do you want to stay here?" Shiller asked again.

"Because I want to know what it feels like to live in a slum," Bruce answered very frankly again, which was totally unlike him.

"Life in a slum?" Shiller frowned, showing a puzzled look. But Bruce took the initiative and asked,

"Professor, have you ever lived in a slum? Do you know what life is like here?"

Shiller paused and began to search in his Tower of Thought archives.

He was sure that he had never lived in any slum. In his previous life, he had studied diligently and never left big cities after graduation. Though the general conditions were not very good, it certainly was not defined as a slum.

After coming to these two worlds, the DC World, Shiller had been living in Gotham University and then bought the manor. Both places were far from what was known as a slum. The closest he came to a slum was when he was living in Hell's Kitchen in Marvel's New York.

But in fact, that could not be considered a slum, but a gathering place for gangs. Though the public order was not good, the living conditions were not poor.

Indeed, it was once the most famous slum in Manhattan Area, but that was a long time ago. Now, Hell's Kitchen is very close to the commercial district of Manhattan, with just a few tens of minutes' commute, so it could be seen as a prime location. Even Stark no longer considers it a slum.

And now it was the 1990s, even the relatively affluent East Coast still had lots of slums. The slums in Gotham were dominant. In other cities, the normal and wealthy areas were the main parts, and the slums were additional. But in Gotham, the normal and wealthy areas were additional.

"What do you want to say?" Shiller looked at Bruce and asked.

"Do you know how tough it is to live in a slum?" Bruce said. As soon as his words fell, he saw a very puzzled look on the face of the professor opposite him, and then he heard Shiller ask in a confused tone:

"Is it difficult to live in a slum? What's so hard about it?"

Then, under Shiller's astonished gaze, Bruce showed a very stiff smile. Although the smile was shallow and appeared to be crying, he still smiled.

With a somewhat rigid expression fleeting across his face, Shiller slowly opened his mouth and said, "I'm not worried about the slums, I'm more worried about your mental state now..."

"But I want to stay here and I don't want to go anywhere else," said Bruce. "If you want to treat me, you have to stay here."

Shiller pursed his lips and said, "So you mean, you don't want to attend classes and want to drag me to skip classes with you. Aren't you a bit too much, Bruce?"

"Besides, what's so hard about living in a slum? Is it harder than a thesis? You've almost finished revising your thesis, can't you handle the slum?"

Bruce looked into Shiller's eyes and said, "Would you like to give it a try?"

Shiller was genuinely puzzled. He said, "You're not serious, are you? Do you really think living in such a place is harder than living in the upper class?"

Then, with a sigh, he said, "Well, since most students have gone to internships, I'll just stay here for a while."