Chapter 777 Deadly Joke (Part Four) (Patreon)

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Bruce, free from the academic pressures, returned to his idle daytime life and his nighttime activities as Batman, fighting crime. His first task was to check on the children he had previously rescued.

The kids he had sent to the hospital had mostly recovered physically, but the external injuries from abuse and the long-term effects of malnutrition still required attention.

Bruce had expected to find a group of children in good spirits during his visit to the hospital this time. However, upon entering the specially rented hospital room at a high cost, he was greeted by a chaotic scene.

The room emitted an indescribable stench, with dirty substances smeared on the white walls, whether vomit or excrement was uncertain. Food remnants and broken trays were scattered on the floor, and none of the children were lying on their beds. Some sat against the walls, while others curled up in the corners, asleep.

Bruce felt a surge of anger. He called the doctor and nurses, demanding, "What happened here? I spent a fortune renting the best hospital room, hiring the best caregivers. Why is it in such a state?"

Understandably, he was upset. He had personally brought these children here as Bruce Wayne, even going as far as renting two connected hospital rooms on the top floor, hiring the best caregivers, and generously tipping all the medical staff. Yet, despite his efforts, the children were still being cared for in this manner, infuriating anyone who saw it.

However, the doctors and nurses were also helpless. The head nurse spoke up, "Mr. Wayne, this is a hospital, not a school. We can't educate these children."

She sighed, glanced at the chaotic scene in the hospital room, and continued, "These children have severe psychological issues. Our medical staff is at risk just approaching them. Rose? Rose, are you here?"

The head nurse called another nurse, a young intern named Rose, who walked over. The head nurse held Rose's hand to show Bruce. On Rose's arm was a deep wound, still red with the marks of stitches not completely healed.

"Rose and Sophia are responsible for the daily maintenance of this hospital room. About a week ago, before she left work, Rose came in to check if the beds were properly arranged," the head nurse explained.

"When she entered, all the children were looking at her quietly, so she didn't suspect anything. However, as she adjusted the beds, one of the children rushed at her, using a broken tray shard to cut her arm. She needed seven stitches."

The head nurse grew angrier as she spoke, "Rose just graduated this year, and because of her excellence, we assigned her to take care of these children. We want nothing more than for them to have a better life."

"Rose checks the children's wounds every day, but they show no appreciation. Besides this cut, her arm has several bite marks from these children. Sophia has the same experience."

The head nurse was obviously different from the ordinary nurses, more assertive. Even facing Bruce Wayne, she could point out the problems confidently, stating, "Mr. Wayne, we understand you might have seen these children on the road, felt pity, and brought them here. But dealing with these issues is not as simple as a momentary act of kindness. They need long-term treatment and education, and they require teachers more than doctors to correct some of their behaviors."

As the head nurse's words grew more intense, the attending doctor intervened, sighing, "Mr. Wayne, you must have noticed that our medical team has truly done their best."

"Two senior nurses, two new nurses, three top-notch nursing aides, a head nurse, a chief physician—all have been monitoring this hospital room. We've even brought in a psychiatry doctor to guide them. But, you should know, children of this age don't need doctors checking their bodies every day. They need parents, a sense of security, and love."

"Otherwise, even if we keep them in a hospital room and care for them meticulously, they will still turn everything into this mess."

Bruce touched his face, saying, "Alright, I acknowledge I've been busy lately. After bringing them here, I haven't paid much attention to them. But now, I need a plan, at least something that can help them lead a normal life."

The doctor and head nurse exchanged a glance, and the head nurse said, "Though it may sound heartless, Mr. Wayne, sometimes bringing stray cats home is not entirely a good thing. It may harm both parties involved."

"They have already adapted to the wilderness, even managing to survive in the lowest levels of Gotham. If you insist on forcibly changing their way of life, be prepared for a long and entangled commitment with them."

Bruce took a deep breath and said, "I invest millions of dollars in charity every year. You should trust my determination in philanthropy."

The doctor nodded and said, "If you fully understand that this is not something money alone can deal with, our hospital can provide you with specific psychological treatment plans. However, the implementation may have to be done by yourself."

Bruce nodded, saying, "Give me your professional advice, and leave the rest to me. I refuse to believe that I cannot save these few children."

After the doctor left, Bruce stood outside the door, looking at the children. Perhaps treating only their physical wounds wouldn't address the root problem. If he was willing to invest more and adopt more professional treatment methods, addressing both physiological and psychological aspects, real change might be possible.

Back at Wayne Tower, Bruce immediately summoned employees for a meeting. Standing in front of the table, he spoke with a determined tone, "Outside of Wayne Charitable Foundation, I will establish an independent foundation focused on the physiological and psychological health issues of children under 10 in Gotham. I hope that professionals can come up with effective strategies to thoroughly improve the living environment for the children in this city."

The employees below didn't show much surprise. They were accustomed to their boss's impulsive decisions.

But this time, Bruce was resolute.

In the past, he would never have done this because he believed that Bruce couldn't save Gotham, only Batman could.

Before, he strongly opposed doing anything as Bruce, but after so many experiences, he finally understood that he should try not to be confined by a specific identity but rather focus on results, putting in maximum effort to achieve a goal.

Soon, the foundation's plan was ready, and the hospital's treatment plan was also delivered. Bruce first examined the psychological treatment plan provided by the central hospital but was dissatisfied with it.

This plan focused on medication treatment, aiming to soothe emotions and reduce agitation. Although Bruce was not a doctor himself, he had studied psychology for a long time, and his psychology professor, Schiller, leaned towards the traditional school and disliked prescribing medication unnecessarily.

Bruce didn't hesitate for too long on this plan. Sitting in his office, he picked up a pen and began to write his own plan.

Bruce Wayne's education from childhood to adulthood was the epitome of elite education. Therefore, when he, as Bruce, began to deal with Gotham's problems, the first plan he presented opened up a broader perspective.

Firstly, in the name of Wayne Enterprises, he established the Gotham Mental and Psychological Issues Research Center, summoning the world's most famous psychologists and mental health experts to analyze the specific psychological problems arising from different societal classes, including children's groups.

Then, he established a dedicated charity foundation to analyze the living conditions of Gotham's children from a societal and humanistic perspective. The goal was to identify and invest in reversing particularly adverse situations, such as abuse, excessive labor, and severe illnesses.

Afterward, he founded a specialized children protection organization to eliminate the impact of threats during the improvement process.

Finally, Bruce wrote down a single word on the paper—education.

He lingered on this word for a long time. The daunting workload made even Wayne Enterprises hesitate.

Suddenly, he realized that his initial idea of saving a city with the scale of Wayne Enterprises might be simpler. He had thought too naively.

The greater the ability, the more one could accomplish, but there were also more ambitions. To satisfy these ambitions, one needed even greater abilities. People were like this, wanting ten times the result for one dollar spent, a hundred times the result for a hundred dollars spent, and a billion dollars for ten billion dollars spent.

Bruce suddenly realized that the Wayne Enterprises he once thought had reached its peak was not omnipotent. With such a global scale, it would still be very challenging to improve basic education for a city.

Thinking of this, Bruce Wayne suddenly found that he had too much to do.

He was wealthy now, but not wealthy enough. His intelligence was high, but there were still strategies he couldn't think of. His determination was firm, but he still felt the road ahead was long. His vengeful heart burned fiercely, but on a rainy night in Gotham's darkness, it was just a small flame on the verge of extinguishing.

Batman stood on the rooftop of Wayne Tower, overlooking the city once again. He found that the abyss here was endless.

He realized he was like a bat hanging in the attic, not knowing how far he was from the ground.

When he truly began to implement his plans, he discovered that this was a vast and intricate endeavor, not something he could grasp at a glance or control with a single palm.

Unfurling his cape again and soaring downward, passing countless lights, Batman thought that the bat sleeping in the attic was just a useless creature kicked out by the house owner, an unnoticed pest.

To truly save this city, he had to embrace the determination to touch the ground and fall. Only then would he know how deep the abyss was and how heavy the suffering was.

To know how difficult it was to light a lamp in this place.

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 778: Deadly Joke (Part 5)