Chapter 810: Red Hood (Part Four) (Patreon)

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Jason stood at the street corner for a moment, noticing the faint shadow of a car approaching. He turned his head to Red Hood and said, "Later, when we stop in the middle of the road, claim that you're collecting protection fees for the gang and insist on inspecting the cargo compartment for contraband."

"Is that going to work?" Red Hood raised an objection. He said, "Although I'm not familiar with gang rules, aren't the gang checkpoints in fixed locations? If you stop in the middle of the road, the truck driver might just ram through."

"I didn't expect you to have some experience," Jason looked at Red Hood and asked, making Red Hood feel a sudden chill as he realized that this kid was more perceptive than he had imagined.

Red Hood shook his head, and Jason continued, "Gotham drivers might behave that way, but the drivers here aren't from Gotham. They're hired from out of town by those rich people. They're terrified of gangs, especially with your current appearance, which makes you look like a lunatic. He'll undoubtedly open the doors without a word for us to inspect."

"Then, when the time comes, I'll sneak into the cargo hold and ride into the hotel with the truck. You don't need to get on the truck; just stay at the public telephone booth by the road where we came from. Once I've succeeded, you can pick me up here..."

Red Hood didn't object to this plan. In fact, there was little to object to. It sounded perfect, but he still asked, "Are you sure you'll be able to get out of the hotel unscathed?"

"I'm not sure," Jason shook his head. "I've never been to such a high-end hotel. I have no idea what the environment is like inside or who might be there. But none of that matters. Sometimes, you just have to take a gamble."

Red Hood fell silent, and the plan continued. The truck's headlights shone from around the corner, casting shadows on the wall, like a rising sun.

The sun moved from the west back to the east, reversing time to earlier in the daytime.

A hand reached up to adjust the lampshade, aligning the desk lamp's position. The hand holding the pen slowly lowered, accompanied by a sigh. Schiller rubbed his temples.

"Knock, knock, knock," came a knocking sound on the door. Schiller said, "Come in."

Appearing at the door was Evans, holding a notebook, as he walked in while reading and said, "Professor, I've completed the pathological analysis for the patient in hospital room 2. Would you like to review it?"

Schiller pointed to the desk, and Evans handed him the notebook. Schiller looked at it and said, "Well written. Send it to Dr. Brand for treatment following this analysis."

"Evans, your grades are excellent. You should consider entering the competition for outstanding graduates. I can help you prepare the materials, and if you get selected, you'll receive a cash prize and can even get recommendation letters from faculty members for postgraduate studies."

"Thank you, Professor, but I don't plan to participate," Evans said apologetically. "I feel it's a bit unfair since, in reality, two people have been studying. I have twice the time of others."

Schiller raised an eyebrow and said, "It seems like you care about academic fairness, but your situation is unique and should still be considered in the competition... Oh, by the way, Gotham University has a medical subsidy. Have you applied for it?"

Evans shook his head, and Schiller took out a piece of paper from a drawer. "I'll write you a diagnostic report for dissociative identity disorder. When you return to school next week, make sure to claim it."

Evans smiled at Schiller and said, "Professor, you seem quite happy. Did something good happen?"

Schiller's hand, holding the paper, paused for a moment. He said, "It's somewhat good news. I've found a student with exceptional talent—smart, perceptive, and eager to learn."

"In the past few days of mentoring him, I've felt invigorated. Oh, by the way, the reason I'm in such high spirits is not just because of him. It's also because Bruce Wayne has finally stopped coming to school."

"I was about to ask, where did Bruce go?" Evans asked with some confusion. "The younger student Lex from the lower grades even came looking for him, but I didn't know where he had gone, so I couldn't inform him."

"Bruce? He should be lying in the hospital right now. He had some trouble recently and sustained serious injuries, but he's recovering quickly. He's expected to be discharged next week," Schiller said as he continued to write the diagnostic report.

Then his hand paused again as he said, "If I allow Bruce Wayne to graduate, do you think it's unfair?"

"What's unfair about it?" Evans shook his head and said, "We all know he's going to graduate, even if it's with a delay. He'll definitely graduate."

"And whether or not he has a degree won't affect Wayne Enterprises in any way. He can go his whole life without graduating. So, graduation or not doesn't really matter."

Schiller's hand paused once more as he said, "Are you sure all students feel the same way?"

Evans replied, "What's the matter, Professor? Why are you suddenly concerned about Bruce Wayne graduating? Weren't you saying earlier that he doesn't have enough credits?"

Schiller sighed and stood up, walking over to the window to look at the sky outside. He said, "Certainly, the thesis is important because you must first master the theoretical knowledge to apply it in practice."

"However, if someone has already found their own path in practice, rules and regulations shouldn't hinder their progress; otherwise, it becomes another form of academic misconduct."

"If we want to maintain fairness, we must acknowledge every aspect of professional competence, rather than fixate solely on theory," Schiller sighed again, lowering his eyelids. He continued, "Moreover, if we focus solely on theoretical knowledge, his last-revised thesis is passable as an undergraduate dissertation."

"The only headache for me is that he skipped the first round of internships and missed the second round as well. No matter how you look at it, he won't have enough credits..." Schiller massaged his temples and said, "I never thought I'd be more worried about his graduation than Bruce Wayne's."

"To be honest, Professor, if you hadn't held him back from graduating in the first place, no one would find it strange if he graduated smoothly. After all, his wealth is well-known, and everyone can see that Wayne Enterprises has been sponsoring the school for years. No one would want to give him a hard time," Evans said, pinching his finger. "His financial status is evident, and even for the sake of Wayne Enterprises' long-standing sponsorship, no one would want to hinder him."

"Do you think I'm being too strict?" Schiller asked.

"Gotham needs a strict teacher like you," Evans also looked out the window and said.

"I know that every student is different. If I demand the same goal from all of them, it would only reveal my arrogance and have no other purpose, potentially even undermining their confidence," Schiller said in his usual calm tone.

"I thought I had set the right standards for Bruce Wayne, but I realized I demanded too much and too little from him."

Evans didn't quite understand what Schiller was saying, but Schiller seemed to be speaking to himself. He continued, "Expecting someone with a history of losing parents at a young age and suffering from mental illness to excel academically might be asking too much. However, the progress he's made in practice has been astonishing."

"If the standards are set too high, his mental stability might not allow him to focus on learning. But if the standards are set too low, it would waste his remarkable talent. How can we fairly judge his achievements in psychology?"

"Are you troubled by this, Professor?" Evans asked, but then he said very directly, "I have a suggestion."

"What's your suggestion?" Schiller asked.

"I believe the best way to assess someone's competence in psychology is through practical application."

"You mean, making him a doctor?" Schiller shook his head and said, "No, his mental state isn't stable enough to provide treatment to others for an extended period. It might affect his own mental stability. So, that's not an option."

"No, I'm not talking about medical applications; I'm talking about everyday life applications," Evans said, spreading his hands. "In everyday life, we constantly analyze people's psychology, perceive their emotions, and make the right responses."

"If one becomes proficient in this skill, it can bring many advantages in daily life. For example, when someone displays a certain emotion, we can use theoretical analysis to understand the cause of that emotion and unravel the context behind the event."

"If someone exhibits a certain state, we can use rational analysis to infer their current psychological state. If we can understand someone's psychology in advance, we can take the initiative in conversations."

"You've learned quite well," Schiller praised. "Many students complain when memorizing definitions from books."

"Professor, I think this is a very useful discipline. Alberto thinks so too. That's why we studied it so seriously. He believes that by taking this course, we can perceive the psychology of others. Once we notice that someone's state is off, we can react in advance."

"What I'm suggesting as the most effective way to demonstrate professional competence is to place him in a different and unfamiliar environment and have him achieve success through communication and interaction with others."

"But how can you be sure that his achievements in this unfamiliar environment are solely due to his high-level psychology skills? What if it's due to other factors?" Schiller asked.

"That's where the degree of his integration into most groups in this new environment comes into play. If he gains an advantage through other means, he might be highly praised and receive significant attention, but he won't integrate deeply into the local group."

"On the contrary, if he truly integrates into the majority of groups in a short time, it indicates that, in addition to his natural emotional intelligence and empathy, he must have used his professional skills."

Schiller nodded and smiled at Evans, saying, "I just mentioned that I found a new talented student, but I forgot that there's one right here."

Evans lowered his head modestly and smiled, saying, "I'm really sorry, Professor. Because of my special background, I'm afraid I won't be able to go far on the academic road. You've invested so much time and effort, but you haven't gained a promising disciple."

Schiller turned back and sat down behind his desk. He said, "Godfather once asked me about your academic progress, and I answered honestly, but I didn't overly praise you because I didn't want him to have high expectations for the psychology field."

"If someone lacks this kind of talent, it would bring them a lot of pain. But if they possess such talent, the pain cannot be avoided. However, if a talented person doesn't undergo systematic learning, this talent might become a lifelong affliction. If they do study, they might even become experts."

"I believe the student with great potential is like this. He has too many questions waiting to be answered. If he continues without answers, he'll start to feel like an outcast sooner or later."

"Psychology can't completely answer his questions. There's no discipline in the world that can fill the void in his heart. But at least it can make him realize that he's normal and prevent him from descending into a deeper abyss."

"I once told Godfather that studying psychology is either madness or death..."

"But in reality, the cause-and-effect relationship is completely reversed. Only madmen and those seeking death truly want to delve into this field."

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 811: Red Hood (Part Five)