Chapter 821: Deep Behind Enemy Lines - Batman (Part 2) (Patreon)

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In the classroom of Gotham University, Professor Schiller, who was explaining the requirements for the second round of internships, cleared his throat gently. Evans, seated in the front row, jolted awake, his bewildered expression giving way to attention as he met Schiller's gaze. He coughed softly and lowered his head.

Schiller continued, "The second round of internships will no longer be limited to campus simulations. You must go to Arkham Asylum and familiarize yourselves with the diagnostic procedures there."

He went on, "The next two months will be your best opportunity to get involved in this society. If you wish to secure a relatively dignified job in this city, then these fifteen hospitals in Gotham City, all qualified in mental and psychological therapy, will be your way out."

Schiller paused briefly after this statement, noticing that Evans had once again fallen asleep. He sighed, choosing not to wake him during the lecture. Instead, after class, he called Evans over to the podium and asked, "What's going on? Why are you so exhausted?"

Evans rubbed his eyes and replied, "Well, Professor... I've been quite busy lately, staying up late..."

Inwardly, Evans sighed. He knew Schiller disliked students dozing off in his class. Throughout his four years at Gotham University, he had maintained a diligent and hardworking image, never once falling asleep in class.

However, Evans had his own difficulties. The internships at Gotham University were not mandatory, but with Schiller overseeing them, no one dared to skip. The first round of internships, while labeled as such, was more akin to analyzing simulated cases, resembling group assignments.

Yet, in Gotham, serious students were scarce, and those with some level of competency were even rarer. Essentially, Evans had done the entire project by himself.

Moreover, as the logistics industry slowly recovered, the original logistics management center of the Falcone Family became inadequate, and the Godfather had entrusted the construction of a secondary center to his own son.

Initially, things went smoothly, with all warehouse facilities and hardware established, and transportation well-organized. However, as soon as the first batch of goods arrived, unexpected guests intruded.

Alberto was a perfectionist who couldn't accept misunderstandings in his plans at the final stage. Therefore, he was working tirelessly to investigate the background of this Vandal Savage, even though they had two personalities, their body was one, and the constant workload was taking a toll on their mental state. Evans explained, "Alberto told me that a strange person entered our territory, and the opponent's identity is somewhat complicated. He is investigating it, and I'm responsible during the daytime, while he handles it at night. We haven't rested in a long time..."

Schiller looked at his tired expression but didn't say much. He simply said, "If you're truly exhausted, take a few days off. The requirements for the second round of internships are here; take a good look at them when you get back."

After Evans left, Schiller shook his head.

Soon, it was afternoon, and inside the classroom of Gotham University, Schiller was reviewing a textbook, making annotations. After a while, he glanced at his wristwatch and furrowed his brow.

He knew that it had rained heavily last night, and Gotham's drainage system had faced a severe test, resulting in flooding on the roads and various traffic issues. Traffic jams were expected. However, it had been an hour since Jason was supposed to attend class, and he hadn't shown up or called. Schiller felt that something was amiss.

Even if he were stuck in traffic or delayed due to some children's activities, he should have found a way to call. Instead, he had disappeared without a word. Schiller stood up from his seat, intending to find Jason.

Schiller knew where the Red Hood Gang's territory was; Jason had informed him. However, when he arrived on the street with his umbrella, there was no sign of Jason. Schiller stopped a passing child and asked, "Do you know Jason Todd? Where is he now?"

The child immediately looked wary, but Schiller waved his hand and said, "I'm his teacher. I don't know if he's told you, but he's currently studying with me. However, he didn't come to class today, so I'm trying to find him."

The child scrutinized Schiller for a moment, assessing his appearance and demeanor, which seemed genuine. In Gotham, refined people were rare, and he looked like a teacher or a doctor. The child then said, "Jason Boss got injured. He's in the hospital now."

Schiller immediately furrowed his brow and asked, "Injured? How did it happen?"

The child shook his head, then glanced around cautiously before speaking in a hushed tone, "Yesterday... or maybe the day before, a guy wearing the Red Hood showed up. He went out with Jason Boss, and when they came back, he was injured."

"You might not know, but it caused quite a big mess yesterday. It scared me..."

Schiller didn't pay much attention to the child's further words. He only heard the words "Red Hood."

However, he was puzzled. Red Hood was supposed to be Jason's future identity, and the current Jason was only eleven years old, not even a Robin yet. How could he become Red Hood?

Moreover, the person wearing the Red Hood seemed different from Jason. So, who was this Red Hood? Joker?

With these thoughts in mind, Schiller decided to visit the hospital. Upon arriving at the central hospital, Schiller found the hospital room where Jason Todd was staying.

When Schiller entered the hospital room, Jason was still sound asleep. He lay on his side with bandages around his waist, clutching a red hood tightly in his hand.

Schiller approached and examined the wound on Jason's waist. Judging by the shape of the bandage, it appeared that the wound wasn't deep and didn't pose a threat to his internal organs, but it was still a visible external injury, and Schiller could faintly smell the scent of blood.

Schiller walked over to check the IV bag hanging on the rack. There were medications for fever and pain relief, indicating that Jason had a fever last night. Just as Schiller was adjusting the IV bottle, Jason woke up.

Seeing a figure in front of him, Jason initially recoiled cautiously, but he soon recognized Schiller and let out a sigh of relief, squinting with drowsiness.

Schiller pulled a chair over and sat at the bedside, looking at Jason. He asked, "What happened last night? How did you get injured, and why are you in the hospital?"

Jason shook his head and said, "It's nothing, just a minor incident, Professor. I'm sorry for not being able to call in sick. I got caught in the rain yesterday, and it seems I had a fever, so I fell asleep."

Schiller shook his head and touched Jason's forehead, asking, "You're not running a fever now, right? Is your throat sore?"

Jason cleared his throat and replied, "My throat still hurts a bit, but the fever is gone. I might be able to attend class in the afternoon."

Schiller glanced at the bandage around Jason's waist and inquired, "How did you get injured?"

"It really was just a minor thing, related to our children's activities," Jason replied hesitantly. However, seeing Schiller's persistent gaze, he continued, "We were tasked to find someone. I found a lead and managed to sneak in, but due to my lack of experience, I was discovered and got a cut."

"But it's not a big deal," Jason quickly emphasized, "I just got scratched by a small knife while escaping."

Schiller then asked, "Why did the gang above send you to find someone? Who were you supposed to find?"

Jason explained, "Well, it was originally a simple task. There's this outsider named Vandal Savage who angered the Godfather's son, and it made him really upset. So, they assigned the task to us. If he were found by a bunch of kids, it would be embarrassing."

"So, Savage is the one who hurt you?" Schiller asked as he examined his own wrist.

"No, it wasn't Savage himself. It was a security guard inside Zokovos Hotel. I didn't have direct contact with Savage; I just managed to catch a glimpse of him from a distance and got his room number."

"You said he got into trouble with Little Falcone," Schiller continued, "How did he provoke Evans?"

"I heard that he barged into Falcone Family's territory in the middle of the night, and that area is quite important. Falcone had been working hard on his internship those days and was already tired. When he was woken up in the middle of the night, he got quite angry."

Seeing Schiller's worsening expression, Jason swallowed hard and said, "Professor, please don't be upset. You see, in Gotham, it's normal for the leaders of children's gangs to get injured. It's part of the territory."

Schiller put on a forced smile and said, "I initially thought that maintaining a quiet atmosphere within Gotham University would provide my students with a conducive learning environment. However, it seems my considerations were not thorough enough."

"As a teacher, all I can do is ensure that my students have a pure environment to exert their talents and study diligently. I thought Gotham University would be enough."

"But now, it appears that there is a reason for home-school collaboration. If the family and societal environments are not conducive, even hardworking and talented individuals like you and Evans can be troubled by various strange problems—disturbed sleep or ending up in the hospital."

Schiller's tone was gentle, but Jason broke into a cold sweat. He stammered, "Professor, I think Gotham University is already sufficient. I'll be staying on campus for the next few days, and I'll focus on my studies..."

However, Schiller took out a syringe, grabbed Jason's arm, and administered an injection. Just as Jason was about to ask, he felt a slight itch at his wound. At this moment, Schiller leaned over, removed the bandage around Jason's waist, and Jason hastily exclaimed, "Professor, wait! The doctor said not to remove the bandage now!"

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw that the wound beneath the bandage had already healed. The wound wasn't significant to begin with, and with the help of a Lizard Serum, it had healed almost instantly.

Jason widened his eyes, shocked, as he looked at his waist. Schiller pulled his clothes back up and handed him the jacket hanging on the bed. He said, "Put this on, and come with me."

"Wait, Professor!" Jason hurriedly put on the jacket and asked, "Where are we going?"

"For an educational reform," Schiller replied.

Half an hour later, inside the mayor's office, Mayor Roy, who had been reviewing financial reports, looked up at the secretary who had rushed in and asked, "What's going on? Why the rush?"

"There's a Professor named Rodriguez who wants to come in, but he didn't have an appointment, so..."

"Let him in," Roy immediately set aside the materials in his hand and stood up.

Roy shook hands with Schiller when he entered. Schiller got straight to the point, saying, "I believe that the learning atmosphere in Gotham has not been intense enough recently. I intend to carry out an educational reform. What do you think?"

"Um, a learning atmosphere?" Roy paused for a moment, as if not entirely understanding, and asked, "What do you mean by a learning atmosphere?"

Schiller pushed Jason forward and said, "This is one of my students. He's currently studying basic grammar, but due to certain circumstances, he got injured. This has disrupted his learning progress, which I believe is a very undesirable situation."

"Of course, he's a homeless child, so encountering difficulties is normal, but my other student, Evans Falcone, couldn't rest properly due to certain disruptions, leading to a decline in the quality of his studies."

Schiller placed his umbrella on the ground and looked into Roy's eyes, saying, "Mr. Mayor, for this reason, I want to improve the learning atmosphere in Gotham. What do you think?"

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 822: Gang Dilemma (Part 1)