Chapter 847: Savage's Misfortune (Part 1) (Patreon)

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Wayne Enterprises was wealthy, but as many knew, assets and liquid funds were two different things.

Liquid funds, simply put, meant cash on hand. Many people might own cars and houses, which were considered assets. If you included those, many would be millionaires. However, when it came to accessible liquid funds, most people didn't have as much.

Wayne Enterprises was no exception. Any company existing in the real world had to adhere to the constraints of liquid funds. Engaging in reckless investments that drained the company's liquid assets was highly risky. You might have heard the term "financial chain rupture," but you might not truly understand what it meant.

In simpler terms, it was like robbing Peter to pay Paul. Sooner or later, there would be nothing left to rob. It was like using one credit card to pay off another, and eventually, there would be a day when you couldn't repay any of them.

Therefore, what Wayne Enterprises needed now wasn't new assets but a means to quickly convert existing assets into cash or acquire a substantial amount of liquid funds.

If Bruce were to invent a new technology and wanted to monetize it, he had two options. One was to leverage Wayne Enterprises' industry advantages and introduce it to the public, earning substantial funds.

However, the problem was that the process from inputting materials to production and then to sales was lengthy. Furthermore, it was difficult to accurately estimate the returns. If Wayne Enterprises overdrew its other funds before generating income and the returns were disappointing, it could lead to a financial chain rupture.

The other option was to sell the technology, a fast way to acquire liquid funds. The only issue was finding a buyer.

Honestly, most of Bruce's cutting-edge technology had little relevance to civilian use. His mind rarely gravitated towards using practical improvements to benefit society. Perhaps geniuses were always like that; they preferred to use their intellect to change the fate of entire races rather than spending time on minor happiness.

The technologies Bruce could offer were mostly related to the Bat-suit, such as the materials for the Bat-suit, the storage device for the utility belt, the defensive weapons in the Batcave, and the engine system of the Batmobile, among others. Judging by their names alone, they leaned towards military use.

If Bruce were willing to release these technologies, they would undoubtedly end up in military hands. However, the problem was that Bruce distrusted the military.

Many people labeled the Joker as an anarchist, but in terms of ideology, Bruce was the true anarchist. He never trusted the military or the government, nor did he rely on anyone else. He didn't even trust himself. How could he possibly trust the military to use these technologies for good?

Downgrading these technologies for civilian use was an option, but it had its challenges. Private companies might not have the budget to pay a high price, and they might not opt for a lump sum payment due to limited liquid funds.

This made it somewhat difficult to amass a significant amount of cash in a short period. While pondering these issues, Bruce couldn't help but reflect on a quote from Schiller, "Ways to make money lie within the bounds of the law." Now, he realized the true meaning behind those words.

In reality, if he were willing to lower his moral standards just a bit, obtaining money would be no issue at all. In his view, the physical and virtual defenses of any bank or website in the world were insignificant. He could even make tens of millions of dollars easily by gambling.

As Bruce was troubled by these matters, it happened to be the time to submit internship summaries for the second round of internships. Although Bruce hadn't actively participated in the second round, he had been involved to some extent and was thus required to submit a summary.

While it was unclear why a subject of study needed a summary, Bruce reluctantly wrote one. When he went to Schiller's office to submit it, he overheard Schiller talking on the phone.

"Have you found out? So, who is this Vandel Savage?... This matter is definitely related to me. You know Jason Todd, right, that kid I had high hopes for in the field of psychology? I plan to nurture him."

"Then on that day... yes, a month or two ago, he went to investigate Savage's whereabouts at that big hotel, but he got injured, and I was furious..."

"No, it wasn't Savage who hurt him, but it's still related to Savage. If Savage hadn't been causing trouble in the city, why would he have gone to investigate? He's only 11 years old. Can he lie?"

"The wound was deep, just below his ribs. If he hadn't received treatment promptly, it would have definitely become infected. Afterward, Gotham had a massive rainstorm, and he has no parents, so he had to stay in the hospital alone..."

"Is that so? Savage claims to be immortal, right? He's been alive for a long time... How long? Fifty thousand years? My goodness, did he eat dinosaurs?"

"He's lived for so long, accumulated countless wealth, and yet he insists on staying in Gotham. Could he be trying to rule the world?"

"He's been alive for fifty thousand years and hasn't managed to rule the world. Now he's persevering. I can only say one thing: he's determined."

"Yes, James, what I mean is, if Alberto is looking for him and manages to find him, you must let me know. I'm truly furious about what happened to Jason!"

"No, of course not. It has nothing to do with money. You know I'm not someone who covets fame or wealth. It's just a modest fortune accumulated over a mere fifty thousand years..."

Outside the door, Bruce's hand hesitated on the doorknob. But at that moment, Schiller set the telephone down and asked, "Who's there? Why didn't you knock?"

"It's me, Professor," Bruce pushed the door open, placed his summary on the table, and paused for a moment. Schiller glanced at him and said, "What's the matter? If you don't have any business, go back to your studies. Gotham University doesn't reserve spots for postgraduate studies..."

Bruce, whose mind had been consumed by thoughts of money, suddenly came to his senses. He said, "Postgraduate studies? What postgraduate studies?"

"Oh, really? But Lex mentioned that he's going for it. Your helicopter's engine is already prepared for postgraduate studies. By then, you'll have the lowest qualifications among the three of you..."

"I'll go back to my books," Bruce turned and left. He said, "But I want to switch to the physics department..."

"No relationship. Victor teaches physics. If you don't submit your assignments, I'll make you think deeply on the psychological aspect, but he'll help you cool down on the physics side."

Bruce, who had no hope for his future academic career, left the office with a heart full of pressure. However, Schiller's recent phone call had given him a breakthrough idea.

Bruce had known for some time that Savage had entered his Batcave, but he hadn't paid it much attention. One reason was that he had been busy lately, and the other was, as Schiller had pointed out, if someone had infiltrated the Batcave without taking anything, dealing with such a low priority was hardly a concern.

However, Bruce was unaware that Savage was actually quite wealthy. Judging from the surveillance cameras, Savage's attire didn't resemble that of a traditional wealthy person. But after living for so many years, it was only natural to keep a low profile.

If Savage did indeed have a substantial amount of liquid funds, Bruce didn't mind allowing him to voluntarily contribute to Gotham's development, provided there was a significant amount of capital and it was entirely voluntary.

To deal with Savage, intelligence about him needed to be gathered, and Bruce happened to know exactly who to approach.

"You mentioned Savage?" In the Gotham University canteen, Captain Cold touched his cheek and said, "Actually, he approached us voluntarily, saying he could offer us a large sum of money and the power to rule a city, asking us to work for him..."

Bruce's focus was on the large sum of money, and he asked, "How much is he willing to give you?"

"Initially, we negotiated for ten million US dollars, but we didn't have high hopes. If he's so wealthy, why would he come to us?" Captain Cold cut into his steak and said, "If he's like you, a billionaire who can easily produce tens of millions of US dollars, why wouldn't he run for office? Although he might not necessarily rule the world, he could definitely rule the U.S."

Bruce thought to himself that right now, he couldn't easily produce tens of millions of US dollars. Even a few million US dollars had to be used sparingly. The construction sites he had initiated were like machines sucking up money.

Furthermore, he was unwilling to compromise. He insisted on the best in everything, coupled with Gotham's vast size. His Phase One projects were equivalent to other projects' Phase Three. With over a hundred large-scale construction sites, money flowed out like water.

"However, we do believe he's quite wealthy," Captain Cold touched his chin and continued, "Last time, when Mirror Master did a job for him, he gave Mirror Master two large gold ingots. They're quite valuable."

"Also, according to Mirror Master, his room is filled with collectibles from various eras and places around the world. I heard there's a famous painting in there worth millions of US dollars."

Bruce frowned and said, "What you said before also makes sense. If he's so wealthy, why hasn't he ruled the world?"

Bruce found it very strange. It didn't make sense at all. A person who had lived for fifty thousand years, even if he started as a tribal leader during the time of early humans and gradually conquered various tribes, should have unified everything by now, right?

If he took a step back, he hadn't considered this possibility before, but now that he did, he realized Savage could easily organize his own campaign team, become a legitimate president first, and then gradually use his wealth and experience to achieve unification.

At the very least, as long as he lived long enough, he could meet enough people and build a substantial network of relationships, making it easy to accomplish many things. So why was he now seeking help from strangers in a central city?

Captain Cold shook his head and said, "From what I've observed, it seems like he hasn't been awake all this time. Maybe he needs to hibernate periodically, and when he wakes up, he has to readjust to society. I reckon that with the recent rapid development of human society, he might not have caught up yet."

"Awoken just now," "not adapting to modern society," "hasn't caught up yet." These phrases, when combined, made Bruce realize exactly who he needed to approach.

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

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 848: Savage Troubles (Part 1)