Chapter 293: Three Titans Compete!
The Cooperation Conundrum
Bruce Wayne was clearly prepared. Luke had a good idea of why he was here.
"That person's name is a trade secret; it can't be disclosed casually."
Bruce smiled faintly. "Or perhaps the person doesn't exist at all, is that it?"
Luke just smiled without replying, poured half a glass of red wine, and swirled it before speaking.
"Does Mr. Wayne have any specific requirements for the exoskeleton armor? You can tell me now."
Bruce said gravely, "Compared to the armor, I'm more interested in ShowMe. Wayne Enterprises has previously sought cooperation with ShowMe, but unfortunately, we haven't made substantial progress. Each time, we were rejected at the final hurdle for strange reasons."
"Mr. Shaw doesn't seem willing to cooperate with Wayne Enterprises."
Luke burst into laughter. "You wrong me there. Wayne Enterprises is one of the world's top hundred companies. Its business spans every sector, and its influence is unprecedented. Cooperating with such a corporation is ShowMe's dream."
Bruce pressed on.
"Then why did you refuse?"
Luke pondered for a few seconds, then slowly said, "Because of Batman."
Bruce Wayne: "..."
A thousand figurative mud horses galloped through his mind. He felt like this kid was deliberately toying with him, yet he couldn't find any evidence.
Lois asked curiously, "What does Batman have to do with it?"
Luke didn't answer that question but instead asked,
"What are your opinions on Batman? Do you agree with his approach to fighting crime?"
A Philosophical Divide
As soon as the question was asked, all three fell into thought.
Bruce, as the man himself, naturally couldn't speak first. Although he realized Luke was likely using this to change the subject, he could only follow along.
After a few seconds of contemplation, Lois spoke first.
"His intention is good, but I do not agree with his methods."
Luke smiled slightly, then turned his gaze to Clark.
"And you?"
"Criminals should be dealt with by the law. No one has the right to use vigilante justice."
Clark's expression was very serious as he spoke; it was clearly his genuine belief.
The opinions of the two annoyed Bruce greatly, and his tone became colder.
"That question should be directed to the citizens of Gotham who suffer under criminals. They would surely give a different answer."
Lois was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected the playboy Bruce Wayne to say something so profound.
"Mr. Wayne seems to agree with Batman's methods?"
Bruce put down his glass. "You are not Gothamites; you haven't seen the dark side of this city. The endless stream of criminals has destroyed the city's morality, values, and courage. Law alone cannot save this city; it needs another kind of power."
Clark said gravely, "That doesn't mean Batman has the right to use vigilantism."
"Don't believe the reports of the unscrupulous media. Batman has never used vigilantism."
"Then where do the brands come from? As far as I know, any criminal branded with that mark suffers double torment, both mental and physical."
Bruce narrowed his eyes. "Are you a reporter too?"
"I work for the Daily Planet."
"No wonder!"
Bruce scoffed, showing a hint of disdain. "Since you're a reporter, you should know exactly who those people being branded are." Without waiting for a reply, he continued,
"They are all vicious criminals, many of whom take pleasure in harming others. They are lunatics, psychopaths, with no intention of repentance. Even when locked in prison, they will stop at nothing to break out and continue their crimes."
"In Gotham City, there are simply too many such people, and the citizens they have harmed are countless. If the law were effective, Gotham City wouldn't have fallen to this state."
As he spoke the last sentence, a hint of inexpressible bitterness flashed in Bruce's eyes.
Luke cleared his throat. "Actually, you could just reinstate the death penalty."
Before he finished speaking, the three of them looked up simultaneously, as if they had just heard something unbelievable.
Luke added, "The death penalty can solve a lot of problems."
"And it would create many more problems."
Bruce said sternly, "No one is qualified to declare the death penalty for another, not even God."
"Exactly."
Clark agreed. "The death penalty absolutely cannot be reinstated; that would be a regression of civilization."
Luke: "..."
Well, what could he say?
This conversation showed that the moral values of the three differed greatly.
Clark possessed an all-encompassing kindness. He believed that no matter how bad a person was, they had a chance to reform. As humans, we must give others that chance and not take away their right to live.
Bruce was an idealist. The unfortunate fate of his parents made him realize the horror of crime early on, but his upbringing made him aware of the law's importance to the world. Therefore, he transformed into the Bat of the night, fighting crime within the boundaries of the law, but refraining from acting outside it. He hoped to use this method to rescue Gotham from the abyss of crime.
Luke was different from them. As a transmigrator, he actually held little deep affection for this world. He cared more about the feelings of those around him than the world's development. He had no lofty ideals, only his own bottom line. In a sense, he was simply a pragmatic person—a stubborn, goal-oriented person who was willing to use any means necessary!
The Real Stakes
The conversation had clearly reached a dead end.
Lois promptly smoothed things over.
"We keep circling back, but it's still unclear what ShowMe's cooperation with Wayne Enterprises has to do with Batman."
Bruce took a drink of cold water, calming his turbulent emotions.
"I'm also very curious how this issue relates to Batman."
Luke said gravely, "Do you recall the large-scale riot in Gotham City a few months ago?"
Lois nodded.
"It's unforgettable."
Luke continued, "I won't recount the cause and effect of the incident. There's only one thing I want to talk about, and that's ShowMe. Some media said ShowMe was the fuse for the whole thing, that without it, such a massive riot wouldn't have happened. Others said ShowMe was a beacon of hope for the public, that it unified the scattered citizens and broke the shadow of corruption hanging over Gotham..."
"Everyone has a different viewpoint, but few know the risks ShowMe took. At the beginning of the riot, Mr. Sidney, a confidant of Falcone, found ShowMe's executives and forced us at gunpoint to sign a stock transfer contract. He also demanded we find out Batman's true identity and control his social media accounts..."
As he spoke, visible anger flared on Luke's face.
"That incident was a wake-up call. It made me realize that ShowMe is more than just a social network company; it has its own responsibility. As its creator, I also have my own responsibility, which is to never allow a Sidney incident to happen again."
Bruce frowned. "Wayne Enterprises is not the same as Falcone."
"Of course, it's not the same," Luke smiled. "Wayne Enterprises' reputation is well-known; of course, I trust it. But I cannot risk the reputation of Batman, Flash, and the other city heroes based only on subjective judgment. Signing a contract with Wayne Enterprises is equivalent to selling their social media accounts."
"Mr. Wayne, if it were you, would you do that?"
Bruce was speechless. Everything the other person said was seemingly for Batman's benefit, which made him, the actual person, feel extremely awkward.
Luke added, "If you are truly interested in ShowMe, there is a perfect opportunity tonight."
"What opportunity?"
"You'll know soon enough."
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