"It takes a mere second for treasure to turn to trash."
- Hisoka (HunterxHunter)
...
"Phantom Thief?"
When Dick expressed his guess, Batman showed clear doubts.
He couldn't understand why a thief who used the art of his crimes through theft would disguise himself to be Batman and sneak into Kirk Langstrom's laboratory.
Furthermore, this thief not only knocked out the Man-Bat but also took a sample of the Man-Bat serum from the lab.
According to Kirk, he had created a total of three Man-Bat Serum samples, with only one being injected, leaving two remaining in the laboratory.
But Batman and Dick only found one serum sample in the lab.
This indicated that someone had taken the other sample, and the possible suspect was naturally the imposter who pretended to be Batman.
This was why Batman attached such importance to this imitator. He was willing to work hard with Dick to look for this person day and night without resting.
It's not possible that it's just because that person said something they shouldn't have, right?
Batman has considered many possibilities.
The Joker, Two-Face, Penguin, and Scarecrow are all possible, and that imposter might be one of them hired to steal the Man-Bat Serum.
However, Dick provided him with a completely different idea.
After careful consideration, Batman thought Dick's guess was reasonable.
At least, purely in terms of ability, the Phantom Thief was capable of escaping without leaving a trace.
So, they needed to keep an eye on the Phantom Thief.
For the time being, there were no major crimes in Gotham, and Batman's main opponent was the Penguin, but the Penguin was always careful to leave no trace.
To take him down completely would be a long-lasting battle.
In this way, Batman could finally free up his hands and meet the Phantom Thief, the new supervillain of Gotham.
But before that, Batman needed to carefully study every crime that the Phantom Thief had committed in the past.
Batman's research was not the same as ordinary people watching a few news articles and imagining rough details from a few words.
He collected all the video information about Phantom Thief on his Batcomputer.
This collection even had the knowledge about Phantom Thief that Dick and Batgirl discovered, which Batman would also review.
Obviously, this task would require some time.
However, this was good news for Dick.
He could finally take some time to rest properly, as he was already familiar with Phantom Thief and didn't need to look up information like Batman did.
Unfortunately, Dick underestimated the intensity of his work these past few days. Even after sleeping for seven hours, he wasn't fully refreshed, and he had to force himself to go to school.
After that, Dean saw Dick looking down and feeling sleepy.
"Let me calculate... Bruce should be about to hold a high-profile press conference..."
Dick murmured weakly to himself.
"Huh? What did you just say? Who's holding a press conference?"
Dean was sitting in front of Dick, didn't quite hear Dick's mumbling, and asked curiously.
"Oh, nothing. You'll find out soon enough."
Dick buried his head in the desk and said, "For God's sake, please don't wake me up before the school bell rings."
Looking at Dick, who was completely exhausted, Dean shook his head and turned back.
Before the school bell rings?
Well, it has already rung!
Luckily, the professor in this class is retiring next year and doesn't really care about classroom discipline, so let Dick sleep peacefully for a while.
Thinking about this, Dean decided not to disturb Dick's rest.
'But what's that press conference Dick mentioned? What does he mean by 'I'll find out soon'?'
Dean wondered. He was frustrated because Dick spoke unclearly and his voice was low; Dean couldn't catch the complete information from his mumbles.
With no other choice, Dean pulled out his phone and began searching online.
"The press conference held today in Gotham... hmm!"
Just as Dean opened Google to search for "press conference", his attention was immediately caught by the first search result that appeared.
"Shocking! Wayne Enterprises' Chairman Bruce Declares War on Phantom Thief in High-Profile Press Conference!"
'What in the world is this?'
Dean read the title once more.
After reading it multiple times, he confirmed that the title was real, as he had seen it the first time. He wasn't seeing things.
Then he noticed there was a live link to the press conference.
How could he not click on that?
Without hesitation, Dean clicked on the link, and the screen switched to the live broadcast of Wayne Enterprises' press conference.
However, this press conference wasn't happening in Wayne Enterprises' press room or in a fancy hotel ballroom.
It actually took place in an open area with a grass field that resembled a football field, a track, and a sizable seating area for the audience.
It looked like a massive outdoor sports stadium.
'This place seems familiar. It's like Gotham City Stadium.
Dean gazed thoughtfully as he observed the live broadcast.
Gotham City Stadium is Gotham's largest sports arena and hosts almost all sports competitions, especially American football.
For some reason, the citizens of Gotham have an unimaginable passion for this sport—more than any other sport.
At this moment, in the center of Gotham City Stadium, a temporary platform has been set up.
In front of the platform, dozens of reporters sit on small chairs, all watching Bruce Wayne on the podium.
Cameras of various types are set up on both sides, and the quick clicking of camera shutters fills the air.
Standing beside Bruce is a middle-aged African American man with white hair. He is Lucius Fox, the CEO of Wayne Enterprises.
When Chairman Bruce sometimes needs to go on a business trip, he usually trusts the matters of Wayne Enterprises to Lucius.
Lucius completes every instruction given by Bruce.
He is the most trusted and valued person in Wayne Enterprises, as well as a strong supporter of Bruce's work.
"Mr. Wayne, when you held this press conference and claimed it was a public challenge to the Phantom Thief, Is this true?"
A blonde female journalist, the familiar Vicki Vale, was the first to ask Bruce a question.
"Oh, Vicki, it's been a while since we've seen each other, right? You've been in great shape lately. How about we have dinner together tonight, just like old times?"
Bruce didn't give a straight answer but instead smiled, complimented Vicki's good figure, and extended an invitation to her.
He truly seemed like a playboy, but that's how Bruce is perceived by the public; so that no one can find his behavior when it comes to Batman.
Vicki shook her head and smiled wryly, "This is a press conference, Mr. Wayne. The event is being broadcast live. Please stay on track."
"Hmm."
Bruce grunted lightly, clearly not taking Vicki's words too seriously.
He turned his attention to the camera positioned directly in front of him and confidently began speaking.
"Then, I would like to give Ms. Vale and everyone present a clear answer here."
"I am serious about holding this press conference because I have noticed a growing trend in Gotham where many admire the Phantom Thief. I think this could lead a lot of young people in the wrong direction and make them want to be criminals."
"Therefore, today, on behalf of Wayne Enterprises, I will declare war on the Phantom Thief."
...
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