"A true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart."
— Zeus (Hercules 1997)
...
"I'm challenging Phantom Thief firmly and publicly, with one goal in mind - to bring him to justice!"
There was shock from the reporters when Bruce made this announcement, even though they were somewhat prepared before the press conference.
How was he going to challenge Phantom Thief?
Did he even know where he was?
Why would the Phantom Thief even accept his challenge?
Back then, Penguin had set traps for the Phantom Thief without success, and he never brought them to the public's attention.
He was afraid that being too high-profile would scare the Phantom Thief away.
Penguin even forced the Chandler family to get the Dragon's Egg Ruby Necklace as bait.
But he's holding a press conference and wants the whole world to know that he wants to catch the Phantom Thief.
Without the rare treasure as a temptation, how could the Phantom Thief even possibly pay attention to him?
Well, Wayne Enterprises is wealthy and influential; it's not difficult for them to create a few good gemstones that can outshine the Dragon's Egg Ruby.
But even if the Phantom Thief takes the bait, how can he guarantee that he will definitely beat him?
Since the Phantom Thief's first crime, he has never failed.
GCPD, Robin, Batgirl, and even the Penguin have all tried to deal with Phantom Thief, and they all failed.
Bruce Wayne is a mere playboy with nothing but money. What makes him think he can catch the Phantom Thief?
What if the Phantom Thief finds your public challenge too offensive and decides not to return the gemstone to him in anger?
Then Wayne Enterprises would not only lose the gemstone but also its face.
Bruce observed the expressions of the journalists below and understood their thoughts perfectly well.
He didn't mind at all and continued his speech.
"I'm sure you've all heard of Aquaman from the Justice League, who is deeply connected to the legendary underwater kingdom called Atlantis."
Bruce casually took out a sea blue crystal gemstone from the inside pocket of his jacket.
Its color and shape were different from any common gemstone on the market; it was not just a simple sapphire.
"As we all know, Wayne Enterprises is one of the major sponsors of the Justice League, so I had the opportunity to meet all the members of the Justice League. This ocean gemstone was a gift from Aquaman when we met. It's said to be a specialty of Atlantis, and as far as I know, there's only one on the surface."
"I don't know the exact value of this gemstone because Atlantis gemstones have never appeared on the market, and the Atlanteans do not trade with surface humans. I'm not sure about the exchange rate for currency used in Atlantis.
Bruce jokingly said.
Hiss—
Upon hearing Bruce's words, the reporters couldn't help but gasp.
A gemstone from Atlantis?
Are they supposed to see this thing for free?
And what's with the casual attitude?
Such a precious gemstone, and he doesn't even have any protective measures, not even gloves, and he's just pulling it out of his pocket?
Sure, everyone knows the Waynes have a lot of money, but this is just too much!
No one believed that Bruce was lying because Wayne Enterprises, along with other sponsors like Star Labs, Queen Industries, Kord Industries, and even the U.S. government, did have an important role in paying for the Justice League.
Even Lex Luthor wanted to contribute to the Justice League, but Superman turned him down because of the group's plenty of resources.
In short, the little gemstone that Bruce received from a few Justice League members wasn't a big deal.
"Mr. Wayne, if the Phantom Thief stole the valuable treasure and didn't return it, wouldn't you worry about making Aquaman mad?"
Vicki asked with a frown.
"Isn't it a bit too much to use a gift from Aquaman as a prize for a challenge with Phantom Thief? Wayne Enterprises should have a lot of collections of valuable gemstones."
"You're right to be concerned, Ms. Vicki, but don't worry. According to my expectations, the Phantom Thief won't be able to steal it."
Bruce confidently replied.
"Why are you so sure? Phantom Thief has never failed since he started. Where does your confidence come from?"
Vicki couldn't help but ask.
"That's a good question, and I'm about to say that."
At this point, Bruce glanced at Lucius, who had been standing next to him the whole time, and stepped back to give him the spotlight.
"I'm sure most of you are familiar with this gentleman. He is Lucius Fox, the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, and he will now explain the source of my confidence."
Lucius nodded and stood in front of Bruce.
"To start, I'd like everyone to watch a recording of an experiment."
As soon as he finished speaking, a huge virtual screen appeared behind him.
Then a short video started playing.
The content of the video was very simple.
It showed Wayne Enterprises testing the defensive capabilities of a small black box at a certain location. The box was about the size of a pencil case.
But the test equipment they used was the main cannon of three tanks, fired at the same time from three different directions toward the box.
The powerful explosion sent the small box flying hundreds of meters away.
However, when the experimenters found the box, it was completely intact, without even a scratch!
"The box in the video is the latest product from Wayne Enterprises' R&D department. It is made from a new alloy of promethium metal mixed with iron, chromium, zinc, and other elements. Its strength is, as demonstrated in the video, capable of withstanding heavy firepower without leaving a mark, even though it's just the size of a pencil case."
Lucius explained.
"We've decided to seal the ocean gemstone in a larger container made from the same material. Unless the Phantom Thief uses even more powerful heavy firepower, it will be impossible for him to open it."
Lucas clapped his hands, and five or six people brought out a large object covered with black cloth from behind the stage.
The reporters were interested, but they didn't know what was going on inside.
Thud!
As it was placed on the table, it made a heavy sound.
Lucius walked over and lifted the black cloth.
Immediately, the audience let out a surprised cry.
"Ah!"
It was a huge searchlight!
The object they brought out was a Bat Signal!
"The bat symbol you see here is actually a container made out of promethium alloy. I will put the ocean gem inside it."
Lucas explained.
Bruce approached the reporters and said, "That's right, the container isn't transparent, so you can't see if the gem is inside or not. So, I'm going to put the gem inside right now in front of all of you."
Bruce took out the ocean gemstone and placed it inside the bat symbol of the Bat Signal.
"From today onwards, this bat signal will be placed here 24/7, and surveillance cameras will be continuously watching to ensure that I don't secretly replace the gem with a fake one."
"This isn't a gemstone exhibition; it's a challenge to Phantom Thief!"
After completing these steps, Bruce turned towards the camera once again, as if invisibly declaring war on the Phantom Thief.
"Phantom Thief, I've prepared the stage for you!"
"Now, let's see if you dare to take on this challenge!"
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