"God would never put us through all this suffering if he didn't think we could bear it."
-Yuuki Konno (SAO)
...
"Phantom Thief! He actually came so quickly!"
All the reporters present had surprised expressions on their faces.
They hadn't expected Phantom Thief to show up so soon after the press conference this morning.
Unfortunately, they only heard his voice and didn't see him anywhere.
The reporters and paparazzi started frantically searching for the Phantom Thief's figure.
But besides the dense white fog in the sky, they didn't see anything.
Some people tried to locate him based on the source of his voice, but Phantom Thief's voice seemed to be coming from all directions.
Anyone could hear Phantom Thief's voice from any direction, and the loudness and power of the sound were the same.
Where was the Phantom Thief?
No one knew.
They only knew that the Phantom Thief was here, and that was enough.
Meanwhile, Bruce, Lucius, and Jim rushed over from one side of the stadium.
Not long ago, they were discussing the stadium's security arrangements.
Bruce had held a press conference and made it publicly known that he was going to challenge the Phantom Thief.
Of course, Jim couldn't possibly stay out of it. As soon as he heard about the press conference, he hurried over to negotiate with Bruce.
At first, Bruce wasn't particularly eager to have Jim bring a large number of people to guard the Ocean Jewel.
He advised Jim not to waste too many resources from the GCPD on Phantom Thief and suggested that it would be better to prioritize dealing with more dangerous criminals.
Obviously, Jim didn't agree with him.
Jim believed that the Phantom Thief's real crimes were not that serious but that he could be a huge threat and should be taken seriously.
Despite the strength of the GCPD, they needed to be more fair in dealing with those extremely dangerous supervillains.
There was no need to go all out against ordinary, everyday criminals. It seemed that it would be best to select some less dangerous supervillains to deal with.
Jim even started to feel like his officers were putting too much effort into catching the Phantom Thief recently.
Many police officers were ready to put robbery and napping cases on hold so they could help catch the Phantom Thief.
This situation worried Jim.
In any case, Jim and Bruce talked for a long time.
Just as they were about to reach a decision, they suddenly noticed dozens of gliders appearing over Gotham City Stadium.
Then they heard Phantom Thief say that he had come as invited.
The three of them didn't waste any time and immediately rushed towards the Bat-Signal.
"Jim, I've heard that the Phantom Thief always sends a notice before committing a crime. Why didn't he send one this time?"
Lucius asked curiously as they walked.
"I thought he might disguise himself as someone and deliver the notice letter to us."
"Normally, that would be the case. But given the current situation, Phantom Thief seems to be planning to show up on his own time, which has never happened before."
Jim replied with a frown.
"Who knows, maybe my challenge was too sudden, and Phantom Thief didn't have time to prepare a notice."
Bruce assumed.
At that moment, the three of them reached the location of the Bat-Signal.
It was just like the rest of the reporters, who were all waiting more than ten meters away from Bat Signal.
The circle of cameras in the middle not only broadcasted Bat Signal's activities but also acted as a barricade.
Bruce had instructed his team to secure these cameras in place and set up a barricade to prevent anyone from getting through, including himself.
According to Bruce, he had complete confidence in the Bat-Signal, made from promethium alloy, and didn't need anyone up close to protect it.
He was more concerned that the Phantom Thief might disguise the people guarding it.
As for Bruce's real thoughts, no one could guess them, and no one wanted to try.
Everyone just assumed that he was just being rich and stubborn.
"If the Phantom Thief plans to steal the Ocean's Gem now, things will get complicated."
Jim looked at the sudden layer of white mist covering the field and said it gravely.
"Our current security measure is too simple, and it's difficult to stop Phantom Thief's sudden move," he continued.
"Wait, have you guys noticed something off? In this open area, smoke would quickly dissipate, but that layer of white fog isn't showing any signs of dissipating."
Lucius suddenly spoke up.
"So, what does that mean?"
Jim didn't quite understand what he was getting at.
"I know of a type of gas with the code name xxx-xxxx that can stay for a long time, and there's only one company in Gotham producing it!"
Lucius said so solemnly.
"In other words, if we carefully investigate the recent transaction records or production records of that company, we might find some trail about Phantom Thief."
At these words, a smile of joy appeared on Jim's face.
He quickly took out his phone from his pocket and ordered the GCPD headquarters to dispatch personnel to investigate that company.
Meanwhile, Bruce nodded slightly in his mind.
He had actually noticed the abnormality in the white fog above, and when he thought about what Lucius had just said, he realized that Lucius might be right.
However, he didn't intend to reveal his ideas in front of Jim.
After cooperating for so many years, Lucius naturally understood Bruce's thoughts, so he explained them to Jim on his behalf.
As the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, Lucius Fox's daily work is either worrying about the future development of Wayne Enterprises and dealing with the struggles among shareholders or using all his spare time to help Batman design new equipment.
From the Batsuit to the utility belt, the Batmobile, and the Batwing, Lucius had put a lot of effort into designing and manufacturing them.
From the fact that he can instantly recognize the source of the white mist in the sky, it is clear that he has a wealth of knowledge and is familiar with the major industries in Gotham.
Also, it was a rare skill of his to understand Bruce's thoughts within safe limits and speak up for him.
It was one of the reasons Bruce thought so highly of him, since Lucius's personal skills were clearly excellent.
Otherwise, why would Bruce trust him so much? It's because Lucius' personal abilities are too strong.
"Phantom Thief, you said you were here by invitation, right? Then come out; you can't steal my gem under the white fog in the sky."
At this moment, Bruce took out a microphone from somewhere and shouted loudly at the sky.
"Wow, it's Bruce Wayne, Gotham's most famous and dazzling prince. This must be our first meeting, Mr. Wayne, right?"
As Bruce's voice fell, the Phantom Thief's voice sounded again.
Puff!
Only a slight explosion sound was heard, and a cloud of smoke rose from beside the Bat-signal.
This cloud of smoke was clearly not the same as the white fog in the sky. After it appeared, it quickly dissipated.
In the dispersing smoke, a pure and elegant figure appeared.
"It's him! It's Phantom Thief! He's really here!"
As soon as they saw this figure, the surrounding reporters exploded.
They took out their personal cameras and desperately pressed the shutter button to take pictures of the Phantom Thief.
Those without cameras took out their phones to take photos.
"Mr. Wayne, according to my usual crimes, I should have sent you a notice letter in advance, but your challenge came too suddenly, and I really didn't have time to prepare."
The Phantom Thief looked at Bruce and sighed.
"But without a notice letter, you won't be able to predict my action plan and timing, which is unfair to you."
"If I were to steal the gem right now, the security measures here are not in place, which is also unfair to you."
With confidence in his voice, Phantom Thief continued, "So, I'm not here today to take the gem. This is just a rehearsal."
...
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