Bruce, without academic pressure, had once again returned to his mundane life during the day, and his crime-fighting life as Batman during the night. The first thing on his agenda was to catch up on the children he had previously saved.
The children transported to the hospital by him had mostly recovered. Still, the ones that were treated were only for the external injuries inflicted through their abuse, and their frail bodies as a result of nutritional deficiencies would require further care and adjustment.
Bruce had assumed that upon his visit to the hospital, he'd see a group of children brimming with vitality. Yet, to his dismay, upon entering the high-priced private hospital room he had leased, he was met with complete chaos.
An unspeakable stench filled the room, unknown substances, seemingly vomit or feces, were smeared on the pristine white walls. Scattered all around were remnants of food and shards of plates, and not a single child was lying in their bed. Some sat against the wall, while others had simply curled up and slept in a corner.
Bruce was infuriated. He dialed and called in the doctors and nurses, questioning, "What on earth is happening here? Why has it degenerated to such a state? I spent a fortune leasing the best room, hired the best caregivers, why is the situation still like this?!"
His anger was not misplaced for he had delivered these children to the hospital under his identity as Bruce Wayne.
Furthermore, he had personally approached the hospital dean, leased the best luxury rehabilitation rooms on the hospital's rooftop, hired their most expensive caregivers, and tipped all the doctors and nurses. Despite all this, they had still managed to let the children be reduced to such a state. Any bystander would be outraged.
However, the doctors and nurses were equally helpless. A senior female nurse stepped forward and said, "Mr. Wayne, this is a hospital, not a school. We cannot educate these children."
She sighed, looked into the room at the chaos, and added, "These children all have serious psychological issues. Our medical staff risks getting attacked each time they approach, Rose? Rose, are you there?"
She turned around to call someone. A younger intern nurse walked out. The senior nurse displayed the younger nurse's hand to Bruce. Bruce saw a deep wound on the young girl's arm, recently graduated from college, which was still red and inflamed. The scars from the stitches were not yet entirely healed. The nurse explained:
"Rose and Sophia are responsible for maintaining this room. It was just a week ago when Rose came in to check if the beds were properly set before leaving…"
"When she came in, all the children were watching her, all quiet. So, Rose did not think much of it then. But while adjusting one of the beds, a nearby child suddenly lunged at her with a piece of a broken plate, slashing her arm, which needed 7 stitches."
The nurse's voice grew angrier as she continued, "Rose just graduated this year. We assigned her to care for these children because she is excellent. No one wants these children to live well more than we do."
"Every day Rose checks the children's wounds, yet they do not appreciate her at all. In addition to this cut, there are several bite marks left by these children on her arms, Sophia is the same."
The head nurse, clearly different from the ordinary nurses, possessed more confidence. Even in the face of Bruce Wayne, she pointed out his problems righteously. She said:
"Mr. Wayne, we understand that you probably saw these children on the streets and sympathized with them, which is why you brought them here."
"However, these are not problems that can be solved by simple acts of kindness. They need long-term treatment and education. Their behaviors need correction, and they need teachers more than doctors."
Seeing the head nurse's increasing vociferousness, the head doctor stopped her yet sighed and said, "Mr. Wayne, I think you might have noticed by now that our medical team has been trying our best."
"Two seasoned nurses, two new nurses, three first-class caregivers, a head nurse, and a leading physician have all been looking after this room. We've even invited psychiatrists to guide them."
"However, as you should know by now, children in this age range need parents more than doctors who examine their bodies every day. They need a safe environment; they need to feel loved."
"Otherwise, despite their confinement in the sickroom and meticulous care, they will still reduce everything to chaos."
Bruce rubbed his face and said: "Alright, I admit I've been a little busy lately to have just left them here without taking care of them. But now I need a plan, at least one that allows them to live normally…"
Doctor and head nurse looked at each other and said: "Although it may sound harsh, Mr. Wayne, sometimes impulsively bringing a stray cat home is not a good thing. It may cause harm to both parties."
"They have adapted to the wild environment, even able to survive in the most underprivileged areas of Gotham, if you insist on forcibly changing their lifestyle, be prepared for prolonged struggles."
Bruce took a deep breath and said, "I invest millions of dollars in charities annually. You should believe in my commitment to charitable causes."
The doctor nodded and said, "As long as you fully comprehend that this isn't a situation that money alone can solve, our hospital can provide you with a specific mental health treatment plan. But the execution, I'm afraid, would have to be on you."
Bruce nodded and said, "You provide me with professional advice, and leave the rest to me. I don't believe that I can't save a few children."
After the doctor left, Bruce stood outside the door, looking at the children. He thought to himself, maybe, simply treating their physical wounds isn't the solution to the fundamental problem. However, if he's willing to put in more effort, using more professional treatments in both physical and mental aspects, there must be some changes.
As Bruce returned to the Wayne Building, he immediately called for a meeting with his staff. He stood in front of the table and spoke with a firm tone:
"My plan is to establish an independent foundation, separate from the Wayne Charity Foundation, specifically focusing on physical and mental health issues of Gotham's children under the age of 10. I hope that professionals can come up with an effective strategy to drastically improve the living conditions for the city's children."
His staff didn't look surprised. They were used to their boss's impulsivity and fleeting enthusiasms.
But this time, Bruce was very determined.
If it were before, he wouldn't have done this. He felt that Bruce could not save Gotham, only Batman could.
Previously, he was very resistant to do anything under the identity of Bruce, but after experiencing so many things, he finally understood. He should try to break free from the constraints of an identity, being results-oriented, and make the greatest effort to reach a goal.
Soon, the outline for the foundation was prepared, as was the treatment plan provided by the hospital. Bruce first reviewed the psychological therapy plan provided by the central hospital but he was not satisfied with it.
This plan mainly focuses on drug therapy, soothing emotions and reducing excitability as the primary goals. Bruce, although not a doctor himself, has studied psychology for a while. And his psychology professor, Shiller, leans towards the traditional school and doesn't like to prescribe medication to patients easily.
Bruce did not hesitate with this plan for too long. Sitting in his office, he picked up the pen and began to draft his own plan.
The education that Bruce Wayne received from childhood to adulthood was the most typical elitist education. Therefore, when taking action as Bruce to tackle Gotham's problems, the strategy he initially put forward was ambitious.
Firstly, he established the Gotham Psychological and Mental Health Research Center under the name of Wayne Enterprises, inviting some of the world's most famous psychiatrists to analyze specific psychological issues that arise among different social classes, including children.
Then, he established a dedicated charity foundation to focus on the living conditions of Gotham's child population. It aimed to analyze the causes of situations detrimental to survival from a social and humanistic perspective, invest resources to reverse situations like abuse, overwork, and serious illness etc.
Then he established a dedicated Child Protection Organization to remove the influence of violent threats during the improvement process.
Lastly, Bruce wrote one word on the paper - education.
He stayed on this word for a long time. The daunting task had even Wayne Enterprises a bit timeline-shy.
Suddenly, he discovered that what he had once imagined - that saving a city with Wayne Enterprises' resources was perhaps a bit easier - was an oversimplification.
The greater the ability, the more things one can do and inevitably the ambitions grow larger as well. To satisfy this ambition requires even greater ability. Everyone is like that, spend a US dollar to get the results of ten, spend a hundred dollars to get the results of a thousand, spend a billion to get the result of ten billion...
Bruce suddenly realized that even Wayne Enterprises, which he once thought had developed to its peak, was not omnipotent. Even with its global standing, improving basic education in a city was still a thorny issue.
At this point, Bruce Wayne realized that he had too much to do.
He's wealthy now, but not wealthy enough. His IQ is high, but there are strategies he can't figure out. His determination is strong, but the road ahead still seems endless. His heart burns for revenge, but in the dark rainy nights of Gotham, it's barely a flicker amid the gloom.
As Batman stands on top of the Wayne Building, overlooking the city once again, he realizes the abyss here is bottomless.
He discovered that he is like a bat hanging in an attic, not knowing how far he is from the ground.
When he actually started implementing his plans, he realized that with all these intertwined issues, they're not something he could see through and grasp with one glance.
Once again, spreading his cape and soaring downwards, passing countless lights, Batman thinks that a bat sleeping in the attic is simply a pest kicked out by the house owner, a nuisance no one cares about.
To truly save this city, he must have the determination to dive headfirst, only then would he know how deep the abyss is, how heavy the suffering is.
Only then would he know how difficult it is to light a lamp here.