Bruce did not expect that after four years of tormenting each other with Shiller, the perverse degree of Shiller's actions could still refresh his understanding. This was no longer a question of morality or law – Bruce was somewhat lost for the first time.
Does Shiller want to change Bruce? Of course, because, without changing Bruce, Shiller cannot escape from a destiny revolving around Batman.
If Batman makes no changes, then Shiller might have to torment him for twenty years or more. Thus, while Batman is young, Shiller certainly wishes to make him less annoying.
Then, does Bruce want to change Shiller? Surely, Bruce wants to punish every criminal. So what if his friend is also a criminal?
This question, in the original comic, gives an answer: Batman never gave up on saving Two-Face, Harvey Dent, and when Harvey's condition worsened, causing him to transgress the law, Batman felt overwhelming guilt, nearly unable to face him.
For those close to him, Batman tends to save them, guiding them onto a righteous path. This was true for Two-Face and Catwoman; not as easily brutal as treating other criminals by simply throwing them into prison.
Batman has always wished to change his former teacher Shiller, but never took practical action due to not yet graduating. No matter how you look at it, Batman is a person of social conscience, he surely can't hit his teacher before he has finished his homework or passed his examinations, can he?
As for more gentle methods, not involving violence, Batman never seriously considered them, discussions with someone whose daily work involve prying into other's hearts and convincing them usually end up causing one's own affliction.
Upon returning from hell, Batman experienced a significant shift in thought. As a result, in dealing with some criminals, he now held advantages he never had before. He believed that it's high time he started setting out to change Shiller.
After participating in psychiatric hospital internships, Batman understood that most patients with mental illnesses are suffering greatly. No one wishes to endure a life of constant turbulence, a life beyond control.
Batman noticed that Shiller's desire to live a regular life is a clear sign of his active search for treatment. However, being a psychiatrist himself, there isn't anyone better to treat him.
Batman felt he had an obligation to relieve Shiller of his pain, even if the process was long and treacherous. What Batman never lacked was patience and determination. However, the precondition was that Shiller had the potential and willingness to be saved and changed.
Batman had seen Shiller's morbid aspect in Metropolis; at that time, the insanity he showed wasn't that far off from the criminals he had encountered.
But now, he realised that it was because they had not spent enough time together and that Shiller lacked enough opportunity to express himself.
Even as Batman's expectations for Shiller's morality had lowered to the point where he would be content just for him to be human, it seemed that Shiller once again breached this baseline. He resembled more of a monster than a regular human.
A composed, silent, independent and self-consistent monster, who didn't need any treatment or desired any change.
"You don't have to feel so uneasy," Shiller said, shaking his head at Bruce. "On this planet, the ribeye part of most vertebrates is the tastiest."
"Because it doesn't move too often and won't become too tough due to excessive muscle work, but because of the bones, it won't accumulate too much fat and won't be too greasy."
Shiller didn't specify which animal he was referring to. According to common sense, he should be talking about pigs, cows, and sheep, but no one in the room could associate his words with common sense.
Shiller kept using his knife and fork to cut the meat on his plate but didn't eat it anymore. He continued, "Perhaps, that's why this chef chose to serve grilled ribs, but with lack of confidence in his own culinary skills, he can only make the meat look overcooked, to hide the specific type of meat."
"But I believe he is simply imposing his thoughts on others." Shiller lightly shook his head and continued, "How many people have seen human ribs? Even if he served an entire human rib, everyone here would merely exclaim at the increasing variety of pork."
Everyone looking at Shiller had an unpleasant expression because they knew the facts reflected Shiller's words. However, they soon realised one lady in formal attire turned towards Shiller and asked, "Rather than saying we aren't normal, isn't it abnormal for you to distinguish such differences?"
"I didn't say that you weren't normal," Shiller glanced at her, "I'm a psychiatrist, and I'm using my professional knowledge to provide more choices to deal with the murderer in your future operations."
Bruce took a deep breath. He knew he had to set priorities. No matter how horrifying Shiller may be, he didn't commit this crime. He must establish what's going on with the murderer shown on the TV.
So, he put his hands on the table, looking at Shiller and asked, "What does it infer? That he lacks in confidence?"
Shiller continued to divide the overcooked meat on the plate into strands with his fork and knife. It seemed like a ritual, but Bruce felt it might just be a way for Shiller to relieve his boredom.
"He placed himself in your shoes. He believed that, like him, you would have a detailed understanding of the different forms of various animal limbs, also thinking that, like him, you would instinctively doubt everything around you, scrutinizing every single article and examine food on the dish for half an hour before starting to eat."
Shiller slightly turned towards the TV, "Mr. Mysterious, in the poem you composed, the greedy people ravaging the food were described as pigs. Those who obstruct your revenge are not genuinely kind either. They only wish to become pigs themselves, so no one can slaughter these pigs at will."
"We don't have to resort to obscure metaphors anymore. The 'pigs' you mention are the rich who possess the vast majority of social resources, the officials who hold power over life and death. The people who stop you from killing these individuals are the police, and possibly also vigilantes."
Shiller slowly decoded the murderer's motif. The killer, watching from the other side of the television, seemed like he was truly listening as another voice echoed from the TV, "So, professor, what's your insight on this?"
"Previously, some people thought that the two cases you've committed were similar to previous serial murder cases. However, serial murders revolving around organs are not uncommon. The crux is what the core motive driving their crimes is."
"Serial killers' extra attention towards human organs often stem from two emotions: love or hate."
"Many psychopaths are infatuated by one or multiple organs in the human body and have a fetish for collecting these. Therefore, they kill and remove these organs to add to their collection."
Everyone present felt a chill. Jason shuddered, hugging his arms and rubbing them to battle the cold. He looked at Tim and said, "That's really sick, isn't it?"
As he turned to look at Tim's expression, he discovered that the handsome and intelligent young man was watching Shiller intently, listening attentively to his speech.
Jason glanced back at Bruce, who was mirroring Tim in demeanor. Instantly, Jason felt even colder.
"The other type of psychopath despises a particular organ. They kill people to destroy that organ so that it cannot remain intact on the human body, leaving it forever incomplete."
"Which one do you think I am?" A voice echoed from the television.
"That brings us back to the previous question." Shiller continued cutting the meat on his plate, the slight sound of the knife scraping against the fiber sent shivers down the spine.
"You consider those who benefit from the status quo and those who endorse them as greedy gluttonous pigs, who would rather stuff themselves to death, than share their food with others."
"You kill them and seize their organs. It's neither out of love nor hate, but because you want to tell them that they are pigs and you are the butcher."
"You can slaughter them arbitrarily, and according to your mood, can take any part of their organs for cooking, just like a butcher does with the meat in his hand."
Just as Shiller finished, the image on the television flickered to snow, but before those seated at the table could sigh with relief, another image appeared. This time, the background of the frame was darker, and it looked like it was shot in a workshop.
What sent everyone shivering was that the background of the image had human limbs hanging from hooks - there were arms, legs, and other skin segments that were hard to identify. However, Bruce astutely noticed there were no organs.
"Professor, I must admit, I might have judged you too hastily in the past. Your expertise in psychology is truly astonishing," said a voice.
As the voice trailed off, a figure appeared on the screen. He was wearing a white lab coat often seen in a laboratory, had a pig's head on, and was holding a long dagger, slowly stripping the skin off a human forearm in front of the camera.
Meanwhile, Shiller was still cutting the food on his plate, the tip of the steak knife emitting a faint noise when it hit the porcelain plate.
All the ordinary people sandwiched between the two top-tier serial killers could do nothing but shiver in fear.
"You can call me V. Of course, I don't mind if you call me by my real name, Lazlo Valentin, or Professor Pig," came a string of deep, dark voices.
An edged blade pierced the skin, tearing open the soft exterior, revealing the muscle tissue within. Professor Pig didn't hesitate at all; his actions were as smooth as if he had done it countless times before.
"When I was young, I was just another pig kept in a sty. My father was an ordinary surveyor who ended up falsely accused in a construction scandal and died in prison. My mother died crushed by a falling rock from the 26th floor while she was looking for evidence to prove his innocence."
"When I saw their bodies, the world was quieter than ever before. Later, I found that sudden deafness left me permanently without hearing in one ear. Because of that, I was sent to a special education school."
"With my talent, I was admitted to the best Chemistry department, but I became the scapegoat in a major cheating scandal during an examination. And before the trial, when I was preparing my defense, I lost my right eye permanently."
"So, I remained silent, letting this prison disaster ruin my life," he whispered, his voice trail off before continuing, "
"Or perhaps it reshaped my life."