"When Bat Cat first came to my home, it always fought with Little Kryptonite. No matter how hard I tried to break them up, it didn't work. However, for some reason, they later became good friends."
Bruce squinted his eyes, and Clark, perceiving his gaze, pursed his lips and said, "Alright, Little Kryptonite and I are similar, we both possess special abilities. You can think of it as the animal kingdom equivalent of me."
"If they've stopped fighting, why did your dog get sick?"
"The issue lies in the fact that Bat Cat fights crime in the dream world every day. One day, Bat Cat got a slight injury during a fight and wasn't able to return to its own dream, instead it accidentally ended up in Little Kryptonite's dream."
"When Little Kryptonite found out its friend was injured, it became very angry and kept pressing Bat Cat about what happened. Bat Cat couldn't stand the constant questioning and ended up telling Little Kryptonite about the dream world."
"Little Kryptonite's abilities and character are much like mine, and it's a dog, and every dog in the world desires peace. So, in the days that followed, it began to accompany Bat Cat on its adventures in the dream world."
"In addition to Cat City Gotham which we have visited in the dream world, there are many other cities where little animals live. Many cities are experiencing disasters, and Little Kryptonite's sense of justice wouldn't allow it to ignore this, so every night it joined Bat Cat in doing good deeds in the dream world."
"But, Bat Cat is native to the dream world, it expends no energy when operating there, unlike Little Kryptonite. It needs to rest, and dreaming intensively exhausts it mentally."
"I couldn't convince it to give up because it sees these animals as its peers, needing to be saved, just like I feel compelled to save humanity." Clark shook his head, with a touch of sadness in his voice. "I took it to the vet, but I couldn't tell them the truth, they would think I was crazy."
"I could only tell them that Little Kryptonite was suffering from pet depression. The pet clinic can help Little Kryptonite recuperate through rest and care, so I had to leave Little Kryptonite there temporarily."
"You should know that the reason Little Kryptonite and Bat Cat were allowed to stay in our home is that they don't shed fur. Martha quite likes that characteristic of them. With Little Kryptonite away from home for so long, she is really upset."
"So a while ago, I asked Hal to visit Little Kryptonite and take some photos. I hoped he could also help me find a more professional vet to figure out how to resolve Little Kryptonite's issue."
"Can't Bat Cat do anything about it?" Bruce asked.
"Are you perhaps misunderstanding something about yourself?" Clark stared at Bruce, "Do you think Batman has a healthy mental state?"
Bruce looked away, and soon they saw Hal at the door. Clark hurried to greet him, but when he looked around Hal, he didn't see Little Kryptonite.
"Clark, Bruce, I wanted to discuss something with you." Hal's eyebrows furrowed, and he looked serious. Clark knew just from his demeanor that Hal had serious business to discuss.
"Let's talk in the cabin over there." Clark waved, signaling for Hal to follow him, and they headed to a cabin next to the woods.
The cabin was used mainly for storing tools and resting. Inside, there was a fireplace and some furniture. The three men sat around the table. After some thought, Hal finally began to speak.
"Don't worry, Little Kryptonite is fine. I've already got a specialist treating him."
"I'm here because of an issue in Mexico. Oliver has run into a problem and wanted to ask for your opinions, particularly Bruce's."
Bruce looked at Hal, his expression clearly conveying his thoughts. Hal shook his head, "Oliver doesn't want Shiller to get involved in this anymore. He's been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation too many times. Sooner or later, he won't be able to escape."
Before Bruce could respond, Hal cut him off, "Sure, we all know Shiller has special abilities, the FBI can't kill him, but don't forget, a person needs a social identity to live in society. If his social identity is killed, he won't be able to operate in society anymore."
"It was only because Shiller made a deal with the FBI that he was able to reclaim his social identity. Otherwise, the FBI would simply announce his death, and he wouldn't be able to operate in Gotham as before or publish academic papers or achievements under his old name."
"Even if Shiller somehow manages to prevent them from doing that, do you think he wants to deal with these agents? Everyone knows how troublesome investigations are, and he doesn't need to go through all of that."
Bruce opened his mouth as if to say something but remained silent. If he remembered correctly, Oliver and Shiller had few encounters and weren't familiar with each other.
Hal rested his arm on the table and started speaking again, "Recently, a mysterious force contacted Oliver, offering help. Oliver accepted."
Bruce furrowed his brow as Hal continued, "Of course, we all know there's a chance this help could be a trap coated in honey, but Oliver had no other choice. He needed all the help he could get."
"However, the other party didn't ask anything of Oliver or the people of Guadalajara. Oliver suspected that it might be the domestic military-industrial complex trying to push Congress to pass amendments to the Neighboring Countries Act by providing assistance to create enough pressure on Congress."
"The so-called amendment to the Neighboring Countries Act is just a policy that favors the military-industrial complex, including but not limited to tax reductions and increased military spending. It's an old trick, nothing special."
"The issue is, another mysterious force has approached Oliver recently, offering him much more generous terms, just to have him accept their help," explained Bruce Wayne.
Hal scratched his head, looking utterly puzzled. "Oliver told me that everyone in the domestic military-industrial complex is on the same side. So, how could the assistance come from two different forces? And why would they offer better terms than before?"
"Although I'm not a big shot, I know that the military has too many proxies overseas. The generals aren't going to give these dogs anything substantial. At most, they would just throw them some leftovers. How could they be offering more and more?"
"And that's why, Oliver hopes I could ask you guys. He is currently abroad and can't gauge the situation at home very well. He hopes to consult with Bruce Wayne because he trusts that you are on our side, considering Shiller was your mentor."
"If you are hoping that I can use the information channels of Wayne Enterprises to find out something, I'm afraid that would lead to disappointment. You've probably missed the news since you've been busy traveling back and forth. My father, Thomas Wayne, has returned and taken over Wayne Enterprises. I am no longer in charge."
Looking at the disappointment on Hal's face, Bruce shook his head and said, "But even in the past, you probably wouldn't have gotten any extra information from Wayne Enterprises. I stopped dealing with the military after my parents passed away, so it was tough to get any relevant information."
"However..."Bruce suddenly changed the topic," I might be able to make some educated guesses. Would you like to hear them?"
Light returned to Hal's eyes. He nodded firmly, then expressed his worries anxiously. "You don't even know how chaotic it is there. Even Arthur and I are struggling to deal with it. The fact that Oliver can hold on is already quite remarkable. We really should help him."
"The domestic military-industrial complex doesn't really need to provide such substantial aid to Oliver. They may wish to play both ends against the middle, yet, Mexico is different from other nations." Bruce began to elaborate.
"In essence, America is still using offshore balancing tactics. They make use of their isolated geographical position to control proxy wars remotely, stirring up the world's situation. The Middle East and Southeast Asia are perfect examples."
"But Mexico is different. Mexico shares a border with America. This means offshore balancing could potentially go off rails significantly, and everyone is aware of this."
"The higher the risk, the greater the return. The military-industrial complex wouldn't pass up this lucrative opportunity. The more critical the situation is in Mexico, the more profitable it is for them. But they also understand that if they feed a wolf tied at their doorstep too well, they could be bitten at any time."
"Therefore, the best method for them is to constantly suppress people like Oliver, sustaining them just enough to keep them alive but in a perpetually weakened state."
"This approach is safe and can give enough pressure to Congress to ensure their profits."
"Are you suggesting that those who are aiding Oliver are not from within our nation, but possibly... the Soviet Union?"
"That's even less likely," Bruce immediately refuted. "The Soviet Union can hardly maintain itself now. All they can do is cheer on the sideline."
"I believe it's still likely the Americans doing this. But these are likely new interest groups, different from the military-industrial complex. They're probably trying to add more chairs around the cake-eating table."
"God!" Clark held out his hand and exclaimed, "Isn't it enough that taxpayers are supporting so many arms dealers? How much more money do we have to give this bunch, who think of nothing but lobbing their missiles at other people's heads, to make them content?"
"Well, that's not unjustified," Bruce shook his head. "The slowly stabilizing situation in the Soviet Union has caught everyone by surprise. Europe's economy is already teetering on the brink. They've been exsanguinating, waiting for the leviathan to fall and seize the spoils."
"Now, the Soviet Union no longer opts for aggressive measures against those areas demanding independence, instead tossing them out to face the pressure of Europe, preserving itself and frustrating the Europeans. They want more than just crumbs, and America promised them more."
"America has been continuously reaping Europe's industries and economy, the tremendous gains that could come from splitting up the Soviet Union. These benefits are like the carrot hung in front of the mule, with America constantly telling them that a better day will arrive. "
"But now, with the Soviet Union's situation stabilizing more and more, that carrot is becoming less fresh, the illusion is fading. To balance the internal pressure, Europe must loosen its noose, which means making trouble for America and adding pressure."
"They'd dare to do this as they still have alternatives. If turning right doesn't work, then they can turn left. They still have options."
"The arms dealers just want money, but plenty of people want more substantial interests. Smart people can think of it. They can think that not only the domestic military-industrial complex will sit at this table."
"In this case, they must join early to secure a good position, ensuring larger interests for themselves. One method naturally includes contacting you to express their sincerity."
"So, what should we do then?" Hal looked into Bruce's eyes and asked seriously.
"Fully accept the assistance." Bruce responded decisively, "Not only that, you should demand more from everyone."
"Be firm, resolute, accept all offers and most importantly - demand a lion's share!"