"It seems that even Batman has his eye on you. Given the circumstances, we can collaborate. I know what you want, and I have the capacity to provide what you're looking for."
March sat down hard on the single-seater on the first floor. His coarse action made the chair squeak. Shiller standing by the fireplace frowned, but it was as if March didn't notice.
The single-seater on the first floor had a low backrest and a long seat, which resulted in a very relaxed reclining posture that made you feel unconsciously relaxed. Once relaxed, people want to stretch their bodies, just like sitting in a bed.
Thus, March put his feet up on the coffee table, crossed his hands and put them on his lower abdomen. He looked at Shiller and said, "Batman will keep an eye on your every move in the dark. Even a local of Gotham cannot escape his pursuit. It's not wise to make him an enemy, but since you have already done so, you'd better think about your retreat."
"He emphasizes his control over the situation," Bruce said very calmly when the camera froze on March's face. "But he's using the most foolish method."
"Sometimes, breaking through the outdated etiquette and behaving rudely and disrespectfully emphasizes the sense of control, implying that the situation is under my control and you can't resist however unreasonable I am."
The morbid voice sounded like it was flowing from a gramophone. It seemed as if he stood behind a screen that separated him from others. That vague, ambiguous laughter sounded pacifying but also made people tense.
"This is the first step in controlling someone's mind. When the situation is advantageous for you, try to invade the other person's territory, and compel them to accept and accustom themselves to it. Then, inch by inch, draw them into your control until their thoughts fall within your scope."
Everyone on the other side turned their heads to look at him, but the morbid one was just staring at the screen. The light from the screen slid over his desolate gray eyes, like waves choosing the most crystal-clear sand.
"There are several varieties of fools in this world. The biggest fools are the 'untimely ones'. They can't discern the situation; they don't understand their own position or that of others. They guess others' reactions based on their own logic, and then use the results of their fantasies to guide their own actions."
"Take Mr. March as an example. He fantasizes that Shiller is as afraid of Batman as he is, and so he must discuss with him. He treats this speculation as a conclusion and believes he can invade Shiller's territory with impunity."
"Next, if others don't react as they expected, they will become extremely irritable, like a switch has been flipped. They lose rationality and can't deal with things objectively, they just emotionally blackmail others."
Diana, Barry, and Hal all furrowed their brows. Evidently, the morbid guy's description reminded them of certain people. The feeling of disgust coming from their hearts forced them to admit that what he said was right- these kinds of people were really disgusting.
"Will Shiller continue to tolerate him?" asked Constantine, with a firm set of lips. "This level of rudeness, even the most patient person wouldn't be able to tolerate it."
"I finally understand, this is actually Batman's trap." Barry crossed his arms and said, "He's best at posing difficult dilemmas for criminals. If Shiller can't tolerate March and starts a fight, then Batman can seize the chance. But if Shiller realizes this, then he has to endure March's rudeness."
"Either way, Professor Shiller will be in great discomfort." Barry shrugged his shoulders.
"There are other ways to make a person look foolish, not just through violence. Moreover, Shiller can use violence, but in a more dignified way."
As Morbid's voice died down, Shiller in the screen had already left the fireplace. He ascended the stairs to the second floor once more, while March's gaze followed him.
"You're right, Mr. March. I did have a minor conflict with Batman. Do you know what we were arguing about?"
Just as March was about to ask, Shiller said, "We were arguing about the corpse we saw earlier, and the murderer who committed the crime."
Shiller went to the edge of the second-floor patio, turned his back, and raised his head. He stretched out a hand and stroked the spines of the books with the tips of his fingers, saying,
"I said he's just wasting his time. Instead of hunting down this murderer, it would be better to focus on the potential existence of an organization of assassins. Any way you look at it, an organization of assassins that have killed several people and might continue killing is more dangerous, right?"
"You... you think that the case wasn't committed by the assassin organization?" March stiffened a little.
"Isn't it obvious?" Shiller was still searching for books by the shelf. Then, as if he suddenly realized something, he opened his mouth and said, "Oh, how could I have forgotten, Mr. March, you haven't seen the body."
"If you had seen the body, you wouldn't have this question. Yes, the recent murder case, where the unfortunate Mr. Erim was killed, was not committed by the killer of the previous murder cases, but it was another killer."