Strange agreed, and no one queried as to why.
The specific operation method was for Strange himself to create an illusion of Bruce Wayne, then apply his immense experience in surgical operations to this illusion, and then manipulate the illusion to produce the desired effects.
For example, if he made a cut here, the illusion would reasonably display a wound, and if one side of the nerve was removed, the illusion would simulate a nerve.
The plan was actually proposed by Strange himself.
Bruce's original plan was to leave his body here for Strange to manipulate as he wished, while his soul went out to do other things, since all he initially needed was an alibi.
Creating an alibi was easy for Bruce, but the hard part was to trick the Joker, which was why a top-notch medical professional like Strange was needed. If Strange said he could heal, then he could. If Strange claimed a particular surgical method was viable, no one dared to refute him. Such was the power of a high-caliber professional in the industry.
However, Strange, in a somewhat contemptuous tone, said that the nerves that Bruce had altered in his body were too ugly to behold, nearly violating the rules of biological evolution. He proposed instead to fabricate a lesion himself and precisely control the surgery time to twenty hours.
But Bruce really found it hard to imagine how to perform the delicate surgical operation like a normal surgery while simultaneously managing the magic illusion to display corresponding changes.
What was needed was not only the ability to make delicate operations but also unparalleled rich experience, a clear understanding of every muscle, and the pathway of every nerve.
Bear in mind that present besides another surgeon, Jonah, were countless highly experienced nurses and matrons. Deceiving these people wasn't going to be a walk in the park. A simple bloody animation wasn't going to cut it.
Moreover, there were two trainee medical assistants in the operating room. Strange might also have to explain while performing the surgery. The difficulty increased not additively but exponentially with these three tasks simultaneously.
But since Strange insisted, Bruce agreed and signed the contract. Strange got to witness just how rash one could get when signing contracts in this universe. Both parties just needed to read the contract and sign their names without even needing a lawyer.
The terms of the contract were not strict at all. To put it plainly, it was just simple language, specifying who was going to do what, approximately when it should be done, and the consequences of not getting it done. It could not be said to have the prototype of modern laws, but rather, it was much like the spirit of Hammurabi's code.
Then, Bruce got to witness the true hand of God. Strange sent Jonah away, a flash of light appeared in his hands, and an illusion covered Bruce's original body.
He gave Bruce an invisibility spell and signaled him. Bruce got up from the operating table, his wounds quickly healed.
Then he continued to perform extremely precise operations around the cut made by Jonah earlier, using a technique that didn't suggest any imperfection even to Bruce.
This was simply incredible because now he wasn't just fooling a room full of doctors and nurses, but also the world's greatest detective, Batman.
No wonder Nick was the first to think of him. Bruce thought with some sentimentality that he was a natural-born deceiver so skilled that he would amaze Batman.
Bruce was so fascinated he nearly forgot to leave until Strange coughed several times. Reluctantly, he walked to the door, thinking he must add a clause in the contract with Strange next time to learn surgical techniques from him.
Wait, he didn't necessarily have to learn from him directly.
After Bruce left, he immediately sought Peter Parker. Peter, who still didn't know that his buddy Bruce had been replaced, approached him with some worries, offered a hug, and said,
"Don't get too discouraged, buddy. Heroes are always misunderstood. That's not your fault. It's all because the crimes have become too brutal."
"Let's not discuss that." Bruce quickly walked into the room, looked around at the equipment in Matt's gathering spot and asked, "Do you have a remote hidden headset?"
"No, but why do you need a headset?"
"I have a plan, but I need your cooperation. Initially, you may not understand a lot of it, so I need to notify you through the headset."
Peter was somewhat puzzled. He looked at Bruce and blinked, "You seem a little different."
Bruce turned to look at him, lowered his eyelids and replied, "You're right, people are inevitably misunderstood, but it won't enrage me, instead it will stimulate my thoughts, rejuvenate my energy. I'm pressing myself to find a solution. I know I'll find one, you know it too, don't you?"
Peter was slightly stunned for a moment, then he remembered that Bruce Wayne was Batman. Although he had performed poorly before, who knew how Batman was when he was young?
Everyone matures at different times. Peter reasoned based on his simple understanding that Bruce couldn't have been born reciting Homer's Epic, and carrying Highlights of Major Cases.
There must have been a time when he was incompetent. Why couldn't it be when he was in his twenties?
But everyone will mature eventually. Spider-Man was the same. When he reached maturity, Spider-Man couldn't say that he did better than Bruce, so he was fully tolerant and from now on thought he should view everyone from a developmental perspective.
Perhaps it was similar to his own experience; there was a certain point that prompted Batman's transformation, which made him stronger and stronger until he became the omnipotent Batman that Spider-Men had in their impressions.
Peter immediately felt revitalized. Actually, he had been feeling a headache about how to turn around the public opinion. Spider-Man had gone through this many times before, but so far he had found no effective solutions, but could only wait for the storm to pass.
However, Peter Parker is just an ordinary guy. Once he takes off his uniform, he goes to school or work, and no one pays attention to him. But it's not like that for Batman. Once he takes off his uniform and becomes Bruce Wayne, he has a lot more headaches and can't just escape from it all.
But if Batman was Batman, everything would be different. The Spider-Men know best how amazing Batman's plans can be and, barring any surprises, they could definitely turn the tide.
However, out of caution, Peter has to make sure it's not another foolish idea. So, he tentatively asks, "What plans do you have in mind? Can you tell me?"
"Of course, we're teammates." Bruce nods, walks over to the foot of a single bed, sits down, and pats the space beside him.
Peter immediately breaks into a brilliant smile, walks over, and sits next to Bruce. He feels that the affection he showed previously has not been wasted, as Batman is actually willing to share his plans with him.
After all, this is Batman, can any other Spider-Man accomplish this?
"Before I tell you about future action plans, I need to explain what I've done so far."
Bruce surprising said, "I opted to play a game of Russian Roulette with the Penguin, the mayor. You know, the one where you load a bullet in a six-shot revolver and take turns pointing it at your own head."
Then Peter remembered, and he turned to the small television next to him and said, "I heard the news that you were rescued. I thought it was just media exaggeration, reporting wildly. So you're okay?"
"It's part of my plan. Because of certain reasons, I have the worst luck. You can think of a 10% chance of something bad happening to me as closer to 50%, while a 50% chance of misfortune is practically a certainty."
"1/6 is neither a large nor a small probability. But I can be sure that within three shots, I would be hit, and, my luck was extraordinarily bad this time. I got shot on the first try."
Peter glanced over Bruce, not seeing any injuries, but he wasn't surprised. On one hand, if you're well protected, the lethality of a small revolver isn't too big. On the other hand, Spider-Man has self-healing powers. As long as the bullet is taken out after a gunshot wound, the wound will heal very quickly. The worst part is the pain.
"Why would the mayor gamble with you?" Peter raised his question.
"Manipulation is one of the most glaring traits of a psychopath." Bruce answered: "They can't resist controlling others, The Penguin is such a madman, so, this was also quite tempting for him."
"He thought that I was less resolute than he was, so he could use the threat of death to pressure me into breaking down. This kind of mental torture, watching others suffer and breakdown, is like sweet candy that madmen like him can't refuse."
Peter shuddered, and then heard Bruce continued explaining: "But that's really just the icing on the cake. I never intended to win the game. I even planned to die in front of him before he had a chance to put any pressure on me."
Peter felt that the Bruce Wayne in front of him had completely transformed. Even without his spider-sense instincts, he instinctively moved a bit farther away from Bruce.
"The media is good at manipulating public opinion and slandering others. They do everything they can to pile up the kindling and make the flames burn brighter. Instead of looking everywhere for water to douse the fire, why not just set up a grill and roast some meat?"
Peter was stunned as he listened to Bruce smoothly tell him his series of elaborate plans.
"I collapsed in the Mayor's office. There's no way the Penguin can claim innocence. This situation can't be sugarcoated at all. The more they conceal the details, the more the public focuses on the result."
"And the result is that the Penguin has defeated the infamous me, made me pay a tragic price, and I'm even on the brink of death."
"The enraged public, already fully incited by these media outlets, dictates its own judicial process. Populist essence is vigilantism. The Penguin judged me on their behalf, naturally becoming their spiritual leader."
"They don't care about the Penguin's will but just need a spiritual banner to vent their emotions and spread their extremist ideas. They'll constantly stress that the Penguin stands with them."
"But those who have vested interests will not allow someone to lead so many people around recklessly, making judgments against members of their own. They'll necessarily have the Penguin pay a price as an example to warn the fanatical public to behave."
"Then, even if the Penguin didn't want to stand with the masses, he still has to. Because only those who support him want him to live now, and everyone else wants him to die."
Bruce raises his hands and says: "High society needs a beautiful shell to package themselves, to show off their civilization and kindness. At least on the surface, they need to respect the public's wishes."
"Then all the civilians who stand with the Penguin will become his lifeline. He must hold on to them to save his life. And if he wants to hold on to them, he has to join them, lead them, and protect them."
Peter saw a dangerous vortex opening up in Bruce, the madness hidden behind the sparkle of wisdom in those deep blue eyes, like a light in the deep sea that attracts fish onto the hook.
Peter was unconsciously attracted to it.
Bruce stood in front of him and said,
"Some people say that only by torturing super criminals can we vent our anger; some people say death is the deserved end for super criminals; some people say the best punishment for super criminals is neglect and oblivion—but I think all of these are wrong."
"... Then, what should it be?"
"The best punishment for super criminals is to make them become superheroes."