Tim and Pamela both understood that their Earth was far from entering the cosmos, and the fundamental problem was that they were not united enough.
Logically, under economic globalization, pooling the power of the entire Earth to solve energy issues could be prioritized, but would America be willing to do that? Would Saudi Arabia be willing?
So even though every young child knew that the enormous fireball hanging over their heads was an infinite source of energy for humanity, they couldn't exploit it, even with Batman's technology and Superman's strength.
One or two heroic figures couldn't push the entire human race forward by themselves; what they lacked wasn't a single solution, but overall strategic planning, which led to their actions being fragmented—some could frequently travel to and from Apocalypse Star, while others still couldn't afford basic meals.
Tim knew that under these circumstances, even if he got his hands on Mercury energy equipment, it would be useless; he couldn't secretly install it and start distributing the mysterious energy to all humans on Earth.
But among all the Robins, only Tim had foreseen that Bruce might be plotting something big. If Bruce succeeded, perhaps Earth could unite, and with a complete technology set, they wouldn't have to start from scratch since energy was the capital and aim of all technological development, both the starting point and the endpoint
If he failed, Earth would face a real survival crisis after the economic crisis and the traditional energy tycoons would not be able to supply the energy needed to rebuild Earth. Then, they would have to use the unknown energy source anyway, and that equipment would ensure Wayne Enterprises always remained in an invincible position.
If Tim surmised just a hint of Bruce's plan from his own intellect, then Pamela was an insider. After all, she possessed the power of All Things Green, and Bruce wouldn't discard such a useful tool in his schemes.
She knew Bruce's plan more clearly. It essentially involved introducing an external enemy. Although she didn't know the exact nature of this enemy, Pamela had to think one step further.
All the plants in the world relied on the sun to survive. If there was a flaw in the plan, and humans on Earth were pushed to the brink of life and death, they surely wouldn't be in any state to protect plants, so she had to plan a bit more for the flora.
The equipment on Mercury utilized solar energy nearly perfectly, which would make the sun a lifeline for humanity, not easily abandoned. As long as the sun was there, plants wouldn't be wiped out on a large scale, and life would find a way.
Tim went to Stark Group, and Pamela went to S.H.I.E.L.D., all for this reason, but after running around, they realized that the real decision-maker was still this doctor.
When they heard that Dr. Schiller was coming to the West Coast, they realized it was a good opportunity and hurried over non-stop.
That was sensitivity to information. Schiller thought, Batman's ability to assess people was always so high. From making an attempt, discovering the truth, to decisively getting involved, boldly playing his cards, and gaining rewards, all were as accurate and sharp as a falcon.
The red taillights lit up, and the car stopped in front of the cabin. As they entered, the fireplace was still burning, sending waves of heat toward them.
"Although I know you don't mind, I'll still sleep on the couch," Tim said, "My room is upstairs, the doctor's is across from mine."
Pamela frowned and said, "This house only has two rooms? Are you serious?"
She walked around the ground floor and realized that the cabin indeed wasn't spacious, the staircase was also very narrow, so cramped compared to the arrogant new houses, not to mention compared to the mansions.
Tim had already gone upstairs to bring down a pillow and blanket. Checking the Airbnb page earlier, he knew the sofa downstairs was a sofa bed. He set it up, laid out a long blanket, threw the blanket over it, and patted the pillow on the bed head.
Pamela went up to the second floor and saw that the bed in that bedroom wasn't very big, definitely too small for two people. Without any fuss, she pulled out another blanket from the cupboard, changed into pajamas, and crawled into the bed.
Dr. Schiller filled a bucket of water from the kitchen and set it in front of the fireplace on the first floor, to prevent Tim from overheating. They hadn't done much today, but Tim felt somewhat tired and started to drift off as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Dr. Schiller added a few logs to the fireplace to make sure it wouldn't go out all night and was about to go upstairs to rest when he saw car lights flicker at the window, seeming like a car had stopped not far off.
This wasn't a typical neighborhood; there were no other residences. If someone drove here, then they were specifically coming to this house.
Dr. Schiller casually grabbed a kitchen knife and put it in his pocket, then stepped outside to see a woman with green hair in braids and a young man in a hood standing not far from the house, looking around cautiously.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Dr. Schiller's voice seemed to startle them. They hurriedly turned around, and the young man took off his hood and said, "We came up the mountain to watch the stars, and on our way here, our tire blew. Do you have a spare tire?"
"I am a tourist, the car is rented, I don't have a spare tire to give you."
"That's unfortunate. Looks like we'll have to wait in the car overnight," they replied.
Dr. Schiller pulled out his phone and said, "Wait a minute. I'll call someone over."
The phone's light illuminated Dr. Schiller's face, and the woman with the braided green hair exclaimed, "You're Dr. Schiller?!"
"Yes, I'm here on vacation, but unfortunately, this house is too small, I don't have spare rooms for you," Dr. Schiller said with a smile.
"Ah, no, that's okay," the woman said excitedly. "Can we take a picture with you?"
"Let's handle the main issue first," Dr. Schiller said into the phone. "Hello, there are two tourists whose car broke down, parked right in front of my house. Could you bring them a spare tire?"
Soon, a young Black man nicknamed Little Black Dog arrived by car. He quickly changed the tire for them and checked the car. After ensuring everything was fine, he even turned on the headlights and led them forward.
"Oh, can't we take a photo with you?" the woman asked regretfully as they were about to leave. "I've been following that documentary, I'm a big fan."
Dr. Schiller stood by the car window, smiling, and said, "Let's not, I don't want to be welcomed by fans crowding the road. Good night!"
After both cars had left, Shiller shook his head and returned inside. Tim had actually gotten up again and asked with groggy eyes, "Have they decided not to rest for 24 hours?"
"You don't know yet? This is called 'fatigue interrogation.' As long as they keep me restless, I'm bound to slip up."
"Will you?" Tim's eyes had already closed.
Shiller patted his head and made him lie back down on the bed, then pulled up the blanket and said, "Perhaps."
The night passed without words, and at 6 o'clock the next morning, someone knocked on the door.
Fortunately, the few people living in this house were accustomed to waking up early. Pamela, sadly used to laboring, had to get up early for work every day, and Tim was almost the earliest riser at Wayne Manor, thanks to having a negligent father, and the shareholders wouldn't wait for just him.
Shiller's sleeping schedule was even healthier: rise at sunrise and rest at sunset, more regular than most people of this era.
The person who appeared at the door was the landlord, but he wasn't as friendly as the day before. His large frame blocked the door as he said, "If I had known you were an internet star, I wouldn't have rented the place to you. Are you planning to film videos here?"
"I am not," Shiller said. "I have already told you in the app chat that I am a licensed psychologist."
"The internet-famous psychologist who has twice topped the TikTok trending discussions list?"
Tin heard this and became angry. Although being an internet celebrity hadn't completely turned into a derogatory term by then, for a true professional, it felt more like an accusation of being famous without deserving recognition.
If this had been said to the professor, the big guy might have been lying in a pool of blood by now. No, no, no, Tim thought, the professor wasn't the type to resort to violence, but he would at least have torn him to shreds verbally.
"Well, if that's what you think, I can't help it. So, you don't want to rent this place to me anymore?"
"Yes, but since you haven't damaged my property, I can refund you the money for the remaining days."
Tim did a kip-up, wanting to discuss the contract issues, but Shiller gave him a look and told him to keep calm.
"Listen, I don't want to cause trouble for anyone, but this place is quite remote. You need to give us a day to find a new house."
"Okay, but the rent for this day will be deducted," the landlord said grudgingly.
"No problem. Can you leave now?" Shiller remained calm.
The landlord seemed at a loss for words and paused for a long while before pursing his lips and saying, "It's not that I want to make trouble for you, but if your fans find out you're here, they could block this place up and might even vandalize my property. I can't afford such losses."
"I completely understand. If there's nothing else, we need to pack our things," Shiller replied.
"Alright." The landlord rubbed his hands and said, "One last request: I hope you won't give me a bad review."
"I won't," Shiller said gently. "I don't make a habit of leaving reviews on any app, consider it as if I have never stayed here."
Unable to think of anything else to say, the landlord finally left. Tim said angrily, "He was the one flipping us off in the parade; he must have known all along!"
"He was just drunk," Shiller explained. "Then someone paid him to trouble us, hoping it would be easier to catch me on camera if they forced us out of a remote place."
"And you just let him have his way?"
"Because I want to leave as well."
"Why?"
"Now that there are three of us and only two rooms, how can we live?"
Tim opened his mouth, wanting to say that he didn't mind sleeping on the couch, but, in reality, he hadn't slept comfortably the night before. A sofa bed simply isn't the same as a real bed, and being pampered from a young age, he was particular about where he slept. He had woken several times and still felt dizzy now.
"According to the app's policies, if we leave early, the remaining rent isn't refunded because the landlord can't find new tenants on such short notice; it's like wasting that time."
"But if the landlord wants us to leave, it counts as his breach of contract first. We could totally file a complaint and then leave a bad review. To maintain the reputation of his property, he would have to refund us the money for the remaining days to stop us from spreading the word. Actually, if I insisted, I could have gotten some compensation, but let's forget it."
"You really are different from the professor," Tim said as he sat on the edge of the sofa. "You have a really good temper."
"I'm always like this when it comes to money," Shiller said. "As long as I can avoid financial losses, I always try to be kind."
"What if someone does cause you financial loss?"
"I try my best not to make enemies."
Tim pursed his lips, clearly not believing a word.