Shiller opened the door, and the tall figure with long black hair walked in. Diana gently gathered her hair and smiled at Shiller, "Good morning, Professor, I've brought over the latest produce from Metropolis Farm, including carrots, onions, and celery; I hope there's still some space in your fridge."
"There's always a spot reserved for a considerate lady," Shiller said with a smile, holding onto the doorknob.
Diana stepped aside to let Diana in. As she looked around the room, noticing few changes, she went straight to the fridge and put the vegetables she was carrying inside.
Picking up the kettle of hot water that had been prepared, Shiller pushed open the back door and stepped out into the backyard, which now finally resembled a proper garden.
The moment Diana opened the door, she let out a gasp of surprise, for the vegetable garden they had planted before was nearly ripe for harvest. The cabbages were like blossoms on the ridges of the fields, each one round and plump, and just by looking at them, one could imagine their crisp and juicy texture.
"It seems I've upstaged your garden." Diana said, "It looks like you don't need any more vegetables here, Professor. I never expected you to be a gardener."
"It wasn't entirely my doing, just tilled the soil a bit. Rather, take a look at this gazebo, lady."
Diana followed Shiller's gaze and noticed that a new gazebo had been added in the northeast corner of the yard, matching the color of the house. The sunshade on the roof of the gazebo seemed adjustable as it was opened, given the sun wasn't shining at the moment.
Underneath the gazebo, there was a tea table and two stools.
More importantly, the gazebo was raised a bit higher, and the walls of the house were not particularly tall. Sitting atop the gazebo, one could perfectly enjoy the view of the lake and forest not far from the backyard.
"You really know how to enjoy life, Professor," Diana couldn't help but exclaim. "If I could sit here and drink a cup of coffee after work, I would certainly love this world even more."
"You are welcome to fly over anytime," Shiller said, pulling out a chair for Diana.
After Diana sat down, Shiller placed the kettle in the middle of the tea table, brewed a pot of tea, poured a cup for Diana, and one for himself.
Diana noticed that the semi-transparent kettle seemed to contain something other than tea leaves, but she couldn't see clearly what it was. She took a sip and realized it didn't taste like ordinary black tea.
"What is this? Professor?"
"Flower tea."
Diana quite liked the flavor and didn't ask any more questions. After taking a sip of tea, Shiller began to talk business.
"How are things in Metropolis?"
"Not bad, actually very stable. I have to say, Lex is quite talented in this regard. Under Luther Group's control, the crime rate hasn't increased, and the common people's lives are just getting by."
"Food has played an important role in that, hasn't it?"
"Yes, Pamela managed to get a large batch of food from somewhere, and transported it through the undersea tunnel. Lex paid a lot for this grain, then implemented a rationing system."
"Does Congress have no objections?"
Diana gently blew on her tea and said, "I don't know if what he's doing is right, but Lex shifted that cost onto Wayne Enterprises. By holding down Wayne Enterprises' East Coast businesses as leverage, he got Congress to let the matter slide."
"Capital ebbs and flows like the tides, and with every change in the tide, there's a group that gets fed. The East Coast has been too tranquil for too long; Lex is willing to stir the pot, and naturally, there are those willing to follow him for a share of the soup."
"I know that, from a businessman's perspective, he's not wrong to do so. I just feel a little guilty towards Bruce." Diana put down her tea cup and sighed softly, her black bangs fluttering in the morning breeze.
"He's got enough on his plate," Diana said. "Juggling multiple roles and planning for the future, as his friends, we should be helping him more. But we really can't get involved in this matter, we don't even know how Lex did it."
"Don't worry, lady, he won't blame you all. Perhaps he's intentionally letting this happen, and at least facing such pressure must have been a learning experience for Tim. He will be the heir to Wayne Enterprises in the future."
"That would be for the best." Diana seemed genuinely relieved as she said, "He didn't come to us first when he got back, but went straight to Wayne Enterprises. I think he must have a lot to discuss with Tim about business matters, so I held Clark back."
"I think you did the right thing. What's important now isn't to complain. If Clark really wants to help Bruce, then he should ask Lex's opinion, or provide them an opportunity to sit down and talk."
"Lex has already taken over quite a few businesses. Would he be willing to give any back? If their talks fall through, wouldn't things get even worse?"
"Lex is a smart man. He understands the principle of moderation. Besides, in my view, Tim still has an ace up his sleeve."
"What is it?"
"The Soviet Union."
Diana's eyes widened as she said, "Tim has secured support from the Soviet Union? But as I see it, Lex can't exactly wrap himself in the Stars and Stripes with ease either."
"Certainly not, but compared to Lex and Bruce, the new generation is clearly more audacious. He's done more than just secured support from the Soviet Union."
On this matter, Shiller simply hinted without elaboration, and Diana understood. These matters could only be discussed with Wonder Woman. If told to Clark, he would either blurt it all out to Lex or spill everything to Bruce—his super brain never stops churning.
"If I can ensure that the two of them achieve balance, then I would be willing to organize a party, since I am already planning an auction, and both of them are interested in artifacts from the Amazon. What do you think, Professor?"
"Speaking of which, how is the situation on Paradise Island?"
"Tourism revenue has plummeted, and no matter how I promote, there is no improvement. However, my sisters are comforting me, saying that we are a hunting and fishing people, we won't starve without extra income, which is still better than living as ordinary people in the cities."
"Perhaps you are taking it a bit too optimistically, ma'am," Shiller put down his teacup and let out a soft sigh.
Diana caught the look of worry between his brows. She carefully observed Shiller and noticed that the professor's attire was different from usual.
He wasn't wearing that black suit. Of course, he didn't always wear suits at home, but if there were guests, he usually chose the fail-safe suit.
But today, he was wearing a plain black turtleneck sweater, pinned at the chest with a swordfish brooch.
Upon closer inspection, Diana noticed that his complexion was abnormally pale, not from illness, but as if his skin had become more translucent, with blue and purple veins faintly visible beneath, turning his complexion chillingly pale, his lips also without much color.
Following the high bridge of his nose up, Diana's breath caught as her eyes, from behind his glasses, turned, and she saw a pair of golden vertical pupils.
Those were the pupils of a cold-blooded animal, looking strange and dangerous. Paired with Shiller's face, it was enough to make one's hair stand on end.
Diana's body stiffened, almost knocking over the chair. She instinctively leaned back as much as she could, then said, "Professor, what happened to you? Are you alright?"
"Actually, I'm not fine. This is the main reason I invited you here today." Shiller shook his head with a sense of helplessness and then pulled down one side of his turtleneck collar a little.
Diana leaned forward again, eyes widened in scrutiny, and she saw semi-transparent black scales, fading in and out of visibility along the side of Shiller's neck, or more precisely, below the jawline.
"Good heavens!" Diana exclaimed earnestly and involuntarily reached out to touch them, the completely unhuman cold sensation against her skin making her retract her hand instantly.
"What in the world happened?" she asked.
Shiller just smiled, but his current state made the smile, which should have seemed somewhat resigned, appear particularly sinister.
"Do you know Spider Man?"
"I've heard a bit, oh my, you weren't bitten by something, were you?"
"Being bitten by a spider turns one into Spider Man, so what does being bitten by a snake turn one into?... Well, just kidding. I wasn't bitten by a snake."
Shiller calmly recounted to Diana the entire process of the child abuse case until he mentioned the name Circe.
"Circe?!" Diana stood up abruptly, saying, "The witch Calchas? She's an enemy of the Amazons! You've dealt with her?!"
"You could say that," Shiller replied. "To be exact, I orchestrated her death."
Diana took a sharp breath, connecting Shiller's current state with understanding, then said, "She used a Beastification Curse on you, turning you into a snake."
"Yes, the problem is, after I used another powerful being to kill her, the curse wasn't completely broken."
Diana sat down slowly, deep in thought, then her gaze fell on the teapot. She picked it up for a closer look and said, "This is a snowdrop, and it can be used to break Circe's curse."
"Yes, I now have to rely on this to maintain my status and prevent the curse from worsening."
"So Circe isn't dead?"
"I'm afraid not. She escaped using some method. She must have been severely wounded, with most of her powers dissipated, which is why I could return to human form. But clearly, she is gradually recovering, and the power of the curse on me is growing stronger."
Diana pondered for a while, then spoke, "I understand, Professor. If you were not fully confident, you would not have taken action."
"Circe is fated to die," Shiller nodded and said. "She carries a more terrifying curse on her body which ensures her death is only a matter of time. She may have escaped this time, but there will be another."
"What concerns me more is what she is looking for in Gotham."
Shiller looked up at Diana, who fell silent, recalling the distant past, and said, "I've encountered Circe before. I only remember that the moment she saw me, she seemed very surprised. I don't know what she was surprised about."
Shiller pointed at his forehead, and Diana touched her own in response, then she heard Shiller say, "She was surprised to see that you also have the Witch's Mark."
"The Witch's Mark?!"
"Yes, it is an ancient curse, so ancient that it traces back to the origins of magic, and we must talk about a Goddess and many traitors..."