"Lex Luthor."
"Lex... Men's Dormitory Building 2, Room 403..." Shiller wrote it down subconsciously, then paused suddenly, looked up and sure enough, Lex with red hair emerged from the darkness.
"Lex?" Shiller glanced at him, then returned his gaze to the form in front of him, saying, "Don't tell me you've applied to Gotham University?"
"Actually, I didn't apply to Gotham University because I'm not old enough for college, but I made a sizable donation, so..."
Shiller took off his glasses, rubbed his temples, and asked, "Can I ask for your reasoning behind this? Haven't you visited your local Metropolitan University?"
"Of course I have, just before I came to register here, I visited Metropolitan University and found Clark, who is studying journalism, and made a fool out of him in front of his peers."
"Having visited Metropolitan University, why are you here at Gotham University instead of leaving without looking back? What gave you the courage to come here?"
The academic standards and facilities at Metropolitan University and Gotham University differ vastly.
"Of course, it's because of you, Professor. The incident at the Metropolitan Mayor's Mansion and your handling of it sparked my interest in psychology. Among all the universities on the East Coast, you are the only one I found academically trustworthy."
"Thank you for your praise." Shiller flipped a page on the form he was holding, and then said, "You're more likable than Wayne who just registered. Still, I'd say it's better for you to go back to Metropolis. This isn't the place for you."
Lex paid no mind and shrugged, "Where can't I go? There is no such place."
"If Wayne can come here, so can I. I'm by no means inferior to him."
"Tell me honestly, Professor, how are his academic results? He must be the best in the class, right? Don't worry, I'll break his record soon."
Just as Shiller was about to continue speaking, Lex picked up his suitcase. Shiller observed the movement and said, "Don't tell me you've come here without a butler or security guard, and you're going to stay in the student dormitory."
Lex nodded, laboriously brought his suitcase over. His body was so thin that even a suitcase of standard size appeared remarkably heavy.
Shiller shook his head, looked up at the now extinguished lightbulb, and then said, "You'll pay for your overconfidence today. Those who don't belong to Gotham will eventually leave."
Lex didn't understand Shiller's fatalistic words, he just took his suitcase and left on his own.
As he walked past the academic buildings and squares of Gotham University, the day had fully broken, but the electricity had still not been restored, so the dormitory was still pitch dark when Lex entered.
What's more frightening is that Gotham University's dormitory has 6 floors, and Lex lives on the 4th floor. Moreover, there is no elevator in the building.
That is to say, Lex had to carry his heavy suitcase and climb 4 floors by himself.
This wouldn't be challenging for any physically normal college student. Although it might be a bit tiring, it's not unbearable. But it wasn't the case for Lex.
Like he said before, he's not yet of college age. He's three years younger than the current Bruce, having just turned 16. Moreover, because his father, Lionel, had controlled him and excessively used drugs, his physique had weakened significantly and his stamina was poor.
Therefore, when he was dragging his suitcase up the stairs, he struggled immensely. After climbing two steps, he needed to change maneuvers, but it wasn't lifting, it was dragging, with the suitcase banging on the edge of the steps, making a "thud-thud" sound.
After dragging his suitcase up one floor, Lex was too exhausted to move. He could only rest in the stairwell, panting and starting to regret not having brought his butler and security guards along.
Just then, a tall figure approached and seeing another person in the stairwell, he paused, then said, "Are you a new student this year? What happened? Do you need help?"
"I..." Lex swallowed a mouthful of saliva, pointed to his suitcase, and said, "It's too heavy, I can hardly carry it, but my dorm room is on the 4th floor..."
"Oh, I see, no problem, I'll help you with it." The tall figure stepped out from the darkness, and Lex saw that it was a handsome, tall, dark-haired male student in a suit who seemed to have an excellent upbringing.
"My name is Lex, from Metropolis, what's your name?" Lex took the initiative to ask, and the male student said: "You can call me Thomas, Thomas Elliot. You must have heard of the Elliot family?"
"I'm an outsider and I've never left my own city, so I haven't heard about any of the families of Gotham." Lex watched as Thomas picked up his suitcase and began to climb the steps.
"What about the Wayne family?" Thomas asked.
"I have heard of them, given how famous they are." Lex followed behind Thomas, but he was walking slowly, seemingly having exhausted all his energy. Thomas was forced to wait for him on the higher steps.
"Oh, then you probably know that Little Wayne is studying at this school, right? Although he doesn't come to class very often, you should be able to meet him soon since he's been staying in the dormitory more frequently."
"Stay in the dormitory? Isn't his family quite wealthy? Why does he need to stay in the dormitory?" Having arrived on the third floor, they took a break in the stairwell, chatting while resting.
"Don't get me started. His daughter often makes a fuss at night and disturbs his sleep, so he has to escape from Wayne Manor and rest in the dormitory for some peace."
Thomas shrugged, "Our families have been acquaintances for generations, and he and I have known each other since we were kids. But even I don't know when he got a ex-wife and daughter."
Lex furrowed his brow, Thomas saw his reaction, and continued, "Of course, I can understand him. Every man needs his own space, and he's not the type to linger around his wife and child."
Seeing Lex's deepening brow furrow, Thomas once again picked up the suitcase, and then ascended the stairs. Lex followed him, and they both arrived on the fourth floor.
But just as they stepped into the 4th floor corridor, a strong smell of blood drifted over.
Under the dim light from a window at the end of the corridor, Lex saw that the door to the fourth room on the right was open, and a pair of legs was sticking out, with blood flowing from inside the room.