As Victor and the president contemplate how to deal with Bruce, Batman likewise figures out how to handle them.
Through these days of ruminations, Batman comes to understand a lot, such as finding answers to every question Schiller asks him.
Now he admits that he is different from the police. He is not the embodiment of absolute justice; in fact, there is no divergence between he and the criminals, as they all break the law. Batman resolves to enforce his own justice, without concern for judicial justice.
Therefore, his approach to investigating Christine's disappearance is no longer awkward or rash.
Once Batman has figured out, his intelligence and execution are unmatched.
He starts with the president of Gotham University. Compared to the old cop, Victor, the university president is also cautious, but he hasn't attended the police academy, hasn't received professional counter-surveillance training, and physically, he is just an ordinary person; he is much easier to deal with.
One night, Batman sneaks into the president's house directly. Although he doesn't find Christine's location, he discovers some inconspicuous call records on the president's landline.
He guesses that the president wouldn't have personally kidnapped Christine; he must have had accomplices or underlings. Contacting them through the landline is safest since not everyone can hack into the call records, and ordinary people can't view the numbers dialed on such old-fashioned phones.
Bruce reverts to his daytime student identity and makes a particular visit to the president's office. His reason is legitimate enough:although he has done his homework, Schiller still docks his grades, and he intends to complain to the president.
During the communication with the president, Batman uses professional equipment to collect a voice sample of the president, then calls the unknown number using a voice changer.
Batman is quite savvy in his manner of speech. He doesn't ask any questions but makes a very ambiguous statement: "How's the person now?"
The person on the other end doesn't seem too rigorous and replies without much thought, "Sir, as your instructions, we haven't touched her, but my men are having a hard time controlling themselves with such a pretty girl..."
"If there's any problem with her, you're all done." Batman responds.
"Of course, of course. I'll keep them in line."
Just from the reply, Batman knows these are just gang members. Gotham gangs are all the same, and Batman knows them too well.
After the call, Batman pinpoints the location of these gangsters. Although Batman's equipment isn't yet perfect, with so many Wayne family satellites in the sky, it should be trivial to trace a cellphone signal.
After finding the place, Christine is safe. The president doesn't intend to use her as a threat to Wayne, but wants to use her as his informant, so naturally, she can't be harmed; otherwise, how can she continue to date Bruce?
Batman rescues Christine, and she is not physically harmed, but is severely traumatized. After Batman sends her to the hospital, Christine expresses her willingness to testify in court, identifying the president as her kidnapper.
On the other hand, Victor is not doing well either. In front of a wily old bird like Victor, Gordon, who only wants to uphold justice, is simply the most difficult person to deal with. Victor can't shout in the police station, claiming that Gordon's dedication to justice is wrong, and he has to maintain his image of righteous indignation.
Gordon also knows what kind of person Victor is, but still has to play along, occupy his time, and prevent him from destroying evidence for Jonathan or tampering with files.
Gordon is scrutinizing everything related to the case with Jonathan too closely. The case is his own work, making it difficult for Victor to ensure that after destroying evidence in the police station, Gordon won't have kept a part.Although the rookie is rash and difficult to handle, he does have some skills.
As for Maroni, he is even more unlucky. To increase Maroni's sunk costs, Schiller sabotages the chemical plant every few days. He doesn't do anything major; one day, making sure some parts are missing from the machinery, the next day clogging the drainage pipes. These small incidents would be dismissed as accidental, but they greatly delay progress.
Some machine parts can only be purchased from the original manufacturers, and Maroni has to go through great lengths to buy them; for others not provided by manufacturers, he has to pay a higher price to buy from others.
This round of issues costs nearly a million dollars, but doesn't even make a splash.
Maroni believes these problems arise from being too slow to bail out Jonathan. He thinks the workers are unprofessional, and only Jonathan will suffice, so he pressures Victor.
Nervous Victor has no choice but to go to the president again, but the president discovers that the kidnapped Christine has disappeared. The plan hasn't even started, and it is already dead in the first step.
Ironically, Victor is eagerly trying to implement this plan. With the disappearance of the most crucial person, the pressure bears down on both the police commissioner and the president, and they can only choose to take a risk, planning to kidnap Bruce directly.
On the day Schiller accepts Bruce's invitation to dine at Wayne Manor, Bruce leaves class and goes directly to Schiller. The two of them get into the car together, intending to head straight to Wayne Manor.
Gotham University is some distance from Wayne Manor, not as far as the East End diagonally across the city, but it is at least a half-hour drive.
If Gotham has one advantage, its traffic is that it isn't as congested as New York. The roads here are straight and wide, allowing one to accelerate without restriction.
To show sincerity,Bruce does not have a driver pick them up but instead drives a car himself.
Seemingly with a subtle show-off mind, the car he drives isn't a bulky safety vehicle but a flashy blue Lamborghini, quite attractive.
Just as Bruce is about to push the speed to 140 mph, several masked men suddenly burst from the corner. The dark muzzle of their guns aims at the car, Bruce's first reaction is to steer the wheel.
He isn't afraid, but the professor sitting in the passenger seat hasn't gone through any training, so he shouts, "Professor, get down!!"
Schiller says calmly, "I'm pretty sure the butler ordered this car for you, definitely with bulletproof glass and tires."
Then he advises, "If you want to find out who's behind this, it's the time to pretend to lose control of the car and knock yourself out; perhaps later, you might get some clues."
Bruce can see that these people are evidently intent on kidnapping him; otherwise, they wouldn't be shooting at the undercarriage of the car.
Bruce is hesitant. If he were alone, he would certainly do it. But he considers Schiller an ordinary person. If he is kidnapped, the kidnappers definitely wouldn't kill him, but that isn't certain with Schiller.
Schiller says, "I think you don't have to worry about me; I wouldn't joke with my own life."
Finally, Bruce stops his car. He swerves the steering wheel forcefully, causing the car to spin a few times on the road and finally hit a streetlight with its rear end, as if the brakes have failed. Then he tilts his head and leans on the steering wheel, while Schiller also pretends to faint.
The kidnappers are somewhat conscientious. Seeing that there isn't just Bruce in the car, they don't straightaway kill them, but instead, tie Schiller up onto the car as well. They are careful enough to put hoods and handcuffs on both men.
After the car drives for a while, it seems to have arrived at some slum. Bruce and Schiller are escorted out and taken into a room.
Their hoods are removed, and Schiller and Bruce both feign shock. However, the president's direct emergence truly shocks Schiller.
He really doesn't expect that the mastermind behind the scenes would have the audacity to show up so blatantly, without even a mask, and still dress in his work suit. Schiller is speechless.
Even if you don't know Bruce is Batman, you cover up 99% of your evil deeds, so you stumble at the last one?
If Bruce is shaken now, and they can't find at least two pounds of miniature cameras on him, that means he lets his guard down!
Of course, just like in a movie, the portly president begins to passionately disclose his evil plan.
He says he long prepares a body double for Bruce. After kidnapping Bruce, he can be replaced immediately. Moreover, he originally plans to achieve the kidnapping through Christine, but he doesn't expect Bruce to be such easy prey, easily captured with just a few gunmen.
During his boastful talk, he inadvertently confesses to all his crimes.
After committing every possible mistake a villain can make in a movie, Schiller's patience runs out, and he simply speaks, "Bruce, now."
Bruce leaps up instantly, not hampered by the handcuffs at all. The president, standing too close, is subdued by Bruce in less than two seconds, his wrists handcuffed.
The gunmen waiting outside rush in, only to be caught one by one by Bruce. When Gordon arrives, the president still hopes to use Victor to pressure him. But Gordon says, "Sorry, but the Commissioner was arrested last night when he sneaked into the archives to destroy evidence. Although he disables the security cameras, Harvey, under the guise of organizing sundries, places another camera there. Irrefutable evidence, buddy."
Bruce says, "It looks like they are running out of options. Now we have another person to deal with."
Schiller takes out a file from his briefcase and says, "Just as we planned earlier, I've got detailed maps and personnel deployment of that chemical plant. I think a certain tight-suited freak is ready for action."