Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics

Chapter 4809: Chapter 3881: Nameless Bat (14)



"Hello, Mr. Stagg." Shiller stepped forward and shook hands with the young man in front of him. This person seemed a bit too young, looking like he just graduated from college, wearing a turtleneck sweater and black-rimmed glasses, completely unlike a group leader.

However, considering his uncle Simon Stagg was sentenced to over 200 years for partnering with the Scarecrow in a terror attack in Gotham, it's normal for him to take over so hurriedly.

Stagg Group, like Wayne Enterprises, has a wide range of businesses even though its biopharmaceutical department is currently shut down. Financial services remain a cornerstone. The deep roots of such groups that have established themselves in Gotham aren't so easily shaken.

"I am sorry for Abidonis's death," Stagg said, "We did chat briefly during a previous party, but it was just a few minutes and there was no further contact. So, regarding this case, I'm afraid I can't be of much help."

"No rush, Mr. Stagg. There are just a few routine questions for you. Mind if I sit down?"

Stagg had no choice but to lead him to the sofa in the reception area. Shiller casually glanced at the ashtray.

"Before I came up, the lady at the front desk mentioned that you had an appointment. I'm sorry for dropping by unannounced and disrupting your important matters."

"No problem, Agent. Go ahead with your questions."

"How much do you know about Abidonis?"

"Frankly, I'm not very familiar with him. I've only recently taken over the group, and I can't even recognize everyone within my own group, let alone Wayne Enterprises. Besides, he was in charge of the information security department. To avoid suspicion, I couldn't talk much with him. I truly don't know more."

"What did you talk about at the party?"

"It was about the new policies from the President," Stagg adjusted his glasses and said, "The President's actions on the East Coast have been quite significant—everyone present had some complaints. He brought it up, and I just joined in with a few complaints. That's it."

"I see. But he was part of Wayne Enterprises, so why would he complain about President Wayne's policies?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I heard he had investments on Diamond Street. Perhaps the new policies affected the returns on those investments." Stagg seemed honest as he spoke. "I also heard Mrs. Abidonis was a professional manager who gave him investment advice, which is nothing unusual."

"Perhaps you haven't heard yet; Mrs. Abidonis is currently the prime suspect in Mr. Abidonis's murder."

"Oh, God." Stagg exclaimed, "Have they fallen out?"

"I'm afraid it's more than just emotions breaking apart." Shiller gently shook his head and said, "Their five-year-old daughter mentioned there was a disagreement about a fund before the murder occurred."

Shiller keenly noticed Stagg's fingertips twitch slightly. Shiller sighed lightly and said, "To be honest, with such an incident occurring, the President is bound to be displeased. Even if he's currently occupied with diplomatic affairs and can't address it immediately, there will certainly be repercussions later."

"With financial policies already being tightened, if such troubles arise, the President may believe even more strongly that finance harms the nation, and he might introduce further policies unfavorable to Diamond Street. I suppose you wouldn't want to see that happen, right, sir?"

"What do you mean?"

"A professional manager isn't enough to appease the President's anger. If you don't want Diamond Street to suffer as well, it's best to offer someone more significant. You wouldn't want the FBI to end up catching a small fry, right?"

Stagg's fingers kept fidgeting as if he was considering something. He said, "Are you aiming to catch a big fish to make your name?"

"Honestly, I do have that intention. Recently, there was a major purge within the FBI, leaving many positions vacant. Given that this incident involves the President's hometown, I've gone through a lot of effort just to come on this mission. I wouldn't want to return empty-handed, and neither would my subordinates. Even if I intend to classify this as an ordinary murder case, they wouldn't agree."

Stagg sat in place, contemplating, and said, "You want to leverage his daughter's testimony and pin it on someone more significant on Diamond Street to help the President suppress its arrogance."

"Exactly. Let me be clear, this investigation won't lead to you in any way. Stagg won't be the scapegoat. But the President might not think that."

Stagg widened his eyes slightly, staring intently at Shiller and said, "What's that supposed to mean? What's the President thinking?"

"You know, previously, your uncle conspired with the Scarecrow to launch a terror attack, nearly poisoning the entire city. The President has already expressed dissatisfaction with the Stagg Group. You're also too young to control those restless shareholders, the so-called 'strike while the iron is hot.' The President might be thinking of making you the scapegoat and putting an end to Stagg."

"That cannot happen!" Stagg said through gritted teeth, "I don't even know Abidonis! He can't frame me!"

"You know he can." Shiller remained calm and said, "Since he took office, how many large corporations has he taken down? I don't have to tell you that. How many times have they thought they could bring him down, but failed each time?"

"As I said, you're very young." Shiller lowered his voice and said, "The President is also quite young. He's long been fed up with those rigid old-timers. He needs fresh blood, strong young knights to support his reign. People like us are precisely what he needs. As long as we can rise to his favor, gain his support, whose approval do we need?"

Stagg slightly tightened his fist and said, "What do you want me to do?"

"No hurry. First, tell me who came to visit you earlier."

"Lex Luthor." Stagg said, "The head of the Luther Group. He approached me hoping Stagg Group would invest in a hedge fund he recently established. You arrived too quickly; I couldn't have an in-depth talk with him, and I'm not quite sure what's going on. But he's quite determined, so he hasn't left yet."

"Good. I want you to tell him later that the investment is open for discussion, but since the FBI needs to inspect this building, you'll need to move to a more private location. Later, you'll arrange a car to take him to your estate."

Mr. Stagg slightly furrowed his brow and said, "Why do we have to do this?"

"Don't worry about it," Shiller said, shaking his head lightly.

He turned his head to glance out the window. A faint flash of light appeared on the opposite building's rooftop. Gotham wasn't known for strong sunlight, so the glint from a small mirror was barely noticeable. If Shiller hadn't timed his glance perfectly, he wouldn't have noticed it.

Shiller stood up and said, "Tell me an unimportant floor, I'll pretend to search inside the building."

"Go to the third floor; there's a restaurant and bar there," Mr. Stagg replied.

"Perfect," Shiller nodded at him and walked out of the room.

Not long after he left, another figure in a suit entered the room. The man wore a crisp suit, shiny polished shoes, and had a bald head, but his features were fairly handsome, with an expression that gave off a confident air.

"Hello, Mr. Luthor. I'm actually quite interested in the fund you mentioned, but unfortunately, it's really not a good time to talk now. That damn agent insists on investigating inside the building."

Mr. Stagg, looking troubled, said, "Honestly, I'm quite curious about hedge funds, especially with the new policy… how about this, let's discuss it in detail at my Half-Mountain Manor, what do you say?"

Luthor nodded. Mr. Stagg said, "I'll go prepare the car."

"No need," said Luthor. "I'll arrange the car myself. This fund involves a lot of confidential information, so it's best to use a security vehicle."

Mr. Stagg slightly furrowed his brows. This proposal was actually quite impolite. It seemed like the other party completely distrusted him. However, with the current state of the Stagg Group, he couldn't afford to offend the Luther Group. Moreover, recalling what Detective Rodriguez had mentioned earlier, he decided to endure it.

"No problem, Mr. Luthor. Shall we go directly to the underground parking lot?"

"No, let's go to the main entrance. My security vehicle isn't parked in the underground lot but in another parking lot nearby."

Stagg clenched his fist in anger. If there was just distrust before, now it was blatant provocation.

You've arranged a security vehicle, but didn't park it in my building's parking lot? Isn't this obviously because you're worried I'd tamper with your security vehicle? This is outrageous!

Stagg took a deep breath and silently endured. He said, "Alright, let's go to the main entrance."

The two of them took the elevator to the group's main entrance. But once they stepped out, they saw several patrol officers standing by the roadside, some writing parking tickets, others inspecting cars, and some arguing with car owners.

Mr. Stagg was a bit dazed: "Are these patrol officers crazy? Checking for parking violations on Diamond Street?"

But he quickly noticed something was wrong. These cars around that were ticketed were indeed illegally parked. Both sides of the road were packed, and many cars could only park next to the cars on the road's sides. The original two lanes were blocked into a single lane.

Mr. Stagg heard a person in a suit yelling at a patrol officer: "Why am I illegally parked? You tell me why I'm illegally parked?! I was off to deliver a billion-dollar bid but couldn't find a single parking spot on Diamond Street; if I don't park the car here and rush up, who's going to make up for my lost job?"

Nearby, there was a car owner amidst the traffic jam, cursing: "What on earth are you guys doing? So many police, and you can't even clear the traffic?! I pay millions in taxes every year..."

"Looks like your security vehicle won't be arriving anytime soon," Mr. Stagg said, somewhat gleefully turning to Luthor, only to see Luthor's face looking a little ugly.

Suddenly, an inconspicuous flash of light flickered. Luthor's eyes widened instantly, and he quickly withdrew towards the lobby, shoving aside the receptionist and hiding behind the counter.

Standing there confused, Stagg looked around and saw no danger. So he walked over to the counter and tapped on the table saying, "Mr. Luthor, what's wrong? Are you okay? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

"Shut up, you damned fool!" Luthor cursed aloud.

Meanwhile, on the third floor by the bar window, admiring the traffic jam below, Shiller dialed the fire department.

"Hello? Is this the Diamond Street Fire Department? Well, it seems a smoke alarm has been triggered over at the Navigator Building, haven't you guys been informed?"

As he spoke, Shiller walked to the door of the bar's back kitchen, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled smoke, "Yeah, I also think it might be a false alarm..."

Beep—Beep—Beep—!!!

The piercing shrill of the smoke alarm was enough to penetrate several floors. At the same time, the fire department's alarm bell rang out. As the most prosperous and economically valuable street in Gotham, Diamond Street boasted the best firefighters and the most comprehensive fire-fighting equipment. Fully armed, the firefighters grabbed their gear and jumped into the truck, racing down the street—but were blocked at the entrance of Diamond Street.

The instant the smoke alarm went off, Luthor's face turned as dark as could be. And listening to the fire alarm that screamed at the street corner, yet showed no sign of approaching, he slammed a fist on the table.

"Damn you, Bruce Wayne, you really want my life!!!"


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