"Yes, indeed, the Federation belonging to Batman." Luthor snorted lightly and said, "He really united America into one."
Luthor's tone was complex, filled with anger and hatred, as well as an indescribable appreciation and jealousy. His gaze moved from Shiller's face to the window beside him. Despite there being nothing much to see during Gotham's rainy days, he still stared at the clouds in the distance with a dazed look. A kind of paranoia that could only be revealed after failure, rooted in his personality, was on full display at this moment.
"We're not discussing this." Shiller said, "If you're willing to cooperate, I can introduce you to a high-level psychiatrist after everything is over. But for now, tell me, what's the matter with the scandal between the President and Mrs. Romanoff?"
The muscles at the edge of Luthor's brow immediately tensed. He squinted his eyes at Shiller and said, "Why not discuss it? Because you think I'm completely incomparable to him now? You think I'm a complete failure?"
"Alright, let me put it another way." Shiller adjusted his sitting position and said, "If you don't explain the scandal to me, I'll have Superman come and see your current state, let him know that you have been utterly defeated by Batman in politics, economics, and military power. He'll surely sympathize with you, what do you think?"
"Indeed, I did it." Luthor answered very straightforwardly, "Now, go find him some work off the southwest coast of Australia."
"And the purpose?" Shiller continued to ask.
"I really don't like Wayne's new economic policy, and this is one of my ways to disrupt the policy promulgation process."
"What about the murder case?"
"What murder case?"
"The head of Wayne Enterprises' security department."
"That has nothing to do with me." Luthor said, "Do you think I killed them and framed Wayne for it? If that were the case, I'd choose to kill a more important figure, not that waste Abidonis."
"The Abidonis couple had quarrels over the Atlantic Fund you established."
"That's their private affair, unrelated to me."
"What's the deal with the fund?"
"That's my legal economic activity."
"What are you doing in Gotham?"
"Seeking investment from the Stagg Group."
"Anything else you'd like to say?"
"I'll have my legal team fight for my maximum rights, including your charges of reckless driving, intentional slander, and using illegal means to collect evidence."
"Great, I really like your attitude, especially when you're lying on a hospital bed in our medical center." Shiller turned to the nurse at the door and said, "Adjust his pain pump to the safe level, the safest one."
The nurse came over and twisted the pain pump. In less than ten seconds, Luthor let out a low groan of pain, his fingers tightly gripping the bed rail, his face pale from the pain.
"Now, anything else to say?"
"You damn... bastard... blue-skinned dog... Wayne government's henchman... I will... I will kill you!!!"
Shiller looked down at the information on his phone and said without looking up, "You should know I carry a body cam, right?... Are you saying you can explain to the Judge that this is just language system disorder symptoms caused by your head injury in a car accident? And what about Superman? How does he feel about you insulting law enforcement?"
Luthor slammed his fist on the bed rail.
"He thinks you're evil, cunning, always inexplicably hostile toward him, but he can't deny that you're a cultured person, with a demeanor and manners far superior to him, this bumpkin. But if he hears you cursing like a Kansas State farmer, even the last bit of appreciation might disappear, right?"
"Oh, I misspoke." Shiller shook his head and said, "Kansas State farmers aren't as afraid of pain as you are. They can endure the pain of acute appendicitis for three days and even drive a tractor to finish harvesting the last batch of spring wheat. If Superman saw you like this, he'd realize that the sense of superiority you and he both took for granted should never exist. The moral high ground you're standing on is so fragile it's about to collapse."
Shiller leaned forward, looking into Luthor's eyes and said, "Do you think this is a good thing, Mr. Luthor? Should I help him realize this?"
Luthor swung his fist toward Shiller, but Shiller tilted his head to dodge it. He reached out and twisted the button on the pain pump. After about a few dozen seconds, Luthor stopped gripping the railing tightly, but he began trembling all over.
"Turn it down... turn that damn thing down!" Luthor's pupils were somewhat dilated, and he said, "I'm not an addict, you must adhere to safe dosages..."
"As safe as it was just now?"
Luthor was somewhat speechless. His well-maintained body, which almost never used painkillers, reacted very strongly to the analgesic. Euphoria shot straight to his brain, with countless hallucination fragments flashing before his eyes in just a few seconds.
"Tell me, what's the secret behind this?" Shiller asked, "Mr. Luthor, you're very smart, you should know that trying to hide something from the moment you fell into my hands will only bring you more suffering. If I wasn't confident in asking everything out, I wouldn't have pressed the accelerator."
"I'll sue you! You damn... damn madman! I'll rip your skin right off..."
"On what grounds? Violent enforcement?" Shiller remained calm, he said, "The knife is returned to the sheath, only because the owner doesn't need it temporarily, not because the enemy considers it too sharp. You understand this, don't you?"