Seeing their boss capture the troublesome little pig so effortlessly, the guards present immediately burst into cheers.
They rushed forward in a frenzy, tied up the little pig inside the cage, and prepared to throw her into the meat grinder to chop her into pieces!
As far as they were concerned, the little pig was already as good as dead.
After all, they were determined to take revenge for the humiliation she had caused them earlier.
"Hey, what's the matter with this pig? Did she really do something so terrible that you're all this angry?"
Karl asked curiously, grabbing one of his subordinates.
Seeing his superior asking about the incident, the man immediately seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, recounting everything that had happened earlier.
However, the more Karl listened, the stranger the whole situation seemed.
He knew perfectly well that most of the fools working under him weren't exactly geniuses.
But even so, the fact that they couldn't handle a single little pig was simply ridiculous!
Meanwhile, the bound piglet was completely unable to move.
Her eyes were filled with tears, and large droplets rolled continuously down her face, making her look incredibly pitiful.
However, there was something particularly unusual about this little pig.
She actually had two silver bracelets around her front legs!
Who knew how many pigs were slaughtered in Gotham City every day?
Yet it was practically unheard of to encounter a pig wearing accessories like these.
Especially for Karl, who suddenly felt that the entire situation was strangely familiar.
If his memory served him correctly, something like this had actually happened before.
Wonder Woman had once been transformed into a pig by her archenemy!
If that was really what had happened here, then this was no laughing matter.
"Kill her? What are you talking about?"
"The poor little thing wasn't deliberately trying to provoke you. How could you be so cruel as to send her off to her death?"
Even Karl himself felt somewhat uncomfortable saying those words.
Nevertheless, he maintained his expression and waved his hand.
"Bring her over here. I want to take a closer look."
His subordinates were completely dumbfounded.
Their boss had never been a particularly merciful person.
The media moguls who were currently being filmed inside those iron rooms could probably attest to that better than anyone!
So when had Karl suddenly become such a passionate defender of animal welfare?
Compared with the guards' astonishment, the magical little pig was absolutely delighted.
She nodded her head repeatedly, seemingly agreeing wholeheartedly with everything Karl had just said.
Since their boss had personally issued the order, the guards naturally didn't dare disobey.
They reluctantly handed the piglet over.
Karl carefully lifted her in front of his face and examined her from several angles.
The more he looked, the more familiar she seemed.
She looked almost exactly like the character he remembered seeing in an animated series.
Most importantly, those silver bracelets were practically identical to the legendary Amazonian artifacts capable of deflecting nearly every ranged attack!
"Pigs are such adorable creatures. How could anyone possibly bear to hurt them?"
Karl was practically making himself dizzy with all the nonsense coming out of his own mouth.
Nevertheless, he forced himself to maintain the performance.
The miraculous little pig, on the other hand, seemed genuinely moved.
Ever since she had been transformed into a pig, nearly everyone she encountered had chased her around, shouting about turning her into pork sandwiches.
But this blond-haired man was treating her differently!
Naturally, she couldn't help but develop a favorable impression of him.
Meanwhile, Karl quietly took advantage of the opportunity.
He slowly extended his hand as though intending to stroke the little pig.
However, instead of simply petting her, he flicked one of the silver bracelets several times with his fingernail.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
One shouldn't underestimate the power concealed within those seemingly harmless movements.
Karl had secretly concentrated his magical energy into his fingertips.
Although the physical contact was extremely light, he transferred a trace of his mana into the bracelet, carefully examining its internal structure and the way its power operated.
Unexpectedly, this cautious little experiment triggered an incredibly violent reaction!
The entire surface of the bracelet suddenly seemed to catch fire.
Startled, Karl immediately withdrew his hand.
He had nearly been overwhelmed by the bracelet's defensive response!
"Oh my God!"
"Fortunately, I only poured a tiny amount of energy into it. Otherwise..."
Karl held his breath and concentrated, his thoughts racing.
"It seems the Amazons' defensive bracelets really are extraordinary. No wonder they're regarded as the ultimate defensive weapons!"
Although he still had no idea how Wonder Woman had ended up in Gotham City or why she had inexplicably been transformed into a little pig, that didn't mean Karl intended to miss this opportunity to get close to her.
"Don't be afraid, little one. I'm not going to hurt you!"
As Karl spoke, he carefully untied the ropes binding the piglet.
He even took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the mud and dirty water from her body.
Sensing Karl's kindness, the little pig didn't attempt to escape.
Instead, she happily opened her mouth and even made faces at the guards, seemingly mocking them for their earlier failure to catch her.
"All right! I'll leave everything here to you!"
Karl suddenly turned toward his subordinates and spoke in a stern voice.
"Don't forget to report back to me afterward. Understood?"
The guards were completely bewildered.
After all, nearly all of Gotham City's television moguls were currently being tortured inside those rooms.
Yet now, Karl was suddenly insisting on leaving?
Apparently, the little pig had become so important that even the fate of those television executives could no longer hold his attention.
Since when had their boss become an advocate for animal rights?
Of course, Karl had his own reasons for leaving in such a hurry.
He was worried that Wonder Woman might witness the miserable condition of those helpless captives.
If that cynical woman discovered what was happening and concluded that he was involved in a kidnapping and extortion scheme, it would be disastrous for his reputation.
Therefore, he had no choice but to withdraw as quickly as possible.
At the very least, he needed to prevent Wonder Woman from discovering his darker side.
...
Karl carried the magical little pig back to his residence.
Truthfully, it had been a very long time since he had returned home at this hour.
To be more precise, his schedule had become so packed that he barely had any time to rest.
Most days, he could only collapse across his office desk and catch a short nap.
Then, after splashing some cold water on his face, he would immediately return to work the following morning.
Far from enjoying the luxurious lifestyle of a wealthy celebrity, surrounded by beautiful women and spending his days indulging in pleasure, Karl had actually become busier and busier.
He could barely find enough time to catch his breath.
After all, the livelihoods of hundreds of people depended on him.
He was responsible for making sure they had enough to survive.
Meanwhile, outside his immediate circle, countless enemies were waiting for an opportunity to strike.
The Court of Owls, the Television Alliance, the savages, and numerous other hostile forces were all watching him.
Under such circumstances, he had even less opportunity to stop by the Riddler's house for a few drinks and some idle conversation.
...
"This is my house. Don't worry, nobody here is going to hurt you!"
Karl placed the magical little pig on the floor and opened the refrigerator, rummaging around inside.
To tell the truth, even he wasn't entirely sure what was in there.
Jason usually took care of everything around the house and kept the place remarkably tidy.
It was precisely because the boy was so diligent about cleaning that Karl's residence hadn't turned into a complete garbage dump.
Meanwhile, the magical little pig began looking around with obvious curiosity.
She had never set foot inside an ordinary man's living quarters before, so everything around her seemed new and interesting.
As she surveyed her surroundings, she suddenly noticed a plump orange cat staring at her with an extremely wary expression.
The cat regarded her as though she were an unwelcome intruder.
"Let's see. What would you like to eat?"
Karl continued searching through the refrigerator.
"Hmm... A few bananas, some apples, and maybe..."
"Cucumbers?"
"What on earth is that thing doing in the refrigerator?"
Karl remembered that Wonder Woman was a vegetarian, so he tried to select as many fruits and vegetables as possible.
Finally, he poured some milk into a bowl and placed it in front of the miraculous little pig.
(End of Chapter)
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