"But I don't even know what kind of people they are now." Spider-Man took another sip of coffee.
"You seem a bit down," Bruce said as he looked at him, "Are you a pessimist?"
"I wasn't originally." Spider-Man gave a bitter smile, "But ever since I got the Spider powers, I haven't accomplished anything. Instead, I've caused a civil war because of my recklessness. Sometimes, I really think Peter made the wrong choice; he shouldn't have picked me."
Bruce pursed his lips, unsure how to comfort him. Batman and Spider-Man are like two sides of the same coin in the multiverse, always having the worst luck. Bruce Wayne managed to combine the woes of both.
Like Batman, he lost his parents at a young age, was left lonely and without support, wanted to avenge them but didn't know how, leaving himself ragged and worn. Finally, he gained superpowers from the Amazing Spider-Man but then fell into the whirlpool of Spider-Man's fate, attracting all sorts of misfortunes—a perfect image of wretchedness.
"Don't think like that." Selina, clearly the antonym of a pessimist, said, "I actually think you're quite lucky."
"Look, you're not doing great as Batman, lacking the wisdom other Batmen have, yet accidentally gained superpowers without side effects. While not as optimistic or talkative as Spider-Man, you're richer than him, never troubled by financial burdens; isn't that a blessing?"
Spider-Man looked at her somewhat dazed. Selina placed her hands on the table and said, "You have more useful superpowers than Batman and more money than Spider-Man; they'd envy you if they knew."
Spider-Man lowered his head, but indeed seemed less dejected than before. Bruce continued, "I think it's because you rarely succeed, lacking positive feedback, so you always feel useless. As soon as you accomplish something entirely on your own, your mindset will change quickly."
"Should I go back to Wayne Enterprises first?" Spider-Man asked, "But I really don't know where to find those employee records. The folks in Human Resources don't listen to me."
"Then Thomas..."
"He told me to handle it myself." Spider-Man rubbed his face, "After all, he's from another universe and can't stay here forever; many things I have to handle myself."
Just as Bruce was about to speak, Selina nudged him with her elbow as if she knew what he'd say. Bruce made a "Why?" expression with his face.
"I said good people can't be bosses," Bruce said, "Can't you sneak in and look at the files at night? Besides, just look, don't take anything; it's fine."
Spider-Man widened his eyes slightly but quickly shook his head and said, "I promised Peter I'd never use superpowers for bad things. And don't say this isn't wrong; even as the boss, stealing trade secrets is illegal."
Bruce crossed his arms. Selina shot him another glare before speaking to Spider-Man, "You're right; that won't solve the root of the problem. You can't keep resorting to theft. Besides, you're not a professional thief; with your skills, you'll get caught sooner or later."
Bruce turned to look at Selina, realizing her reasoning against his plan wasn't due to its ethical issues, but rather, from a professional standpoint, she judged Spider-Man wouldn't steal successfully.
But it makes sense: for Bruce, finding a night, using a hook to reach the rooftop, sneaking into the office, and memorizing all the information is easier than drinking water.
However, for Spider-Man, closer to an ordinary person, though he can easily scale buildings and infiltrate offices, understanding where personnel files are stored, how to dodge cameras inside, and how to record these things without leaving traces are still problems.
He might have to go multiple times; the first attempt might not work, requiring a second. If the second shot isn't complete, a third might be necessary. With his level of infiltration, he'd get caught eventually, and embarrassed at worst, but if it was discovered that Spider-Man was doing such things, the Rebirth Alliance wouldn't let him off.
After pausing, Selina said, "Don't you have any knowledge about network information technology?"
This time, it was Bruce's turn to nudge Selina with his elbow. Spider-Man seemed confused, so Selina had to say, "Can you hack?"
"That's illegal too..."
"But that doesn't use superpowers," Selina said, "And as long as you're not discovered, it's okay."
"Do you think he won't be discovered?" Bruce couldn't help but speak, "Hacking isn't that simple; the best hacking technique now is social engineering, which means wearing a uniform, carrying a ladder, and walking into the company to directly plug in a USB..."
"Sorry, I really can't." Spider-Man said, "Wayne Enterprises' security technology is very advanced; I definitely can't crack it and leave no traces."
Selina sighed. Bruce thought for a moment and then said, "I remember Peter's a great hacker. Why don't you ask him?"
"I can't ask him to do this for me." Spider-Man shook his head, "Ignoring the legal issues, what if he gets caught? I can't put him in that kind of risk."
"Don't rush, don't rush, let me think." Selina started turning her smart little head again, "So, can't you figure out who these people are through observation?"
"I can sense they're forming gangs, but as for which gang is which kind, I really can't tell." Spider-Man had no choice but to answer truthfully.
"Then maybe you should take Bruce over there..." Selina stopped herself, "But we really can't stay here to help you all the time, it has to be up to you."
"Then how about you tell me how to identify them." Spider-Man said, "What characteristics do these people have? What method can I use to distinguish them?"
"It's a long story." Bruce looked troubled, "Behavioral analysis requires a lot of samples, which means you need to continuously observe them and remember some of their behaviors. However, for ordinary people, observing details itself is difficult, and it's even harder to remember them."
Selina nodded, for ordinary people, the brain's filtering function is strong. Most of the time, they can only focus on one thing, while all other noise gets filtered out, making it impossible to watch everything and listen everywhere.
Even when focusing on observing one person, some details might get overlooked, simply because the brain thinks it's unnecessary to remember those details and automatically blocks them out. But some people can analyze things from those details.
If everyone could observe details and analyze them, everyone could be a spy. But the truth is, very few can do it. Most people either can't see, forget right away, or don't bother analyzing.
"I can tell you about it." Bruce finally decided to try, "How to distinguish between people who are slick or resolute is relatively easy. But some people are sweet on the surface but tough inside, while others are soft on the outside but strong inside, requiring focused observation of their behavior choices..."
Bruce began to tell Spider-Man how to differentiate various people, especially those who don't easily show their personalities, by observing their behavioral choices and judgments to determine what kind of person they are.
That includes how to gather intelligence through interaction. After all, who has a background and who doesn't can usually only be found out by asking those old employees. Even though Bruce Wayne is the boss, shareholders might not tell him the truth; first-hand accounts are more reliable.
Actually, this kind of thing is difficult and requires some talent. Some people can probe as soon as they open their mouths, seamlessly. Others don't know how to integrate questions into daily conversations, easily raising suspicions. Some can't even chat casually, struggling to find topics.
Luckily, Spider-Man isn't stupid; he just lacks experience. Bruce mentioned a few key points, all of which he remembered, and his mental state is pretty good too—not blushing and shaking when lying, which is good news.
Bruce talked until his mouth was dry; Selina had to occasionally supplement key points. Not only did they finish their drinks, but they also refilled them two or three times, talking all afternoon, laying a basic foundation.
Just as they were planning to eat something and take a break, a commotion sounded at the café door. Shortly, a team of agents walked in, led by an agent, who flashed his credentials at Spider-Man.
"Ms. Pepper Potts' kidnapping case requires your cooperation for investigation, come with us, Mr. Wayne."
"What does it have to do with me?" Spider-Man couldn't help but ask.
Bruce quickly stood up to interrupt him, saying, "Are you heading to the Rebirth Alliance Headquarters? Mind giving us a lift? We're just on our way there."
"Figure it out yourselves." The agent said, then looked at Spider-Man.
Spider-Man wanted to say something again, Bruce hurriedly elbowed him. Spider-Man was still confused, frequently glancing at him.
Selina also stood up, mouthed to Spider-Man: "Go with him."
Spider-Man, not understanding, was taken to the car. Bruce and Selina hailed a taxi, following them toward the Rebirth Alliance Headquarters.
"It's over. He's definitely going to question in the car what the Pepper Potts' kidnapping case has to do with him." Bruce said, somewhat concerned, "He'll surely feel wrongly accused and then clash with the Rebirth Alliance."
"It's not that serious. He should know that just before being kidnapped, Pepper just left Wayne Enterprises, so he's definitely a suspect. Even without Luther, they'd find every way to pin it on him. Should we contact Thomas?"
"Thomas surely already knows." Bruce said, "But Thomas is from another cosmos; this cosmos's Wayne Enterprises doesn't belong to him, but to Spider-Man. Even if Pepper said she met Thomas, Spider-Man still has to go."
Selina couldn't help but deeply sigh, "Even if he doesn't fight with the Rebirth Alliance, he will with Luther; you know best how infuriating that guy is."
"So we need to find a way to help him." Bruce furrowed his brows, "But the internal meetings at the Rebirth Alliance won't let us in; the security there is too tight, we two probably can't sneak in."
"Let me think... There's a way." Bruce said, "Just watch me for cues later."