To the esteemed Mr. Batman,
Thank you for choosing to be a ShowMe user. Your choice adds a new meaning to ShowMe beyond connecting the world.
For this, all ShowMe employees express our gratitude!
The company has recently experienced unexpected events. Due to changes in our management team, we cannot guarantee that your account will be effectively protected. To prevent any potential future incidents, we must regretfully delete the "Batman" social account by 11:00 PM tomorrow night.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding and support.
ShowMe Technical Department
August 2003.
Bruce Wayne was enjoying dinner when he received the official notice. After reading it, he immediately lost his appetite.
"What's going on?"
Alfred said with concern, "We just received news that ShowMe signed an investment contract with Gotham Central Bank: $30 million for 60% of the shares."
"What was our offer?"
"The initial offer was $90 million for 51% of the shares."
Bruce Wayne's mouth twitched. He was so angry he could joke.
"So, they chose the party offering less money."
Alfred shook his head and clicked open the account email.
"Luke Shaw, the ShowMe boss, sent you a video. You should take a look."
The video resolution was low, apparently filmed with a pinhole camera.
In the conference room, ten people were separated by a table, seemingly negotiating a business deal. Suddenly, the door burst open, and several burly men carrying weapons rushed in, pointing their guns at the four ShowMe representatives sitting on the east side of the table. After a brief silence, the contract was signed, and the four people got up and left. The remaining men let out triumphant laughter.
The video was short, only three minutes, but what it recorded made Bruce Wayne clench his fists.
Their target was me. ShowMe only published my statement and suffered this undeserved calamity. I can imagine how desperate those four must have been when it happened.
Gotham Central Bank, Sidney!
Bruce slammed his fist on the table, the rage in his eyes almost turning solid.
Alfred sighed softly. "Read the rest before you react!"
Below the video was a message:
The video above is my personal explanation for deleting your account. There were many things I couldn't control; please understand. In addition to the video, there is a spreadsheet. This is internal information I entrusted a friend to gather from Central Bank. I didn't know who to give this spreadsheet to, but after much thought, you might be the most suitable person.
The spreadsheet was densely packed with information.
Reading from left to right, the first thing that caught the eye was a list of names: Martin Jessie, Killian B. Robb, Torque Marshall, Brut Dean, Fisk J. Clay...
Below the names were Central Bank's transaction records: dates and amounts clearly marked. The amounts ranged from millions to tens of thousands, spanning a period of nearly fifteen years.
After reading the spreadsheet, the fury in Bruce Wayne's eyes vanished. He slumped in his chair, as if all his strength had been drained, staring blankly ahead, unable to speak for a long time.
Alfred bowed his head, sighing repeatedly.
Martin Jessie was the current Mayor of Gotham City. Killian B. Robb was the Police Commissioner. Torque Marshall was the City Council President. Brut Dean was the State Court Chief Justice. Fisk J. Clay was the District Attorney.
These names represented the entire power center of Gotham City. In addition to them, there were hundreds of bribed police officers, prosecutors, lawyers, administrative staff, and even a hint of the FBI.
Alfred closed his eyes, recalling the names on the spreadsheet. His body couldn't help but tremble.
Had Gotham City fallen to such a degree?
He searched his conscience but couldn't find an answer. His gaze toward Bruce Wayne was filled with worry.
After a long silence, a voice finally broke the stillness.
"When I was little, Father often stroked my hair and told me that the Wayne Family were the founders and witnesses of Gotham. When I grew up, I had to protect this city and make it better."
"Alfred, do you remember those words?"
The old butler sighed. "Master Wayne, the spreadsheet may not be real. Don't jump to conclusions before the facts are investigated."
"Good!"
Bruce stood up and strode toward the door. "I'll go investigate right now."
Alfred rushed forward. "It's only seven o'clock! It's not dark yet!"
Bruce stopped, looking through the window at the sunset in the west. After a moment, he left without looking back.
"As soon as the sun goes down, it's time for the Bat to hunt."
Sidney's Contemplation
Many people say Jews love money. Sidney did not disagree with this view. He loved money, deeply.
Money was the most wonderful thing in the world; it could buy everything but God.
The process of making money was also incredibly hard. You painstakingly put in effort, used all your eloquence, and exerted all your will to finally succeed. The happiness in that moment was beyond words.
Sidney loved this process and even gave it a name: The Trial of God.
He repeated the same trial every day, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing. As his successes grew and failures decreased, his wealth steadily increased, and his reputation began to rise.
It was then that disaster struck. His young son was kidnapped. The ransom demanded was $30 million. Sidney hesitated, missed the payment deadline, and his son vanished, never to be seen again.
This disaster made Sidney realize that money also needed protection. So, when Falcone extended an olive branch, he accepted it without hesitation.
When power and money perfectly combined, a new philosophy was born.
He realized that the most profitable business in the world was not drugs, smuggling, or robbery—it was building a nation.
You create the rules, make others follow them, and all the money generated under those rules is yours.
Understanding this, Sidney set about establishing Central Bank, using Falcone's power to gradually modify Gotham City's financial rules.
He firmly believed that as the rules were perfected, century-old magnates like the Wayne Family, the Elliot Family, and the Kane Family would also become sacrifices under the system.
He eagerly looked forward to that day.
In his luxuriously decorated villa, Sidney returned to his study after dinner for his daily private time.
A lot had happened today, and he had to take out his notebook to write it down. First, there was his boss, Falcone. Batman's statement online had enraged him, ordering that Batman be silenced at all costs.
Then there was the bank matter. At ten o'clock this morning, the internal server was hacked. Fortunately, the technicians reacted quickly and fixed the vulnerability. This was important and needed a thorough investigation.
Besides those two things, there was the investment in ShowMe.
Thinking of this, Sidney suddenly felt the urge to laugh. That young man, Luke Shaw, was an utter fool. A simple trick was enough to leave him completely bewildered.
$300 million!
Sidney shook his head dismissively. He crossed out Luke Shaw's name and circled Robert Downs's name.
Although Robert Downs was despicable, he at least had one-eighth Jewish blood and deserved one chance. As for Luke Shaw, once Alexander recovered, Sidney would have him taken care of. Anyone who dared to stand against Falcone could not be allowed to live.
After reviewing the day's gains and losses, the time was 9:30 PM.
Sidney yawned and was about to turn off the light and leave. Just then, a shadowy figure flashed past his vision. He instinctively looked behind him.
🗒️Note:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!