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Chapter 37: Batmans Expulsion Notice from the Book

On a Gotham City morning that was neither clear nor warm, a chilly breeze and damp mist crept onto the balcony from the cracks in the windows, forming a series of glistening dewdrops under the light.

Schiller sat at his office desk, reviewing students' papers. After a while, a set of documents was tossed onto his desk from the neighboring one. Schiller shifted his gaze away from the assignments in his hand, turning his head to read the documents.

"A campus alcohol ban? Which young genius has gotten themselves into trouble this time?" Schiller inquired.

His colleague, Anna, stood by the water cooler, waiting for her glass to fill, and with her hands on her hips, she replied, "Clearly, it's our brilliant new president. Well, I wouldn't call him a genius; perhaps 'in over his head' is more accurate."

Before Schiller could continue questioning her, the president's assistant, Mrs. Marphy, moved her somewhat bulky figure and knocked on the door. She said, "Professor Schiller, the president would like to see you."

Schiller rose from his seat, and Mrs. Marphy approached him, lightly patting his arm while speaking in a hushed tone, "He's quite something, so be careful."

Schiller entered the president's office. The new president, Seldon, had arrived just a few days ago. His name was Seldon Smith, a white man known for supporting the Donkey Party. Rumor had it that he had previously held a leadership position in the Princeton University administration. For some inexplicable reason, he had chosen to become the president of Gotham University.

As Schiller stepped in, Seldon gestured to his desktop, indicating for him to sit. He was a typical energetic white leader, looking vigorous like a lion. He said, "I assume you've already reviewed the documents I sent you. Yes, the campus alcohol ban is absolutely necessary."

"I can't fathom how this school allowed brewery trucks to park right at the campus gate. It's absurd. If this mess is a legacy left by the previous president, I will certainly clean it up, starting right now!"

"You know, in situations like these, we must adopt a firm attitude. Professor Schiller, I believe dealing with a group of students can't be more challenging than dealing with serial killers, can it?"

Schiller could discern the subtext of his words: "While I want to make a strong start as the new president, you'll need to act as my enforcer."

Schiller smiled and replied, "Of course, of course..."

Then his tone turned somewhat colder as he said, "In fact, dealing with anyone in this world is no more difficult than dealing with those crazy serial murder case individuals."

The president picked up on the warning in Schiller's tone. He wasn't a fool, at least smarter than the previous president. He said, "I've heard about the troubles in the school before I arrived, but that's not my concern. What we need here is a new order and a new administrator."

Schiller gave a slight smile and said, "Your ambitions are truly grand. To establish a new order in Gotham, I applaud your goal."

"Not Gotham, but Gotham University. This will be my territory, and I don't want to talk about being responsible for students. The former president was a cowardly fool, and that's why he's gone. But I'm different from him!"

As he spoke, he made various aggressive gestures, occasionally tapping the table with his fingertips based on emphasis, a typical American politician's mannerisms.

Schiller glanced at his watch and said, "My class is about to start, but since this is the task you've assigned to me, I will fulfill it to the best of my ability."

With that, he left the room. The new president watched his retreating figure, his expression not favorable. He had a feeling that this man wouldn't be easy to deal with.

The next day, an expulsion notice was delivered to Bruce Wayne's desk.

It read:

"...Due to your repeated instances of alcohol consumption on campus, organizing gatherings with alcoholic beverages, and confirmation that at least 50 students have consumed alcoholic beverages purchased from you, I regret to inform you, Mr. Wayne, that we will be revoking your enrollment. You must vacate the student dormitory within three days. - Professor Schiller Rodriguez."

The following day, Seldon was in his office, massaging his temples. It was clear he was getting anxious. He said to Schiller, "I wanted firmness, but, well, yes, firmness indeed, but not this level of firmness. It's too much..."

Inside, the new president cursed himself. What kind of lunatic had he employed? How could he dare send an expulsion notice to the heir of the Wayne Family? They were the biggest benefactors of Gotham University, providing billions of dollars in funding every year!

Without Wayne, what use was he as a president?

Moreover, it was said that Bruce had been causing trouble for a while now, not at all a pleasant person to deal with. Wasn't he afraid of offending the world's richest person?

Schiller still wore his emotionless smile as he said, "I believe that sometimes, a stern hand is needed. If we dare expel Bruce Wayne, then no one will dare to violate your alcohol ban. Isn't that right?"

Seldon opened his mouth but couldn't find words to retort. Schiller's argument was quite reasonable.

In all of Gotham University, who could drink the most, dared to drink during the daytime, and misbehave in the school while intoxicated? It was none other than Bruce Wayne. And Schiller was correct – if even Bruce could be expelled, then the other students would surely behave like quails.

But the problem was, which private university president would dare to expel the chairman of their own Board of Directors?

The president certainly wouldn't, but Schiller would. He hoped Bruce would leave quickly; otherwise, if Gotham University encountered the Joker, it would be a massive problem.

Seldon wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "First, let's retract this expulsion notice..."

"I never retract letters I've written myself. However, as the president, you can make a phone call and have him deliver the letter to my office in person."

Schiller also tapped the table, mimicking Seldon.

"Mr. President, I am a teacher. Do you expect me to bow and scrape to students who make mistakes? How to please the Board of Directors is your responsibility as the president, not mine. My duty is to educate and discipline, and I don't care if he's Wayne or someone else; no one is allowed to misbehave in my classroom."

This was madness! Seldon thought.

Schiller was an absolute lunatic. Why did he have to clash with Bruce like this? Bruce was the world's richest person!

"Your stubbornness astonishes me," Seldon said, his face darkening after a moment. "I hope you can maintain this rigid style of yours."

Schiller smiled and said, "I will. In fact, compared to the countless high-profile cases I've faced, dealing with those morally bankrupt criminals and lunatics, Bruce is like a newborn foal. I hope he can stand up in front of me before he learns to run."

The principal gazed at Schiller, his face tinged with a sickly pallor. Schiller's gray eyes, hidden behind his glasses, seemed shrouded in an undispellable Grey Mist.

After Schiller departed, the principal pressed the switch of the hidden recording pen beneath his desk. He couldn't help but think that a debonair young man like Schiller couldn't possibly endure such humiliation from a teacher. The words Schiller had spoken today should be etched on his tombstone.

If a dismissal notice wasn't enough to rile up Brucerage, then perhaps he needed to add more fuel to the fire. The principal wondered what Bruce's reaction would be after listening to these recordings.

Seldon mused that such an impetuous and young billionaire could never truly rival the power of capital, no matter Schiller's abilities. The Wayne Family had a thousand ways to make a professor disappear from the world, even if Bruce wasn't that cruel. He wouldn't let someone repeatedly insult him.

Bruce received the recording and his expression turned peculiar. He wasn't angry at all, not in the least.

In fact, even if this person hadn't been Schiller, Bruce wouldn't have been too upset because he wasn't as impulsive and rash as he appeared.

But after listening to the recording, he oddly felt relieved. Thankfully, Schiller hadn't thrown more headaches and unanswerable questions at him, nor had he used that even more malicious tone he usually adopted when pestering Bruce for assignments.

Bruce knew this reaction was wrong. How could his standards be so low? Shouldn't he be happier when Schiller praised him? No, this wasn't important.

Bruce tossed the recording pen onto his desk and ran his hand through his hair. He had to admit that after listening, he couldn't help but associate it with Batman's recent success in Gotham, which may have caused this change in the professor's attitude.

Of course, he was Batman after all, so he quickly refocused on more pressing matters.

The principal's targeting of Schiller didn't seem random. He appeared to have an additional source of information, possibly knowing about Schiller's involvement in the previous principal's trial.

Bruce narrowed his eyes. It seemed like the principal aimed to establish order at Gotham University, or rather, he wanted to turn it into his personal fiefdom. Dangerous individuals like Schiller were naturally his first targets.

The next day, Schiller taught his class as usual, not sparing a glance at Bruce. Seldon, who could access classroom cameras, furrowed his brows. Why hadn't Bruce caused any trouble for Schiller? What was going on?

Bruce, disguised as a playboy, had stirred up trouble before, even beating up several classmates. Though it wasn't right to beat a professor, for the world's richest person, there was no one he couldn't beat or couldn't afford to compensate.

Then, Seldon witnessed something even more incredible. When collecting assignments, Bruce handed over a thick stack of papers, likely totaling 3,000 words.

When had Bruce ever turned in an assignment? Which professor at Gotham University dared to accept his assignments? Was there any course at Gotham University that wouldn't give him a perfect score?

The principal, intrigued, accessed Gotham University's credit system. He discovered that in Schiller's psychology class, Bruce had a score of less than two for assignments, and his overall grade was abysmal. The teacher's comment read:

"As a billionaire, he certainly diligently enjoys life, but as a student, he is utterly rotten."

The principal's hands trembled. This wasn't an internal website; it was a site where all students had to check their final grades. They could clearly see each professor's comments and leave their own feedback.

The principal scrolled down, and to his astonishment, he found that Bruce had left a comment for Schiller:

"I promise I will complete all assignments next semester. If I do, can my assignment grade be raised to two, or even 1.8? If I score over 90 on the final exam, I sincerely hope my credits won't be deducted entirely, even if it's just one point."

Wasn't this a variation of "Teacher, I'm a bit of a dunce, can you go easy on me?"

The principal's face darkened, and he shut down the computer. He felt frustrated. Many people wanted to establish connections with Wayne Enterprises; it could bring them tremendous benefits. The principal was no exception.

But it seemed he had no chance. Bruce didn't care whether he was the principal of Gotham University or not; the principal was just a position Bruce could easily replace.

However, it appeared that Professor Schiller had indeed tamed the world's richest person. Seldon thought, no matter what, he had to get rid of Schiller. To advance further, he needed to have an irreplaceable position in Bruce's eyes, and Schiller was his biggest obstacle.

On the other hand, Bruce was growing dissatisfied with this new principal. When he returned the dismissal notice to Schiller, it seemed as if Schiller had written "Just leave already" all over his face.

Before the new principal arrived, everything had been going smoothly—communication with Schiller and cooperation with Gordon were all conducive to Batman's mission.

But then the new principal suddenly imposed a prohibition on alcohol, providing Schiller with another excuse to push him out of school. Bruce couldn't help but feel discontented.