Chapter 28: Fundamental Principles of Editing

"Tone it down," Batman cautioned.

"Ahem..." Roland tucked the emerald penguin into his trouser pocket. "Just earning a little extra on the side..."

"Batman, your new Robin doesn't seem to listen to you very well, does he?" the Penguin sneered.

"What makes you think I'm Robin? I'm Joker," Roland retorted.

"...Don't get into that with him," Batman said, grabbing the Penguin by his collar. "Tell me, did you smuggle RDX explosives into Gotham?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Penguin said, his eyes darting away for a split second as he feigned ignorance.

Batman remained silent, the aura around him turning menacing.

"Should I step out?" Roland turned his back, pretending to admire the fine art hanging in the office.

Following a series of screams, the Penguin quickly confessed to his crimes and honestly surrendered the several crates of explosives he had stored.

"Alright, let the Gotham police handle the rest," Batman said, clapping his hands after confirming the Penguin had spilled everything.

"I don't think that's enough," Roland said, pondering the situation.

"What?" Batman was taken aback.

"For the Penguin, going to prison is just like taking a half-day vacation," Roland explained. "He'll post bail and be out the same day. How is that any different from not turning him in at all?"

"Are you suggesting... I kill him?" Batman shook his head. "I don't have the right to decide who lives or dies. Every criminal should face trial, not die by my hands."

"I know that," Roland replied, having prepared himself for Batman's stance. "But I have a plan to keep him under control..."

"What are you up to?" Batman’s intuition told him Roland was about to stir up trouble.

"Hehehe..." Roland let out an insidious laugh. "Everyone has a weak spot, and the Penguin is no exception. Once we get a grip on that weakness, we can make him work for us... or rather, turn over a new leaf."

"You... don't you dare do anything reckless!" The Penguin felt a surge of foreboding.

"How could it be reckless..." Roland chuckled wickedly. "Mr. Cobblepot, if I'm not mistaken, you've always wanted to be accepted into high society, haven't you?"

The Penguin's sense of dread intensified. "What do you mean by that?"

"However, there are certain things that, once done, will permanently exile you from high society..." Roland said meaningfully, then turned to Batman. "By the way, I heard you're an expert ventriloquist, right?"

"Yes, I do have some skill in ventriloquism," Batman nodded. "What's the problem?"

"Then you can mimic the Penguin's voice, can't you?"

"I can," Batman said, perfectly replicating the Penguin's voice.

"Good, I'll write something down for you..." Roland grabbed a pen and paper from the desk and began writing furiously. "Just read this in the Penguin's voice in a moment."

Two minutes later, he handed the paper to Batman.

Batman scanned the content and was immediately shocked. "This... this is too far."

"It's fine," Roland said. "Once you're done reading, I'll edit it together with footage of the Penguin."

"Do you want to take a look at what you've written?" Batman asked, finding the words difficult to voice.

"I don't know why there are so many of those people in Gotham; there's no cotton for them to pick here. We should be like the sheriffs of old—beat them until they're crawling, throw them in jail, and drag them out to hang them with nooses. That they are now citizens here is a disgrace to Gotham City!"

As Roland read the words he had written, the Penguin broke into a cold sweat.

Although various forms of discrimination existed to varying degrees across the United States, for someone in the public eye, such behavior would lead to social ruin.

Roland continued his tirade.

"And those idiots who slice their little sausages—even more disgusting. Why don't we learn from the advanced Germans and build a soap factory? Wouldn't it be great to use these naturally greedy people as raw material? Ultimately, such a vile race should be exterminated. The first thing I'll do when I rule Gotham is follow the Führer's policies and herd them all into concentration camps."

"And those rednecks—all simple-minded fools. They're heavier than refrigerators, doing nothing but eating and sleeping. Can these stupid creatures even be called human? They're no different from livestock."

"The Yakuza are even funnier. Monkeys from Japan forming gangs here? Those short monkeys had better be obedient, or sooner or later we'll drop an atomic bomb on Tokyo to make up for the regrets of the past."

"I said stop..." Batman was starting to wipe sweat from his brow. "If this gets out, it won't just be exclusion from high society—it will be total exile from human society."

"Isn't that better?" Roland said. "That's how we threaten the Penguin. Mr. Cobblepot, tell me, do you want to be a good person? You don't want to be completely shunned by high society, do you?"

"Gulp... I want to be a good person." The Penguin closed his eyes. Roland's tactic was truly ruthless, leaving him no choice but to yield.

Against most other criminals, such a threat would be a joke; they wouldn't care about public opinion. But the Penguin had always craved entry into Gotham's high society, even harboring political ambitions. For him, this was a matter of life and death.

"If we catch you engaging in any illegal activities from now on, don't blame us for being impolite," Roland said, clapping his hands. "Now, go be a good boy and go to prison."

"Alright..." The Penguin reasoned that his smuggling charge was a Class D felony, carrying a maximum sentence of six years and a fine of up to $250,000. If he hired a good lawyer, he could cut the sentence to under a year, and with good behavior credits, he'd only be behind bars for a few months. It was manageable. Such tactics were legal, and Batman couldn't use that as a pretext to target him further.

"Well, we're leaving now. Aren't you going to see us out?" Roland asked.

"...Of course." The Penguin opened the office door and signaled his men to stay put. He then ushered Batman and Roland out of the Iceberg Lounge with forced enthusiasm.

"Do you think he's truly humbled, or just playing along?" Roland asked once they were inside the Batmobile.

"He's biding his time... but your method is effective. The Penguin should be quiet for a while."