The days of being a spiritual mentor in Meiman.

Chapter 4453 Dark Prelude (Thirty-Eight)
It's fair to say that since arriving in this universe, the mastermind has faced a series of misfortunes. Whether through open conflict, covert infighting, or even deliberate manipulation, none of their plans have succeeded. They have been completely manipulated.

However, given his current situation, he can't afford to delay, because there's Batman in the multiverse who's still hunting him down. If he doesn't make progress soon, Batman will soon be at his doorstep.

Simply put, the mastermind behind the scenes is in a hurry.

Inertia is a terrible thing. This applies not only to people but also to things. Many people stumble because of it.

Humans are most prone to making mistakes when the old plan is doomed to failure, a new plan hasn't been devised, and they continue along the inertia of the old plan. By the time they realize it, the conditions for implementing the new plan have vanished. Thus, they are left with only humanity's traditional skill—taking a gamble.

Because they are already in a predicament, have no way to break the deadlock, and their resources are being constantly depleted, the mentality of "if you don't take a gamble, you're doomed" easily leads to a gambler's mentality and the trap of thinking about quick wins, desperately trying to achieve everything in one fell swoop.

The mastermind's team is clearly in this situation now. Their previous plan to manipulate emotions has failed, and they can't think of any better schemes to follow. With the potential turning point so close, they've naturally been driven to desperation, abandoning their carefully constructed personas and no longer pretending to be ordinary people. They're probably rushing to Metropolis now, ready to deliver the final blow to Superman.

Clark shook his head. He had to marvel once again at Schiller's precision in seizing the opportunity, which came at just the right moment when the mastermind was in a period of transition and perhaps confused, giving him a perfect solution—to directly kill and resurrect Superman.

This plan seems fantastic: so easy, so rewarding if successful, and already more than halfway done—just one final push and everything will be back on track. Who could resist such temptation?
Clark felt a chill run down his spine. He reminded himself to learn from this. Sometimes, what seems like a shortcut is actually a trap leading to death. Things that come too easily aren't a sign of good fortune, but rather the result of someone's deliberate scheme.

Thinking this through, Clark knew that Schiller might have tacitly approved of the group's escape. So he waved for the official to leave and went to the adjacent meeting room.

"Friends, get ready. There's a big show coming up."

Everyone turned to look at him.

In an underground base in Massachusetts, Damian sized up the man sitting next to Amanda. He wore a slightly flamboyant suit, his hair meticulously combed back. His gray eyes were almost entirely hidden in the shadows of his eyelashes, making his gaze unreadable, but a smile played on his lips, suggesting he was approachable.

“Schiller,” Damian called out, “you haven’t introduced us to the top assassin you’ve found.”

Schiller turned to look at him, smiled, and said, "It seems you're quite interested in him."

“Experts always appreciate each other,” Damian said. “His shot was amazing; I doubt only Batman could be that accurate.”

Schiller smiled again and said, "His marksmanship is indeed very good."

Where are they?

Are you in a hurry to see him?

Damian's face showed a hint of impatience. He looked at Schiller and said, "You didn't deliberately hide him, did you? Is this what you call sincerity in cooperation?"

“I’ve already shown my sincerity,” Schiller said, turning his head back. “The president is still alive and kicking, giving speeches, without me. Aren’t you all sitting here discussing how to kill the president completely thanks to me?”

His gaze swept over the people present: the Allens, Dr. Oed, Steve, Damian, and Amanda, who sat in the head seat.

Schiller's words sounded too sarcastic, as if he were saying they had accomplished nothing. Amanda was the first to object; she slammed her hand on the table and said, "Don't forget, it was because we found the Kryptonite that your people were able to deliver the fatal blow. Without us, do you think you could have defeated Superman so easily?"

A flicker of fear crossed Amanda's face. Clearly, she understood Superman's terror better than anyone else, for she was the one who killed him. Her body, sliced ​​open by the heat rays, still retained some consciousness; she could even recall the scene of her severed body falling before her eyes.

Thinking of this, Amanda couldn't help but gag. She covered her mouth, her face pale, her lips trembling slightly. Damian then stared at Schiller and said, "You know we're short-handed right now..."

“Of course I know,” Schiller interrupted him, “which is why I suggested that we bring your companions back first, instead of rushing to the Metropolis.”

Schiller was naturally referring to the other resurrected individuals. Not all of them had arrived yet; Ron's wife and daughter, as well as Dr. Stone's wife, Victor's mother, were still missing. As for the El couple, far away on Helium, they were nowhere to be seen.

“No,” Amanda vehemently rejected. “This is a golden opportunity. We’ve already severely injured Superman. If we can just give him another blow, we’ll have solved all our problems perfectly.”

“I’ve already said this isn’t rational,” Schiller said. “The president’s hospital is under heavy guard, and there will definitely be roadblocks on the roads. You have no chance of winning if you just rush in like this…”

"Do you think we're ordinary people?" Damian said. "Just because ordinary people can't do something doesn't mean we can't. We escaped from that heavily guarded research base, didn't we?"

He then leaned forward, adopting an aggressive posture, and said, "You've consistently refused to let that top assassin join us, are you planning to betray us?"

Amanda also looked at Schiller, squinted her eyes and said, "Yes, Schiller. Since you've found someone like him, you should naturally introduce him to us. He'll be a good helper."

“If you can get that top assassin on board, I’m confident I can kill Superman in one fell swoop.” Amanda slammed her fist on the table and said, “With so many of us clearing the way, we can completely mess things up, and then he can shoot Superman from a distance. Bang! That’ll solve everything.”

“It’s not that I’m unwilling to introduce him,” Schiller shook his head, seemingly a little helpless, “His position is a bit awkward, and he might not be ready to meet me yet…”

“What nonsense?” Amanda said. “Embarrassing identity? What’s embarrassing about it? Even if he’s a wanted criminal, I have ways to clear his name. Call him over right now, we can’t miss this golden opportunity!”

Everyone looked at Schiller. Their eyes were dark and seemed to radiate a strange deathly aura. Their gazes were cold and incongruous with their expressions, making them even more oppressive.

Schiller, as if completely forced into a corner and forced to compromise, shook his head and said, "Fine, you guys insisted on having him join. Don't blame me if anything goes wrong."

After saying that, he picked up his phone and went outside. A little while later, he came back and said, "He'll be here soon."

The group then began discussing how to assassinate Superman. In short, to break through the defenses, someone would have to rush in and draw attention, allowing the assassin to seize the opportunity. Although Superman was severely injured, the Justice League was still intact, making it no easy feat to break through.

After discussing for about an hour, there was a sudden knock on the door. Everyone turned to look, and when the door opened, there was complete silence.

Standing outside the door was a tall, thin, dark-haired young man, very handsome. His blue eyes, under the light of the incandescent bulb, were so pale they were almost invisible. Most importantly, he looked a lot like Batman.

Damian was the first to freeze. The figure walked in, and Schiller went over to greet him, first shaking his hand, then embracing him, and introducing him to everyone: "This is Mr. Neville, the key figure in the assassination of the president, the assassin who successfully delivered the fatal blow to the president."

“He…” Amanda was clearly taken aback. She stared at the man named Neville, almost without blinking.

"Who are you???" Damian stood up and stared at him as he asked.

"Didn't I already tell you my name?" The other person put down their bag on the table, found a seat, and looked at them, saying, "I heard you invited me to join?"

"That's right!"

"no!"

Two responses rang out almost simultaneously, the first from Amanda and the second from Damian.

Amanda looked at Damian first. Damian's expression had become distorted. He looked at the young man in disbelief and said, "No wonder, no wonder he doesn't care at all..."

“Damian!” Amanda called out, raising her voice, “Don’t forget what our most important goal is right now. We need an assassin as good as him. Mr. Neville, is that right? Welcome to the team.”

“We can’t let him join!!!” Damian walked around the table and looked at Amanda, saying, “He might be Batman’s man!! He definitely is!!”

"Then why would I assassinate the president?" the other person asked casually, arms crossed. "It couldn't be that Batman sent me, could it?"

"So you really do know Batman!" Damian gritted his teeth. "What's your relationship with him? You..."

“This is none of your business.” He didn’t look at Damian anymore, but looked at Schiller and said, “Actually, I didn’t want to join any organization at all. But, for Schiller’s sake, it’s not like I can’t join.”

Amanda's eyes immediately lit up with eagerness. Ignoring Damian, she poured him a glass of water and said, "We were just about to discuss the follow-up plan with you. The key to this finishing blow lies with you; let's confirm the route first..."

The young man remained outwardly calm. As Amanda turned away, he winked at Schiller, who smiled back at him.

That's right, this young man wasn't Neville, but Bruce from the universe where Pride resides. That incredibly precise shot earlier was from him.

Schiller glanced at Bruce, who was discussing the operation plan with Amanda, and smiled again. "You guys asked him to join us; I've never heard of such a strange request."

You know, Batman went to great lengths to get Bruce out of the team. And yet, someone actually invited him to join. That just goes to show, smart people are all alike in their cleverness, while fools are foolish in their own unique ways.
The story begins on Christmas Eve. After the Christmas party, Schiller went to his room to rest. However, instead of falling asleep immediately, he went to the Battle Realm—or more precisely, Batman's domain.

At this time of day, the Batmen are busy at their respective Wayne Manor estates, so there isn't a single one here. As Schiller entered the cave, Bruce greeted him. The two embraced.

"You're finally here. I've been so bored," Bruce said, shaking his head.

"How is the formation of the alliance progressing?"

"Not good at all. I'm serious. Most villains who are even remotely associated with darkness are either incredibly stupid or have very obvious weaknesses. There's not a single one that's useful."