In simple terms, there was only one way to describe it:
Batman was playing an intellectual game with you.
The conversation between Lucas and Bruce earlier had appeared to be a direct confrontation.
But in reality, it had been mutual probing.
Lucas believed that everything Bruce had said was genuine.
It matched perfectly with Lucas's understanding of Batman's personality.
However, Lucas still couldn't determine what Bruce's true objective had been.
Perhaps Bruce wanted to provoke Lucas into anger so that everyone present could see him lose control.
Or perhaps Lucas's words had struck Bruce's deepest emotional wound, causing his original plan to collapse.
Or, in a more extreme scenario, Bruce might have deliberately used the moment to publicly show that he and Lucas fundamentally disagreed on this issue.
That way, he could prepare the groundwork for whatever plans he intended to carry out next.
'Oh, damn… the more I think about it, the more likely that seems…' Lucas thought to himself.
Anyone familiar with DC's Batman knew just how troublesome and calculating he could be.
Lucas took a deep breath, pushed those thoughts aside, and refocused on the meeting.
Everyone had expected Lucas to remain angry after the confrontation.
Instead, he spoke calmly.
"Alright. That argument just now was simply a private disagreement."
"Now I'd like to ask all of you—do you have any opinions about the first point I raised?"
"Don't hold anything back. Say it now while everyone is here."
"I'd rather settle everything today than argue about it again later."
---
After he finished speaking, Lucas waited.
But no one spoke.
Most people were still affected by the overwhelming pressure Lucas had released earlier.
For a moment, no one knew what to say.
Just as Lucas was about to say something to lighten the atmosphere, a representative from one of the world powers finally spoke.
"Mr. Lucas, may I ask a few questions on behalf of my country?"
Lucas immediately showed interest.
"Please go ahead."
The representative asked,
"Earlier you mentioned that if extraterrestrial forces or beings from evil dimensions invade Earth, you will assume command of the planet."
"Could you clarify exactly what that means?"
Lucas had already anticipated this question.
To individuals, the statement sounded simple.
But to governments and large organizations, its implications were extremely significant.
So Lucas answered immediately.
"It's very simple."
"Under normal circumstances, I won't interfere with any of your internal affairs."
"Everyone here knows that I hate people interfering with me—and I dislike interfering with others when things are normal."
"But if we enter a special wartime state, then any command I issue must be followed unconditionally."
"And you must cooperate with all your strength."
The representative frowned slightly.
"So during that period, we must hand over all authority? We would have no autonomy at all?"
Lucas leaned forward slightly and tapped the table with his fingers.
"Please don't play word games with me."
"Because I really don't have the patience for that."
"Let me clarify."
"When I issue a command during wartime, your responsibility is simply to complete the task."
"How you accomplish it is up to you."
"Every country and organization has its own command structure."
"I'm not foolish enough to interfere with the details of your internal operations."
"Unless absolutely necessary."
"Do you understand now?"
The representative nodded.
"I understand."
The other representatives also spoke.
"Yes. We understand as well."
Lucas asked again,
"So none of you have any objections to the first point?"
Everyone remained silent.
Even Nick Fury said nothing.
In truth, Lucas's proposal was already the most practical solution available.
Even S.H.I.E.L.D., which operated under the World Security Council, could not achieve this level of unified coordination.
Yet Lucas had already done it.
This made Nick Fury keep his eyes firmly on Lucas.
In fact, Bruce had voiced something Fury himself often wondered:
If one day Lucas truly lost control… how could anyone stop him?
However, the independent individuals present had a different perspective.
They knew very well what Lucas had done for humanity.
He was, without question, a hero.
Seeing that no one spoke, Lucas said,
"Good."
"Then let's move on to the second point."
"I assume everyone here has heard about New Los Angeles."
"If anyone here wants to move there, you can request a spot from me."
"Consider it a small benefit."
Many people immediately showed excitement.
After the city had been revealed publicly, its futuristic appearance had amazed the entire world.
Even though the city was enormous, very few people had been selected to live there.
Among everyone present, only Kara had secured a place.
Not even Tony Stark had managed to get one.
Naturally, Tony had come to Lucas immediately to complain about it.
But Lucas could only shrug apologetically and explain that the selection process was entirely handled by the central AI system.
The system randomly chose residents.
Of course, if Lucas truly wanted to interfere, it would be incredibly easy.
After all, Phastos had already embedded master-level access into all the programs.
---
"So," Lucas said,
"does anyone else have questions?"
Just as he finished speaking, Lucas noticed that the representatives of the major countries seemed uneasy.
Their expressions kept shifting as if they wanted to say something.
Lucas took the initiative.
"Do you have something you'd like to ask?"
The sudden question caught them off guard.
After a brief hesitation, one representative finally spoke.
"Yes, Mr. Lucas. We do have a question."
"Go ahead."
The representative asked,
"If another city—on the scale of New Los Angeles or even larger—requests reconstruction…"
"Would you be willing to take on the project?"
Lucas shook his head immediately.
"That kind of business isn't handled by me personally."
"If you're interested, you can contact Saiyan Corporation directly to discuss the project."
Another representative spoke up.
"Mr. Lucas, what we actually want to ask about is the technology used to build New Los Angeles."
"Would you consider licensing or selling that technology?"
Lucas looked at the representative with a strange expression.
"Are you serious?"
...
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