Chapter 6: Reboot (Revised)

On the top floor of Wayne Enterprises, the floor-to-ceiling windows reveal the distant horizon, the sunlight casting a shadow on the city's silhouette.

Bruce, dressed in a tailored dark blue suit, cup of coffee in his right hand and flipping through documents on a tablet in his left, sat beside him, a group of executives taking turns presenting quarterly project results.

He pretended to listen, occasionally standing up to offer a "constructive comment," making it impossible for anyone to tell he was distracted.

But his thoughts had long since wandered beyond the conference room.

With each page of the report, memories flashed through his mind—the Joker's dark, crazed eyes, his hysterical laughter, his utter chaos.

And Jack's words, "We can start over."

...

Bruce set his coffee cup down and forced himself to focus slightly on the meeting.

Just then, his phone on the table vibrated slightly.

He glanced at the screen.

It was Jack.

[Jack]

Honey, are you pretending to work hard in the office again today, secretly thinking about how to slack off? — From the boy who loves you the most.

Bruce's finger hovered over the screen. To be honest, he wasn't particularly prone to online chatting. After a moment's thought, he ignored Jack's question and chose the most foolproof topic:

[Bruce]

Are you at the theater right now? What did you have for lunch?

Jack's reply was almost instant.

[Jack]

Just finished a show. I had some fried chicken, salad, and lemon pie—the same one you used to despise. (I can indulge in a few indulgences when Alfred's away. I have to admit, sometimes even a bit of bland food can be a treat.)

Bruce rubbed his hand along the edge of his phone, pondering his response.

He typed, deleted, typed again, and deleted again.

Luckily, Jack didn't need him to find a topic. Before he could reply, another message popped up:

[Jack]

Seeing you hesitate for so long, it feels like we're back to when we first confirmed our relationship.

Don't worry, sweetheart, you can get used to it. I'll be right here waiting for you—just like Sleeping Beauty waiting for her prince's kiss.

Of course, this Sleeping Beauty might have a prominent Adam's apple.

…

Bruce couldn't help but cough softly.

Somehow, he'd managed to appreciate Jack's uncanny dry humor.

He mentally reminded himself not to let his guard down against the Joker, pursed his lips, and replied:

[Bruce]

Don't worry, I'm adaptable. Besides, Alfred canceled my night patrols for the past two days.

[Jack]

I can tell he's really worried about you.

By the way, I'm staying on the second floor of the theater tonight.

Don't get me wrong, I'm just trying to prevent some sleepwalking bat from getting lost—hopefully, it won't get its cape caught on the nail in the doorway like last time.

Bruce stared at the screen, frowning.

He was well versed in this kind of hard-to-get tactic; nearly every one of his previous dates had mastered it.

So…Jack was inviting him to his apartment?

Would he go?

Was that a trap?

He closed his eyes, pondering his response.

After a moment, he put his phone down.

————————————

The meeting was over.

The others had left, leaving him alone in the vast room.

Bruce picked up his tablet, exited the meeting materials, and opened the company's internal database.

A long, complex list of project numbers appeared on the screen. His fingers swiped across the screen rapidly, and as the bytes scrolled, he finally found the project codename he was looking for in the "Abolished Projects" directory:

the Neuron-7 Neural Retrieval System.

This project had been frozen in February of this year. Theoretically, it could use nano-neuron chains to access the brain's memory encoding areas, using computational models to reorganize target memory fragments and feed them back into the brain's neural circuits in the form of electrical signals—injecting the desired memory into the mind. Alternatively, this project could deeply search the memory-generating areas of the human brain to reconstruct those "lost fragments."

This project was developed for social charity purposes, targeting Alzheimer's patients and those who have suffered accidental amnesia. The system could help them search for residual memories in their brains and reawaken them. If brain damage is severe, family members could use the "reconstruction" system to selectively reconstruct a forgotten past and implant it to restore memory.

However, due to ethical concerns and excessive risks, Bruce personally terminated the project.

But now, he needed it.

Without any hesitation, he dialed Lucius Fox's internal line.

The phone rang a few times and was soon picked up.

"...Mr. Wayne?" Lucius said hesitantly, "Good afternoon, I heard that you attended today's board meeting... Is this true?"

...Why the tone of disbelief?

In fact, he felt that he was still very concerned about the company's affairs.

Bruce decided to ignore the other party's questions.

"...Good afternoon, Lucius."

"Is there anything related to the meeting that you need to communicate with me?"

"No, no. Actually, what I want to say has nothing to do with the meeting."

After a brief pause, he said bluntly:

"Lucius, starting tomorrow, I need you to help me restart the Neuron-7 project."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds.

Then, Bruce heard the other party's surprised voice.

"Did I hear you right?" Lucius's tone rose a little, "You want to restart that project - the one we were questioned three times in front of the council and eventually froze on our own initiative?"

"Yes." Bruce said lightly, "I need it."

"I need to confirm again - Mr. Wayne, that system is not a scanner that can be activated casually. It will conduct an in-depth analysis of the target's nervous system, induce thinking, and simulate past memories... Once the intervention fails, it may cause people to suffer from memory confusion or even brain nerve disorders."

"Yes, I understand its risks."

"I think we have discussed it before," Lucius' tone gradually became serious, "This is not a technology suitable for society. Even if it continues to be improved, the risks still exist. This technology... it should not be activated again." Bruce considered

his wording and said:

"I understand, but I need this technology. Barring any unexpected events, it will only be activated once and will not be used publicly."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, as if in thought. After a moment, Lucius lowered his voice and tentatively asked,

"Is it... you who needs it?"

"Not me," Bruce replied without hesitation.

"...a friend?"

Bruce remained silent.

"Then at least tell me how serious his condition is. Perhaps we can find another solution."

"That's not your concern."

"Perhaps you could wait for him to recover naturally—" Lucius advised.

"No," Bruce interrupted calmly. "I hope you can trust me. I know my limits on this matter."

Finally, with a soft sigh, Lucius compromised.

"I will reset the system data and grant you access. The storage module will be offline and can be accessed at any time. The highest authority of the AI will also be given to your account."

"I don't want any copies to be retained."

"Understood."

"Also," Bruce added, "don't mention this to anyone for now."

"Even your butler?" "

Especially him."

"...Okay."

Bruce slowly put the phone down and hung up.

Neuron-7

He had personally blocked it.

Now, he will personally restart the project.