Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics-Chapter 4472: Revised - 3356 Research on Cats and Dogs (67)

Chapter 4472 - Revised: Chapter 3356 Research on Cats and Dogs (67)

When Merkel came back, it was as if he brought back a gust of cold air from the distant northern lands. That morning, Gotham just happened to experience a temperature drop. When Shiller went to the airport to pick him up, he had to wear winter clothes.

Although Gotham's summers are very hot, its winters are even colder. The La Niña effect was evident here. The temperature was nearly 20 degrees the day before, but it dropped to single digits the next morning.

Getting out of the car, Shiller tied a scarf around Aisha's neck. But the little girl evidently did not like that thing wrapped around her neck and kept trying to pull it down with her hands, but unfortunately didn't know the right way to do it. They walked all the way to the airport hall without her successfully removing the scarf.

Merkel quickly came out, saw Shiller and smiled, then stepped forward to embrace him.

"Good morning, Professor. Long time no see."

"Long time no see." Shiller patted his arm and said, "How's Moscow?"

Merkel sighed and said, "This time at the conference, it was decided to shrink the territorial scope once again. Sadly, we don't know which unlucky country will be kicked out this time."

Shiller shook his head and laughed.

It is quite miraculous; unlike the general trend of the world, the situation of the Soviet Union in this universe is completely reversed.

Generally, the Soviet Union would have disintegrated by this era. But even if it didn't disintegrate due to some accidents, it would still be in turmoil with the various small nations within the alliance clamoring for independence.

But in the universe where Shiller resides, perhaps due to the impact of two economic crises in a short period, everyone had no choice but to huddle together for warmth, with no other option. Being around a giant entity at least allows you to drink some soup from the real industry; breaking away independently means having nothing at all.

What's different is that the Soviet Union's decision-making became more cautious, following a strategy to abandon some territories to protect the core. Through several conferences, they kicked out some always unruly small countries within the alliance.

They say the onlooker sees clearly. When you are part of the Soviet Union, you only feel this and that are not good. But when you are kicked out, you realize how miserable it is to be a small fry around such a giant entity.

In every aspect, the Soviet Union's scope had significantly contracted, basically becoming a large Russia. Because of the large-scale cessation of aid and support, its international influence had greatly diminished, being weak to the extreme.

However, fortunately, America was stabbed in the kidney by the Great Depression and couldn't feast on the giant bear's carcass like it did in the historical timeline. Its wounds were slow to heal. Both countries were wounded to a similar extent, and neither had the strength to bother the other anymore. The Cold War, which had lasted half a century, ended in mutual defeat and disarray.

The Soviet Union didn't collapse, and Europe didn't get much benefit either. To ensure their citizens' survival, they didn't go through de-industrialization like on the normal world line. They were barely holding on.

With both big entities severely wounded, other countries naturally benefitted. East Asian countries still ushered in their period of economic boom. They were now, in fact, in the best situation.

"Moscow is quite cautious. They also understand that they can't cut away any more rotten flesh. So, for the next few decades, their sphere of influence and foreign policy likely won't see significant changes," Merkel said.

Then he asked, "How's Mexico?"

Shiller shook his head again, "After Oliver left, the Revolutionary Army was almost completely routed. Many strongholds returned to the government forces, but a small core group remained, firmly controlling the area around Guadalajara. The two sides started a seesaw battle."

"However, aside from the Revolutionary Army led by Oliver, several other rebel organizations have gradually emerged. The most famous is a People's Army in northern Mexico near the border. It is said that the leader of this army is very young, seemingly also an admirer of Oliver."

"The Central Intelligence Agency's little tricks have never stopped. However, they are also troubled by Mexico's complex political landscape. They had a bout with the KGB before and didn't gain any advantage. Now they are back in a dormant period."

"As for the U.S. Congress, they still can't do much, unable to formulate any effective policies regarding Mexico. They can only hold meetings and argue day after day, trying to shift the responsibility onto the other side."

Merkel smiled and said, "Actually, Moscow is similar. They are always holding meetings and always arguing, especially concerning the current economic situation. There's always a voice wanting to learn from their southern neighbors."

"The tide does indeed turn," Shiller sighed, but he didn't elaborate. The situation in the Far East was too complex to be summarized in a few words. Without being in the whirlpool, it's hard to empathize.

"How is Gotham?" Merkel asked.

"Same old, same old. You picked an unlucky time to come back; it just got colder last night." The two walked out of the airport hall. After getting in the car, Shiller turned on the heater and said, "Maybe it's time to call Wuyun back for some warmth."

Merkel laughed and then checked his phone, scrolling through messages as he said, "I heard the estate has been sold?"

Shiller nodded, turning the steering wheel, "Sold to Miss Quinzel. Now it has become a children's playground. The bad news is the new house has no garden and no need for a butler. The good news is I've bought a store."

Merkel was quite surprised and said, "You want to open a shop, Professor? Are you serious?"

"What kind of tone is that?"

"I mean no offense. But, if you plan to do business, you can't be inconsistent. But I don't think you can stay in the store all the time."

"So, the position of the store manager is prepared for you."

Merkel then realized that the car was heading towards the city center, and they were getting closer to the heart of it.

"Oh my, Professor. Are you planning to open a store here? Does this mean I'll be stuck in traffic for an hour every morning on my way to work?"

"Of course not, you can access the inner world. The key to running this shop lies in the inner world. I'll explain it to you in detail once we get there."

The car twisted and turned, heading towards the city center. Since it was still early, the traffic wasn't too bad. After just over ten minutes of slight congestion, they reached the shop's front door.

"Wow, these windows are gorgeous," Merkel exclaimed. "They look like they were ripped straight from Westminster Abbey."

"Great metaphor," Shiller couldn't help but compliment.

The two walked into the shop together. Merkel glanced around and said, "With such high-end decor, what were they planning to use this place for? A museum?"

"Something like that. An old magazine company planned to use it as a sample gallery. Unfortunately, the Great Depression destroyed them."

"It's a really nice place," Merkel said, twirling around and shaking the shelf hanging from the column, and touching the patterns on the wallpaper.

"It will be a great shop for you in the future," Shiller said. "I don't have time to come over every day. You'll have to take good care of it."

"Taking care of it is no problem, but I've never run a business," Merkel shrugged. "Good thing you bought this place, or the sales might not even cover the rent."

"Though there's no rent, there's still property tax. The annual property tax is no small amount of money. Plus, I'm not giving you extra for insurance; you have to earn all of it yourself."

"What a daunting task," Merkel sighed fakely with mock despair.

"There's also an upside," Shiller leaned on the counter and said, "From now on, you won't have to sneak out everytime you want to see your little friends."

"You mean the KGB?" Merkel raised an eyebrow. "I left the KGB a long time ago. My affiliation was transferred out. I was supposed to transfer to a factory security job in Moscow. I found it boring, so I came back."

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"Why did you leave?"

Merkel sighed and said, "The economic situation was bad. The KGB was downsizing, and as a British guy, I wasn't very trusted. My boss had a talk with me, and I voluntarily left."

"Don't you want to go back to England?"

"It's even worse there," Merkel couldn't help but frown. "Although my family is well off, my parents are typical control freaks. If I went back, I might become the disgrace of the whole family, so forget it."

"Alright then, do a good job, Mr. Manager," Shiller patted his shoulder.

"What's this shop going to sell?" Any trace of Merkel's dejection quickly vanished. He became determined and excitedly started counting on his fingers, "If it were up to me, I'd open a plant shop. This decor is perfect for growing lots of greenery..."

"Don't even think about it," Shiller cut him off bluntly, "Apart from that little demon in the backyard, you can't keep anything alive. He's complained more than once that the fertilizers you're using on him are almost killing him."

"Oh, right. And where's Hexagon?"

"He's security at the Young Avengers Base. Don't even think about bringing him here; he won't come with you."

Merkel looked disappointed. Shiller glanced at his phone and said, "Pamela should be here soon. Then we'll go shopping at the inner world's market together."

Just as he finished speaking, there was a noise from upstairs. Shiller looked up to see Pamela stumbling out of the upstairs office.

"Good heavens, why are there so many chairs? I almost tripped," Pamela said.

"We haven't had time to renovate upstairs yet," Shiller said, looking at the stairway. "I contacted Waylon. All the office supplies up there are his now, but he has to help me move the new furniture I bought."

"What a bargain," Pamela said. "Those desks and chairs upstairs are practically new. It's a shame my lab doesn't need them, or I'd have taken them too."

"Waylon needs to redecorate his new office too. Killer Croc's Moving Company is doing great business, and he moved his headquarters to Black Island. He might soon become Gotham's king of mercenaries."

Pamela laughed, "It's hard to imagine him running a moving company with a bunch of hitmen. But times are tough, what else can we do?"

As they were talking, a van pulled up in front of the shop. Killer Croc got out, and in the passenger seat was a familiar face—Deathstroke.

"Wow, he really did bring a hitman," Merkel couldn't help but exclaim. He recognized Deathstroke very well; that yellow and black figure storming into the Kremlin had shocked the world.

Even Shiller couldn't contain himself, "The world's top assassin, working for peanuts and starting a moving business?"

Deathstroke walked up and shook Shiller's hand, saying, "Good morning, Professor. Someone's paid to have you killed again. How much is this information worth to you?"

Great, Shiller thought, this world is crazier than he imagined. Even Deathstroke is selling out customer information for cash.