Chapter 124: Arthur The Butler
"Before we dive into the formal conversation," Jack gave Arthur an intense look and asked with a hint of seriousness, "Mr. Arthur, mind if I fire off a quick question?"
Arthur was caught off guard, unsure about Jack's approach. In his view, despite the oddity of having a young IRS agent like Jack, his subordinates had meticulously checked Jack's identification and investigation permit with the authorities, finding no issues.
Logically, with such thorough preparations and a formidable entrance, one might have expected Jack to have all the answers from the start. However, he had to start with a question. What was it going to be? Arthur was genuinely curious.
Merritt snapped out of his thoughts in an instant, focusing intently and thinking, "Jack probably hasn't uncovered my true identity yet. He might reveal some crucial information, so I need to listen carefully!"
But as Arthur's curiosity and Merritt's concentration peaked, Jack's next words left them all utterly flabbergasted.
"Have you ever held a position as a butler?" Jack inquired earnestly.
Arthur's response was a puzzled, "???"
After wracking his brain to determine if there was any hidden meaning behind the question, Arthur responded with a perplexed expression, "No."
Jack nodded, maintaining his serious demeanor. "So, you've never encountered a man who fancies wearing a black bat suit and going out every night, have you?"
Arthur remained speechless. What an odd question.
"If that's the case, I can put my mind at ease," Jack uttered words that left both Arthur and Merritt completely baffled, a tinge of disappointment crossing his face.
Then, Jack switched gears abruptly and announced, "I'm here to conduct an audit of all the companies under the Arthur Group. The IRS suspects you might be involved in some tax evasion." Jack didn't throw out random questions without purpose.
In the Batman trilogy, Arthur plays the role of Alfred, the loyal butler to Bruce Wayne.
The previous disappointment stemmed from the missed opportunity; if this Arthur had been Alfred, Jack could have nabbed a handful of those with "money-managing" skills.
What's even more intriguing is the recurrence of this powerful part-time job, from Sloan in the prior world to Bradley in this one. In Batman's universe, it's Fox who oversees Bruce Wayne's corporate affairs.
In the grand scheme of things, this might be one of the most coveted part-time jobs across universes! Jack muttered, shaking his head, but he didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the purpose of his visit.
Arthur was utterly taken aback.
He felt as if he had understood Jack's purpose from the start. Jack must have initially used perplexing words to unsettle his mind, seizing the perfect opportunity to later unveil his true intentions, thus catching him off guard and potentially causing errors.
It was a chilling and devious strategy!
Thankfully, Arthur had taken precautions. Since Jack had shown unkindness first, there was no reason for Arthur to hold back!
As he pondered this, Arthur turned around and cleared his throat. Seizing the moment, he discreetly winked at Merritt.
Merritt: "..."
"Could we not resort to such terrifying and potentially lethal tactics like winking? When you're an elderly gentleman in his seventies or eighties, it wouldn't hurt to consider your image a bit more."
"If not that, could you at least make your winking gestures more conventional? Were you even winking, or was that ogling?
An elderly man in his 70s or 80s shouldn't be ogling like that!" Merritt poundered.
Fortunately, Merritt was a magician who possessed some knowledge of hypnotic magic and had strong control over his own thoughts. He quickly erased that unsettling image from his mind.
All of this occurred in an instant. Taking advantage of his coughing fit, Arthur gave Merritt what he believed to be a "wink" and then turned his head.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Jack," Arthur began, "my throat hasn't been in the best condition lately."
Jack responded with a smile, saying, "It's alright; I understand. After all, we all have one foot in the grave."
Arthur coughed, genuinely this time, out of frustration.
Who would have thought that Jack could utter such words with a smile? It was a smile that concealed a world of disdain!
"Mr. Jack," Arthur retorted, "you must maintain a certain level of respect. Otherwise, I'll have to have my people escort you out." He turned around once more, coughed, and glanced at Merritt, "winking" to signal Merritt to act swiftly.
Merritt, however, chose to ignore Arthur's gestures this time, successfully shielding himself from any further mental pollution.
.....
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