American comics: Starting in Arkham, a system-based Batman

Chapter 11 The Simple and Honest People of Gotham City

"Huh?" Kold, who had been leaning into the car, got out, took the flashlight out of his mouth, and looked at Jung Eun with the eyes of someone looking at a freak.

Zheng En knew that what he said was somewhat shocking, but this was Gotham, what did it matter if he sold someone out?

He looked at Kold with an air of self-righteousness. "Is there a problem?"

The other person clearly wasn't thinking about Zheng En's problem in a normal way; he chuckled and said, "Do you think being in Gotham is that valuable?"

Rather than legality, people value other things.

"Are you alright?" Zheng En asked uncertainly. "I've only been here one day, and someone's already trying to arrest me. Organ trafficking, human trafficking, human experimentation... there must be some shady things that need to be done, right?"

That's because you have value.

Kold, speaking with the air of someone who'd been there before, said, "Look at yourself, then look at that person on the ground. Don't you see any difference?"

"Not everyone is born with a relatively healthy body." Kold glanced at the unconscious man. "Look at him, sallow skin, spots on his hands, patches of hair falling out, who knows what kind of illness he might have."

"Maybe he smoked too many leaves, or maybe he did something unclean."

Kold's tone was disgusted. "There are tons of these kinds of people in Gotham. I see a bunch of them on the street every morning. I'm not a professional body collector, so I don't need him."

"Gotham may be chaotic, but it has its own set of rules. Not just any scoundrel can survive here."

What's there to be proud of in something like this?

Looking at his rather proud expression, Zheng En felt that Gotham was like a vessel for refining poison, throwing all sorts of monsters and demons into it, resulting in a bunch of abnormally developed supervillains.

In other cities, the supervillains are all superpowered individuals, aliens, or evil gods. But in Gotham, nine out of ten are ordinary people, all mentally ill. The Joker even drove Superman insane in the plot.

This destructive power is something that an ordinary person with only a system could never match.

Thinking of this, Zheng En's previously inflated ego quietly shrank back. What Fourth Calamity? He was just an ordinary player passing by.

Right now, he only has two useful abilities: [Basic Gun Skills] and [Basic Melee Combat]. They're fine for one-on-one fights, but he's useless in group battles.

Let's take advantage of the fact that Gotham isn't teeming with monsters and evil spirits right now and focus on completing missions, leveling up, and developing our character.

Otherwise, let alone the fact that any major event could easily make him suffer later on, he would have a hard time even living in the East District.

After all, bad places breed unruly people. It's fortunate that the guy he beat up today had no companions; if it had been a group of three or five lying in ambush, things would have been much worse.

After checking the vehicle, Kold explained the condition of the parts to Zheng En at length. Zheng En only understood that Kold quoted $320, which was about the same as Jason's estimate.

Jung Eun wondered to herself, "Did they betray us?"

"That price is reasonable for Gotham," Batman said.

Zheng En understood his implication and asked again, "What if it's not in Gotham?"

Batman succinctly stated, "Double."

"However, outside of the market, it's hard to find anyone willing to buy a car with bullet holes."

This Batman, who seems to have been in the industry for a long time, has a fairly clear understanding of Gotham: "And in Gotham, car dealerships like this are everywhere."

Zheng En: I understand. Gotham is a city of simple and honest people, and Arkham is a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery.

Having agreed on the price, Cord didn't waste any more words and directly handed Zheng En three hundred and twenty US dollars, which consisted of three large bills with Franklin printed on them and a twenty-dollar bill.

"What can this money buy where you are?"

After receiving the money, Zheng En stood aside and watched Could fix the tire. It wasn't easy for someone penniless to settle down in Gotham.

This "poverty and destitution" refers not only to money, but also to connections, social status, and social relationships. In Gotham, or rather in the East District, many things are known only to locals. Outsiders who casually barge in will only end up getting hurt.

Just like when Zheng En attacked the robber, he knew the other party wouldn't be too honest, but Batman had taught him about tricks like using lime powder.

Before entering the East District, Batman carefully explained a series of things to pay attention to to Jung Eun.

"Since you don't have any identification or other relevant documents, you can only stay in the East District temporarily. Outsiders are easily targeted, so besides money, you also need to be mentally prepared."

Batman's night patrols cover the entirety of Gotham, with the East Side being a key area of ​​focus.

At night, theft and robbery would spring up like mushrooms in a deep forest after the rain. Along with these incidents, there would often be injuries and murders. If you were lucky, you would escape with your life and return home. If you were unlucky, your body would be left to rot in the wilderness, waiting to be taken away by cleaners or body collectors the next day.

Under the few brightly lit streetlights, teenagers (in Europe and America, this often refers to misbehaving minors) would gather in twos and threes, brandishing knives, laughing loudly or sharing something.

Under the eaves of the shops, homeless people were wrapped in tattered cloth, while those in worse condition used plastic bags for warmth. Drug addicts lay slumped in the darkness, and under the bridge, homeless children gathered together to warm themselves by a fire.

"The East District is chaotic. Although most people have their own source of income, there are also those who want to earn some extra money."

Batman reminded Jung Eun, "Your appearance... is too conspicuous. Anyone can tell you're an outsider."

"Moreover, you look harmless, which makes it easy to attract these kinds of people, especially those who gamble, drink, or eat leaves. Their fighting skills and physical condition may not be much better than yours, but they are very good at playing tricks."

The simplest and quickest way is to put a handful of sand in your pocket; even if you can't win a fight, you can still escape.

The one Zheng En encountered was slightly better; he used lime, which was more expensive than sand.

Although this doesn't stop him from falling.

Upon arriving in the East District, Zheng En's most pressing need was to find a place to stay. It was already dark, and he needed to find somewhere to spend the night.

His plan was that after selling his car, he could buy a new vehicle from the buyer and even find temporary accommodation through them, although he would most likely be ripped off.

"The East District is like a spider web; once you find the right node, you can extend your tentacles outwards."

Batman used an analogy: "But this point is not easy to find. In most cases, everyone you meet will be thinking about how to take more money out of your pocket, and they will never be satisfied."

When Batman said this, the car's tires hadn't been punctured yet, and they hadn't met Jason.

Jung Eun asked him, "So how did you initially find this node?"

He downplayed it, saying, "I beat them all up."