novelnext Chapter 12 Why would someone be killing people for no reason?
Chapter 12 Why would someone be killing people for no reason?
Jung Eun: "Huh?"
But upon closer reflection, this is indeed Batman's style.
If you're not convinced, I'll beat you until you're completely convinced.
He just doesn't kill people, he didn't say he couldn't break all the bones in your body.
"But I don't recommend you do that," Batman said. "You're not strong enough to escape from a group of people, and they won't really tolerate you."
"I had to resort to this tactic to investigate some incidents, but that identity was quickly rendered useless because no matter where I went, no one would consider me one of them."
Zheng En asked, puzzled, "What about Matchstick Ma Long?"
Zheng En didn't know much about DC. He only learned some basics from watching videos explaining it, such as Batman having a secret identity as a gangster named Matchstick Malone in order to gather intelligence.
But he didn't know how he got this identity.
Batman wasn't surprised by Jung Eun's question. "That's a story for later."
"He died unexpectedly, and I learned about it by chance. I took his identity and thus gained a deeper understanding of the East District." He paused for a moment, "or rather, not just the East District."
"When I first became Batman, I didn't know enough about Gotham. I knew that the lives of the underprivileged were difficult, but I never really had a concrete image of what it looked like in my mind."
Jung Eun listened quietly. Batman seemed lost in some kind of memory, but in the end, he didn't reveal anything.
"...I learned a lot during that time, which is probably why the system chose me as its mentor."
Batman understood that Zheng En had a game mentality, considering himself a player, and also knew that if things continued this way, the other party was very likely to go astray.
If a person has enough power, but regards everything around him as a false drama, what will happen when he gets tired of it?
Batman doesn't want to see this happen. He wants Jung Eun to seriously observe everyone around him, those living, breathing people, the things that happen between them, and experience those emotions, whether beautiful or painful.
Only in this way can the ethereal gods descend to earth, and only then will the audience outside the drama look around and know what is real.
Zheng En was unaware of the complex thoughts Batman was having, and simply felt that what he said made a lot of sense.
Indeed, given Gotham's difficulty, even with the system, it would be hellish. I'm grateful to the system for mercifully providing Batman as a mentor.
Otherwise, if you step into one pitfall after another, it's really hard not to want to start a massacre.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to sell the car, Zheng En struck up a conversation with Kold, who recommended a series of products to him while fixing the tire.
"Then you've come to the right person. We have everything here—cars, motorcycles, bicycles—all kinds of prices and models to choose from..."
Zheng En felt his clothes being tugged, and when he looked down, he saw Jason subtly shaking his head at him.
He recalled the question he had asked Batman.
"How can I find the right node?"
"Go find those kids," Batman said. "They can feel your sincerity and kindness."
"They may not let their guard down so quickly, but these neglected kids who seek refuge and supplies under gangs haven't been completely corrupted by the dark side of this city yet."
"What they want is very simple: food, water, clothes that fit well, and a safe and warm place to live."
"And, to survive this winter and the next, and the winter after that."
Zheng En lowered his eyes and met Jason's gaze. The boy's eyes darted around, his mouth tightly shut, not daring to speak, but his gaze kept sweeping back and forth, as if hinting at something.
The nodes of this spider web in the East District were indeed hard to find, but he was lucky.
Thanks, I'll consider it.
Jung Eun casually changed the subject, making a move to leave, "Hey kid, any good restaurants around here that you can recommend?"
"Ah, yes, yes, sir, please follow me."
Jason reacted quickly, running and walking to catch up with Zheng En and lead the way, "Turn right after you exit this road, go straight to the second intersection, there's a burger shop on that corner, although it only sells hot dogs at night..."
"Why?" Jung Eun asked, puzzled. "Why are the hamburgers only available for a limited time?"
The mention of hot dogs reminded him of that madman who exchanged shots with the police officer, and he wondered if the other guy had gotten into jail.
"Because the boss during the day and the boss at night are not the same person."
Jason explained that he originally wanted to talk to Jung about the trip, but now he had completely gone off-topic. "Uncle Moore—the hot dog owner—he and the burger shop owner were childhood friends who helped each other out; they're like brothers."
"The burger shop owner's business is very good, so he doesn't need to risk operating at night, as it's easy to run into gangsters, drug addicts, or something else at that time. So he rents the shop to Uncle Moore to make hot dogs."
Can you do this?
Zheng En had never heard of this approach before. At first glance, it did seem quite good; the kitchen utensils needed for hot dogs and hamburgers, such as griddles and spatulas, were pretty much the same. But upon closer examination, "If someone robs or something, wouldn't it still be the hamburger shop that gets destroyed?"
Jason shook his head, giving him a "you outsiders don't understand Gotham" look. "What's so special about that? Can the cost of renovations be more expensive than medical bills?"
"Besides, in a place like the East District, it's already a blessing if a restaurant can provide seating and the walls aren't drafty. Who cares about a few bullet holes in the wall or whose blood is splattered on the floor?"
The child's mature demeanor filled Zheng En with awe; this was truly a genuine, pure-blooded Gothamite from the Black Banner.
There are many kids like Jason in the East District who need to deal with all sorts of people to get things done, and they won't let their words fall to the ground.
He knew that Zheng En was a newcomer to the East District, and his views were very different from theirs. He was also easy to please; he could just casually mention some ordinary things that happened and the other person would find them strange.
"If you ask me, the hamburger guy is too cowardly. If he had just shown his gun, not many people would have actually made a move."
Jason was very experienced. "Gangsters value their reputation and will only default on their debts a few times. Thugs want to make quick money, but they're easy to deal with. Just fire a few shots, and once they see blood, they'll run away on their own."
"They robbed to live life to the fullest, not to wail in their hospital beds. As long as you don't show any weakness, it's easy to scare them away."
Shoot as you please.
Hearing Jason say this so casually, Zheng En couldn't help but ask him, "According to you, how many people die here every year?"
Is that correct?
Are you really letting NPCs spawn endlessly and keep creating them?
"How could that be? Bullets aren't free."
Jason counted on his fingers as he analyzed with Zheng En, "Not everyone can get a gun. Even if you have a gun, you still have to get bullets. Being willing to use them is one thing, but being able to hit the target is another."
"Anyone who can get their hands on guns, doesn't care about bullets, and has even learned to shoot accurately—that kind of person could at least be a low-level boss in a gang. Why would they go around killing people for no reason?"