Chapter 14 Jason: Why is nobody talking to me...?

Wen Yue's eyes flickered, and she patted Jason's shoulder affectionately to change the subject: "Of course, if you love reading, you can get some from the library at Wayne Manor. There are so many books there you could read them all. As for the other two points..." She looked at Jason's stunned reaction, her eyes crinkling into a smile as she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

After laughing for a while, Wen Yue noticed that Jason had a "the sky has fallen" expression on his face.

She put on an innocent expression and asked cheekily, "Why aren't you smiling? Are you just naturally averse to smiling?" She grinned again, but immediately forced herself to suppress her smile when faced with Jason's death stare, and explained seriously, "My teeth are a little hot, so I came out for some fresh air."

“…” Jason lowered his head and covered his face, his exposed ears gradually turning red.

"Quack quack quack—" Wen Yue couldn't help but burst into laughter. Where was the camera? Where was the video camera? She had to capture Jason's rare moment of shyness immediately; she couldn't miss this precious scene!

"You actually found out? How did you find out?" Jason was completely baffled.

"Is it that hard? You're the first person I see recommended on dating apps." You're so prominent, it's hard to miss you.

"Why hasn't anyone messaged me?" Jason had been recommended to register for the software for over a month, but so far no one had messaged him privately.

"The accompanying picture didn't really show how handsome I am." That must be the reason!

"The accompanying picture is actually quite handsome... Why don't you revise your comments?" Wen Yue sincerely suggested. Look at what Jason wrote: "Yearning to find my criminal partner, abandoning humanity..." It's so childish, it feels like he's looking for a son, not a husband, and a rebellious, immature teenager at that.

"What's the problem?" Jason didn't think there was anything wrong with the message at all. He crushed the empty soda bottle and asked with narrowed eyes that conveyed a dangerous signal.

"Perhaps there's a problem with the software's push system." Sensing danger, Wen Yue's expression turned serious, her survival instincts kicking in.

“I think so too. But why are you on a dating app?” Jason noticed something amiss! He asked suspiciously.

Wen Yue immediately broke out in a cold sweat. No one could understand the player's guilty conscience, because she had indeed "investigated" Jason.

The system (world) log lists natural disasters and major events from around the world over the years, down to personal experiences, with details almost indistinguishable from an emperor's daily records. Jason's personal experiences are naturally included. And it's not just Jason; players have thoroughly investigated the entire Bat-family.

A mysterious silence spread between them. Wen Yue racked her brains trying to figure out how to fool Jason, but luckily, the noise from the infirmary distracted Jason.

"What's that noise?" Jason opened the door to the infirmary, where Dick Grayson, locked in an isolation ward, was clearly visible.

“I can’t believe my eyes.” Jason understood, he understood completely: this rich guy not only liked to wear a tight suit and beat people up in the middle of the night, but he was also a perverted pedophile!

“What is this?” Jason asked, pointing to the figure in the isolation room.

“Claw, Dick?” Wen Yue answered hesitantly.

"No, this is evidence of your crime, a little boy, and a handsome little boy with black hair and blue eyes." The boy's black hair and blue eyes, just like Jason's, made Jason suspect that Bruce had a particular preference for this type.

"You captured him?"

"More or less... He's a claw of the Court of Owls, he's dangerous, so we locked him up." It's definitely not her pedophilia! Wen Yue had also heard about Bai Nan's fondness for young boys. Locking Dick in the transparent glass enclosure was indeed a bit misleading, but it definitely wasn't what Jason thought! Stop it!

“Then why don’t you lock him up in Arkham?” Jason asked, posing a fundamental question.

"This is too much to do..." How could Wen Yue lock Dick up in Arkham? That's just as hellish as Batman locking Jason up in Arkham!

"I knew you were weird. You wanted to take any pretty little boy home. I shouldn't have believed your lies and become your son. Now I'm your accomplice." He'd just escaped one danger only to fall into another. Jason regretted his earlier decision; he'd agreed too readily.

"You're really overthinking it. It's not what you think!" said the innocent player, Er Kang.

"What kind is it?"

Even when given a chance to explain, Wen Yue stammered and couldn't say anything.

Faced with Jason's urging, Wen Yue went through a complex internal struggle before finally pulling up Dick's personal history in the [System Log].

The player has already triggered the quest, and this time, Dick's past is no longer beyond her viewing rights. She skimmed through the first half of Dick's life, her mood gradually becoming depressed. After thinking for a while, she succinctly summarized Dick's previous experiences to Jason.

Dick Grayson was a member of the Gotham City circus troupe "Flying Grayson," performing in the circus with his parents from a young age. When he was eight, a local gang, after being refused protection money, poured acid on the ropes during their performance. The ropes snapped before Dick could jump, and he watched helplessly as his unsuspecting parents fell to their deaths in front of him.

Orphaned Dick vows revenge for his parents' deaths. During a confrontation with the killer, he is found by the Court of Owls, who deals with the killer, but Dick is forcibly taken away and turned into claws.

The so-called Claws are corpses that can be resurrected due to the influence of the Dionysian Factor. Their bodies are injected with a synthetic substance called Amber Gold, which can enhance their physical functions such as strength and speed, make their wounds heal quickly, and allow them to be brought back to life and never age.

The Court of Owls brainwashes children from a young age to train them into cold-blooded killers who are completely loyal to the court; the court collectively refers to them as Claws.

Dick has been transformed into a claw over the years, but he has been in a dormant state after being brainwashed. Today is the first time he has been awakened by the court to carry out a mission, but the players arrived in time to stop him.

"So far, Dick hasn't done anything irreparable wrong. The only time he attempted murder was under the control of the Court of Owls, so I want to give this kid a chance to choose his own life..." the player said righteously. "I have broken the Court of Owls' brainwashing, and from now on, he will regain his freedom. But his troubles will not disappear. The Court of Owls considers Claws their property, and they will not let Dick go."

The world consciousness has lifted the court's brainwashing of Dick. Whether it's to complete the mission of "Reclaiming Dick" or due to her own emotional factors, Wen Yue wants to protect Dick under Batman's wing.

"So you're going to adopt him?" After all, Batman doesn't even wear a helmet, and Jason saw right through Wen Yue's little scheme. "And what about him?" Would Dick be willing?

Jason turned to look at Claw in the isolation ward. "Still asleep?" How could he be sleeping at a time like this?

"No, he's already awake." The words "Awakened" were prominently displayed on the character's status screen in the game panel, and Wen Yue's tone was firm.

Jason naturally trusted Batman's judgment and knocked on the glass of the isolation room, "Hey, stop pretending, wake up."

Dick, who had already been awake and listened to the whole thing, opened his eyes and asked, "Who are you?"

"Hello, I'm Bruce Wayne, and this is Jason." Wen Yue introduced herself as Bruce Wayne, intending to adopt Dick as an ordinary wealthy man.

"You just said Tony Zuko is dead?" Dick's primary focus was still on Tony Zuko, the murderer of his parents. He had been arrested by the court while tracking Tony Zuko, and after being released from the court's brainwashing, he had finally regained his memory.

"Yes, on the same day you were arrested by the court, Tony Zuko was killed by Claws. The court will not hesitate to eliminate anyone who knows of their existence as a threat in order to maintain secrecy."

"Great!" After uncovering Tony Zuko's involvement, Dick tracked him down. Having no power or influence, he had considered killing the murderer to avenge his parents. That very day, he was captured by the Court of Owls, watching helplessly as his parents' killer escaped. He initially thought Tony Zuko had escaped justice, but instead, he was executed on the spot by the Court of Owls. Dick was filled with the joy of revenge.

"So why did you save me? Do you want me to kill for you?" Having experienced the murder of his parents, courtroom brainwashing, and becoming a thug, Dick doesn't believe in salvation without a reason.

"Of course not, I'm planning to adopt you as my son." As she said this, Wen Yue glanced at Jason guiltily.

Jason, the first adopted son, stood with his arms crossed, neither confirming nor denying, and made no response.

Dick was taken aback. He had thought it was just a pretense, but he hadn't expected Bruce Wayne to genuinely want to adopt him as his son.

"Do you remember how you regained consciousness?" The player is still unaware of how the World Consciousness broke free from the brainwashing. From her perspective, the World Consciousness only said one sentence to Dick, and Dick immediately broke free from the brainwashing and fell into a coma.

Dick shook his head. He didn't have any clear memories of it, only that he had slept for a very long time and woke up from a state of confusion, inexplicably freed from the court's brainwashing.

Wen Yue had no choice but to give up, deciding to ask the world's consciousness another day. She pressed the button to open the isolation room, and the glass door slowly opened. "Since that's the case, then come out."

Wen Yue turned and left, completely unconcerned about leaving Dick behind.

"How did you realize I was awake?" Dick asked curiously, following behind him. Claw's body had no breath or heartbeat, like a corpse; there wasn't much difference between being awake and asleep.

"It's a secret; you'll discover it for yourself later," Wen Yue said, leaving the question unanswered. The player couldn't very well say they learned it from a panel hint, could they? So they had to pass the question on to her.

Jason, who had been standing quietly to the side since the two began talking, walked up to Wen Yue and teased her with a smile: "Are you some kind of Gotham bird?" Children are being brought home one after another.

"Don't worry, this is definitely the last time!" Wen Yue declared online.

"How could anyone choose to fall into this quagmire with me instead of living a perfectly good life..." She continued to stack buffs.

Wen Yue walked to the Bat computer and was about to sit down when Jason cunningly and silently pulled her chair away, causing the player to fall to the ground with a thud.

The bewildered player looked at Jason, who was sitting in her chair, and then at Dick, who had taken over the other chair. The family dynamics were beginning to emerge.

A note from the author:

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