Chapter 20 The reckless thinker, the true bat should cooperate with the villain! ...

The nano-bat armor and Batman clone both perished, and even the regular Batsuit went down with them. Wen Yue, left with no other option, went to Wayne Enterprises and bought a whole bunch of high-tech gadgets essential for Batman. To enhance her persuasiveness, she even filled the space of her newly developed fighter jet to the brim, displaying her extravagant wealth.

A pleasant surprise was the R&D department's creation of the Robin uniform, but the stat boosts were minimal, and the size didn't fit the player's physique. Wen Yue's main objective for this trip was not achieved. Wayne Enterprises had a half-finished Batsuit, but many functions were incomplete; it was all show and no defensive capabilities or stat boosts. To the player, it was no different from a regular cosplay outfit, and the stats displayed on the game panel were appalling. Wearing this basic suit offered absolutely no sense of security.

Sitting in the newly arrived Batmobile 3.0, which hadn't even had a chance to be painted with any bat logos yet, Wen Yue still donned that intimidating Batman suit. Some things only Batman could do. For the sake of her own life, the player decisively rummaged through her game inventory and pulled out her long-treasured Red Robin uniform. Games like this are always top-notch; the base game stats instantly looked much better. This uniform was obtained by the player during a Bruce Wayne identity quest, specifically by signing in at Tim's birthday dinner.

Donning the domino mask, Wen Yue tossed her cape aside, admiring herself in the mirror, and murmured, "It suits me quite well..." The player has completely transformed Red Robin, then donned Batman's mask and suit—who could tell who the player really was? You think the player is Batman? No, beneath the Batman suit is Red Robin. You think the player is Red Robin? No, she's actually Batman himself! Layer upon layer of nested dolls, endless reversals—how dare you assume the player's identity? Hehehe!

The Batmobile drove into an alley near the hospital. Wen Yue clumsily climbed out of the window. Players don't know how to launch themselves out of a car like Batman. The alley was too narrow and it was difficult to open the car door, resulting in the current awkward situation.

Wen Yue pulled out her grappling hook, then thought better of it and put it away. "Forget it," she thought, "I won't embarrass myself with that much skill." The player obediently climbed the wall, vaulting over the balcony into the empty hospital room; she certainly had that much agility.

According to the game map, the player stealthily makes their way through the darkness, passing a frail working-class man who falls and ends up in the hospital, a driver lying in a hospital bed after a car accident, and a passerby who was hit by a falling object and ended up in the hospital. The player stops before a scene of a boy watching over his father at his bedside. It's Tim; he's taken a short leave of absence from school and has been secretly investigating the Court of Owls.

Wen Yue hesitated for a moment, considering whether to bring Tim into the fray to help. Tim, acting as the player's strategist, would analyze the feasibility of the action plan. In the end, she chose to leave silently. The player leaped upstairs, his black cloak casting a shadow. Tim, sensing something, looked up in that direction but saw nothing.

Wen Yue came to the hospital for "Mr. Freeze"—Victor Frith. Gotham is known for its high-IQ criminals, and Mr. Freeze is no exception. He is a cryochemist who, because his beloved wife Nora is terminally ill, created a high-tech device that can freeze her at high speed, intending to use it to pause her life and buy time to research a cure.

Wayne Enterprises has been keeping an eye on this cryo-physician and recently reached a cooperation agreement with this devoted lover who hasn't yet turned to the dark side. However, Victor has yet to hand over his cryogenic technology. Since cryogenic technology is key to dealing with the court's claws, Wen Yue had no choice but to come herself.

——

"Where are you taking her?" A dark figure blocked the man's path.

"Batman? None of your business, get out of the way." Knowing that Wayne was Batman's backer, Victor didn't make a move, but he also had no intention of saying anything more to him. He pushed the cryo-chamber away, inside which was his wife, whom he had recently frozen in time.

“I have a way to save Nora.” Wen Yue didn’t move, but pulled out a tempting offer: “The Court of Owls has a way to bring people back to life, a metal with Dionysian factors, which may be able to help your wife.”

The test tube contained blood samples from other claws collected before the clone's creation. After some experimentation, Victor confirmed that Batman's statement was true.

"What do you want?" Victor asked, intrigued.

"Frozen weapon".

...

The sea breeze blows from the city to the sea, passing through layers of Gothic architecture, and all the way to Arkham on the outskirts of Gotham City. The green plants on the windowsills sway up and down in the wind, changing gracefully with the passing of day and night.

Inside the Arkham Hospital room, Harley Quinn burst into laughter while holding her phone. "Hahaha, yes, that's it! Batman is just a poor kid kept by a rich man, doing dress-up play with Wayne every night..." This fanfiction is so daring, bravely telling the truth.

“That’s not true.” A voice suddenly broke the silence.

Harley waved her hand impatiently, as if trying to dispel the negativity in the air. "You're not Batman, what do you know about Batman? Rich people do dirty things behind the scenes. Batman sells his body to get Wayne's support to maintain his night patrol career. Otherwise, where would he get the funds to work as a vigilante in Gotham every night? Every citizen of Gotham knows where his money comes from..." She turned around and saw that familiar bat-shaped cape, and her words stopped abruptly.

Harley Quinn changed her tone without batting an eye, "But then again, Batman's spirit of fighting crime, protecting the lives of Gotham citizens, and saving them from danger is still admirable."

"..." The other party remained silent.

Faced with Batman's disapproving gaze, Harley Quinn showed remarkable resilience and a strong survival instinct: "Besides, the rumor that Batman trades his body for money is just hearsay. How could someone of his high moral character and integrity do such a thing? It's nothing but a loser's fabrication. How can you believe it?"

Wen Yue: "emmmm..."

"?"

Harley's expression changed after her groveling went unresponsive. "I've already said all this, what more do you want? Are you still not leaving? Is this never going to end?"

"I have something I'd like to ask you for help with..." Wen Yue pondered her words before speaking.

"Batman needs help?" Upon hearing this, Harley's expression changed abruptly. She crossed her legs, adopted an arrogant attitude, and glared at him, firmly stating her position: "You must make one thing clear: we are rivals, enemies, never collaborators. I will absolutely not help you!"

She knew the answer. Wen Yue removed her disguise, revealing Red Robin's uniform beneath her cloak. "We're not enemies." Soft wisps of hair framed her forehead as the player tilted her head to adjust her eyepatch. "Hello, let me introduce myself. I'm Red Robin. I'd like to hire you to deal with the Court of Owls." Her second identity was activated.

Harley felt that her performance had been completely wasted, as her rapid knee slide had been witnessed by a lowly henchman hiding in the shadows. A murderous intent began to rise within her.

Sensing the murderous intent, Wen Yue pulled out a sack of banknotes with her left hand and jewelry with her right, attempting to influence the other party with real money.

"." Harley curled her lip in disdain; she wasn't a materialistic woman.

Wen Yue continued to pull out the transfer documents, "I bought the bar where you used to hang out, and now you're the owner."

"..." Harley's expression softened slightly.

Wen Yue played her trump card, "Oh right, I built a highway, which officially opens this Halloween. I mean, would you be interested in naming it after you, Harley?"

"!" Harley was completely impressed.

"Okay, boss, how do you want to deal with the Court of Owls? Mission accomplished!"

Last Halloween, Harley Quinn told Elise (Poison Ivy) that she wanted a highway named after her, and this Halloween, Harley's dream came true. If it weren't for the fact that her and Elise's room was filled with plants, making everything inside and outside the room completely visible, she would have suspected that Red Robin had installed surveillance cameras in their room.

Player holding the system (world) log: Hehe!

A true Batman should team up with villains, and not just one. Assign Harley the task of recruiting Mudman, give her a truckload of cash as seed money, and Wen Yue enters Poison Ivy's botanical garden.

"I've heard so much about you, Poison Ivy." Distinguishing herself from Batman and Red Robin, Wen Yue started with small gestures, greeting her old rival as a stranger.

Poison Ivy glanced at the newcomer indifferently, without making any reaction.

"Aren't you going to say hello?" Wen Yue prepared to shake hands.

"I have no interest in your pathetic human games." Poison Ivy, who could manipulate plants, was naturally aware of Red Robin and Harley's conversation and appeared uninterested.

Wen Yue awkwardly lowered her neglected hand, comforting herself: it must be because wearing gloves is impolite, it's definitely not that the other person dislikes her. Having reassured herself, the player quickly regained her composure. "This isn't just a human issue; it concerns all the plants in Gotham."

Poison Ivy glanced at him sideways. "Nature is always the winner."

“That’s not necessarily true.” Wen Yue smiled and pulled out a stack of investigation reports. “These are the inspection reports of Gotham’s rainwater over the past ten years. The data shows that there is an unidentified substance in the rainwater, and the content of this unidentified substance has been increasing year by year. This substance can not only subtly make people irritable, confused, and even crazy, but it also inhibits plant growth—have you noticed that there are fewer and fewer plants in Gotham in recent years? Gotham experiences continuous rain all year round. Initially, the problematic rainwater was concentrated in the East District, but in recent years it has shown a trend of spreading. If this rain continues, all of Gotham’s groundwater will be polluted, and then the living space for plants will shrink further. This is not just a matter for humans, but also concerns all life in Gotham, including plants.”

"I think 'Green of All Things' gave you this warning too. When you manipulate plants, do you also notice the disharmonious factors within them?" Clever words and flattery cannot truly persuade the other party; only clear facts and the truth can move Poison Ivy.

"This unidentified substance originated from the Court of Owls, who, in order to maintain their rule and their evil god, have driven Gotham into madness. Thanks to them, Gotham has become the most chaotic and dangerous place in all of America over the years, and the Court of Owls deserves much credit. As long as the Court exists, this problematic rain will never stop, and Gotham's plants will never be able to grow healthily and freely. If they continue to run rampant like this, it will not only be the end of Gotham, but also the end of all the plants in Gotham. On the point of dealing with the Court, our interests are aligned."

Explaining the pros and cons, Wen Yue laid out her bargaining chip, "Actually, I am also a staunch supporter of plant conservation, and I have established several rare plant reserves in Gotham and even across the United States. These reserves are lacking a general manager, and I think this position is perfect for you." Wen Yue handed the land ownership transfer deed to Poison Ivy, "These children (rare plants) will be in your hands from now on."

Poison Ivy was tempted and accepted the transfer agreement, deeply impressed by the other party's generous gesture.

A note from the author:

----------------------