Day 16 of clearing customs

"Boss, boss, are you there, boss?"

The Arkham Knight was being relentlessly harassed by his newly recruited, suspected undercover agent on the communications channel. While the scene before him made him seethe with rage, the buzzing of mosquitoes in his ears was even more irritating.

Is there anything I need to ask him?

The Knight of Arkham gritted his teeth: "Speak!"

"Well, if you're in a hurry, I'm not in a rush. It's just that my undercover colleague sent me a message asking him to go and rescue Black Mask to prevent you from killing him."

Arkham Knight: Not in a hurry? Then why are you harassing him so much?

Seemingly sensing that his subordinates weren't very bright, the Arkham Knight remained silent for a moment before reiterating his orders.

"Regardless of life or death, regardless of the means or the process, all I want is the black mask."

"Got it? Then I'll go ahead and improvise?"

Arkham Knight: ......

"I won't clean up your mess."

The Arkham Knight spoke coldly, sensing that Adrian would cause him considerable trouble.

...

The annoying guy has finally quieted down; it's time for him to face reality.

The Arkham Knight tells himself, "He abandoned you long ago, didn't he? Whether openly or secretly."

Why hate?

Why be sad?

He should have known long ago that he was out of place among them. Before even informing the outside world of his own death, he announced to the media that he had a new adopted son. As for his previous adopted son, no one cared. Now he has a biological son.

Whose jealousy is burning ever brighter?

Whose heart is burning with such pent-up anger that it cannot be extinguished?

The Arkham Knight felt it was time to put an end to this memory, and the muzzle of his gun gradually pointed at the red and black youth who was engaged in battle...

Meanwhile, Red Robin, who was arguing with Robin, was unaware that Death was quietly approaching him.

A gray-eyed youth, several miles away from the main battlefield, was engrossed in role-playing after receiving orders from his boss.

[Triggering Side Quest Character: John Jones (Undercover Agent, Discovered)]

[A master of manipulating multiple relationships, a spy thriller, currently primarily serving the Arkham Knights, but actually colluding with outside evil forces (suspected to be an old acquaintance of Black Mask), the true victim of the Scarecrow, but really the victim of the Scarecrow?]

[Evaluation: A joker]

Adrian looked at the basic information with a somber expression, not understanding it.

Jones, who had been knocked unconscious at the foot, struggled to wake up, "You..."

Adrian knocked him unconscious with another punch. It was his mistake not to gag him; he didn't notice the fleeting green light in Jones's eyes before he knocked him out.

That damn mysterious man!

The man in the black mask clutched his waist, and a damp liquid slowly seeped out of his stomach. Pain pounded at his nerves. Was he going to lose this time?

No, impossible!

The man in black leaned out and shot into the darkness. He didn't know if he hit his target, but he could only keep going.

Adrian quietly watched the battle between Black Mask and the ambushers through the scope, occasionally firing a shot to keep Black Mask from despairing and to keep him hopeful.

People with hope and those without hope are two different things. Adrian didn't want to see a former Gotham underworld boss who had lost his spirit retreat too quickly during the tug-of-war with the outside forces that Jones was colluding with, which would be detrimental to him.

Adrian timed it perfectly, eliminating the masked enemy and his henchmen before descending from the sky like a divine warrior.

The man in black mask looked warily at the young man in a trench coat crouching on top of the container. For the first time, he felt powerless against someone other than Batman.

He was powerless to resist, feeling the life force draining from his body. Only a tiny bit of pride, a reluctance to expose his fragile self-esteem to a lowly thug, sustained him and prevented him from showing weakness.

Although he could no longer stand up.

Amidst Black Mask's weak and almost powerless resistance, Adrian uttered a coded message known only to him and his collaborators outside the city, and Black Mask visibly relaxed.

In particular, Adrian stopped his bleeding and took him to one of the backup plans he had left behind—the Wayne Hotel.

*

As night falls, the lights of the Wayne Hotel illuminate much of the Upper East Side, its iconic spire attracting numerous travelers to visit and take photos.

It is also the preferred venue for Gotham's elite and wealthy to host banquets.

Adrian had only one impression of this: the flow of people was astonishing.

According to Gotham Daily, Wayne Hotel hosts eight out of ten important banquets in Gotham. The other two times, the banquets had to be held at other well-known hotels because Wayne Hotel was attacked by villains and could not be fully repaired.

Today he finally saw what a grand hotel really is.

Adrian was astonished, like a country bumpkin, at the grand hotel in the game named after Wayne.

The huge, gleaming crystal chandelier, the glittering reception desk and other decorations, even the green plants placed in the corner of the lobby, according to the waiter, are some kind of expensive and delicate protective ornamental plants.

The system's verification also proved that the waiter was not lying, and the most extravagant feature was the entire floor-to-ceiling glass wall.

Adrian subtly shifted his gaze a little further away. At this moment, he finally connected Wayne with a wealthy tycoon. It seemed that what the Gotham tabloids said wasn't all lies.

The evil rich.

Standing in front of the panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows in the presidential suite, the out-of-town gang leader and his black-masked partner also lamented the evils of the rich.

Looking at the night view with the world at his feet, he had no doubt that those standing here overlooking Gotham would not feel the same ambition he had to make a big splash.

What arose from this was a sense of envy towards Wayne for eating so well. As the head of a large company, he spent his days studying criminal law, supporting a bunch of high-paid researchers and lawyers, as well as numerous thugs, and occasionally handing over painful sums of US dollars under the guise of "funding."

Now, his true self is collaborating with an uncultured, ruthless gang leader. The partner glanced at the black mask being used for healing.

Life is so terrible, but he still has to keep going despite the burden.

“Roman, I never expected you to contact me again,” the partner sighed. “I always thought we’d either be strangers or enemies when we met again, but you’ve really done terribly.”

“Look at you, you chose a subordinate as your successor, valued him, and wholeheartedly nurtured him, and then what? You played the farmer and the snake, letting him betray you, steal your business, take away your territory, and kill your brothers. Roman, this is not how you do charity.”

The partner pointed and gestured, seemingly feeling sorry for his old friend.

The man in black smiled coldly. Everyone knows who is who, using the failures of others to highlight how farsighted he is. All he heard was his old friend's mockery.

"You've done well out in Gotham, haven't you, Eggers? But it's never easy for someone who leaves Gotham to find a place to belong when they return."

The look on Eggers' face, which seemed to think everyone was an idiot and then couldn't help but act like a father, finally disappeared, replaced by a forced smile.

"Roman, what are you saying? My friend, don't be so harsh. Gotham will always be my home. Even if I was forced to leave her temporarily, I will always come back. What is belonging? What do I need to belong to when I come home!"

“But I have to ask you something. Your lost cargo was an Arkham Knight, is that what it’s called?” Eggers continued, “He hijacked your cargo and then chased you around like a fugitive, didn’t he?”

Black Mask felt a surge of anger rise in his heart as he was stung by Eggers's pitying yet superior gaze, but he had to appease the bastard who was mocking him.

“Old friend, you’ve guessed wrong. This has nothing to do with the Arkham Knights. You know, Gotham always has some flying creatures that are annoying and like to meddle in other people’s business. They’re also very strong. I’m getting a headache from their harassment. If you have any good ideas on how to deal with them, I’m all set.”

"Oh?" Eggers' eyes lit up, then dimmed again. His old friend's nature made him suspect there was a trap, but he couldn't tell where it was.

After all, he had been away from Gotham for too long, and one of the reasons that prompted him to leave Gotham was that Gotham was a place full of talented people and resources. He was poor and powerless and could not compete with them. If he stayed, he would only become cannon fodder and disappear into the dust of Gotham.

Back then, there were no masked vigilantes or psychopaths like we have now.

Black Mask noticed Eggles's attraction and pressed his advantage:

“Aig, those who do great things don’t hesitate. To me, you just lack the courage to tell me if you like it here.”

The man in the black mask walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, pointing to the alluring, dazzling night view outside. At that moment, bells rang, and colorful fireworks burst across the sky, revealing a set of words:

"Happy birthday, Ms. Daphne! May you stay young forever, your loyal Wayne!" The announcement was so grand that it could be seen throughout almost the entire city of Gotham.

Your loyal Wayne.

Loyal.

Wayne.

Wayne.

Eggers was puzzled.

Eggers muttered to himself.

He touched the spot where the fireworks had burst open on the French windows as if he were under a spell. Eggers looked at the fireworks that lingered for so long as if they were eternally burning money.

That's a romance no woman can resist, spending lavishly on her and making her famous worldwide.

Men can't either.

Tomorrow, no, the very next second after these fireworks light up the sky, countless Gotham reporters, celebrities, and even ordinary people will once again learn just how incredibly wealthy Wayne is.

They would discuss how Wayne was spending lavishly on his new lover, which would then spark curiosity about his girlfriend, family, and company. Eggers knew that every instance of public curiosity was an opportunity for the curious to increase their wealth.

He concluded that Wayne would become even richer.

That wretched, rich Wayne! Eggers admitted he was jealous. God is unfair, why is Wayne so rich?!

Why can't we share some with him!

When Black Mask saw the look of jealousy mixed with ambition on Eggers' face, he knew he had succeeded. He looked out the window at the fireworks and marveled at the beautiful timing of their bloom.

It's a pity I didn't have a glass of red wine with me, otherwise it would have been more fitting for this moment.

But respect Gotham.

The black mask reminded itself to hold back and not laugh, or it would give it away.

“Brother, do you think it’s possible to meet Wayne and cooperate with him?” Eggles was eager to try, his mind racing with all sorts of ways to fleece a fat sheep.

As far as he knew, Wayne was just an ordinary rich man, but the gossip about his entanglement with Batman in the Gotham tabloids made Eggles cautious.

It wouldn't be good for him to go straight into the local strongmen when he first returned to Gotham, Eggers hesitated.

But Wayne's wealth was too enviable, so he subtly sought cooperation.

Take it slow the first time, test the waters first, and then unleash your full potential once you're more familiar with the process.

cooperate?

Having seen many greedy people, this is the first time I've seen a greedy and cowardly man like Eggers in a black mask.

However, this is easy to do. Black Mask only needs to add fuel to the fire and does nothing else. As long as the income is higher than expected, many people will take risks, even if it means going to the gallows.

"I have never seen Wayne so attentive to his girlfriend. It seems that this new love may be true love, and she may even have a chance to become the mistress of Wayne Manor."

The black mask particularly emphasizes "true love," and it also says:

“You’ve come at a good time. Usually, wherever Wayne’s new love is, Wayne will be there too. If we go down now, we might run into Wayne. I’ve worked with Wayne before, and he’s a very easy person to talk to. Maybe you two will have a great chat.”

"But sometimes Wayne's stubbornness can be a real headache."

Eggers quickly grasped Black Mask's meaning: being easy to talk to meant being easy to fool, so Wayne was an easy target, and he wouldn't hold back.

Eggers completely ignored the possibility that Wayne might become stubborn; in his view, it was no big deal, as the Equalizer would solve all his problems.

If Black Mask knew what his old friend was thinking, he would only call him a barbarian, but he didn't know.

So Black Mask gave Eggles an encouraging look. Wayne may be an easy target, but that doesn't mean Batman behind Wayne is easy to fool.

This wasn't something he deliberately concealed; it was simply that he was greedy for money and acted wickedly. What does it have to do with his black mask? He's just a pitiful person who was deceived by friendship.

As for whether the friendship is genuine or not, it has already been said that he is a pitiful person and has nothing to do with him; he is innocent and has no choice.

Even Batman can't use it to convict him. Black Mask frantically tries to exonerate himself, saying he can't withstand Batman's iron fist right now.

Black Mask watched as Eggers ordered his men to investigate which floor Wayne was on, watched him bribe the waiter, and watched him meticulously plan and then kidnap Wayne and his new lover.

"Sorry, Wayne," Black Mask comforted himself without a trace of guilt, saying that he could only say this because Wayne had been a sucker for him in the past.

After hearing the whole story, Adrian could only say one thing: Poor Wayne.

It was clearly a case of two partners having a bad relationship, but Black Mask used them as bait to double-cross and seize control of his partner's power.

With Wayne's name and his financial resources, who would remember the lost goods? Robbing Wayne directly would be more direct and profitable.

At least for someone like Eggers, who forgets everything else when it comes to money, Wayne's wealth is far more important than a shipment that's destined to be lost forever...

Aiger, sharpening his knives and ready to strike at Wayne, successfully cornered Wayne under the guidance of the black mask.

Adrian, who was following behind them, also saw Wayne clearly. Adrian immediately added a note after Wayne's name: "A blue-eyed beauty."

Looking at the two men with ill intentions, Adrian felt worried, and he truly wailed:

Poor Wayne.