Chapter 94 Eavesdropping is probably a new trend
Batman had a bad feeling.
What's going on here? What kind of Christmas gift could require three people to sneak out in the middle of the night a month and a half in advance to prepare it?
Isn't Wayne Manor big enough?
He and Thomas looked at each other, waiting for Thomas's next explanation.
Thomas Jr. watched him in silence.
"……Then what?"
"And then?" Thomas chuckled. "Is there anything else I should explain?"
"You know what I want to know."
“Obviously you want to know what gifts I’m going to prepare,” Thomas nodded, “but I think it’s perfectly normal not to tell others what gifts I’m going to prepare for my family (emphasis).”
“Of course, you’re free not to tell me, that’s your prerogative,” Batman said. “You just need to explain this to Bruce Wayne and your butler.”
“That’s right, the butler isn’t really important,” Alfred echoed on the other end of the communication, “but we must explain to our poor Master Bruce what gift he’s going to give and why he’s running away from home. I think he’s already crying himself to death.”
Thank you, Alfred.
"By the way, the eye drops and onions are ready too," Robin said with a hint of schadenfreude as he squeezed into Batman's communication channel. "If all else fails, there's plenty of food in Wayne Manor's storeroom, we even have mustard."
...Thank you too, Robin.
But I'm going to give you extra math homework.
“I imagine you must be quite busy, Batman. You probably have more night patrols to go,” Thomas Jr. reminded him. “Don’t waste your time on our little family matters. The three of us can stay here for the night; it’s safe.”
Are you sure?
"Okay, we'll go back tomorrow morning."
“I’ll go ask Bruce Wayne.” Batman said sternly, turning around and pressing his fingers to the side of his helmet, nodding occasionally.
He acted very convincingly, but in reality, he could only hear Alfred's voice.
“It’s a shame, Master Bruce. I had prepared three kinds of onions, spices and beef, but it seems we won’t be able to have English onion soup tomorrow morning.”
Batman remained unmoved, turning around and taking two small gadgets from his all-purpose belt, handing them to Thomas.
"A bugging device?" Thomas recognized it at a glance.
“It also has a tracking function,” Batman said. “Bruce Wayne wants the three of you to carry it with you tonight and not take it off. He thinks you might sneak out again.”
"good."
Thomas Jr. readily agreed and took the three little things: "Is there anything else?"
"there is none left."
Considering that Thomas Sr. and Martha were still present, Batman did not intend to ask Thomas Jr. about the Night Owl directly. Instead, he disappeared into the room while the three of them were focused on the bugging device.
Thomas picked up one of them, scratched it with his fingernail, examined it closely, then took off his coat and found a newly placed bugging device under his collar.
“I knew you couldn’t have only this one plan,” Thomas Jr. said to Batman on the other end of the wiretap. “Too bad.”
He gently tossed the bugging device onto the ground, then lifted his foot...
I couldn't step on it; it just hurt me.
“I knew you’d try to get revenge on me,” Batman’s voice came through. “I’ve learned my lesson and reinforced these miniature devices.”
How wicked! Thomas deliberately used his fingernails to pick at the other three miniature listening devices.
"You're so naive."
The main way to express dissatisfaction is to make noise.
"You're more naive."
The core method of retaliation is simply to hurt someone's feet.
Batman didn't retort. He was the first in this utterly childish confrontation to realize that more than one person could hear what they were saying, successfully preventing the situation from escalating further, but it was still a bit too late.
“How heartwarming,” Alfred sighed. “I haven’t heard a conversation like this in a long time, where the combined mental age of the two people is no more than ten years old. Perhaps you and young Thomas were even more mature fifteen years ago.”
Batman shut down Thomas's communication and turned to Alfred, saying, "I think he's the only one who's become more and more childish over the years."
“Hmm, I’m sorry, Mr. Bruce, but I’d like to be sure,” Alfred asked hesitantly, “are you asking me this because you want to hear my opinion?”
Batman keenly sensed the subtle disapproval that this distinguished gentleman from England was trying to convey (which would have been easy for even a less perceptive person to pick up on), and immediately changed the subject to something more serious: "Alfred, from an agent's perspective, do you think what Nite Owl said is credible?"
“Well, this is clearly a difficult problem, a problem with a lot of clues missing,” Alfred said, also focusing on this matter concerning the future of humanity. “If it were me, I would probably believe some of the Night Owl’s arguments—if he hadn’t pointed the finger at someone we all know better.”
“Excellent, I knew you were also suspicious of Thomas, Alfred,” Batman concluded. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have immediately thought of him when you heard Owl’s abstract description of ‘who is more suspicious, who wants to destroy the world’.”
"...That's right, but I actually feel that young master Thomas has become much more positive and optimistic lately."
Are you sure?
Don't you feel guilty saying such things, Alfred?
Which of the two words, "positive" and "optimistic," is actually related to Thomas Wayne Jr.?
"It's much better than it was a few years ago."
"A few years ago?" Batman retorted. "Are you really sure?"
“…more than ten years ago, I think,” Alfred replied cautiously.
More than a decade ago should have been the lowest point in Isaiah Thomas's will to survive; at least Alfred believed there was no room for him to fall any further.
"Hmm," Batman murmured cryptically, "So what do you think we should do?"
"I suppose you already have some ideas?"
Alfred deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of "some".
“Of course,” Batman replied, “but I’ve inadvertently noticed a subtle possibility you just hinted at to me, Alfred, which has led me to now carefully consider whether I should reveal my entire plan to you.”
"Do you mean you think I'm implying that you're childish?"
“Perhaps, I don’t rule out that possibility,” Batman replied, “but more importantly, the production and maintenance of the Batwings cannot be separated from Wayne Enterprises. Given this potential danger, I have to be more cautious.”
“Very perceptive,” Thomas Jr.’s voice came through Batman’s bugging device, exactly as Batman had expected. “So that’s why you came to see me.”
Batman did not answer him.
“Don’t worry, they’re in another room. By the way, your plane only has eavesdropping equipment, not tracking devices. We’re not even yet,” Thomas said to himself. “If we add tracking devices, my tricks won’t be able to be hidden.”
"when?"
“When Lucius helped you inspect the Batwing last time,” Thomas said, without the slightest hint of apology, “I ‘accidentally’ discovered this plane.”
"Can you hear me, young master Thomas?" Alfred asked Batman.
Batman didn't want to talk, so he simply took off his signal receiver and placed it next to the bugging device that Thomas had installed.
"Can you hear me, young master Thomas?"
“Yes, Alfred.”
“Excuse my bluntness,” Alfred said, displeased, “so do you two really have to communicate using wiretaps? I’ve never seen such a communication etiquette before.”
In the background, one could faintly hear Robin's joyful applause and cheers.
Very well, thanks to Alfred's efforts, both of them fell silent.
“For the sake of secrecy,” Batman finally broke the eerie silence on the communication channel, “nobody would put a bug inside a bugging device, but cell phones and other devices are different, and we should be focusing on things that are more important than etiquette right now.”
“That’s right. The soul of communication isn’t in the way information is exchanged, but in the information and intelligence that are effectively exchanged. So let’s get back to business,” Thomas continued, following Batman’s lead. Their seamless teamwork brought the discussion back to the point. “So that’s why you came to me.”
This time it's a statement of fact.
“Yes, I do suspect you. As far as I know, you’ve also done a lot of research on that bomb,” Batman said frankly. “And your current actions are indeed very suspicious.”
“Okay, actually I don’t care,” Thomas Wayne said nonchalantly. If Batman didn’t suspect Thomas Wayne at all, he would have wasted his time. “So how do you plan to tell who’s lying between me and Nite Owl, and who wants to destroy the world?”
“The simplest way,” Batman replied succinctly, “is to not believe either of you and to gather evidence to determine the situation.”
“Good idea,” Thomas agreed. “To prove my innocence, I will fully cooperate with your investigation. You can investigate my lab at will, and I will continue to manufacture locators for finding bomb locations, on the condition that you help me collect all kinds of raw materials.”
Really?
Why do I feel like there's a trap?
“Thank you for your understanding,” Batman replied rather cautiously. “If you weren’t, I would have advised Alfred to give you dessert.”
"So official."
Thomas Jr. angrily shut down the communication... well, he hung up the bug.
“Cheer up, Batman, at least one of these two is working together,” Robin said, “otherwise they’d both be causing trouble…”
Thank you again, but I wasn't happy at all, not even a little bit.
-----------------------
Author's Note: A short, irresponsible OOC skit:
Which do you think is more mature? Cup noodles or òvó?
Alfred: Did I hear that right? Do I really have to choose the more mature one between these two options?
That's right.
Alfred: (A long silence).
Alfred: Young Master Bruce, at least he takes fish oil.
-
I spent a whopping 40 yuan to have an omelet rice, but it turned out terribly awful; I ate nothing for dinner.
Even five-nut mooncakes taste better than this.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
