Chapter 18 Let's make the most of our lives...
Wen Yue leaped onto the wall, using the momentum to grab the crystal chandelier in the hall, and swung her legs toward the stairs, hooking onto the handrail just in time, and smoothly slid down to the first floor like riding a slide.
Dick, surpassing his teacher, lightly touched the wall, leaped, hooked onto the crystal chandelier, did a somersault in mid-air, landed on the handrail, and slid down to the first floor, where he did a triple somersault in the air before landing steadily. His movements were beautiful and fluid; truly worthy of the title "Little Blue Bird the Acrobat."
Wen Yue walked to the dining table, picked up the teapot, and gently pressed her wrist to pour a cup of tea for Dick, then poured one for herself. The teapot lid was loose and unstable, and Wen Yue's mind went blank as her hands were filled with the teapot and cups. She watched helplessly as the lid headed towards the ground, but Dick caught it just in time.
Wen Yue breathed a sigh of relief, took the teapot lid and put it on... but couldn't close it?
It seemed Jason was inexperienced and had put in too much tea. She shook her head with a smile, then lifted the lid for a closer look—wood ear mushrooms? The soaked wood ear mushrooms had even pushed the teapot lid off. She stared at the sight before her, lost in thought: "..."
Just as Dick picked up his teacup, Wen Yue quickly pressed his hand down and took a bottle of juice from the refrigerator for him.
Entering the kitchen, Wen Yue watched Jason's busy figure, hesitant to speak. Such perfectly good Northeastern black fungus, ruined just like that; she dared not say anything, dared not ask.
Jason glanced back at her. "I've made some tea and put it on the table. Have a cup of tea and wait for me. It'll be ready soon."
"Emmm." Wen Yue silently retreated. So what if the raccoon soaked wood ear mushrooms like tea? The chef had been busy for so long, it wasn't easy. Besides, the soaked wood ear mushrooms were quite crunchy, so they weren't inedible; after all, it was a cold dish. She comforted herself.
As it turned out, Wen Yue had been too complacent. When lunch was served, the dough balls on the plate were all sorts of strange shapes and sizes. She secretly glanced around to observe the reactions of the others: Dick chewed expressionlessly, while Jason ate his rice with a serious expression.
"Is this dough?" Wen Yue asked hesitantly. Jason is so down-to-earth, he can even cook Chinese food? Or is this a universal dish?
“Of course not, why would you think that?” Jason looked puzzled and said matter-of-factly, “It’s a corn pie.”
"You call this thing a corn pie?" Wen Yue hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back her anger.
"What's wrong? You don't like corn?" Jason was completely oblivious to his own cooking skills.
"Ah, right, right, do you want to give me a little less?" Wen Yue pushed the plate away to lighten her load.
“That won’t do, everyone has a fixed quota.” Jason refused decisively, pushed the plate back, and asked Wen Yue in confusion why she looked so worried.
Wen Yue forced a smile. "I... have something on my mind." She lowered her head and took a bite of the noodle. The taste was alright, not as terrible as she had imagined. It wasn't salty, bland, or sweet. It wasn't exactly a culinary disaster, but it wasn't delicious either. It was just edible.
Tasteless to eat but a pity to throw away, Wen Yue mechanically eats with her head propped up. Who exactly said that cooking in a bucket is good and that she loves it?
Thinking about it carefully, Bucket is actually only mentioned cooking twice in DC comics: once when Alfred advises him not to make a living by selling cheese and pasta, and once when he and Bizarro run a food truck selling hot dogs. So Bucket's cooking skills are most likely just at the level of being able to feed himself, and as for his love of food, he probably just likes to eat.
To be precise, he can definitely cook, but only to the point of being able to make something edible. Whether it tastes good or not is another matter. After all, during the period when he was most suited to learn to cook, he was practicing sit-ups in the field.
Bucket's cooking skills are somewhat overshadowed by his counterpart in the original Batman comics, making his ability to cook even a little bit seem quite good. Butler even joked that he couldn't make a living off pasta forever.
To be fair, everyone can cook, at least to the point of being able to make do with what they can eat. As long as you can cook for yourself without causing a disaster in the kitchen, you've already won.
After careful and rational consideration, Wen Yue had a sudden realization. She understood that it was right for the restaurant to earn some money, since waiting was only temporary, but delicious food was forever.
Adhering to the principle of not wasting food, Wen Yue forced herself to finish her plate, swallowing the last bite with her cheeks bulging.
Jason picked up the teapot and poured her a cup of tea. "Eat slowly, don't rush, have a cup of tea."
Wen Yue took the teapot blankly, then remembered that she had forgotten to clean the wood ear mushrooms in the teapot.
Jason reached for a cup to pour himself a drink, but Wen Yue quickly stopped him, "Wait!" She snatched the teapot from him, "I'm so thirsty, pour me some more."
Seeing Wen Yue's bold and unrestrained movements as she poured out every last drop of tea, Jason could only nod and say, "Okay."
Under Jason's suspicious gaze, Wen Yue gulped down two large mouthfuls, her acting skills on point, "It's...it's amazing, such good tea!" She took a breath and said, "There's some soda in the fridge, why don't you have some?" She quickly got rid of him!
Despite Wen Yue's series of puzzling actions, Jason wasn't angry. He just chuckled and muttered, "Quite possessive." She didn't share her treasured tea at all.
As soon as he turned around, Wen Yue quickly and secretly poured the "tea" in the cup under the table, destroying the evidence with lightning speed.
Jason stopped in his tracks and slowly lowered his head. "You splashed water on my feet."
Wen Yue: "..."
Dick: Trying not to laugh.JPG
Silence reigns over Wayne Manor today.
Wen Yue's gaze shifted to Dick, who had been standing in the background the whole time, and she cried out for help in her eyes: Help me! Help me!
Dick made a tactical retreat, saying, "I'm going to wash the dishes."
Wen Yue stood up and said, "I'll do it, I'll do it!" Labor is the most honorable thing, and no one should take it from her!
Jason slapped Wen Yue back to her seat, then propped his other hand on the table. Without a word, he picked up the last bit of tea in Wen Yue's cup, took a sip, and frowned slightly. "Earthy taste." He then lifted the teapot lid and tasted it again. "Crispy."
"What is that?"
"The wood ear mushrooms are indeed soaked before eating, there's nothing wrong with that." Wen Yue couldn't bear to look.
"..."
Jason: Who taught you to put wood ear mushrooms and tea leaves together?
After a friendly exchange, Jason, enraged, ransacked Wayne's house, taking all the tea leaves and leaving the player with a whole box of Northeastern black fungus, ostensibly saying, "Eat as much as you like." Wen Yue grabbed her beloved fungus and scurried out of the kitchen, tears welling up in her eyes.
——
After a day of therapeutic conversation, the invisible barrier between Wen Yue and Dick quietly dissipated. Wayne Group was also very efficient; familiarity breeds contempt, and they handled the adoption process for their boss with astonishing speed. The player received a reward notification on the game panel that evening.
New Achievement: Gain Robin's Approval x2
[Complete Hidden Mission 1: Retrieve Claw Dick]
[Complete Hidden Mission 2: Gain Dick's Approval]
[Complete Hidden Mission 3: Develop a close relationship with Dick Grayson (Richard John Grayson)]
[Reward received: One blue Robin Bird]
[Robin Bird: This is a magical little bird that, once bound, can resonate with the host's magnetic field. It has an indelible connection with the player.]
None of the Robin Birds can be bound to a player; only someone other than the player can become a host. Wen Yue concluded this after experimentation.
As it turns out, the player wasn't Robin Bird's type. The moment the bird saw Dick, it immediately followed the same path as its predecessor, abandoning the player without hesitation and flying off with Dick. Its worthless behavior was completely out of character for its species.
Players are furious: Licking birds, licking them until you have nothing left!
Dick and the newly arrived little blue bird were swinging on the crystal chandelier, which looked so precarious it made everyone's hearts tremble. Wen Yue had no choice but to turn her head away and pretend not to see it online.
Ever since Dick learned to swing on the crystal chandelier, he hasn't walked steadily all day, turning Wayne Manor into a new acrobatic performance venue. Wen Yue could only smile helplessly and acquiesce: Oh well, what else can we do? After all, she was the one who started it.
Dick named the bird Bluebird, and this new Robin bird is a Magnificent Slender-tailed Warbler. The bird has a light blue head, white cheeks, and its eyes are surrounded by what looks like black eye masks. Its throat and chest are a rich and magnificent deep blue, and its long tail feathers are also a vibrant blue. The colors are striking, and it's small and adorable. The familiar color scheme is practically a Nightwing version of Dick reincarnated.
[Player confirmed]
[Robin Bird (Red) is paired with Jason Todd, name: Jessica]
[Robin Bird (Blue) is paired with Dick Grayson, Name: Bluebird]
Once the two Robin birds have bound themselves to their respective hosts, Jason and Dick's real-time dynamic locations will appear on the player's game map, and their respective character panels will be activated.
Name: Jason Todd
Vitality: Safety
Attack power: High
Explosiveness: High
Identity: Heir to the Wayne family, Red Hood
Faction: Chaotic Good
Name: Dick Grayson
Vitality: Safety
Attack power: Medium
Explosive power: Extremely high
Identity: Heir to the Wayne Family, Claw
Faction: Chaos Neutral
As luck would have it, the player, who had been worrying about how to check the status of characters in her faction, had unexpectedly solved her problem. She stroked her chin thoughtfully; this game panel seemed quite intriguing.
With Dick's schooling plan underway, Wayne Enterprises conducted a questionnaire survey overnight and sent out detailed information about Gotham School the following day.
A mountain of school information was overwhelming. After an hour of dizzying weighing of pros and cons, Wen Yue took a shortcut and got Dick into the private high school Tim attended.
Feelings develop over time, and she planned to get to know Dick and Tim, while also explaining the Claws situation and trying to win Tim over.
Wen Yue, posing as Bruce Wayne, met with school leaders and, after some friendly discussions, agreed to invest in the expansion of the school library and the construction of a new teaching building.
Hiding his wealthy identity was out of the question. He introduced Dick to the school's higher-ups, instructing them to look after him and care for him, before leaving with a flourish. Dick and Tim's plan to meet fell through; Tim had to take a few extra days off to be with his father in the hospital, leaving them with no choice but to abandon the plan.
The player's daily task is to patrol at night, Dick's daily task is to go to school, and Jason's daily task is to cosplay as a mob boss. Everyone has a bright future.
Just as Wen Yue's life was getting back on track, the Owl Court came out to make its presence felt.
Whether it's adopting Dick or sending him to school, it's inevitable that Dick will come into the sight of some people. The Court of Owls, aware of Dick's whereabouts, are restless and break into Wayne Manor that night.
Dick had been staying in the Bat Cave for the past few days. Wen Yue had long been prepared and had been lying in wait for him. The game panel issued a warning, and the air conditioning in the Bat Cave was turned on silently.
At this point in time, Batman had just left in the Batmobile and was patrolling Gotham City at night. Red Hood was dealing with gang affairs and was particularly busy tonight. The Batcave appeared to be occupied only by Dick, but in reality, the player's true form was also observing from the shadows.
Batman's clone outside has entered the Batmobile, and the autopilot is speeding back. However, the courtroom's claws arrive even faster than Batman.
The surveillance cameras worked diligently, clearly showing the enemies surrounding the manor. They bypassed the security system with great purpose, rendering the manor's alarms silent and useless. The savages filed into the bat cave leading underground.
What, you guys have a game map too? You're too familiar with the manor! Players have a reasonable suspicion that there's a mole. Dick himself is innocent, but there's definitely something about him that the players have overlooked.
The Batcave was placed under emergency lockdown, slightly slowing the claws' invasion. Even with its rapid cooling system, it still took time, and the methods to counter the claws' freezing temperatures were completely ineffective. The claws had a complete understanding of the manor and the Batcave below, and in less than a minute, they had infiltrated the vicinity of the secret base—the player's location.
Wen Yue frowned, her expression unusually serious. She had miscalculated; this was a game where everything was out in the open. Almost all the countermeasures had failed to function properly. With the enemy fully aware of the player's plans, she could only watch helplessly as the claws made their way unimpeded to the core of the Batcave.
Since becoming Batman, Wen Yue has been winning smoothly all the way by taking advantage of information asymmetry. Now, he faces a severe challenge and is about to engage in a real battle in the dark. All his arrangements have become useless, and the player has suffered a rare defeat.
A note from the author:
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We are a loving family.
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