Chapter 26: Those Years of Cosplaying the Red Bird - Players: I Can Do What I Want...
Genuine background checks often employ the simplest information search methods. Three people browsed recent trending news on a high-performance computer; the webpages loaded incredibly fast.
Half of Gotham's top ten trending topics revolve around Wayne's private life, with a dazzling array of reports on his love life. Wen Yue, Jason, and Dick are all sitting online, enjoying the gossip.
"Trust me, you won't go wrong. The rich guy definitely likes that ballet dancer. Her ethereal beauty is a total knockout compared to all those ordinary girls."
"No, that's not spicy enough. The model who came up later, with an angelic face and a devilish figure, is just too alluring. Maybe I can bring a rich guy home tonight."
"As expected, the winner always comes last. In the end, this intelligent and domineering female CEO is far ahead. She can win the beauty's heart at a glance."
All of the above comments came from a certain gossip-loving player. Wen Yue's eyes were bright and her face was covered with a maternal smile. She was like a badger in a melon field letting loose, completely immersed in the rich man's love gossip.
Jason and Dick: "..."
Hey, you're enjoying your own melon so much, what kind of Bruce are you? I've really opened my eyes today.
In the end, the reliable Jason forcibly took control of the computer mouse, pushing away the players who were engrossed in the game, saying, "Don't put the cart before the horse, we're here to investigate the world's background."
Wen Yue pouted, leaning back in her computer chair and resting her head on her hand: "Alright, alright, if we're going to investigate backgrounds in Gotham, then let's search the Bat-family: Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain, and so on. Searching their backgrounds should be enough. Whatever happens in Gotham, we'll see what they've been up to lately..." Her words trailed off.
A dark gun barrel was pressed against Wen Yue's forehead, its icy coolness sending chills down her spine.
"How do you know so much? Tell me! When did you investigate behind our backs?" Jason's face was contorted with rage; he was unusually irritable today.
"Innocent, Master Qing Tang!" The player stammered, unsure whether they would believe the truth, based on what they had learned from the comics.
"Don't be impulsive, impulsiveness is the devil. Let's talk this out." In this critical moment, Wen Yue turned her head smoothly like Pan Zhoudan to avoid the gun barrel and walked out the door. She opened the door as if nothing had happened and made a tactical retreat. "Working all day is really too tiring. I, the wounded, will go to sleep first. You guys do as you please."
Jason fired a shot from behind the player, a thin stream of water spurting from the muzzle. "You'd better be asleep."
Jason and Dick adjusted their positions, each sitting on one side of the computer, preparing to stay up all night investigating the background information of this world.
The door suddenly opened again. "Some things don't need to be done in one night. We're not in a hurry." Wen Yue put her hands on her hips and supervised the two of them to sleep. She then secretly took the water gun and activated the automatic pickup function.
Having gone to bed early and gotten up early, Jason and Dick spent the morning getting to know each member fairly well and pointed out suspicious points to the players: "The news of our appearance in the square yesterday seems to have been deliberately cleaned up. The relevant information posted by citizens is deleted in less than ten seconds."
Wen Yue nodded dismissively; it was most likely the Bat Family that had intervened. The player had also reviewed the members' information and noticed nothing unusual. From what they seemed to be a lawful good Bat Family, someone they could trust and rely on.
After Wen Yue shared her analysis with the two, she presented the world consciousness's mission to save the world, and concluded: "So how about we contact the bat family in this world and cooperate with them to solve this global crisis? Of course, you can also share your opinions. After all, I've always been a free and democratic person."
Jason: "Let's test the waters again."
Dick: "This needs to be considered carefully."
Wen Yue nodded solemnly, "Well, then I'll go to the plaza where we landed earlier. There might be members of the Bat Family there now; I'll try to negotiate with them."
Jason took a deep breath. "What are you talking about?" He wasn't listening to them at all.
Dick scratched his head, somewhat confused: "Didn't you say you were a liberal and democratic person?"
Neither of them noticed any freedom or democracy, so why did they just rush in headfirst without thinking?
“Yes, I’m free, I’m in charge,” Wen Yue said shamelessly, head held high.
Jason felt his fist harden, but he had to hold back because the person in front of him was a patient. Otherwise, he would have to ask the other person not to die after punching him.
"How about this, I'll be the target outside, and you guys observe from the shadows, okay?" Wen Yue waved her hand with a smile.
"You're injured like this, you should rest." Jason sighed, rubbing his forehead. He couldn't control him, he was completely out of control.
"Okay, it's decided then!" Wen Yue set off with cheerful steps.
No one could stop the fourth calamity from going its own way, and could only watch as players let loose and did whatever they wanted in the new world, happily strolling to the plaza in their Red Robin uniforms.
Thanks for the invitation. I just time-traveled and am now disguised as Red Robin.
This is a suit that the player patched up with nanoparticles. Otherwise, given the terrible state of Red Robin's uniform yesterday, it would have been a beggar's outfit. It just so happens that the nanoparticles were used up and could not be transformed into bat armor, so it was perfect to make the most of them and repair Red Robin's uniform.
The setting sun melts into gold, and the evening clouds merge like jade.
In Morse Square, the neon lights along the street illuminated early, their soft glow intertwining with the sunset to cast a hazy, dreamlike veil over the entire city, creating a warmth and romance rarely seen in Gotham. In one corner of the square, a clown-dressed actor stood surrounded by few pedestrians, except for a red figure that silently approached him.
"Hey clown, what do you do for a living?"
"...?" The other party fell into a speechless silence.
Wen Yue reacted quickly, digging her toes into the ground. Although she didn't know if this person was a real clown, the player who asked the question was definitely a clown.
"That's not what I meant. I meant do you have any part-time jobs or anything?" Like debuting as a clown or something.
The other person pointed to their clown costume and said, "This is my part-time job."
"So what's your main job?" Part-time clown, don't tell me your main job is a supervillain.
"...My main major is being a college student."
Oh, never mind then. This guy must really be a naive and foolish college student. Ever since the Joker was born in Gotham, nobody dares to approach a passerby dressed as the Joker, fearing the other second they might pull out nitrous oxide and give them a hilarious surprise. Didn't you see nobody dares to approach this plaza?
"Are you cosplaying?" the other person chimed in, handing Wen Yue a balloon. All afternoon, hardly anyone dared to accept the clown's gift, resulting in this college student working part-time not giving out a single balloon. Now that someone had finally come, she quickly seized the opportunity to distribute some balloons to boost her sales.
"Guess?" Wen Yue blinked and cheerfully took the balloon. The domino mask couldn't hide the player's incredibly friendly smile. Not only that, she even asked for an extra one, making it just right for Jason and Dick to each have one.
Even if they didn't manage to catch any members of the Bat Family while waiting for them, at least they didn't leave empty-handed.
A passerby who had been observing the player's Red Robin uniform couldn't help but come over and ask, "Are you Red Robin?"
"Ah...yes! I am Red Robin. Red Robin merchandise, two dollars, two dollars! You won't regret it!" The acting beast player had a sudden inspiration and started her performance, pulling out Red Robin darts from her crossed belt and selling them on the spot.
The passerby, initially doubting whether they had encountered the real Red Robin and feeling disappointed, left listlessly after hearing the news. Not only that, they secretly quickened their pace, as if afraid the players would catch up and try to sell them merchandise.
According to player analysis, this person is a fake fan.
These days, nobody believes the truth... Oh wait, the player doesn't seem to be Red Robin after all. He could have fooled others with his disguise, but he fooled himself too.
Shaking her head, Wen Yue silently stuffed the real red Robin dart back into her pocket. Noticing the Joker's astonished expression, she turned back with great interest and asked, "Do you want it?"
"No, no, no," the other party waved their hands repeatedly. Doing business these days is really tough.
Wearing the Red Robin uniform, Wen Yue swaggered around the square. Because the player's attitude was so blatant, shouting "two dollars" to everyone he met, no one questioned his true identity for a moment.
Of course, it's not like nobody wants Red Robin merchandise; some people even actually offer players two dollars. The clever player will then hand over their balloon, making a net profit of two dollars with zero cost. They can then ask the clown for another balloon, splitting the profits 50/50, and both sides feel like they've hit the jackpot.
The sales genius player circled the square again and again until sunset without seeing a single member of the Bat Family. She had no choice but to take her two balloons and the change she'd earned and head home.
A sharp whistling sound came from behind. Wen Yue's eyes narrowed, and she nimbly dodged the arrows as she spun and leaped.
"What kind of hero resorts to underhanded tactics? Show yourself if you dare." Wen Yue pulled the still-dazed clown aside and handed him the balloons. "Could you please keep these safe for me? Thank you." "No trouble at all," the clown replied, carefully cradling the two balloons in his arms as if protecting some precious treasure. The clown was still in a daze: Wait, buddy, really?
Wen Yue raised her hand and sent the batarang hurtling through the air into the shadowy corner where the enemy was, pausing for two seconds before exploding suddenly. The force was just right, leaving the enemy stunned but not brain-damaged.
As for why not use the Robin Cudgel? There are so few Red Robin Cudgels, players would naturally want to keep them as collectibles.
A figure lunged at her from the side, but Wen Yue swung her long staff to block the attack and kicked the person back into the corner. The building, which had been hit twice, seemed unable to withstand the pressure, and the plaster on the wall trembled and fell down in a rustling sound.
"Sorry, I was a little nervous and didn't hold back." In this world, there's no inheritance, and the poor player who just earned his first pot of gold on his own is a little worried about being sued.
With light footsteps, Wen Yue dodged the attack, changed direction, and delivered a flying kick that sent the attacker slamming against the wall. As she landed lightly, she slightly spun around and glanced at her face. The arrow grazed her cheek, coming within inches of her, and the gust of wind ruffled the stray hairs on her face.
With a sweeping kick, Wen Yue eliminated the last wave of enemies and breathed a sigh of relief. Although the player's combat power was far inferior to that of top-tier heroes, dealing with these little Karami was still a piece of cake.
Wen Yue looked up in the direction the arrows came from, where a small figure in Robin's uniform made a gesture indicating that the problem was solved.
Mr. Clown was hiding behind a tree, clutching a balloon and trembling. Wen Yue walked over, took the balloon, thanked him gently, comforted him, and advised him to leave as soon as possible. Without needing any further persuasion, Mr. Clown fled in a flash, even asking before leaving: "Are Red Robin merchandise still being sold?"
"Absolutely not!" Wen Yue declared, firmly refusing the offer as a weapon essential for the operation. Ha! Even the players themselves are reluctant to use it, yet they're willing to sell it?
When Robin returned, Wen Yue handed him one of the two balloons in her hand, "Surprise!"
Dick took the balloon with both hands, a cute dimple appearing at the corner of his mouth. The blue lark hopped onto the balloon, tilting its head to observe it with curiosity.
Wen Yue recalled a sentence she had seen somewhere: "From the balloon seller, each child takes away a wish."
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Author's Note: * *Zhiming and Chun Jiao*
*From the balloon seller, each child takes away a wish. — Bei Dao
*Hypnotist's Notes (quoted in later plot)
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