38. Gotham: Gotham's Conscientious Entrepreneur
46.
These words sounded like heavenly music to Cobert's ears.
The Penguin Man put on a reborn smile on his face, and bounced his round body in the opposite direction of the internet celebrity, putting a distance between them.
He picked up his cane and rushed towards the door like the wind, leaving behind a few waiters looking at each other in bewilderment and the embarrassed internet celebrity.
"I'm so sorry," one of Penguin's more astute subordinates gave the internet celebrity an apologetic smile on his behalf. "Our boss had some urgent matters to attend to. We'll find you a more suitable waiter right away."
"Today's purchases are all free. Is this okay with you?"
…
The waiter pushed open the door of the Iceberg Restaurant and bowed his head respectfully. A man with a beaked nose, wearing a monocle and a plain black wide-brimmed hat, hurried in from the depths of the Iceberg Restaurant.
Cobert looked at the two of them with his smiling round eyes without any expression - the new mayor had an ordinary appearance, and the only thing that could be called a signature was probably his mustache.
No matter from which angle he looked at it, businessman Cobert could not find any similar aura in the new mayor. Lewis was like a carrot just pulled out of the ground, full of the fragrance of soil, and seemed to have no value to be squeezed out of him.
Penguin Man knew countless people, and this time he had already vaguely sensed that the other party was not friendly, but he still held the umbrella tightly in his left hand, took off his kid gloves with his right hand, and extended his hand to Lewis: "It turns out to be the mayor. I am sorry for not welcoming you. I am sorry for not welcoming you."
Cobblepot was not annoyed that the mayor did not shake his hand. With a flip of his free hand, he took off the gorgeous and exaggerated hat and placed it on his chest, completing the hat-docking ceremony smoothly: "A place like Gotham is not easy to govern..."
Cobert's eyes flashed with the alertness of a mouse: "So - what brings you here?"
It was impossible to say that he was not afraid at all, but Lewis glanced at the farmer standing behind him, and gained great confidence from her strong arms. He was determined to carry out his duties as the mayor of Gotham to the end.
So he cleared his throat, took out a notebook from his pocket, and said calmly: "I came here today to talk to you about tax issues, Cobert."
The font on the paper document seemed a little small for the elderly. Seeing that Lewis was having difficulty reading, Aria silently memorized it in her heart, planning to give him a pair of reading glasses if she found one in good condition.
Lewis, using his usual Pelican Town tactics, wrote down all the tax issues at the Iceberg Restaurant in a notebook and categorized them for the gentlemanly-dressed man and his staff. "Sales tax, payroll tax...you've made a lot of tax omissions." The new mayor flipped the page and continued, "Furthermore, Iceberg Restaurant employees are legally required to have social security, medical insurance, and labor insurance contributions paid. Unfortunately, I don't see any of your employees listed on the current payment list."
Of course not! His employees all have to work as both restaurant workers and thugs. If Penguin pays for their insurance, wouldn't he become Gotham's biggest philanthropist?
The two thugs in suits who were accompanying Cobert heard this and cautiously cast their gazes at the Penguin. He glared back at them: "Did I give you less food or water? You're a bunch of traitors!"
Oswald Cobblepot, a well-known Gotham conscientious entrepreneur, was quite dissatisfied with his employees' on-the-spot performance. He knocked the ground with his cane and said in a hoarse voice, like a penguin quacking: "Don't ask what the company gives you, but ask what you bring to the company..."
Aria's fingertips twitched slightly, and Lewis was worried that she would suddenly punch the Penguin to death with three punches, so he quickly said, "I'm afraid now is not the time to conduct employee education, Cobert."
"You'd better explain the matters mentioned above first. Of course, it would be best if you can pay off all the taxes and fines owed in the past on the spot." This will serve as an example and deterrent to other tax-evading companies in the future, and his work will be much easier.
Ridiculous! Cobblepot's nostrils flared as he struggled to squeeze the air from his hilly, rugged nose. Disbelief emanated from almost every pore—no mayor had ever dared to speak to him like that! Even if they despised the Penguin from the bottom of their hearts, they would at least give him face, addressing him respectfully as Mr. Cobblepot, and then turning a blind eye to his criminal arts that didn't affect their political achievements—the GCPD and Batman would handle all of this anyway, so why would a mayor bother messing with Gotham's most cunning rat?
"Mr. Lewis..." Cobert suppressed his anger and looked at the new mayor's face again, as if he wanted to remember this fearless face in his heart.
Unfortunately, the new mayor not only spoke shockingly, but was also extremely courageous. Facing the Penguin's gaze, he not only did not show any fear, but also looked back at him, making Cobert's pressure fail.
The Penguin tried to remind himself to be a gentleman, at least not to let the new mayor die in the Iceberg Restaurant as soon as he took office, but his temper was really bad. When he suppressed his anger, his sarcastic tone came out: "Mayor, I think there must be 'some misunderstanding' here." He bit the last two words very hard, as if he was chewing a stubborn pea.
The Penguin Man gestured towards the main entrance of the Iceberg Restaurant as an invitation. A grand piano stood at the end of the hall, covered in Middle Eastern carpets. Turning right was a private area for guests in need. "If you don't mind, we can sit down and talk in detail. There's really no need to ruin the atmosphere over such a small matter..."
Lewis always felt that the other party's words were malicious. He glanced at Aria - the farmer was staring at his work boots in a daze, looking absent-minded.
But just standing there gave Lewis an infinite sense of security, making him feel that even if there were dangers ahead, the farmer could lead the people on foot, so he readily agreed:
"If this helps with your cooperation..."
Cobert smirked and glanced at his men, signaling them to prepare the food. "Of course, of course, I have some very good gin. I think you are also someone who knows how to appreciate it."
After settling the mayor, Cobert paid some attention to the bodyguard beside him. The mayor had just taken office and did not have a strong foundation, so it was inevitable that he would recruit those who were not valued to serve him. Seeing that he only had one bodyguard when he went out, Penguin guessed the situation roughly.
But although he understood the logic, Cobblepot did not expect that the mayor would directly use such a sloppy makeshift team. He had never seen such a style of bodyguards in Gotham in all his years of experience - a woman wearing cement-gray overalls with her hands in her pockets, a pair of restless eyes darting around when no one was paying attention, and she seemed to be very interested in everything in the Iceberg Restaurant.
Rather than a bodyguard, she was more like a milkmaid that Lewis had randomly picked up from some ranch to fill in the gaps - just by making eye contact with her for a few seconds, Cobert felt as if the money in his pocket was about to fly away.
"Ahem." He quickly retracted his gaze. The thought of such a tasteless person entering the restaurant made Penguin's teeth ache. However, due to the mayor's reputation, which was still unknown in value, Cobert decided to be more tolerant: "...What is your name?"
The milkmaid looked down at him, and only then did Cobblepot notice that her eyes were of the ultimate black, but not the dark, dark hole that brought fear to people. Instead, they were like a burnt-out, charred section of cedar in a crackling fireplace in winter, quietly resting in the ashes.
"Aria." The woman seemed tired after she uttered her name and simply retreated behind Lewis. Cobblepot was not angry at her neglect. That glance saved him a lot of points in his impression. He was even willing to spend a little more patience on an insignificant little person.
"Perhaps you'd like to visit the Iceberg Restaurant?" Her absence made it easier for Lewis to do his work, and the Penguin asked, half-seriously and half-conceitedly, "A lot of effort went into this restaurant. I thought a guide might be able to explain my concept for its construction to you more comprehensively."
He coughed lightly, and one of the two waiters came out and bowed politely to the farmer: "Please follow me, Miss Aria."
It's impossible to say that you're not curious about the Iceberg Restaurant at all. You have to know that Aria hasn't really visited the Stardrop Restaurant since the new game started, and she hasn't even bought a few cookbooks. Now is a good opportunity to go and take a look.
But after all, it's still a part-time job, so I have to consider Lewis's opinion before making a decision.
"Can you leave?" the farmer asked with his eyes, "Do you want to stay and help?"
Lewis broke out in a small sweat on his back, but in order to establish the image of the mayor as a tough guy who is determined and can do it himself, he nodded with an attitude of being confident of victory.
Awesome, awesome! The farmer happily gave him a thumbs up and followed the waiter away happily.
"Let's go, Mayor Lewis." Cobblepot chuckled near him. Lewis felt as uneasy as a MC player who couldn't sleep because of a monster roaming nearby. "Let's continue talking about the 'misunderstandings' between us."
He must deduct the farmer's lottery ticket! He must!
…
To say that the Iceberg Restaurant was a substitute for the Stardrop Salon was somewhat of an insult to the decoration style and environment of the restaurant, but there was nothing she could do about it. After all, humans were emotional creatures. She had spent countless good times toasting and laughing with the townspeople of Pelican Town at the Stardrop Salon, so naturally she had a more beautiful impression of the place.
It seemed that this was not the first time the waiter had done this kind of job. He first took Aria to the iconic glacier in the center of the restaurant to show her the penguins that had been brought in at a great expense and were now playing on the ice. Then he took the farmer to the art gallery - which was full of famous oil paintings that Cobert had managed to get, and the walls of the corridor were decorated with red velvet.
After seeing all the inhumane things, the waiter puffed out his chest, as if he was also proud of the Penguin's wealth. "Miss, what else do you want to see? There is nothing here that Mr. Cobblepot can't show you."
Aria scratched her head. She didn't really understand art. She could say "Wow" from the bottom of her heart to those huge ice cubes and penguins, but she couldn't say anything about paintings. She always regarded paintings as room decorations. It didn't matter who painted it. As long as it looked good and matched the room, it was a good painting. She didn't care about the rest. Therefore, she couldn't think of anything else that could not be seen elsewhere.
After much deliberation, the farmer decided to return to his original purpose of visiting the Iceberg Restaurant: "Can you show me your kitchen?"
The waiter choked. This was probably the first time he'd encountered a customer who was only interested in touring the kitchen. He looked around to see if there was anyone around, then leaned over to Aria and whispered, "Has the Gotham government started cracking down on food safety issues recently?"
What the hell was going on? As someone who'd dug useful food out of the trash as a food reserve, Aria didn't seem to have the right to criticize others for kitchen safety issues. She just wanted to find the chef and buy a few recipes from him. That wasn't too much to ask, was it?
Facing the waiter's expectant eyes, the farmer lost the desire to explain. She nodded, thought about how Lewis usually pretended, and immediately learned from him: "That's right, but this secret can only exist between you and me. I don't want a third person to know this news..."
The waiter was so excited that he could hardly control his voice and screamed, "Great! I can finally notify the kitchen to throw away those expired frozen fish and shrimps as well as the king crab shells of old employees!" Who can stand eating that stuff in the staff meal every day!
————————
Waiter: Yes!
Aria: Yes!
Penguin/Lewis: NO!!!
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2024-08-03 00:00:04 and 2024-08-04 23:38:21~
Thanks to the little angel who threw the grenade: 1 glass peacock;
Thanks to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Zhai Zhai (15 bottles); my son went to the postgraduate entrance examination (10 bottles); Ge Luzi Neu (8 bottles); Gou Huo (5 bottles); Aquatic Plant Tank and Platinum Grilled Fish (3 bottles); Gua Er (2 bottles); Yu Jian Lianshi's dog, Orange Cat, Chocolate Sandwich Cat, Si Chen, and the pharmacist basking in the sun on Mount Tai (1 bottle);
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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