get-shopping Chapter 107 Batman's Bizarre Adventure
Chapter 107 Batman's Bizarre Adventure
Chapter 107 Batman's Bizarre Adventure (2)
Batman is a very difficult and eccentric person to get along with.
Bruce had heard this quote from Barry Allen, and he agreed with it.
At that time, Barry, who was still alive, stood in front of the Hall of Justice with his back to Bruce. No matter how Hal Jordan winked at him, he didn't realize that the person he was gossiping about was right behind him.
Bruce had forgotten how he handled that awkward situation; it's quite possible he didn't handle it at all, just glanced at their faces and walked between them.
The situation is no longer something that can be resolved by simply leaving with a sullen face.
The fact that the old bat's second threatening feint to draw his gun didn't provoke a swift counterattack confirmed that he couldn't bring himself to kill him. Now, he was determined to play dumb.
"If you don't leave, I'm calling the police!"
Now Bruce can extend the scope of what Flash said to this universe: Batman in every universe is not easy to get along with.
Bruce wanted to say something more: "You must...:
What he meant was that old Thomas had to stop doing Batman's job; it was a job that would quickly kill him. "Get out, Bat! Wayne Casino only welcomes serious businessmen."
Old Thomas made a show of glancing down at his Bulgari watch, then, without looking up, once again ordered them to leave:
"I've already said it, I'm a law-abiding businessman, and I never deal with criminals like you."
In the past, when Batman encountered such a non-violent and uncooperative person, he would have already resorted to his usual violent methods.
Now he has no other option but to leave with a cold face.
You can't just resort to violence to persuade Thomas the Tank Engine if you want to stop him from continuing to be Batman, can you?
No one with a sound mind would have such a thought.
However, old Thomas wasn't completely refusing to communicate. Batman had already understood the underlying meaning of the stubborn old man's words; he just didn't want to talk to "Batman."
So he chose to leave temporarily and meet with old Thomas again later under a different identity.
Old Thomas watched the young Batman leave, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The now-dead Barry Allen once told him a 'wonderful' story about another world.
Now this story has become a reality, but it is not the reality Thomas envisioned.
He wasn't ready, Gotham as a whole wasn't ready, and perhaps it never will be.
Every parent tries to give their child the best when they are born, but what Thomas can offer is a broken family and a broken world.
Thinking about this again, Thomas felt that the timeline the Flash mentioned might have been better for Bruce than this one.
The loss of both parents at least froze their beautiful moments in their final moments.
That's better than discovering your parents are two cold-blooded, deranged killers who have committed countless murders in Gotham. Ring ring~
Thomas stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the Gotham City skyline at night, lost in thought for a long time, until the office phone rang.
He strode to his desk, grabbed the phone receiver, and shouted, "Speak!"
"Sir, someone wants to see you!"
The voice coming from the other end of the phone was that of his butler, anxious and incoherent:
"He calls himself Matchstick Malone, and he asked the receptionist to tell you that he's a 'respectable businessman,' but sir,"
I saw him on the security camera...he...he...!"
"No need to say anything more!"
Old Thomas no longer cared what the old butler was trying to say next; at this moment, a smile finally appeared on his face, which had been tense all day.
"Let him in."
Bruce Wayne, oh no, it's "Matchstick Malone," pushed up his brown glasses.
He straightened the tie on his suit jacket.
Standing at 1.9 meters tall, wearing a tailored suit, and possessing a refined demeanor and eloquent speech, he looked every bit the part of a true businessman.
Matchstick Malone was a criminal identity that Bruce frequently used when he first started his Batman career.
The gangsters in Gotham never easily trust strangers, so Batman stole this identity to infiltrate the criminals when needed.
And that's exactly the kind of identity that Snail Batman needs now.
Standing in the lobby of Wayne Casino, Bruce could already see the ultimate luxury of the casino.
The recent battle in Gotham City did nothing to dampen its decadent atmosphere; bills and chips clattered on the green velvet table, a place where everything from alcohol and women to wealth and power was on display.
In the eyes of playboy Bruce Wayne, even the top hotels in Las Vegas could hardly compare to this Wayne Casino.
Bruce then began to truly realize that Joey's words were not just a casual reminder.
The old Thomas in this universe is a completely different being from the gentle, kind, helpful, and actively involved doctor Thomas in Gotham City's public welfare activities that I remember.
Old Thomas's claim that he was a law-abiding businessman was utter nonsense; there's absolutely no connection between running a casino and being law-abiding.
Casinos are not like Walmart supermarkets where you simply exchange money for goods; every casino is inextricably linked to loan sharks, prostitution, and drug trafficking.
This is not a stereotype, but an objective fact.
For example, right now, Batman is observing the scene and has immediately recognized several members of the Maroney family by using coded language and their accents.
These mafia members scattered throughout the casino, looking around suspiciously.
After informing the casino receptionist of his arrival, Bruce found a slightly higher step so that he could barely pinpoint the whereabouts of these shady mafia members.
Bruce didn't know why they had snuck in; he only knew they weren't there to buy vegetables and milk.
Sure enough, it didn't take long for these mafia members to receive instructions and converge in the same direction on the first floor of the casino.
As if strolling casually, Batman followed along without making a sound.
The Maroney family mafia members ended up in a toilet in a corner of the casino.
When Batman followed the footsteps, he only noticed through the crack in the door that the gang members had cornered a worker dressed as a casino cleaner in a corner of the restroom.
One of them completely ignored the staff member's obsequious pleas and stepped forward to slap him hard across the face:
"Not having money is not an excuse for not paying back the money!"
Even if the surrounded staff member was slapped, they could only plead politely, "Please, give me a few more days."
Hearing this conversation, Batman breathed a slight sigh of relief—they were just a few small fry.
Unlike the various monsters and freaks that later appeared in Gotham, the Maroni family that Batman initially confronted was a more "traditional" Italian mafia.
While these mafia members' "business" covers a wide range of areas, it is far less dangerous and deadly than what up-and-coming monsters like the Penguin and the Joker do.
The Maroni family is relatively more "disciplined," and they generally engage in traditional trades such as theft, protection money collection, smuggling, pimping, and loan sharking. They rarely even deal in drugs.
Of course, this is not because the Maroney family is particularly conscientious; it's just that the profits from drug trafficking are too high, which can easily lead to internal divisions. This is a complete poison for the Mafia, which is known for its organization.
After the loan is issued, the weekly interest rate is about 2%, and there are almost no bad debts. For the mafia, it is a sure-fire way to make money.
Debt collection is a job that is usually only given to low-level employees who do not have a stable source of income. No big shot or core member under their command would do such hard work.
It is now clear that the other party issued a loan to that employee, and when he was unable to repay it, they chose to physically collect the debt at his home.
The beating of the staff member was clearly still ongoing. Bruce tried to enter the restroom to end the conflict, but was blocked by two henchmen on lookout at the door.
One of them unbuttoned his suit jacket and revealed a gleaming knife at his waist:
"Don't meddle in other people's business, sir. You may be rich and powerful, but in Gotham, no matter who you are, it's hard to get away unscathed if you offend the Maroney family."
The henchman's scare tactics left this Batman from another universe somewhat amused and exasperated, and it also made him reminisce about the old days.
Especially now, after working with the Justice League to defeat many powerful enemies such as Darkseid, General Zod, Wanda Savage, and Brainiac, and after such a major upheaval.
Years later, he was able to experience once again the same feeling he had when he first started out, being threatened by the Maroni family thugs.
Bruce loosened his tie. "Let me in. I won't say it a second time."
"roll"
boom!
Before the two Maroni family lackeys could finish their threats, one of them was struck by a heavy punch and sent flying into the toilet.
The other gang members who were beating the debtor inside stopped what they were doing and rushed towards the door in response to the sudden incident.
The leader had just rushed out of the toilet when Bruce, who was waiting in the blind spot outside the door, stomped on the outside of his knee.
The immense pain caused the former to lose his balance and fall to the ground, rolling around like a gourd.
As he screamed and rolled, the others who rushed out after him tripped and fell in a series of blows. Before they could get up, they were all hit with a combination of punches from above.
Bruce, lamenting that this activity barely even served as a warm-up, walked into the restroom and approached the casino employee who had been thoroughly beaten up:
"Unless you've gone mad from gambling, it's not a wise move to borrow money from the Mafia."
That's what they say, but Bruce believes the other party must have some difficulties to choose to do this.
If this person is a gambling addict, even the Mafia wouldn't lend him money.
As mentioned before, these Italian mafia gangs are, in a sense, a very "well-behaved" criminal group. Even when they lend money at exorbitant interest rates, they carefully select their clients.
Diligent, honest, and hardworking low-level workers are the most common and high-quality customers. They often have to seek funds to tide them over due to some unexpected events.
The banks wouldn't lend them money, so they had no choice but to turn to the mafia.
The man being beaten was a cleaner at the casino. He was curling up his slender, thin body on the damp and cold bathroom floor, trying to protect himself from serious injury in the ensuing beating.
Fortunately, Bruce arrived just in time; otherwise, the other party might have more than just a few bruises on their body and footprints on their clothes.
"I'm sorry to trouble you, sir. I don't want to deal with those people either, but my wife Jenny is sick, and there's no one to take care of my son, Jeremy. I need money."
With Bruce's help, the cleaner struggled to his feet. He reached up to smooth his slightly tousled, curly brown hair, then chuckled and looked up.
"Hehe, anyway, thank you for your help. My name is Jack White."
Only then did Bruce see the other person's face clearly. It was a face full of optimistic smiles and warm sunshine, but for Bruce, this face had another meaning.
Almost as if electrocuted, Batman was jolted awake before the other person could finish introducing himself. He immediately released his grip, took a step back, and assumed a defensive stance.
This is a face that I would recognize even if it were reduced to ashes.
"I'm so sorry! Did my hands get dirty?"
Jack, looking on with disbelief at Bruce's sudden change in attitude, wondered if he had done something wrong again. So he cautiously asked:
Why are you so serious?