studiobondurri Chapter 181, Section 78: Traveling with Selena
Chapter 181, Section 78: Traveling with Selena
Chapter 181, Section 78: Traveling with Selena (Part 2)
The news of the explosion at the Venn Tower the following day quickly made headlines across major media outlets. Although the official investigation concluded that it was a gas explosion, the events of the previous night were not unforeseen.
Blame it on the beautiful night.
Taking advantage of the clear, cloudless sky, many astronomy enthusiasts set up their telescopes and aimed them at the heavens. But these night owls never expected that, in addition to the long-awaited starry sky and universe, the late-night spectacle would also be exceptionally invigorating.
The fighter jets circling in the sky, the figures leaping down from the tower, and the huge black shadow crawling at the top of the tower are enough to make the imaginative eyewitnesses conjure up a grand drama.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the Venn Tower bombing became a popular topic of conversation when the official investigation results failed to convince the public and multiple videos of the "Venn Tower incident" from different angles appeared online.
This was exactly the effect Qin Wei wanted. He wanted to let things ferment for a while longer, until the public's curiosity was fully piqued, before exposing the actions of the Owl Court to the public.
As for the spokesperson, Qin Wei has tentatively decided on Thomas Wayne Jr., but the stubborn guy always likes to stick to his guns, so he'll have to keep working on it.
"What? You want me to speak online as the former chairman of Wayne Enterprises? Bruce! How many times do I have to say it? This concerns the survival of Wayne Enterprises, and I absolutely cannot agree to it!"
Thomas straightened up, took off his wire-rimmed glasses, and twirled the pen around his thumb.
"Alright, alright, don't rush me, I won't force you, finish your work first!" Because he needed someone's help, Qin Wei had to coax Night Owl, slowly stroking and petting its proud fur.
As for the "work at hand" he mentioned, he was referring to the internal structure diagram of the Venn Tower that was already 90% complete, which was placed on the drafting table.
Thanks to the miniature 3D ultrasonic scanning robot, the two brothers can now infiltrate the enemy's lair with the ease of strolling around their old living room in slippers.
Lucius's help didn't stop there; he even planned to build a supercomputer in the underground caverns of Wayne Manor so that Tim wouldn't have to struggle to run the "Oracle" system on his laptop with ice packs on it.
Of course, rather than being a behind-the-scenes manipulator, Tim wanted to be a superhero fighting crime under the cover of night, which was why he took the initiative to contact Qin Wei.
Unsurprisingly, this proposal was met with opposition from both the guardian and Qin Wei, with only Jason silently supporting his younger brother's decision.
"Don't listen to these guys. This world is already broken and rotten; only blood and revenge can break it—"
"Revenge my foot! This person has such a positive outlook; don't pollute others with your childish, negative emotions!"
When Qin Wei happened to overhear their conversation, he immediately grabbed Jason by the neck and dragged him away.
Even when he was "locked up by a strong man," Jason continued to ramble on.
"Tim—you are destined to be a hero—let evil tremble and crawl at your feet!!"
It's hopeless, let it be destroyed!
As for Selena, she didn't blame Qin Wei for damaging the new equipment, since that meant the equipment had served its protective purpose. What she really couldn't accept was that Qin Wei had parked the motorcycle in the alley.
Before leaving, the girl repeatedly reminded him to park the car on a conspicuous side of the road, but unsurprisingly, Qin Wei completely forgot about it.
Although it was a small alley in the Diamond District, given Gotham's security situation, by the time she went to look for it again, it would be considered a favor by the car thief to have left even a car frame.
This incident proves once again that you should never lend your motorcycle to fellow motorcyclists, as they will not cherish it as much as you do.
"Alright, alright, don't be angry. I happen to have to go out for a bit, so I'll go check on the bike. If it's still there, I'll ride it back for you."
"What if they're not there?"
Selena crossed her arms, her eyes sharp as if she wanted to pierce a hundred holes in Qin Wei's face.
"Shall I give you one as compensation?"
"I want a KTM Super Duke! And this time, I want to go out with you." Although she was still angry, Selena couldn't bear to be too harsh on Qin Wei, considering that he had risked his life last night.
"make a deal!"
Next came the time for the cat thief to disguise himself. Qin Wei, under her guidance, became a hunched old man with a wrinkled face, while Selena dressed herself up as a tall, blonde noblewoman.
"So ugly, I suspect you're taking revenge!" Qin Wei complained, pinching his sagging face.
"But that just proves my superb makeup skills. Ordinary disguises can only change a person's appearance, but I changed your persona!"
Qin Wei didn't understand what the catwoman meant at first, but he suddenly realized it when she gently took his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.
He looked exceptionally wealthy in front of the full-length mirror.
Since the snowy night bus incident, public trust in Gotham's public transportation system, especially buses, has plummeted. Many working-class citizens who previously opted for buses out of fear of gang extortion at underground stations now prefer to walk several kilometers to the subway station rather than take the bus.
As a result, passenger volume in subway cars has surged to its peak in recent weeks, which has also provided opportunities for pickpockets.
Henry was one of them. Ever since he had two fingers cut off by the Romans during a theft six months ago, he had been living on air for a while. But the recent overcrowded subway gave him a "business opportunity".
Like a gold prospector plunging into the West, Henry plunged into a subway car and made a fortune in the following days.
Today, he has set his sights on a big target.
When the subway stopped at Sheldon Park station, an elderly man wearing a black trench coat and a top hat entered the carriage with a young blonde woman.
Honestly, Henry couldn't quite understand the thought process of Gotham's rich people these days. Why would they drive luxury cars and take the subway? Did they want to experience the hardships of ordinary life? But he didn't care. The fat meat was already stuffed into his mouth; there was no reason not to take a bite.
Several other pickpockets in the carriage were also eyeing the delicious lamb with him. Henry raised his head and exchanged glances with his companions over the heads of the passengers.
After discussing it, the group decided to follow industry rules and have it done on a first-come, first-served basis.
Just as Henry was about to approach the other person, a surge of passengers pushed him in the opposite direction.
"Shit!"
Henry cursed under his breath. He knew these colleagues too well; they were all incredibly fast, and he figured they would have ripped all the loose threads out of the old man's pockets by now.
After finally squeezing through the crowd to get behind the old man, he was about to try his luck one last time when he looked up and found that his colleagues hadn't left and were huddled in a corner whispering to each other.
What's wrong? Shouldn't you leave immediately after succeeding? Why do these guys look so grim?
Henry was puzzled, but his hands did not stop moving. Taking advantage of the inertia of the subway turning, he leaned against the old man's back and successfully slipped his hand into the man's pocket.
Henry was overjoyed by the thick feel of the wallet.
So you guys haven't succeeded yet! Look at this portion, it should be enough for me to order another girl when I'm drinking tonight.
Henry, having succeeded, immediately slipped away and squeezed through the crowd to another corner. With his back to the crowd, he pulled out the wallet he had just stolen.
But when he saw the design of the wallet, his smile froze on his face.
"My wallet—is this wallet mine?!"
Putting aside whether wealthy people would use such cheap imitation leather wallets, even the scratches and wine stains on the wallets are exactly the same as his.
Henry reached into his inner pocket, but his fingers emerged from under his armpit.
His leather jacket had been slashed in the inner pocket without his knowledge.
It seems this stolen item is his!
Henry opened his wallet with trembling hands.
Ah, no wonder it feels so bulging when you squeeze it; the banknotes inside have all been replaced with neatly cut newspapers.
Henry finally understood; he had met his match today. Not only had they stolen his wallet in a short time, but they had also managed to switch it out without anyone noticing.
It was impossible for the old man to have his back to him the whole time; the only possibility left was the blonde woman.
Henry looked up, only to be met with Yingying's smiling face.
The woman curled her lips into a smile and raised an eyebrow at him, the provocation unmistakable.
"Bitch!"
Henry ripped off his beanie and cursed under his breath.
At this moment, his colleagues also gathered around.
"You failed too?"
"You guys too?!"
The four pickpockets began whispering amongst themselves like cockroaches bumping into each other.
They initially thought they would just consider it a lesson learned, but Henry wouldn't have it. His eyes darted around, and finally he lifted his shirt to reveal a pistol tucked into his waistband.
Emboldened by the guns, the cockroaches immediately regained their courage.
Feeling the hostile gazes coming from the corner, Qin Wei smiled and looked at Selena: "Looks like they're about to make a big move."
"You don't need to get involved in this; I can handle it."
It was a bit hot inside the subway, so Selena took out her makeup mirror and touched up her makeup.
Although they were all thieves, she despised those scum who only stole from the poor. This time, because she was on a mission, Selena was only giving these guys a symbolic punishment, but if they persisted, she wouldn't hesitate to use violence to solve the problem.
When the subway arrived at the station, Selena helped Qin Wei off the train. Instead of following the crowd towards the exit, the two headed deeper into the subway station in the opposite direction.
The further they went, the dimmer the lights became, and the cracked walls were covered with faded murals. Several gang members stood in front of the toilet, which reeked of fish and dung, smoking marijuana.
Upon seeing Qin Wei and his companion, they assumed they had a business opportunity.
"Take your hand away if you don't want it to break."
Selena, her face contorted with disgust, brushed away the hand offering her the powder.
This move drew the ire of several gang members. In the past, they would have certainly ganged up to cause trouble for the two, but the Judgment Knight, who had been operating in the shadows lately, was like a sharp blade hanging over their heads. The thought of that terrifying shadow made the gang members' eyes clearer.
"You bitch, you just wait!"
After pointing and making a few harsh remarks, the gang members looked away.
But compared to these sensible fellows, those pickpockets were rather ignorant and arrogant.
Henry and his gang of pickpockets pulled out guns as soon as they got off the car, not caring whether their trail had been exposed, and chased after the two men aggressively.
Upon seeing this, the gang members quickly stubbed out their cigarettes and fled towards the exit.
They weren't afraid of these armed bastards, but rather of the bloodshed that was about to erupt in the ensuing conflict.
Once blood is drawn, something is bound to come out.
Although the Judgment Knight rarely ventures out during the day, sometimes the dimly lit subway stations are one of his hideouts. Who knows if there's a bat hanging upside down in the dim ceiling or behind a dark corner? These gang members wouldn't dare gamble with the integrity of their entire skeleton.
In retrospect, Qin Wei's actions over the past six months have yielded considerable results.
The stage was now cleared, and both performers were in place.
"Stand there!"
With a furious shout, Henry raised his gun and strode forward.
"If you don't want a few holes punched in your head, give me my money back, and while you're at it, take everything of value out of your pockets!"
"Let's finish this quickly, we don't have much time left." Qin Wei raised his wrist to check his watch.
Selena nodded and took off her high heels under Henry's puzzled gaze.
What was she doing? Do rich people these days not only love taking the subway, but also hide their money in the soles of their shoes? Before he could figure it out, Selena started unbuttoning her coat one button at a time.
Henry only became alert when Selena reached for the back of her coat.
"Don't move your hands, or I'll shoot!"
He nervously licked his lips. The empty, dimly lit underground station was unsettling. He suddenly remembered that vague legend, the legend of the judge lurking in the shadows.
"Don't move! I don't want anyone to die!"
He approached Selena step by step, gun in hand, and reached out to slip his hand inside her coat.
The next second, a sudden, unexpected kick struck Henry's knee.
Henry's knees buckled and he fell to the ground.
He approached from the side because he was worried that the other party would attack his groin, but he still got hit.
boom!
As he fell, he instinctively pulled the trigger, but the bullet grazed Catwoman's hair.
Selena grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it back, easily taking the gun from him. At the same time, she swung the long whip hidden behind her waist, striking down a pickpocket who was trying to escape.
Henry, who had fallen to the ground, finally understood why women take off their shoes.
Freed from the constraints of high heels, Selena darted away like a black lightning bolt, leaving Henry to watch helplessly as his three remaining companions were trampled underfoot by the woman before they could even draw their knives.
Rolling on the ground, clutching his knee, Henry was filled with remorse. If he had known this woman was so strong, he shouldn't have provoked trouble by having a gun. Now, he only had—
and many more!
His gaze fell on the old man watching the battle from the sidelines.
With a burst of strength he didn't know he possessed, Henry slapped the ground with both hands and struggled to his feet, then pulled out a knife and took the old man hostage.
"Are you really that good at fighting? Even if you are, can he be?"
Thinking he had regained control of the situation, Henry's face lit up with an arrogant smile, as if he still held the gun in his hand.
"Hmph! Your biggest mistake was leaving the old man behind."
Henry's voice grew louder and louder. Looking at Selena's frowning and sighing expression, he thought he had her weakness in the matter.
He observed very carefully; Selena was indeed sighing, but the real reason was quite different from what Henry had guessed.
"Sigh! I told you not to bother, but I still caused you trouble. I'm so sorry." Selena frowned, and judging from her expression, she seemed quite dissatisfied with her oversight earlier.
"What kind of talk is this? Why are we taking this so seriously?" Qin Wei replied with a smile.
Seeing the hostage in his arms chatting with the woman as if nothing had happened, Henry felt insulted.
"Damn it, you're all pretending I don't exist—"
Can I ask you a question?
Henry couldn't help but shiver when Qin Wei spoke in his arms. For a moment, he had the illusion that he was being watched by a large predator lurking in the grass.
"You're holding a knife to my throat, are you really going to kill me?"
"certainly----"
"No rush, take your time to think it over before you answer, because this answer is very important and will determine how I will treat you next."