Chapter 41: The Broken Ventriloquist
"OMG, Mr. Big Sock, stop hitting Mr. Second Sock. If you keep hitting him, he's going to go brain-dead.
Mr. Third Sock, don't curse at Mr. Fourth Sock. Cursing is wrong, don't be like that.
Stop it, stop it! Don't fight anymore!"
Inside the office, Arnold lay on the open floor like a bloated sow.
His limbs twisted, constantly wrestling with each other as they began to fight for control of the personality.
A few minutes later, Lynn even saw an extremely abnormal flush rise on Arnold's fat face.
"Fuck! Don't stop me! Today, I'm going to let this son-of-a-bitch Second Sock know that I, Big Sock, am the Master of this body!"
"Holy shit! If I, Second Sock, submit to you today, I'm fucking born of your mother!"
"Third Sock, fuck you! I am the Master of this body!"
"Traitor!"
A chaotic mess of voices came out of Arnold's stomach, filled with all kinds of foul language and standard Americacurses.
Combined with his flailing limbs, it looked as if these sock personalities were having a battle royale inside his stomach.
"Ohohoho..."
While the socks manipulated Arnold's limbs in a grand brawl, Arnold's facial expressions began to break down completely.
His eyes rolled in different directions, his tongue lolled out, and unconscious murmurs came from his mouth.
It seemed this psychopath was being tortured out of his mind by his own personalities.
Pfft!!
After his limbs wrestled for a while, puffs of white smoke suddenly rose from the Ventriloquist's balding head.
[Side quest "Break the Ventriloquist" completed]
[Rewards obtained: Bullet Time, Harley QuinnFavorability +10]
[Bullet Time: From "The Matrix". After triggering Bullet Time, the World will slow down in your eyes, allowing you to clearly see enemy movements and bullet trajectories to dodge them.]
Lynn raised an eyebrow slightly and thought to himself, "Bullet Time? This is a great skill."
He remembered that the protagonist in The Matrix used this skill not only to dodge bullets but also to stop them in mid-air. It was simply a god-tier skill for combat and survival.
Harley stuffed all the stolen money into her fanny pack and looked at the dazed Ventriloquist lying on the ground, feeling very pleased.
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly into a gorgeous, beautiful smile. Spreading her fair, shapely thighs, she sat on Lynn.
Lynn took a deep breath, catching that familiar milky fragrance.
Harley wrapped her fair, slender arms around Lynn's neck, looking just like a pair of lovers.
Her exquisite face drew close to Lynn's, with only a few centimeters separating them. They could both feel each other's warm breath brushing against their faces.
"What do you want to..."
Before Lynn could finish his sentence, his mouth was blocked by Harley.
"Thank you."
...
"Woof woof!"
Looking at the Ventriloquist, who had been trained like a dog, Harley asked with a face full of curiosity:
"How did you train him to be a dog?"
"First like this, then like this, and then like that," Lynnexplained.
Harley: "..."
What's the difference between saying that and saying nothing?
Looking at the speechless Harley, Lynn raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to be a dog too?"
"No, I don't."
Harley shook her head, stood up straight from him, and walked over to the office desk.
"A man who doesn't understand romance, but at least he's a bit better than that damn Joker."
She muttered, packing up the gun and other miscellaneous items on the desk.
Harley looked up, her beautiful eyes fixed on Lynn, her face beaming with excitement.
"Now we have thirty thousand dollars in startup funds, and we also have this Base, so we can absolutely continue recruiting new members."
She could already imagine herself leading the Bat Gang to make a name for themselves in Gotham in the future.
By then... she, Harley Quinn, would be the queen of all Gotham, and no one would ever look down on her again.
As Harley finished speaking, a blue system prompt appeared in front of Lynn.
[Main Quest: Recruit Bat Gang Members]
[Quest Description: The Bat Gang has just been established, but having only two people won't do. Please recruit three other members to join the Bat Gang.]
[Quest Rewards: Harley Quinn Favorability +20, Random Character Card *1, Random Item *1]
Lynn stood up, and the Pleasant Goat suit on his body instantly swapped for the gold-and-red iron armor.
"Let's go. We need to hurry up and recruit other members."
"Let's take the elevator down."
Harley patted two Glock 17s and stuffed them into her back pockets.
"There are Police down there; the elevator isn't safe anymore."
Lynn scooped Harley into his arms. Amidst Harley's cry of surprise, the iron armor's thrusters erupted with a searing blast of airflow, breaking through the glass curtain wall and soaring into the sky.
"Woah, woah, woah!"
Cradled in Lynn's arms, Harley gazed at the scene before her with a face full of excitement.
Between the towering skyscrapers, neon lights cast a faint glow through the rainy mist, refracting off puddles like a miniature rainbow.
Against the pitch-black sky overhead, the pale moonlight silhouetted a circular Bat emblem.
As the two flew through the air toward the distance, they could see two dark figures facing off on a high-rise far away.
"It's Selina and the old Bat who sold his hook!" Harleyrecognized them at a glance.
After all, ever since she met Catwoman at Wayne Enterprises last time, Harley and her had become close best friends.
Now, seeing Catwoman's familiar outfit, Harley naturally recognized her instantly.
As for the man standing opposite Catwoman, who else could it be but Batman, the psychopath with the biggest issues in all of Gotham?
Lynn said in a low voice, "Catwoman and Batman... Maybe we can try to recruit Catwoman into the Bat Gang."
...
Cold raindrops kept falling from the sky, dripping onto the pitch-black batsuit, then slowly sliding down the oval Bat emblem.
"Catwoman... tell me, why did you go to S.T.A.R. Labs to steal Scarecrow's fear toxin formula?"
Batman was expressionless, his low, raspy voice carrying an intense sense of oppression.
Gotham City's S.T.A.R. Labs is dedicated to researching various biotechnologies.
Although it was frequently monitored by Batman, there were still plenty of supervillains who targeted such a high-tech lab.
"Bruce, why don't you take a guess as to why I stole the fear toxin formula?"
Catwoman raised an eyebrow and asked back.
Hearing this, Batman frowned, immediately about to demand that Catwoman hand over the fear toxin formula.
After all, if something like fear toxin fell into the hands of certain malicious, dangerous individuals, the citizens of Gotham would be plunged into misery once again.
However, before he could speak, a familiar voice drifted down from the sky.
"Yo, Hajibat, are you threatening Catwoman to destroy the photos of you selling your hook?
You truly are a psychopath, chasing madmen and beating up fools in Gotham.
By the way, do all you rich people love wearing skin-tight suits and cosplaying outside?"
Batman: "..."
Chapter 42: Do Not Make an Appointment to Fight Batman, It Will Lead to Misfortune
Rainy night, atop Wayne Tower.
"Tony Stark, and Harley Quinn, what are you two doing?"
Batman frowned, his emerald eyes as sharp as an eagle's tightly staring at the two newly arrived individuals.
He had already formulated several plans targeting Iron Man Tony Stark, and even specially had Lucius build a bat armor with similar functions.
As for Harley Quinn... To be honest, Batman didn't think she was as hard to catch as Tony Stark.
After all, compared to other criminals in Gotham, Harley Quinn was still quite green, and didn't require him to formulate a special plan.
"Nothing much, just wanted to have Selina join our Bat Gang."
Lynn shrugged, the energy source on the chest of his iron armor emitting a faint blue glow, reflecting the free-falling raindrops.
Upon hearing Lynn's words, Batman didn't even think before directly refuting:
"It's impossible for her to join you."
In his view, both of them were arrogant and domineering criminals in Gotham, one committing all sorts of arson, murder, and pillaging, while the other was unhinged.
As for Catwoman, at most she just stole jewelry or other valuable things.
How could she possibly join them?
However——
"I'll join."
Batman: "..."
Well, everyone makes mistakes, and a horse can stumble.
Batman occasionally had moments of misjudgment.
Seeing Batman's stiff expression, Catwoman gave him a provocative look, her face full of smugness.
Past flirtation aside, now that the ambiguous period had passed, she felt that Bruce Wayne was simply a trashy man.
Especially after seeing the photos of Batman selling his body, and learning the fact that Robin wore green shorts showing his thighs because Batman was a pervert.
She felt he was even more repulsive.
"Alright, hold on tight, we're taking off."
Lynn held Harley Quinn in his left arm and Catwoman in his right, the two women pressing closely against his iron armor.
He raised his head, looked at Batman before him, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Hajibat, see ya later."
Just as he was about to ascend, Batman suddenly said seriously:
"Tony Stark, do you dare to make an appointment to fight me?"
Oh no, Batman is about to activate his conceptual skill!
Lynn's heart tightened, and then he sneered repeatedly:
"A fight appointment? Batman, do you really think you can win against me?"
"Then you agree?" Batman asked with a frown.
"Of course..." Lynn raised an eyebrow, "No!"
As his voice fell, Lynn took off on the spot holding Harleyand Selina, disappearing directly into the night sky.
Leaving Batman alone, standing blankly in place, gazing at the gray-white full moon in the sky.
As everyone knows, Batman has never won an encounter battle, and has never lost a scheduled fight.
In the DC Universe, never make an appointment to fight Batman, it will lead to misfortune.
Because no matter who you are, as long as you make a fight appointment with Batman, you will definitely lose to Batman.
This is an iron law from a higher dimension—the heavy hand of the DC Editorial Department.
Lynn didn't know if his system could withstand this kind of iron law, but even if he could beat Batman after a scheduled fight, he wouldn't agree to this matter.
Why?
The system didn't even release a quest to fight this final boss, why should he make a fight appointment with Batman?
The three of them flew across the dim sky, sometimes ascending, sometimes descending, and quickly arrived at the rooftop of a tall building.
As soon as Catwoman Selina landed, she said to Harley:
"That's it, Harley, I should go back. You two can do whatever you want, and you don't need to worry about me—actually, I just used you guys to shield me from Batman, sorry."
Catwoman Selina felt very sorry for deceiving Harley and Lynn.
Ever since the last incident, she and Harley had become good girlfriends, so naturally she couldn't bear to deceive Harley.
"What about me?" Lynn asked.
"You? There's nothing to be sorry about for you." Selinasaid irritably.
She was still harboring a grudge against Lynn for impersonating Bruce Wayne to deceive her feelings last time.
"Are you really leaving? Is there something else?" Harleyasked curiously.
Hearing this, Selina immediately explained her operation tonight to Harley.
She was commissioned by Penguin to go to S.T.A.R. Labsto steal the formula for the fear toxin.
Now that the formula for the fear toxin had been stolen, she naturally had to leave here and hand the formula over to Penguin.
"Is that so?"
Harley was a bit depressed; she had thought that once Selina joined their Bat Gang, they could pull off a big job together.
Now it seemed that becoming the most shining women in Gotham together with Selina was no longer feasible.
"I've been observing for a long time, there is a jewelry exhibition over in the Diamond District."
"Tonight, Elizabeth Taylor's pearl necklace and Marilyn Monroe's diamond earrings will both be exhibited there."
At this moment, Lynn's voice sounded.
He raised his eyes to look at the departing Catwoman, and continued:
"I was wondering before, why don't you go steal jewelry from places like these? These are world-class treasures, can Penguin give you things like these?"
"Or... do you actually not like jewelry that much?"
Gulp!!
Catwoman quickly turned her head, looking at the man wearing the gold and red iron armor, swallowing a mouthful of saliva uncontrollably.
Although she didn't speak, dazzling brilliance burst forth from her eyes.
Facing such world-class treasures, Catwoman had to admit one thing.
She was tempted.
...
Gotham Art Museum.
This was the exhibition site of the Vienna Jewelry Exhibition, where not only were numerous high-society figures pretending to be cultured while appreciating jewelry, but countless reporters were also photographing those world-famous treasures, striving to write their articles at the very first moment.
At this moment, inside the glamorous hall, Lynn had already changed into a well-fitted suit, slowly walking forward pretending to be a high-society figure.
Beside him, Harley Quinn had changed into a fiery red dress, the deep V on her chest just right, revealing delicate collarbones, and the tight tailoring outlined her voluptuous and well-curved figure.
She hooked her arm through Lynn's, leaning close to his side; as long as Lynn lowered his head, he could see that bottomless abyss and a hint of striking snowy white.
Beside them, Selina was wearing a black evening gown, with a string of pearl necklaces around her neck, her eyes fixed steadily on the treasures flashing with precious light ahead.
Tonight their goal was the largest diamond, and the jewelry once worn by Elizabeth.
However, just as the three of them were about to make a move, a series of roaring explosions came from outside.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Oh? Is someone like us coming to rob the jewelry here?" Harley's lips curled up, splitting into a crazy arc.
Lynn also turned his head to look outside, but saw nothing, only seeing a few Police officers wearing Police uniforms walking in.
Sheriff Blake, wearing a suit and leading the way, looked at the uneasy crowd in the hall and spoke to comfort them:
"Everyone, don't worry, it's just that the patient Joker from Arkham Asylum has escaped, and our Police will definitely capture him back."
Hearing this, the people who were originally panicked suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's just the Joker escaping from Arkham Asylum, I thought some madman was going to blow up Gotham with a nuclear bomb."
"Exactly, making a fuss over nothing, turns out it's just the Joker escaping from Arkham Asylum."
"..."
Hearing the words of the people around him, Lynn couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
In the eyes of Gothamites, is the Joker escaping from Arkham Asylum such a commonplace matter?
Chapter 43: Is God Used Like This?
Inside the brilliantly golden exhibition hall of the GothamArt Gallery.
This place perfectly interpreted the Gotham upper class's philosophy of treating money like dirt; everywhere the eye could see was a brilliant expanse of gold.
Just as Lynn was preparing to find a few big fat sheep to knock out with a sack first.
Harley tugged at the corner of his clothes and whispered:
"Mr. Riddler, did you see that woman wearing a golden dress on the front left?"
Lynn came back to his senses and looked along her line of sight, only to see a beauty standing in front of the display stand, carefully examining the jewelry inside.
His eyes lit up:
"Saw it. With so much gold on that dress, this woman is very rich; she's definitely a big fat sheep."
"Didn't you notice?" Harley's tone was somewhat mysterious.
"Notice what?" Lynn was surprised. "Could it be that you know this big fat sheep?"
"She is Wonder Woman."
"Oh, so she is Wonder..."
Lynn reacted.
"Wait, who did you say she is?"
"Wonder Woman."
Lynn turned his head, his eyes tightly staring at the woman wearing the golden evening dress on the front left.
Her tight-fitting dress perfectly outlined her curvaceous and hot figure, with her snow-white back exposed, making it quite eye-catching.
"So it's Wonder Woman. I was wondering which big fat sheep would dress so brilliantly golden."
Lynn carefully stared at the woman, and at a glance, he saw the bottomless, deep cleavage beneath the deep V of the evening dress, as well as two plump, snow-white curves.
"Speaking of which... can I recruit Wonder Woman into the Bat Gang?" he thought to himself.
As one of the major giants of the Justice League, Wonder Woman was not only a demigod princess thousands of years old, but also possessed superpowers far stronger than ordinary people.
If he could max out Wonder Woman's favorability, wouldn't he also be able to turn into a demigod princess... Bah, wouldn't he be able to acquire those powerful superpowers?
Thinking this, Lynn loosened Harley's hand that was holding his arm and walked straight toward the big fat sheep.
"I'm going to buy some oranges; you wait for me right here."
Harley showed a bewildered expression like Hachimi:
"Ha?"
Under her dumbfounded gaze, Lynn slowly walked to the side of Wonder Woman Diana and admired the jewelry inside the display stand together.
"Do you believe in God?"
Diana glanced at him, thinking that Lynn might be someone like a jeweler.
So she thought about it and replied: "I don't."
As a demigod, she naturally knew that God existed, as the omniscient and omnipotent Lord of everything.
But she was not religious, or rather, her past experiences made it very hard for her to be religious.
"Why?" Lynn continued to ask.
Diana explained: "When I was a little girl, I wanted a bicycle. I once prayed to God, but nothing happened."
Hearing this, Lynn shook his head:
"God is not used like that. You should go steal a bicycle first, and then go pray to God to forgive you."
Diana:???
Is God used like this?
"This beautiful lady, I wonder if you have ever heard of the Bat..."
Ring ring!!
The harsh alarm bell suddenly rang from above the exhibition hall.
"Someone is stealing jewelry!"
"Quick! Someone is stealing jewelry, catch that little thief!"
Lynn: "..."
Is it such a coincidence?
He had just prepared to try to recruit Wonder Woman.
"Run quickly, Selina has already made her move. Let's run out before the Police come."
Harley rushed directly in front of Lynn, grabbed him, pushed through the crowd, and ran toward the corridor.
In the corridor, the two ran quickly toward the outside, but soon a dozen armed Police, led by Sheriff Blake, blocked their way.
"Harley Quinn, it really is you. I didn't catch you the last time you robbed a jewelry store. This time, let's see how you escape!"
Sheriff Blake, who was at the head, spoke in an icy tone. He raised his pistol, pointing the pitch-black muzzle at Harley Quinn, and shouted:
"You two, put your hands up and squat in the corner of the wall, or when I count to three, I'm going to shoot!"
As America Police, when enforcing the law, they had the right to directly shoot and kill these criminals.
Harley sneered and shook her head: "Heh, do you think the two of us..."
"Three!"
With a bang, a bullet instantly shot out from the muzzle.
Harley reacted extremely quickly. The moment the other party made a shooting motion, she rolled and dodged the bullet's gunfire.
"Holy Crab! Sheriff Blake, you fucking lack martial virtue, actually coming to trick and ambush the two of us weak, pitiful, and helpless psychiatric patients!"
"I don't understand what you're saying, all of you fucking shoot for me!"
Under Sheriff Blake's angry shout, the rest of the Policeraised their guns at Harley and Lynn, rapidly pulling the triggers.
Harley: "..."
Corrupt Police! If this fucking isn't a corrupt Police officer, I'll bite my finger!
Countless bullets tore through the airflow, fiercely shooting toward Harley Quinn and Lynn ahead.
Harley hurriedly pulled a pistol from under her thigh root, rolled to the wall corner nearby, and immediately fired two shots forward with a bang bang.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Blake also led several Police, finding cover, and began to exchange gunfire with Harley Quinn.
On the other side, Lynn was targeted together by numerous Police. These thick-limbed, burly men continuously fired bullets, wanting to shoot them onto his face.
Lynn calmly looked at the bullets shooting over and silently activated his skill.
Bullet Time!
Almost instantly, the World seemed to have pressed the slow-motion button.
The passage of time began to become viscous; the Police's actions of pulling the triggers, the incoming bullets, the wild laughter on Harley's face... everything around seemed to have stopped.
Even the bullet trajectories that were invisible to the naked eye became clearly visible at this moment, crawling slowly in the air like snails.
In this nearly stagnant space-time, only Lynn alone was able to move.
His figure dipped backward, dodging a few incoming bullets amidst a sway, and then he swiftly rushed behind the wall.
Although those Police were surprised by his swift movements, they were still working hard to shoot their guns.
Behind the wall, holding the salted fish thrusting sword, Lynn said in a cold voice:
"I'm telling you, this sword in my hand can cast Taoist magic!"
Hearing this, a Black Police officer who was shooting immediately sneered and said:
"Shit! You Asian fellow, what lousy Taoist magic do you have? We have guns in our hands, and you only have a salted fish. I advise you not to resist and squat down obediently!"
"Fuck you! You damned Asian fellow, if you resist again, I won't mind beating you to death!" shouted the White Police officer next to him.
"It looks like you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeiture." Lynn grinned, "You guys won't be able to handle my Taoist magic!"
The Police did not pay attention to Lynn, only blindly staring at the wall corner.
As long as Lynn dared to come out, they would immediately pull the trigger and kill this guy.
However, imagination was wonderful, but reality was harsh.
Six pitch-black gatling gun barrels as well as a huge Rocket launcher tube stretched out, aiming at them.
The next instant——
Da da da!
Boom boom boom!!
Countless bullets hit the three White Police officers, blood splashing, directly shattering them into pieces here and there.
And the four Black Police officers were even more miserable, blasted in the body by the Rocket launcher, with human fragments of theirs everywhere.
A moments later, Lynn walked out carrying the gatling gunand Rocket launcher.
Looking at the bloody traces and corpses on the corridor, he shook his head and sighed:
"I said, you guys can't handle my Taoist magic."
Seeing this scene, the surviving Police's faces twitched fiercely.
What kind of fucking Taoist magic is this?
Morality and the Rule of Law?
Chapter 44: I Actually Seem Qualified to Audit Your Tax Avoidance
Seeing the heavy weapons in Lynn's hands, those professional Police officers did not stay frozen in place.
"Harley Quinn, now is the time to let you witness our strongest weapon!" Sheriff Blake said angrily.
Harley Quinn laughed maniacally while continuously firing her gun: "Hahaha, let me see what other tricks you Policehave!!"
The strongest weapon?
Lynn raised his head, looked at the Police officers ahead, and felt a slight sense of curiosity in his heart.
Under his curious gaze, the injured Sheriff Blake led the remaining few Police officers and slowly retreated backward.
Step by step, and then... they just fled in such a dejected manner.
"OMG, run quickly! Go back and get reinforcements from Commissioner Gordon, the enemy's firepower is simply too fierce!"
Lynn: "..."
Where is your strongest weapon?
"Holy Crab! Why did these Police officers just run away?" Harley Quinn put away her pistol, leaned close to Lynn, and looked extremely displeased.
She had thought she could have a hearty shootout and make Harley Quinn's name known, but she didn't expect this group of Police officers to just run away like that.
How cowardly, aren't they just a gatling gun and a Rocketlauncher?
Lynn put away his weapons and shook his head:
"These Police officers only make a few thousand bucks a month, why would they risk their lives?"
...
Bar.
It was now eight o'clock in the evening, and two days had passed since the last Vienna jewelry exhibition.
During these two days, Lynn and Harley acted separately.
Harley had told Lynn that she had a good girlfriend in Arkham Asylum, so this time she headed to Slaughter Swamp, trying to recruit that good girlfriend.
As for Lynn, he had set his sights on a foolproof assassin, preparing to trick the other party into the Bat Gang.
Therefore, after leaving certain clues for that assassin, Lynnbought a few boxes of fried chicken at KFC, walked through a few streets, and came to this bar.
Under the gaze of the bar waiter, he ordered two glasses of whiskey, and then... didn't give a single cent in tips, successfully earning the waiter's White eyes.
The eight o'clock bar was not noisy at all; instead, it played melodious and soft music. Many gang members always liked to gather in the bar after getting off work to share the latest news of the day.
Lynn found a window-side corner, sat down, and quietly waited for the arrival of that assassin.
He wasn't worried that the other party wouldn't be able to find him. After all, as one of the World's top assassins, locating him would certainly be effortless.
What's more, Lynn had also given very obvious clues.
Time ticked by minute by minute. Lynn ate fried chicken while finishing every last drop of the whiskey, looking calm and composed.
He knew that if he wanted to recruit people like assassins to join, besides having money, he also needed strong psychological qualities.
If he didn't appear calm and composed, it was very likely that these damned fellows would make unreasonable requests to raise the pay.
Just at this moment, Lynn's cell phone rang.
Looking at the unfamiliar number displayed on the phone screen, the corners of Lynn's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a calm and confident smile.
He answered the phone and held it to his ear.
A man's low, hoarse voice came from the other end: "Shit! I've been looking for you for hours and still haven't found you, where on earth is the meeting location?!"
Lynn: "..."
He somewhat doubted whether the person on the other end was really Deadshot.
"Didn't I give you a clue?" he asked.
Deadshot raged on the other end of the phone: "How the hell am I supposed to find you with just the single word 'clue' you gave me?!"
...
Thirty minutes later.
With a dark expression, Deadshot rushed to the bar according to the address Lynn gave.
He sat in front of Lynn, looked at Lynn in front of him, and then looked at the leftover KFC chicken bones on the table, speechless.
What kind of good person eats KFC in a bar?
Combined with the word Lynn left behind earlier, Deadshotthought, could this guy be a lunatic?
"Deadshot, originally named Floyd Lawton, one of the World's top mercenary assassins, never misses a shot, hit the target every time, his only soft spot is... his daughter Zoe."
Lynn crossed his hands in front of his chest, a steady smile on his face.
"Am I right?"
Hearing this, Floyd's expression suddenly stiffened.
"You investigated me?"
"No, searched it on Baidu Baike," Lynn replied. "Not only do I know these, but I also know your home address, how many people are in your family, your daughter, and the things that have happened in your home."
Floyd:???
And you still say you haven't investigated me?
Although astonished in his heart, Floyd was a top assassin after all, with a thick skin... uh, strong psychological resilience, and his expression remained steady.
"Who are you, and what on earth do you want?"
"You can call me Riddler."
"Do you think I believe that?" Floyd said somewhat speechlessly. "The airships of Joker and Riddler are right above Gotham City. If you are Riddler..."
As he spoke, he reached out and pointed at the television playing above the bar.
On the TV, a man wearing a green hat and a green suit covered in countless question marks was talking endlessly about something.
"Then who is he?"
Lynn's expression was indifferent: "I am the real Riddler. He lost the riddle contest, so he is a fake Riddler."
"I thought you would state your own code name, just like Joker or Killer Croc..."
Floyd shook his head with a trace of regret. If the other party told him those code names, he might still be able to seize some initiative.
The two awkwardly chatted for a while before Lynn got down to business: "Floyd, our Bat Gang needs talent like you to join."
A sneer appeared on Floyd's face. Finally revealing his purpose?
He shook his head: "Sorry, I am a neutral mercenary. I work for whoever pays the most."
"As far as I know, 80% of the remuneration for each of your missions is untaxed."
A faint smile appeared on Lynn's face, with an expression of having everything under control.
"You must know, this is in America. With so much money left untaxed, what will happen to you?"
"Fack! So what if it's untaxed?" Floyd raised an eyebrow. "You aren't qualified to audit me anyway."
As a mercenary, he naturally knew how formidable the IRS was.
Those greedy hounds collecting taxes for Congress not only had all kinds of advanced weapons, but even quite a few specialized units—simply terrifying.
But the guy in front of him disguised as Riddler... frankly speaking, Deadshot didn't think the other party could be an IRS Agent.
Which IRS Agent would leave a clue for someone by leaving the English word "clue"?
"Pardon me, I actually do seem qualified to audit your tax avoidance."
Lynn calmly pulled out his credentials from his bosom and placed them in front of Floyd.
These were precisely the credentials of an IRS Agent, accompanied by the seal of the IRS Director.
Floyd: "..."
You bloody well really are one?
He cleared his throat: "Ahem, even if you are an IRS Agent, using this kind of tactic to threaten me into joining you... isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"Have you forgotten your daughter Zoe?" Lynn said with ease. "If you are investigated for tax evasion and tax avoidance of such a huge amount, can your daughter still attend a noble high school in Gotham?"
As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice:
"Floyd, you wouldn't want your daughter to be unable to go to school, would you?"
Chapter 45: Is… is that so?
Floyd Lawton's pupils shrank violently as he stared dead at the man in front of him.
His daughter Zoe was his absolute taboo, but at the same time, she was also his soft spot.
As a mercenary, his own life was already a complete mess, and he didn't want his daughter Zoe to end up like him.
But the man in front of him had specifically investigated him; it was very likely that if he didn't agree to the other party's request, Zoe would get hurt.
"You're using my daughter to threaten me?"
Floyd Lawton stared at Lynn and said word by word,
"Zoe is my only remaining attachment right now. Do you know what happens if a top-tier mercenary in the Worldloses their attachments?"
Lynn raised an eyebrow. "A wise man submits to circumstances. I believe you know what you want."
Floyd Lawton sneered, "Are you Japanese?"
"Why are you cursing at me?"
Lynn tightly furrowed his brows.
"And cursing me aside, why did you have to curse me so harshly?"
As a transmigrator from China and a player to boot, how could he possibly be Japanese?
"Do you believe that I can have people kidnap your daughter and send her to Arkham Asylum? There are quite a few lolicons there. I believe your daughter..."
"Stop, stop!" Floyd Lawton quickly stopped him. "Don't fucking go any further."
Just listening to the words of the man in front of him made him involuntarily imagine his daughter being abused in his mind.
That kind of situation... absolutely must not happen!
He took a deep breath, calmed his emotions a bit, and explained,
"The people I hate most in my life are the Japanese, and they love using broken Chinese to say the phrase 'A wise man submits to circumstances'."
Listening to Floyd Lawton's broken Chinese, Lynn finally realized it was a misunderstanding.
"Even so, you shouldn't curse people so harshly. I've been emotionally wounded by your cursing now.
Join the Bat Gang and then transfer 300,000 in mental damages to me. Otherwise, I'll capture you and send your daughter to Arkham Asylum."
Floyd Lawton: "..."
You want me to join you, and you still want me to transfer money to you?
Are you fucking robbing me?
"On what gr—"
"I believe the perverts in Arkham Asylum will love her very much."
Floyd Lawton clenched his teeth, retracting a 'fuck', and said, "I'll join you."
"Very good. A wise man submits to circumstances." Lynnsmiled and nodded.
[Current Recruited NPCs: Harley Quinn, Catwoman Selina, Floyd Lawton]
[You can check the personal panels of the recruited NPCs]
Lynn opened Deadshot Floyd Lawton's personal panel.
[NPC: Floyd Lawton]
[Status: Mentally Stable]
[Assets: $3,768,075 USD]
[Skills: Beyond-Visual-Range Sniping, Ricochet Shooting, Rapid-Fire Headshots, Full Firearm Mastery, Modification Expert, Strategic Command, Military Combat, Camouflage Infiltration...]
[Items: Heavily Modified Barrett M82, X-Ray Tactical Goggles, Explosive Bullets...]
[Favorability: -30]
"I have to admit, the skills Deadshot has mastered are quite impressive," Lynn secretly thought to himself.
He remembered that in a certain DC comic, Deadshot even shot a running Flash with a gun, making him practically the number one sharpshooter in the DC Universe.
However, what puzzled him somewhat was—
Why was this favorability negative?
Could it be just because he threatened Deadshot with his daughter and then extorted 300,000 USD from him?
Isn't this guy a bit too petty?
[Main Quest "Bat Gang Recruits Members" Completed]
[Rewards obtained: Harley Quinn Favorability +20, Yan Shuangying Character Card *1 ("I bet your gun... has no bullets!"), Beretta 92 (Infinite Ammo Version)]
Looking at the blue system prompt that suddenly appeared before him, Lynn slightly raised an eyebrow.
"It seems that not only here, but Harley succeeded over there as well."
"What on earth does your Bat Gang do?" Floyd Lawtonasked with a curious expression.
Lynn waved his hand. "It's nothing. You can go back now, and I'll notify you when something comes up."
Floyd Lawton: "..."
How did he feel like he had boarded a pirate ship?
...
A few days later, Zeus Stock Exchange in the Diamond District.
The neon signs flickered with a faint glow, and streetwalkers below leaned against the alley entrances, gazing with fluttering hearts at the pedestrians on the road.
Floyd Lawton stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his eyes fixed tightly on the two airships resembling giant whales floating above the city.
"So this is our Base, and the Bat Gang's first mission is to rob Joker and the Riddler?"
He wore his custom-made metal armor, a metal helmet, and X-Ray tactical goggles, with his usual several guns by his side.
"Of course." Lynn nodded.
Floyd Lawton: "..."
Would any normal person rob those two broke psychos?
With this time and energy, it would be better to go up to Wayne Tower, rob Bruce Wayne, and pull off a big job.
Harley was chewing bubblegum, holding an Adamantiumstick in her right hand and spinning it continuously.
"How come I feel like this stick is somewhat like... human bones?"
Lynn beside her silently touched the nose of his Big Bear hood.
You guessed right; this is one of the bones of Zombie Wolverine.
Ever since he took down Venom Wolverine last time, he had kept the other's skeleton.
It was just a pity that he couldn't find a way to melt Adamantium, so he could only dismantle the bones to use as weapons for his NPC teammates.
Not just her, Catwoman Selina on the other side had also switched to Zombie Wolverine's adamantium claws.
Selina stared at the cold, glowing metal claw device on her hand. Under her control, the claws constantly extended and retracted.
Her eyes shone brightly as she looked at Lynn beside her and asked curiously,
"These sharp claws are much easier to use than my previous ones, and... they are extremely hard and sharp. Where did you get this stuff?"
"Oh, taken off a corpse."
Catwoman: "..."
Lynn ignored Catwoman's resentful gaze and raised his eyes to look at the work column in front of him.
[Plot Quest: The Robbery]
[Quest Description: Because the Riddler couldn't guess your riddles, he chose to cooperate with the Joker to plunge Gotham City into panic and prove that he is the true Riddler. Please lead your Bat Gang to rob them.]
[Quest Rewards: EXP +100, Gotham Reputation +50, Bat Gang All Members Favorability +20, Random Item *2, Random Character Card *1]
"What is the difference between these plot quests and main quests?"
Lynn felt puzzled in his heart. He remembered that most of the previous quests were daily quests, side quests, main quests, and boss quests.
He had never encountered plot quests or event nodes even once. What triggered this plot quest this time?
[Plot quests are related to NPCs the player contacts. When an NPC's favorability reaches a certain level, plot quests will be unlocked.]
"So that's how it is."
Lynn thought to himself, figuring it was probably because Harley's favorability had reached a certain level that this plot quest was triggered.
"Are you sure we won't be targeted jointly by the Justice League and those psychos?"
An intellectual female voice interrupted Lynn's thoughts.
He turned his head to look and saw a woman with a voluptuous, tall figure and fiery red long hair leaning against the wall, her lazy eyes gazing at him.
Her skin had a hint of green mixed with white, and the lush plants beside her bloomed in clusters, making her look like a flower fairy from a fairy tale legend.
But in fact, this person was no flower fairy, but the deadly Poison Ivy who could control plant growth.
In the air around her were spores of various plants. Under her power, they could grow into towering trees at any time.
She could even use her control over various plant debris in a person's stomach to make plants take root and sprout inside others.
Green Lantern Hal Jordan had once been poked in the butt by plants under the control of Poison Ivy, causing him to have diarrhea for several days.
"Rest assured, there is a high probability that the Justice League won't make a move against us." Lynn shook his head.
Others might be wary or afraid of Poison Ivy's abilities.
But he had his cheats turned on and never turned them off, so he wasn't afraid of her at all.
"Why?" Poison Ivy and Catwoman asked with puzzled expressions.
Not just them, but Deadshot Floyd Lawton beside them also looked at Lynn, seemingly eager to hear his explanation.
"It's a very simple logic."
Lynn explained with a completely serious face.
"Both Joker and the Riddler are supercriminals and dark forces that superheroes need to crack down on.
Robbing them is also cracking down on dark forces, so to some extent, we are also superheroes, and the Bat Gang is also the Justice League."
Poison Ivy: "..."
Catwoman: "..."
Deadshot: "..."
Is... is that so?
Why do they feel like something somewhere isn't quite right?