Chapter 2 Cafe
Darkness, the background color of this city, is like a thick gray-black cloth. The streets became deserted and silent just after nine o'clock. Even the street lights were a bit dimmer than elsewhere. The dim light emitted by each lamp was like a firefly struggling in the cold night.
This is Gotham.
A steel jungle that disguises itself as a civilized place. Here, even the blood is cold.
The stocky man walked through the unsettlingly dark streets, as if he were walking in a dark hall where the bones of ancient gods were buried. The streetlights on both sides were sacrificial torches.
There was only a glimmer of warm light at the end of the street lamp. Coming from a coffee shop, perhaps the only place in the nearby streets where people feel safe.
This is a new store that just opened a few months ago. The man heard that the boss's name was Shen You, who seemed to be Chinese and surprisingly young considering his reputation in the nearby community.
One seemed to be an out-of-towner who had just arrived in Gotham this year. But unlike most outsiders who would be dissuaded by the simple folk customs of Gotham people in just a week, he quickly broke into the community and ran a cafe here.
On the surface, he appears to be a genial businessman who can communicate in a friendly and friendly manner with everyone. And interestingly enough, he seems to be very good at persuading others.
It is said that when the store first opened there was some minor friction with gangs from nearby streets. But later gang members clarified that it was all a misunderstanding. They have a good relationship with Boss Shen and there has never been any conflict.
Interestingly, the neighbors have noticed that the activities of the gangs originally stationed in this area have decreased in the past few months, and they seem to have stopped collecting protection fees.
No one has ever clearly stated why, but there are always rumors that it may have something to do with the new coffee shop opening on the street.
And the man’s goal tonight is this coffee shop.
He stopped at the door, raised his head, and saw the eye-catching signboard decorated with neon lights that read "HISHE".
"Sorry, the store is closed today."
The young boss came out with his usual gentle and contagious smile.
"I'm very sorry to bother you so late, Mr. Shen." The man said nervously, "Maybe you don't remember me."
"Of course you remember, Mr. Grimm. Yesterday it was a cappuccino, slightly sugary, right?"
"Ah, you remember me." Mr. Grimm showed a pleased expression, "That's right, I need your help."
"Oh? What's the matter?"
“Have you heard of it?”
He looked around as he spoke and lowered his voice, as if he were afraid of being heard.
".Batman?"
Shen You said: "It's an urban legend that has just started to spread in recent days, right? I've heard about it."
"It's not a legend, it's true. I saw him with my own eyes." Grimm's face twisted and he said solemnly, "My son may have been kidnapped by that monster."
Shen You pondered for a moment and asked, "By Batman?"
"Yes." Grim nodded firmly.
"Okay. Since it's a kidnapping matter, it should fall under the jurisdiction of the Gotham Police. Have you not considered calling the police?"
"Of course." Grimm showed a look of resentment, "But they didn't care at all, and even laughed at me!"
"Laughing at you?" Shen You was a little surprised.
It is indeed possible that the GCPD (Gotham Police Department) is not working at this stage. After all, their main policy in dealing with the underworld problem these days is that the police and criminals are one family. The director spends five days out of seven in the nightclubs owned by the underworld. The remaining day is to pay public food to the mother-in-law at home, and the other day is to recuperate and recharge.
But no matter how you say it, ridicule seems a bit excessive, even by the standards of this city.
"Yes." Grimm said angrily, "I said it was Batman who did it, and the two policemen started laughing! They didn't stop!
I said they still don’t admit it, saying that they are professionally trained and will not laugh no matter how funny it is.”
"Unless you can't help it?" Shen You interrupted.
The man stared at him with big eyes, blinked twice and looked at him in shock.
"How do you know?"
"Guess, just keep talking about coincidence."
"Later I asked him why he was laughing, and he said his wife was giving birth to a baby."
"Ahem, no, you can skip this part. I'm talking about Batman taking away your child." Shen You coughed.
"It's like this. My child was in the second grade of junior high school and was walking on the road home from school. Then that guy suddenly fell from the sky! It spread its huge wings and flew down like a bat monster. It grabbed poor Jack with its sharp claws. He carried him and flew away.
The classmates behind saw this scene from a distance, my poor Jack."
"So you didn't see it with your own eyes, right?" Shen You asked.
"Yeah. But it's not important. His classmates saw it." The man said emotionally, "And this is not the first time. In the past few days, several children have disappeared in our nearby community, more than one. Witnesses all identified it as that Batman!
That's not a groundless rumor, it's true! He is a pervert who steals children, a demon! "
"Okay, calm down and have a drink of water, sir."
Shen You handed a glass of water to him. The man's face was rosy due to excessive excitement, and he couldn't calm down for a long time.
"So, why did you come to me? As you can see, I'm just a businessman."
"Everyone says so. In this community, if something makes you desperate and you are at a loss, you can always go to the coffee shop, Boss Shen."
Shen You looked strange: "Who said such weird things? It makes me look like some kind of godfather. I am a businessman who does my duty."
"They said the boy from the Qinglong Gang who came to collect protection money had his legs broken here."
"Nonsense, he fell on his own and it's none of anyone else's business." Shen You said firmly.
"The leader of the Qinglong Gang made wild claims about destroying this place. When he woke up the next day, he found that his car had been crushed into a ball of scrap metal."
"It's a typical case of spreading rumors and adding fuel to the fire. He drove his car through a traffic light and hit it."
"Well, I heard that later the leader of the Iron Mask Gang personally led his men to kill him aggressively, but he fled within a few minutes and never dared to set foot in the neighborhood again."
"Oh, that friendly gentleman. He is very nice, and all his people are easy to talk to. I served him a cold brew, and we had a good chat and some reasoning. He expressed his approval very much, so he took the people Leave by yourself."
Grimm: "."
God just spoke some sense and left on his own.
That was the Iron Mask Gang, the local gang that had terrorized these streets for several years. A group of typical aggressive and aggressive gangsters, the kind that all the neighbors would avoid when they see you. But when you come here, they become civilized people who speak politely and politely?
Of course, Gotham is the place with the most urban legends. The natives of Gotham grew up hearing rumors including but not limited to about pale circus clowns and about owls hiding in corners. The more they heard it, the more they naturally grew up. resistance.
Therefore, although most of the neighbors feel that the rumors may be exaggerated, no one will deny that Boss Shen has his own skills in the art of "reasoning". Many neighbors tend to believe that he may have practiced traditional kung fu, which is not unusual in Gotham.
"As I said, I am a serious businessman and I have always abided by laws and regulations and never crossed the line at all."
Shen You paused and thought about it.
"But there are a lot of people in my shop, and sometimes the news is relatively well-informed. I'll keep an eye on it for you, and I'll let you know if I happen to hear anything."
Grim consciously understood that this was supposed to be a tactful agreement, and he was immediately overjoyed: "Then please leave it to Mr. Shen! As long as I can get my Jack back, I am willing to pay any price! I can borrow money now."
"No, no, I'm just trying my best to pay attention, but I can't guarantee that there will be any clues." Shen You said softly, "If you are lucky enough to hear some rumors, I won't require you to pay money or any other big price.
All I need is a small, insignificant reward. "
Grimm held his breath blankly and nervously, waiting for the next step.
Shen You said with a smile.
".Your gratitude."