Low-Class Scum

After everyone had left, Falcone set down his glass and sat there in silence.

Beside him, Victor leaned in and spoke to Falcone in a low voice.

"Boss, should I make some preparations?"

"Preparations?"

Hearing Victor's question, Falcone chuckled.

"It would be hard for our preparations to be more thorough than theirs. Forget it.

How many years has it been since we heard from them? A full fifteen years. Time truly passes too quickly.

Leave me in peace for a moment, Victor. I need to think about what I should discuss with them.

These are truly troubled times."

As his voice trailed off, Falcone leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes.

Watching his boss lost in thought, Victor returned to his original position, standing as straight as a javelin.

Not long after, another taxi pulled up outside the Iceberg Lounge.

Downton, wearing a set of tattered clothes and carrying a new gun, walked toward the club entrance without any attempt at concealment.

As he walked, Downton looked around with curiosity at the hundreds of people brawling in the street.

Noticing Downton, the thugs who were busy fighting froze for a moment.

"Hell, he really came back!"

"Forget about that, take the chance to run!"

"Damn it, Penguin's men are actually fighting for real, my arm is broken!"

"Even if I escaped, the medical bills will be at least a few thousand dollars. I might as well be dead!"

"Keep chasing! Don't leave a single one alive!!!"

"Stay away from Downton, our boss gave the order!"

"Let Downton into the club!"

Listening to the chaotic noise, Downton understood what was happening.

Oswald had indeed dealt with Sabatino's men, and he had even instructed his subordinates to let him into the club.

Downton nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad, Penguin. Your attitude is much better this time."

After offering a word of praise to Penguin, Downton swaggered into the Iceberg Lounge.

Just as he walked down the stairs, Oswald opened his arms and came forward to greet him.

"Welcome, my friend. As soon as I knew you were coming back, I came to greet you immediately!"

"Of course I'd come back, because I never put off my revenge until tomorrow. What about you, have you finished off Sabatino's men?"

As he spoke, Downton leaned over slightly and shared a hug with the incredibly enthusiastic Penguin.

After they separated, Penguin nodded at Downton.

"I won't break my promise; Sabatino's men are gone. But even so, if you want to take out Sabatino, you'll have to get past my boss first!"

"Which boss?" Downton asked casually.

"My boss, Falcone, is waiting for you. He wants to have a talk with you!" Penguin explained.

Hearing Penguin's words, Downton couldn't help but pause.

"What's the situation?"

He looked at Penguin, bewildered, and asked.

"I've broken into the Iceberg Lounge, twice, and I'm planning to take out his right-hand man, Sabatino!

Under these circumstances, Falcone actually wants to talk to me? Are you sure he's really Falcone?"

It wasn't as if Downton hadn't read the comics or watched the movies; he didn't think Falcone was the type to show weakness so easily.

Logically speaking, if he provoked the Falcone family like this, the only outcome should be a fight to the death, right?

Before Batman matured, Falcone truly ruled Gotham with an iron fist; his power was even greater than that slippery Chechen.

A kingpin who had ruled Gotham for decades, after having his base bombed twice by a single person, actually wanted to talk?

Thinking of this, Downton frowned. He felt he had underestimated Falcone.

Once he determined that he couldn't be easily killed, Falcone had actually suppressed his anger immediately, skipping the cliché steps of probing, hunting, and failed assassination attempts, and decided to negotiate directly!

And here he was, thinking he had been clever by stopping at the old man's gun shop to restock before coming here. By comparison, he had clearly misjudged Falcone's reaction.

If this were a game of guessing each other's moves, Falcone had already gained the upper hand.

Thinking of this, Downton nodded in appreciation.

"Falcone is truly broad-minded. I understand. Take me to see him."

"Alright, follow me. Our boss is inside Minus Forty-Four Degrees.

If you and Boss Falcone can reach a good agreement, perhaps you'll become a regular here at Minus Forty-Four Degrees as well.

If that happens, the two of us will definitely have to grab a couple of drinks to celebrate our shared animosity toward Sabatino."

Penguin chatted with Downton while leading the way.

Watching the slightly overly attentive Penguin, Downton patted him on the shoulder with a suspicious look.

"Buddy, having a drink is no problem, but isn't something a bit off?

I just snapped your ribs a moment ago; are you sure you're actually this kind-hearted?

You aren't going to spike my drink, are you?"

"How could you say that!!!"

As soon as Downton finished speaking, Penguin immediately grabbed his sleeve.

"Hundreds of people have fired at you and couldn't kill you, so what good would it do for me to poison you!

If you think I'm that stupid, then we'd better not have that drink. I can allow you to break my ribs if you've made a mistake, but I won't allow you to look down on me, buddy!"

With those words, Penguin looked at Downton with extreme seriousness.

Facing Penguin's look of being underestimated, Downton shrugged innocently and said with a smile.

"Oswald, I wouldn't look down on you. The 'spiking' I mentioned wasn't about poison.

What's poison? That stuff can't kill me anyway. I was just worried you'd put spit or dandruff in my drink."

"Go to hell! Isn't that even more pathetic and vile than poisoning?

If that isn't looking down on me, what is? Do you think I'm some fourth-rate villain playing third-rate tricks like an idiot!"

Oswald's hair was practically standing on end.

As for why he reacted so strongly, it wasn't because he wouldn't do such a thing, but because he had actually used those kinds of low-life tactics before...

Lies never hurt; only the truth cuts straight to the heart.

Before becoming Falcone's subordinate, Oswald's life had been miserable, especially during his school years.

As a child, Oswald was short, thin, and walked with a limp, so he had tasted his fair share of bullying.

If someone were to write a book on the "One Hundred and Eight Ways to Bully in American Schools," Oswald could guarantee he had experienced at least one hundred and seven of them.

During that time, Oswald desperately wanted to pay back everything he suffered to those who hurt him.

But the young Oswald, who hadn't yet fully turned to darkness, lacked the strength to fight back against his bullies head-on.

Therefore, he could only resort to the retaliatory methods of the weak.

If they made me buy them water, I'd spike it.

If they made me buy them condoms, I'd poke holes in them.

If they shoved me into a urinal to make me 'swim,' I'd sneak into the locker room during gym class and pee in their lockers!

While this venting was Oswald's only solace as a child, it also became a forbidden zone in his mind, accompanied by those unbearable memories.

Now that Downton had jokingly brought it up, Oswald immediately blew a fuse!

Seeing Oswald suddenly explode, Downton was slightly stunned, then couldn't help but laugh out loud.

While laughing, Downton draped his arm over Oswald's shoulder.

"Stung by the truth, aren't you? I knew you must have thought of similar things, because I've thought of them too!

When I gaze into my own heart, evil thoughts sprout every second. Who doesn't have a few beasts living inside them? I understand you.

But I have to warn you in advance: thinking about such things is enough; you can't actually do them.

Even in evil, big shots like us in Gotham must be evil in a high-end way, otherwise, it would be too embarrassing for Gotham, haha!"

Amidst his loud laughter, Downton continued walking with his arm around Oswald's shoulder like an old friend.

Before Downton spoke, Oswald had been ready to explode with rage, but after hearing Downton's words and being walked along by him in such a familiar manner.

He was surprised to find that the anger in his heart, ignited by those unbearable past experiences, was slowly fading away.

That's right, he was already a villain; his current evil even surpassed everyone who had ever bullied him!

He no longer needed to play those low-life tricks like a small-timer.

He was a big shot now!

Thinking of this, Oswald sneered and continued to speak to Downton.

"Don't make jokes like that, because they are meaningless.

Even against a mortal enemy, I wouldn't use such childish tactics to fight; it would only bring shame upon me!"

Having said that, Oswald stopped in his tracks and pointed to a door not far away.

"We're here. Boss Falcone is waiting for you in that room. I wish you both a pleasant conversation!"