Boss, Lend Me Some Money

Downton had eaten his fill at Oswald's, making up for the meal that Falcone's joke had ruined.

After a satisfying French dinner, he walked out of the Iceberg Lounge under Oswald's reluctant gaze.

He hadn't even taken two steps when a showgirl stopped in front of him.

"This is for you, from our Big Sister!"

She chewed her gum while handing Downton a business card marked with a lipstick kiss.

Downton took the card and glanced at it; it was another one with nothing but a phone number.

"Is your Big Sister Liv?" Downton asked.

"Of course. I'm under Big Sister Liv's protection."

The showgirl replied proudly, hands on her hips as she looked at Downton.

Watching this hen acting like a rooster, Downton gave a slight nod.

Liv really can't afford to have too much contact with me right now; the Falcone family doesn't exactly have a high opinion of me.

Still, as a middleman, she must be used to the feeling of being caught in the middle.

"Go back and tell Liv that I'll contact her at a suitable time when I need her."

With that, Downton turned to leave.

Seeing Downton about to walk away without a second thought, the showgirl, still standing with her hands on her hips, was stunned for a moment before hurriedly shouting!

"Wait! Aren't you... aren't you going to give a tip?"

"What?" Downton turned back, looking completely bewildered.

"I said a tip! A tip!"

The showgirl gestured excitedly as she explained.

"Back in the club, you just went... whoosh!"

Her eyes lit up as she mimicked Downton's money-tossing motion, then continued with anticipation.

"That move was so cool, and you were so cool. I thought you'd do the same in front of me. I even took off my bra just so I could pick up the money in front of you, sir. Please, just toss a tip, whoosh!"

As she made the sound effect, the showgirl hopped excitedly, striking a flashy pose with her hands toward the sky.

After staring at the showgirl for a moment, Downton suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter.

It was the most hearty laugh he'd had all day. Still laughing, he held up his travel bag toward her.

"When you first asked me for a tip, I wanted to blow your head off! But you... whoosh... hahahahaha!!!"

Still laughing, Downton tossed the entire travel bag to the showgirl.

The showgirl caught the bag in surprise, immediately staggering under its weight.

Meanwhile, Downton was still clutching his sides, unable to stop laughing.

"Liv really has me figured out, sending a weirdo like you who's actually decent to look at. Tell Liv when you get back: next time I come to the Iceberg Lounge, I want both you and her to keep me company. Keep ten thousand from this bag for yourself; consider the rest a down payment for a middleman like Liv. Oh, and when I come to the club, make sure you two are wearing stockings that feel good to the touch. Also, get down—you practiced that money-picking move and took off your bra, after all. I can't let you practice for nothing. Strip!"

As he said this, Downton pulled out his pistol and pointed it at the showgirl.

Facing the muzzle, the showgirl showed no fear. Instead, she simply glanced left and right.

Seeing no one around, she immediately covered her chest with her hands and pulled down her dance outfit.

Duang~~~

With a bounce, the showgirl covered her mouth and giggled. As she pulled her outfit back into place, she asked Downton generously, "Is this enough?"

"Enough my ass, but that'll do for now. You've got nice skin and a good shape. We'll see each other next time."

Downton waved at her and walked toward the distant street.

Watching Downton's retreating figure, the showgirl chewed her gum with a grin, clutching the money bag as she excitedly returned to the Iceberg Lounge.

In the warehouse district near the club, atop a five-story building bathed in the sunset, Bruce watched the showgirl's satisfied expression with a blank face.

"Because it's stolen money, you don't care at all. Or is it that a person like you simply cannot care about money, because you already possess the most precious thing? Or perhaps, has your mindset been... Zorro all along?"

"Furthermore, you never consider money to be your own, so in your eyes, everyone else's money is yours!"

As he said this, Bruce tightened his tattered coat and parkoured from the current rooftop to the next.

Over a decade ago, around the time Thomas Wayne died, Gotham City had suffered a major accident caused by the massive billboards densely packed across the tops of its buildings.

Consequently, the mayor at the time issued an order prohibiting the installation of large billboards or similar giant obstacles on the rooftops of Gotham City.

This order undoubtedly facilitated Bruce's movements, allowing him to roam across the skyscrapers with greater ease.

As for his pursuit of Downton, that was a matter of course.

Ever since he witnessed Downton's extraordinary abilities at the scene of the conflict between the Sabatino Family and the Dimitrov Family, his tracking of Downton had never ceased.

Although Downton's occasional random teleports caused him no small amount of trouble, Bruce had his own methods.

When tracking a person, why bother tracking the individual himself?

Bruce only needed to lock onto the Dimitrov Family and the Sabatino Family, who had prompted Downton to join the battlefield!

Although Bruce had not yet donned the Batman suit at this time, his tracking skills were far beyond anything Downton could compare to.

Completely unaware that he was being watched, Downton held his pistol and arrived on a road just over a hundred and thirty meters from the Iceberg Lounge, randomly pulling the trigger at a Lamborghini clearly heading toward the club.

Bang!

The gunshot that rang out suddenly under the sunset startled the nearby pedestrians and scared the Lamborghini into an emergency stop.

"Are you fucking looking for death?"

A young man with dyed red hair and a slicked-back hairstyle stepped out of the car. He walked toward Downton while aiming his gun at him.

Bang!

Bang!

Both men fired at the same time. Downton didn't get hit at all, but the young man took a bullet to the thigh.

"I'm not looking for death, I'm looking for money, buddy.

Seeing you're so young and driving a Lamborghini, your net worth must be pretty good.

My money was all donated to the 'Goddess,' boss, mind lending me some cash?"

Downton walked over, kicked the gun out of the young man's hand without ceremony, and then fished out the young man's wallet.

Taking out the three thousand or so in cash inside, Downton tossed the wallet back to the young man.

Afterward, Downton opened the car door and sat in the driver's seat as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

While starting the car with some difficulty, Downton pointed his muzzle at the panicked woman in the passenger seat.

"I only want the cash, then you can crawl off and take your boyfriend to the hospital."

"B-but..."

Facing Downton's gun, the woman trembled uncontrollably, yet still said with immense grievance, "But this car is mine, h-his money is also mine, even the wallet was a gift from me to him..."

"Oh, shit!"

Downton frowned, opened the door to step out, and put another bullet into the young man's leg.

"Ah! My leg!! You fucking lunatic!!!"

Accompanied by the young man's screams, Downton let out a scoff of annoyance.

"Damn it, he's not a simp, he's a 'successful man'!"

As the words fell, Downton climbed back into the car and drove off.

Seeing herself being dragged away by Downton just like that, the woman, who looked to be only in her twenties, was so nervous she nearly curled into a ball.

"Can you let me out? I don't want the car anymore, the money is all yours, okay?"

She asked Downton, trembling. Downton simply shook his head.

"It's not that easy, but don't worry, I'm not interested in your car."

"Then what are you interested in?" the woman asked nervously.

Hearing the woman's question, Downton irritably freed a hand and slapped her smooth thigh hard.

Watching Downton's actions, the woman stiffened slightly, then felt a strange sense of excitement.

Being robbed, then kidnapped, and potentially being "wall-pinned" next.

Such an experience was truly a first in her life, and this thrill was actually far more stimulating to her than the marijuana she had just started messing with!

However, meeting the woman's expression, which was gradually turning into anticipation, Downton withdrew his hand in boredom.

"You saw it yourself, my clothes are too ragged; I need to go change into something more suitable.

A mere three thousand definitely isn't enough to spend. I thought I'd have to pick out a few more lucky winners, but who told me to run into a sucker like you."

Saying this, Downton slapped the woman's thigh again.

"If you can spend it on him, then you can spare a little for me."

"Settle the bill for me in a moment, and leave a few tens of thousands in change while you're at it. Make it quick; get it done before the police arrive. Did you hear me?"

"Ah, this!"

The woman was slightly stunned, and then her face flushed red.

"I... my father is a councilman in Gotham. If you're really in a rush, I can call my father and have the police come later! Even... even if it takes all night, it won't be a problem!"

"All night? In your dreams, you damn fool!"

Downton slapped the woman on the head, annoyed. What kind of person was this?

Gotham was truly not far from ruin!