Iceberg Lounge, second floor.
This was Penguin Oswald's publicly known nightclub, a legitimate business.
In reality, though, it housed his gang members. The basement level was a casino, the second basement was a secret meeting room, and below that was an armory.
"I'm in a terrible mood today, Oswald. You'd better tell me everything you know."
Bai Lang sat on the sofa, his gaze cold as he stared at the short, plump Penguin across from him.
The lights around them were dim, but Bai Lang could still make out several burly men standing behind the other man.
But Bai Lang hadn't come alone, either. Behind him stood the five fully armed subordinates Director Gordon had just assigned to him.
"Uh... well..." Penguin Oswald glanced at the officers behind Bai Lang, looking uneasy.
"Chief Bai, I really don't know why that 'Catwoman' kidnapped you, let alone where that mercenary called Deathstroke is."
What did he take Penguin for?
This rookie who'd just become chief had come to his Iceberg Lounge to throw his weight around?
And that Catwoman—he'd only asked her to knock the man out and bring him over, yet she'd gotten herself caught instead.
Useless at getting things done, good only at messing them up!
If he'd known, he would've caught her himself and had his way with her first.
Seeing that he wouldn't talk, Bai Lang pulled his service pistol from his waistband and slapped it down on the table.
"How about now?"
Penguin Oswald glanced at the police pistol on the table, then at Bai Lang.
His expression darkened, and a murderous glint flickered deep in his eyes.
"Chief Bai, you're putting me in a difficult position. I really did ask 'Catwoman' to bring you here for me..."
Seeing that he still wouldn't give up any information about Deathstroke, Bai Lang picked up the pistol and walked toward Penguin.
"Don't move!" When Penguin's men saw Bai Lang approaching with the gun, their expressions changed at once. They started reaching into their pockets for their own weapons.
Ryan, standing behind Bai Lang, drew his gun immediately, ready to shoot if the other side made even the slightest suspicious move.
Penguin watched helplessly as Bai Lang walked right up to him and placed the pistol in his hand.
"You're framing me?"
Penguin immediately understood what Bai Lang was trying to do: put the gun in his hand so he could frame him.
"Point it at me."
"Is this better?"
Bai Lang kept a blank expression as he gestured toward the officers behind him.
The dim light fell across his face, leaving Penguin unable to make out his features, only the dark, deep contours of his face.
"They've already started recording. Assaulting a police officer with a firearm will get you seven or eight years in Blackgate Prison, at the very least..."
"Most of Gotham's judges are on my payroll. You think they'll believe you just because you say so?" Penguin Oswald's expression grew even darker.
"Yes. They will." Bai Lang remained unmoved.
"You're not afraid I'll kill all of you?" Penguin's face turned black with rage. He bared his teeth as he threatened, "Then steal the recording?!"
He was the one who threatened people. Since when did a police chief get to threaten him?
Bai Lang wasn't the least bit afraid. Of all Gotham's criminals, Penguin cared most about his own safety and reputation.
"The recorder's already connected to the internet. The footage has been uploaded to the precinct's computers."
"If you kill the six of us, the footage will be posted online. Everyone will know. Then you'll go from being a criminal to a terrorist."
"In a country like America, if you publicly murder several police officers, do you think you'll survive once you're branded a terrorist?"
At Bai Lang's words, a flicker of fear crossed Penguin's eyes.
Bai Lang was right.
Although he'd bought off most of the police at the precinct, if word got out that he'd killed these officers, it would be all over.
It would be a slap in the face to the American government. The next day, the FBI and various special forces would flatten his Iceberg Lounge.
That wouldn't be ordinary crime anymore. It would be terrorism.
"New Town. They went to New Town."
Seeing that the chief was determined to make trouble for him, Penguin finally caved and told him everything he knew about Deathstroke.
"That man covered head to toe in metal armor looked as though he'd been burned. There seems to be something at the New Town Royal Hotel that can heal him."
Bai Lang nodded, took the gun from Penguin's hand, and left the Iceberg Lounge with Ryan and the others.
Penguin watched them go, his gaze murderous.
"Boss, should we...?" One of his men immediately stepped forward and drew a hand across his throat with the edge of his palm.
He was asking whether they should take care of Bai Lang.
"Don't touch him. He's asking for it. Let's just wait and enjoy the show."
Penguin seemed to have thought of something. A sinister smile slowly spread across his face.
Now that he knew where Deathstroke was, Bai Lang decided to get himself into the best shape possible.
He told Ryan to wait at headquarters with the four officers, then headed to Gotham Forest.
"Maybe it's just my imagination, but the plants here seem to have gotten denser..."
Looking at the lush, vigorously growing trees around him, Bai Lang couldn't help thinking that.
But none of that mattered. The most important thing now was to increase his strength, then get enough Ability Points from Deathstroke to raise his Current Propulsion to 200,000 volts.
That would let him rest easy for a while before starting on his next plan.
He brought up the Blue Panel.
[Name: Bai Lang] [Lifespan: 23/120] [Abilities: Level 1 Firearms Mastery (71%), Level 2 Combat Mastery (5%), Current Propulsion: 155,000 volts/500,000 volts (upper-tier ability: Magnetic Field Rotation)] [Ability Points: 4 (obtained by causing a ripple of influence in the world)] [Spend 50 Ability Points to draw another ability or unlock a feature]
Without hesitation, he poured all four Ability Points he'd earned today into Current Propulsion.
His cells rubbed together at high speed. The current in his body surged, intensified, and roared!
It was as though a colossal whirlpool was dragging his cells into a frenzy.
The current within his body climbed rapidly.
[Current Propulsion: 155,000 volts] → [Current Propulsion: 163,000 volts]
Red arcs of electricity kept seeping from his skin. Even Bai Lang's hair stood on end from the current.
Crackle!
Fine, popping sounds like beans frying rang out from all over his body.
Sensing the incredible power within him, Bai Lang stood still and began practicing his martial arts, move by move.
"Imperial Shocking World Palm!"
"Gwaah! Sea Tiger Explosive Fist!"
His arms tore through the air, stirring up gust after gust of wind. The powerful blasts even swept the dead leaves off the ground.
He suddenly slammed a punch into a towering Chinese scholar tree in front of him.
The tree was so wide that four people would have to join hands to encircle it. It shuddered violently for a moment, then exploded down the middle.
The broken pieces flew dozens of meters, propelled by immense force.
The tree was at least a hundred years old, with exceptionally hard wood. Bai Lang had shattered it with a single punch.
If that punch had landed on a person, they would've been reduced to a pulp.
Before he broke through 100,000 volts, his strength had already reached at least fifteen tons.
Now it had to be even more terrifying.
Bai Lang ran and leaped across the clearing. Several afterimages appeared around him as the wind howled like ghosts.
"My speed is now three seconds per hundred meters. My nervous system reacts who knows how many times faster than a cat's, and my strength has reached a terrifying fifty tons."
He clenched his fist, the surging power within him roiling.
"And I can now manage three attacks at 100,000 volts."
"But none of that is the point. The most important thing is that I'm getting closer and closer to 200,000 volts—the level at which I can withstand bullets."
"Only 37,000 volts to go!"
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