Sophia Falcone

"Is it good?"

In the apartment, Li Ang watched Kara treat the bowl of egg fried rice in front of her with utmost seriousness.

"It's... it's good."

If Kara hadn't been frowning, Li Ang might have believed her.

"How does it compare to the Chinese restaurant we went to before?"

"About the same."

Kara then devoured the bowl of egg fried rice in no time.

It wasn't exactly bad, just a little bland.

People who were new to cooking either didn't dare add enough seasoning or went overboard. Li Ang belonged to the former group.

Afterward, Li Ang tried some himself. He thought it was all right.

"All right, I'm heading to work. Be careful on your own."

"Got it."

Though Li Ang had gained Superman-like strength, it hadn't changed much about his life.

Someone had once said that superpowers couldn't beat Money Power.

Spider-Man Peter Parker couldn't pay off the mortgage Aunt May had left behind.

Superman Clark Kent had even lost the farm his adoptive parents had left him to the bank.

And plenty of other superheroes lived frugal lives.

Li Ang had no "I don't eat beef" hang-ups, and he didn't want to become Homelander, let alone Ancestor Man.

Especially since this was Gotham. He had even less desire to attract the attention of some lunatic in a skintight suit.

In his previous life, Li Ang had lived with few wants, and he was the same now. He just wanted a peaceful life, to make things better for himself, and to raise Kara in good health.

He was used to being an ordinary person, not some Savior.

For an ordinary person, having a job and even making it to manager was pretty good, wasn't it?

As for whatever shady things Penguin got up to, they had nothing to do with him.

He wasn't about to let himself be guilt-tripped by "with great power comes great responsibility."

As he walked, Li Ang felt warmth spreading through his body, as if a power were slowly taking root.

Though the sun was rarely visible in Gotham, Solar Energy was everywhere, and Li Ang slowly absorbed it.

The Iceberg Lounge.

It was open as usual, as if nothing had happened yesterday.

Now that Li Ang was the bar manager, he naturally didn't have to do the work himself.

Unless a customer specifically asked him to mix a drink, or he had to deliver one to Penguin and the others.

Penguin hadn't shown up all day, though.

He'd hardly seen any of Penguin's men, either.

With Penguin gone, the two managers were the ones in charge, and Li Ang hadn't actually gotten much of a break. If anything, he had more to do.

Still, for Franklin's sake, he worked hard.

Before long, it was late at night.

There were fewer people in the casino now, and they had all gathered at the bar, making more work for Li Ang and the others.

The waitresses dressed as bunny girls had made quite a haul. Their sewn-in pockets were visibly stuffed with tips.

"Bang!"

Just as everyone was lost in the revelry, a group of people suddenly burst in through the entrance.

They were well organized and dressed alike. They weren't in suits and ties like Penguin's men, but they were clearly no ordinary group.

As soon as they entered, they fired into the air.

"Ahhh!"

The crowd erupted into chaos. No one stayed to watch; everyone ducked and ran on instinct, desperate to survive.

Only a few seemed experienced. They immediately crouched down somewhere—by a wall, or even under a gaming table.

Then the biggest shootout Li Ang had ever seen broke out.

Many innocent socialites, men and women alike, fell to the ground. Their pristine clothes were instantly stained crimson.

Penguin's few remaining men didn't just sit back and wait to die. They immediately drew their weapons and fought back.

The intruders were even worse. They sprayed bullets as if ammunition were free.

Li Ang didn't sit idle, either. His reflexes were lightning fast, and as the group burst in, he pulled down the woman beside him, who had been chatting with him.

The white woman had said she was from South Africa. She wasn't familiar with Gotham and had planned to invite him to "look around" the city together.

Li Ang hadn't decided whether to accept yet when this mess broke out.

"Call the police!"

Li Ang shouted at her, seeing how stunned she was.

If she really was from South Africa, she'd certainly gotten a taste of America.

Or rather, Gotham.

Trembling, the woman pulled out her phone and dialed 911, but the line was busy.

Just then, Li Ang felt a sharp pain in his arm.

He raised his hand and saw a bullet mark, but the bullet hadn't pierced his skin.

The mark healed at an astonishing speed.

Super Physique!

Li Ang had probably drawn Kara's current level of strength.

Otherwise, the bullet wouldn't have left even a mark on his body.

Seeing this, Li Ang immediately felt reassured.

Sure enough, having a strong body was important for surviving in Gotham.

And in just that short time, Penguin's men had been wiped out.

There were fewer of them than usual to begin with, and their opponents were also elite. Outnumbered, they hadn't lasted long.

For a moment, an eerie silence fell over the entire Iceberg Lounge.

All that could be heard was heavy breathing and women sobbing.

"Everyone, come over here and stay together. Don't move around, or you might get hit by a bullet!"

"We're not here to slaughter everyone. Be sensible!"

The intruders quickly took control of the scene.

With all of Penguin's men dead, the others didn't cause any trouble. They obediently gathered together instead.

"Miss Sophia, it's safe now."

Then a voice rang out.

"Click, click!"

The sound of high heels striking the floor echoed through the quiet club.

It was faint, but Li Ang heard it clearly with his enhanced hearing. He could even map the sound in three dimensions, as if he could pinpoint her location in his mind.

The heels stopped. The woman had reached the center of the room.

She scanned the area, taking in the disheveled socialites, and smiled. "Everyone, relax. We may be a crime family, but we're not a bunch of lunatics who kill without reason."

"As long as you behave, I guarantee you'll live. Of course, don't count on the police coming to save you. They're as meek as dogs in front of me."

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself."

"I'm Sophia Falcone!"

Some in the crowd clearly knew Sophia's name. Even those who didn't trembled when they heard the surname Falcone.

Sophia Falcone, daughter of Carmine Falcone and the rightful heir to the Falcone family.

She was violent and full of rage, earning her the title of Executioner.

Seeing how quiet the crowd was, she seemed pleased. "Now tell me, with Penguin gone, who's in charge here?"

One of her men grabbed a bartender, who hurriedly said, "Not me!"

"Then who is?"

The bartender immediately pointed toward Li Ang.

At that moment, Li Ang had his arm around the South African woman, mainly to comfort her.

Having gotten the answer she wanted, Sophia immediately drew her pistol and shot the bartender dead.

"I hate traitors."

Sophia Falcone blew on the barrel of her gun, then gave Li Ang a faint smile.