I Just Like Dutiful Children

When Li Ang first arrived in Gotham, he actually went to Chinatown first.

In America, almost every major city has a Chinatown, and Gotham was no exception.

Because Li Ang didn't dare use his real identity, he was considered an undocumented person in his boss's eyes, so he was assigned to wash dishes at an extremely low wage.

To be able to stay in Gotham, Li Ang accepted it.

As it turned out, washing dishes for three months wouldn't buy you a villa in America.

Not until his boss found out he was leading a teenage girl named Kara along with him...

He nearly got locked up by the Gotham Police Department.

The restaurant owner, also a fellow Chinese, didn't hesitate to call the police, claiming Li Ang was a 'pedophile'.

The reason was that Kara was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white girl, and Li Ang couldn't possibly be related to her.

In this twisted country of America, the less something exists, the more it's emphasized.

They emphasize protecting children precisely because children are being heavily victimized, and whenever such incidents occur, they are taken extremely seriously.

From then on, Li Ang no longer believed in so-called 'one of us'.

Leaving Chinatown, Li Ang brought Kara to the Diamond District, and instead managed to settle in at the Iceberg Lounge.

After changing into a waiter's uniform, the head bartender immediately found Li Ang.

"Li Ang, Mr. Victor was here just now and had someone send wine over."

The head bartender said this, and Li Ang naturally took the hint.

"I'll go."

"No problem, I know you mix drinks well."

Li Ang's bartending was only average; the main thing was that he knew a lot of 'recipes'.

That alone was enough to earn him preferential treatment at the Iceberg Lounge.

He searched the wine cabinet for a while, found a Bordeaux red wine from France, and specially mixed a glass.

Then he mixed a few other drinks before quickly picking up the tray and heading into the corridor of the Iceberg Lounge.

The bar and casino outside were just a cover for the venue inside.

Li Ang carried the tray to the depths of the corridor, where two men in suits stood outside the door.

Penguin considered himself a 'gentleman', so his men were gentleman criminals as well.

"I'm delivering wine to Mr. Cobblepot."

Li Ang said to the two men.

Both of them knew Li Ang and immediately opened the door.

As the door opened, the sound of conversation inside instantly stopped.

Inside was a long table with several people seated around it.

Li Ang glanced quickly and immediately saw many pictures and information laid out on a board, but he only looked once.

It had nothing to do with him.

He hurried over to the head of the table first.

The person sitting there appeared to be middle-aged, short in stature, extremely fat, with a nose as long as Pinocchio's.

But even so, he was still dressed in a proper black suit, leisurely smoking a cigar, with a sharp black umbrella resting beside him.

This was Penguin, Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot.

"Mr. Cobblepot, this is a newly mixed drink."

Li Ang set down his glass first, and to highlight its uniqueness, he used a better wine glass.

Penguin first picked it up and sniffed it, a satisfied expression appearing on his face: "My favorite Bordeaux. Li Ang, you're Chinese, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Cobblepot."

Li Ang nodded, not flustered even in the face of Gotham's supervillain.

"I like you Chinese people's attention to detail. Just like you, you never call me Mr. Penguin."

Penguin Cobblepot revealed a 'kind' smile.

"Because you hate it when others call you that, and I also think that form of address is disrespectful to you."

To this, Li Ang replied directly.

Anyone who dared call him Penguin to his face probably didn't know how to spell death.

"Yes, respect!"

Penguin clapped his hands: "Even you know to respect me, but some people don't."

He suddenly glared at a young man in a black suit: "Tommy, what exactly did Falcone's idiot son promise you that made you betray me?"

A bald man in a suit and tie had somehow already appeared behind Tommy, and now grabbed him by the hair, slamming his head directly into the table.

"Bang!"

In that instant, young Tommy's front teeth were knocked flying, his mouth instantly flooding with blood.

The bald head wore a face of evil smile; if he had hair, he'd surely be a handsome white man.

He was Penguin Cobblepot's most trusted subordinate, Victor Zsasz.

This was a murder maniac, rumored to count his kills by carving tally marks into his own flesh.

"Boss Cobblepot!"

Tommy was already scared witless, his words slurring through his missing teeth as he stammered, "It wasn't me, it wasn't me."

His excuses made Penguin Cobblepot lose patience.

The Penguin elegantly savored a sip of fine Bordeaux, then dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin and said, "Tommy, I hate people who do things but won't own up to them. I hear you've always been a filial child..."

"Please don't, Boss Cobblepot. It's because he threatened me with my mother. I didn't want to do this."

Tommy was now a mess of tears and saliva. "My mother can't lose me. She's already half-paralyzed. Please forgive me..."

Hearing this, the Penguin seemed somewhat angered. "Just because of an old woman, you betrayed me!"

Tommy only wept, not daring to speak in the face of his double standard.

"Don't worry, I promise your mother will be safe and sound."

Then, the Penguin spoke a single sentence.

Victor, who had been gripping Tommy's head, understood at once and dragged him away.

And that unlucky Tommy kept begging for mercy.

With a 'bang' from behind, there was no more sound.

Li Ang kept his head down. During his time working at the Iceberg Lounge, he had come to understand Gotham's darkness.

But scenes like today were still rare.

Everyone said the Penguin was cruel, cunning, and selfish, but he treated his men fairly well.

Especially those who followed him at the Iceberg Lounge had all reaped plenty of benefits.

"Do you know what the most detestable thing in this world is?"

"It's betrayal."

"It's like a cup of poison, slowly seeping into your bright red heart until it withers."

After finishing his speech, Penguin Cobblepot waved at Li Ang.

This made Li Ang breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly placed the remaining drinks in front of everyone.

Just as he was about to withdraw, the Penguin thought of him again, looked at him, and asked, "Li Ang, I heard you have a daughter?"

Sighing inwardly, Li Ang stopped in his tracks and said, "Mr. Cobblepot, she's my goddaughter."

"What about her parents?"

"They're in heaven."

"What a poor child. Is she filial?"

Li Ang looked at Penguin Cobblepot and said, "I think so. She's very filial."

This made the Penguin laugh happily.

"You see, I like filial children."

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