Getting Ready to Treat Everyone

Thud! The bag of gemstones was tossed onto the counter.

The little old man behind the counter took off his reading glasses, wiped the lenses with a scrap of cloth, and looked up at them.

"Take a look. How much can these things sell for?"

Miao Mu leaned against the counter with a grin, raised a hand, and turned the desk lamp on its stand so that the light shone onto the counter.

The little old man picked up the bag and poured out the gemstones. Under the light, their facets reflected dazzling, multicolored hues.

The little old man pulled a monocular magnifying glass from beneath the counter and carefully examined a ruby. Then he casually tossed it aside and picked up another.

"Handle them carefully! Those are gemstones!" Jerry cried as he watched with his arms crossed nearby.

Another gemstone deliberately seemed to be dropped onto the table. Miao Mu's mouth twitched, and he gritted his teeth. "I suspect this place is a fencing operation. I need to search it!"

The little old man glanced up at him, snorted twice, and tossed the gemstone in his hand onto the table again. "Do you idiots know the difference between gemstones and glass? Trying to fool me with this junk?"

"Huh?" x2

"What did you say?" Miao Mu hurriedly asked.

The little old man picked up a gemstone. "This one's fake. If I'm not mistaken, it's some kind of decoration. A ruby this big... tsk, tsk, tsk. You really dared to dream."

"..."

"Then... they're all fake?" Jerry asked in a trembling voice.

"Not all of them. This one's a real gemstone. It's worth some money."

The little old man picked up a pale blue gemstone and held it under the light. He nodded with certainty, then swept the other "gemstones" back into the bag and tossed it to Miao Mu.

"I'll take this one. Take the rest home to entertain children. Maybe you can even fool a couple of big-breasted, brainless bimbos with them."

As he spoke, the little old man gave a vaguely lecherous grin. It was obvious he had been no saint in his youth.

"How much?" Miao Mu asked, holding the bag.

A stack of bills was tossed out from behind the counter. Holding the sapphire, the little old man said, "Since you introduced me to such a big customer, I'll buy this at the original price this time, Officer... sir."

Hearing that "sir," Miao Mu and the others smiled. It sounded damn good.

Miao Mu grabbed the bills from the counter, looked at Franklin's old face on them, counted out three notes, and slapped them onto the table.

"Please return everything we pawned here before. And the umbrella too."

"It's in the box by the door. Go get it yourselves."

The little old man waved a hand, clearly ready to send them off.

Jerry had already run outside. He found their clothes in a broken wooden box, along with the umbrella stuck in a bucket.

Miao Mu kept scanning the surroundings, but unfortunately, the strange feeling from before gave him no response at all now.

He had circled Arkham District four times without receiving any hint of treasure. It seemed this sort of thing really depended on a little fate.

"Oh, Mumu, your police uniform is growing hair."

Jerry held up Miao Mu's police uniform. White mold had already grown over it. It had been damp to begin with, and after being sealed up like that, it might start sprouting mushrooms in a few more days.

"Okay, okay, let's go have some fun!"

Miao Mu vigorously shook the stack of bills in his hand. There were several thousand dollars there—more than enough to live it up.

"Where are we going?" Jerry quickly asked.

He had always loved excitement, but he had been broke from head to toe and too busy with work to have any chance to go out.

"Let's go to the Zeus Grand Hotel! Tonight, we'll get a taste of being one of the elite. We can call it a celebration!"

Miao Mu grinned.

The Zeus Grand Hotel was one of the most famous places in Gotham City, as well as one of its landmark buildings, second only to Wayne Enterprises' Wayne Tower.

It was also a place everyone dreamed of visiting. For some people, being able to eat a meal there was something they could brag about for the rest of their lives.

"Oh, right. Invite Oswald. We owe him a favor. I'll go get Otis. Anyone else?"

Miao Mu was already making arrangements while sitting in the police car.

Jerry thought carefully, then shook his head. They did not have many friends to begin with, and these were the only people they could really talk to.

"Then it's settled. Go buy suits! Buy whatever suits you like. I'll find Otis. Zeus Grand Hotel, seven tonight!"

Miao Mu split the bills in half and handed one portion to Jerry. Jerry grinned and said, "See you there!"

The police car came tearing through the Lower East Side with its siren blaring. Some people loitering on the streets heard it and immediately ran for their lives.

"I'll come pick you up tonight?"

Miao Mu called from inside the car.

Jerry carried two suits and waved. "No need. If you've got connections, find a couple of girls so we can have some real fun."

"Get lost." Miao Mu laughed and cursed as he drove away.

Two more suits had been tossed onto the back seat of the car.

Miao Mu took a pack of mint-flavored KOOL slim cigars from his pocket, lit one with a lighter, and drove toward Arkham District with one hand on the wheel.

The DeAngelo Wastewater Treatment Plant where Otis the Ratcatcher worked was actually in Arkham District as well, near the Gotham River.

The police car, music playing inside, stopped at the place where the homeless people had gathered before. Some homeless people still lying on the ground asleep turned toward the music.

The car door opened. Miao Mu stepped out carrying a suit in a box and put on a pair of sunglasses.

Things were different now. That feeling was truly addictive.

Miao Mu headed toward the sewers, looking over the homeless people around him as he went. There were far fewer of them now.

Several thick sewage pipes led into the sewer entrance. There had originally been iron railings outside, but they were gone now.

A large rat ran out of the sewer. Its light-brown fur was unusual, making it look different from the other rats.

"Bastian! Miao Mu..."

Otis ran out of the sewer, still wearing a rubber suit for working underground. He looked at Miao Mu with surprise and delight.

"Officer Miao Mu, hello." Otis smiled and nodded.

"Just call me Miao Mu. Are you free tonight?"

"Tonight? I am. I don't have anything to do. If you need my help with something, I'll definitely do my best!"

"It's nothing like that. Thanks to you, we became official officers. I want to treat you to dinner tonight, so don't refuse!"

Miao Mu lifted the suit box in his hand and handed it to Otis. "Seven tonight! Zeus Grand Hotel in the Diamond District. Don't be late!"