Criminal License

"I'm heading out. Remember, don't open the door for anyone, no matter who knocks. Don't reveal your abilities."

"Go to bed earlier. It's better for your health."

Night fell as Li Ang gave Kara, who would be staying home, a few instructions.

"I know."

Kara curled her lips. "But how long am I supposed to hold back? If I see someone in trouble, am I supposed to just stand by and watch them die?"

It was a question worth discussing, but Li Ang was busy heading out and had no time to think deeply about it.

"Maybe."

He answered casually, then closed the door.

Kara looked at the tightly shut door and remembered the inspirational quote she had seen in her textbook today.

"If you don't lend others a helping hand today, tomorrow others will watch without moving when you need help."

Sometimes, she didn't know whether her godfather was right, or whether the book was right.

Gotham was an island that faced Metropolis from afar, filled with Gothic architecture.

Like Metropolis, Gotham had many bridges and tunnels connecting its various districts.

The Diamond District lay in southern Gotham. A little farther north were Miller Harbor and the river that ran through Gotham.

Below it were the territories of Street Demonz and Bastard Club, and farther south was the famous Gotham Harbor.

Li Ang knew this so clearly because on his first day at work, he had been told not to casually enter other gangs' territories.

Gotham's nights were always thick with clouds, as if thunderclouds were rolling overhead and a torrential downpour could fall at any moment.

The gap between rich and poor was especially stark in this city, and all kinds of livelihood issues had long become impossible to resolve.

Those who could no longer survive were like the city's ghosts, appearing on the streets once night fell.

Li Ang didn't even dare walk into places without lights or with too few people.

Even though this was Penguin's territory, there would always be people too blind to know better.

After all, even the Waynes, who practically controlled this city, had been shot dead...

Walking beneath the lights, Li Ang drew plenty of looks, but since some people recognized him, he was perfectly safe.

But just as he was nearing his workplace, two robbers suddenly sprang out of an alley.

Both wore Joker masks and seemed to be die-hard fans of Joker.

"Asian, hand over everything valuable."

One held a switchblade, while the other kept his hand in his pocket, clearly gripping something.

The sight of those Joker masks made Li Ang's heart skip a beat, but he still asked, "Do you have a Criminal License?"

"A Criminal License? Since when did committing crimes require a license?"

The two robbers froze, exchanged glances, and found it somewhat ridiculous.

At that moment, Li Ang saw someone approaching from nearby, and his heart settled.

The simple and honest people of Gotham City never panicked just because a robbery was taking place.

Chaos was this city's everyday routine.

"Then you don't have one."

Li Ang said calmly.

"So what if we don't? Are you looking to die? Hand over everything valuable!"

The two Joker-masked men closed in on Li Ang, waving their knives through the air to frighten him, while Li Ang remained standing where he was.

"This is the Diamond District, Cobblepot's territory. Without the Criminal License he issued, you can't commit crimes."

A burly man in a black suit appeared behind the two men, saying something that sounded absurd.

But it was true.

The Boss Cobblepot the burly man referred to was the infamous Penguin.

On Penguin's territory, if you wanted to engage in criminal activity, you had to have a Criminal License issued by him.

"Who are you?"

The two Joker-masked criminals immediately turned around.

But the instant they turned, the burly man struck.

He drove a knee into the abdomen of the man on the left, instantly taking him out of the fight, then immediately seized the knife from the man on the right.

Turning it around, he gripped the knife and stabbed it into the man's shoulder.

"Pfft!"

"Ah!"

The masked criminal immediately howled in pain.

"Frank, watch out!"

Li Ang hurriedly called out a warning.

The criminal on the left, who had been knocked to the ground by the burly man's knee strike, pulled a pistol from his coat.

The next instant, Frank's massive foot came down on it.

Crack!

"Two idiots."

Frank showed no mercy at all. He slammed their heads together, knocking both of them unconscious at once.

Seeing blood was completely normal for them.

Even Li Ang didn't blink.

"Let them fend for themselves."

Because of his huge build, Frank took a breath before asking, "Li Ang, want a ride?"

"Of course."

Li Ang happily got into Frank's car.

After all, in a sense, the two of them could be considered "accomplices."

But Li Ang would never acknowledge that term. He stubbornly insisted they were merely colleagues.

Once he got into Frank's black sedan, they moved far faster than Li Ang could on foot.

Before long, they arrived at their workplace.

'Iceberg Lounge!'

Li Ang looked up at the enormous nightclub, his heart utterly unmoved.

This nightclub had been around for a long time. At first, Penguin had merely wanted to shed his gangster identity.

Now, it had quickly taken on the functions of both a bar and a casino, instantly becoming a breeding ground for criminals and a place for Penguin to launder money.

People really couldn't forget where they came from!

Two hulking men dressed in black suits stood at the entrance to the club, just like Frank.

Boss Cobblepot had a rule: his men had to wear suits and ties, even when going to an internet café to play games.

These people were all "suited thugs."

The two guards greeted Li Ang and Frank.

"The boss is already here. Get inside."

The moment he entered the Iceberg Lounge, it felt like a dance hall from the last century.

Penguin was a nostalgic man. The classical music and decor reminded him of the past.

But farther inside, things became lively.

There was a massive "iceberg" inside, which was how the club got its name.

A beautiful woman onstage was singing and dancing. Below her stood countless gambling tables with every kind of game imaginable, while the walls beside them held slot machines and televisions for betting on horse races.

Countless gambling addicts and socialites moved through the place, waving their cash and shouting wildly with abandon.

Women dressed like high-society ladies wore expensive gowns and high heels, linking arms with their male companions as they cheered them on.

Bodyguards in suits watched the floor vigilantly from the side, while bunny-girl waitresses wandered everywhere, letting customers grope them as they stirred the hormones of the opposite sex.

Li Ang said goodbye to Frank and headed toward the bar on the other side.

Frank was a simple and honest brute, but he was also violent. He was utterly loyal to Penguin.

As for Li Ang...

He was a bartender at the Iceberg Lounge.

He had happened to worked this job in his previous life, and since he was undocumented and couldn't find any other way to make a living, he had come to the Iceberg Lounge.

Most jobs in Gotham City were connected to the renowned Wayne Enterprises, which controlled every aspect of the city.

From daily life to healthcare, from municipal projects to real estate, from medicine to weapons...

It could be said that Wayne Enterprises in Gotham City was like Umbrella Corporation in Raccoon City!