"You killed him?"
Batman's voice remained cold as he spoke, but a hint of scrutiny entered his eyes.
"Hey, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want. I'm an upstanding citizen of Gotham City. How could I possibly commit a crime like murder?"
Zuo Ci spread his hands, but Batman clearly didn't believe a word of his bullshit.
"What's with that look? You don't believe me? Come on, look. Deathstroke's vital signs are perfectly stable. If I really wanted to kill him, how could he still be this healthy?
"And besides, that armor of his is so damn thick even a rocket launcher might not punch through it. Do you think my little pistol would do anything?"
As he spoke, Zuo Ci waved the pistol in his hand, which could honestly be described as cute. Its caliber looked even smaller than a police-issued handgun's.
If a police handgun belonged at the kids' table, then, to put it politely, his pistol belonged beside the dog bowl.
And even setting that aside, Deathstroke's armor, made of promethium, had suffered no damage beyond a few minor marks from the explosion. His vital signs were perfectly stable, too. He looked completely fine.
Then why had Zuo Ci been shooting at him earlier? Had he simply been venting his anger?
While they spoke, the Ice Shroom's freezing duration ran out. The ice shattered, and Deathstroke finally saw daylight again.
Yet Batman keenly noticed that Deathstroke was now as blue as a Smurf, and his movements had become remarkably sluggish. Though he was still fast compared with an ordinary person, in Batman's eyes, he was full of openings.
"Quick, protect me!"
Before Batman could do anything, Zuo Ci immediately hid behind him, cautiously peeking out.
Batman glanced at him but didn't stop him. Instead, he quietly watched Deathstroke.
"Deathstroke, you..."
"I really am a fucking disgrace!"
Before Batman could finish, Deathstroke suddenly slapped himself twice across the face, then crouched on the ground, sobbing with remorse.
"I'm such a fucking bastard, trying to hurt someone so kind just for money. I'm a worthless piece of shit.
"And I even wrecked the neighborhood like this. I've caused so much trouble for everyone living here. They have work and school tomorrow. How could I be so inconsiderate?
"Boo-hoo, I'm guilty. I deserve punishment. Batman, hurry up and put me in prison. A sinner like me shouldn't spend another second in this free world."
Watching Deathstroke voluntarily run over, crouch on the ground, and raise both hands high, hoping to be arrested, Batman instinctively took a step back.
Holy shit, this is so fucking creepy!
Who was this? Deathstroke! If there were a ranking of the most lawless people alive, he'd be near the top, if not number one. And now he was actually asking to be arrested!
What the hell was going on? Had he inhaled Joker's laughing gas? Or eaten undercooked mushrooms for dinner?
"Ah, looks like it worked."
The bizarre scene made Batman's hair stand on end, but Zuo Ci relaxed instead. He even walked over to Deathstroke and tapped him on the head.
[Product name: Gentle Bullet (limited duration) Price: fifty thousand US dollars per round Effect: anyone hit will become extremely kind, gentle, and nonaggressive, regardless of their original personality. However, this lasts only one hour. Note: although their personality becomes gentler, their combat ability remains unchanged, so please exercise caution.]
This was the most expensive lifesaving item Zuo Ci had prepared. All his earlier attempts to stall for time had been laying the groundwork for using it.
It was one of Slow-Sheep's creations. Originally, it was paired with the Gentle Pistol, and its effect was permanent. But that was too expensive for him to afford, so he had to settle for the next best thing.
Even the limited-duration version had an absolutely outrageous effect. Just look at what it had turned Deathstroke into.
Seeing how relaxed Zuo Ci was, Batman knew this was his doing. Alongside the scrutiny in his eyes, another, inexplicable emotion appeared.
It seemed to be shock mixed with a little disgust.
"Whatever else you think, just tell me whether it worked.
"All right, problem solved. Next, I need to settle the score with the Falcone Family.
"Oh, by the way, are you two interested in helping me out?"
At midnight, in a villa in the Diamond District, Falcone was sleeping rather uneasily.
Carmine Falcone, the unshakable head of the Falcone Family, was also the reigning emperor of Gotham's underworld.
As a mob boss who had run roughshod over Gotham for years, he hadn't had anyone dare question his authority in at least two decades.
But over the past few years, more and more freaks had appeared. They showed him no respect whatsoever, and it infuriated him.
Especially that Asian man named Zuo Ci last night. He was utterly lawless! He had actually dared to come straight to their headquarters and cause trouble.
It had been a long time since Falcone had felt such extreme rage. He couldn't swallow this insult, nor would he.
Just you wait. Before long, everything you cherish will be destroyed, and you will die by my hand!
Perhaps he was simply too angry, but even in his sleep, Falcone could vaguely hear that damned Asian man's voice. It was infuriating.
Wait. A voice!
Although Falcone was old, his vigilance had not diminished in the slightest. If anything, it had only grown sharper with age.
The instant he sensed something was wrong, he jolted awake and tried to call for help, only to discover in horror that his mouth had been tightly gagged without his knowledge.
Not only that, but his hands and feet had been securely bound as well. He lay completely exposed on the bed, spread-eagled and defenseless.
"Good evening, Mr. Falcone. I've seen the bounty you put on me, and all the customers who came to support my business have had warm, friendly conversations with me.
"So I thought it would be a little rude not to pay the instigator a visit. Wouldn't you agree, my dear Godfather?"
As though strolling through his own home, Zuo Ci leisurely walked over to Falcone, then rudely patted his bald head.
"That head doesn't look small. How did it come up with such a stupid plan?"
Hearing Zuo Ci's words, Falcone immediately understood that his plan had failed, and Zuo Ci had come to settle the score.
Though he was panicking inside, his many years in the underworld allowed him to appear perfectly calm. Combined with his current position, however, it looked utterly ridiculous.
"If I remember correctly, Godfather, you have a dog, don't you? You're very fond of him. You treat him like your own son."
As soon as he finished speaking, the lights in the room suddenly came on. Falcone forced his eyes open despite the painful glare and immediately saw the Labrador Retriever locked in an iron cage across from him, curled into a ball and twitching nonstop.
He had already guessed what Zuo Ci intended to do. Precisely because of that, Falcone's eyes filled with anguish and fury.
"Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm not one of you mobsters. I have no interest in hurting little animals. Of course, I'm not interested in beating up old men, either.
"But I can't guarantee he won't hurt you."
Hurt me? What does that mean?
Before Falcone could react, Zuo Ci walked over to the iron cage and gently tapped it. The Labrador Retriever abruptly stood up as though startled into action.
And when Falcone saw the terrifying little Labrador beneath the dog's belly, his grief and fury instantly vanished, replaced by overwhelming panic.
"I didn't really do much. I just added a few mysterious little blue pills to his late-night snack. So now he really needs a partner, and he probably won't get hung up on trivial things like species or gender.
"So, as his owner, I imagine you wouldn't mind helping your beloved pet out."
Smiling, Zuo Ci opened the iron cage while pulling a video camera out of nowhere and hoisting it onto his shoulder.
"Of course, to show the world what a wonderful relationship you have with your pet, I'll personally record the whole process, then make a billion copies and distribute them worldwide, so people of every country and race can admire you in all your glory.
"I think you'll really like this gift."
Before you continue