"Yes, I'm a mysterious merchant who's new to Gotham."
All right, calling himself that was a little stupid, but in a world of American comics, the title didn't really sound out of place.
And Zuo Ci had chosen that title mainly to deal with Batman.
Rather than bend over backward trying to convince Batman that a guy with no legal identity, wandering the streets in the middle of the night and even electrocuting a bunch of robbers unconscious, was an ordinary person, he might as well admit there was something unusual about him.
Gotham already had plenty of strange characters anyway. One more wouldn't hurt.
A mysterious merchant. Sounds like someone involved in magic.
Batman, or Bruce Wayne, had begun putting himself through extremely rigorous training at a very young age. During that time, he had traveled all over the world. Besides science, he also knew a little about the supernatural.
So why would a "magician" come to Gotham?
"The main reason I came to Gotham is that this place is practically the dark heart of the world.
Powerful families control Gotham like something out of an urban legend, all kinds of demons and monsters are sealed deep underground, and Gotham itself is one giant curse.
That makes it easier for me to study and research certain things here. I just arrived at a bad time.
You might not believe me, but that's the truth."
Lying to Batman was pointless, so everything Zuo Ci said was true. After hearing him out, Batman showed no outward change, but his mind had already begun racing.
Although he hadn't been active for very long, Batman had already begun to sense that Gotham was far less peaceful than it appeared. All manner of ancient legends and sinister cults lurked in its shadows.
He had even personally fought Solomon Grundy, a monster who supposedly existed only in a nursery rhyme.
So after hearing what Zuo Ci had to say, Batman believed him three parts out of a thousand.
As for the remaining nine hundred and ninety-seven, those would have to wait.
Wait. If Gotham itself is connected to the supernatural, as he says, then the Joker...
Just as that thought occurred to him, Zuo Ci happened to confirm it.
"As for the Joker, he's even more outrageous. Even I can't figure out exactly what's going on with him. I only know he's connected to the Lazarus Pit and Dionysium. Oh, right, there's also that Three Jokers theory."
"The Lazarus Pit, Dionysium, Three Jokers..."
Each of those terms carried more weight for Batman than the last. He knew a little about the Lazarus Pit, having picked up a few scraps of information while fighting Ra's al Ghul's League of Assassins.
It apparently had the power to bring people back to life, though he still didn't know whether it had any side effects.
Dionysium was a term Batman had never heard before. From the name alone, it seemed connected to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. But what exactly could it do? What connection did it have to the Joker? Could it be the cause of his madness?
And what did Three Jokers mean? Were there three Jokers? Or had the Joker's identity been passed down through three generations? Or did it mean something else entirely?
For a moment, the tangle of thoughts gave Batman a slight headache. His gaze gradually sharpened, and he was already considering knocking Zuo Ci out and taking him away to interrogate at leisure.
A second later, however, he abandoned the idea. Making an enemy of a magician of unknown origins wasn't worth it, especially when the man had shown no ill intent.
He would have to get closer to him over time and draw the information out of him instead.
"All right, I've answered your questions. Now it's my turn.
Batman, interested in buying something?"
After a night of hard work, Zuo Ci had realized that extorting penniless people had no future. If he wanted to make money, he needed a filthy-rich customer.
And as Gotham's most prominent filthy-rich man, Batman was absolutely his ideal customer.
Hehehe, I'm counting on you for my startup funds!
As he spoke, Zuo Ci unzipped the Adidas jacket he'd bought for 9.90 with free shipping, then pulled out the coffee bean he'd exchanged his only thousand dollars for.
[Product name: Dave's coffee bean (single-use) Price: $1,000 per bean Effect: Eliminates all drowsiness and fatigue upon use, greatly boosting your alertness. Duration: 24 hours Note: While a coffee bean can let you go without sleep, what's the point of being alive if you never sleep?]
Of the few products Zuo Ci could currently obtain, this coffee bean was the best suited to Batman. It might be single-use, but its effect was powerful enough.
Looking at the enormous, fist-sized coffee bean in Zuo Ci's hand, complete with eyes and a mouth, Batman's eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
When he'd heard the offer of a sale, Batman had already prepared himself for something bizarre, perhaps even outright blasphemous.
But he hadn't expected the man to exceed his expectations anyway.
What kind of magical item looks this adorably stupid?
"This coffee bean can clear away all your fatigue and drowsiness, and the effect lasts a full twenty-four hours. Pretty impressive, right?
And the price is just as wonderful. Pay a mere ten thousand dollars, and it's yours."
Zuo Ci pitched the coffee bean, imitating the sales patter he'd heard before. He was certain Batman wouldn't refuse. Given his personality, even if he didn't use it, he would take it back to analyze and figure out how to counter him.
Sure enough, just as he'd expected, Batman tossed a bank card straight into Zuo Ci's arms as though throwing a Batarang.
"No PIN. It works anywhere in Gotham."
"Thank you for your business. It's yours now."
After putting away the bank card, Zuo Ci tossed the coffee bean over. Batman caught it with a movement almost too fast to see, then turned and vanished.
He took the breakdancing light show on the ground with him, too.
"How are you even human anymore...?"
Zuo Ci couldn't help making a snarky remark. Batman always claimed to be an ordinary human, but after that disappearing act with another person in tow, who would believe he had no superpowers?
Even people with superpowers couldn't necessarily pull that off.
"Startup funds secured. No need to keep baiting criminals now. I'll see if I can find a hotel to crash in for the night.
Wait, am I forgetting something... Shit, where's my Electric Rat?!"
Inside the Batcave, Alfred stood before Batman with a steaming cup of coffee.
Honestly, when Bruce had handed him that enormous coffee bean, Alfred had been quite shocked. He had even wondered whether it might bite him.
But it had turned out to be gentle and cooperative-so cooperative, in fact, that it had jumped straight into the coffee cup on its own and turned into a cup of hot coffee.
"Master Bruce, I've tested it. There's nothing wrong with it, and it won't cause any adverse reactions. It doesn't even contain caffeine."
Coffee made from a coffee bean containing no caffeine was strange, but it truly was harmless. To be safe, Alfred had even taken a sip himself.
And honestly, it tasted rather good. Even with nothing added, it was far better than most coffees on the market.
"Eliminates all drowsiness and fatigue?"
Since there was nothing wrong with it, Batman didn't mind giving it a try to see whether Zuo Ci had told the truth.
He tilted his head back and drained the cup in one go.
!
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