Huh?
The moment Zuo Ci took hold of it, he realized something was off.
The briefcase was heavy. A little too heavy.
A quick heft told him it weighed around thirty kilograms, which was naturally nothing to someone enhanced like Zuo Ci.
But Cobblepot was an ordinary man, and a disabled one at that. Had he really carried such a heavy briefcase all the way to his shop?
Zuo Ci wasn't sure how far Cobblepot's base was from here, but it certainly wasn't close.
At that thought, he couldn't help giving Cobblepot another look. It seemed this guy was no ordinary man, either.
"Perhaps you might like to open it and take a look. I prepared this gift with great care, and I trust it won't disappoint you too much."
Cobblepot seemed not to have noticed Zuo Ci's glance. He simply kept smiling, his manner quite amiable.
He's awfully eager for me to open it. There isn't something hidden inside waiting to screw me over, is there?
Whatever, forget it. Let's see... holy shit!
With a click, the briefcase opened, and Zuo Ci immediately saw the golden gleam inside.
Gold. The briefcase was packed full of gold!
And it wasn't low-purity gold, either. Neatly arranged rows of gold bars filled the case, each one of exceptionally high purity-genuine 99.9 percent pure gold!
Although Zuo Ci had already seen the small mountain of five million in cash sent by the Falcone Family, this was his first time seeing so much gold. It was simply overwhelming.
"It seems you're quite fond of my gift. That's a relief."
Seeing Zuo Ci momentarily dazed, Cobblepot's smile broadened.
His investigation had revealed that Zuo Ci loved money, with a particular fondness for cash.
And as it happened, the biggest difference between Cobblepot and men like Falcone and Maroni was his family's long history. His liquid assets alone exceeded those of both their families combined.
So, to win Zuo Ci's favor, he had drawn directly on part of his gold reserves. Although parting with that much had stung a little, the results now seemed quite satisfactory.
Sure enough, anyone who liked money was much easier to deal with.
"I like it very much, Mr. Cobblepot.
"But isn't this a little too generous for a thank-you gift?"
Despite his astonishment, Zuo Ci didn't rashly accept the money. People didn't come calling without a reason. Anyone offering him such a lavish gift probably wanted something substantial in return.
"No, no, it isn't too generous at all, esteemed Dad. You must understand, without your help, those capable men of mine would likely have died horribly at Joker's hands.
"No amount of money can bring back a life."
Cobblepot maintained his amiable manner. He knew he needed something from Zuo Ci, Zuo Ci knew he needed something from him, and he knew Zuo Ci knew he needed something from him.
But he couldn't say it, at least not yet. This visit was meant to establish a friendly relationship first, making things much easier down the road.
If he made his request now, it would turn into a paid job for Zuo Ci, and he would lose the favor he had hoped to secure. That would defeat the whole purpose.
At Cobblepot's words, Zuo Ci took a deep breath, then let it out in a long sigh.
"Mr. Cobblepot, I don't like beating around the bush. So even if you genuinely want to be my friend, you'd be better off telling me what you want directly instead of trying to sweet-talk me like this.
"Of course, I'm not blaming you. On the contrary, I understand why you're being so cautious. But remember, here, in front of me, you don't need to hide anything.
"There's one other thing I need to correct you on. You just said money couldn't bring back a life, didn't you?"
As he spoke, Zuo Ci raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Hummm!!!
In an instant, the previously unremarkable little shop was shrouded in darkness. Countless pinpricks of light rose around them, like brilliant planets in the depths of space.
Even the ordinary shelves had become extraordinary. Their wares were no longer everyday household goods, but a collection of magnificent, mysterious-looking items.
Zuo Ci, too, was once again clad in his mage's robes, his face hidden in darkness.
"This... this is..."
The sudden, dramatic transformation startled Cobblepot. In a rare loss of composure, he lost his balance and toppled backward.
Yet the expected collision with the floor never came. An exquisite chair caught him securely.
Cobblepot swore he distinctly heard laughter the instant he landed in the chair. It seemed to be alive!
"Don't be afraid, Mr. Cobblepot. This is my little shop's true appearance. I believe you qualify to enter it."
As Zuo Ci spoke, he was also secretly inspecting his shop. After all, this was his first time using this decor.
He had worried something might go wrong, but the effect was surprisingly good. That made sense, considering how much he'd spent... all right, it hadn't actually cost much.
Everything they were seeing had been created by Mysterio's Drone, which Zuo Ci had bought earlier. In reality, only appearances had changed; everything was still exactly what it had been.
Even the chair beneath Cobblepot was a drone holding up a small stool in disguise.
No matter what business you ran, appearances mattered. Zuo Ci understood that perfectly well, which was why he had put together this display.
Of course, he could have actually transformed the shop into something like this, but that would have cost far too much. There was no need.
It was only meant to fool suckers anyway. Good enough would do.
"This... this..."
Cobblepot was utterly stunned. Looking at the changes around him, he stammered, unable to get a word out.
It wasn't that he'd never encountered monsters before, but this was his first time meeting one like Zuo Ci. It was simply too overwhelming.
"Mr. Cobblepot, can we have a proper talk now?"
It took Penguin quite a while to calm down. This time, he held nothing back and laid out his intentions in full. His earlier casual tone was gone, replaced by a measure of restraint.
"So that's how it is. I understand.
"I'll accept the gift, then. If you need anything in the future, you can come to me. I think we'll work very well together."
"Thank you for your generosity, esteemed Dad..."
"Just call me Zuo Ci from now on."
"Of course, Mr. Zuo Ci."
Cobblepot had expected Zuo Ci to be furious once his intentions were exposed. Instead, he wasn't angry at all and had even agreed. It was a genuinely pleasant surprise.
Still, despite the favorable outcome, he made himself scarce the moment Zuo Ci restored the shop to normal.
After leaving the shop, Cobblepot strolled around the first corner and glanced about. Once he was certain no one was around, he broke into a run and scrambled into a very inconspicuous car.
The moment Penguin got in, the driver floored the accelerator without a word and sped toward the Iceberg Lounge.
"At least it ended well. That's good enough."
Rubbing his aching arm, Penguin finally began to relax.
To demonstrate his sincerity, he had deliberately parked a block away and pretended to have come alone, carrying that heavy briefcase himself. Then he'd had the fright of his life on top of it.
Getting through all that today had certainly been no easy feat.
Before you continue