The Batmobile drove into the rain.
The lights on either side of the street receded behind them.
Chen Mo leaned back in his seat and finished the energy bar, leaving only a scrap of wrapper rustling in his hand.
He glanced out the window, then at the dashboard.
"Can I ask a question?"
Batman watched the road ahead.
"Ask."
"How does this car pass its annual inspection?"
Batman ignored that nonsense.
In a place like Gotham, probably nobody dared pull the Batmobile over to check its inspection.
What if someone actually dared?
Then it would be hard to tell whether the traffic cop or the criminals needed counseling more.
As they drove, the Batmobile entered an abandoned tunnel. They drove on, and a row of dim lights lit up in the abandoned tunnel ahead.
The Batmobile glided inside, leaving the sound of rain behind thick walls. Farther in, the road began to slope downward, and water on the cave walls slowly flowed toward lower ground.
Chen Mo sat up a little straighter, still cracking jokes and asking questions he already knew the answers to.
"Just how rich is this sponsor of yours?"
Batman said, "Sit tight."
"That sounds like there's something big up ahead."
The next second, steel doors opened.
The Batmobile shot into an underground cavern.
Lights came on in successive layers, revealing rock walls, platforms, computer screens, tool racks, and equipment parked in the shadows.
The Batmobile's doors opened automatically. After getting out, Chen Mo first turned in a full circle.
Then his gaze settled on the dinosaur.
"Cool!"
Batman got out on the other side.
"An old exhibit."
Chen Mo looked at the dinosaur's teeth.
"Are all rich people's old things this aggressive? Mind giving it to me? Actually, forget it. I don't think I have room