Chapter 56: The Message Acquired
"It's a large weapon for war, a Microwave Generator.
It can emit microwaves to heat and evaporate enemy water sources from a distance."
Lucius had been demoted to the building's basement for several years, during which William Earl paid him no mind. Only a few days ago, he suddenly sent someone to retrieve detailed information about the Microwave Generator.
"Water sources?"
"It sounds like it wouldn't be a big deal if it were lost.
But the person who stole it must have had a significant motive, as dozens of people have already died trying to obtain it."
All the crew members on the cargo ship that was transporting the Microwave Generator were killed.
"Are there any leads?" Bruce frowned.
"All the bodies have disappeared, suspected to have been thrown into the sea.
At the scene, someone found this."
Lucius produced a photograph: a blood-stained ninja shuriken embedded in the cargo ship's cabin wall.
Upon seeing the shuriken's design, Bruce's pupils constricted.
"You recognize it?"
"I'll find a way to have this investigated," Bruce replied with a complicated expression, not directly answering.
Of course, he recognized it. Most of his skills were learned there, where he underwent cruel and inhuman ancient training to forge his will—the League of Shadows.
But when the League ordered him to kill a criminal to prove his devotion to justice and to lead the League of Shadows to destroy Gotham, he caused chaos and destroyed the base with gunpowder.
"It seems this matter isn't over yet."
Looking at the photograph, he seemed to smell the earthy scent mixed with the moisture in the air before a storm, his gaze sharp.
...
Gotham City Center, Burnley District, Manchester Restaurant.
This was one of the best restaurants in the city, frequented by the wealthy and influential.
The decor was brightly lit and elegant, accompanied by the melodious sound of a violin.
Inside the restaurant, David and Selina sat facing each other, looking at the second floor where people came and went. The windows were polished to reflect figures, allowing one to see from the lower floor to the upper floor.
"This is the place you chose for the information exchange?"
"The people you asked me to investigate—if they notice you, it doesn't matter where you conduct your business; they'll find you like hounds smelling blood and tear you to shreds," Selina said, shrugging.
"If you're lucky and they don't notice, it's fine even if you complete the transaction on the street."
Nervous? David showed no signs of nervousness, only suspicion.
He suspected she wanted to vent her frustration from being threatened earlier and take the opportunity to rip him off.
He had just glanced at the menu; a meal here was enough to cost an ordinary family a year's worth of labor.
"Speaking of which, I've wanted to eat here for a long time, but I've never had the chance," Selina said, curiously admiring the surrounding decor.
The East End was Gotham's slums, where Crime Alley, the infamous place where Bruce Wayne's parents were killed, was located.
Although Catwoman had many expensive items in her collection, she always believed that it was not good for a thief to be too flashy.
Vroom! Vroom!
The ostentatious roar of a sports car.
A silver-gray sports car with an exaggerated streamlined body stopped downstairs, drawing the attention of diners who looked down.
A young man in a suit got out of the car.
A waiter walked up, his eyes almost glued to the globally limited edition luxury sports car, unable to look away.
"This car is so cool."
Hearing the waiter's involuntary exclamation, Bruce smiled playfully.
"This is nothing; I have a cooler one."
The two-seater sports car had two beautiful models in the passenger seat. He fastened his suit jacket and gallantly helped the two models out of the car.
They went upstairs.
"Mr. Wayne."
Everyone who saw him greeted him enthusiastically, even fawningly.
"The return of the Wayne heir to Gotham—if you turn on the TV today, you'll hardly see any other news," Selina said with a complex sigh as she watched Bruce Wayne, who had women on both his left and right, drawing everyone's attention as he walked up the stairs.
"It's quite the scene, isn't it? Some people have everything handed to them from birth."
David recalled Catwoman's miserable childhood.
Catwoman's mother, Maria Kyle, was a cold woman, unhappy in her marriage. She preferred spending time with her cats to her daughter. One day, she committed suicide. Selina's father, a drunkard, constantly drank, and seeing Selina reminded him of her mother, making him extremely cruel to her. He eventually died from alcoholism.
After that, Selina became homeless and wandered the streets for a time before being sent to an orphanage.
David wanted to say that Bruce Wayne's life wasn't much better, but it didn't feel like comforting words.
Not far from the second-floor restaurant, several Wayne Enterprises board members were dining, invited by William Earl.
"Bruce, you're here?"
Seeing Bruce Wayne arrive, with two female models on his arm at such an event, William Earl was taken aback, a flicker of disdain in his eyes.
He had gone to great lengths to treat this guy's return with importance, thinking it would take considerable effort to persuade the board again.
"Mary, over here!"
At the turn of the stairs, Selina waved to a girl dressed provocatively as she walked up to the second floor.
Pushing down her sunglasses, Mary glanced at the tall David, then gave a seductive smile and sat down.
"Here's what you wanted."
A manila envelope was placed on the table and pushed towards Selina.
David frowned. The woman's pupils were slightly dilated, and she wasn't entirely sober, appearing tipsy. Was the information from someone like this reliable?
"Are you eating here?"
Catwoman provided access to channels unavailable to ordinary people, with David footing the bill. After paying, Selina invited the woman to sit and eat.
"No, I don't like the atmosphere here. It makes me uncomfortable."
Saying that, she got up. The woman gave the stern-faced David a playful kiss and then, swaying her hips, left without looking back.
"Mary is one of Gotham's specialized information brokers.
Her sources aren't high-class; they include restaurant servers, street pickpockets, vagrants and orphans, nightclub dancers, addicts commonly found in alleyways, and corrupt police officers..."
Sensing David's doubt about the reliability of the information source, Selina explained as she handed him the envelope.
"However, her information is usually quite accurate.
Much of it is even firsthand."
The best informants are those who are a common, yet unremarkable, presence in people's eyes.
"She seems unafraid to sell out information about dangerous mob bosses."
David remarked.
"That's just how Gotham is.
The wailing police sirens, the shattered glass, the piercing screams, the filthy lewd laughter in the alleys – Gotham has too many things to fear and worry about. If you were afraid all the time, you wouldn't get anything done."
She replied with a look of accustomed indifference.
"It seems the delicious meal I ordered can only be enjoyed by me alone."
The two sat in a corner by the window on the second floor. Catwoman elegantly enjoyed the feast by herself while he quietly reviewed the obtained information.
He hadn't expected to see Bruce Wayne here again, but he had no interest in going over to say hello.
Batman wasn't someone one should associate with.
"Even if he could provide a considerable amount of emotional points."
In the past few days, David had occasionally glimpsed emotional points originating from Batman.
[Template Fused: 36%]
I'm preparing to write several hundred more words; the second chapter will be a while.
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