There is no Batman in Gotham City comics.

Chapter 59 Little Temper

On this weekend morning, Qin Wei arrived at Selena's shared apartment once again.

The girls might not be up yet. The semi-transparent curtains are drawn, and two pothos plants sit on the windowsill, their vines intertwining and hanging down the wall. A cartoon rabbit sign hangs on the apartment door, which reads "Do Not Disturb".

He touched his collar and knocked lightly on the door a few times.

"Who is it?"

The female voice inside the room wasn't Selena's; it must have been Holly, her roommate whom she often mentioned.

"Uh... cough! I'm here to see Selena."

A figure flashed behind the curtains, and after a few seconds, the unfamiliar girl peeked her head out from the crack in the door.

"You must be Wei, she often talks about you to me." The girl wore glasses, and when she smiled, her two large front teeth gave Qin Wei the impression of a lively rabbit.

"Hello, Holly." Qin Wei extended his hand with a polite smile.

"Wow! A handshake... Isn't that a bit too formal? Forget about all that fancy etiquette!" Holly led Qin Wei into the room. "No need to change your shoes, there aren't any men's slippers here." Stopping Qin Wei's actions, Holly glanced at the closed door behind her.

"You were the one who called this morning, right? My friend seemed really angry and has been locked in his room for two whole hours."

Holly's gaze fell on Qin Wei's empty hands.

"You really didn't bring anything, but you're lucky! I just came back from the market, so here's a bunch of gerberas for you!"

Holly's mouth was as busy as a chewing rabbit; she didn't give Qin Wei a chance to interrupt and stuffed the flowers into his arms.

"I'm leaving this to you! God, I just can't stand Selena when she's angry. Can you believe she'll hide in her room and sulk all day without saying a word? I can't live like that."

After pushing Qin Wei to the door, Holly gave him a thumbs-up and then ran back to her room, chattering away as she left.

Qin Wei cleared his throat:

"Um! Hello, may I come in?"

"What reason do I have to refuse? After all... we're partners!" Selena's voice sounded like she was gritting her teeth.

Qin Wei pushed open the door, and in front of him was a simple steel-welded pull-up machine, with a beautifully curved abdominal muscle moving up and down with his gaze.

"Just say what's on your mind. Your rest time is precious."

Selena let go and jumped down, grabbing a towel from the side and draping it around her neck.

Her expression was cold, as if she were wearing a mask that kept people at a distance, until she saw the bunch of gerberas in Qin Wei's hand, at which point her eyelids twitched slightly.

Qin Wei handed over the flowers at the opportune moment.

"This is for you."

"Do I look like a little girl who loves flowers?"

As she said this, Selena reached out and took the flowers, tore off the wrapping paper, and put them into a vase that was lying unused in the corner.

She tilted her head and examined the vase, moved it a few places, and then took out a handkerchief to wipe away the dust.

"Is it pretty?"

"Michelangelo would also admire it." Qin Wei's answer was familiar.

"I didn't ask you about my figure!" Selena put her hands on her hips and frowned, but the upturned corners of her mouth betrayed her true feelings.

"Alright... let's get down to business."

Catwoman rubbed her brow bone, exhaled, and put the surprise Qin Wei had brought her out of her mind for the time being.

"Let's see if we can try some new cooperation after Falcone's death, cooperation on how to destroy the Roman Empire."

Selena learned of Falcone's death from the morning news and also met her half-brother Alberto, whom she had never met before.

Look at that tall, thin man under the lens of the telephoto and telephoto lenses. The flash of the camera didn't make him blink even once. His Louis Vuitton striped suit was spotless, and only when he made the habit of pushing up his glasses would the Patek Philippe watch in his sleeve be revealed.

A wealthy, low-key, and elegant man.

Looking at his resume, he is currently a Harvard Business School student and last year he received the Rhodes Scholarship, which is known as the most difficult scholarship to obtain in the world.

A true rising star of Gotham, a business prodigy.

She could hardly believe that such a noble person could have similar blood to her.

Thinking of his mother, who died curled up in the corner of the fireplace due to drug withdrawal, a powerless anger arose.

Qin Wei gave a brief overview of the plan.

"Interesting. Maroni has kept his most important possessions in his private vault. I bet even his closest confidants don't know about it."

"But I know my intelligence is never wrong, and that's the foundation of our cooperation, isn't it?" Qin Wei said, hands in his pockets and chin raised.

……

Gotham City's Dead Island

In a simple wooden house, Lei Xiao Gu took down an ancient book with a sheepskin cover from the bookshelf in the corner and dusted off the thick layer of dust on the cover.

If Qin Wei were here, he would definitely recognize the other person as the elderly Middle Eastern man who had appeared at the hospital earlier and then left without saying a word.

"That boy did it; he killed his enemy and survived. He's the one we need. Bring him in, but don't be like David, resorting to any means necessary."

The old man spoke, but no one inside the house responded.

Moonlight streamed through the broken window into the room, and the sound of the wind echoed from the earthenware jars piled up in the corner.

Lei Xiaogu opened the book and laid it out on the table.

"There's one more thing I need you to confirm. I want to know if that man is really Bruce Wayne."

"Bruce Wayne? You mean that poor man who came to us about two years ago, the one who was in a wheelchair and could barely speak?"

A faint female voice echoed from the corner, as if she did not exist in this space.

"He's a fool who claims he'd trade all his assets for the location of Lazarus's Spring, and he still clings to the hope of curing his paralyzed body, actually believing that a spring can cure all diseases."

"I find it hard to believe that you would be curious about a man like that."

"Talia, the arrogance about you is unpleasant."

"We must remember that the defeat five years ago rendered the League of Assassins virtually extinct. We should not laugh at anyone who follows the League's doctrines now; they are our last hope."

Lei Xiaogu carefully turned a page, clutching the yellowed and cracked corner of the book.

"That man, Bruce Wayne, if I could, I would love to help him stand up again! When I took his pulse, what I felt was not a broken body, but a fighting machine called 'human,' with innate reflexes, thick and hard bones, and veins as resilient as the poplars in the desert."

"If he hadn't been injured, his martial arts skills would have far surpassed yours and mine, perhaps even reaching the level of David and the woman he had been pursuing."

Lei Xiaogu closed the book, and dust flew and dispersed in the moonlight.

"So I gave the scroll to him. Even if he may never have the chance to learn the martial arts recorded inside, I know for sure that in my few remaining years, I will never meet such a good student again."

"This is really unlike you."

A figure moved slightly in the corner.

"I will follow your will and bring that boy back, and I will also prove to you that Bruce Wayne does not deserve this praise, my dear father."