lerbook Chapter 108.05: Shadows in the Financial District
Chapter 108.05: Shadows in the Financial District
Chapter 108.05: Shadows in the Financial District
Under the dim streetlights, bats prey on mosquitoes.
Through the car window, Jason stared at the melted gap in the jewelry store's security bars, gripping the crowbar tightly. He made no sound, yet he still felt a pair of eyes silently watching him in the darkness.
Suddenly, a dark figure burst through the gap and rushed out. By the time Jason reacted, the figure had already leaped onto the roof of the car and stomped down on Jason's head.
In a moment of desperation, Jason grabbed both ends of the crowbar and raised his hands to block.
The opponent seemed to have no intention of holding back, delivering a fatal kick that bent a solid steel pipe four or five centimeters thick. The immense force from the opponent's arms was almost too much for Jason, a burly man, to handle.
He's a tough opponent!
Just as Jason was thinking about how to get out of his predicament, the other party suddenly stopped pushing, rolled on the roof of the car, and twisted his ankle to disappear into the alley across the street.
Jason pulled out his pistol and chased after the figure, firing three shots at it as it was about to disappear into the darkness.
"Stop, Red Hood! I am not your enemy."
The other person stopped, and Jason stopped as well, raising his gun to confront them.
He didn't fire because he agreed with what the other person said: they could have crushed him if they had just put in a little more effort, but the other person still chose to stop.
But the other party was too suspicious. Not only was he dressed in strange, black clothes of unknown style and wearing a hood, but what was even more troubling was his voice, which sounded like a rough millstone being pushed to rotate without water.
"Who are you? Why are you speaking in such a low voice!"
Jason approached with gun in hand, determined to rip off the man's hood and see his face.
"Red Hood! Believe me, this won't do either of us any good!"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Jason finally got close and reached out towards the hood.
Just as he was about to touch him, the other man suddenly reached down and pressed down on the gun barrel, while simultaneously hooking Jason's heel with his leg. Jason's reaction speed would have been enough to keep up with the other man's movements, but unfortunately, the steel bar embedded in his leg bone made it impossible for him to exert any force in his painful calf.
Jason was forced to fire after being knocked down in one move, but he missed because the gun was pulled down by the opponent.
Bang! The deflected muzzle fired a bullet, sparks bouncing twice in the narrow alley.
The other party twisted his wrist and took the pistol.
Jason clutched his leg, watching helplessly as the other person disappeared into the dark alley.
As he finally managed to stand up and lean against the wall to walk out of the alley, Reus and his Roman underlings rushed to the scene of the incident.
"Well done, kid! So you're the one who's been behind all this lately." Royce patted Jason's broad back enthusiastically.
"What do you mean I did it? What exactly are you talking about?"
Seeing that Jason's confusion didn't seem feigned, Royce stroked his stubble. After a brief moment of thought, he realized that Jason, who was just recovering from his injury, couldn't possibly be the instigator of the recent series of events.
Under persistent questioning, Royce revealed the second half of the story.
They hadn't yet figured out a way to deal with the swindlers and thieves, but while Oswald was targeting the pickpockets, a mysterious figure also began his operation.
He was nocturnal, with a clear target: robbery gangs operating in the financial district at night. He was even more ruthless than the Romans; those he caught often had broken bones and severed tendons, and their faces were often beaten beyond recognition.
It is through this combination of overt and covert operations that the financial district has achieved its current appearance.
"So you just ran into him?"
"Yes, he also said, 'We are not enemies.'"
"Heh! I have no interest in the face behind the mask. As long as he's beneficial to us, he's a friend. But conversely, if one day he does something against the gang's interests, I won't hesitate to point a gun at him."
Royce sat on the scorching hood of the car, smoking a cigar, watching his underlings tie up the unconscious robbers and stuff them into the trunk. The gang had its own code of conduct; cement barrels and the cold seawater of the harbor would be their final resting place.
Jason neither confirmed nor denied these remarks.
But in any case, this mysterious man gave him inspiration. Since he didn't want to get involved with the Red Hood gang, he might be able to follow the man's example and conceal his identity to deal with those troublesome gangs in the East District.
But we'll have to wait until his injured leg heals first.
Before going home, he made a special detour to the Lower East Side just to see Qin Wei at the Senate, assuming the other party was still awake.
Jason was lucky; only the third floor of the Senate building was lit up on the dark street.
He first made a phone call, but unsurprisingly no one answered. He then rang the doorbell a few times, but there were no footsteps inside.
Just when Jason thought he was going to make another wasted trip, the door opened and Qin Wei, wrapped in a bath towel, was rubbing his wet hair.
"It's you! Come in and have a seat! What brings you here today?"
"It's nothing important, I just wanted to talk to you."
Jason explained his purpose for coming and also told him about what he had seen and heard in the financial district.
"You should have come and talked to me about this sooner. Why are you acting like a silent gourd, rushing around aimlessly?" Qin Wei led Jason into his room.
The air was thick with the unpleasant smell of alcohol, and the floor was littered with empty bottles, making it impossible to step on them. Empty potato chip bags were scattered on the sofa, with crumbs and powder forming a sticky layer.
If we hadn't done a thorough cockroach extermination and cleaning a few days ago, the sofa would probably be infested with cockroaches by now.
The lights were off in the room, and the television's light flickered in the dim light.
"It's a bit messy, please don't mind!"
Qin Wei grabbed a beer from the table, took a swig, and patted the sofa to signal Jason to sit down.
Jason tightened his lips, his face full of disgust: "I think I'll just stand up."
"Then I'll be frank. Your idea is good. The guy you met today is indeed someone you should emulate."
As for what you should deal with first, it should be that "Masked Company" you mentioned.
"Based on your description, this organization isn't a gang at all, but a terrorist group. Although it's difficult to eradicate and may cost you some money, if you truly want to revitalize the East District, you'll have to face this cancer sooner or later. Delaying will only make things worse; it's best to eliminate them as soon as possible."
After finishing their business, the two chatted about everyday things.
"By the way, when are you going back to school? After things stabilize in the East District?" Qin Wei grabbed a potato chip, stuffed it into his mouth, and then licked his fingers.
Jason thought he'd misheard. A villa burned down and people were killed? He figured he was probably on the GCPD's wanted list now. Besides, Qin Wei had given him the advice to choose between two paths, and he'd already chosen the East District. Why was Qin Wei bringing up going back to school?
"You idiot, you're a hopeless idiot!"
Qin Wei rolled his eyes at the other person:
"What did you study for in the past?"
"Pass the exam and get the offer."
"So you don't need to study if you don't have that plan now, right?" Qin Wei's expression turned serious. "I don't know what kind of person this Joseph you're talking about is, but I believe he must have a wealth of knowledge. Knowledge can change a person's way of thinking, from how they see the world to how they understand things."
"If you want to change the status quo in the East, you can't do it with fists alone. Force can only expand territory. You don't have to become Joseph now, but one day you will have to reach his level and surpass him."
"And the knowledge contained within it, you can't find in the East District."
Jason was a top student at Gotham University, and he quickly understood what Qin Wei meant.
"As for whether you're wanted by the police, that's not your concern. Even if you are, I can handle it for you. So once we deal with the Masked Company, you can go back to university."
Having resolved his own problem, Jason turned his attention to Qin Wei.
"So what do you plan to do?"
"Me? Enjoying life!" Qin Wei spread his arms and rested them on the sofa armrests. "After fighting wars my whole life, can't I enjoy myself a little?"
That's true, but Jason was somewhat disappointed with the answer.
He felt that if anyone could change Gotham, Qin Wei would be the best candidate.
Not a gang, not a conglomerate, and not a government official, Qin Wei was a third party that suddenly intruded. Because he had no vested interests with the old forces that divided Gotham, he didn't have to consider the opinions of any party and could act entirely according to his own will.
Jason's visit actually had a hidden purpose: he wanted to see if Qin Wei was the mysterious person.
The answer is obvious, and even more disappointing. Not long ago, he boasted that he would kill Maroni to eliminate any future troubles, but now this man is slowly rotting away amidst the siege of CRT monitors and junk food.
"I'm leaving now, get some rest." Jason said sadly.
Upon hearing the door close, Qin Wei jumped up from the sofa.
After confirming that Jason's figure had disappeared around the street corner from the window, he breathed a sigh of relief, lifted his bathrobe, and revealed his bulletproof pants, which were sprayed with black paint on his lower body.