bookbashuk Chapter 387 The Company with Penguin as its Image
Chapter 387 The Company with Penguin as its Image
Chapter 387 The Company with Penguin as its Image
But to be fair, Du Mu did have some merit in what he said.
Bruce knew that the plan itself was a double-edged sword.
Holding it in your own hands is insurance; falling into the enemy's hands is disaster.
After all, he had even written a contingency plan to deal with himself, the kind that wanted to push himself to the brink of death, and his main principle was to treat everyone equally.
To prevent this worst-case scenario from happening, he had to devise a countermeasure plan.
But that's not safe enough.
Because the enemy may also steal the countermeasures plan.
Therefore, to be on the safe side, it's best to have a backup plan, a countermeasure plan within a countermeasure plan, or even more backup plans, a countermeasure plan within a countermeasure plan.
In short, Batman will always have a plan.
If PLANB isn't enough, there are PLANC, PLAND, PLANE, and so on.
Bruce finalized the framework of this nested doll plan in his mind at lightning speed, while the surface remained unchanged.
"You didn't call me just for this, did you?"
"Of course not."
Du Mu said cheerfully, "I've come to ask you for some things."
"What is it?"
"There are many, such as Scarecrow's Fear Gas recipe, Bane's Venom recipe, Poison Ivy's Toxin, and so on."
Bruce raised an eyebrow: "What do you need these things for? They probably won't be of any use to you, will they?"
He didn't think Du Mu needed these external things.
For someone capable of directly confronting both the angel Gabriel and the son of Satan, all this fancy stuff is completely unnecessary.
"Is it wrong for me to like collecting things?"
Du Mu himself didn't need these things, but that doesn't mean his subordinates didn't.
His future legion will be expanding its territory in the universe, so it's always good to stockpile more useful items.
Bruce shook his head decisively: "I didn't. Those were dangerous items, and they've all been destroyed."
"A bottle of life-saving potion."
"However, the destruction at the time may not have been complete. Let me look around; there should still be some left."
"Hehe, it's a pleasure doing business with you."
The two old scoundrels clasped hands and instantly struck a wicked deal.
After the transaction was completed, Bruce ignored Du Mu and went about his daily work.
A dense array of surveillance footage appeared on the screen, automatically switching between real-time images of various areas of Gotham City, from commercial districts to slums, from port terminals to underground drainage systems, covering almost every corner of the city.
The surveillance system will issue an alarm and automatically display the relevant surveillance footage whenever any crime occurs.
After watching for a moment, Du Mu couldn't help but complain, "You probably have more security cameras than the Gotham Police Department. Do you think you've monopolized the entire Gotham security surveillance market?"
Bruce ignored him and continued to examine the various screens.
The surveillance screen at Arkham Asylum was particularly outrageous.
As a key area of Bruce's concern, that place has at least several hundred cameras, providing comprehensive, unobstructed coverage except for private areas like toilets and bathrooms.
No wonder Bruce arrived at the scene faster than the Gotham police during the riot that night; it seems the prisoners were under his surveillance the whole time, and every day was a live broadcast.
Besides Arkham Asylum, many other locations that Bruce considered potentially dangerous were also surrounded by numerous cameras, clearly marked with red borders on the screen, including the Gotham Police Department.
Good heavens, installing cameras in the police station, Bruce isn't just a law enforcement officer, he's practically a law enforcement madman.
Du Mu suddenly spotted a key monitoring area marked with a red border and immediately burst into laughter.
"You, Batman, how could you be so perverted as to install a camera in someone else's house? You weren't trying to spy on some woman, were you? I never knew you were like this, Batman."
Bruce's lips twitched: "You're overthinking it. This is just the residence of some dangerous individual."
"What dangerous character in Gotham would warrant so many cameras? It couldn't be the Joker..., could it?"
"Halfway through his sentence, Du Mu suddenly stopped."
The layout of the house in this surveillance footage looks increasingly familiar.
Soon, a familiar figure appeared on the surveillance screen. Selena was sitting on the sofa in the hall, admiring the expensive collection she had stolen... picked up.
Du Mu's face darkened.
Isn't this his brand new house that he just bought?!
"As expected of that naturally evil little bat, it's impossible to guard against it!"
The first thing Du Mu did upon entering his home was to remove all the hundreds of surveillance devices inside.
According to Bruce, these cameras were installed before he joined the Super Seven, when he was wary of Du Mu, but now he trusts Du Mu completely, just as he trusts Clark and the other Super Seven members.
As for why these surveillance devices are not removed...
That's because too many things happened later and we forgot about them. It's purely a historical issue and has nothing to do with whether we trust each other or not.
Bruce's argument was logical and well-founded, but Du Mu didn't believe a single punctuation mark.
After extorting a bunch of benefits from Bat Boy, Du Mu finally returned home satisfied.
Fortunately, Bruce, that perverted voyeur, hasn't gone so far as to install cameras in the bedroom. The perks that Selena usually provides are still only viewed by him.
It took Du Mu a considerable amount of time to completely remove all the surveillance equipment from his home.
When he returned to the living room, he saw that Selena, that silly cat, was still engrossed in the collection, and he was immediately furious.
"How could you guard the house like that? Did you even know a thief broke in?"
Selena looked completely innocent.
She's a cat, not a dog, and guarding the door isn't her area of expertise.
But Du Mu didn't care about any of that. Ignoring Selena's wailing and howling, he confiscated her pile of treasured collections as punishment.
He originally intended to confiscate the seven gems that Selena had hidden in the four-dimensional pocket on her chest, but considering the difference between men and women, he ultimately gave up on the idea.
As for why he knew so precisely that there were seven gems, don't ask, he just guessed.
Just then, Du Mu's phone rang; it was an unknown number.
Du Mu answered the phone, and a familiar voice came from the other end: "Officer Du Mu, it's me, Cobbot."
Du Mu chuckled, "Little QQ, you've finally been released?"
Penguin people are already desensitized to this name; it sounds much better than "Penguin Man" anyway.
"That's right, I pulled some strings and I was finally released on bail."
Penguin was still recovering from his injuries and originally planned to stay at Arkham Asylum for a while to recuperate and avoid the evil Batman, lest the latter find some excuse to beat him up again.
However, his bodyguard, Killer Croc, was suddenly taken away by a black woman.
Without the protection of Killer Croc, his fellow inmates immediately started looking at him differently.
To avoid being bullied by his fellow inmates, Penguin acted decisively and used all available connections to quickly secure his release from prison.
The first thing he did after leaving was to call Du Mu.
"Officer Du Mu, do you have time tonight? I'd like to invite you to dinner at the Iceberg Club."
The penguin was very respectful, showing absolutely no airs of a mafia boss.
Not to mention that Du Mu had the dwarf music he wanted most, his record of slaughtering most of Arkham Asylum and killing the super criminal Mr. Zas was enough to make him lower his profile.
[NPC Oswald Cobblestone has given you a new quest]
[Task: Invite via QQ]
[Objective: The Penguin wants your help; head to the Iceberg Club for the appointment.]
[Reward: 500 Experience Points, 1 Random Item]
The reward wasn't much, but it was better than nothing, so Du Mu readily agreed: "Sure, I don't have any plans for tonight anyway, so let's meet at the Iceberg Club at eight o'clock... cough cough, eight o'clock."
Penguin's tone brightened: "That's great! I'll be waiting for you at the Iceberg Club anytime. If it's inconvenient for you, I can send a car to pick you up."
"No need, I can go by myself."
Du Mu hung up the phone and said fiercely to Selena, "Keep a close eye on the house. If you let any more thieves in, especially that evil big bat, I'll confiscate all seven of your gems."
Selena clutched her chest tightly with both hands and nodded repeatedly.
She was genuinely scared.
Several large handprints are still visible on her four-dimensional pocket, and they can't be erased.
8 PM, Iceberg Club.
Before Du Mu even reached the door, several burly men in suits and sunglasses jogged up to him, their attitude respectful and courteous, without any condescension or oblivious questioning.
The Penguin had given a strict order beforehand, and everyone knew that this was the distinguished guest for the evening.
If anyone dares to cause even the slightest trouble, there will be a human-shaped concrete pillar on the seabed of Gotham Harbor tomorrow.
When Du Mu entered the hall, he saw that the entire club had been cleared out, with only a table placed in the very center of the huge space.
Penguin was sitting at the table, wearing his signature tuxedo, and stood up with his arms outstretched as soon as Du Mu entered.
He let out a hearty laugh.
"Officer Du Mu, my dear friend! It's been so long! Come, come, sit down!"
Du Mu walked to the table, but before he could even start eating, a group of scantily clad women with long, shapely legs that seemed to rise and fall like stock prices surged up from both sides.
They moved chairs, set out tableware, and even had staff to pour drinks and hand out hot towels—the service was exceptionally attentive.
Du Mu was instantly surrounded by a white, lush landscape, and the scent of perfume wafted in from all directions.
It's obvious that this was arranged by the Penguins.
Du Mu looked around and frowned. "Little QQ, what do you take me for? I'm a Gotham City police officer, and I have professional ethics. What you're doing is putting me in a difficult position."
Penguin's heart skipped a beat.
Oh no, could the other officer be one of those old-fashioned police officers who doesn't like this kind of pomp and circumstance?
The penguin thought he had flattered the wrong person, so he immediately put on a stern face and waved at the group of long-legged guys.
Did you hear that? Hurry up...
I'm not talking about "them," I'm talking about "them."
Before Penguin could finish speaking, Du Mu interrupted him, pointing to several burly men standing around the perimeter.
"They all don't look like good people. What if someone sees them and misunderstands that I'm colluding with organized crime? How am I supposed to stay in the police force after that?"
Penguin:
'
""
Good grief, so you just find men annoying.
He was internally cursing, but still withdrew all his bodyguards.
In any case, given Du Mu's fighting prowess, if he really wanted to attack me, the outcome would be the same whether I had bodyguards or not.
The bodyguards filed out, leaving only a group of tall, muscular men to continue serving.
Soon, a variety of exquisitely prepared delicacies were served, including some from the East, clearly all carefully prepared by the penguins for Du Mu.
It has to be said that the Penguin is truly exceptional in this regard; no wonder he managed to become a mob boss in Gotham City, a city teeming with lunatics.
After exchanging a few polite words with his wine glass in hand, and going around in circles for about seven or eight minutes, the penguin finally couldn't hold back and got to the point.
"Officer Du Mu, do you still have that shorty Le?"
Du Mu forked a piece of steak and stuffed it into his mouth, nodding indistinctly, "Yes."
"Very good!"
Penguin rubbed his hands together and said with a longing look, "Officer Du Mu, I really want Dwarf Joy. Why don't you name your price, and I'll do my best to satisfy you."
Du Mu casually replied, "One billion."
Upon hearing this number, Penguin was instantly embarrassed: "That's too much, I can't afford that much money."
Du Mu looked at him with disdain: "Seriously? You, a high-ranking official in the underworld, can't even come up with this little bit of money?"
The penguin's lips twitched slightly.
I'm a gangster, not someone who runs a money printing factory. Where am I going to get so much working capital?
"My businesses still need funds to operate, and I really can't come up with that much money all at once."
The penguin was quite helpless.
Although he made a lot of money from his underworld business, he couldn't afford to spend ten small sums of money at once to buy a potion that was only for increasing height.
Du Mu pursed his lips: "Then there's nothing I can do. To tell you the truth, I recently sold some health products for Bruce Wayne and made a lot of money, at least ten small goals, so I'm not short of money at all now."
The penguin was stunned.
What kind of health supplement is worth ten small dollars? That's more profitable than ice!
Is it too late for him to switch careers and sell health supplements?
Penguin composed himself and forced a smile back: "Officer Du Mu, I really can't come up with a billion, but I can offer something else in return. You can choose any property or land of equal value."
Du Mu shook his head, his expression unwavering: "What use would I have for those things? I'd have to spend time managing them, it'd be a waste of time."
Penguin looked at Du Mu's completely unmoved attitude and had a headache: "Officer Du Mu, why don't you just make a request? As long as it's within my ability, I will definitely do my best to fulfill it."
Now that you mention it, I do have an idea.
Upon hearing this, Du Mu's lips suddenly curled up.
"I happen to have some pretty profitable projects that need some people to help manage them. I think you have a lot of potential in this area. Why don't you come with me? I'll start a company and you can manage it."
"I've already thought of a name for the company: Penguin Company. We'll use you as the model for the company image—a round, chubby penguin, with a cute and approachable style. What do you think of this suggestion?"