The Grayson Troupe's gratitude performance was quite lively. Instead of the usual plays or Shakespearean dramas, the actors improvised, directed, and performed their own skits. Most were related to Halloween, such as children's adventure stories, tales about Halloween legends, and various Halloween customs from different regions. It was suitable for all ages, with no entry barriers, and the actors occasionally came down to interact with the audience, making the atmosphere quite lively.
The Primary Universe Batman only occasionally glanced at the performance, spending most of the time looking at his tablet. Arrogant turned his head to look at him and then asked, "Are you researching something about programs?"
"Sorry, PhD, I know I should be focused on the performance. But some issues that Lex Luther raised about Brainiac's underlying protocol maintenance are indeed worth studying. Besides, the automatic operating systems set up on many Kryptonian machines also need maintenance..."
"I'll bet you've never spent a leisurely Halloween," Greed said. "Does anyone come to your house to ask for candy?"
"Of course. Alfred prepares a lot of candy every year, and the neighborhood kids are always eager to come by for treats. But I rarely entertain them myself. Autumn is a great season for scientific research."
"On Halloween night, we'll be hosting a banquet showcasing new products from the food factory and the results of the giant plant research. Would you like to come?" Arrogant asked.
"Research results?" The Primary Universe Batman finally looked up and said, "So those three gigantic pumpkins in the backyard aren't an accident?"
"Of course not. Naturally grown pumpkins that large couldn't be nibbled even by cows," Greed said with evident experience. "Such large yet tender and juicy pumpkins are obviously a result of mutation. I do envy the All Things Green you have here. We've put in so much effort for Magical Plants, but they're still not entirely suitable for everyone to eat..."
"So, this is Lady Aisley's handiwork?" the Primary Universe Batman asked again.
"You could say it's accidental," Arrogant explained. "Pamela made the plants so large just so they could hit people harder. However, Brainiac halted her project on hitting plants, so she had to improve the taste based on the results of the enlargement research."
"I'm more curious why she wanted to research hitting plants."
"Initially, Gotham wasn't very peaceful, and she needed some means of defense. But later, she possibly just wanted to deal with those environmentalists. This way, when they accused her of harming plants, the plants could jump up and give them a punch."
"Very… creative. So how are the results?"
"Hitting plants? Though many kinds have been researched, actually, the ones that hit the hardest are cabbages. And through his research, the cabbages from Kent's Farm have the best combat skills..."
"No, I mean the enlarged plants."
"As you can see, each grows very large, and the taste is well preserved. I heard the results for potatoes and corn are even more delightful. But if you're interested in this, you'd better ask her directly. I don't know much about botany."
"Do you think the seeds of this universe could possibly thrive in other universes?"
"Pamela's seed modification should be based on magical principles, and whether this universe's magic can be used in other universes largely depends on All Things Green. If you can negotiate with it, then it should be possible."
"Looks like I'll need to ask Poison Ivy when I return," the Primary Universe Batman said thoughtfully. "Although I may not be able to resolve the global famine, at least I can improve Gotham's farming environment. Even if it's not on natural land, just cultivating some of these plants in a greenhouse could greatly alleviate the living pressure of the lower class."
"The pale knight shares your thoughts. From the project's inception, he had already reserved quite a few seeds, and the Poison Ivy from their universe is also helping him. They've established an experimental field, and results should come soon."
The Primary Universe Batman nodded and then said, "Earlier, while wandering the city, I noticed a fence set up by the seaside. Did you establish a marine ranch?"
"No, that's our seaweed farm. It's restricted because there are Atlanteans maintaining it, and their magic might affect the human race. Arthur is in charge of that area; you might want to chat with him."
"Has he come too? Is he downstairs?"
Arrogant wasn't very certain either, so he texted Gordon downstairs and quickly received a reply: both the Aquaman and his wife are here, watching the performance below. Hence, the Primary Universe Batman went down as well.
Bruce, after showing off his engagement ring and fiancée, disappeared somewhere. Arrogant guessed he might have gone backstage to find Selina.
The show lasted about three and a half hours. Near the end, the organizers distributed gifts to everyone: a basket of Halloween-themed candies, a witch's hat, several random Gotham-themed tourist souvenirs, and tickets to different performances.
The tickets were random, including musicals, children's plays, Shakespearean dramas, and the like. Arrogant's ticket happened to be for a children's play, so he planned to go downstairs to exchange it. Many people didn't get souvenirs or tickets they liked, so they all gathered below for exchange.
This was also one of the organizers' crowd-diversion tactics, or else, with so many people rushing out at once, incidents could easily happen.
It proved to be a very wise move. Before long, a scream came from backstage, and then a plump woman scrambled over, shouting, "My daughter, my daughter is missing!!"
The crowd erupted. Gordon quickly squeezed through the crowd and said, "What's wrong with your daughter? When did she go missing? Where did she last appear?"
"Backstage. Her cousin is a troupe member, and I took her there for an autograph. But just as I turned away to chat with someone, she suddenly vanished. The backstage actors all say they didn't see her..."
"Quiet, quiet!" Gordon shouted, "All parents, keep an eye on your children! Stay in the theatre and don't move!"
The Gothamites, used to big events, quickly calmed down. The Primary Universe Batman also emerged from the crowd and said in a low voice, "There are no car headlights on the back street, the culprit didn't have time to leave this street."
Seeing him, Gordon hesitated for a moment but quickly understood: the Primary Universe Batman was implying this could be man-made, and the perpetrator hadn't gone far. So he immediately pulled out his walkie-talkie and instructed the police to block off the street.
Barry had already turned into a streak of golden light and dashed out. He ran back and forth on the front and back streets several times, but found nothing suspicious. He returned to Gordon and said, "Either they're still hiding in the theatre, or they've slipped into the sewers."
Bruce and Selina also arrived. Hearing this, Bruce went out to check the sewers, while Selina jumped directly onto the rooftop. Both searched but found no clues.
Soon, a police officer came over with a police dog. Gordon asked the mother, "Do you have any of the child's personal items?"
"Of course, but they're all in the little bag she carries herself. The rest are at home. Can I go back to get them in time now?"
Gordon was a bit troubled. He had some impression of this lady, seemed to remember she was responsible for the district where the theatre was located, but her home was nearly six miles away. By the time she returned, the culprit would be long gone.
"Candy," Arrogant said from the side, "Did your daughter eat the candy I brought?"
The woman suddenly recalled: "Yes, she ate two and even got lemon sauce on her clothes. I didn't have time to wipe it off; there's a strong lemon scent on her!"
Gordon quickly rushed into the crowd and asked if anyone hadn't eaten candy yet. Immediately a parent took out a chocolate ball that hadn't been eaten. After breaking open the chocolate, the police dog sniffed the scent inside, sneezed, but soon started searching around the theatre.
"Remember what I said before? That chestnut tree wasn't this big until recently. If the other side planned this years ago, there could be spaces in the theatre we don't know about."
"It should be underground," Gordon said, "I remember this theatre has a basement, but it's dark and damp, almost never used. I'll ask the troupe leader."
The troupe leader was Mr. Grayson, Dick's father. After some thought, he said, "We planned to use the cellar as a warehouse, but the environment is really poor there. There's a lot of ice around, and it's freezing cold, making it troublesome to access. Almost no one goes near there."
"Can you take us to the entrance?"
Mr. Grayson led the police and the police dog all the way to find it. The police dog quickly began barking frantically in front of the small door. In fact, even without a police dog, any ordinary person could smell a faint lemon scent.
The most lingering lemon scent doesn't come from the juice but from the peel, that kind of fresh scent with a bit of bitterness, which clashes with the cellar's environment. Arrogant had used a lot of lemon peel in the chocolate balls, making this scent strong and lingering.
The group followed the scent and opened the cellar door; inside it was indeed very cold. After a round of searching, the Primary Universe Batman looked up at the chandelier above and pointed at a spot on the ceiling, saying, "Dig here. If there are no wires, there must be a passage about three feet above."
Gordon didn't quite grasp the concept, but he knew it might be related to the electrical wiring. In this regard, he unconditionally trusted Batman, so he ordered someone to grab a shovel and start digging the ceiling.
After digging, they indeed found no electrical wires. The Primary Universe Batman then pointed to another spot and said, "Dig in this direction; the passage should be above."
This time, after only two shovels, a pile of dirt fell down, revealing a dark hole above the crowd. The police dog started barking again, and Gordon cursed.
"Let me in," Selina said, "I'm good at navigating tight spaces. Hand me the flashlight."
Bruce was a bit concerned and opened his mouth but didn't say anything, he simply walked over, lifted Selina up to let her into the hole, and then said, "Be careful."
Selina nodded, used her hands and feet to support herself against the hole's walls, climbed up a bit, turned a corner, and then there was no more sound.
Bruce was anxiously pacing below. Suddenly, there was a loud shout from the hole: "Get away!"
Followed by a man's scream and a child's cries. Seconds later, Selina jumped out of the hole, removed a blood-stained dagger and placed it back in her thigh holster, calmly clapped her hands and said, "Not bad, haven't lost my touch. Get someone to bring them out."
Gordon quickly had the opening enlarged, then brought out the man and child together. This man was small in stature, barely over 1.6 meters tall, could easily be mistaken for a big child at a glance, but was actually a grown man. Selina had sliced open his abdomen, causing his intestines to spill out. Thankfully, the child wasn't harmed besides being a bit frightened.
The crowd cheered while Gordon was busy sending the man to the hospital. Barry stood by the street, watching the ambulance drive off. He looked at Gordon and said, "He's definitely one of the kidnappers, I can't be wrong."
"I remember one of the previous cases also involved a boy, kidnapped after a school event. Seems they're good at taking advantage of chaos. We need to stay vigilant these days."
Barry nodded and said, "I need to get someone to check where this passage leads. This isn't something that gets dug in a day. I have a feeling this is going to be a big case."