Arrogant refused to discuss matters like large beasts and code names with them; he just kept heading towards the Chinese supermarket. Greed, however, was quite eager, saying, "I think you could make a map and mark all the natural reserves and the large beasts inside. That would definitely be interesting."
"That would definitely make many people risk their lives," Brainiac said. "The purpose of isolating them from the crowd is to minimize their contact with people, not to make them like a Demon King in a castle, having commoners rush forward like heroes delivering take-out."
"Alright, but you will lure enemies there, right?"
"You're making some pointless assumptions," Brainiac replied. "If I knew the child kidnappers and victims were hiding there, I would rescue them immediately, instead of turning it into an arena, playing who's the last survivor. For a program, that's meaningless."
"That's a bit dull," Greed shrugged and said, "If I were you, I'd regularly throw a batch of heinous criminals into the natural reserve, start a live broadcast, and charge for tickets. That would definitely rake in money."
"If I did that, would they attack the released criminals, or band together to attack me?"
"You are quite smart, really boring."
They arrived at the entrance of a large supermarket together. It was said to be a supermarket, but actually, it was a large, square building that didn't look very aesthetically pleasing. But since all buildings here were square, it was harmoniously matched.
Just walking in, they saw a sea of red. It was unclear if it was the aesthetic of the warehouse manager or Brainiac's stereotype, but the décor was very typical of Chinatown style. Various wooden pillars hung with lanterns, pasted with the character for fortune, and some random brush calligraphy.
"What does that mean?" Pamela pointed to a calligraphic piece on the wall and asked.
"Friend of Women." Greed started talking nonsense.
"That says 'Feel at Home,'" Arrogant said.
"What about that one?"
"Catch a toad and squeeze urine from it."
"That says 'Bright Future, Forge Ahead.'"
They chatted all the way through, picking the ingredients and seasonings they needed. Fresh chicken and duck weren't needed; Greed had them himself. They mainly needed fresh vegetables and seasonings.
This supermarket was absurdly big, and its goods were all-encompassing. There was nothing they couldn't find, even some relatively rare regional seasonings, for example, various chili powders.
"Seriously, New York should have a supermarket like this, so I wouldn't have to run to five Chinese supermarkets on Saturday mornings just to stock up," Greed said, not without complaint.
They shopped inside for over two hours, filling a large shopping cart with items. Pamela was initially worried they couldn't carry all these things, but then a gray mist floated by, and everything disappeared.
"He should paint you a special natural reserve," Pamela said to Greed, "with the code name 'Big Appetite King.'
"Then I hope my habitat is in this Chinese supermarket. Besides, I already have the code name, 'Mist Guest.' How about that?"
"Sounds quite fitting with Ouroboros."
"We need to swing by the liquor supermarket," Arrogant said. "I mean, the drink supermarket."
"Why don't you make pumpkin juice?" Pamela asked.
"Pumpkin juice? How's that different from pumpkin soup?"
"Of course, pumpkin juice isn't the thick kind you're imagining. After blending, it needs to be settled, and the final product is clear, with a pumpkin aroma and sweet scent."
"Maybe we could, but my blender's blade has taken on too much, we might need a new one," Arrogant said.
They went to the beverage supermarket. This was an even larger supermarket, with all drinks displayed on the shelves. Unlike before, there were guides who seemed like former dock workers, now referring to lists to introduce juice origins to customers.
They didn't buy much, so they didn't find any guides, choosing on their own from the shelves. It was a bit tricky since many wines were placed on high shelves. Fortunately, Pamela could use vines to take them down.
They purchased various juices and sparkling water, claiming to take them back for reference. Then, they went to the household supermarket to buy blender blades and juice storage jars.
When they left the supermarket, it was already time for lunch. Although there were small restaurants near the warehouse center, due to tourists, the prices were inflated and the food quality was mediocre, so they decided to walk into the East District to find a better restaurant.
The changes in the East District aren't significant; the previous integrated buildings, which are essentially massive structures, haven't undergone much transformation. Even though a few years have passed, the buildings are of solid quality, and the various facilities have not yet started to wear out. It remains the most densely populated area in Gotham.
Because it's a large residential area, it requires a lot of facilities and offers many job opportunities. It's also close to the port, where food is fresh, and the cost of living is relatively low, so most people are unwilling to move away.
Many people could live in villas in communities like the one Shiller resides in, but they prefer to stay here in apartments.
Facilities are one thing, but the main reason is psychological barriers. Before Brainiac arrived, community rules in America were practically hellish. The isolation between communities was so severe that most people stayed away from communities that didn't match their income level because they knew if they managed to sneak in, they would be driven out.
If you couldn't afford to maintain the lifestyle befitting your income bracket, everyone in the community would unite to ostracize you until you left for where you belonged. Even though things have changed since Brainiac arrived, those psychological shadows aren't easy to eradicate. People prefer the security of apartment living rather than moving to seemingly upscale affluent communities. Just the expense of mowing lawns and cleaning house exteriors would be substantial, and they fear being unable to afford it, ultimately losing both money and homes.
Apartment living has its advantages. For one, the East District is the only place in Gotham with centralized heating. Not only are the living spaces in integrated buildings heated, but so are the corridors and community stores within the buildings. It's warm everywhere, eliminating the need to chop wood for burning.
Additionally, in the social environment crafted by Brainiac, bartering is an essential practice. Because most necessities require points, which are precious, if spent unwisely with no way to return the items, it's better to trade them. This requires a vast population base to establish a mature bartering market, and only apartment communities have such conditions.
Moreover, there's the matter of schools. Under Brainiac's management, public schools' educational quality has been steadily improving. Here, teachers enjoy a range of benefits, including point subsidies and various material supplements, along with teaching numerous students, gaining rich experience, leading to teaching standards that exceed those in sparsely populated communities. Parents are willing to stay here, even if only for their children's education.
So, even though many old estates and houses in the West District have been vacated, not many are willing to experience the noble lifestyle. The population in the East District continues to grow. It seems that Brainiac intends to expand integrated buildings further, but there's little space left in the urban area; the next step should be land reclamation from the sea.
"What's that over there?" A group had reached the roof terrace, and Greed looked into the distance, seeing a taller building, resembling a lighthouse but different.
"That's the entrance to the undersea tunnel."
"The undersea tunnel to the North District?"
"To the Gulf of Mexico."
"What???"
"Built by the Atlanteans," Arrogant said, "Originally Oliver's idea to transport grain to Mexico. But eventually, they collaborated with Atlantis and extended the tunnel directly into the Gulf of Mexico. Brainiac hasn't removed the tunnel, but uses it for transporting agricultural and industrial materials. That's one of the entrances."
"Jesus," Greed exclaimed, "What a massive project. But isn't it possible that going through the sky could be faster?"
"If there were stable flying devices, indeed it would be faster, unfortunately, we don't have them. And the magic of Atlantis is quite mysterious, plus traveling underwater can be more discreet, and serve as an evacuation route if necessary."
Greed nodded, seemingly pondering. Arrogant turned and asked, "Are you thinking of making one too?"
"Yes. It's not about anything else, but I need to find something for my Sea Clan in my universe to do. They hardly put in any effort, and that's not acceptable."
Arrogant understood, realizing that Greed's discontent with idleness had surfaced again. However, compared to Atlantis here, the sea races in Marvel don't usually show up and were of little use in war.
They continued along the roof terrace. Since it was vacation time, many kids were playing on the rooftops. Most sports areas are set on rooftops, and many people are organizing games of football, while there are also plenty of rooftop gardens where adults tend to plants.
Then they arrived at an area near a circular building. This is a famous commercial street in the East District, also inside integrated buildings, although the structure resembles an animal fighting arena: circular, with all fronts, and the dining area is the exposed circular center.
They took the elevator down and then ordered food through Brainiac's app. The dishes were served quickly.
At this moment, Arrogant received a message from Jason. He picked up the phone and dialed the number, then said to the other side: "It's me, Jason. How's it going? Is that so? Sounds complicated. We're having lunch at the Circular Plaza, do you want to come over?"
Within less than ten minutes, Jason and Barry had arrived. As soon as Barry sat down, he couldn't help but exclaim, "My goodness, we had to take at least four elevators and walk through ten corridors just to get here. How do you manage not to get lost in this place?"
"I watched this place being built," Jason said, "Most of my old friends live here. Some work at the auto repair shop on that side, others are social workers, and some teach in kindergartens. We often have gatherings in this area, how could I get lost?"
"Brainiac shouldn't have made you a behavior analyst; he should have made you a cartographer. I've never gotten it right using his navigation!"
"Where did you end up?" Arrogant asked with a smile, "Wickwood?"
"Come on, last time Brainiac had me keep going, telling me there was a door ahead and once I pushed it open, I'd be at the destination..."
"And then you arrived?"
"At the Atlantic!"