Grrr…
Grrr…
A few white pigeons stood on the rooftop. Even in the city, these animals were quite common. Especially white pigeons, which symbolized peace, often found in city squares and perched on the rooftops of tall buildings.
Thus, neither Gordon nor Harvey paid much attention to the pigeons.
"Does Batman often not show up?" Harvey asked, as this was his first time waiting for Batman.
"Often, but usually it's because he's busy with other matters," Gordon replied, meaning Batman was likely catching other criminals. Gordon had grown accustomed to it, so he had patience.
Of course, this time, Batman didn't make them wait long. A dark figure swooped down from the sky and landed on the edge of the rooftop. "Gordon."
"Batman, you're here," Gordon stepped forward and said. "We've got a big problem this time."
"Speak." Batman, crouched at the edge of the rooftop, replied briefly.
"Someone's trying to turn Gotham into an arms factory, producing extremely dangerous weapons. Apparently, outside orders have already reached five hundred million dollars," Gordon said, relaying information from his informant.
"What do you need me to do?" Batman asked, his voice still brief, but there was a noticeable seriousness in his eyes. A smuggling operation of such scale wasn't a small matter.
"We can't find the location of the arms factory. We need your help," Gordon said.
Harvey chimed in, "We absolutely cannot let this arms factory survive. This time, no matter who is behind it, anyone involved with this factory, I will make sure they end up in prison."
"I'll investigate," Batman replied. With that, he turned and jumped off the edge of the building, his arms outstretched. His cape wasn't just an ordinary piece of fabric; it was made from high-tech memory material. Once activated, the flexible cape could turn into bat-like wings for gliding.
Flying from the sky to the sky, Batman disappeared into the night with his wings spread.
Grrr…
The white pigeons seemed startled by Batman's sudden arrival, taking flight and flying off the rooftop.
Liu A'dou sat in a hidden room. A white shadow flew in through the ventilation vent in the ceiling and silently landed on the table. Liu A'dou smiled faintly, thinking to himself, "Here it comes." The white pigeon's claws were attached with a listening device and a miniature camera. It took Liu A'dou a lot of time to train these magic pigeons. They could be used for performing magic or for surveillance.
Dangerous weapons, a five hundred million dollar order… interesting. Liu A'dou liked money, but he didn't care for small amounts. Five hundred million was definitely worth a heist. After all, it was all ill-gotten money. Of course, Liu A'dou was more interested in the weapons. As a magician, props were crucial.
The small devices on the pigeon's feet clearly recorded the meeting of the three major players. If the photos could be developed, it would definitely make for a big story. But Liu A'dou wouldn't do that, because Batman's equipment would surely calculate the angle of the shot and discover the magic pigeon, and from then on, Kaitou Kid would no longer be able to monitor Batman.
Having a big story but not being able to report it was frustrating. However, thinking about the five hundred million and the advanced weapons, Liu A'dou smiled. He was going to find the arms factory before Batman did. He remembered how he and Iselin were stopped outside the police station that night and didn't manage to get any useful information. It seemed that only by taking an unconventional route could one get good intel.
Kaitou Kid set off, climbing onto the roof and flying out.
Having such a powerful tool, it was rare to find someone capable of secretly building an arms factory. Liu A'dou immediately thought of the Penguin, that short, chubby gentleman, always holding his umbrella. The Penguin was one of Batman's most capable enemies and had designed countless weapons.
Batman needed to investigate the various local bosses in Gotham before he could uncover the mastermind behind it. But Liu A'dou, being a time traveler, already knew where the Penguin was hiding.
The Penguin had always been ridiculed for his physical deformities, which led him to develop an anti-social personality. But he was also extremely intelligent and skilled at creating strange weapons, often catching Batman off guard with ridiculous gadgets. The Penguin's intelligence wasn't just in invention, though; he was also a financial mastermind, often involved in money laundering and the transfer of illicit funds. This made him a highly skilled economic criminal. That's why Liu A'dou immediately suspected the Penguin was the mastermind behind the arms factory.
Batman was also considering this, but he didn't know where the Penguin was hiding, so he needed to "talk" to a few of the local crime bosses. Liu A'dou, on the other hand, didn't need to do that—he already knew where the Penguin was hiding.
The Penguin had opened a popular restaurant in Gotham called the Iceberg Lounge, and that's where he was hiding.
Like a ghost, Liu A'dou descended upon the outside of the restaurant. The entire ten-story building was the Penguin's territory; the first six floors were the restaurant, while the upper four were the Penguin's private space.
He used a diamond-tipped knife to carve out a circle on the window, then reached in to unlock the window. Kaitou Kid silently slipped inside.
The hideout of such a big bad guy had no guards, which was unexpected. However, Liu A'dou didn't let his guard down. He pulled out a spray and sprayed a few times down the hallway to check for any laser alarm systems.
Spray a little, walk a few steps, and stroll down the hallway as if it were a casual walk. The boss's office was typically at the farthest point of the top floor, so Liu A'dou headed straight for that room. He didn't need to worry about security cameras here because this floor was the Penguin's private domain, and he wouldn't want to be watched every time he came and went.
The door was locked, so Liu A'dou first pressed his ear against the door, confirming there was no sound from the inside, then proceeded to unlock the door. No lock could stop him.
Opening the door with ease, Liu A'dou took a quick look at the room. It was luxurious—almost like a nouveau riche's taste in decor. However, Liu A'dou didn't want to linger, so he hurried to the desk and started searching the drawers. From bottom to top, he opened them one by one. This was a habit from his days as a thief—it saved time.
He found something. Liu A'dou picked up a simple Santa Claus doll that didn't match the office style at all. It looked suspicious. Although the Penguin often had quirky props, this doll seemed to be just an ordinary toy with no collectible value. But the Penguin had kept it, which meant it had a reason.
Turning the doll upside down, he saw the name of the toy company stamped on its foot: "Toyland." Liu A'dou knew that Gotham's criminals often used small factories to cover up the production of dangerous items. Perhaps "Toyland" was a small workshop serving as a cover for the arms factory, and this doll was just something the Penguin casually picked up.
Liu A'dou didn't find anything else suspicious, so he turned to the computer. The computer's fan whirred loudly, echoing in the otherwise quiet room.
Liu A'dou glanced at the door to the hallway to make sure no one was coming in.
He quickly scrolled through the files on the computer's hard drive and confirmed his suspicion. The Penguin had stored the weapon blueprints on this computer. "Particle Disintegration Weapon?"
Damn, this was way too high-tech. Liu A'dou was stunned as he stared at the line of text. It was true—criminals always seemed to have more advanced weaponry than the police. Imagine how ineffective the police's small handguns would be against such high-energy weapons. If they ever faced these kinds of weapons, catching criminals would be impossible. At least these weapons were being shipped out, but Liu A'dou had no idea where they were headed. It could be Metropolis or New York. If the Gotham mafia got their hands on these weapons, Gotham would truly be finished.
Liu A'dou decided to not go after the arms factory anymore. Faced with such powerful weapons, he chose to retreat. But he couldn't leave empty-handed—his eyes darted to the computer case. The design plans could be useful in improving his own magical props.
Just as Kaitou Kid was about to act, a suppressed voice came from behind him: "Stealing is punishable."
The voice was the same as one of the voices Liu A'dou had overheard before—it was Batman. Liu A'dou was impressed by Batman's efficiency; just a few hours and Batman had already found his way here and witnessed a theft in progress.