"Mr. Anthony, I hope you can write a check. → Google Search Reading"
In the hotel, Eric said to Anthony, who accompanied him from the publishing house.
Anthony, a man of medium build, in his forties or fifties, with a hooked nose and a capable demeanor, asked in confusion, "But the publishing house has already paid an advance royalty of 30,000. The first batch of hardcover books has just started selling. Although your book is very popular, we cannot—"
"Not the publishing house, but me."
Eric explained to him, "I'll pay for this check, but it needs to be sent to my home in the name of the publishing house."
Anthony nodded, instantly understanding Eric's meaning.
He was afraid that the Kent couple would suspect the source of the money, so he would mail it in the name of the publishing house.
He did not ask where Eric's money came from and immediately agreed to the matter.
"So, what's the amount?"
Anthony asked Eric.
"Fifty thousand."
"Hmm."
Anthony hesitated, "Although it's a bit troublesome, it's not impossible to handle."
"I will mail the check to Kent Farm in the name of the publishing house's manuscript fees. And I will write a letter telling Mr. Kent that because the sales of the new book in Gotham are very good, the royalty share that was originally scheduled to be paid next quarter will be paid in advance."
Anthony thoughtfully came up with a reason for Eric to address his parents' suspicions.
His attitude towards Eric had always been respectful, not only because the latter was his client but also because he was often influenced by the aura Eric exuded, so he automatically saw Eric as one of those dangerous and unapproachable beings in his dark-themed works.
After Anthony left the room, Eric stretched, stood up, walked to the window, and pulled open the curtains.
The gloomy sky was exposed to view.
Drizzling rain fell from the dark clouds, and Gothic buildings stood tall beneath the clouds.
Looking into the distance, the entire Gotham City stood in a vast expanse of white mist.
This was the first time Eric had seen Gotham City in the rain.
Although he had been to Gotham City several times before, it had always been a fleeting glimpse in the dead of night.
The most profound impressions were the dirty alleys and the glamorous streets.
As for Batman and some famous villains, perhaps due to bad luck, he never encountered them on any of his visits.
The ones he did encounter were some reckless thugs and hooligans who tried to rob him, and he dealt with them easily.
Now, because of the rain, the planned outdoor new book promotion event was changed to indoors, and the reduced scale meant his workload was also significantly decreased, allowing him to return to the hotel early to rest.
After staring at the Gotham City scenery outside the window for a while, Eric turned and left.
He picked up an umbrella and walked out of the hotel.
Gotham National Bank.
In the increasingly dense rain, outside the bank, the shootout between the police and the Red Hood Gang was nearing its end. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The heavily damaged members of the Red Hood Gang were suppressed by the police's firepower and retreated steadily, with gang members constantly screaming, getting shot, and falling.
The flowing blood was quickly diluted by the rainwater.
And in the underground sewer system, a faint roar could be heard.
Bruce Wayne, dressed in a black suit, was riding a black CB400 motorcycle, speeding along the wide sewer.
His young face was as rugged and chiseled as if carved by a knife and axe, but a slightly haggard fatigue spoiled this perfection.
Riding the motorcycle with one hand, Bruce operated the motorcycle's front display with the other.
"Master Bruce?"
"I'm here, Alfred."
Bruce's voice was somewhat faint amidst the roar of the motorcycle.
"It seems you've had another desperate, sleepless night."
"Yes. But I also made a foolish mistake, Alfred."
Bruce Wayne stared at the deeply dark surroundings ahead in the sewer and said in a heavy voice, "I should have spent more time studying them, figuring out the Red Hood Gang's purpose, but to save those people in the bank, I had to expose my identity. I could have stayed undercover with the Red Hood Gang for longer—"
"Life often doesn't go as planned, does it, Master Bruce?"
"I understand. Although the Red Hood Gang is finished, whether it's me or those people in the bank, the price we paid was a bit high."
Although Bruce, by disguising himself as a member of the Red Hood Gang, delivered a fatal blow when they robbed the bank, many citizens were still involved, and he was still somewhat bothered by it.
"Don't doubt your initial goal just because of one unexpected failure, Master Bruce."
After Alfred comforted him, he suddenly changed the subject, "Hmm, there's a small problem with the back door, Master. Please forgive me, I had warned you beforehand, operating a Level 1 computer, this is beyond my usual scope of work. You'll have to give me some time—"
"The Red Hood Gang might be chasing me in the next second, Alfred, and I don't have much time."
Bruce glanced back; the gunshots were getting closer, and the motorcycle he was riding was gradually approaching the end of the sewer—a thick wall.
Buzz!
The moment the motorcycle hit the wall, a freight elevator rose from the ground.
Bruce's motorcycle successfully entered the elevator at the last second and was transported downwards.
"Did it succeed?" Alfred's uncertain voice came through.
"Perfect!"
Bruce praised the butler.
"Master, if you always want to enter from the south, I suggest you set up a better entrance, rather than coming in through this stone house."
Alfred, the butler of the underground base, said to Bruce after he was out of danger.
"Alfred, this stone house is my home. Forty feet from here is where my parents died. The meaning of me staying here is to fight."
Bruce replied to Alfred while operating the base's equipment to shut down.
"Your war is far more than just playing Batman, Master. The Wayne family's destiny is to change the face of this city. Although you have just returned to Gotham City, I still hope you can do some things that the citizens of Gotham City expect you to do."
Alfred said to Bruce as he accompanied him upstairs.
After entering the living room, Bruce changed his clothes. "I know what this city needs, Alfred."
He picked up a book from the desk. "Do you remember? Every Saturday, the Gotham City Times used to have a lifestyle section called 'Gotham City Impressions.' In this column, randomly selected citizens would be chosen to complete a sentence with three words or less: 'Gotham City is—!'"
"Which word was used most often? 'Damned'? 'Cursed'? 'Crazy'? Or using a villain's name as the answer for 'Gotham City Impressions'?"
Bruce showed Alfred a book with a strange Gothic architectural cover and the title "cthulhu." "I recently read a book, and it gave me a different answer. 'Gotham City is a twisted darkness, an abyss on the verge of destruction, and no one can define this city.'"
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