There is no Batman in Gotham City comics.

Chapter 85, Act 2

Richard, who was hiding behind a pillar, took a can of yellow solution out of his pocket.

As he uncorked the bottle, a plume of white smoke rose up, and the pungent smell made the man frown.

He eventually had to use this thing.

When he was promoted to bank president, Maronny handed him the office keys along with this thing.

"Boss, what's this?"

"Something that can save your life and the lives of your family."

At the time, he didn't understand why a small can of concentrated sulfuric acid could save his life.

But later, from the boss's few words, he guessed that in addition to the mountain of money and gold bars, the private vault seemed to be hiding an incredible secret.

Once the scandals of those powerful families and the private photos of politicians are made public, Maronny's criminal empire will collapse overnight.

Before that, Maroni would slit his parents' throats and shove a gun barrel into their mouths.

Protecting this secret is protecting yourself and your family!

After a series of internal struggles, Richard shakily inserted his index finger into the bottle opening.

Beep!

The concentrated sulfuric acid melted half of his fingertip in an instant, and the excruciating pain of burning his bones almost made Richard faint. Ignoring the approaching footsteps behind him, he screamed and banged his head against the pillar repeatedly.

His collar was grabbed, and the thin man was lifted up and thrown in front of Qin Wei.

"Just kill me... I've dissolved my fingerprints... except for Mr. Maroney..."

"Mr. Richard, what are you talking about? I came here to discuss an investment project with you."

That voice sounds so familiar!

"It's you! It's Wei..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Wei shoved a stinky sock into Richard's mouth.

This was purely a personal grudge. Qin Wei was a vengeful person; he still remembered how Richard had pried open his mouth with those dirty white gloves a few days ago.

Richard was completely oblivious to the sour, foul smell that gradually filled his nostrils. He was completely absorbed in the bombardment of information that Qin Wei was actually the leader of the robbers. He couldn't understand why his boss's top henchman would lead a rebellion.

But there were other things he didn't understand, such as Qin Wei opening the door to the underground vault right in front of him.

Well!

Well!

Mmm!

With his hands tied behind his back, Richard could only futilely twist his limbs, expressing his inner shock with weak sobs.

Of course, Richard wasn't driven to the brink yet. He was praying that Qin Wei would grab some money and then stop, and definitely not set his sights on Maroney's private vault. Even if he were killed to silence him, at least the information would be preserved, and out of loyalty, Maroney would spare his parents.

Richard even believed that Qin Wei was completely unaware of the existence of that "evidence." After all, it was the old fox's greatest asset in squeezing out the aging lion and seizing sole power in the Roman Empire.

Would a company's core competitive advantage be so easily leaked to outsiders?

Richard began to tremble when Qin Wei stood in front of a wall.

Boom boom boom!

Is anyone home?

Qin Wei knocked on the concrete wall; the echo was muffled, not hollow at all. Without a building map, who would suspect that the target was behind this wall?

"I'd completely forgotten, my master was locked out too, just like me!"

He talked to himself and ripped the smelly sock out of Richard's mouth.

"Now I'm giving you a chance. Tell me where the switch is, or have the demolition expert behind you take care of it."

To blast open this thick wall, you would first have to drill holes and then stuff them with explosives. The time wasted could have been used to stuff tens of millions of dollars into sacks. Now that there is a more convenient way, Qin Wei is naturally going to give it a try.

"I can't. If I help you, my parents..."

"I know what you're worried about. The signal is blocked here, but I can assure you with my life that I know where your parents live. If you just give the nod, I can come and pick them up right away."

Richard, seemingly summoning courage from nowhere, suddenly stood up and charged at Qin Wei.

But how could this skinny chick be a match for Qin Wei? It was grabbed by the head and pinned to the wall.

"Why! Why are you teasing me like this!"

Richard, his defenses broken, struggled, and Qin Wei's mocking laughter rang in his ears.

"Who's playing a trick on you? Please find out."

"At most, I'll just stuff a sock in your mouth, but I won't force you to burn your fingerprints with sulfuric acid."

"But you're threatening me with my parents!"

"Threat? Do you think your parents are safer in my hands or in Maronny's? If I really wanted to kill you, the sniper just shot you in the head!"

"Stop talking, please kill me!" Richard's reply was utterly desperate.

Qin Wei wanted to laugh. He had been giving Richard a chance to live all along, but unfortunately, Richard's knee had been broken by Maroney years ago.

Broken bones will heal, and shattered wounds will close, but the person will never be able to stand up again.

Qin Wei gave a signal, and Royce dragged Richard out.

bump!

A gunshot rang out, and the man was executed under surveillance, just as he had hoped.

With things having come to this point, Qin Wei could only bestow upon the other party "loyalty," which could save his parents' lives.

……

"I see."

Maroni hung up the phone in a daze, turned around and threw the phone on the ground. Still feeling unsatisfied, he pulled out his pistol and fired a whole magazine.

Nokia ultimately couldn't withstand this smooth combo and collapsed into a pile of electronic components.

The gunshots prompted the bodyguards to break down the door.

"Perfect timing! Notify the 'youngster' to proceed to the central bank immediately!"

Maroni called out to Benny, who was turning to leave.

"You have a special mission. Go to Richard Daniel's house immediately."

Benny's response was like that of a rudimentary AI unable to comprehend complex instructions: "Why go there? Boss, are you meeting his parents?"

"No, no, no! On the contrary, I don't want to see his parents, I never want to see them!" Maroni's eyes flashed with malice.

The call I just received was from a corrupt cop. It didn't contain any useful information; it just informed him that a group of robbers were robbing the central bank.

But that was enough for Maroni to analyze many issues.

Richard didn't report it to him immediately, and even the electronic alarms were malfunctioning. These two points alone are enough to demonstrate the seriousness of the situation.

Although the vault was heavily secured, Maroney still prepared for the worst, that Richard might betray him.

First Dodge, then Richard, why do the men I trust always betray me?

Maroni sat at his desk, tapping his head.

No! Let them ponder that question when they confess to God. All I need to do is send them to meet God.

He picked up the landline and dialed a number.

He didn't want to make that call if things hadn't gotten this serious.

There was no waiting time; the call was connected almost instantly.

"It's rare that you need me sometimes."

Slade pressed the speakerphone button and removed his robe in front of the large full-length mirror. As the cobalt blue silk slipped from his broad shoulders, his scarred, strong, and beautiful back, like a Roman plaster sculpture, was exposed to the air.

Knife wounds, bullet holes, and horrific rips from explosions—these are medals of honor proving a mercenary's abilities and the best symbol of Slade's tenacious will to live.

"Twenty million US dollars, and I'll solve any problem you're having."

Slade's deep, resonant voice echoed throughout the room as he reached out and groped for a suitable eye mask in the closet.