The gunshots suddenly rang out, but Dean remained unfazed as if he had expected it.
At almost the exact moment the gunshots sounded, or perhaps even a split second before, Dean had already reacted.
Dean quickly turned to face the direction of the bullet coming and quickly grabbed a corner of his cloak, raising it high to cover his whole body.
As the pure white cloak covered Dean's entire body, the bullets that were shot at him hit the cloak.
However, the powerful bullets didn't penetrate through the cloak.
Instead, they were bounced off as if they had hit an extremely elastic object. And the kinetic energy of these bullets seemed to disappear suddenly.
They didn't fly off at high speed but instead fell just two meters in front of Dean with a tinkling sound.
Meanwhile, Phantom Thief Kid's white cloak remained clean and unmarked.
After blocking the bullets, Dean didn't stop moving.
With his right hand, he smoothly pulled the cloak back behind him with his right hand, while quickly flickering with his left hand towards the group of people firing their guns.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
In an instant, several playing cards flew out from Dean's hand, shooting towards each gun in front of him with astonishing speed and force.
The trajectory of the playing cards was incredible as if they had a life of their own. Each card accurately and precisely knocked down a gun.
"What! How is that possible?"
Everyone who witnessed this scene was astonished, especially the group of people who had seriously attacked Phantom Thief Kid.
If they hadn't experienced it personally, they wouldn't have believed that playing cards could have a strong force.
The Phantom Thief Kid's bulletproof cloak wasn't the most surprising thing.
After all, in this day and age, there are all sorts of lightweight bulletproof materials that can withstand bullets.
What was truly shocking was Phantom Thief Kid's inhuman reflexes speed, his calm composure, and the fact that he used his hand to catch the bullets with the cloak without getting injured.
Not only did he avoid injury, but he also managed to knock down multiple guns by just playing cards in the hands of more than a dozen people at once.
Just playing cards!
Who could do something like this?
"Who fired the shots without authorization?"
On the other side, Gordon was furious at the unexpected gunshots, his face gloomy as if it could drip water.
Since an art museum is a public place with hundreds of citizens in the exhibition hall, Gordon previously strictly instructed his subordinates to wait for orders before shooting their guns inside.
He knew what Gotham's police officers could do if left wild.
Once he saw the shooter of the other person, Gordon's expression improved slightly, but he was still dissatisfied.
It turned out that the person who had fired was not from the GCPD but rather an armed security guard in the museum.
Unlike the GCPD officers, the security guards employed by the museum didn't have to follow Gordon's orders.
They would shoot on the spot whenever they saw a threat.
Even if it resulted in accidental killings, the museum's management would handle the situation, or so at least that's what they were told.
Gordon was dissatisfied about this, but he had no way and no position to stop it because, on this property, the security guard's actions were legal and compliant...
"We'll discuss the matter of the four of you disobeying orders later. Right now, everyone spread to the sides and surrounds Phantom Thief Kid, and ensure that the civilians stay behind the perimeter!"
Gordon quickly regained his composure and gave orders to the surrounding guards.
While everyone was amazed by the performance of Phantom Thief Kid, Dean's situation was not as good.
'"Gah... My hand feels numb! It would have been better to dodge the bullets directly...'
Blocking the bullets with his cloak and attacking with throwing cards seemed cool and stylish, but the price was that Dean's right hand had been numb until now.
Luckily, his bulletproof cloak came from the system and had the ability to absorb kinetic energy.
Otherwise, even if the bullets didn't pierce through with regular bulletproof materials, Dean's hand would have been useless.
But even though most of the bullet's kinetic energy was absorbed, it still produced a strong sense of numbness when it was delivered to Dean's right hand, it felt like his elbow suddenly hit the table.
But well, everything had its pros and cons. While he paid a price, he expected a reward in return.
In the scene just now, he was given over four hundred amazement points from the hundreds of visitors and guards combined.
"Sorry, ladies and gentlemen. My opening speech was interrupted by an unexpected situation. For that, I apologize and ask for your understanding."
Dean endured the numbness in his hand and maintained a calm smile on his face as he bowed deeply to the crowd.
"Is he serious? I never imagined a criminal to be so... polite. Oh my goodness, this is insane."
The hundreds of civilians in the audience looked at the bowing and apologetic Phantom Thief Kid with a sense of stupidity.
"Fine, I accept your apology, but that's something for after you go to prison."
At that moment, an unfriendly voice sounded from the side.
As soon as the voice landed, Dean felt a gust of wind coming from his side.
Before Dean could even recognize who it was, a gust of wind suddenly hit him from the side.
Without hesitation, Dean reflexively moved his body backward.
Then, a leg came into Dean's line of sight, grazing just a few centimeters in front of his nose.
If Dean hadn't moved back in time, that kick would likely have hit his face.
"Don't you know you're not supposed to hit people in the face? Robin, or should I call you Wonder Boy?"
Dean quickly moved a few steps back and calmly spoke to the attacker.
"I'll accept both names, they sound better than 'Phantom Thief Kid' anyway."
Robin withdrew his right leg after the failed kick and stared at Phantom Thief Kid, looking for an opening to attack.
"Sigh, I had planned to finish my first performance properly today, but it was interrupted by you guys again and again. It's really upsetting for me."
Dean sighed and covered his forehead with his hand, pretending to be bothered.
"I usually don't like to talk with criminals before arresting them. What I just said already violates my rules."
Robin tilted his head and was about to jump on Dean.
The distance between them was only a few steps, and they could be face-to-face in just two or three steps.
However, just as Robin took his first step, he faintly noticed a slight upward curve at the corner of Dean's mouth.
That expression, like a smug grin that naturally appeared after a successful scheme.
Robin suddenly thought of Batman, once said
'Don't underestimate any opponent, especially when they quietly smiling.'
Could it be that Phantom Thief Kid was plotting something and waiting for him to get closer?
Filled with suspicion, Robin's movement shortly stop.
During this stop, Dean's smile grew even more obvious.
"I would love to play with you a little longer, little bird, but unfortunately..."
Dean stretched out his hand, holding a vintage pocket watch that appeared out of nowhere.
The watch displayed the time as 9:35.
"Now, it's time for the final act of the stage."
...
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