"Which would be worse, To live as a monster, or to die as a good man?"
- Teddy Daniels
...
Gotham City, Iceberg Lounge, and the Boss's Office.
A short and fat man in a tuxedo sits at the head of the table, listening expressionlessly to the report from his subordinate.
This man's appearance was quite strange, with a round, swollen face and unusually sharp nose that was as long as a penguin's beak.
With such obvious facial features, there is no need to say more about his identity.
Today, the biggest kingpin of Gotham's underground, Oswald Cobblepot, is also known as Penguin.
Below Penguin, Ignatius calmly told him about Phantom Thief Kid's notice letter.
"Phantom Thief Kid?"
After hearing Ignatius's explanation, Penguin seems slightly interested, but he doesn't seem to take this new thief seriously.
He shook his head casually, as he didn't think the Phantom Thief Kid was a big threat compared to Catwoman.
"Our rookies in Gotham are becoming more and more bold. Does he think he can mess with what's mine? Does he think he's Catwoman?"
At this point, Ignatius asked, "Boss, do you need someone to take care of him?"
"Hmph, no need, someone will help us."
Penguin sneered twice upon hearing this.
"The upcoming auction will gather most of the influential people in Gotham. The GCPD won't allow that thief to cause trouble at the event, and even that Bat and his little bird will possibly show up."
"Even I have to think carefully about what to do in this situation before I do anything, let alone a new thief."
"We don't need to take the initiative to deal with him. This ignorant thief will pay the price for his stupidity."
Ignatius looked worried and asked, "Boss, I'm worried that this Phantom Thief Kid might find out about the fake diamond and expose our secret..."
"So what if he does?"
Penguin didn't take it seriously, "Ignatius, have you forgotten why we forged that diamond? I never expected to make money by selling it from the start. Even if the fake is exposed, what harm can it do to us? Besides, there is no evidence to prove that the diamond came from us."
"But what about the Phantom Thief Kid, then?"
The calm attitude of Penguin made Ignatius frown.
"He spread the notice letter to let the whole city of Gotham know that he would steal something at the auction, and the target was definitely our diamond. From the outside world, this is seen as a challenge from the Phantom Thief Kid to Penguin Gang. If we completely ignore him..."
"Did I say we're completely ignoring him?"
Penguin glanced at Ignatius. "I just don't want to carelessly offend the GCPD and Batman for a stupid idiot. That's a ridiculous decision, but it doesn't mean I'm afraid of them."
"Ignatius, On the day of the auction, the hotel will be full of GCPD personnel. We won't get involved inside. You arrange for a few gunmen to ambush outside and be careful not to be caught by the police. If the Phantom Thief Kid tries to escape, let someone kill him directly. If Phantom Thief Kid gets arrested, then kill him with the police car that escorted him."
"It's such a simple task; I don't think I need to explain more."
"I understand! Boss, I'll follow your instructions."
Ignatius assures Penguin before leaving the office to carry out the plan.
However, as he turns around, a mysterious glint flashes in his eyes.
But Penguin didn't notice...
Meanwhile, at GCPD headquarters.
"This is an obvious challenge from the Phantom Thief Kid to the Gotham City Police Department!"
Gordon gathered all the available officers, angrily making a speech.
He held the Phantom Thief Kid's letter of notice, showing it to everyone.
"A mere thief dares to reveal his crimes in advance, even distributing the notices to the public! What does he want? He's basically inviting countless people to witness his crimes, he's completely ignoring the GCPD!"
"The Phantom Thief Kid wants to crush on the dignity of the GCPD. But I, Jim Gordon, am the first to refuse! I believe neither will you."
As soon as he said this, the group of young officers beneath him became instantly excited, as if they were injected with energy.
They were the fresh blood who had become police officers in the past ten years.
Most of them went down this path because they admired Gordon, unlike those veterans who have been doing this for decades.
At least, compared to them, these young recruits have not been harmed mentally or physically.
"After all these years, we have encountered enemies far stronger and harder to deal with than Phantom Thief Kid, but none of them have ever shown such obvious disrespect for the dignity of the police like this!"
Gordon talked about the history of the GCPD with a proud expression on his face.
"And we have crushed those enemies, so Phantom Thief Kid won't be an exception!"
As he speaks, Commissioner Gordon changes the subject.
"Therefore, everyone who hasn't received a new case will be working overtime starting today. We must solve the contents of Phantom Kid's notice before the auction next Saturday!"
With restored determination, the GCPD sets out to solve the mystery.
On the outskirts of Gotham City, there was a luxurious mansion occupying a vast area.
At the center of the mansion stood a five-story mansion spanning over 3,000 square meters.
Every piece of wood and every decoration inside could be considered the rarest and most valuable thing in the world.
Priceless antiques were scattered throughout the mansion, placed randomly.
This mansion was the ancestral home of the Wayne family, with a history of over a hundred years.
But it also hides secrets much older than that.
Inside the mansion, in a luxurious dining room that could fit dozens of people at the same time, there were only two people present.
One of them was Dick Grayson, and the other was an elegant and slim old man.
The old man was dressed in a butler's uniform, but no one should underestimate him just because he was a butler.
In fact, this man named Alfred Pennyworth was the most important person at Wayne Manor.
"Master Richard, is today's meal not to your liking?"
Alfred looked at Dick, who was staring intently at the Phantom Thief Kid's notice in his hand and asked.
"Huh? Oh, no, I like it."
Dick snapped out of his thoughts and quickly shoved a bite of food into his mouth.
"I don't want you to be like Master Bruce, always ignoring meals for the sake of fighting crime. You are still growing, and you need proper nutrition."
Alfred sincerely advises.
"No, Alfred, I'm not like Bruce. I'm just me."
As soon as Alfred speaks, Dick reacts as if his nerves have been touched.
He quickly starts eating, putting the Phantom Thief Kid's notice aside.
"Master Richard, I'm glad you enjoy my cooking, but please don't eat so quickly. You might choke."
Alfred shook his head helplessly.
...
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