With a nervous heart, Jason left the Blue Jacket headquarters building. He didn't make a move because there was something more important he needed to handle.
As he predicted, the mob wasn't foolish. Some figured out this was a trap. Although they probably didn't delve too deeply into their suspicions, they didn't want their influence to wane.
Jason knew, there were more important things he had to do now than killing. He had to ensure the renovation project could continue.
The mob's upper echelon might see their influence diminish, making their lives more difficult. But for these children, as long as the building was completed, their lives would improve, at least their working places wouldn't get wet when it rained, and their chances of falling ill would decrease too.
Jason had considered storming in and forcing them to reveal the location of the bomb, but this would be even more difficult than killing. Killing only took a few seconds, but forcing them to talk could draw attention, and if discovered by other gang members, he would be trapped.
From the overheard conversations, he gleaned an important piece of information: Wayne Enterprises had a way to ensure everyone had a suitable home.
Though Jason didn't know what this method was, he understood that if Bruce Wayne dared to say it, he must be able to carry it out. Batman was not one to exaggerate.
If that was the case, it meant that all the children could have a room. For this goal, Jason was willing to do anything.
He hurried back to the base, summoned all the children, and told them: "Quickly, get the other members of the Children's Gang here. Summon their boss here, I have something to tell them!"
The children didn't understand but over the past few days, Jason's actions had convinced them more. They hadn't been driven out by the mob, and instead, had returned to their habitat, while the gang members were scattered and living in fear, they were doing well.
So, the children trusted Jason enormously and with no questions asked, they went out. A moment later, sleepy leaders of the Children's Gang arrived. One of them rubbed their eyes and asked, "Jason, can't whatever you have to say wait until tomorrow? Why the rush?"
"It's really urgent. I have two pieces of news to share…"
"The first piece is good news, according to reliable information. Wayne Enterprises has a way to allow everyone to live in the house they are allocated. The mob can't interfere with us."
Suddenly, the room was abuzz. Some asked: "What? How is that possible? How could he achieve this? Is he planning to go to war with the mob?"
"Even if the Little Black Gang disappears, there will still be the Big Mafia, and even without the Big Mafia, there will still be Twelve Families. How could he challenge all the gangs?"
"What's his plan to let us move in? If the mob threatens us with guns, what can we do? We can't beat them!"
"Is this really reliable, Jason?" one of the Children's Kings asked: "I know you don't like to deceive people, but this seems too far-fetched!"
"I'm not sure, but if there's a possibility…" Jason's words drifted off but the room fell into silence.
Jason noticed a sparkle in their eyes in the dim room.
Perhaps, these children hadn't given up hope on the world completely, they just had too many disappointments. But even so, hearing this news, they couldn't help but dream.
A warm and leak-proof house, a soft bed, and a window that lets in sunlight, not a single child could refuse such a dream.
"There's another piece of news and it's bad news…" Jason's tone lowered, he said: "The mob on Elizabeth Street doesn't want this project to carry on, so they've planted explosives near the foundations."
"If the explosives are detonated, the foundations will be destroyed. If it kills any workers, Wayne Enterprises would have to pay compensation. The lawsuit around it will take years, and the mob can use this time. Then they can get the Wayne Family to sit down for a talk and regain the initiative, asking the Wayne Family to hand over the real estate affairs to them..."
"And once they regain power, no one will care for us."
No sooner had Jason finished his words, he saw the spark in the children's eyes again, but this time, compared to before, the spark was filled with murderous intent, it was reddened with blood,
Even children in their teens understood one principle, if there was the slightest chance to achieve the life they dreamed of, they were willing to pay any price.
"Where's the bomb?" One of the Children's Kings asked. "I have more than 30 people under me. As long as it's within the scope of these three streets, there's nothing we can't find. No matter where the bomb is hidden, we can dig it out!"
"That's right, the vagabonds in my gang have crawled through every dog hole here. It's impossible for them to detonate the bomb right under our noses…"
"We weren't paying attention before, but they can't escape our eyes…"
Several Children's Kings glanced at each other, seeing the confidence in their eyes. They were right, if the mob was the local snake in these streets, then the Children's Gangs were the insects.
While snakes had places they couldn't reach, ants, bees, and moths had been everywhere. The children had managed to survive the back alleyways through their cunning and stealthy ways.
They explored every inch of this place, striving for just one more centimeter of space for their survival.
And now, this knowledge became their weapon. The mobsters from other streets could never be as familiar with this place as they were.
As youthful voices rose, one after another, fragile figures emerged from the ground, like shoots sprouting up after the first spring rain. They became beams of light, exploring every corner of each street and alley.
Whispering, gossiping, coming and going, in all directions...
In this sleepless night, for the first time, Jason didn't feel anger and helplessness. Instead, all the Kings of Children felt a strange excitement, they had never united like this before.
Maybe in the future, they would still become the bosses of the local mobs, but they would finally understand. This excitement in their hearts today, came from the freedom to control their own fate, from the rebellion against oppression, but also from the camaraderie of shared dreams and ideals.
A cluster of small flames ignited. When it was blown into the cold night by Gotham's night wind, Jason did not know whether it would ignite into a bigger flame, or be extinguished. All he knew was that he would forever remember the dramatic events of this night.
Not even two hours had passed when several children came to report. Some said the dirt by the wall had been dug up, others noticed strange lights near the construction site, and others mentioned seeing strangers.
After inspecting these leads one by one, they finally identified three suspicious locations most of which were near the construction site.
The first was odd tire prints in the mud area nearby, it did not appear to be left by local vehicles.
The remarkable memory of these children included how every local resident and mobster's tire prints look like. They survive in Gotham based on this knowledge.
Another child found a bullet casing not far from the construction site. It didn't seem like something the local gang would use. Instead, it looked like the weaponry of the Big Mafia.
The third clue was the roof of a building near the construction site. There were strange shadows frequently spotted, as if someone was watching over.
The children divided into three groups to investigate these three different locations. Jason went to the most dangerous location, which was the rooftop of the building near the construction site. There was a possibility of encountering enemies face-to-face there, while the other two places were merely clues.
Jason effortlessly arrived at the roof of the building. He didn't find any suspicious figures there. So, he went into the rooftop door and waited, ready to see who would come.
As the night grew deeper, Jason heard an strange noise outside the door, as if someone's footsteps. He peeked out and saw two figures, one tall and one short.
As he looked more closely, Jason realized that these figures were familiar, especially the taller silhouette. Wasn't that Batman?
Jason pushed the door and walked out. The vigilant Dick, beside Batman, turned his head, but Batman didn't move. He turned slightly towards Jason and said, "Jason, why have you come only now?"
"I've been waiting here for a long time." Jason stepped forward, standing beside Batman. From this angle, he could see the busy children on the streets, all in search of something.
"You won't allow anyone to place bombs near your construction site, right? You won't give them this opportunity, Batman." Jason started to speak, but then he asked, "So why didn't you directly guard the entire construction site?"
Batman shook his head and said, "You guys will protect it, won't you?"
Looking at the glowing lights of the construction site, he stated, "Someone once told me not to pity them, not to bestow everything upon them like a god, but to let them fight for and defend it themselves."
Jason stood at the edge of the roof and said, "Now they've learned all of that. Once they start dreaming, they can never return to their former numb lives."
"Once they start to imagine the good life they are supposed to have, they will not let anyone destroy it, they can no longer tolerate such exploitation..."
On the side, Dick was a bit baffled. He didn't understand what Batman and Jason were talking about. He wanted to join in, but didn't know how to start. After Jason left, he asked Batman, "What were you guys talking about?"
"We were discussing a book we just read." answered Batman.
"A book you just read?" Dick frowned, very puzzled, "What book did you read? What's written in it?"
Turning to look at Dick, Batman's eyes reflected a warmth he himself didn't realize he possessed.
As the children near the construction site found the bomb and cheered, a low voice spread through Gotham's night sky, carrying a coldness that didn't belong to this season.
"The book tells a story, a heart-stirring story set in a blizzard..."
"If you really want to hear it, go ask Alfred."