After leaving Wayne Manor, Shiller made a detour to Rodriguez Manor to pick up a few more of his belongings before heading over to Gotham Police Department. Under Gordon's arrangement, he settled down in a guest room.
The Gotham Police Department was a comprehensive office setting, much like Arkham Mental Hospital, serving not only as an office space but also as a residential venue. After recent renovations, the accommodations in the Gotham Police Department were nothing short of luxurious.
The guest room Shiller stayed in was as luxurious as a hotel suite. Moreover, unlike the Arkham Mental Hospital located near the sea, the Gotham Police Department was nearer to the city center and built halfway up a hill, offering excellent scenery and less humidity - an ideal place for recuperation.
On his first day there, Shiller knew he had made the right decision. It was supremely safe, with a triple layer of checkpoint guards and large-caliber weapons installed at every checkpoint that deterred any mob members from approaching. Throughout the day, he hadn't heard a single gunshot.
Shiller got a good day's rest, then around dusk, he left the police station to look for a job.
Don't get the wrong idea; he wasn't looking to create jobs but to find one that was more laid-back than being a professor or a doctor.
After all, returning to Gotham University as a professor would inevitably mean dealing with Bruce's papers, and working as a doctor at Arkham Mental Hospital would mean constantly being busy.
Like any ordinary person, Shiller needed a job but also, like all ordinary people, hoped that it'd be a relaxed one with regular hours and a decent salary.
Finding such a job in Gotham wasn't easy. Most industries associated with the mob had irregular working hours; even working as a crime consultant required dealing with round-the-clock phone harassment. Finding an ordinary job was tough indeed.
However, Shiller knew where to inquire about job opportunities. He headed to a bar not far from the Gotham Police Department.
Bars near Gotham City Center were not chaotic. Most patrons had regular jobs, and with high consumption level, the quality of alcohol and bartenders was exceptional.
It was the peak hour in the evening when Shiller got there. He had to queue for a while before he could get in. In front of him in the line was a heavily tattooed muscleman who entered the bar without receiving a single glance from the bartender.
However, when Shiller, dressed in a long trench coat, wearing a scarf, and donning glasses, walked in, the bartender was alert and gave his sidekick a signal with his eyes.
A moment later, a man came out from the bar's preparation room and greeted Shiller warmly when he saw him, saying, "Professor Shiller? What brings you here?"
"You recognize me?" Shiller asked as he unwound his scarf.
"Don't you remember me? I'm a graduate of the Gotham Technology Institute," the young man showed a simple smile, then added, "Now I work for Boss Cobblepot in the liquor import business."
Shiller raised an eyebrow, sized up the young man, and discovered that he was quite young and probably not even an adult. Then, he smiled gently and said, "I assumed you had good grades, especially in arithmetic, to be chosen."
The young man grinned, obviously pleased with Shiller's words. He then asked, "Professor, what can I get you? A Golden Coast? Godfather? Or a Negroni?"
"Any recommendations?" Shiller asked, explaining, "I'm usually too busy with work and rarely have time for a bar. Serve me your specialty."
"I think you should try 'Sunrise'. I believe you will like it." A voice came from behind Shiller.
Shiller turned around to see a face that belonged to Constantine. However, this man had a different demeanor. He seemed somewhat melancholic and vicissitudinous but not demoralized, less mischievous, and appeared more elegant.
The man, also dressed in a trench coat, sat next to Shiller and greeted him as if it was their first meeting, "I've heard a lot about you, Professor Shiller."
Shiller paused for a moment, tried to recall for a while, then finally said, "Thomas Constantine?"
Thomas nodded, took out a business card from his trench coat pocket, and handed it over to Shiller. The card displayed the name Thomas Constantine, in a fancy script. Also, there was a line of small print: "Fine Binding, Collectibles and Book Importer".
Shiller looked surprised and raised an eyebrow. He looked at Thomas, who appeared to understand the message conveyed by Shiller's eyes. He smiled awkwardly and said, "I know, it seems absurd for a bookseller to appear in Gotham."
Thomas rubbed his hands together and said, "Americans have a rigid impression of European literature. The other cities do not accept booksellers like me. Since Gothamites hardly have a habit of reading, I'm hoping to explore this market."
"If I may ask, are your imports sourced from…," Shiller hadn't forgotten that this Thomas was, in reality, a persona created by John Constantine, who was no bookseller. Had he not figured this all this while?
Thomas hesitated for a moment before answering, "It's a family business. I inherited some channels from my father. They may not be high-end, but they are more than capable of supporting several bookstores."
Shiller seemed interested and asked, "Are there any bookstores in Gotham?"
Thomas shook his head gently, "To my knowledge, there are no regular bookstores. However, there are quite a few kiosks that sell only picture books and comics. I plan to introduce hardcover books to them, but they believe it would result in losses and hence, they're uninterested."
Shiller nodded and took the drink from the bartender, looking at Thomas. "I've been wanting to find something to do lately. The working hours of being a doctor and a professor are too restrictive, and you have to deal with other people's moods during your time off. But in Gotham, there aren't many leisurely jobs, so after some thought, I decided to open my own shop."
"I don't have any culinary talent, so I can't manage restaurant or bakery, and I'm not involved in the mob, so hotels and nightclubs are also out."
The more Shiller talked, the brighter Thomas's eyes became. Shiller continued, "Everyone wants their shop to do well, but if it's too busy, I might as well go back to being a university professor. But if there's no business at all, the rent in Gotham is too high. I've had a headache for several days now."
Thomas immediately understood what Shiller meant, so he also took a drink from the bartender, lightly clinked glasses with Shiller, and replied, "Of course, I understand you. Such a refined scholar as you, if you venture into the business, or engage in some sideline businesses, you naturally wouldn't consider profit as the first priority…"
Shiller revealed a small smile and discussed some details about the bookstore with Thomas, which led to talks about the land prices in Gotham's city center, the tycoons in the south district, and the spending habits of the mob bosses in the north district.
When Thomas left, Shiller had almost finished his drink. Just as he was about to leave, a crisp female voice came from behind him: "Are you really planning to open a bookstore in this city? Do you just have too much money to spend?"
Shiller turned around and, unexpectedly, saw Zatanna. He said, surprised, "Zatanna, why haven't you left yet?"
Zatanna, dressed as a magician, put her hands on her hips and exclaimed, "Why haven't I left yet? You should ask, why would I leave? With John Constantine's current situation, how could I leave?"
"Did you come here with him?" Shiller asked.
"Of course." Zatanna nodded. "He may not remember anything himself now, but he still has many enemies in the human world!"
"Although most of the black magicians who infiltrated last time are dead now, there might be a few who slipped through the cracks. If I didn't follow him, he would've been killed."
However, Shiller revealed a mocking smile, "Are you sure you're following him purely to protect him, and not because of some sort of rekindled past feelings?"
Zatanna rolled her eyes, "I don't even recognize the current John Constantine. How could there be rekindled feelings?"
"But you two could start over."
Zatanna scoffed, "I'm not one of those socialites who can't survive without a man. However, it is true that someone has asked me to stay. Bruce hopes that I could stay here and help him investigate the metal problem in Gotham buildings. And by the way, I also wanted to look into my father's matter, so naturally I'm still here."
Having said that, Miss Magician turned around and waved to Shiller, "Thanks for offering Thomas a job. Otherwise, I would have to support him."
After Zatanna left, Shiller shook his head. But thinking about it, the problem with Constantine was not his fault, so he didn't have to be concerned. He immediately felt relieved.
The next morning, Shiller began looking for a building, planning to open a bookstore in the city center of Gotham, or a place a little further from the city center.
The work is leisurely and refined, perfect for Shiller's needs. However, the prerequisite is that he needs to find a good location, otherwise, the simpletons wouldn't be willing to pay triple the price for a hardcover book.
After walking around for a day, Shiller found a decent location right at the end of one of the eight commercial streets extending from the central roundabout, in a round building at the corner, where a gift shop was subletting.
The location here is excellent, being the center of Gotham's busy commercial area, and since the building is one of the first to be renovated by Wayne Enterprises, it's brand new and has excellent security.
Moreover, this gift shop at the corner has a large arc-shaped low-rise window, which is very much to Shiller's liking.
Shiller contacted Cobblepot, and in less than two days, they completed the procedures. The gift shop itself was high-end, with a retro European interior that could be used directly. All was needed were some bookshelves for the books.
While Shiller was directing the workers to move the large bookshelves into the building, a small figure appeared at the door and looked up at the sign that had just been hung, which was written in script—"Lihen Bookstore".
Shiller came out of the room, heard the noise at the door, turned around, and saw that it was Harley.
"What are you doing here?" The two of them said in unison as they saw each other.
"This is my shop, why can't I be here?" Shiller bent down, looked at Harley and asked, "As for you, instead of working at the hospital, what brings you here?"
Harley crossed her arms, puffed up her cheeks, and pointed at the ceiling above her head, asking,
"Is it possible that you rented... my house?"