In order to deepen Gotham City's locational advantages, continue cultivating in the theft industry and its affiliated industries, as well as to firmly steer in the waters of industrial blue ocean route, leading figures in Gotham's theft industry have pulled out all the stops during the three-day Thieves Summit. They reiterate the modest desire for advanced theft techniques, hoping to demonstrate the team spirit of the new era.
During this Gotham Thieves Summit, more than 200 elite representatives worked to break bottlenecks and broaden horizons for the development of the theft industry. It was the first comprehensive collaboration within Gotham's theft industry, setting a real milestone for the crime scene in Gotham and even the East Coast.
The collaborative efforts of all corners of Gotham have shown the Gotham City Government's commitment to a better life for its citizens. Mayor Roy has even established the conference theme of "Steal all that can be stolen; allow no wealth to leak from Gotham".
The Gotham Police Department was all in, providing technical guidance to solve the technological problems anticipated in the future, allowing the backbone elites of the theft industry to have a more in-depth interpretation of the development of the industry.
After the Summit, these industry elites brought back their rich experiences and new techniques learned from the conference back to the basic level of Gotham's theft industry. They enhance collective awareness while providing detailed guidance on individual technical problems.
In terms of theoretical learning, many fields like the history of jewelry appreciation, cultural relics, and the protection of artworks which most grassroots staff have never dabbled in, have been introduced. In terms of technical practice, work is divided among individuals and traced by the second, truly emphasizing speed and value in theft.
After a new round of technical upgrade, the grassroots operatives grasped the basic spirit of cross-field collaboration, and their theft skills and responses are honed to the extreme.
After the Gotham Thieves Summit, industry leaders and grassroots workers demonstrated the spirit of new-era craftsmen found in big cities on the East Coast with their extraordinary academic level and practical abilities, proving that great skill lies in subtlety.
The day after the thieves training and imparting of skills to the minor thieves concluded, the first group of mages boarded planes and arrived at Gotham Airport. They are the most anxious members of the Great Mage Alliance.
They chose to travel by plane because they didn't want to use up the little energy they had left. These mages, who have nothing else but borrowed energy, were not much different from regular people, and so far, not a single black diamond had fallen into their hands.
The mages have heard of the security situation in Gotham, but every one of them carries life-saving tools filled with energy. However, they did not expect the first hurdle to be children clinging to their legs rendering them immobile, rather than armed mob members.
"Uncle, uncle, buy a flower, Uncle, you're the best, buy a flower! The flowers today are especially good, buy a flower for this lady, you're a good person, buy a flower!"
"Uncle, subscribe to the newspaper from me! You won't find a cheaper newspaper in Gotham, subscribe to the newspaper! The news about the concert opening is in it, uncle, subscribe to the newspaper!"
"Uncle, need cigarettes? We have all brands of cigarettes here. Aunt, do you want cigarettes? Mine are the cheapest in the whole of Gotham, I beg you, buy a pack of cigarettes, uncle, buy a pack of cigarettes!"
"Uncle, aunt, need a tour guide? I know the local area well, I am a local, you definitely need a tour guide, I am articulate and I can run fast, you won't find a better tour guide in this area!"
No sooner had they stepped far out of the gate than a dozen or more children came rushing up, clinging to their legs and crying out. At first it was just chirping, then they started crying.
"Please! Uncle, buy a flower! If I can't complete the task, I will be beaten! Aunt, you're kind-hearted, buy a flower from me, or else I won't have dinner tonight, I don't want to go hungry, please, buy a flower from me!"
"Please, if I can't complete the task, I'll get beaten, subscribe to the newspaper, it's not expensive!"
You can imagine the sound of a dozen seven- or eight-year-old children crying together, even if you've never had children.
The strength of their pull wasn't negligible, ten seconds of hesitation from two female mages in the group got them stuck like dogs in a drain, unable to get out.
"Let go! Let go! Let go of me! I'm not buying anything, let me go!" The bald mage leading the group shook off the little hand holding onto his pants, and waved to the people behind him, "Keep going, don't mind them!"
It took a while for the others to get free from the mire. Once they left, the biggest boy in the group squeaked and said holding his arm, "A stingy bastard with no conscience, thought we could scam a few orders...never mind, who stuffed his wallet?"
"Me, I got one, but it's a bit thin."
"Mine's thick, look at mine."
"I stole a stick from his waist, is this a wand? Is the gemstone on it valuable?"
The children all rushed over when they heard this. The leading kid looked at the thing in the speaker's hand. It was a little stick made of two spiral branches, with a blue gemstone stuck in between flashing a faint light.
"They say magical items can sell for a lot of money, we've struck it rich!" The children all stared, wide-eyed at the wand, then another kid raised his hand, "What's this eye-like thing? I picked it from their boots."
The kids all rushed over again. The leading kid waving his hand, "Let's go, back to base, the adults there can understand."
On the way back, he strutted proudly with his head high, like a victorious rooster, and said, "I told you we had to be the first to rush, the harvest would definitely be more! Those cowards didn't dare to go, they wanted to wait on the streets, by the time these fat pigs fall into their hands, even the skins will be peeled off!"
As the King of Children said, the second disaster the mages faced were many Asian taxi drivers blocking the airport gate.
"Taxi, Taxi! Direct to Gotham Cathedral, take a taxi, three people share a ride, ten dollars each, taxi, taxi!"
"Hello Sir, need a taxi? It's a ride to the East District of Gotham, guaranteed to arrive in twenty minutes, and comes with a free travel guide, need a taxi?"
"Just one more, just one more and we can leave! Do any of you need a taxi? Ten minutes and we'll be in East Gotham, you're going that way, right? Here, give me your luggage ... give it to me!"
The mage at the far right of the team started arguing with the taxi drivers soliciting customers, holding onto his suitcase tightly, while shouting at his companions for help, "Come help me, they're trying to steal my stuff!"
"Hey, what are you doing quickly, let go of him!"
As soon as those words were uttered, the surrounding cab drivers instantly turned their gaze towards them. The drivers stared at them with a peculiar gaze distinct from white people. The closest ones even strolled over with their arms crossed.
"What do you guys want?" The bald Mage leading the group shouted anxiously. The incoming Asian showed a timid smile and said, "Just wondering if you guys need a ride."
"Oh, this good man needs a ride, right? Come, come, help him with his luggage. And you, you want to go to the East District, right? Get some men to help, this luggage is not light. And you, your leg is injured, right? Not a problem, we can carry you."
"Wait, you guys can't…" The bald mage looked around, only to see his companions being carried away with their luggage.
Most of these cab drivers, the majority of whom were Asians, were efficient as if they had practiced. They carried a person and a suitcase between two of them and still managed to run quickly. Their physique and posture didn't seem like they drove cars for a living, more like they dealt drugs.
"Let go of my comrades!" the bald Mage shouted, pulling out a wand from his chest; it discharged sparks similar to lightning.
At this moment, a chubby old man, also Asian, with a white beard, squeezed out of a taxi. He entered with a smile all over his face, immediately shaking the hand of the bald Mage, "It's a misunderstanding! We've been hailing clients here for years, if you say you're not going, then don't."
"But there are hardly any decent taxis in Gotham. It's better to ride with us than those driven by the mobs. We have control over an entire street; if anything goes wrong, you can seek help."
"Who... who are you guys?" the bald Mage didn't understand what they were saying.
"We are the 'Red Gang' from Chinatown in Gold Beach, an Asian gang. We control over ninety percent of food ordering and delivery services in the entire East District. We have 4,000 taxis, 2,000 motorcycles, four large ships, and account for sixty percent of Gotham's private transport sector. Our credibility is absolutely guaranteed!"
"So, where are you guys heading?" the old man asked with a smile.
"We are..." the bald mage began to reply, but a female mage behind him whispered, "Before coming, I checked that Gotham Cathedral was renovated by Bruce Wayne, he might worship there. Maybe we should go there and set up a trap."
Intending to question, "Why not go straight to Wayne Enterprises?", the bald Mage realized that Bruce Wayne must have anticipated someone would attempt to kill him and certainly set up traps at his headquarters. Rather than walk into enemy trap, it would be better to wait for the prey.
He cleared his throat and said to the old man, "We are thinking of going to Gotham Cathedral, and you better not try to cheat us."
"Then you tell me, what price do you plan to offer?"
"Let's go by the taxi rates of Metropolis, the cost of living in these two cities should be similar." The bald Mage, thinking he was very clever, proposed a method.
"Alright, then we will go by the taxi rates of Metropolis. Get in."
"Wait, we can get in the car, but we should handle our own luggage."
"Sure, let's go."
The mages got into the taxi somewhat nervously. Everyone tightly held onto their magical tools, ready to mobilize their magic at any sign of strange movement from the driver. This was their only source of security for now.
The route was smooth, but when they went through the East District, the cars suddenly stopped. The mages were so tense they almost exhausted the energy in their magical tools. But knowing that magic was their lifeline, they managed to control their actions.
"What happened?" The bald Mage tried to stick his head out to ask, and the next second, the white-bearded old man sitting beside him pulled him back into the car and pushed him under the seat.
The bald Mage was about to curse when he heard a "whoosh" sound, followed by the sound of the car window shattering. After a stream of curses, a burly white mob gangster, brandishing a gun, walked over.
"Hu, what's going on? Why did your car up front block our way? The goods in the car spilled out. Can you afford to pay for them?"
"Ha, old hyena, among all the mobs in the East District, your trucks are the wildest. Aren't you just trying to blame your own rollover on us?"
"You can't escape by muddying the waters. If it weren't for your small car changing lanes illegally, would we have lost so many goods? No, you have to compensate us today! Or else no one is leaving!"
"Threatening me? Let's see if you have the ability! Fire!"
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
"Bang! Whoosh, bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Crash!"
"Get out! The car's going to explode!"
"Boom!"
"Help!"