"Are you the Penguin?"
Eric looked at the burly bodyguards standing beside him, casually put down the umbrella he was holding, and sat on the sofa opposite the Penguin, asking in a calm tone.
The Penguin's lips trembled slightly, and he glanced at the long-legged woman in black stockings next to him.
The woman in black stockings looked at Eric, then handed the black hat in her hand to the Penguin.
Wearing a black hat and monocle, the Penguin leaned forward and asked Eric in a hostile tone, "Who are you?"
"Hmm."
Eric nodded, "A cane, black hat, and monocle, that's the traditional Penguin look. As for my name, you can call me 'Umbrella Man' or 'Homelander,' depending on your preference."
Eric said casually, "Should I say I'm honored? After all, I get to meet the infamous Penguin."
"I don't like being called that."
The Penguin, his face filled with anger, heavily tapped his cane on the table. "I don't care if you're the 'Umbrella Man' or the 'Homelander,' you dared to steal my umbrella and come here to provoke me. Do you know what fate awaits you?"
"Actually, I don't."
Eric feigned a sincere look and asked the Penguin, "Is it being locked up in Blackgate Prison, spending ten dark years?"
Hearing Eric mention "Blackgate Prison" and "ten years," the Penguin immediately flew into a rage.
His only source of pain was being imprisoned in Blackgate Prison by Jim Gordon for ten years, only recently being released.
To him, it was a deep-seated shame and betrayal.
"How dare you?!"
Filled with anger, the Penguin shouted to his bodyguards, "Kill him! Now!"
The burly bodyguards immediately rushed towards Eric, who was sitting on the sofa.
Facing the oncoming bodyguards, Eric turned his gaze.
In an instant, orange-red beams shot out from his eyes!
The beams cut across the room, forming a horizontal blade that sliced through everything in its path.
The bodyguards' bodies were instantly cut open upon contact with the heat vision.
The gruesome bodies fell heavily to the ground, blood spraying everywhere.
It all happened in an instant!
Seeing his men brutally killed, the Penguin's eyes filled with disbelief and fear, while the black-stockinged woman next to him was completely petrified.
Coming back to his senses from the shock and fear, the Penguin immediately pulled out a gun and aimed it at Eric.
But before he could pull the trigger, Eric was already standing in front of him.
One hand grabbed his neck, lifting him into the air.
The Penguin's small body dangled in the air, emitting painful gasps, his pale face turning bright red.
He desperately tried to pull the trigger, but it was as if all his strength had been drained, making it impossible to fire.
"You seem to be in a lot of pain, Mr. Oswald."
Eric tilted his head, staring at the Penguin's pained expression.
"You!"
The Penguin's eyes filled with fear as he stammered, "Who... are... you?"
Having lived in Gotham for decades, he had never encountered such an inhuman existence.
Eyes that shoot lasers, speed that is invisible to the naked eye, all these superhuman traits filled him with indescribable terror.
"Surprised? I thought that as Gotham's crime lord, you wouldn't be afraid of death."
Letting go, "thud," the Penguin's body fell heavily to the floor.
"Cough, cough...!"
The Penguin coughed violently, clutching his throat and gasping for air.
Even though he was covered in blood, he didn't care.
"Death...?"
The Penguin, after coughing for a while, shakily stood up. "In Gotham, the frivolous pretenders dress elegantly, pure loyalty is sadly betrayed, gold crowns are shamefully worn by the undead, and warriors are crippled by ruling cripples. Here, death is not necessarily a relief."
With a mocking tone, the Penguin spoke to Eric.
Suppressing his inner fear, he regained his composure.
"Shakespeare's sonnet, I heard..."
Eric gently stroked the cheek of the black-stockinged woman who was still in shock. "I heard the Penguin likes Shakespeare, so it seems the rumors are true."
Switching the topic, his whole body exuded a dangerous aura that he quickly retracted, "I have a business proposition for you."
"What... business?"
The Penguin, confirming his life was not immediately threatened, took a deep breath and asked Eric cautiously.
"I have some gold, silver, and precious metals to trade for the dollars you have. And all you need to do, besides conducting the trade fairly, is to circulate these gold and silver. For a crime lord like you, this shouldn't be difficult."
Eric casually took a silver coin from his pocket and tossed it to the Penguin, "This is the gold and silver that will belong to you, and it's also my token of contact with you. Don't lose it."
"This is..."
Catching the silver coin, the Penguin saw the owl emblem on it and was stunned.
"The Court of Owls?!"
"Oh, you've heard of them?"
Eric was a bit surprised.
"A long time ago."
The Penguin recalled, "To climb to the top of Gotham, I had to eliminate all the forces that stood in my way. I heard about this organization, deeply rooted in Gotham, secretly controlling everything. So... I tried everything to find them."
"I held a banquet in my capacity as mayor, invited Gotham's elite families, and expressed my ambition and threats to them..."
The Penguin's expression turned sinister as he spoke.
"I'm not interested in your story, Mr. Oswald."
Eric stood up, interrupting the Penguin, "The precious metals will soon be delivered to you. All you need to do, besides preparing the dollars for me, is to host another banquet like you did when you were mayor. At the banquet, show those elites what you have."
"You want to draw out the Court of Owls?"
The Penguin looked at Eric with suspicion, "And then take them on?"
"No."
Eric stood up, glanced out at the rainy night, and picked up the umbrella beside him, "All I want is money. The one who will deal with the Court of Owls is a bat."
With that, he walked towards the door, "I think you're smart, Mr. Oswald, so don't do anything foolish."
After a final warning, Eric left the Iceberg Lounge.
The Penguin just watched Eric leave with a complicated expression, not making any attempt to stop him.
Back at the hotel, Eric had just put down his umbrella when the phone rang.
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