Quinn Industries Co., Ltd., a steel fabrication and welding plant—once a bustling hub of activity—had been closed and abandoned long before the Queen's Gambit accident. Laurel never expected to find herself imprisoned here by Su Sheng. She wasn't sure if he had truly intended to kidnap her or if he had another purpose, but she was determined to find out more about this mysterious man.
Laurel wasn't the only one investigating Su Sheng. In Gotham, Batgirl Barbara Gordon and her father, James Gordon, were also digging into Su Sheng's background. Even Talia al Ghul was secretly looking into him. But they weren't the only ones. A powerful organization had taken an interest in him as well.
A.R.G.U.S., the Advanced Research Group for Uniting Super-Humans, also known as the Advanced Research Joint Support Organization, was an official underground arm of the U.S. government. Its nature was similar to that of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Marvel Universe. The current leader, Amanda Waller, was a highly skilled and ruthless woman. She had already formed a team known as Task Force X, or the Suicide Squad, but she wasn't satisfied. As the leader of A.R.G.U.S. and the warden of Belle Reve Prison, she sought to recruit supervillains and anti-heroes to create a team dedicated to executing dangerous, often suicidal, missions that the government couldn't officially endorse.
When the Gotham crisis erupted, Amanda Waller had proposed forming the Suicide Squad. However, the crisis was resolved before her idea could gain approval, and the Suicide Squad plan was put on hold. But now, Waller had turned her attention to Su Sheng, ordering an investigation into his background and activities. She also classified all known information about him at a high-security level, prohibiting local law enforcement from accessing it to avoid complications.
Su Sheng, unaware of these investigations, was unconcerned. Even if he knew, he might have found it amusing and perhaps even sought out the Suicide Squad for the thrill of it.
At that moment, Su Sheng was in Felicity's apartment, humming to himself as he prepared dinner. Where did he get the money for groceries? From Laurel's wallet, of course. And how did he get into Felicity's apartment without a key? Scaling the fifth floor wasn't too much of a challenge for him. With a meal prepared, colorful and aromatic, he set it on the table just as he heard the sound of keys in the door.
"Perfect timing," Su Sheng grinned, removing his apron and moving toward Felicity as she walked in.
"What smells so good?" Felicity asked as soon as she stepped inside, the delicious aroma filling the room.
"Dinner," Su Sheng replied casually, taking her bag and setting it aside, then helping her out of her coat and hanging it up. Felicity stared at him in confusion, her mind whirling. First, he made dinner, then he greeted her with such tenderness and care—like a boyfriend. Was she dreaming?
Before she could process it, Su Sheng leaned in, kissed her cheek, and said in a cheerful tone, "What are you standing there for? Go wash your hands, change your clothes, and get ready for dinner."
Felicity, still stunned, let Su Sheng guide her to the bathroom to wash her hands, then she went to her bedroom, changed into something more comfortable, and returned to the table.
As she sat down, she watched Su Sheng move around the kitchen. Finally, when he sat down across from her, she couldn't help but ask, "You seem to be in a good mood. Did something happen? And didn't you say you had no money? Where did all this come from? And how did you get in without a key?"
Su Sheng waved off her questions with a smile. "That's not important. What's important is that we eat first."
"Oh." Felicity, still dazed, couldn't suppress her curiosity, but she complied.
To her surprise, Su Sheng's cooking was exceptional—far better than any takeout she'd ever had. At first, she was too distracted to fully appreciate it, but soon she found herself savoring every bite, turning into a bit of a foodie.
"This is so good! I'm going to gain weight," Felicity sighed contentedly, patting her belly.
Su Sheng chuckled. "Beauty and ugliness are fated, fat and thin are in the hands of destiny. A thin person can be full after two bites, but you... you say, 'I can come again!'"
Felicity blushed, laughing. "It's your fault for making it so delicious."
"You can handle the dishes then," Su Sheng said, leaning back on the sofa to watch TV as Felicity, without complaint, got up to clean up.
After washing the dishes, Felicity returned to the living room, sitting down beside Su Sheng. "Now we can talk. What's really going on with you?"
Instead of answering, Su Sheng smiled, lying down with his head in Felicity's lap. She stiffened, but before she could react, he slid his hand under her T-shirt. Startled, she grabbed his hand. "What are you doing?"
"Relax," Su Sheng said softly, his voice soothing.
With his intense gaze and gentle voice, Felicity found herself hesitating, and she slowly released his hand. Her face flushed, body trembling slightly as she struggled with the unexpected sensations, feeling a warmth she hadn't anticipated.
Felicity was proving to be more intriguing than Harley Quinn, Su Sheng thought with a grin.
Amused by her reaction, Su Sheng suddenly changed the subject. "After Snow White was rescued by the seven dwarfs, she lived in the forest until the prince came and took her away on a white horse. They married, but the prince abandoned her after their wedding night. You know why? He found out Snow White had black spots on her body."
"Are you Snow White?" he asked, his tone teasing.
Felicity blinked, taken aback by the abrupt question, before finally responding, "Of course not!"
"Then let me check," Su Sheng said, his voice playful.
Before Felicity could process what was happening, Su Sheng flipped over, scooped her up, and carried her to the bedroom, her surprised shout echoing as he kicked the door shut behind them.