Darkness, the city's underlying hue, draped over the streets like a thick, gray-black shroud. By just past nine, the streets became desolate and silent, even the streetlights seemed dimmer than elsewhere, their faint glow struggling like fireflies in the cold night.
This is Gotham.
A steel jungle disguised as a place of civilization. Here, even blood runs cold.
A burly man walked through the unsettlingly dim district, as if he were traversing the dark hall of some ancient god's tomb, with the streetlights on either side serving as sacrificial torches.
Only at the end of the street did a faint warm light appear, emanating from a coffee shop. It was perhaps the only place within several blocks where one might feel a sense of safety.
This was a new shop that had opened just a few months ago. The man had heard the owner's name was Shen You, apparently a Chinese man, surprisingly young considering his reputation in the local community.
A newcomer to Gotham, it seemed he had arrived this year. But unlike most newcomers who would be persuaded to leave by Gotham's warm hospitality within a week, he quickly integrated into the community and ran a coffee shop here.
On the surface, he was a friendly businessman who could get along well with anyone. Interestingly, he seemed very adept at persuading others.
It was said that when the shop first opened, there had been some minor conflicts with the nearby gangs. But later, gang members clarified that it was all a misunderstanding. They had a good relationship with Boss Shen and had never had any conflicts.
Curiously, over the past few months, the gang activity in the area seemed to have decreased, and they hadn't come around to collect protection money as often.
No one had explicitly stated why, but rumors suggested it might have something to do with the newly opened coffee shop on this street.
And tonight, the man's target was this coffee shop.
He stopped at the door, looking up at the conspicuous neon sign that read "HISHE."
"Sorry, we're closed for the day," the young owner emerged, wearing his usual warm and infectious smile.
"I'm very sorry to disturb you so late, Mr. Shen," the man said nervously. "You may not remember me."
"Of course, I remember you, Mr. Grim. Yesterday you had a cappuccino, light sugar, right?"
"Ah, you remember me." Mr. Grim beamed with delight. "I need your help."
"Oh? With what?"
"Have you ever heard of..." He glanced around, lowering his voice as if afraid of being overheard. "...Batman?"
Shen You responded, "The urban legend that's been circulating these past few days? I've heard of it."
"It's not a legend, it's real. I saw him with my own eyes," Grim's face twisted with tension. "My son...might have been kidnapped by that monster."
Shen You pondered for a moment, then asked, "Kidnapped by Batman?"
"Yes." Grim nodded firmly.
"Well...if it's a kidnapping, shouldn't it be under the jurisdiction of the Gotham police? Have you considered calling them?"
"Of course I did." Grim's face filled with resentment. "But they didn't care, they even mocked me!"
"Mocked you?" Shen You was somewhat surprised.
It wasn't entirely out of the question that the GCPD (Gotham City Police Department) wouldn't do their job at this stage. After all, their main policy on gang issues these days was to cozy up to the criminals. The commissioner spent five out of seven days each week at nightclubs owned by the gangs, one day at home with his wife, and the last day resting to recover.
But even by this city's standards, mocking someone seemed a bit much.
"Yeah." Grim said angrily, "I told them it was Batman, and the two officers started laughing! They didn't stop! They said they're trained professionals and wouldn't laugh, no matter how funny it was."
"Unless they couldn't help it?" Shen You interjected.
Grim's eyes widened in shock, staring at him. "How did you know?"
"Just a guess. Coincidence. You were saying?"
"I asked them what was so funny, and they said his wife had given birth—"
"Cough, cough, let's skip that part. I mean about Batman kidnapping your child." Shen You coughed.
"My child is in eighth grade. That day, he was walking home from school...then that thing suddenly descended from the sky! Spread its huge wings like a bat monster, swooped down, and grabbed poor Jack with its claws, then flew off with him.
Classmates behind him saw it from a distance. My poor Jack."
"So you didn't see it yourself?" Shen You asked.
"No...but that doesn't matter. His classmates saw it," Grim said emotionally. "And this wasn't the first time. Over the past few days, several children have gone missing in our community, and more than one witness identified Batman! It's not baseless rumor, it's real! He's a child-snatching maniac, a demon!"
"Alright, calm down, have some water, sir." Shen You handed him a glass of water. The man, flushed with emotion, took a while to regain his composure.
"So, why come to me? As you can see, I'm just a businessman."
"Everyone says that when you're at your wits' end, you can always turn to Mr. Shen at the coffee shop."
Shen You's expression turned strange. "Who says such things? They make me sound like some kind of godfather. I'm just a legitimate businessman."
"They say that when the Qinglong Gang came to collect protection money, someone broke their legs here."
"Nonsense, he fell and broke them himself. Nothing to do with anyone else," Shen You said firmly.
"The Qinglong Gang leader boasted he would level this place, but the next day, he found his car crushed into a heap of scrap."
"Typical exaggeration. He ran a red light and crashed it himself."
"And they say the Iron Face Gang leader came here with his men, but fled within minutes and never dared set foot here again."
"Oh, that polite gentleman? He's a nice guy, and his men are reasonable too. I served him a cold brew, we had a good chat, and he saw sense and left."
Grim: "..."
What kind of nonsense about talking sense and leaving?
That was the Iron Face Gang, the local thugs who had ruled these streets for years. A group notorious for their violence, and yet here they became civilized gentlemen?
Of course, Gotham was never short on urban legends. The locals grew up hearing tales of the pale circus clown and the owls hiding in corners, so they had developed some resistance to such stories.
So while most locals might think the rumors were exaggerated, no one denied that Boss Shen had his unique ways of "talking sense." Many even suspected he might have some traditional martial arts training, which wouldn't be surprising in Gotham.
"As I said, I'm a legitimate businessman, always law-abiding and never crossing any lines."
Shen You paused, considering.
"But my shop does attract a lot of people, so sometimes we hear things. I'll keep an ear out for you, and if I happen to hear anything, I'll let you know."
Grim sensed this was a subtle agreement and was overjoyed. "Thank you, Mr. Shen! If you can help me find Jack, I'll pay any price! I can borrow money right now—"
"No need, no need. I'm just keeping an ear out; I can't guarantee I'll find any clues," Shen You said softly. "If by chance I do hear something, you won't need to pay in money or any significant way.
All I need is a small, insignificant reward."
Grim held his breath, waiting anxiously.
Shen You smiled.
"Your gratitude."