: The Plan for Running for Mayor

Chapter 20: The Plan for Running for Mayor

"Shit, it's so late, I'm going back to the fountain."

Allen glanced at the non-existent watch on his wrist, then immediately hoisted his bicycle and jumped off the rooftop.

The members of the Bat Family watched the figure swaying between the high-rise buildings and fell silent.

"Father, who is he?" Damian asked.

The emergence of such a powerful individual in Gotham City is bound to be an unstable factor, and contingency plans must be prepared in advance.

If one day the other falls into darkness, it will be a disaster for them.

"His story is somewhat unbelievable..."

Bruce looked up at the full moon and recalled his experience in Silent Hill.

……

"I'm back."

Allen rode his bike back to Arkham Asylum and shouted at the watchtower from the iron gate.

Shortly after, the iron gate opened, and a group of guards escorted Dean Quixey out.

"Allen, did you have fun? Don't sneak out again next time," Dean Quixey said kindly.

"Please watch your words. I am fighting crime."

Allen didn't forget to hand Dean Quixey a leftover sandwich, saying, "This is for you to have as a midnight snack. I'm going to wash up and go to bed now."

Upon entering the mental hospital, Allen walked effortlessly to his cell, pulled out a clean hospital gown, and headed to the shower room, feeling as if he were at home.

"Dean, should we put him in a closed cell?"

Dean Quixey glared at his deputy who had made the suggestion and said irritably, "Don't get any funny ideas. Allen is hiding a secret."

"He's just a lunatic," the deputy said, unwilling to accept it.

"Let him be happy."

Dean Quixey has received the latest orders from Fury and Amanda: keep an eye on Allen only.

If they act on their own initiative and cause any trouble, given the current operating style of the Sky Eye and S.H.I.E.L.D., they can probably get away with it without anyone noticing.

"Lock the bicycle first."

However, Dean Quixey was still bothered by Allen stealing his bicycle and reminded him, "Use the thickest chain."

In the early morning, the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window, ushering in a brand new day.

"My bicycle!"

Dean Quissie's furious roar echoed throughout Arkham Asylum.

I was planning to go home, take a shower, and change my clothes, but when I got to where I parked my car, the sturdy lock was only locking one tire; the entire car was gone.

I checked Allen's room immediately, and unsurprisingly, he was nowhere to be found.

At this moment, on the highway leading to Gotham City.

Allen rode his bicycle leisurely and said, "Who says riding a bike requires two wheels? One wheel is no problem for me. Ghost Rider, attack!"

……

In a warehouse at Gotham Pier.

Cobblestone the Penguin and Edward the Riddler, the best duo, reunite after regaining their freedom and convene a meeting of their former penguin gang members.

The Penguin, once the King of Gotham, still wields considerable influence, easily rallying a group of ambitious unemployed men.

Unfortunately, the Jokers are currently riding high, sweeping away the underground gangs and making them unable to hold their heads high, so Edward suggests that they temporarily avoid the limelight.

Unbeknownst to them, the entire plan had fallen into the ears of Nightwing, who was lurking on the rooftop.

Recently, Gotham City has appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging. Bruce is too busy to handle everything, so he asked Nightwing and others to come back and help.

"We have control of several of the Joker Gang's strongholds. If we launch a surprise attack and seize the goods being traded, we can cut off the Joker Gang's funding. At the same time, we can secretly contact the buyers and take their place."

The riddle teller wrote several locations on a blackboard and talked at length to his subordinates.

In the Penguin Gang, Edward serves as the strategist, providing advice and strategies, and is considered the second-in-command.

The penguin listened attentively, nodding frequently, his admiration undisguised.

Rumors circulate that the two had an ambiguous relationship, a friendship based on a zero-sum game.

Bang!

A human-shaped silhouette was knocked out of the warehouse door.

Amidst the rising dust, the newcomer performed a tail-spinning maneuver on the spot.

"Hands up, men stand on the left, women stand on the right, and those who are neither men nor women stand in the middle."

Allen settled his unicycle, put his hands on his hips, and added, "You're all surrounded by me all by myself."

Before entering the city, Allen made a special trip to Wayne Manor.

Unfortunately, Bruce was out, so he specifically asked his butler, Alfred, to tell him to go to the docks to assist Nightwing.

After searching around outside without finding anyone, Allen decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Allen!"

Edward was thrilled to see Allen so full of fighting spirit. He had been holding a grudge about his defeat in the last riddle competition, and today he finally had a chance to get revenge.

"Andy, you can even recognize my new look as Whip Woman. You really are the enemy who understands me best."

Allen walked leisurely to the group of criminals.

The enemy's hands were already reaching for their weapons; at the Penguin's command, they would be riddled with bullets.

Nightwing, hiding on the rooftop, is ready to detonate micro-bombs to support his allies.

After all, Bruce admitted last night that he was a member of the Bat Family.

"Allen, before I kill you, I want to have one last intellectual duel with you," Edward said solemnly.

In Gotham City, the Riddler believes there are two people with higher IQs than himself.

The first priority is to capture Batman, who has imprisoned him in Arkham.

The second is Allen, who has repeatedly won riddle competitions.

Edward felt deeply ashamed to kill his opponent by force, believing that his pride in his intelligence was insurmountable, and thus resorted to despicable means.

"Dehua, I promise you."

Allen stroked his chin and said, "However, I'll be the one to set the questions."

"no problem."

Edward's expression was more serious than ever before, and even the Penguin could feel his partner's tension.

Allen glanced at the blackboard, a brilliant idea flashing through his mind, and said, "You guys are planning to double-cross each other, so my challenge is to become the King of Gotham."

What connection is there between double-crossing and becoming the King of Gotham?

Not only were the criminals puzzled.

Even Nightwing, hiding on the rooftop, was full of questions.

Edward grinned.

This is a problem that I've reviewed in my mind countless times.

In particular, he will take action during this Gotham upheaval to return to his former glory.

"As usual, the loser speaks first."

Edward spoke first, seizing the initiative.

"You speak, I'm listening."

Allen, like a serious elementary school student, waited quietly for the riddle teller's solution.

Everyone strained their ears, eager to hear about the grand opportunity to control a city.

cough cough...

Edward cleared his throat and said, "In the current situation, our main opponent is the Joker Gang. We need to raid their warehouse to cut off their funding chain, obtain buyer channels to raise funds to restore the Penguin Gang's power, and then control Gotham's underworld through attacks, bribery, and win-win tactics. We'll build a behemoth that the rich fear, coerce them into supporting us, and then have Cobb run for mayor. During the campaign, we'll hire assassins to eliminate our competitors."

Everyone nodded in agreement; it certainly aligned with the criminal's mindset.

Upon hearing this, Nightwing wished he could immediately appear and arrest the criminals.

For the penguin to successfully become mayor, countless people will die in the process.

"Bauschette".

Allen scoffed, "What an utterly stupid plan. No wonder Batman has managed to put you in jail time and time again."

"now you."

Although Edward was furious at the mockery, he wanted to hear the other party's plan and hoped to win rightfully.

"Little Karamis, let this master criminal, Len Ai, teach you what the worst of the worst is."

As he spoke, Allen erased the writing on the blackboard and wrote a word.

"Foot bath?"

We're a gang; if we didn't sell flour and instead ran a foot massage parlor, our competitors would laugh their heads off.

"That's right, open a foot massage parlor to raise funds."

Allen tossed aside the chalk, stood with his hands behind his back, and said in a pretentious tone, "Everything starts with money; money makes the world go round."

What kind of mill or ghost are you talking about?

We're the kind of people who've been around for a living. We've only had primary school education. How much money can we make running a foot massage parlor, let alone keeping the gang afloat?

"Opening a regular foot massage parlor won't make enough money, but the target customer base is the elite, with membership cards starting at $10,000, thus eliminating the working class..."

"There's a loophole: the elite aren't interested in foot massages; a bar would be more appealing."

A burly man washing feet offered a rebuttal.

Allen turned his head slightly and said, "Of course I've considered that."

"The technician fee is ten US dollars..."

At this point, Edward's lips involuntarily curled into a smile.

This time it's a sure thing. With a ten-dollar purchase, the store will go out of business in less than a week.

"The key is the themed service; you can choose the technician's outfit and also the service setting."

Allen paused, then described, "Imagine you're in a police station, and Batman kneels down to serve you a fruit platter, Batgirl massages your shoulders, and Batwoman massages your feet. Do you think it's worth it?"

At this moment, many criminals' eyes gleamed.

Looks like there's something going on.

"Of course, the hero theme is one. Many elites are definitely unhappy at work, so they can customize storylines and scenes, such as a female boss kneeling to serve, or someone pretending to be a male boss and letting the customer insult and vent their anger, with a masseuse dressed as a secretary massaging the customer, in a light rail, subway, classroom, or car. Whatever the customer wants, we can satisfy it."

At this moment, a hint of panic appeared on Edward's face as he tried to find a fatal flaw in order to overturn the plan.

The criminals listened with great interest, as if a door to a new world had been opened for them.

Penguins are all considering whether or not to give it a try.

Nightwing couldn't help but think of inviting Red Hood to change into casual clothes and experience the themed services together, but then he changed his mind and gave up. The membership card cost $10,000, which he simply couldn't afford.

"I've got it."

Edward excitedly pointed out, "What should we do when faced with reports and complaints, and crackdowns by law enforcement?"

Allen's sarcasm deepened, as if he were waiting for the riddle-maker to ask a question.

"Does the theme need actors? We definitely can't afford actors in Gotham City. We can recruit a group from homeless areas, give them a haircut and a wash, put on a suit, bend over, and speak with a perfect British accent, 'Sir, it's my pleasure to serve you.' Who doesn't dream of being an English aristocrat?"

This tactic is quite effective. The elite class craves social status and identity recognition, and when they feel extremely satisfied, they are naturally willing to spend money.

"An actor earns $25 an hour, which is a highly paid job that everyone is scrambling to get. Once the business grows, it will not only generate tax revenue but also solve Gotham City's homeless problem. If they dare to close the shops, hundreds of homeless people will gather in front of City Hall the next day to demonstrate. At the same time, we will arrange for reporters to cover the story and control the pressure of public opinion. Let's see who dares to mess with our legitimate business."

"Under the influence of public opinion, announce in front of the media that 20% of revenue will be donated to charity to establish a positive image. No matter if you are from the legitimate or the criminal world, don't even think about interrupting our development period. Open branches like crazy, from one to two, from two to four, from four to sixteen... Once a certain scale is reached, register a company, label it as a health and wellness company, list it as a medical stock, and ruthlessly fleece a wave of investors."

"The first phase is complete. We have over a billion dollars on hand to invest in the Gotham Police Department. We'll equip them with armored vehicles, helicopters, and bulletproof vests, according to Marine Corps standards. The main goal is to eradicate crime and restore peace and order to Gotham."

"Establishing the Gotham Foundation to provide free medical assistance to Gotham citizens who cannot afford medical care was a move that won over the hearts of the people and laid the foundation for his entry into politics."

"Casually framing Batman for bloody law enforcement, portraying ourselves as victims, hey hey, we're running for mayor as victims, the public will definitely support us wholeheartedly."

Allen opened his five fingers and then slowly clenched them, grinning maliciously: "Many carefully laid plans supported the final step, leading to my ascension to the throne of Gotham."

Edward slumped in his chair, sweat beading on his forehead. His flawless plan left him unable to find a way to break the deadlock.

If it can be executed smoothly, without firing a single shot, he can unify Gotham City and become the uncrowned king.

The criminals looked at Allen, then at the Penguin, wondering if they should change their leader and whether other people's plans were more reliable.

Nightwing's heart pounded as he eavesdropped.

Brother, whose side are you on?

clap clap clap...

At this moment, the penguin clapped, clearly appreciating the other party's plan.

However, this has now become part of their plan.

"Dehua, your QQ pet is quite special; it can even clap its hands," Allen said, curiously examining the penguin-man.

"I am not a pet, I am Cobblestone, the former King of Gotham."

The penguin gave his men a cunning wink, but they ignored it, seemingly believing that joining him would be a better option.

Bang!

Suddenly, a hole exploded in the roof.

Nightwing descended from the sky, his figure gliding through the air to Allen's side. He said anxiously, "Batman, something terrible has happened."

Allen leaned back in surprise and asked, "Big brother, who are you?"

"I am Nightwing. I met you last night."

Nightwing gave a helpless reminder.

"Oh wow..."

Allen said blankly, "I can't remember."

You freaking can't remember? What are you yelling about? What the hell are you yelling about?

"That's not important. Batman is missing. We haven't been able to contact him since midnight last night. We need your help to find him," Nightwing said solemnly.

Bruce is equipped with tracking and communication devices.

The fact that they had been out of contact for so long was something they had to take seriously.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner that Ah Bian was in trouble?"

Allen hopped on his unicycle and said, "Let's go back to base for a meeting first."

Bang!

After saying that, Allen rode his bike straight into the gate, leaving a human-shaped silhouette.

Meanwhile, Nightwing used his grappling hook to evacuate from the rooftop.

The people in the warehouse were still shaken. Their hideout had been under surveillance for a long time, and they were still trying to negotiate something ridiculous.

Bang!

Before everyone could calm down, Allen rode his bike back.

By this time, the gate had already broken into three distinct shapes.

"I forgot to mention something."

Allen rode up to Edward, patted him on the shoulder, and instructed him, "Gotham is in your hands now. When you become the uncrowned king, I'll teach you how to run for president."

Bang!

Unable to endure the pressure any longer, the door was once again smashed to pieces by Allen's blow.

(End of this chapter)