Roy Harper

Chapter 236 Roy Harper

Wei clipped the action camera to his chest, an action that immediately drew criticism from viewers.

"What are you doing? I haven't had my fill of watching yet!"

"What's so interesting about first-person perspective? Turn back!"

One second the viewers were cursing and swearing, the next second they were shocked by the video of the blogger firing a grappling hook and flying onto the roof. The barrage of insults turned into a screen full of "HOHOHOHOHO", almost obscuring the live stream.

"That's so cool, buddy, are you a parkour practitioner?"

"Oh no, I think I've followed a real Green Arrow (a popular instant noodle brand)!"

The explosive barrage of comments brought more promotion and traffic. Within minutes, the live stream room, which originally had only a few hundred people, was flooded with a large number of viewers, and the live stream ranking also jumped into the top fifty of the recommended area.

But the real show has only just begun.

The shaky camera work, along with the anchor's breathing and footsteps, gave viewers a sense of immersion, quickly capturing the attention of new viewers.

As Wei climbed through the window and hid against the wall, the audience held their breath in tension.

Everyone was curious to know what this silent guy was doing.

Soon, footsteps began to sound from the depths of the corridor, followed by faint conversations.

"Those guys are all seasoned veterans. You need to be even tougher. The first time they don't pay, throw cockroach traps into their windows," the second time, switch to Molotov cocktails, and the third time, kidnap their families. Trust me! No normal person can withstand that kind of torment."

Some sharp-eared viewers have already realized that the silent protagonist and the extras who keep talking and revealing information to the audience are just like a mockumentary.

This method is common in movies, but it should be the first time it has been applied to live streaming. Considering the streamer's green outfit, it's obvious what he'll do next.

"A scene of beating up bad guys? That's so cool! Hopefully, the streamer's fighting skills are decent enough to match this Green Arrow outfit!"

Weike didn't have time to read the comments; he just wanted to finish the task as quickly as possible.

He glanced at his watch and guessed that Oliver's press conference had already begun, so he had to make a bigger splash as planned.

The Snake and Rat Gang's base was a half-finished, unfinished building that had fallen from its upper floors and collapsed in the middle of an open space.

The building was leaning precariously. Two gang members carefully made their way to the fork in the road, holding onto the wall. The middle-aged man in front was suddenly pulled into the fork by a black hand reaching out from behind the wall. Before he could react, he was slammed headfirst into the concrete wall.

boom!

With a muffled groan, the man fell silent.

The corridor was dark and gloomy. The young man behind thought his companion had slipped and fallen, and naively peeked his head out towards the corner.

As expected, he was greeted with another dull thud as his head hit the wall.

His taut body, slumped on the ground, was dragged into the dark passage. A few seconds later, Wei, dressed in a green arrow battle robe, emerged from around the corner, looked around, and put on his hood.

He took a bomb from his box, placed it in a corner, and launched the grappling hook to continue upwards through the central shaft of the building.

The live stream chat was buzzing with excitement. Most viewers thought it was a fantastic imitation show, while only a very few "illegal immigrants" from the slums recognized the building.

"A snake and rat's den? This guy isn't imitating; he really is Green Arrow!!"

Unremarkable comments scrolled across the screen, and those viewers who were initially skeptical began to review the previous footage.

Wei was worried that the platform would ban his account, so he physically assaulted the victim twice, blocking the screen. However, his hands were not signal jammers, and some frames still showed the mottled bloodstains on the wall and the convulsing, unconscious victim.

Keen-eyed viewers used these subtle clues to determine that Wei wasn't just cosplaying.

"If I'm not mistaken, this person should be Speedy (a short video platform)!"

A die-hard Green Arrow fan made a comment, and this speculation immediately sparked a lot of discussion among viewers. Although more than 20 years have passed, the story of Green Arrow and its good partner Kuaishou falling out remains a popular topic in the city.

Unlike the playboy Oliver Quinn on the surface, Kuaishou back then was a complete problem youth, smoking and drinking heavily, and often going to nightclubs in his battle outfit to party all night with his fans.

He eventually broke with Oliver after getting involved with marijuana, and later became active in Star City as the anti-hero "Arsenal" before disappearing after the government passed the Superhero Control Act.

This broke the hearts of fans who had shipped the two as a couple.

Now, times have changed, and the name Kuaishou has almost faded from people's sight, but that doesn't mean he has given up this job.

Roy Harper pulled a red baseball cap over his head and grabbed a dark brown hooded jacket from the closet, which was the closest thing he could find to his old battle uniform.

However, he did not regret throwing the battle robe into the trash heap. Over the years, his body shape had changed drastically, and even if he had kept it, it would most likely not fit back in.

He pulled the composite bow from the black waterproof bag, the bowstring wrapped around Roy's wrist, tightening little by little under the force of the pull—

But his gaze wasn't on the bowstring at all; instead, he was staring intently at the counterfeit goods on the other side of the screen, which were still swindling people under the Green Arrow name.

The world is never short of stories of prodigal sons returning home, and Roy is the protagonist of this story.

Perhaps it was witnessing the tragedies that befell his followers, or perhaps it was the growth of experience brought about by age, but in the twenty years after his break with Oliver, he gradually realized that what Oliver had said back then was true.

After a long and painful withdrawal, the middle-aged man finally overcame alcohol and drugs through sheer willpower.

Of course, it could also be because most of the internal organs have been replaced with mechanical ones.

After all, there aren't many people using drugs or alcohol these days, and the pleasure derived from stimulating the brain's excitatory areas via brain-computer interfaces is more intense and pure.

That said, Roy planned to meet this fake Green Arrow, but unlike the Gotham brats who had an almost pathological obsession with bats, he simply couldn't stand an archery novice using the title of partner.

Indeed, Wei in the live stream never used a bow and arrow, and even his bow-holding gestures were amateurish, which Roy couldn't tolerate.

After adjusting the bowstring to the optimal tension, he pressed the center button.

The carbon fiber composite bow folds and compresses amidst the sound of mechanical operation, transforming into a long, telescopic rod-like object in the blink of an eye.

"Old buddy, let's go meet that brat."

Roy, having concealed the stick in his sleeve and slung his quiver over his shoulder, hopped onto the motorboat.

Meanwhile, after Wei silently dealt with the entire Snake and Rat Gang, the popularity of the live stream also surged to its peak.

The news of Green Arrow's return spread like wildfire throughout Star City, and even the reporters invited by Oliver to the press conference were getting restless.

On the other hand, Oliver on the stage was indeed composed, speaking slowly and incoherently, clearly stalling for time. Seeing the anxious expressions on the faces of the reporters below, the old man smiled knowingly and timely asked a question.

"Is there anything else you would like to ask?"

The reporters had been waiting for this very sentence, and in an instant, they swarmed forward, surrounding Oliver with their cameras and microphones.

"We just received news from the slums that someone is engaging in superhero activities under your name—no, under Green Arrow's name. Is this related to you?"

"Did you instigate this new Green Arrow product?"

"Do you believe the mastermind behind this incident is the same person behind yesterday morning's hacking incident at the securities trading center? If so, why would they use the name 'Green Arrow'?"

"What's wrong with you guys? Why are you assuming I'm Green Arrow?"

Oliver responded calmly, a sly smile playing on his lips.

We don't even know if you're Green Arrow or not?!

The reporters rolled their eyes inwardly, but they had to immediately deny it aloud, since their statements represented the entire newspaper when they were out in public.

Years ago, a reporter from the Star City Evening News, known for his outspokenness, publicly stated that Oliver was Green Arrow.

Oliver lived frugally after going bankrupt, but that was compared to the super-rich; in reality, he was still 99.99% better off than many in Star City.

Those people are richer.

And what's that saying? Never go against a rich guy in a capitalist country, especially when there's a huge difference in their economic and social status.

The Star City Evening News was nothing more than a third-rate newspaper. In its early years, it relied on three tricks to get started: "rumors," "urban legends," and "Oliver's gossip." The amount of dirt it had on people was simply too much to count.

Oliver simply hired a reliable lawyer, gathered some information, and then used his status as the former mayor to exert some pressure on the court.

Guess what happened to that newspaper afterwards?

It's going out of business!

From then on, journalists regarded Oliver as a monster and dared not speak recklessly again.

Of course, Oliver didn't want to keep the reporters in suspense, since the main purpose of this press conference was to deflect responsibility.

"Hahaha, that mysterious new Green Arrow has absolutely nothing to do with me. I've always held a negative and averse view of unofficial crime-fighting activities—"

Just as Oliver was giving the crowd a perfunctory response, a reporter at the far end of the crowd suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"It's blown up!!! He blew up a building!"

The reporters' attention was drawn back to the live broadcast room, and they sighed in unison, their enthusiasm waning, after discovering that the fake Green Arrow was nothing more than the demolition of an unfinished building in a slum.

He seems to thrive on chaos, and is described as someone who studied journalism.

"Oliver Quinn, I don't care if you're on the other side of the screen or not, these next few words are for you!"

The fake Green Arrow, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. His voice was deep and magnetic, and the sharp and deep eyes that were vaguely visible under the shadow of his hood successfully triggered the second round of crazy comments in the live stream chat.

"You're too old and useless. Now I'll handle the things you can't manage, and do the work you can't do anymore! From this day forward, I will inherit the name of Star City Green Arrow—"

The live stream abruptly stopped before the words were finished.

Oliver sat in the interview area with a livid face, his hands clenched tightly on the table.

The reporters had never seen Oliver like this before. They exchanged glances, but their desire for firsthand coverage ultimately overcame their fear.

They gathered even closer, but before they could hand over the microphone, Oliver suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"Today's interview is canceled. You should all go home."

The reporters didn't dare to investigate further and quickly packed up their belongings to leave, but a few bolder ones still managed to capture Oliver's furrowed brows on camera.

Although highly subjective reports cannot be published in official journals, these guys all have online accounts.

The feud between Oliver Quinn and the new Green Arrow will surely attract a lot of attention.

Behind the security doors on the ground floor of the Quinn Building, several gloomy men in security uniforms silently watched the press conference.

What do you think?

"At first I thought he was acting, but now it seems he really was provoked. Maybe this new Green Arrow really has nothing to do with him, but that alone isn't enough to clear him of suspicion."

"Yes, let's observe for a while longer; at least he's the only lead."

The man in the lead loosened his tie, took off his hat, and threw it onto the naked corpse in the corner.

"Now let's change back into our clothes and head to the slums to meet that new Green Arrow!"

Meanwhile, Oliver, who had taken the elevator back to his penthouse apartment, did not relax.

His worry and anger were genuine.

Just as the live stream was cut off, he clearly saw an arrow flying from the distance on the screen.

Wei did not cut off the live stream, but instead encountered trouble.

"Roy—is that you?"

Oliver muttered to himself as he returned to his bedroom, opened a hidden compartment behind the wardrobe, and took out a spare battle robe.

"I never expected that I, at my age, would have to get involved in this kind of thing."

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