Oliver's Little Scheme

Chapter 239 Oliver's Little Scheme

"I'm surprised you know who I am, but I'm equally confused about what prompted you to have such an absurd idea as 'I'll grant your request.'"

Qin Wei found it ridiculous. If he would turn Xingcheng upside down for a live streaming device that could connect to the internet, what would be the difference between him and John Wick?

But this analogy isn't quite accurate. After all, John's dog is very important, and he could get the live-streaming device back upstairs; it would just take a little more time to travel back and forth.

But Black Arrow's reply was also quite weighty: "But what if I said I knew where Star City's tumor was hiding?"

Wei frowned after hearing this.

He desperately wanted to rush up to the other person, grab them by the neck, and tell them: "Stop being a riddle-teller! If you have any news, just say it!" But considering that villains in comics are always secretive when plotting big things, he patiently continued to press for answers in order not to ruin the current atmosphere.

"So you can see that thing too?"

"It used to be visible, but now it's invisible. As the erosion deepens, most of humanity has even forgotten its existence. Perhaps even Teacher Lei Xiaogu has forgotten why he came to America and what he was fighting for."

"So you're from the Assassin's Guild."

"To correct you, before his arms were severed by Yuria's scythe."

After taking the last drag of his cigarette, Malcolm stubbed it out with his fingertips and continued the conversation.

"I once heard my teacher say that hundreds of years ago he felt an unusual evil force descend upon the Americas, and with the appearance of this force, the Pool of Lazarus began to boil and evaporate."

"To protect the spring, the teacher prepared for the holy war for a full century."

"The early days in Gotham were perhaps the most glorious period for the League of Assassins. Richard Dragon and Bronze Tiger were the blades that cut through thorns, Bane was the strongest shield, David Cain was the anchor of the base, and perhaps the most powerful human in the world was Raytheon, the vanguard of the League of Assassins —"

"I already know the rest of the story; you lost to the Court of Owls."

"It's not a loss, at least we slowed down the spread of this evil force and contained it in Gotham."

"Then why do you still say that there are sarcomas in Xingcheng?"

"This is the weirdest part." Malcolm lit another cigarette, tapped his legs, and sat back down in his chair.

What followed was a long silence.

Black Arrow seemed to be considering where to begin his story, his brow furrowed as he rubbed his temples from time to time.

"What's wrong with you?"

"You might not believe it, but Star City turned into this state in just one day, and this has happened once before."

Malcolm's words sent chills down Qin Wei's spine.

Wei finally met someone, someone who, like him, could sense the change in this worldline.

"It's a feeling that's hard to describe in words. It's like the world wasn't like this in my original understanding, but after just one night—sorry, I can't describe this feeling accurately!"

"If I had to put it in a way, it would be that there is a huge discrepancy between memory and reality."

Wei understood; the other party should be able to sense the changes in the world line, but not as clearly and intuitively as he was.

"For example, I don't remember Oliver being this old. I can still vividly recall the scene of us fighting. But in the blink of an eye, I'm over forty, and Roy has become a big man with a full beard."

"More importantly, I saw it in Xingcheng."

Malcolm grabbed the remote control from the table and turned on an old CRT television in the corner.

The television screen flickered, revealing the spire of the television station, a landmark building in Xingcheng.

At first, Wei thought it was just a picture, but then he discovered something wriggling in the center of the tower.

He leaned closer and vaguely recognized the figure of his "old friend" amidst the mosaic.

It was that, wriggling, bluish-gray tumor.

If you roughly calculate the size proportionally to the spire's volume, this thing is even larger than the one hidden in the Tower of Wayne.

"Right? I knew you could see it too."

Malcolm had gotten the result he wanted from Will's reaction.

The video of the infiltration of Wayne Tower went viral online. Black Arrow had long been keeping an eye on the Judgement Knight. He not only knew about his actions in Gotham, but also learned that the League of Assassins had reached some kind of cooperation with him.

Now that Black Arrow has lost contact with the Alliance, and the Shadow Dancers are far away, the only person he can rely on is the Judgment Knight, who was once a partner of the Alliance.

Lady Luck was secretly on Malcolm's side; before he could even try to contact the other party, Wei offered himself up.

"So, the liberation of Star City you mentioned—was it under this guy's control?"

"Otherwise what? Or do you want to create a Gotham-style upheaval in Star City?"

Black Arrow was actually quite looking forward to this outcome. Although he was labeled a villain by the Star City government, the fact that his old rival Green Arrow had repeatedly shown mercy during their encounters indirectly confirmed his stance.

The two, Green and Black, share the same ideals and both want to change Star City. Their difference lies in their methods: one wants to change it gently, while the other wants to use violence to make drastic changes.

But the longer it drags on, the more absurd and ridiculous Oliver's meager reforms appear.

In this timeline, due to the spread of cancer and tumors, the trade in human organs has almost become the largest pillar industry in Xingcheng.

Since the Assassins' alliance helped the French Revolutionary Army overthrow the Bourbon dynasty in the 19th century, the ideals of equality and freedom have influenced the assassins within the organization to some extent. Even today, a replica of the oil painting "Liberty Leading the People" still hangs on the basement wall.

The woman who held high the flag could only live in the basement, while the outside world was a bloodthirsty capital that put humans on the dinner table.

"Sorry, I'm not Green Arrow, I don't have that kind of time."

Will's cold reply shattered Malcolm's beautiful reverie.

"I thought you were really here to replace Green Arrow when you put on this outfit."

"I was only invited here and have no further plans."

Malcolm shook his head and said nothing more, then opened a drawer and took out a device that looked like a camera head.

"Okay, okay—this is what you need; it can connect to the upper-level network." He brushed off the rust from the casing and handed it over.

Will nodded, preparing to take the device, but Malcolm suddenly grabbed his wrist with a mechanical hand.

"Aren't you really going to reconsider? To go save Star City, to save the poor people—"

The instant Black Arrow's words merged with the echo of Bruce Wayne in his mind, Qin Wei shuddered violently, but he quickly recovered and broke free from his restraints.

Human strength has its limits, and during this extraordinary period when Gotham City was struggling to breathe, he simply couldn't afford to deal with any more trouble.

But after Wei left, Malcolm's tense face suddenly broke into a smile.

He turned his head and stared at the grease-stained imitation painting on the wall, grinning and muttering to himself, revealing his yellow teeth.

"Oliver Quinn—my old friend! Is it really just a coincidence that the Judgment Knight has come to Star City? Don't you really intend to take advantage of this opportunity to use him? What exactly are you up to, you cunning fellow?"

Just then, the basement door was knocked on again.

This time, Black Arrow guessed who was coming, and before the other party even opened the door, he dragged over a chair.

"You've come at the right time. We need to get ready; war will break out soon."

Roy's bewildered face peeked out from behind the door.

"What the hell are you talking about, you bastard? Do you even know why I'm here?"

"I know, but Oliver may not. If I'm not mistaken, you should have a chance to see your old partner later. As for that Judgment Knight from Gotham, he'll soon be swallowed up by the mire of Star City."

The live stream continued, and Wei continued to expose his whereabouts to the public. During his free time, he chatted with the audience while moving towards the ambush location provided by Oliver.

He maintained that the "tumor" had no direct connection to the liberation of Star City as Malcolm described, and that even without the erosion and corruption of the tumor, class oppression would still be prevalent in human society.

Just like in Gotham, he couldn't completely get rid of that huge tumor, but after the riots a few days ago, the conflict between the two sides should be greatly eased.

To put it bluntly, pressure doesn't disappear out of thin air. If you're oppressed for too long, there will always be a day when it rebounds, and then this process will repeat itself.

History is likened to a rolling wheel not only because it always moves forward, but also because it is a cycle.

That said, the audience showed no respect whatsoever for the perpetrator who had just caused an explosion. Countless people were sending gifts and hearts in the live stream, all in an effort to raise their level so that Qin Wei could see their messages immediately.

Then look at the questions these guys are asking: name, age, measurements, even whether they have a partner and whether they can accept men. Nobody cares about Qin Wei's purpose in doing this.

In this age of entertainment supremacy, authenticity and showmanship make no difference to the audience; anything that provides emotional value will attract enough attention.

"Where does the streamer plan to set off an explosion next?"

Finally, someone asked this crucial question, and Weike was ready to spread the word.

"An abandoned hospital on the east side of the slum."

This statement immediately drew exclamations from the live stream viewers: He really knows how to do live streaming!

Qin Wei, being an outsider, naturally didn't know that the former site of Xingcheng's largest hospital, Pingxing Hospital, was a haunted house. Several adventure bloggers had gone there together and disappeared, only to have their rotting corpses found hanging in their own houses a week later.

Of course, such setbacks cannot scare the bloggers. In order to gain more traffic, some daring bloggers will still choose to go forward. And the daredevils will inevitably end up with the same fate as their predecessors.

The police investigation concluded that "homicide was ruled out and the death was a natural one," casting a further shadow over the abandoned hospital.

After hearing the story, Qin Wei clicked his tongue dismissively.

Perhaps because they've been cocooned in information for too long, the citizens of Xingcheng have never even heard of the meme "shot in the back and committed suicide".

But then he thought about it again, and it seemed that it didn't really matter which country it was—

In any case, he sensed a strong conspiracy in this matter, not only the evil legend of the abandoned hospital, but also Oliver's painstakingly arranged trip.

Will didn't believe Oliver hadn't heard the hospital rumors. The fact that they made this arrangement meant that the other party probably wanted to use Will to uncover some secret.

I had hoped to use Xingcheng's territory to get rid of the annoying rats, but it seems I've been used instead.

However, this also fits Oliver's character; how could a guy who's lived to be seventy or eighty years old not have some cunning?

Wei has no relatives or friends in Xingcheng, and he doesn't need to worry about his people being ambushed or assassinated. Luring the enemy here and then annihilating them in one fell swoop is the greatest benefit for him.

He initially felt uneasy after accepting Oliver's favor, but after realizing that Oliver was also using him, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Thinking of this, Qin Wei raised his eyebrows and whistled.

"Let's go see what secrets this hospital is hiding!"

Meanwhile, far away in Gotham, Tim accidentally discovered a Trojan program on his computer while cleaning up "traces of the crime".

It cleverly disguised itself as a password saving plugin for a hacker website, bypassing the firewall set up by Tim.

Fortunately, this computer was only used to transfer assets of the Gotham oligarchs; the rest of the cyber activities, enough to bring the Bat-Family to court, were carried out by supercomputers.

Tim traced the Trojan horse backwards and quickly found a familiar account.

"Oliver!?"

He was both surprised and angry when he called back this former client, but instead of an angry roar, he heard a kind but slightly cunning laugh on the other end of the line.

"Don't blame me, it's your own fault for insisting on using that account!"

Before Tim could even open his mouth, Oliver silenced him with irrefutable facts.

Yes, if he doesn't log into that account, the Trojan program won't be activated and released.

"What exactly do you want—Wei—no, what have you done to the Judgment Knight?!"

"Relax, I haven't said a single lie. It's true that someone is watching me, and it's also true that I want him to help me deal with the trouble."

"As for what he sees on this path and what choices he makes, that's up to him to decide."

"But don't worry, I will do my best to ensure his safety — well, I shouldn't be bragging, I should only be able to provide some precise remote support."

As he said this, old Oliver touched his nose sheepishly.

He was already old and frail, and his only partner had become a government-approved villain. Of course, extremists like Malcolm Black Arrow were even less reliable.

If Star City hadn't been so lacking in talent, why would he have broken the unspoken rule of one superhero per city to seek help from Gotham heroes?

He can now only place all his hopes on Wei's undying kindness, and on the fact that Wei will help this terminally ill city after discovering the truth about the abandoned hospital.

"I need your help! That damn fake Green Arrow is heading towards the abandoned hospital, and he'll be inside soon!"

Inside the office, the new city's current mayor, Ominic, was bowing and scraping to a group of oddballs.

Look at this bunch of freaks! Some are wearing cloaks and carrying scythes; others are all muscle and have deformed wings on their backs.

Some wore straw masks and carried medicine jars on their backs.

-

There was even someone who imitated Selena Gomez by cosplaying as a cat.

Well, a girl's supple body can perfectly mimic the essence of a cat, but what if a man also puts on a tight-fitting suit and cat ears—

..

My personal assessment is: it's hard to explain in a few words.

These guys are hired by the Gotham oligarchs to follow Robin Hood's signals and cause trouble for Green Arrow.

With such a star-studded lineup, comparable to a boy band, they could indeed easily crush the aging Oliver without Will's help.

"Why should we help you?" Uriah, as the leader of the boy group, answered Ominic's question.

"We're just here to complete a mission; what you're saying has absolutely nothing to do with us!"

The cat-man blew on his nails and added casually.

The two men's words were unanimously endorsed by the other members of the boy band.

"What if I take out this thing—"

Ominic pulled a badge from his inside suit pocket.