Dreaming for 10,000 years

Chapter 337 Meeting
The luxury car slowly drove into the estate, passed through the meticulously maintained gardens, and finally stopped in front of the castle.

Afu pushed open the car door and stepped out gracefully. Then, the heavy, maroon door was slowly pulled open by several mechanical servants.

Even though an electric door could be used, they still have a mechanical servant pull it open; that's just right, that's in line with the style of Wayne Manor.

Shi Fei followed Afu into the castle, his gaze sweeping over the interior decorations. The castle's interior was understated yet luxurious, with ancient oil paintings hanging on the walls.

A thick carpet covered the floor, making each step feel like walking on clouds, soft and silent. A huge crystal chandelier hung in the center of the hall, its soft, warm light illuminating the entire space.

Afu arrived at the center of the hall, and with a gentle tap of his right index finger, a blue 3D light screen appeared out of thin air.

A milky-white scene appeared on the light screen, in which a middle-aged man was smiling at Afu.

The man was handsome and dashing, with deep eyes; he was Wayne, the head of the Wayne Group and the true master of Gough City.

"Young Master, the matter is complete." Afu bowed slightly to the screen, his tone respectful.

"Thank you for your hard work." Wayne's voice was gentle yet firm. His voice came through the hidden speakers in the hall.

"Are you just going to stay hidden behind the screen like this forever?" Shi Fei suddenly asked.

"Who?" The sudden voice startled both Alfred and Wayne.

"Who are you?" Afu reacted quickly, his gaze instantly locking onto Shi Fei. A ball of blue light emanated from his right hand—high-intensity laser particles.

His system template incorporates the fighting experience of many martial artists, so that he can insert laser particles into Shi Fei's chest in an instant.

Wayne on the screen, however, remained quite calm.

Throughout his life, he had encountered far too many strange enemies, both human and inhuman. Shi Fei, who sneaked in like this, was not the first.

He knew that Shi Fei's appearance at this time must mean he had something to talk to him about; otherwise, he would have already started causing trouble or doing something else.

On the screen, a glass of wine appeared out of thin air in Wayne's hand. He gently swirled the glass, gesturing for Shi Fei to sit down: "Afu, why don't you offer him a drink? He's a guest, after all."

“As you command.” The blue light in Afu’s hand disappeared. He stretched out his hand and pointed to a luxurious sofa, his tone polite: “Sir, please have a seat.”

Shi Fei sat down on the sofa, which was soft and comfortable, as if it enveloped him completely. Afu turned and walked to the wine cabinet next to him, took out a wine glass and a bottle, poured a glass of wine for Shi Fei, and brought it to him.

“Sir, please, Bordeaux brandy.” Afu’s tone was respectful, as if Shi Fei were a distinguished guest of the manor.

Shi Fei didn't drink it; he just looked at Wayne on the screen.

Wayne raised his glass, his tone tinged with apology: "I'm sorry, I'm too old to meet you in this way."

Even though Shi Fei had come to him abruptly, he apologized first. It must be said, Wayne is indeed a very interesting person.

"I didn't come here to drink," Shi Fei said.

Wayne said, "Then you are..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but instead threw the question to Shi Fei.

Shi Fei said bluntly, "I've come to see what Wayne, the owner of the Wayne Group, is like in Golf City." Wayne replied, "And then?"

"It seems to be just someone who uploaded their consciousness into the machine..." Shi Fei thought for a moment and said, "A delusional person."

Uploading one's own ideas into a calculator and creating a cyber life form—what else is that but a delusional person?
Wayne wasn't angry when he heard that word; instead, he laughed.

"A delusional person?" Wayne repeated softly, a hint of self-mockery in his voice. "Perhaps. But in this world, who isn't a delusional person?"

“I’m not, and so are many people! The vast majority of people in the world are not,” Shi Fei said, shaking his head.

"..." Wayne on the screen paused for a moment, then slowly said, "I just want to protect Gough City, to protect my home."

Shi Fei said sarcastically, "You were Night Owlman when you were young, you won't become Family Man when you're old, will you?"

A true family man is someone who would do anything for their family. As everyone knows, Wayne has no family. Shi Fei's words are undeniably ironic.

Wayne chuckled lightly, showing no anger, and simply said, "It seems you have a strong prejudice against me!"

“Indeed!” Shi Fei nodded and said frankly, “There are quite a few prejudices.”

Having witnessed the horrific state of Gough City, it's hard not to be prejudiced against Wayne. The only normal person Shi Fei has encountered in the past two days is George, who almost bumped into him.

Wayne sighed and said, "Although I don't know where you come from, you know that I used to be Night Owlman, so you must know about my past."

Shi Fei said, "I only heard about it secondhand. Why don't you tell me yourself?"

Is this Gof City and Wayne the same as Gotham and Wayne? Or is it some other Gotham and Wayne? It's hard to say. To be on the safe side, Shi Fei should listen to what Wayne has to say.

Wayne downed his drink in one gulp, and then the milky white scene around him suddenly changed into a dark alley.

In that alley, a young, wealthy couple was shot dead, leaving behind a seven or eight-year-old child who stood alone in a pool of blood, his eyes filled with fear and helplessness.

“My life changed from here. Before that, I had a good childhood.” Wayne’s voice was low and calm, as if he were telling a story that had nothing to do with him: “But this killer destroyed all of that.”

Looking at the screen, Shi Fei said, "Even if you don't have parents, you're still much better off than many people. I've heard people say that many orphans who leave the orphanage at eighteen end up as homeless. And the average lifespan of a homeless person is only 3-5 years."

“I was a homeless person, I really was!” Wayne didn’t answer the question directly, but continued, “I once disguised myself as a homeless teenager and infiltrated a gang to learn street fighting and wiretapping techniques.”

"But I quickly realized that instrumentalizing violence cannot eradicate evil. Violence begets violence, and evil will still exist in the end. Because the root of the crime is the systemic corruption in Gough."

Seeing that Shi Fei was about to say something, Wayne raised his hand to signal him, his tone polite: "Sir, please let me finish speaking. It is very impolite to interrupt someone."

Shi Fei nodded and didn't say anything more, just listened quietly.

Wayne continued, "When I was young, I thought that as long as we fought crime, we could make this city a better place."

"But later I discovered that the real evil was not those street thugs, but the systemic corruption hidden behind it. Politicians, capitalists, and gangsters colluded together to form an unshakeable network of interests."

(End of this chapter)