American Comics: Something's Wrong with This Superhero World

Chapter 171 As expected of Gotham

In the twilight, Arthur, the famous actor who played the Joker, staggered back to his apartment, covered in wounds.

Arthur's apartment, once his and his girlfriend's shared haven, was now a mess. The large television in the living room had been removed, leaving only empty walls. The sofa cushions had been slashed open, their foam spilling out onto the floor. Leftover coffee cups from the previous night lay scattered on the coffee table, the coffee dried up, leaving a brown ring around them. Books and decorations on the bookshelves were strewn about, some with torn covers.

The kitchen was equally chaotic. Drawers were pulled open, and silver cutlery lay scattered on the floor, alongside broken plates, on the gray tiles. The refrigerator door was wide open, and food inside was carelessly tossed out, some of it already moldy and emitting a pungent odor.

Arthur's gaze finally settled on the painting they had bought together. The landscape in the painting had once been a symbol of their future aspirations, but now it had been torn from the wall, leaving only a blank space. The fragments of the frame were like his heart at that moment, shattered into pieces.

Arthur felt an unprecedented loneliness and despair. His home was no longer his safe haven, but a desolate junkyard. In that moment, Arthur fully realized that he had lost not only wealth, but also a relationship he once thought would last a lifetime. Sophie had taken not only the family fortune and savings, but also his heart.

Amidst the kitchen chaos, Arthur rummaged through the refrigerator and found a half-opened can of beer. Holding it, he walked to the sofa they had once chosen together; its fabric was torn, the foam exposed. Despite this, he sat down, sinking into the worn-out sofa, feeling the stark contrast between the warm memories of the past and the reality.

Arthur raised his hand and gently shook the beer can, the beer making a pleasant sloshing sound inside. He took a sip, the bitter taste spreading in his mouth, seemingly echoing his current mood. After a moment of silence, Arthur suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh, the sound echoing in the empty apartment, sounding particularly desolate.

Arthur drank his beer, his laughter growing louder and louder. The laughter gradually turned into a raucous roar, filled with helplessness and mockery. He laughed, but his expression betrayed a deep sadness and despair, as if the whole world were playing a cruel joke on him.

On the other side of the city, neon lights shimmered alluringly under the night sky. Sophie wore a luxurious dress designed by a high-end designer, the dress sparkling with jewel-like luster, attracting attention with every turn. A priceless pearl necklace adorned her neck, contrasting sharply with her dark skin, and a bracelet studded with diamonds on her wrist glittered under the lights, exuding an aura of wealth with every step she took.

The music roared through the nightclub, the deep, powerful bass blending with the rhythm of electronic music. Sophie danced in the center of the dance floor, moving to the beat. Her body swayed with the rhythm, a happy smile on her face.

Just then, Xiao Xian, now in the form of a middle-aged man, stepped forward and smiled at Sophie.

"Good evening, beautiful lady. May I have this dance?"

However, Sophie barely turned around; she simply continued dancing to the music, glancing at Xiao Xian out of the corner of her eye, but offering no response whatsoever.

Sometimes it's annoying, but when I don't have it, I really miss Super Charm. Xiao Xian looked at Sophie, who was completely ignoring him, and thought, "I already called her beautiful against my will, but she can't even be bothered to acknowledge me?"

If it weren't for the need to stir up trouble, normally even if a girl of Sophie's caliber were kneeling on the ground crying and begging Xiao Xian to take a look, Xiao Xian wouldn't even bother to pay her any attention.

"Beautiful lady, I am..." Xiao Xian stepped forward and continued speaking to Sophie. Oh well, she's just a foolish mortal; there's no need to get angry over her.

Clearly, Sophie wasn't listening to Xiao Xian. Before Xiao Xian could finish speaking, Sophie subtly gave a look to a bodyguard in black standing nearby.

The burly bodyguard immediately understood Sophie's intention. He walked through the crowd, steadily and powerfully approaching Xiao Xian's side, and said:

"Sir, please keep your distance from Miss Sophie."

Then the bodyguard firmly gestured with his arm, guiding Xiao Xian away from Sophie's vicinity.

Xiao Xian glanced at the bodyguard and Sophie, who didn't even give him another second glance, shrugged, and turned to leave. It seemed he'd have to come up with a more impressive disguise if he wanted to get close to a gold digger like Sophie.

To avoid being discovered by Batman, Xiao Xian doesn't plan to use his charisma or his connections and wealth; instead, he plans to make money himself.

Starting a business from scratch would be much more difficult elsewhere, but fortunately, this is Gotham, where starting a business is much easier than anywhere else.

In the dead of night in Gotham City, the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, and the alleyways were shrouded in darkness. Xiao Xian's footsteps echoed through the empty streets of a secluded alley. Suddenly, a masked thug leaped from the shadows, a handgun in his hand, aiming it at Xiao Xian.

"Wallet, watch, give them to me now!" the thug shouted at Xiao Xian with practiced ease, not caring at all about attracting attention, after all, this was Gotham.

"Jennings J-22 robbing people in Gotham with this cheap stuff? Your firepower isn't even as good as that of a taco lady, is it?" Xiao Xian looked at the gun in the thug's hand without any panic. This guy doesn't look very rich, what a pity.

"What business is it of yours what kind of gun I use! As long as it can blow your head off!" the thug said, quite dissatisfied. If he had money, would he need to rob people? He had specifically borrowed money from gang members to buy this gun so he could start his business by robbing people.

Faced with the thugs' anger and threats, Xiao Xian simply smiled slightly.

"I don't think so."

"F**k! What the hell are you pretending for!" Seeing Xiao Xian's arrogant attitude, the thug pulled the trigger without saying a word. The muzzle flashed and disappeared in the dark night. He could just steal the wallet from Xiao Xian's corpse later.

The bullet hurtled straight at Xiao Xian at incredible speed, but just before it made contact with his body, an unbelievable scene unfolded. The bullet seemed to pass through a shimmering layer of light and shadow, creating ripples on Xiao Xian's body. It passed through him without hindrance, finally embedding itself in the brick wall behind him.

The thug stared wide-eyed at the scene before him in disbelief. He instantly realized he had messed with someone he shouldn't have.

Without any hesitation, the thug smoothly knelt on the ground with a thud, his eyes filled with tears.

"Big brother, I'm so sorry, I really didn't know you were a superpowered person. Please, please let me go this time! I promise I'll never do it again!"

Damn, as expected of Gotham, even thugs have such great acting skills? And that kneeling motion is so smooth, they must have knelt a lot before, Xiao Xian thought to himself as he looked at the thug.

(End of this chapter)