American comics: Praising the sun, starting from Gotham!

Bang! Bang bang bang!

Gunshots suddenly rang out from the alleyway not far away.

Several stray bullets struck the bulletproof glass of the greenhouse's outer wall.

That was Jeremy and his newly formed moving escort team having a friendly business exchange with a certain ignorant downtown gang.

A group of children with all their belongings seemed to have caused some people to have second thoughts.

But the two people on this side didn't even lift their eyelids.

A giant carnivorous plant was using its tentacles to roll up the children's tattered bedding rolls and stuff them into the back of a truck.

The children ran around excitedly amidst the gunshots, as if they were firecrackers for a festival.

Ivy glanced at him sideways.

"You know, Bruce and I... we've known each other since we were kids. Back then he was just a somewhat aloof rich kid, unlike now."

She stopped what she was doing, turned her head and stared at Xiu En with a look of seriousness and apprehension.

"He disappeared for several years. When he came back, he was no longer a normal person. He turned himself into a... symbol, a sophisticated machine. You'll find that in his eyes, whether it's a friend, an enemy, or a stranger, they all eventually become data packets that need to be assessed for risk."

"Although I don't doubt his love for this city."

Ivy sneered, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

"But it's like a potted plant he grows. He waters and fertilizes it, but he's always ready to pick up the scissors without hesitation if the plant grows crooked or its color doesn't match his design."

"And you, dear luminous being, you are now growing in a rather irregular way."

Xiu En shrugged and pointed to his forehead.

"I'm now Bald Qiang's cousin, Bald Bright. Even if he wants to cut his hair, he'll have to check if his scissors are made of diamond."

Don't be overconfident.

Ivy suddenly took a step closer, extended a finger, and poked Xiu En's chest right in front of his lung without any hesitation.

"That's what I'm going to talk about next; we have to add a clause to that contract."

"Whether you're comfortable or not living in that big golden cage of Wayne Manor, you must come to me every day, even if you have to crawl."

A faint green light shone from her fingertips and instantly disappeared into Xiu En's body.

"Your energy is too violent."

Ivy's voice softened a little.

"My plants need your light to mutate and evolve, and you need this plant farm to filter out that deadly aura. It's mutually beneficial."

"If you don't come..."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, and several thick, thorny vines slowly rose up behind Xiu En.

"I'll make all the expensive plants in Wayne's yard go crazy, tear down his house first, and then kidnap you."

Xiu En knew that Ivy was indirectly giving him a lifeline.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Hugh gave a smile and even performed an extremely affected and awkward knightly salute.

"To maintain world peace and ecological balance, I will clock in at work on time every day, rain or shine, unless his house collapses and buries me underneath."

Ivy looked at him like that and snorted in disgust.

"And, that Jerami..."

She glanced at the little intelligence broker who was still outside directing his underlings to throw bottles at each other.

"If you don't want that kid to die in the street one day, you can grab some cash while you're at it. In Gotham these days, fists alone aren't enough; someone as brainless as you needs a sharp informant."

"So you're already starting to scout out a team for me?"

Xiu En raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I'll have him compete for the position of Robin in Batman's line later, even though the mortality rate is a bit high."

"Robin?"

Ivy repeated the word.

She raised one eyebrow.

"Sounds like a bird. What, you think that big black bat would hire a robin as its assistant? That taste sounds like it's trying to make itself a moving target."

Xiu En rewound his thoughts wildly in his mind.

That's right, Bruce Wayne is still that lone wolf who can only do cross-dressing but hasn't yet learned how to take care of children.

Have the Graysons still not fallen from that damn high-flying swing? Or have they never even arrived in Gotham?

"Ahem, that's a metaphor. No, it's not a metaphor."

Xiu En quickly interrupted his thoughts, and without batting an eye, began to ramble on, drawing a circle in the air with his finger.

"Look, the robin, the robin, is a messenger of spring. Since it's a bat that scares away mice in the dark, there has to be someone else there to bring hope, sunshine, and rainbow candy to balance things out, right? Otherwise, it'll be gloomy all day and easy to get depressed."

He nodded solemnly.

"That's why I said it's just a job title. Anyone can be Robin, even a cat, as long as it's willing to wear a red and green vest to take bullets for the bat."

Ivy stared at him for two seconds, seemingly assessing the credibility of his claim.

"That sounds stupid. And it's extremely dangerous."

She finally came to a conclusion, but didn't delve into it further, only shaking her head somewhat helplessly.

"Red and green color scheme... I really don't know what you were thinking. Going out at night dressed like that in Gotham is tantamount to suicide."

Xiu En secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but his mind was racing with calculations.

Batman without Robin means extreme mental strain, greater violence, and also greater loneliness.

"Alright, since we don't have Robin yet..."

Hugh's gaze shifted to Jerami, who was still marking his territory by urinating against the corner of the wall.

"We'll just build him a low-spec version."

He waved to Jerami.

"Hey! Kid! Is the fight over there over? Anyone still alive, call an ambulance right away. It's basic professional etiquette, and I have plenty of money right now! Don't worry about getting hurt!" Xiu En shouted.

Jerami rushed over.

"They're all gone, boss! That flash of that aura was awesome! The other side thought we threw a stun grenade, they were so scared they dropped two guns. Those old junk guns can fetch a good price!"

Xiu En put his arm around the boy's shoulder.

"What's the point of picking up this junk?"

Xiu pointed to the Wayne Tower in the distance, which was still visible despite being hidden in the rain and mist.

"That dark-skinned guy, I mean the big boss who pays, he's probably short-handed. Not the muscle-bound kind who can only fight, but someone clever who knows how to navigate the sewers and knows which donut shop in the city is the best and which alleyway can be used to avoid being on camera."

"what?"

Jeremy froze, instinctively clutching the handful of change he had just earned in his pocket.

"You mean... I should shine shoes for rich people?"

"Stop being so arrogant."

Xiu En, exasperated, slapped his messy hair, sending up a cloud of dust.

"I'm sending you to be his eyes and ears, his advisor, the one who guides him in the dark."

And not only will meals be provided, but you'll also get to see those high-tech toys you'll never get to touch in your lifetime.

He turned to look at Ivy and winked.

"Do you think this kid could survive the first episode if he wore a slightly brighter jacket, like red... and stood next to a bat?"

Ivy snorted, but her gaze lingered on the child for a moment.

"If he doesn't want to die, teach him how to hide in the shadows. Don't listen to this idiot's rant about wearing bright clothes."

She took a small packet of dark green powder from her fanny pack and stuffed it into the pocket of Jerami's tattered jacket.

"If there is danger, scatter; survival is the most important thing."