American Comics: Trading Tom Cat

Who came to mind? Batman? Or someone else?

Barry paused for a moment: "427." "Sir, you seem to know a lot."

"If I want to know, I will naturally find out."

Barry nodded as if he understood, vaguely sensing that the man's words were quite remarkable, though he wondered if it was because the man had access to a lot of information or for some other reason.

"That Batman from Gotham City? I have indeed had contact with him a few times, but not many. And as you said, I do have a vague feeling that Batman is somewhat strangely dangerous, but he is clearly an amazing hero who protects the entire city."

"Guardian?" Locke's lips curled into a mocking smile.

Are you sure he's protecting that city?

Barry looked puzzled: "Isn't that right? Everyone calls Batman the Night Knight; he's the guardian of Gotham City."

"Don't listen to what others say, look at what they do. Barry, go and investigate. Look at the crime rate and mortality rate in Gotham City before and after Batman's debut, and most importantly, the frequency of supernatural events and the frequency of large-scale threat events, etc."

Is Batman a good guy? Some people think he is, some people think he isn't, and to Locke, he's a fool.

A fool who attempts to suppress humanity with divinity, yet rejects becoming a god.

The belief in non-killing is something even the Eastern sage Confucius and the Western Jesus wouldn't dare claim to possess. Batman, an ordinary man, dares to surpass even sages; his divine side has transcended humanity.

If this guy goes to extremes and becomes the god of night who suppresses everything, truly becoming a god-like being who can suppress all dissent with his own will, then there's nothing wrong with that.

But Batman's biggest problem is that although he intends to suppress humanity with divinity, this guy considers himself human and rejects becoming a god. The result is that he becomes a strange existence that is neither human nor god.

That's why Gotham has produced so many madmen who want to either completely destroy or utterly destroy this inhuman, godlike being. Among them, the Joker, who loves Batman the most, is a staunch follower of this belief.

"Okay, I'll check it right away."

"However, it may take some time for me to arrive."

"No need!" At that moment, a voice suddenly came from the side.

At the same time, a document was handed to Barry: "Barry, I've had someone find the document."

As the daughter of a police officer, Barry's childhood sweetheart, a young black woman, has a remarkable network of connections.

"Thank you very much, Iris."

After saying that, Barry looked down at the documents in his hand, but soon his expression turned ugly.

It's shocking, truly shocking.

Gotham City is chaotic, many people know that, and the data above makes it even clearer.

Since Batman appeared, Gotham City's overall crime rate has indeed decreased, but the problem is that the quality of crime, its destructive power, and the damage caused have all increased dramatically.

It seems that even though the crime rate has decreased, the people of Gotham are living even more miserable lives.

Barry took a deep breath: "No, I can't just stand by and watch. I need to go to Gotham and investigate thoroughly. If that Batman is really a villain..." Barry gritted his teeth and said, "I will personally send him to prison!"

He's not a bad person.

"?" Barry suddenly raised his head, looking at Locke with great confusion.

"You've probably heard the saying, 'Superheroes create super challenges.' That guy just used the most foolish method to ignite this problem to the greatest extent possible, and he also planted the biggest hidden bomb."

Supervillains love to challenge superheroes, and now Batman, you're suppressing us and preventing us from committing crimes, while leaving us with such a huge problem: the unwavering belief in never killing.

This is no joke!

Most importantly, when you go to other cities, you might get killed by superheroes or police. But in Gotham, Batman, as the protector, not only doesn't kill them but also saves them in order to uphold his belief in not killing.

What is this if not a paradise for crime!

"So that's how it is." Barry frowned deeply. This was troublesome. That Batman wasn't a bad guy, but he seemed to have caused even more trouble than the bad guys.

"Excuse me, sir, what exactly is this 'biggest hidden danger' you've mentioned?"

"Want to know? If you do, let's make a deal!"

"Is this the latitude transaction we mentioned before?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Then, let's begin the transaction..."

"and many more!"

Suddenly, the little black girl appeared and walked to Barry's side, staring intently at Locke's location. Although she clearly couldn't see the Dimensional Trading interface, she gave the impression that she actually could.

"Sir, from the very beginning, you praised Barry to gain his favor, then steered the conversation toward Batman, using questions about Batman to pique Barry's curiosity. Your ultimate goal was, in fact, the so-called deal!"

“I don’t know exactly what that deal is or what the consequences will be, but I think it must be very important to you, and the deal can’t be done without Barry’s consent.”

"Most importantly, even now, we are still unsure what the consequences of that deal will be!"

"And another thing, you might not harbor ill will towards Barry, but that doesn't mean you won't harbor ill will towards others!"

Upon hearing this, Barry immediately became alert.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I think Iris’s concerns may not be unfounded. Sir, you may need to prove to me, at the very least, that you won’t hurt anyone.”

Locke frowned slightly; he knew this would happen.

Locke was quite happy when he found out it was Barry, after all, he was just a chuunibyou (delusional teenager) and a simpleton, so it wouldn't be difficult to fool him. But when he found out that Barry wasn't alone, Locke's thoughts changed.

To be honest, the people around the typical 'protagonist,' whether it's the female lead or friends, are basically just troublemakers who are good for nothing and are always the number one obstacle.

Barry, on the other hand, is quite different. Perhaps because Barry is a bit of a simpleton, the people around him are actually quite intelligent! In fact, you could even say they are quite smart.

Barry is easy to deal with, but these people are prone to unpredictability. The original idea of ​​being open and honest has changed somewhat. However, unexpectedly, the little black girl, who can be called the ugliest female lead in the DC series, still noticed the problem.

So, is this a case of trading good looks for decent intelligence?

Locke closed his eyes, then opened them again a moment later.

"Proof is not impossible."

"That's great if we can prove it." Barry breathed a sigh of relief. As a simpleton, isn't it basic to easily trust others?

The little black girl didn't let her guard down; instead, she secretly kicked Barry hard, making him wince in pain.

I didn't pay attention to the two guys' playful antics.

"Since you want to prove it, then I'll prove it for you!"

As he spoke, Locke stretched out one hand, pointed it towards the sky, and suddenly grabbed at it.

"Sir, what's going on?" Barry asked, puzzled.

Locke didn't answer, but instead gestured for Barry to look up. Barry looked up curiously, and as Barry looked up, the entire light screen began to adjust its angle, looking towards the sky.

The sky was a clear blue, with only a few white clouds drifting by; there was nothing else, and it looked like an ordinary day.

Barry became increasingly curious and scratched his head involuntarily.

However, since the man opposite him had said that, even though he was very puzzled, he continued to look.

Suddenly, Barry's eyes widened.

Something has appeared!

but! !

"That's...that's a planet!!"

That's right, Barry saw a planet!

Suddenly, the sky cracked open, and a planet slowly sank, sinking deeper and deeper. The oppressive feeling, originating from the celestial body, made Barry instantly lose his ability to speak.

"Barry, if you want to prove it, then I'll give you proof."

After saying that, Locke looked up and casually slapped him across the face.

"boom!!!!"

The entire planet exploded with a deafening roar, creating an astonishing spectacle that defied description, a spectacle billions of times more magnificent than the most dazzling fireworks!

Barry's entire brain went completely blank for a moment!

No, I just wanted to prove to the gentleman I didn't know that I wouldn't harm anyone. At most, I would need a driver's license or some other document, as well as some of his past records, such as criminal records.

But what's going on now?!

What kind of proof is this? Smashing a planet with one hand?!

Barry wasn't sure if this would harm others, but he felt a tickle in his throat and a constant urge to swallow something. Also, his back felt a little damp, and his head felt a bit wet.

"If you want proof, then I'll give you proof."

The same words, spoken again this time, gave Barry an unprecedented sense of oppression.

However, the man opposite them moved again, extending his hand and turning it counterclockwise. Instantly, it was as if time was rewinding, and the planet that had just been shattered by a slap was restored.

Standing tall in the sky, that familiar, intense sense of oppression, as if facing the celestial bodies directly, once again resounded.

The next moment, Locke waved his hand, and the planet that had been dragged from somewhere was pushed back to its original position by an invisible force.

"You need to prove it, and now I've given you proof."

"I can crush a planet with a flick of my wrist, and I can just as easily restore it. So, what strange intentions do you think I would have towards your world?"

Chapter 144 The Bat of Mad Laughter

Looking at the stunned Barry, it was as if he had been subjected to some indescribable and enormous shock.

Iris frowned and twisted Barry hard, but it was no use.

Iris gritted her teeth, raised the heel of her high heel, and stepped on it.

"Awoo~" Barry's voice changed tone, and his expression was twisted into a grotesque meme.

"Iris, why did you step on me?"

Even so, Barry wasn't angry; instead, he asked in confusion.

“You’ve been spacing out for a full five minutes. What did you see that made you look like an idiot?”

Upon hearing this, Barry fell silent, unsure of what to say.

He had always thought that being powerful was simply about having more strength and being faster. He had heard that there was a man in Metropolis named Superman who could lift an airplane. The impactful image of that man filled him with awe, and he believed that it must be the limit of power, a godlike performance on earth.

but now……

What's a single airplane?

The other side casually shattered a planet and then casually restored it. Compared to that kind of power, what is Superman?

Such a person certainly wouldn't have any designs on Earth; they could probably recreate an entire Earth with ease!

How could a being possessing such immense power be interested in harming the Earth?

Barry quickly came to his senses, looking at the still incredibly handsome face opposite him with a complicated expression, and muttered to himself.

"No wonder, I knew a normal human being couldn't be that handsome."

You can smash a planet with a single slap? Tell me, is that even human?

“10. But, sir, I don’t understand. With your power that I can’t comprehend, why would you want to trade with me? I shouldn’t have anything of sufficient value to trade with you.”

Locke didn't answer the question: "Barry, do you read comics?"

Barry nodded immediately: "Yes, I have seen it, and I've seen a lot."

As an honest kid, parties and such are almost irrelevant to him. What else can he do when he's bored besides reading comics?

"Have you ever thought about taking a trip into the world of comics, even if that world might be too childish for you?"

"????"

Barry's eyes widened in shock; he never expected it to be for this reason!

He's not stupid, how could he not understand what that means!

No wonder, no wonder that gentleman across from me knew him so well and knew so much about him—the truth is actually like this!

Their world, to the man opposite them, was actually a comic book world!

"Oops, sir, I'm sorry, this news is too much of a shock for me. I may need some time to process it."

“Barry, I think you don’t have enough time to digest this.”

"why?"