American comics: Starting in Arkham, a system-based Batman

Chapter 59 Just an ordinary passerby

"A sniper fired during the trial of the Arkham bombings, and Assistant Prosecutor Harvey Dent narrowly escaped being hit by a bullet. Surveillance footage shows that someone opened a parachute to stop the bullet."

The host spoke eloquently on the program, and the camera cut to the courtroom scene at appropriate times. The audio and video were very clear, and it seemed to have been recorded by the cameraman in the courtroom that day. "It is presumed that this is an adult Asian male. Who he is and where he comes from are currently unknown to us."

The program showed footage that began with the debate between the two sides during the trial. Jason was intently watching his phone screen. He didn't recognize the people in the video, but they all looked neat and well-dressed.

But soon, with the appearance of the red dot, the scene instantly became chaotic.

He used to think that those high and mighty people, when they ran away with their tails between their legs, looked no different from the panicked passersby when they encountered a gang shootout.

The only one who was slightly different was the man in the white suit. Although he was also flustered, Jason could tell that he was protecting something, as if those papers were more important than his own life.

Jason's heart tightened with the sound of gunfire coming from the phone, and at the same time, his eyes widened.

An umbrella appeared in the center of the screen.

"No one knows when he appeared, but when the gun went off, the umbrella just happened to block Harvey Dent, who had failed to take cover." The host's words echoed the thoughts of most people. "What's even more surprising is that the umbrella was made of some unknown material that was able to stop a sniper bullet."

"Some people believe that this is the legendary Chinese-made product, which may have used some kind of closely guarded core technology. If this technology can be promoted in Gotham, it can effectively reduce casualties caused by accidental discharge of guns."

Her tone made it impossible to tell whether she was joking or serious, and as she finished speaking, the recording on the screen continued.

The large black umbrella protected the people around it as they retreated. Jason could vaguely see the face of the person holding the umbrella. He felt that the person looked familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He could only attribute it to the fact that they were all Asian.

But he soon realized he was wrong.

Another video clearly shows the face of a passerby: a young man with a monocle, fair complexion, and well-proportioned figure, holding a black umbrella with a red background. Even though he was wearing the most common trench coat and trousers, he inexplicably exuded a gentle and clear oriental charm.

He did not show any dissatisfaction or panic when faced with the reporter's persistent questioning.

He simply looked calmly at the camera, appearing unhurried.

Jason held his breath as the other person's voice came through the phone clearly.

"Just an ordinary passerby."

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god—

Jason covered his face, his mouth agape, completely oblivious to the fact that his phone was lying face down on the table.

He knew Zheng En was quite skilled; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to escape a gang shootout by car and take down the robbers. But it was a different story when someone he knew suddenly appeared on television, and possibly even one of those legendary masters or reclusive experts from novels or comics.

The shock of this identity change left him stunned, and the thrill and excitement made him jump around in the room.

Jason paced around the room before taking a deep breath and sitting back down at his desk. He jumped into his office chair, and his phone automatically started playing the next video—a car disassembly and assembly tutorial he had been watching earlier.

The reason he stayed indoors instead of going outside was to learn these things online.

Jason's father made a living by stealing cars before going to prison, so after becoming a homeless child, Jason was able to use his father's connections to get in touch with auto repair shops. Over time, he was able to learn something from them.

When the relationship wasn't good enough, he could only do soliciting work, using his child's identity to take victims of flat tires to the repair shop.

Now that he's become more skilled, he's allowed to get close to them when they're repairing cars and disassembling parts, so he can observe and learn by his own eyes.

Jason didn't think there was anything to complain about. He and everyone else had skills that were their means of making a living. Who would willingly hand them over to someone else for no reason?

There's no American proverb about a student starving to death, but everyone understands the principle.

Auto repair shops do take on apprentices, but those are usually brought in by the parents' connections and influence.

He didn't have the means, so he had to rely on himself.

Because he hadn't paid, the repair shop wouldn't guide him on what to pay for. If it weren't for the phone Zheng En gave him, Jason and the others would have just gritted their teeth and paid to get through the winter, but with the phone, he could watch tutorials online.

These days he's been learning from both places, a little bit at the auto repair shop and a little bit from online tutorials, and he's quickly learned quite a bit.

But today, Jason felt he couldn't concentrate on his studies.

He couldn't resist using his phone to search for posts related to the trial, and within just one day, related information was everywhere. Although most of the posts were from Gotham residents, the level of interest was considerable.

"Holy crap, Chinese Kung Fu!"

"Did this prosecutor anticipate the attack and specifically hire a mysterious Chinese expert to protect him?"

"This prosecutor is so dedicated; even in this situation, he's still protecting the data."

"That's weird, this isn't like Gotham at all."

"Because this person isn't a prosecutor at all, but a prosecutor's assistant. The one who hid under the table and knocked over the ink bottle early on is the real prosecutor..."

"I was wondering why those parasites in the political system suddenly became decent human beings; they were newcomers who hadn't been corrupted yet."

"The guy with the umbrella is really handsome, just like the hidden monk in a Chinese novel."

"I've watched the video several times, and I still can't figure out how he got there. Did he teleport?"

"Am I the only one wondering where they bought that umbrella? It's amazing, I want one too..."

Jason looked at these posts, and even though they had little to do with him, it didn't stop him from feeling proud and elated.

However, there are all sorts of people on the internet. Some people think he is a kind-hearted unsung hero, while others think he is just putting on an act or is a conspiracy theorist.

"This video is obviously fake, how can anyone believe it? One second it's empty, the next second suddenly there are people, what else could it be but a hoax, teleportation? Why not just say it's time stop?"

"Is it really not a publicity stunt orchestrated by the gangsters, that they could just happen to be there to save someone?"

"They say they won't leave their name, but I've seen this person get bumped into all sorts of times in a few days, and then they'll be 'forced' to become an internet celebrity, and maybe even enter the entertainment industry."

Jason stared coldly at the comments, his fingers clapping loudly on the keyboard.