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

Chapter 49 Everyone Calls Me a Mouse

The kid who was running really fast was very likely Jason's companion.

Thinking of this, he immediately followed.

The conditions in the alley were even more rudimentary than he had imagined, especially the place where the child was hiding.

Can that broken sheet metal really block anything?

Zheng En looked at the twisted and crooked door. The drafty parts had been blocked by the people inside with pieces of paper and wooden boards, but he didn't know how effective they would be.

He knocked on the door and tentatively called out a few times, "Is anyone home?"

No, it's not here...

"Shut up!"

The first child to speak sounded dazed and confused; he was immediately silenced by another child before he could finish his sentence. Unfortunately, it was too late.

Jung Eun had already heard their voices.

"Cough cough."

He cleared his throat, about to tell them he wasn't a bad person, when he heard someone running into the alley, panting heavily.

Zheng En turned around and saw a middle-aged man with a large head and thick neck. He was covered in sweat from the strenuous exercise, and his exposed skin was red.

Seeing Zheng En standing at the door, the other person hurriedly asked him, "Have you seen a kid carrying a bag of bread? He stole bread from my car!"

He gestured with his hands to indicate the size, "It's a very big bag!"

Logically speaking, someone who can afford a car shouldn't care so much about a bag of bread.

But when Zheng En glanced at the faded denim fabric on his body, she realized that this person was not well-off.

Considering the situation in the United States, cars are almost a necessity of life, and people have to buy them even with loans. Owning a car doesn't seem to prove anything, so everything makes sense.

"No." Jung Eun shook her head.

The other person glanced at him, but didn't think much of it. They frowned, sighed loudly, and looked utterly regretful. As they turned away, they muttered, "Damn it, I should have just gone straight home after I bought everything!"

His mind was completely occupied with the lost bag of bread. He didn't even feel Jung Eun's touch until she patted him. Only then did he turn around. "What? You remember where that kid went?"

"Never mind that kid, buddy."

Zheng En bent down and picked up a banknote from the ground. "You didn't even realize you lost your money. Instead of wasting time looking for someone, you should use this money to buy a bag of bread." He didn't intend to betray the child, but he also didn't intend to just stand by and watch.

Since he has decided to protect the other party, he should take responsibility for doing so.

The middle-aged man saw the banknote and immediately snatched it away. "Yes, yes, this is my money." He didn't even look at his wallet or bother to check it.

The amount of cash was enough to offset his previous losses. Overjoyed, he was clearly in much better spirits. "Thank you so much, sir, otherwise I wouldn't have known."

Zheng En just smiled. Only after the middle-aged man left did he have time to marvel at how nimble the man's legs were.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name 1110 ...

The kid ran like a flying squirrel, and he almost couldn't keep up. It's hard not to wonder if Gothamites are used to chasing thieves and robbers.

After the middle-aged man walked away, Zheng Encai knocked on the door again. "Now can we talk properly? Are you Jason's friends? I'm Jean, he should have mentioned me to you."

Jung Eun wasn't sure how Jason would introduce him; it could be Jung Eun or Jean.

But he is smart and vigilant, and he will most likely use a fake name. Even if he used his real name at first, he will definitely make the kids who know it change their story after they find out that the gang is looking for someone.

In any case, you can't go wrong by using the name Jean.

Upon hearing this, the piece of paper inside was moved slightly, revealing a small slit and an eye behind it.

Zheng En realized that the other person was sizing her up, so she obediently took a few steps back so that the person inside could see her full appearance.

A moment later, a clanging sound came from inside, and the iron gate was opened.

Zheng En walked in and glanced around. Fortunately, the house wasn't as cramped as he had imagined; it could easily accommodate three or four children.

There were only three children inside. The one furthest away was lying on the ground, with a wooden board and a thick sheet underneath him. He was covered with a thick blanket, so you could only see his general shape.

Then there were two children standing by the door, moving closer to me. They had nothing in their hands; they must have hidden the bread earlier.

One of them was very big, looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, had freckles on his face, a red nose, and didn't seem very bright. He was probably the first one to speak.

The other one was small and thin, with a pointed face and large, round eyes set in a face with little flesh.

She looked up at Jung Eun, "You're Jean, the one who's so nice to Jason?"

She spoke, and Zheng Encai realized that she was a girl. The homeless children dressed casually, wearing whatever they found, and she had short hair that was almost identical to Jason's, making it difficult to tell their gender at first glance.

"I'm Casey, everyone calls me Mouse, you can just call me Mouse." She gave the boy next to her a thumbs up. "This is Big Guy, and the one resting inside is Smart Egg."

Most of the time they call each other by nicknames. Only a small number of children have names, which may be given by their parents or given to themselves as they get older.

Casey stepped in front of another, larger child and took the initiative to start the conversation, "Are you looking for Jason? He's not here right now, you can come back later."

Although she had confirmed his identity, she remained wary. Was she not planning to invite him in? Thinking this, Zheng En crouched down to look at Casey. "Can I wait here for Jason to return?"

"...It's possible, but our conditions aren't very good." Casey hesitated for a moment. "Wait for me."

The room was completely exposed, with clutter piled up haphazardly. There wasn't much furniture, and it was all old, probably salvaged from a junkyard or the street. There were signs of repairs, either nailed on or taped back together.

Casey ran inside and rummaged around for a while, clearing away the pile of clutter and pulling out an office chair. This chair, usually used to store clothes and blankets, was fairly clean.

She pushed the office chair in front of Zheng En, and then took a small stool for herself and the big guy to sit on.

After exchanging glances with Zheng En for a moment, Casey racked her brains for the few things she knew about hospitality, got up to get a bottle of mineral water, poured it into a disposable cup, and handed it to Zheng En.

Homeless children don't have many requirements for water, and this bottled water is obviously not the type they can usually drink.

Casey took the bottled water from Smart Egg's bedside; it was probably specially provided for patients. Jung Eun felt honored, knowing that this was the best hospitality they could offer, and felt embarrassed to refuse.

"Do you usually live here?"

Zheng En's attitude was natural, without showing any disgust or surprise, which made Casey, who was closely watching him, relax a bit. "Yes, we've lived here for a long time."

"Although it's a bit messy, at least here you won't be exposed to the wind or rain."