Chapter 229: Alice, Would You Like to Go to Wonderland with Me?

On the other side, inside the Mad Hatter's theater.

Wearing platform shoes, the Mad Hatter hummed a nursery rhyme from Alice in Wonderland, holding a new hat as he hopped and skipped into the theater.

Today he was somewhat excited, not because he had successfully controlled an enemy supervillain last night, nor because anything special had happened, but simply because he was looking forward to tonight's performance.

A perfect day, he thought; perhaps today would be that "perfect day" I imagine, perhaps today I could find that feeling again.

So he put on a new custom-tailored suit, made himself a new hat, and wore shoes with even thicker soles; except for his face, almost everything on his body had been replaced with something new. He felt refreshed and shining today.

The bloodstains on the stage had been thoroughly cleaned, the scenery had been renovated, all the hat-wearing actors were present, and the lights and props were ready—the stage preparation today was almost the most solemn the Mad Hatter had ever undertaken.

The reason for using "almost" is that he had once prepared with such thoroughness before, except that the outcome of that time still did not quite meet his expectations.

"Boss, the person has been brought."

"That guy," dressed in a black suit, walked to his side, bringing a blonde woman behind him—he often brought young women from outside for the Mad Hatter, and they would all eventually become "Alice" on stage, yet the Mad Hatter had never found the true "Alice."

Precisely because of this, the "Alices" on stage were constantly being used up.

"Oh my, she's so beautiful."

The Mad Hatter looked at the blonde beauty with great anticipation and let out a sound of awe. The woman's face, dotted with a few freckles, wore a cheerful smile; her long golden hair shimmered under the spotlight. Although she was not particularly stunning, she carried a gentle and warm aura, very much like that young girl from back then.

"Oh, Alice, it really is you."

The Mad Hatter's eyes gradually became somewhat trance-like; the smile of the blonde woman before him slowly overlapped with that person from his memories. He seemed to have returned to the carefree days of his youth, when he was still in school, when everyone was still an ungrown child, when he had a group of good friends and his own life.

Back then, his father still ran a clothing shop; he was an excellent hatter, serious and responsible about every hat he made.

That day, he returned to the clothing shop from school. A sign reading "Tetch & Son Clothing" hung at the shop entrance, and bright, warm light shone through the clean display window glass.

"So, you're saying there's a girl—"

"Not just any girl!"

"Oh, of course."

"Alice Dee! She's a super cool girl!"

"Well, how about we put this super cool girl aside for now? That way, we can turn these materials into a good hat."

"But, Dad, it's too tall."

"We just need to shrink it, Jervis. As long as we ensure it doesn't lose its shape, the felt won't be damaged—no one buys damaged hats; at least we don't sell such hats."

Jervis stroked the exquisite green felt hat; he loved this soft and silky texture.

"This hat is so smooth."

"Ha, do you know what people used to use to repair felt?"

Jervis shook his head.

"Mercury nitrate, a toxic chemical agent—but people back then didn't know this. Many hatters worked in factories, exposed to these vapors year after year, and they developed all sorts of illnesses—dementia, hand tremors, hallucinations, just like the common saying we often use."

"Mad as a hatter?"

"Exactly. Fortunately, we don't need to do that anymore, and we can still make the best hats."

The voices of the father and son echoed in the shop. Jervis loved talking with his father like this, and once hats were mentioned, he simply couldn't stop.

Whenever he spoke at length, his father would also teach him many things along the way, and his words were always gentle and rational.

"Making a hat is like shaping a character, Jervis. You need steady hands, consistency, patience, and seriousness; there is no other way—you cannot fake it in this process, or you will end up with a defective product."

"Perfection may be impossible, but striving for it always brings great benefit."

Hearing his father's words, Jervis instinctively replied: "Alice is perfect."

"Oh, she may look very appealing to you, but son, let's not easily elevate people to high pedestals; otherwise, once a slight breeze blows, they will shatter into pieces."

"Okay."

Seeing that his son seemed somewhat disappointed, his father comforted him: "However, regarding Alice, I might have an idea."

The next day, Jervis went to school as usual.

Alice Dee, with her head full of golden hair, held a book in her hands. She stood by the window looking at the scenery, and in Jervis's eyes, Alice standing by the window was itself a kind of scenery.

So, summoning his courage, he walked over according to his father's suggestion.

"Alice, there's a new... new park. My parents said they want to take me there. My dad said... I mean, uh, perhaps, uh, I mean, if you haven't been to that park yet, maybe we could..."

"Sure."

"Huh?"

Jervis looked up at Alice in astonishment. The smile on her face at that moment was as brilliant as an angel's, almost glowing with light.

"I said, sure," she replied. "I'd be happy to go with you."

"So, Alice, would you like to go to Wonderland with me?" The Mad Hatter grabbed the hand of the blonde Alice before him; the touch was still as soft as back then.

Upon hearing this, the blonde girl before him smiled: "Sure, I'd be happy to go with you."

"But, boss, she hasn't put on—"

The sudden sound of a gunshot interrupted the Mad Hatter's fantasy. The warm glow and the scene suddenly vanished from before his eyes. The various sets and props in the theater, as well as the crowd wearing hats, reappeared before him, and Alice was right beside him—but she was a full half-head taller than him.

He had returned to the real world.

"How dare you interrupt me!" Having his dreamlike happy moment interrupted by a subordinate, the Mad Hatter immediately flew into a rage. In a furious outburst, he drew his revolver and shot the man in the stomach: "Get out! Never come back!"

Taking advantage of the fact that the Mad Hatter still had some sanity, another gang gunman immediately helped his companion out the door, intending to find a doctor right away; the man might still be saved.

Meanwhile, in the theater, the Mad Hatter turned his head back again and grabbed the Alice beside him once more.

"Alice, would you like to go to Wonderland with me?"

(End of this chapter)