Chapter 87: Saint Patrick

"Major incident! Yesterday, the 'Holiday Killer' struck again, attacking the Maroni Restaurant!"

"Car explosion, four dead, multiple injured inside the restaurant, financial losses currently being tallied. A serial-number-less. 22 caliber pistol, a damaged baby pacifier, multiple metal casings, and Valentine's Day chocolates were left at the scene."

"Currently, the Gotham City Police Department has opened an investigation into this case."

The supervisor put down the Gotham Daily, staring blankly at Ma Ma Zhaodi, who wore an innocent expression.

He raised the newspaper again, looked at the news report, and confirmed today's Date of the Day.

He put the paper down again and looked at Ma Ma Zhaodi.

"You're saying," he struggled to organize his language with a brain somewhat scrambled by the news: "you just went to Maroni's and served plates for a day."

"Just one day—I just sent you there yesterday, and then Maroni's restaurant blew up?"

"Strictly speaking, this isn't my fault." Ma Ma Zhaodi wanted to maintain his image slightly, so he argued: "Yesterday happened to be Valentine's Day; the Holiday Killer was already planning to act that day—so I'm just an unlucky bystander."

"There are many holidays in February, Ma Ma Zhaodi." The supervisor closed the newspaper: "Just the ones I've heard of that have already passed, there are several; the Holiday Killer has many locations to commit crimes, and even if you narrow the location down to 'gangster restaurants,' there are over a hundred in Gotham City."

"So you must never think too little of yourself, never compare yourself to those ordinary mortals."

"You are a genuine calamity star."

Ma Ma Zhaodi's face turned black.

"Alright, my friend." The supervisor shook his head: "Regardless, your work efficiency far exceeded my expectations; Maroni's restaurant, people and things alike, was torn to pieces—that's work I originally thought would take two weeks, or even a month, but you used a mere one day."

"This is sixty thousand dollars—do not feel you are unworthy, this is what you deserve, take it well."

"The restaurant has already been rebuilt, go, hurry home, don't come here to work anymore; your job from now on is to stay home on standby—we will find you a new employer."

"Don't come here to eat either, try to go to Maroni's restaurant; we have confidence in you."

Ma Ma Zhaodi's face turned even blacker; he really found it hard to distinguish whether the supervisor was sincerely praising him or sincerely mocking him, but he could hear that the supervisor was now adopting an attitude of keeping a respectful distance from him.

The only thing that could comfort him slightly was that with the supervisor's active approval, the sixty thousand dollars in assets and the stacks of bills the supervisor handed him were instantly credited to his account.

"Never mind, the supervisor is a bird-person anyway; I'll go get some fries to eat."

"Ma Ma Zhaodi, are you completely idle this month?"

"Strictly speaking, you could say that." Ma Ma Zhaodi shrugged.

"Then can you make Laba porridge for us to drink again?"

"You've drunk it for a whole winter, haven't you had enough?"

Jason nodded, casually shoving a fry into his mouth: "You haven't made porridge in a long time; we all feel fast food isn't as tasty as the porridge you make."

"Right!"

"Porridge is tasty, porridge is tasty."

"Please, if there's no porridge..."

A group of children eating fries nearby immediately chattered in agreement.

"Fried meat patties aren't tasty?" Ma Ma Zhaodi scratched his head: "Maybe the fast-food restaurant's skills aren't great; next time I'll buy meat and make it for you."

He glanced at the system notification bar; the system mission's opening time had already passed.

【Gotham City Winter

Status: Ended (100%)

Rewards activated

'Holiday' attribute effect activated; cooking holiday food as 'Laba Porridge', obtaining attributes 'Harmonizing Nourishment' and 'Warming Body, Dispelling Cold'

Harmonizing Nourishment: Mixed grains and porridge, harmonizing and nourishing; Laba Porridge's nutritional supplementation effect on the eater is enhanced.

Warming Stomach, Dispelling Cold: Ingredients are warm in nature, warming the body and dispelling cold; Laba Porridge's cold resistance effect on the eater is enhanced.

Current holiday food 'Laba Porridge' has obtained permanent attribute enhancement: 50%

Note: This bowl of porridge is not your reason to run naked in winter.】

"Alright, let's not talk about that."

Ma Ma Zhaodi extended both hands, gently clapped, and used the applause to attract the children's attention: "Let's review last time's lesson—Jason, quick, you go first; after you finish talking about car repair, I'll talk about cooking."

"No way—"

The children, who had been happily egging it on, suddenly burst into sounds of pain; this was understandable, as learning always makes people resist, whether adults or children.

However, Ma Ma Zhaodi truly wanted to rely on teaching methods to let them try to master a skill, because according to the situation in Gotham City, wanting to grow up through social welfare or foster families would, more or less, encounter problems to a certain extent—either gangs recruiting talent, or encountering scum parents; the probability of these situations was not low. The situation of homeless children refusing to join foster families was not unrelated to these realities.

Being a cook or a mechanic, at least you don't get stabbed.

Perhaps Ma Ma Zhaodi could be considered the earliest vocational school founder in the Gotham homeless children's area? —

Although Gotham's winter had passed, after the ice and snow melted, the citizens of Gotham City still could not see sunlight; this city remained rainy and overcast.

"Great..."

Harvey stared at the photos on the table, his tone somewhat teasing, even with a hint of schadenfreude.

And on the photos, corpses, pools of bright red blood, gang members who died in turf wars—now only one month had passed since the Holiday Killer's last crime, but the casualties brought by the turf war between Falcone and Maroni, the two major gangs, had already far exceeded the total number of all crimes committed by the Holiday Killer.

"We really have a pile of corpses in the city now."

Commissioner Gordon stood by the window, watching light shine in from outside the glass; the gray-black sky shone through the tinted window glass into the room, turning into patches of dark green light.

"Maroni thinks Falcone is supporting the 'Holiday Killer' behind the scenes, so he took out his anger on the Romans' subordinates."

"The best part about dealing with these guys is, Jim brother—they all want to complete our work for us."

"Our work?"

Gordon shook his head: "Our work does not include murder, Harvey. I do want to stop Falcone and other gangs, but not by this method."

"Absolutely not by this method."

Harvey turned to look at Gordon and shrugged.

"Of course, of course."

"Don't take those words seriously, Gordon."

(End of this chapter)