[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-150":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Mental Mentor in Marvel",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2322718,4544,"Chapter 150: Cobblepot","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-150",150,"\u003Cp>Cobblepot has been having a rough time lately, or, from another perspective, he’s been doing quite well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oswald Cobblepot was born into the Cobblepot family, one of the Four Great Crime Families of the East End, and his childhood was relatively affluent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he was young, the pillar of his household—his father—died of pneumonia, and the family’s fortunes declined from then on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the era of the Four Great Crime Families of the East End is over; he and his mother live in an old house on a street near Hell’s Kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father had earned some money in his youth, and Mrs. Cobblepot survives mostly on those savings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he grew older, household expenses slowly increased, and Mrs. Cobblepot, relying on her husband’s old favors, secured a job for young Cobblepot at the Mooney Gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mooney Gang was once the largest crime syndicate in Hell’s Kitchen, but now their boss, Fish Mooney, is a volatile woman who brooks no disobedience; Cobblepot, short and timid, is deeply disliked by Fish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, Cobblepot is often sent out to other streets to work as a doorman or an umbrella boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not a good job—being beaten, insulted, or mocked by customers is routine, and the money he earns must be handed over not only to the local gang controlling the area but also an extra cut to the Mooney Gang, leaving him with little for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At work, Cobblepot is frequently humiliated and ridiculed, and he can only sulk in a corner, trying to avoid drawing attention—but he still often angers customers due to his small stature and weak strength, earning beatings from his supervisor, returning home soaked like a drowned rat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cobblepot once thought he’d have to endure this life for a long time, but he never expected that Gotham would change overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Construction exploded everywhere; the entire city was hiring, every industry was short-staffed, and since this shift began, Cobblepot has worked as a bartender, janitor, counter clerk, waiter, and more—he walks through Hell’s Kitchen streets and people stop him to ask if he’s employed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before this, he worked as a waiter at the largest night market near Hell’s Kitchen; “waiter” was a generous term—he basically assisted at roadside barbecue stalls, washing grills or opening beer bottles for customers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The job wasn’t easy, but it was far better than being a doorman: he earned more, and he often got to eat the leftover scraps of grilled meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Customers were mostly drivers, in a hurry—order a plate of meat, a beer, eat, and leave without delay; they had no time to harass waiters, and sometimes even left tips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cobblepot was fairly content with this life—he’d already taken a big step forward—but what came next surpassed even his wildest expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Hell’s Kitchen’s renovation began. Though Cobblepot didn’t live inside it, he lived nearby and watched the crowded, crumbling city transform before his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after that, his entire rhythm of life changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Hell’s Kitchen’s renovation, many gangs set their sights on this rich prize; the Mooney Gang, outnumbered, lost ground as more criminal factions flooded into this poorest district and carved it up entirely, leaving only a sliver of territory in the far south.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the renovation was complete, the gangs began setting up administrative systems—but then came the problem: where could they find enough people to manage Hell’s Kitchen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though renovated, the area remained labyrinthine; these outsider gang bosses didn’t even understand the layout themselves, let alone collect protection money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cobblepot, being half-native and familiar with Hell’s Kitchen from frequent shopping trips, and formerly tied to the local Mooney Gang, caught the attention of a gang boss and began working for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, he counted crates at the entrance of freight corridors, but the junior supervisor noticed his excellent math skills—he could count items manually all day without error—so he was transferred to collect protection fees in Hell’s Kitchen’s commercial district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having previously worked at the night market stalls, Cobblepot quickly befriended the owner of a restaurant in the commercial zone and became responsible for delivering ingredients to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this point, Cobblepot’s life had improved considerably—he was already a minor boss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even before reaching adulthood, he was independently managing ingredient procurement for a restaurant; one can imagine how lucrative this was, a rarity even in Gotham.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t over: Cobblepot had received a good education as a child and had even lived in the wealthy southern district, so he wrote neat English script, showed talent in math and statistics, and could perform rapid mental calculations—rare skills in Gotham!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a major gang boss noticed him and transferred him to Hell’s Kitchen’s Water Management Department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Water Management Department was responsible for connecting and maintaining the water supply, then collecting water fees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “water fee” was, in truth, protection money: after a gang took control of a district, residents paid their water fees to them, and the gang maintained the water system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the post-renovation water system of Hell’s Kitchen was nothing like the old wells—it was a complex modern network of interconnected pipes, valves, and multiple types of water meters, all of which the gangs couldn’t comprehend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once, during fee collection, a gang clashed with local residents—until Cobblepot glanced at the water meter reading and prevented what could have been a bloody turf war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, the entire Water Management Department had only one person who could read a water meter: Cobblepot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was thus promoted to head of the North Zone 2 water system in Hell’s Kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though absurd, it was true: Cobblepot’s rapid rise wasn’t because the underage penguin was exceptionally capable—it was because everyone else was so incompetent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As department head, life became easier: Cobblepot no longer needed to wander Hell’s Kitchen himself—he simply had others copy the meter readings, and he could accurately determine water usage and protection fees owed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this didn’t last long—the gangs realized relying solely on a genius like Cobblepot, one in a hundred, was unsustainable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they launched a vigorous campaign to establish a vocational school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Gotham’s Second Law, by the time they selected the campus, hired staff, and even found teachers, the gang bosses discovered they had no students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gang bosses themselves had no time to learn—they already had too much to manage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mid-level gang members were mostly ignorant, couldn’t even spell their own names, and all smoked, drank, and gambled; their brains hadn’t functioned in years—sending them to school was pointless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the gang bosses turned to the second generation of criminals: the children of young lieutenants, preferably teenagers, odd hobbies acceptable, as long as they hadn’t ruined their brains with alcohol or drugs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with these lenient criteria, they couldn’t gather twenty students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Desperate, the gangs cast a wide net—even street urchins, if barely functional, were dragged in to attend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the exemplary Cobblepot became one of the first students at the vocational school—and upon entering, he immediately became the top student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His childhood education had been excellent: his handwriting was beautiful, he excelled in math, and he could even play a little violin—in an environment where everyone lacked basic upbringing, he stood out brilliantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to say his life was bad, it truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he attended school, the water system in his district still depended on him—he studied by day and worked overtime by night; for days now, he’d been sleeping in his office, with no chance to return home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was no longer a drowned rat, but he’d become a relentless work machine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dominant theme of Cobblepot’s recent life was one word: busy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because his water system was well-maintained and generated higher revenue than other districts, the gang boss planned to assign him Zone 3 as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though this was a major gang, it paled next to the Twelve Families and lacked the resources to hire professionals—the entire system relied solely on Cobblepot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cobblepot learned for the first time that office work wasn’t easier than enduring the elements outdoors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to say he was doing well, he truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cobblepot now fully understood what it meant when people said knowledge changes fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he was good at math, he rose through the ranks—no longer bullied as a doorman, he now managed over twenty gang members.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Cobblepot didn’t need others to calculate, they merely ran errands and received a cut of the collected water fees; many loved the job, relying on Cobblepot’s earnings and thus treating him with great deference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cobblepot now had his own small territory, and with some saving, he and Mrs. Cobblepot could move out of that dark old house into a decent apartment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, most of the teachers invited by the gangs were deeply frustrated—they hadn’t expected their students to be like this; under such conditions, Cobblepot, who learned quickly and focused intently, seemed especially endearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sullen appearance? So what? Look at this bunch of bastards—even ten metal rings on their heads counts as conservative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hooked nose? He hasn’t even pierced his nose with a chain—he’s already mindful of his image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Short stature? At least he doesn’t fidget like a kid with needles in his seat, jumping around the classroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teachers favored students with a certain demeanor—and Cobblepot naturally possessed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed timid and quiet; to his peers, this meant he was antisocial—but to teachers and professors, it was the mark of a well-behaved, obedient student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>History proved that in Gotham’s future stage, the Penguin, who would claim a place alongside mad geniuses like the Joker, was indeed exceptional; these vocational courses didn’t hold him back—they gave him ample room to flourish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Victor looked at him differently, calling Cobblepot “a lettuce in a field of carrots.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Victor’s remark, Shieler found it both amusing and absurd—he struggled to describe the surreal feeling of a reader familiar with the original comics hearing the Mr. Freeze evaluate the Penguin as a genius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know whether this was fate’s design or a mutual admiration between villains—but gradually, Victor and Cobblepot began to appreciate each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Victor’s eyes, Cobblepot was a brilliant scholar untainted by his surroundings; in Cobblepot’s eyes, Victor was a fair teacher who treated all students equally and never discriminated against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Shieler, after delivering his lecture, he dumped all classroom discipline duties onto Victor and spent his days drinking coffee and slacking off in his office at Gotham University, driving Victor to curse him as a seasoned slacker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Cobblepot, of course, never forgot that Shieler was the unusual customer he’d once encountered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, Shieler’s manner and speech had already given him a favorable impression of the teaching profession; now, Victor proved that reading deeply truly made a difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cobblepot even entertained the idea of attending university—when this thought arose, he found it absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>University? For any commoner in Gotham, it was a distant dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this future Penguin, what he lacked least of all was ambition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——————Extra Notes——————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten thousand characters today!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Penguin is here! Please vote and tip!\u003C\u002Fp>",1840,"2026-06-20T16:39:12.484Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8ba708c4517cd4c2f61ef7fe1b37c8a9a7dbfd48fdf42870c90cf53ca634ef92","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-151","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-149",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-cover.jpg"]