Chapter 443: Metropolis Mystery (Finale)

The blizzard in Cat Getan had just stopped, and the weather was warming up slightly; as the snow began to melt, the air turned even more biting, and with the roads iced over, most people chose to stay indoors.

In any other city, logistics would have come to a complete standstill, but Cat Getan's truck drivers were never ones to fear hardship; as soon as the weather improved even a little, they threw themselves back into their labor.

However, not all truck drivers could hit the road right now; some were forced to stay home for various reasons, and Jack was among them.

The reason he couldn't get to work was very simple: the car accident at the central roundabout, which had affected Schiller and Bruce's family, had also affected Jack.

He hadn't been at the center of the roundabout, but was waiting at a signal light on one of the side roads. When the light turned green—even though it shouldn't have—Jack didn't hesitate, slammed his foot on the gas, and charged out.

In truth, he knew it wasn't a real green light, but he wasn't about to miss such a blatant opportunity to play bumper cars.

But playing bumper cars came with a price. The truck he had been driving was broken, and it wouldn't be fixed anytime soon, so he was stuck at home.

In an attic apartment on Elizabeth Street in the East End, the oil-drum heater had gradually gone out. Cold wind blew in through the window, and the figure on the bed tossed and turned, smacking his lips. His teeth chattered from the cold, but he remained deeply immersed in his dreams.

In his dream, he was playing in a massive amusement park, featuring attractions like the Spinning Bat-Carousel, Bat-Bumper Cars, the Bat-House, and the Bat-Cave Adventure.

Jack was sitting on a spinning wooden bat, clutching the pole on the bat's head with both hands, eyes wide, looking around with a grin. Suddenly, the ride stopped, and a voice came over the amusement park's loudspeaker:

"Will Jack please report to the service desk? Someone is looking for you. Will Jack please report to the service desk? Someone is looking for you. Repeating once more..."

Jack pounded on the wooden bat he was riding. Suddenly, a red light flashed at the ticket window. Jack gripped the wooden pole with both hands and said, "I haven't finished my 10 spins yet! You can't make me leave; I paid for my ticket!"

But soon enough, he was kicked out anyway, so he could only trudge dejectedly along the amusement park's brick path.

He passed a park shop that sold all sorts of bat dolls, bat lollipops, and drinks with bat logos on them.

Seeing the shop, Jack suddenly rushed over, shaped his fingers into the form of a gun, pointed it at the empty counter, and shouted, "Hurry up! Hand over all the bats! Yes! Hands behind your heads, turn around..."

Then he lowered his hand, strode into the aisles, grabbed several bat dolls, and on his way out, snatched a handful of bat lollipops from the counter. Because he was moving too fast, he nearly tripped over a shelf he had knocked over himself.

After leaving the shop, he looked left and right with a shifty gaze, smiled happily, and then clumsily opened a lollipop, popped it into his mouth, and wore a blissful smile as he strolled toward the service desk.

The service desk was inside a building shaped like a bat about to take flight. Jack walked into the pitch-black bat mouth, but it felt like returning home.

In the lobby, there were many claw machines and vending machines flashing with various colors. Jack looked left and right, feeling both curious and happy. Amidst the flowing, colorful lights, his green hair was dyed in all sorts of different hues.

At the service desk, waiting in the lounge was a figure in a suit. After walking in, Jack said viciously, "You jerk! You made me waste a ticket! I didn't even finish my 10 spins!"

The figure turned around; it was Schiller, who had entered the Joker's dream through the Dream World.

His gaze fell on the three round bat dolls Jack was clutching. Noticing his gaze, Jack took a wary step back, squeezing the three dolls tightly with both arms, and said, "What? If you want them, go buy your own!"

"But I don't have any Bat-Coins. Where did you get the Bat-Coins to buy these things?"

"I... I met my neighbor. He said his name was Joe, and he was a kind man, so he gave me a whole handful of Bat-Coins," Jack said, pouting, his speech rapid-fire.

"I see. Would you be willing to share some with me?"

"No!" Jack squeezed the dolls tightly with both arms until they were slightly deformed. Schiller immediately said, "You're lying. You don't have any Bat-Coins, you didn't buy a ticket, and you're a shoplifting robber."

"I didn't! I didn't!" Jack shook his head like a rattle. He looked at the ceiling and whistled, his eyeballs rolling upward and spinning around, as if he couldn't understand a word Schiller was saying.

"If you don't have a ticket, you can't enter the amusement park."

"I don't know what you're talking about! Shut up!" Jack shouted, but the surrounding scene gradually faded away until it returned to a vast, white space.

*Pop! * The bat dolls in his arms vanished too. Jack looked at the empty air in his arms, feeling a sense of loss. ===== CHAPTER 444 =====