Cocktail parties were a form of social interaction among the upper echelons of society. Most of the time, high officials and nobles needed to put serious matters aside for less serious occasions in order to reach an agreement. At other times, a cocktail party would be held for some special people. Compared to the first type of occasion, the second type was much more casual.
Of course, no cocktail party could be held purely for entertainment. You had to admit that the upper echelons of society did everything with a purpose.
For example, tonight's cocktail party at Wayne Building was held for Gotham's rising star, the Knight of Light who brought hope, Harvey Dent. Bruce Wayne, the true son of Gotham, wanted to raise a sum of money for Harvey to support Harvey's "No Bail Bill". This bill was specially designed for the Gotham Mob.
According to Harvey's plan, in this conservative city plagued by gangs, once a criminal was found guilty of a certain crime, the criminal would not be able to enjoy the right to bail for the next five years. Obviously, if this bill was passed by the state court, Gotham's security would immediately improve.
However, in this country, progress was inseparable from money. Therefore, even though Harvey Dent did not like such occasions, he had to come. In order to push forward the "Dante Bill", he needed to raise enough funds. For this, he was extremely grateful to Bruce Wayne, Gotham's famous playboy and world-famous tycoon.
However, what worried Harvey was the relationship between Rachel Daws and Bruce Wayne. Rachel had a special feeling for Bruce Wayne. Harvey had always known this. Even though she appeared distant, it was obvious that in Rachel's heart, Bruce Wayne was not a dispensable person.
This was also the reason why Harvey did not gain Rachel's favor even after a year of pursuing her. However, it was not as if there was no progress. They had gone on a few dates recently, and it was obvious that Rachel was starting to accept him.
This was a good thing. Coupled with the recent arrests of the gangs, Harvey was in a good mood.
"I mean, I'll probably have to participate in these kinds of activities more often in the future."
With Alfred's help, Bruce Wayne was choosing the clothes for tonight's banquet. He said to the old butler with a smile, "It's fine.
"Harvey is doing a good job. Once his bill is passed, I can 'relax' and live my own life."
There was a helpless look on his face. "I really don't like the life of a playboy."
Alfred was also full of smiles. "Of course, I've been looking forward to this day. You see, Young Master, I'm already very old. I'm now eager to retire and move to Italy or Rome to enjoy the life of an old man. You can also learn how to manage a company from Lucius. After all, Wayne Industries is your family's business."
"Ah, spare me, old Afo. If you really do that, I'll go crazy."
He smiled. "By the way, how's the renovation of the old home?"
Alfred thought for a moment. "It'll take about three to four months. You know, Wayne Castle is a large building. It's not so easy to repair. Why, you don't like the life in Wayne Building?"
"It's not about liking it or not …"
Bruce stood at the edge of the 25th floor of Wayne Building and looked at the brightly lit city below. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth with a hint of anticipation.
"I'm just wondering if my wedding with Rachel can be held in Wayne Castle so that the ancestors of the Wayne family can see their descendants get married and continue the history of the Wayne family. Afo … I think it's time for me to free myself from another life."
"Gotham already has a hero under the light. A brave man who doesn't need to wear a mask to protect the city. A man of justice, Harvey Dent. People like him and call him the Knight of Light. He used legal means to solve all the problems that I couldn't solve. So let Batman become history. He can't bring hope, but Harvey can."
A hint of worry flashed across the old butler's face. He fiddled with his bow tie and said softly.
"But Rachel has been very close to Harvey recently …"
Bruce smiled and turned his head. He patted the shoulder of his remaining family member and smiled gently.
"What's wrong, Afo? Are you worried that Rachel will be tricked away by Harvey? Do you have so little confidence in my charm? I promised her that after I become Bruce Wayne, we'll have a good time … in the name of husband and wife. "
"Sigh, you young people solve your own problems."
Afo chuckled and tied Bruce's bow tie. He then stretched his shoulders and said softly, "I'll go over there.
"I'll go over there and take a look. Lucius is there today to help you upgrade the detector's data. I'll come back with him. Before I come back, you have to organize this banquet."
"No way?"
Bruce said with a headache. "Without you, I don't know anything about these things."
"You're not even afraid of those vicious gangsters. Are you afraid of getting along with these rich people?"
Afo joked. "The master of the Wayne family can't be so weak."
"Believe me, Afo. Gangsters are much easier to deal with than them."
Bruce smiled and hugged the old butler. "Come back early."
Ten minutes later, Alfred walked into the abandoned factory of Wayne Industries in the dock area. As usual, he walked into the dark warehouse and pressed a series of passwords. The floor of the warehouse sank, and in the dim underground, he saw Lucius sitting in front of the computer busily working. At this time, the current executive officer of Wayne Industries would become Batman's assistant and help him maintain his black technology used to fight crime.
"Lucius, we have to finish our work here early tonight. Bruce's party may need you to give a speech on stage. You know, my young master has never been good at this kind of event. Last time, he almost ruined the reputation of the Wayne family."
Afo took off his coat and put it in his hand. He talked endlessly, but he didn't get a response from Lucius. The intuition of a former ace mercenary made Afo feel that something was wrong. He cautiously approached Lucius and stretched his left hand to the dark room by the wall, trying to grab the pistol used for self-defense.
But … he touched nothing.
"Dear Alfred, are you looking for this?"
A familiar voice sounded from behind him. Alfred's expression changed at this moment. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He said with an angry voice.
"Saber! We didn't offend you! We are in a cooperative relationship. Are you going to hurt your friend now? "
"No, no, no, I never hurt my friends. You are my friend, Lucius is my friend, and Bruce is my friend …"
Saber, wearing a baseball cap and a black windbreaker, walked out from the shadows behind him. He walked to Afo, helped him adjust his collar, and then put the pistol in his hand in Afo's hand. Lucius, with a bitter smile, raised his hands and turned around. In the space next to the large computer, Selena, who was also wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, stood up with a pistol in her hand.
"Afo, I just need a little help from you."
Saber said sincerely, "Joker is here. That lunatic is here for Batman, and I have some 'personal' conflicts with him … I'm happy to help your young master solve the problem, but I need a set of armor that can protect me from a hail of bullets and violent explosions."
Old Afo stared at him from the corner of his eyes and said fiercely,
"So you came here to 'borrow' it? Using such a threatening method? "
Saber shrugged with a helpless expression on his face.
"What can I do? You see, I killed so many people. If Bruce knows that I'm still alive, he will definitely come and 'reason' with me. You know, he's quite stubborn in this regard, even if it's those scumbags. "
He narrowed his eyes, leaned close to Alfred, and whispered in his ear.
"Afo, based on your wise life experience, do you really think that it's the right choice to leave a lunatic like Joker alive? Batman won't kill him, he'll only cause trouble for himself … But I can, I can kill him without mercy and make this hidden danger disappear completely. Don't forget the story you told me. That lunatic is here for Bruce. You see, Afo, brother, I care about my buddy Bruce as much as you do. "
A cold smirk appeared on Seiber's face.
"So let's cooperate, Alfred. I'll help him solve this problem, tonight!"
Alfred's expression became serious. He took a step back and looked at Saber with a trace of distrust. He thought for a moment and asked.
"You mean, Joker will come tonight to mess things up?"
"Yes, Joker left three targets. They are that idiot Laubert, Judge Selina, and Harvey Dent. Laubert is probably dead. We saved Selina, and now Harvey Dent is in Wayne Building. Joker will definitely come."
Saber smiled. "He's a man of his word, isn't he? He will definitely force Bruce to take off his mask. That's what the lunatic wants. He wants to expose Batman's identity to the public. He wants to destroy Bruce! Can we let him do that? We can't! "
He took a deep breath and spread his hands.
"If you don't trust me, Afo, come on, shoot me dead. If you care about your young master's reputation, then cooperate with me and 'lend' me Bruce's spare armor."
"You know, I have enough ability to take care of this trouble."
He glanced back at Lucius and made an unfriendly gesture.
"I've had enough of my monkey version. I can't wait to get a real one, one that can be used for real combat! Okay, my little baby, put down the gun. Look at how scared you are of Mr. Lucius … Apologize to him, okay? "
Selena reluctantly put down the gun. For a 16-year-old girl, being able to come to Batman's secret base was enough for her to be excited. However, because Saber and Afo had lowered their voices, she still didn't know Batman's identity.
In fact, no normal person would associate Batman, who was a hero at night, with a world-famous tycoon. Selena scoffed at such nonsense.
Lucius was free. He looked at Selena and Saber and said faintly, "Your hot girlfriend is really hot.
"Your little girlfriend is very hot. She is indeed a perfect match for a violent person like you."
"Okay, it's just a misunderstanding. Brother Lucius, don't be angry!"
Saber took a few steps back at Afo's signal. He rubbed his hands excitedly and watched as Afo pressed three times on a secret spot by the wall. The floor rose, and a glass cabinet was hidden in it. It was a complete set of the latest Batsuit that had been modified four times by Lucius.
Saber walked around the set of armor a few times, looked at the time on his phone, and said to Lucius, "There's still time.
"There's still enough time, old man. Let's modify this black thing and make it more in line with my aesthetic … Dark red, melee weapon, gun … Yes, there's no need for the mask. I've brought my old one. I'm a person who likes to use old things."
Saber took out the ghost mask that had been distorted in the previous explosion from his back. The flames and explosion had made a mess of the paint on its surface. The dark red color had peeled off a lot, and it looked like a broken devil's face. However, it looked more ferocious than before. The black marks left by the flames looked like three claw marks.
After Saber put on the ghost mask, even Alfred had to admit that in addition to the previous strangeness, it added a more violent, crazy, and terrifying aura to Saber.
Saber's voice, distorted by the voice changer, sounded in the bat cave. He looked at the armor that Lucius was using some kind of complicated device to quickly change the paint.
"I think I'll call it … Red Ghost, a ghost that crawls out of death … I like this name. By the way, my knife is still with Harvey. I have to find a chance to get it back. He won't refuse … Yes."
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