In the Penguin's empty office, just as Liu A'dou was scheming to take the weapon blueprints from the Penguin's computer, a deep voice suddenly came from behind him—Batman.
Liu A'dou was certain that no one had entered through the front door, so how had Batman gotten in and silently stood behind him? This was the first time Liu A'dou had encountered such a person. Sure enough, Batman was Batman.
This wasn't the scene Liu A'dou had imagined meeting Batman in. He had prepared several lines for the encounter, but now there was no chance to use them. In his mind, he had expected to startle Batman by suddenly appearing behind him, but the roles were completely reversed.
Liu A'dou quickly regained his composure, his movements speeding up as he took the memory disk out of the computer tower. "Tsk tsk tsk, Batman, Batman, Batman, you found me." He said it with the enthusiasm of a friend who had just been discovered while playing hide-and-seek, as if Batman and Kaitou Kid had a good relationship. There was no fear, no panic.
Now, Liu A'dou could turn around and face Batman. Though he felt a little excited, he hid it well. In life, everything depends on acting. He had been in Gotham City for a year, and it was his first time meeting the great hero of Gotham—Batman. Liu A'dou, the thief, played his part well, showing no surprise whatsoever.
The truth was, before his transmigration, Liu A'dou had always liked the character of Batman. Among all the superheroes, he believed that only Batman was the most determined and the greatest. A regular man, investing all his money, energy, and even life to protect Gotham City, without ever wavering—such a person was rare. To achieve superhero greatness with the body of a mortal, that was how it should be.
Liu A'dou admired him, but the situation was not optimistic. At that moment, one was a soldier and the other a thief, and admiration alone wouldn't spare him from Batman's pursuit.
So, the truth had to be revealed. Kaitou Kid was already considering ways to escape.
Batman hadn't expected to find Kaitou Kid in the Penguin's office either. He thought Kid was just a flashy magician, but now, he realized that Kid could steal more than just gems. "Kaitou Kid, you'd better put the things down, just like you returned the gems before. Those blueprints are of no use to you."
Batman was feeling conflicted. Over the course of Kid's actions—stealing gems twice, destroying drug labs, and helping Gordon catch Scarecrow—it was clear that Kid was a genuinely good person aside from his thefts. But now, he was stealing weapon blueprints, which was far more serious than stealing jewels.
"If they're of no use, I wouldn't steal them. This world is dangerous, and even a suave thief like me needs a couple of life-saving weapons," Liu A'dou replied playfully, though in his mind, he already had an escape plan. Batman was standing right behind him, already aiming a Batarang at him, but Kaitou Kid was confident in his escape plan.
"Then I'll have to arrest you," Batman said. "Remember to turn over a new leaf in prison."
Batman rarely wasted words with criminals, but Kid's previous actions had given Batman a soft spot for him. He hoped Kid would give up stealing and focus on becoming a force for good.
"Fine, arrest me," Kid raised both hands, seemingly cooperative. "But if you catch me, you'll never find the Penguin's arms factory."
"I'll make you talk," Batman replied. He didn't believe Kid's words. No criminal that had fallen into his hands had any secrets left.
"Alright, no violence. Since you're so persistent, I've got nothing more to say. Batman, I'm a magician. My hands are my life, so you better not hurt them." Liu A'dou was about to perform his escape technique. He raised his hands in a theatrical manner and slowly turned around to face Batman. As expected, the suit of armor Batman wore was far cooler than his own white tuxedo, and the bat logo on his chest looked awesome. "Batman, you're so cool, totally awesome!"
"…." Batman stared at the thief in front of him. After facing him, he realized Kid was even younger than he had imagined. He looked like a high school student. No wonder he was so talkative—young people always think they're invincible.
Thud—
Something hit the floor. Batman's eyes quickly flicked down, noticing a black ball rolling out from under Kid's suit. First one, then more, large and small beads falling, clattering like raindrops.
Several black balls rolled down, then—
Hiss—
Tear gas erupted from the marble-sized spheres. Batman quickly pulled his cape over his nose and mouth, but by then, Kid had already disappeared into the smoke, leaving no trace behind.
"Mr. Batman, if we say that the thief is a meticulous artist..." The voice came out from the tear gas, as though multiple Kid voices surrounded him, making it impossible for Batman to pinpoint his location. "Then you and the police are just picky critics, always trailing behind. I, Kaitou Kid, seek perfection in my craft, enjoy the surprise of my audience, and the sight of the police chasing me. Batman, we will meet again, this is just a greeting."
A small object flew through the tear gas, moving at a slow speed. Batman reached out and caught it. It was the Santa Claus toy that Liu A'dou had previously taken from the drawer.
"Toy Land?" Batman immediately flipped the toy over and found the name of the toy company, "Alfred, check the address of 'Toy Land' toy company."
The butler, Alfred, responded from the Batcave, "Right away, Master."
Once he received the address, Batman knew he would have to hurry. The Penguin would soon realize his office had been breached, and the arms factory would be moved. Tonight, the arms factory had to be destroyed. There was no time to reflect on Kaitou Kid's ridiculous words. However, Batman believed he and Kid would meet again.
With that thought, Batman pressed the button on his utility belt, and the Batplane immediately prepared for takeoff. But then, Batman shot a grapple to the ceiling and swung through the ventilation ducts. It turned out he had entered through the rooftop, and the Batplane was waiting there.
The black, silent aircraft shot into the sky, leaving Kaitou Kid looking up in envy and anger, which only strengthened his resolve to steal from the Batcave.
However, Kid hadn't gone far. Instead, he hung on the wall, ready to make a comeback. Since he was already here, he wanted to see what else could be stolen from the Penguin's office safe.
Earlier, when he had entered the office, Liu A'dou noticed a painting on the wall that seemed out of place. Behind it, he suspected there was a safe. Kaitou Kid, leisurely as ever, didn't need to destroy the arms factory—he was just here to steal.
Returning to the office, he found the safe embedded in the wall behind the painting. It had an old-fashioned spiral lock—old but classic. No lock could stop Kaitou Kid. In just a few seconds, he had opened it.
"Open up, safe. Be good," he muttered, as the lock clicked open.
A smile crept across Liu A'dou's face as he found a stash of cash and other valuables. As an old-school villain, the Penguin was always prepared to flee, keeping cash and valuable items for emergencies. In the safe, there were millions in cash, as well as land deeds and jewelry. Just as expected—an old-school criminal, always well-prepared.
Now, everything in the safe belonged to Liu A'dou. Without hesitation, he took everything for himself before leaving the office, truly walking away with his loot.