After digesting the knowledge learned in the Puppet Brigade, including the Black Secret Technique, Hardy planned to proceed with these tasks.
In addition, Hardy also wanted to acquire some modern engineering knowledge from the other side of Gotham and integrate it into puppetry.
For now, Hardy planned to first learn the technique of dividing the heart in the Black Secret Technique.
The puppeteer's weakness in close combat was relative. One reason was that most of their means were on the puppets, and when manipulating puppets, a considerable amount of attention was focused on them, neglecting self-protection.
Therefore, fast and powerful ninjas like Konoha's Byakugan, with strong close combat abilities, rapid speed, and high impact force, who could swiftly reach the puppeteer in a short time, were the most effective against puppeteers.
Mastering the skill of multitasking could help divert more attention back to oneself, which was a way to avoid this situation.
There were other methods as well.
For example, like Chiyo, strengthening one's speed to the point where it was difficult for enemies to catch up.
Or like Scorpion, transforming oneself into a puppet.
But those were too far from Hardy.
And he preferred to wrap himself in a puppet.
This way, he could also have the advantages mentioned above.
"I can understand it theoretically, but in practice, it's not easy."
In the workshop at home, the previous notes were placed on the table, Hardy's hands spread out, controlling Fatty with his left hand and Tom with his right hand.
There was also a lonely little boy at his feet.
The puppet of the little boy was of a higher level, with a higher difficulty in control, not suitable for early practice.
The two puppets moved clumsily, taking steps and walking shakily in the room.
"My chakra threads are not condensed enough. In the past, controlling a puppet was easy because even if one thread made a mistake or deviated, the other thread could correct it. But now...".
"It takes one chakra thread to achieve the effect of the previous two!"
Not long after, a few drops of sweat appeared on Hardy's forehead.
If a stone requires ten ropes to lift, then when the number of ropes is reduced by half, the remaining five ropes must be thickened or changed to a stronger material in order to bear the weight of the stone.
The current drawback of Hardy is that the "ropes" are too thin, the chakra thread is not solid enough, and the skills are only barely passable.
In this situation, controlling two puppet battles is not as strong as controlling one puppet originally, and may not even be able to fight.
"Bang!"
Fatty was tripped by Tom's foot and fell to the ground.
Hardy helplessly covered his forehead and looked at the control panel.
Why can't you give me a boost like Deep Blue?
No more words, let's continue practicing.
...
...
Gotham City.
In a dark alley.
"Click!"
Hardy personally broke the neck of a gang leader coming out of a nightclub, then quickly searched his body.
This was the most suitable prey he found after a day.
It had been two days since he escaped from Arkham Island.
With the ability of shapeshifting and the intelligence gathering methods mastered as a ninja, Hardy had gathered some information he needed to proceed with his next plan.
The first step was to make money, gather materials, find a place to stay, and then create a puppet with certain combat capabilities.
The DC world is a dangerous high-powered world, and Gotham is a place where the people are simple, and you never know when you might go out to see an opera and end up getting shot on your way home in a dark alley.
Without having enough powerful force to protect oneself, it would be very difficult to do anything.
"Four thousand dollars, a bit less than I thought, but it's still okay, as long as I have this key."
Hardy tossed the key ring in his hand, then took off the gun holster from the gang leader's waist.
Now he was dressed as a sexy urban woman, not in women's clothing, but using shapeshifting to infiltrate the nightclub and replace the top performer who was supposed to be taken back by this boss.
While passing through this alley, Hardy made a move, leading to the current situation.
Forming hand seals, he activated shapeshifting once again.
White smoke emerged, and in an instant, Hardy transformed into the appearance of the gang leader. After coughing a few times and making some remarks, he felt that his voice was quite close to the original owner. Hardy then walked out of the alley, got into a car, and took out the key ring.
After a few attempts, he quickly started the car.
Ten minutes later.
In front of a bar, Hardy turned off the car, got out, and walked through the door.
"Boss!"
The two security guards in suits in front of the bar saw Hardy and opened the door voluntarily.
This large bar was owned by that gang leader.
"Okay."
Imitating the habits of the original owner observed over the past two days, Hardy arrogantly walked into the bar.
He ordered a bottle of champagne as usual in the bar, flirted with a waitress, and then laughed and walked upstairs.
"The office should be in this room."
Hardy tried each room with the key, and finally found his target location.
"That guy spilled the beans when he was drunk, the bar's earnings and his personal savings are all in this office."
Hardy scanned around, then started searching the room.
There were six thousand dollars in the drawer, along with two spare magazines.
There were women's underwear in the cabinet.
A lost old key was in the corner.
Pushing the bookshelf, he found no mechanism.
It wasn't until he moved the table that Hardy noticed there was not much dust underneath.
"If it wasn't cleaned recently, then it must be..."
Hardy reached his fingers towards the gap in the floor tiles, and with a little force, he pried out a tile.
Inside was a safe.
After trying the key ring, he successfully opened the safe.
Upon stacks of green banknotes were neatly arranged gold bars.
Five rows and six columns, thirty gold bars.
Picking up one to weigh it, Hardy estimated the weight in his mind, then checked the banknotes.
Each gold bar should weigh the same, 100 grams each. Just these gold bars alone were worth about $200,000.
Thirty stacks of banknotes, each stack exactly $10,000.
Adding up to exactly $500,000, it was considered a substantial amount.
After all, he was just a small gang leader.
Throughout Gotham, there were countless insignificant gangs, and having a harvest of $500,000 was already good.
With this money, he could buy a house in most areas outside the city center of Gotham, and still have plenty left over.