There is no Batman in Gotham City comics.

Chapter 43 Let Money Corrupt Me

Gordon dropped Qin Wei off at the bridge and then returned to the police station.

Qin Wei received a text message as soon as he got off the bus.

The initial payment for the estate transaction, a full ten million US dollars, has been received. After deducting transaction taxes, the remaining sixty million dollars will be deposited into the account in installments.

"Oh shit!"

Qin Wei laughed and cursed. He thought to himself that the Gotham government was doing nothing but taking a really heavy tax on transactions! Of the $1.2 million, he only received $7000 million. If they really pushed him too far, he might actually put on a mask and rob a bank with the Joker gang, shooting at police cars and throwing dollars at the back of the cars, not for any other reason than to show off his pride.

Regardless of how you look at it, he earned his first pot of gold.

The next step is to spend a lot of money to recruit a group of capable subordinates.

Last night's riots stopped in the lower district and did not spread to the other side of the river. His Ferrari was still parked in a parking space under the bridge, with a layer of charred ash on the body.

Qin Wei wanted to go to the bank to withdraw some money, but unfortunately he couldn't drive. He flipped through his contacts, several names flashing through his mind, before finally fixing his gaze on "Uncle" Royce at the very end of the list.

Hello~

"Oh--"

A lazy, hoarse yawn came from the other end of the phone, and Qin Wei could almost picture in his mind a middle-aged man lying on the sofa in socks, with messy hair and sleepy eyes.

"Something came up last night, so we're not taking any business today. Goodbye..."

Royce wasn't the type of person with a strong work ethic. Otherwise, given his experience, even if he couldn't manage Maronny's drug business, he should have been able to run several casinos like Richie. He shouldn't have ended up forming a "poor trio" with Oswald and Barron.

He squandered a winning hand; that's a perfect example of what happens when you see someone with a winning hand.

Back to the present, the riots kept him awake all night. Disturbed from his sleep, Reus just wanted to hang up and continue his sweet dream.

"Don't hang up yet! This is Wei, I need to talk to you about something."

Upon hearing this, Royce rubbed his eyes and jumped up from the sofa.

The news that Qin Wei had sold the manor had not yet reached the ears of the other leaders. In Royce's eyes, Qin Wei was now a big shot who had inherited the drug business and was also a favorite of Maroney, someone he could not afford to offend.

Not long after, Royce arrived in his car, just as Qin Wei had predicted. The guy still hadn't opened his eyes, sporting a messy, unkempt hairstyle.

He's less like a gangster and more like a middle-aged office worker who's just been fired.

"Hello sir, I'm Royceburn, nicknamed 'Uncle,' you can also call me Uncle Ben."

Fearing Qin Wei wouldn't recognize him, Royce launched into a truly explosive self-introduction.

"Uncle Ben? You'd better be careful, especially when driving your nephew around. Don't say anything like 'With great power comes great responsibility'."

"What?"

"Just pretend I'm talking nonsense." Qin Wei expressed deep regret that DC fans couldn't get Marvel's lame jokes.

"Getting back to the point, the reason I asked you to come here is to have you be my driver for a day."

"What?"

"Oh, wait, you only know one word?"

It wasn't that Royce's language module had a problem; it was simply that Qin Wei's request was too absurd.

He couldn't believe that the other party had called him over to do a cheap job that anyone could do, paying about $50 a day.

"Stop talking nonsense, get in the car!" Qin Wei handed the keys to Royce and pushed him into the car.

Although he was forced into this role, the middle-aged man still had considerable experience, and even a 1963 Ferrari GT couldn't sway his desire to retire. He sat in the driver's seat and let out a heavy yawn.

"What kind of car is this? The seats are so low."

"The steering wheel feels pretty good; it's probably made of faux leather, and it looks just like the real thing!"

"Wang Defa, this... surging power!"

...Of course, it's also possible that he doesn't understand at all.

The two sped all the way to the bank, and Royce's eyes cleared up.

Indeed, a thrilling driving experience is the best lubricant for men.

As luck would have it, Qin Wei arrived at Gotham Central Bank, the very bank that was to be robbed in a month. It seemed even banks weren't safe; he needed to withdraw his money and exchange it for hard currency as soon as possible.

From entering the lobby through the revolving door to waiting in the VIP area to withdraw money, the journey went so smoothly that Qin Wei was somewhat disappointed.

There was no "snobbish doorman" or "disdainful teller" segment as I had expected. Everyone who greeted him was polite and did not look down on him because of his tattered suit.

He shook his leg, idly admiring the bank's Gothic interior design and the huge, ornate crystal chandelier at the top.

Looking back, this world was terrifyingly real. Apart from Dr. Hugo's few cyborgs and the spoiler comics in his pocket, there was no supernatural interference.

Gotham is not ruled by genetically modified villains, nor by vigilantes like Batman fighting crime.

People don't come back to life after they die.

Soon, the teller returned carrying a huge briefcase containing two million US dollars. Considering Qin Wei's hand injury, the bank thoughtfully assigned a tall and burly bodyguard to carry the briefcase.

Qin Wei thought the trip would be uneventful, but he still encountered a little incident when he arrived at the bank.

A thin man with shifty eyes rushed into the lobby, pushing past security as he pulled a revolver from his pocket.

The man was so nervous that he trembled as he backed away, brandishing the gun and threatening his legs.

He was so focused on the two security guards at the entrance that he didn't even notice when he almost bumped into Qin Wei.

"Hands up, everyone..."

Before he could finish speaking, the security guard next to Qin Wei acted, stepping forward and slamming the man's head against the marble table at the reception desk.

Boom!

"I hope this didn't disturb you. It was just a minor accident. Please have complete confidence in our bank's security system; your money will be safe here."

While effortlessly dealing with the thugs, the dedicated security guard didn't forget to praise his employer.

"Safe? I hope so." Qin Wei smiled and shook his head.

……

As Qin Wei left the bank, he saw Royce leaning against a parking payment machine on the side of the road, smoking a cigarette.

The old man's smoking habit was really strong; in just half an hour, there were already seven or eight cigarette butts on the ground, almost one after another without stopping.

"Sir, I still think it's better if you find someone else to be your driver."

Back in the car, Reus brought up the initial topic again, indicating that Ferrari still held limited appeal for him.

Royce was the most naive of the leaders and Qin Wei considered him the best partner besides Oswald. If Qin Wei wanted to recruit people in the lower district, his help would be indispensable.

Since the car couldn't sway him, let's get the real deal!

Qin Wei adjusted the seat back, leaving enough space to open the money box.

The click of the metal buckle was crisp and pleasant.

As he opened the cash box, the entire box of US dollars began to emit a pleasant, intoxicating smell of ink. Qin Wei leaned in, took a deep breath, and smacked his lips in delight.

He felt like he was being corrupted by the stench of money.

Picking up a thick wad of banknotes and weighing them in his hand, feeling the weight of the money, Qin Wei was filled with mixed emotions.

He still vividly recalled how he had risked his life in the sewers to earn his first pot of gold from Maroni. After deducting the money Oswald had spent on buying a car, he ultimately received only this small amount: $3.

Upon receiving the money, Qin Wei didn't hesitate to buy himself a designer suit—the very one he's wearing now, tattered and worn. After that, he spent lavishly, letting the money slip away little by little.

It wasn't that he was wasteful; rather, he firmly believed he had the ability to earn even more.

And today he did it.

His philosophy remains unchanged: better investments yield greater returns.

He threw the wad of money at Reus.

"Sir, this isn't about the money!" Royce glanced at the money on his lap and said with a wry smile.

Qin Wei grabbed another stack and threw it over.

"The boss doesn't allow money to be exchanged between leaders!" The other party rubbed his hands together, but ultimately didn't dare to accept the offer.

Qin Wei threw another stack of papers.

"You're putting me in a very difficult position..."

Royce scratched his head in frustration. He knew he wasn't the kind of person who could be easily swayed by money. A lazy bum would never compromise his precious free time for money.

Unless you have enough money.

*Thud!* His response was another large wad of cash thrown onto his lap.

The weight of money eventually broke down his psychological defenses.

He buttoned up his shirt, spat on his palm, and smoothed his hair in the rearview mirror.

When he looked back, his gaze had become focused and sharp.

"Sir, where are we headed next?"

"A good place to fill my trunk with weapons."