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Chapter 286: The Caught Car Thief

Batman rarely ventures out during the day, but when he chooses to appear in the heart of Gotham City during daylight hours, it signifies that he has a matter of utmost importance to attend to. For instance, capturing the car thief who tampered with his tires.

Regarding the theft of his Batmobile tires, Batman isn't particularly enraged; instead, he finds it somewhat absurd. Someone capable of independently bypassing the Batmobile's security system can only manage to be a mere car thief in Gotham City. The city truly possesses an enchantment of its own.

Locating the hideout of this car thief wasn't difficult for Batman. Evidently, these two culprits who absconded with his tires weren't particularly adept at counter-surveillance techniques. Before long, Batman had traced them to a cellar in an alley off Coventry Street.

This underground lair lacked any significant security measures, and Batman effortlessly made his way inside. He soon discovered the tires, still hanging on the wall, untouched.

Originally, according to his plan, Batman intended to lie in wait here until the owner returned and apprehend him.

Batman had indeed planned for this course of action, but while waiting for the thief's return, he found himself with idle time on his hands and began investigating the base.

The more he investigated, the more perplexed Batman became. Various signs indicated that the occupants of this place were not adults but several children.

It was quite an easy deduction to make. The ground here wasn't made of flooring or tiles but rather fine sand, with footprints left uncleaned, clearly indicating they were not made by adults. Fingerprints were also left on the workbench tools, suggesting that the person using them was a child under the age of ten.

Amidst his astonishment, Batman couldn't help but entertain some other thoughts. He knew that the adults of Gotham City were practically beyond redemption, their thought processes and methods of handling situations already solidified. Besides tossing them into jail, there were scarcely any other means of dealing with them. However, children were a different story.

Batman was aware that even if the children of Gotham were worse off than those in other cities, engaging in daily gang activities and street fights, they still possessed the potential for positive change through education, especially when they exhibited such extraordinary talent.

As evening fell, Jason, clad in a tattered jacket, limped towards his own base, supported by Sliphead. With a touch of helplessness in his voice, Sliphead said, "I know you have to fight them to protect your territory, but you've been engaging in fights too frequently lately. Your previous injury hasn't fully healed..."

Jason wiped the blood trickling down from the corner of his mouth, staining his sleeve. However, he took it in stride, grinning as he replied, "I have no choice. Those damn Redmouth hooligans are pushing us too hard. If I were to relinquish the territory at the entrance to the alley, we wouldn't earn a single dime..."

He vigorously rubbed his eyes and shrugged off Sliphead's supportive hand, making his way to the cellar door and slowly descending.

Wary of him stumbling, Sliphead hurriedly followed, offering assistance. Yet, just as they approached the workbench, they heard the cellar door lock with a click, and a dark figure materialized behind them.

The two were startled, and when they turned around, Sliphead looked at the figure opposite and said, "Batman???"

Batman paused and asked, "Do you know me?"

Jason turned his head and glanced at the Bat tire he had hung on the wall, then looked at the intimidating Batman in front of him. He lifted his head and looked at the cellar door, which was already locked. He knew he couldn't escape. He wearily leaned against the workbench behind him and said, "Well, how could we not know you? The renowned Hero Batman..."

However, there was no trace of reverence or admiration in his tone, only deep annoyance. Sliphead looked at the current situation and rubbed his hands, saying to Batman, "I'm sorry, Batman. We did steal your Batmobile tire, but we didn't damage it. You can take it back. Let's not make a big deal out of it..."

"After all..." Sliphead pushed his glasses and continued, "The police station won't take kids like us. If you apprehend us, they'll send us back tomorrow. How about we sincerely apologize to you and skip this process..."

Batman looked at Jason and noticed a deep bruise on his exposed neck. His mouth also bore the signs of being struck, not to mention the bloodstains on his sleeve. He asked, "How did you get hurt like this?"

Jason shook his head, his expression fierce, seemingly not wanting to talk to Batman at all. Fortunately, Sliphead was present and spoke up, "He's the leader of the Capuchin gang. He had to fight with others to claim territory..."

"And he won!" Jason emphasized.

"How did you manage to pry my tires off?"

"What's so hard about that?" Jason deliberately raised his voice and said, "Your damn car was rotten. If it weren't for those oversized tires, I would have taken all four off!"

His words were laced with some local gang slang and profanity, and his manner of speaking resembled that of a typical bad boy, both in demeanor and attitude.

However, Batman wasn't provoked by his behavior. After all, he had dealt with many kids of this nature during his time as a vigilante in Gotham.

"Batman, leave us be. We're just a bunch of kids. Jason stole your tires because he needed money urgently. We know stealing is wrong, but we had no other choice."

Sliphead explained to Batman, "Jason is in charge of several kids in the Capuchin gang. Five or six of them are too young. When they try to sell cigarettes, they often get bullied by older kids from rival gangs. They can't make much money in a day. Jason has to earn money to support them; otherwise, their boss will beat them to death."

Batman furrowed his brow and asked, "So you're saying all the kids under his command are cigarette peddlers?"

"That's right. Aren't the members of the Youth Gang all like that?"

"To whom do they have to pay?"

"Their leaders, usually older kids. And then, these kids hand the money over to their 'mom and dad'."

"And then what?"

Sliphead shook his head and said, "I don't know, I'm not doing this, but I heard that they will pass it on layer by layer and hand it over to someone called the big boss."

"Are you not doing this?" Batman looked at Sliphead and saw that he was indeed different from the usual kids in Gotham. Instead of a jacket, he wore a slightly worn turtleneck sweater, combed his bowl haircut, and wore glasses, making him look more like a bookworm.

"I am a skilled worker and currently attending vocational education school in Gotham. Jason saved my life, so I'm hanging out with him."

"I didn't save you so you could repay me! You better leave quickly! The tires are what I was going to steal, and if there's any trouble, come after me!" Jason said loudly.

"Jason, don't be like this. I believe Batman is a good person. I heard he saved a dancer who was being robbed. He should be willing to listen to our explanations..."

With that, Sliphead continued, "Not all kids are as lucky as me to have a good skill to work for the gangs or even go to school peacefully. Most kids are under the control of their 'parents,' either selling cigarettes, begging, or doing some dirty work..."

"You stole my tires, and I should have apprehended you or taught you a lesson. But because you're kids, I can let you go. However, you must promise me one thing..."

Jason turned to look at Sliphead. He touched the wound next to his mouth and said, "I did it. What's the condition? Tell me."

"I want to know what's going on with those people who manipulate kids to work for them. Who is this so-called big boss? I hope you can help me investigate these matters..."

"No use." Jason shook his head and said, "The big boss is very mysterious, and we kids can't see them. Besides, there are too many people involved in this kind of thing. How do you expect me to find out?"

"I believe you'll figure out a way, won't you?"

"Your name is Jason, right? Listen, Jason..."

Batman looked into Jason's eyes and said, "Since you're willing to fight for those kids' sake and even provide them financial assistance, it shows that you have a good nature and loyalty."

"You also understand that this can't go on forever. When these kids grow up, there will be another batch. You can't always protect them. The only way is to thoroughly investigate those who manipulate them and find a way to deal with them."

Jason rested his forearms on his knees, lowered his head, and remained silent. Batman continued, "Since you've heard of my reputation, you should know that I've taken down many criminals. But in this case, I do need an assistant. After all, I'm not a kid, and I can't involve myself in your group..."

"If I succeed, you and the kids under your command will have a better life, won't you?"

Jason remained silent for a while before saying, "Okay, but this is my responsibility. We can't act recklessly, and you have to promise that regardless of success or failure, you won't cause trouble for the two of us again."

Batman nodded and then tossed a cylindrical device to Jason. It was a small flashlight, and he said, "Press the button on the tail, and it will project a miniature Bat-Signal into the air. I'll come rushing over when I see it. Hold the button for a longer time, and it will send a communication that only I can receive, for emergencies when you need to contact me."

Sliphead looked at the thing with fascination, and Batman said to him, "Don't even think about taking it apart. You'll never be able to put it back together. If you can provide useful information, I can lend you a laboratory in my stronghold in the southern suburbs. There are plenty of good things there..."

Sliphead and Jason glanced at each other and then looked at Batman. In unison, they said, "Alright, deal."

After Batman left, Jason said to Sliphead, "You should leave. You don't need to get involved in this. If I really start investigating this matter, it will be very dangerous. Those 'mom and dad' won't spare me."

"Batman is right, Jason," Sliphead remained calm as he spoke. "As you mentioned before, those 'mom and dad' have been getting more and more extreme lately. They're setting higher goals and demanding more money. Those who fail to meet their demands face severe consequences. If this continues, those children won't survive. We need to put a stop to all of this."

Jason furrowed his brow and said, "I've actually been thinking about it. It's strange, isn't it?"

"Since I started living on the streets, I haven't heard of any changes to this system. But recently, it seems to be getting increasingly extreme. Could something have happened on the boss's side, causing him to urgently exploit these kids?"

"It's not just that," Sliphead stroked his chin. "When I was attending vocational school, I met the parents of those students, the gang bosses. From their conversations, I gathered that the situation within Gotham Gang is unstable. The Twelve Families, who hold the highest positions, seem to be in turmoil..."

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