Chapter 64: Christmas Eve

"I found that person, but I will not tell you his identity. I can only tell you that there are indeed no items or clues related to the Holiday Killer in his room. Since arriving in Gotham, he has managed to get five guns, not a single one of which is a .22 Clipper, let's not even speak of a .22 caliber."

"And the most important point is that his marksmanship is abysmal—truly abysmal. It is completely impossible for him to have rapidly gunned down five gangsters within a matter of seconds."

That was correct; the total amount of time Ma Zhaodi had spent practicing with firearms added up to less than half a month. There was not the slightest trace of gun proficiency on him, and he had only a single record of armed engagement, with a combat achievement consisting solely of a single chandelier. This had thoroughly misled everyone's judgment.

Harvey looked at the shadow in the darkness. He actually wanted very much to know the identity of that person, but since Batman refused to say, it meant he had his reasons.

"His account matches Harvey's, Gordon. We should trust our old friend."

Gordon frowned in thought and finally nodded slowly.

"Alright, at least Harvey donated the money—though you'll likely run into trouble because of it afterward."

"Questioning, investigations..." Harvey shrugged. "It doesn't matter, I can handle things like that. But speaking of you, I heard there's a porridge stall in the slums recently?"

"More than just that? The Gotham City Police Department has been running around in circles for this past week just because of it."

"I heard the porridge over there is quite good? What is it called again..."

"Laba porridge, a festive food from the East."

Batman chimed in casually; he had deliberately looked up information on the subject after returning.

"The taste is not bad."

"?"

Gordon and Harvey instantly widened their eyes, staring at Batman in the shadows.

What the hell? Are you really Batman? Has someone hijacked your account?

How could Batman ever say something as casual as small talk?

"Ahem, let's get down to business. The Holiday Killer hasn't been tracked down yet, but I already have a few clues."

A deep voice glossed right over the previous topic.

"He wears a black round hat on his head, a loose trench coat on his body, his face is indistinct, and he wears rough men's gloves on his hands. Apart from the hat, everything about him is gray."

"......Is that all?"

"No, that's everything."

"What kind of clue is that..." Harvey and Gordon looked at each other in dismay, then sighed. "Outfits like that can be put together anywhere; even my house has a set."

"That's true," Gordon agreed. "The uniqueness of this evidence isn't even as strong as that ugly pumpkin."

"There is no longer any need to pursue the ugly pumpkin," Batman shook his head.

"The clues end here. This trail is broken."

-----------------

It wasn't snowing today.

Yet it was only today that it wasn't snowing. In reality, the entire city of Gotham had previously been piled deep with consecutive days of heavy snow, and the city was almost completely wrapped in a thick white winter coat.

It was just that this winter coat wasn't very warm.

Ma Zhaodi, who was stirring the porridge in a massive pot, didn't feel cold at all. The Santa Claus cosplay outfit produced by the system mall was genuinely warm; he even had to switch to a longer ladle and stand a bit further away from the steaming giant pot to keep from sweating profusely.

He admired the group of kids playing in the snow even more.

"Hey! Hey, you little brat! I told you you can't scrub your body with snow!"

Commissioner Gordon's resonant voice rang out. Over the past few days, he would occasionally come to the porridge stall to help maintain order and incidentally register the number of homeless children in the East End. Although he didn't say it aloud, Ma Zhaodi could tell that he enjoyed it.

Perhaps staying with this bunch of stubbornly thriving wild kids also made him feel slightly young again?

The bespectacled police commissioner wore a deadpan expression and, in three strides made two, grabbed a shirtless little boy whose body was still covered in patches of accumulated snow. "You little rascal, didn't I tell you that a temporary bathing station has been set up right over here?!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Commissioner."

Jason's expression instantly soured, his eyeballs rolling about with extreme agility. At this moment, the sorrowful look from before was completely absent from his face, and his physique was also much sturdier than before.

"But, Mr. Commissioner, the bathing stations are all full, and plus, I... I really wanted to try what it feels like to take a bath in the snow."

"At your age, if you try that, you'll be stuck in bed with a fever for a week! Go! Put your clothes on!"

Jason raised his head extremely reluctantly and glanced at Ma Zhaodi nearby. Seeing Ma Zhaodi in his Santa hat shrug at him, he had no choice but to obediently turn around to fetch his new clothes.

The winter wear was likewise custom-made exclusively by Wayne Enterprises. After roughly taking stock of the children's body sizes and measurements, they had produced a few specific categories. Aside from the pursuit of warmth, a bit of aesthetic appeal was also taken into account—though for children who barely had enough clothes to cover their bodies, warmth alone was already precious enough.

Ma Zhaodi watched Jason's antics and chuckled inwardly. With his stomach full and body warm, Jason's mischievous nature was liberated. Such a personality, which originally evolved into extreme aggressiveness during years of street life in Gotham, had now been reduced to merely that of a curious child.

What amazed him even more, however, was Commissioner Gordon's personal charm. As the "cop" most detested by street gangs, he had won their trust in just a few days. One couldn't help but sigh that this was the supreme value of someone who had worked their way up from a helpless little patrolman in an isolated Gotham Police Department to become the Police Commissioner.

As for why Jason had thought of scrubbing himself with snow—that was probably because he genuinely felt a bit hot.

"Winter in Gotham City"
Status: In progress (31.592%)
Reward activated:
'Festive' attribute effect activated. Cooking festive food as 'Laba Porridge', acquired attributes 'Harmonious Nourishment' and 'Warming Against the Cold'.
Harmonious Nourishment: Miscellaneous grains and blended porridge provide harmonious nourishment; the nutritional supplementation effect of Laba porridge on consumers is enhanced.
Warming Against the Cold: Ingredients are warm in nature to dispel cold; the cold resistance effect of Laba porridge on consumers is enhanced.
Current attribute enhancement acquired: 31.592%
Note: Seriously, shouldn't you cook a couple fewer pots of porridge? Eating things this nourishing every single meal isn't necessarily a good thing..."

Thanks to the efficiency of Wayne Logistics and the children's interconnected web of gangs where everyone knew each other's roots, Ma Zhaodi, with Jason's help, had quickly tracked down the hideouts of the homeless children's gangs within Gotham City. The number of these children was quite astonishing; in a very short time, they had pushed Ma Zhaodi's mission progress to thirty percent.

With all three daily meals consistently provided, the festive attribute of the Laba porridge had also stacked up to this level simultaneously. After finishing a bowl of porridge, consumers could gain a 30% cold resistance within twelve hours, accompanied by nutritional supplementation effects.

Judging by the current situation, this effect might be a bit too good.

Even Ma Zhaodi had recently grown a bit of muscle. Of course, if he didn't learn to exercise further, drinking porridge in the future might cause him to have nosebleeds.

"You have a new odd job. Please check and review it."

Ma Zhaodi's heart skipped a beat. He put down the large ladle in his hand and took out his phone to check today's calendar, and sure enough—

"December 24th, Christmas Eve."