As Jim Gordon's former assistant, Sarah Gordon was an extremely astute policewoman. With just a glance around the living room, she deduced the relationship between the two based on Barbara's attire and changing expressions.
A young girl in love, of course, would meticulously dress up and show her most beautiful side when her crush arrived. She herself used to be no different. However… her gaze shifted to Luke, observing him while secretly appraising him: looks 9 points, temperament 9 points, attire 9 points. A fine young man, no wonder Barbara took a liking to him. It's just, what's his personality like?
Luke stepped forward proactively.
"Hello, ma'am, I'm Barbara's friend, Luke Shaw. Just call me Luke."
Sarah smiled and said, "Barbara rarely brings friends home. Are you from the same school?"
"No, we met online."
"ShowMe?"
"Yes."
Sarah understood, smiled, and said, "Well, you two chat. I won't disturb you. Barbara, remember your father's words."
The girl impatiently waved her hand.
"I know, I won't stay out overnight. You go upstairs quickly, or he'll start crying again."
Mentioning her son, Sarah couldn't help but get nervous. As a new mother, she really had no solution for her son's crying.
The sound of footsteps faded away, and Barbara also lost her spirit, slumping lazily on the sofa, looking listless, much like a certain slacker otaku girl from a TV show.
Luke's mouth twitched, and he strongly suggested,
"I think it would be better if you hired a nanny."
"Dad doesn't agree, what can I do?" As she spoke, she walked to her room and took out two black hard drives. "The stuff is in there. I've tested it, and there are no problems at all. However, there's one thing I want to ask, are those data frameworks really designed by you?"
Luke shrugged, "Who else but me?"
Barbara looked Luke up and down with the eyes of someone seeing a monster, shaking her head and tutting as she looked.
"Sometimes, I really wonder if you've traveled back from the future. I've studied those data frameworks carefully, and they are at least twenty years ahead of current technology. You actually brought decades-later technology to use now. It's incredible, simply inhuman."
Luke checked the data disks, and after confirming they were the items he had left behind, he casually said,
"If not human, then what?"
"A devil, a very terrifying devil."
Luke curled his lips, looking at her playfully, "Do you want me to do something only a devil would do?"
Barbara puffed out her chest and retorted disdainfully, "This is the home of Gotham City's Police Commissioner! Do you dare to bully his daughter in his house?!"
"Can I interpret that as an invitation?"
"So what if it's an invitation? Do you dare?"
Of course Luke dared. How could he not dare? The problem was that her stepmother was upstairs and had just had a baby. If they made a commotion here, the next day, an enraged Commissioner Gordon would surely show up at the entrance of ShowMe with his subordinates.
Luke didn't want to see such a scene, so after much consideration, he decided to use a circuitous tactic.
"Want to go for a drive?"
Barbara's heart immediately stirred. Ever since her brother was born, she felt like a servant in an old-era manor, so tired every day that she only had enough energy to breathe.
"Wait for me."
The girl hurriedly ran upstairs and returned a moment later, saying excitedly,
"Sarah told me to tell you that you must bring me back before dinner, and there must be no improper behavior, otherwise, she'll tell my father."
"Don't worry, I only have normal thoughts about you!"
The girl asked suspiciously, "What kind of thoughts are normal thoughts?"
Luke smiled mysteriously, "You'll know when the time comes."
Two hours later, in a luxurious hotel suite somewhere in Gotham City,
A tired Barbara covered her naked body with a sheet. At this moment, she finally understood what "normal thoughts" meant.
"If my dad knew you did this to me, he'd kill you."
"Don't worry, Commissioner Gordon won't know."
Luke took a sip of red wine, leaning comfortably against the headboard.
Humans are emotional creatures; they can't always suppress their feelings. Over time, it can lead to illness. Just like now, after a passionate encounter, Luke felt reborn. All sorts of whimsical ideas gushed forth like springs at the foot of Mount Fuji, unstoppable.
Barbara glared at him angrily, her cheeks flushed and body hot as she recalled the previous scenes. Thus, she became even more embarrassed and annoyed.
"Luke Shaw, you're just a creature of your lower half. I'm never going out for a drive with you again."
Luke took out an exquisitely decorated crystal box from his pants pocket.
"This is for you."
"What?"
"Open it and you'll see."
Barbara wrapped the sheet around her chest and sat cross-legged, opening the crystal box. A simple, ancient-looking gray ring, carved with flame patterns inside and out, as if tempered by time, was revealed.
She dramatically covered her mouth, her eyes filled with astonishment, pleasant surprise, and an undeniable excitement.
"You… you… you're not going to propose to me, are you? I… I… I'm not ready yet."
"No… we can't get married!"
Luke covered his forehead, completely defeated. A single ring made her think of a proposal. How on earth did her brain work?
Barbara reluctantly put the ring back into the box and said apologetically,
"I don't want to get married right now, it's too early." She paused, then added, "At least not until I graduate from college."
Luke sighed helplessly,
"Don't misunderstand, the ring isn't for a proposal, it's for self-defense."
"Self-defense?"
Luke didn't explain. He put the ring on his finger, raised his hand to aim at the wall, rubbed his thumb on it, and twisted it 90 degrees clockwise. The ring began to glow, and a small energy wave shot out from it.
Bang!
A fist-sized round hole appeared in the concrete wall, more powerful than a handgun bullet.
Luke took off the ring and tossed it next to her.
"See? For self-defense."
Barbara's eyes widened, completely astonished. She carefully picked up the ring and examined it closely in her hand.
"Is this the legendary magic equipment?"
"It's not magic, it's technology. I made it look ancient to make it pretty."
Barbara was even more surprised, "You made this?"
"Who else could have?"
"You… you're amazing."
Barbara ignored the exposed view of her chest, slipped the ring onto her middle finger, and then, imitating Luke, rubbed her thumb on the ring. When it reached a certain angle, the ring suddenly vibrated, as if something was about to shoot out.
She pressed it hard.
Bang!
A barely perceptible energy wave flew out, shattered the glass, and disappeared.
"So powerful! It's incredible."
The girl giggled, extremely excited, "How did you do that?"
Luke lowered his head, staring intently at the pair of burgeoning white buns. As a rush of heat surged, he felt it was necessary to be reborn once more.