Su Ming picked up the little girl's laptop, quickly entered a name, and found nothing. He then tried the console, switched to appearance search, but still no answer.
Sure enough, the Bat's surveillance excluded itself; Su Ming had anticipated this.
He used Batwoman's system to search for her real identity, just as a shot in the dark, hoping to hit something by chance.
This was simply eliminating a possibility.
He sat to the side, waved to signal Barbara to come back for dinner, and then took out his cigar.
Barbara studied his expression as she slowly returned to the table. She didn't ask about Su Ming's search results and said nothing, as if the previous events hadn't happened.
She changed the topic: "Do you really think that place, Indian Mountain, is so terrifying?"
"If my memory serves me right, indeed, as soon as you push open the door to the underground lab, there are deformed monsters everywhere." Su Ming described the scenes he had seen in the series "Gotham": "But I must correct one thing, Deathstroke is never afraid nor gives up on his mission."
"Then what is your mission? I don't think anyone would pay to have you save me and my dad; we don't have that much money." Barbara asked again.
She clearly understood her family's financial situation; after all, she was the one managing the household before her paralysis. Every month's income, expenses on food and daily supplies, every penny was meticulously recorded in her little notebook.
Previously, Deathstroke revealed on TV that his base price for killing someone was two million, not to mention that saving someone is far more complicated than killing. This amount of money was something she couldn't possibly afford.
Su Ming glanced at her; her change was almost visible to the naked eye. In such a short time, she accepted all previous events and could think normally.
Originally, she seemed like a girl from the countryside, but now she could face mercenaries calmly. So people do have inherent differences in aptitude?
"We can't tell you our mission, ask your dad after everything is over." Su Ming tapped the ash off his cigar onto the table. The beautiful metal tabletop of Batwoman's was scorched with a yellow stain, a bright spot on the shiny surface.
But it would probably be Ah Fu who would be troubled; Su Ming had some respect for the old butler and decided not to flick ash onto the table anymore, onto the floor instead.
He casually brushed off the girl because some things she couldn't accept for now. If this were the Main World's Oracle, perhaps Su Ming might share and get her advice, but for now, he should find Director Gordon and see what he knows.
Barbara listened to Su Ming, lowered her head as if she understood something. She liked to stroke her sweater sleeve when thinking; it had been rubbed into a fur ball.
Vico also finished her work at this time; panting heavily, she brought Pete to the table, seemingly exhausted, slumping onto the cool metal surface.
Su Ming slid the remaining half bottle of liquor on the table to her, and she took a swig without hesitation.
"I have something to tell you. We've discovered the enemy's lair, and the next step is to rescue Director Gordon."
"Hmm? Isn't this a good thing?" Vico pulled the bottle from her mouth with a pop, her beautiful face filled with confusion. Is it necessary to be so serious?
Could it be that they intend to go back on their word and not allow filming for the news?
"However, the enemy's base is unexpectedly a trap; if you continue to follow, you'll face significant danger, life-threatening danger."
Su Ming spoke while noticing Pete's face was turning pale as if he was on the brink of collapse.
Vico's eyes darted; this woman didn't know what giving up meant. She pointed at Barbara beside them: "Then, is the little girl going with you?"
"Without her, Director Gordon won't believe us, so Barbara must come with us. We'll also protect her, but it's different for you. Cindy and I are only two people, we can't spare ourselves to protect you." Su Ming nodded, admitting frankly.
Vico almost immediately, like a little chicken pecking at rice, nodded her gold-red head nonstop. She didn't care about life; what she wanted was the news.
"We'll follow you; after all, how can warriors as strong as you not have a journalist to record your valor? Oh, Mr. Deathstroke, as a man working as a mercenary, what are your thoughts on the recent rise of the men's rights movement?"
If it weren't for his empty right eye socket without a prosthetic eye, Su Ming would definitely pop it out and throw it at her, letting her see what a white eye looks like. This woman is truly out of her mind; what does the men's rights movement have to do with him?
"You'd better ask your partner; he seems like he's about to wet himself, and your shoes will have the answer." He pointed with his chin at Pete beside her; this strong man was now slumped like a pile of mud: "If you've decided to go, I can tell you this is a biohazard situation; you better prepare hazmat suits and anti-toxic masks."
"Cool!" Vico immediately stood up and kicked Pete beside him, urging him to quickly check if there were hazmat suits in the Bat Cave: "I've been waiting for a biohazard outbreak for a long time, and finally it has come. Praise Celestial Empress Hera!"
"Alright, if you find any, get one for Barbara too, Vico, help her change into it." Su Ming couldn't be bothered to manage her, knowing she wouldn't die no matter what mess she got into, so he let her be.
"Do you two not need one?" Vico readily agreed and asked if he and Cindy needed one.
"No need, our helmets have chemical protection functions, and our physical fitness far surpasses ordinary people. We'll have time to retreat if we sense anything amiss."
Hearing Su Ming's words, she immediately took out a small notebook and jotted it down: Deathstroke possibly a Modified Person... Then she gave an 'OK' gesture and turned to run off.
"Do you like red-haired women?" Barbara suddenly chimed in beside him, almost choking Su Ming.
"No, why ask that?"
"Because it seems like you are very... laissez-faire towards Miss Wali." Barbara looked at him with inquisitive eyes, with an indescribable meaning.
"I'm also very laissez-faire with you, even though you're also a redhead, but that doesn't mean anything." Su Ming patted her head, suggesting she not overthink and instead charge the laptop while they had the chance: "If I hadn't wanted you to reunite with your father right away, I could have just left you here to provide us with intelligence support."
"But didn't you just say bringing me along was to earn my father's trust?" Barbara frowned, she initially thought she was valuable, in her superficial understanding, people in the shadows always liked to judge others by their value.
"That was a lie to Vico. Even without you, do you think Director Gordon would have any other choice with the four of Cindy and I putting knives to his throat? Anyway, afterwards he'll thank us."
Su Ming exhaled a puff of smoke, watching it swirl in the cave under the breeze, morphing into a skeleton, then a bat.
In truth, that was also a lie because in the TV series, that underground research facility had countless electronic devices and security doors. Without Barbara the Oracle, he and Cindy would probably be at a loss.
Barbara's little face turned red as she somewhat misunderstood Su Ming's intentions, the imagination of a young girl leading her thoughts elsewhere.
"Could it be... he likes someone like me... But, I'm a cop's daughter, what do I do? Yet, he's actually quite dependable... But my legs..."
At her age, it's easy for thoughts to wander to that, especially with her and Su Ming's seemingly forbidden identities, making her heart race even more.
Now, he appeared precisely at Barbara's most helpless moment, though at first he brought her only fear, gradually, that fear evolved into a strange heart-pounding feeling.
This is what's described in psychology as the suspension bridge effect, where people in dangerous environments naturally develop a fondness for the opposite sex they're with.
It is an instinct genetically inherited for the preservation of human progeny; in ancient times, humans needed this instinct embedded in their DNA for lineage survival in adversity.
It might also just be a form of compliance psychology; a well-known phenomenon of compliance psychology is Stockholm syndrome, where in the infamous cellar case, the women kept captive for long ended up assisting their captor, also due to this type of psychology.
When a strong person holds absolute control over the life and freedom of the weak, any small acts of kindness are magnified infinitely in the weak's eyes, eventually leading them to admire and blindly obey the strong.
This phenomenon has led psychologists to propose a famous hypothesis—that humans can be domesticated, just like cats and dogs.
In truth, Su Ming had no such intentions; his mind was entirely focused on survival.
Just as Barbara was lost in fanciful thoughts and Su Ming puffed away contemplating his plan, Cindy returned, descending the spiral staircase with a giant roast turkey in one hand and a pot in the other.
"I found this ready-made above, but there doesn't seem to be any turkey-eating festival around this time, right? I don't get it. There's also some potatoes and onions and such, I've tossed them into the pot to boil, let's make do."
The three gathered around the metal table, beginning a uniquely styled dinner. Cindy was mildly curious about what Vico and Pete were rummaging not far off, but she couldn't be bothered, knowing Su Ming would handle it. Previous tasks were never this laid-back.
Her mind was already contemplating the means to keep Su Ming to form a team after getting through this global crisis.
Su Ming was right; without friends, business only narrows with time. For her own future freewheeling life, it was time to look for a partner.
Who would be the ideal candidate? Naturally, the Deathstroke from another world who cooperates with her seamlessly, Su Ming.