manynovel Chapter 123 Bruce's Suspicion
Chapter 123 Bruce's Suspicion
The spire of Gotham Cathedral loomed faintly in the night, and Batman, like a silent statue, gazed at the seemingly ordinary warehouse in the distance. His cape fluttered gently in the night breeze, and his brow was furrowed beneath his mask.
"Alfred, I need all the historical information about that warehouse, as well as all the entry and exit records for the last three months." His voice came through the communicator, unusually somber.
"It's already being prepared, sir," Alfred said calmly. "However, I must say, you sounded more...worried tonight than usual."
Batman's gaze never left the warehouse: "They're not ordinary criminals, Alfred. That guy who called himself Chen Haotian, the way he looked at me... it was like he'd known me for a long time."
"Should we contact other members of the alliance?"
"Not for now," Batman rejected the suggestion. "I don't want to alert them before I figure out their true intentions."
At the same time, in his luxurious office on the top floor of Wayne Tower, Bruce Wayne was deep in thought, staring at his computer screen. The screen displayed the blueprints for the Arc Reactor technology provided by Chen Haotian; their ingenious designs far surpassed the current level of technology on Earth.
"Lucius, what do you think of these technologies?" Bruce turned to Wayne Enterprises' technical director, who was standing to the side.
Lucius Fox adjusted his glasses, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and bewilderment. "To be honest, Bruce, these design concepts are incredibly advanced. Especially the core structure of this reactor; it uses elements I've never seen before, yet its energy output efficiency is astonishing."
Bruce tapped the table lightly: "What would you think if I said this technology might come from another universe?"
Lucius paused for a moment, then laughed, "Another universe? That sounds like something out of a science fiction novel."
"But what if not?" Bruce stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. "Chen Haotian and his team appeared too suddenly, without any background information, yet they possess such advanced technology. Moreover, according to last night's surveillance footage, they seemed to be fighting... someone wearing a cloak."
Lucius's expression turned serious: "You mean Batman?"
Bruce didn't answer directly, but instead pulled up a blurry surveillance video. The footage showed several fast-moving figures and strange flashes of light.
"This footage comes from a surveillance camera in the East Side," Bruce explained. "Although the image quality is poor, it's clear that one of the people is using some kind of... supernatural ability."
Lucius carefully observed the screen: "This certainly doesn't seem like any known technology. Bruce, who do you think they are?"
"That's the problem." Bruce turned off the recording. "I've searched every database, and I can't find any information about them. It's like they just appeared out of nowhere in Gotham."
Meanwhile, in the warehouse's underground base, Chen Haotian was discussing the next steps with Tony.
"Bruce has started to suspect us." Chen Haotian looked at the Wayne Building in the direction of the surveillance footage. "Given his personality, he should be mobilizing all resources to investigate our origins right now."
Tony shrugged dismissively. "Let him investigate. He won't find anything anyway. We're from another universe; how could this world's database possibly have any records of us?"
Nick Fury walked over from the teleportation point, a hint of worry in his single eye: "Don't underestimate Batman. In my world, I've seen too many examples of people paying a heavy price for underestimating their opponents."
Chen Haotian nodded: "Nick is right. We must be prepared; Bruce won't give up so easily."
Just then, Chen Haotian's phone rang. The caller ID showed Penguin.
"Mr. Chen," Penguin's voice came through the receiver, "I heard that something unusual happened in the East District last night. Some of my men said they saw Batman fighting with some strangers."
Chen Haotian glanced at Tony and Nick, then pressed the speakerphone button: "There was indeed a minor friction, but it's been resolved. Mr. Cobblestone, do you have any suggestions?"
The Penguin chuckled. "In Gotham, being targeted by Batman isn't a good thing. But since you're my friends, I can offer some... protection. For the right price."
"Thank you for your kindness, but we can manage for now." Chen Haotian politely declined his suggestion. "However, I do need your help to keep an eye on Wayne Enterprises' movements, especially what Bruce Wayne has been investigating lately."
"That's easy," the Penguin readily agreed. "But I must warn you, Bruce Wayne isn't as simple as he seems. That man... is unfathomable."
After hanging up the phone, Tony asked curiously, "Why didn't you get the Penguin to provide protection? Wouldn't it be more convenient to have the local bigwigs backing you up in Gotham?"
Chen Haotian shook his head: "We can't rely too much on local forces. Remember, our goal is to establish a stable inter-universe channel, not to fight for supremacy in Gotham."
Nick Fury added, "Furthermore, getting too close to the Penguin will only deepen Batman's suspicions about us."
In Wayne Enterprises' laboratory, Lucius was conducting another round of testing on the Kryptonian fragments. Suddenly, the instruments displayed an unusual set of energy readings.
"Bruce, you'd better take a look at this," Lucius said via internal communication.
A few minutes later, Bruce arrived at the lab. Lucius pointed to the data on the screen and said, "This fragment is emitting a peculiar radiation, unlike any extraterrestrial material I've ever detected. Even stranger, this radiation bears a resemblance to the energy signature of the Ark Reactor provided by Chen Haotian."
Bruce stared at the screen: "Similarities?"
"Yes, although they manifest differently, their energy essence seems to originate from the same principle." Lucius pulled up a comparison chart. "It's like... different branches from the same technology tree."
This discovery further convinced Bruce that Chen Haotian's team was no ordinary organization. He immediately contacted Alfred in the Batcave: "I want you to focus your investigation on all the unusual astronomical phenomena that have occurred in the past three months, especially those theories that may be related to parallel universes."
"Parallel universes?" Alfred's voice was filled with surprise. "Sir, have you been too tired lately?"
"I'm perfectly clear-headed, Alfred," Bruce said firmly. "If Chen Haotian really comes from another universe, then their motives are likely far more complex than we imagine."
That night, Bruce Wayne reappeared in Gotham's night as Batman. This time, however, he didn't approach the warehouse directly, but instead set up an observation post on a high-rise building a few blocks away. Through high-powered binoculars, he could clearly see the movements around the warehouse.
"Alfred, I'm monitoring the target location," Batman whispered. "Notify me immediately of any unusual activity."
"Understood, sir. However, the Gotham Police Department just reported a bank robbery in the east end of the city, and we need your attention."
Batman hesitated for a moment: "Let Robin handle it. I have to stay here tonight."
Time ticked by, and the area around the warehouse remained quiet. Around 3 a.m., a black sedan silently pulled up at the warehouse's back door. Several figures quickly got out and entered the warehouse.
"Alfred, zoom in," Batman commanded.
When the image is zoomed in, it can be clearly seen that one of the people is holding a silver box with a peculiar symbol on it—a scepter entwined with a snake.
"That symbol..." Batman narrowed his eyes. "I've never seen it in Gotham."
Just then, his communicator suddenly emitted a piercing static, followed by the simultaneous failure of all the monitoring equipment. By the time the signal was restored, the black sedan had vanished, and the area around the warehouse had returned to its previous calm.
Batman quickly investigated the cause of the equipment malfunction and discovered it was a highly advanced electromagnetic pulse interference. This level of technology further confirmed his suspicions.
"Alfred, I need all the information about that silver box symbol," Batman said, his voice unusually serious. "I need to know what that symbol means, by any means necessary."
Inside the warehouse, Chen Haotian was inspecting the silver box that had just been delivered. Tony curiously leaned closer: "What's this?"
"A gift from another world." Chen Haotian opened the box, which was filled with strange crystals. "These are specially treated Terrigen crystals, which can help us better adapt to the energy rules of this universe."
Nick Fury frowned. "Where did you get all this?"
"Through some... intercosmic channels." Chen Haotian smiled slightly. "Don't forget, we're not the only ones who can travel between worlds."
Tony picked up a crystal and examined it closely: "The energy characteristics of this thing are very peculiar; it doesn't seem like a technological creation, nor does it entirely resemble a magical object."
"Because it comes from a world where technology and magic coexist," Chen Haotian explained. "Studying these crystals might help us solve the problem of incompatible energies between the two universes."
Suddenly, the alarm went off again. Nick Fury quickly walked to the monitor: "Batman's gone. Looks like he's not planning to take any action tonight."
Chen Haotian nodded: "He's observing and gathering information. That's exactly Bruce Wayne's style—cautious, meticulous, and not one to act rashly."
"So what do we do next?" Tony asked.
"Continue with our plan." Chen Haotian closed the box. "Establish a teleportation point and research inter-universe technology. But from today onwards, we must be more careful. Bruce has already become suspicious, and with his abilities, he will find some clues sooner or later."
Inside the bat cave beneath Wayne Manor, Bruce was analyzing the data collected that evening. Although most of the surveillance equipment had been jammed, some valuable information had still been captured.
"Alfred, I've discovered a pattern," Bruce said, pointing to the timeline on the screen. "Every time Chen Haotian's team engages in unusual activity, Gotham's energy field shows subtle fluctuations. These fluctuations partially overlap with the energy characteristics of the Krypton shards."
Alfred handed him a cup of coffee. "What does this mean, sir?"
"This means they might actually be involved with alien technology," Bruce mused. "Or... as I suspect, they don't belong to this world at all."
Alfred paused for a moment, then said softly, "If your guess is correct, then Gotham may be facing an unprecedented threat."
"Or perhaps it's an unprecedented opportunity." Bruce stood up and walked towards the Batmobile. "In any case, I must find out their true identities and purposes. Until then, I'll keep an eye on them."
In the night sky, the bat symbol lights up once more, and this time, Gotham's Dark Knight will face the most mysterious opponent of his career.