The Mayor was still working hard at two jobs to make ends meet—yet still hadn’t received any salary—while her workers could lazily slack off, pocketing this grey additional income.

The woman with short black hair moved nimbly between workstations, skillfully avoiding everyone. She pulled down her wind goggles to cover her eyes and leapt up at a corner, effortlessly curling her body into the ventilation shaft above. Silently and swiftly, she crawled above the “slacking” workers, getting a clearer view of their activities through the vent.

“We know you’ve been working hard, your wife is ill…” [Gatekeeper (Bought by Catwoman)] patted Worker No. 1’s shoulder, “Iceberg Pharmaceuticals pays well, but it’s still not enough.”

Vivi: …Pays well?

She listened further.

“But,” Worker No. 1 choked, “Lisa wouldn’t agree with what I’m doing…”

But the title above your head already suggests you’ve agreed to do it. So, what exactly is Catwoman asking you to do?

Vivi opened the panel of the three men. Indeed, they were still green names, indicating that not being hostile to the Mayor didn’t mean they couldn’t pose a threat to her (Mayor’s) assets.

Worker No. 2 spoke up, “Just leave a door open for that woman and hand over the key to the second door to her… Do you guys really think there’s anything worth stealing in a chemical plant? It’s all bulky materials, and if we don’t agree with her, none of us will have an easy time.”

Their panels showed that they were residents of Crime Alley.

[You have received a side quest: Catwoman’s Purpose]

[Catwoman is eyeing your property and plans to infiltrate tonight. Find out her purpose.]

[A chance to activate this side quest while completing the “Main Quest: Gotham Underground (Part II)”]

Is it a side quest that gets activated during the main quest? Vivi had wondered if playing as “BB” would hinder the progression of the game’s main storyline, but it seemed she was on the right track, so this quest was a must.

She returned the way she came, not alerting the three men. When she reappeared, Joe was on the phone.

Joe, looking resigned, said, “I’ve explained the reason for the lost body to Commissioner Gordon. Of course, the responsibility is mine. We should have taken the body back first. Where did you go, rookie?”

Vivi scanned his panel of attributes, then decisively closed it.

She said, “I’ve gathered some information. So, what’s next for the case?”

The man frowned, “Ever since the gargoyle turned into a living creature, this case… it’s out of our hands. There must be a super-powered individual behind this, but only the two of us have come into contact with the body, so we’ll assist MCU in their investigation.”

So the case was handed over to MCU after all, with only a chance to assist in the investigation.

Vivi pondered, “What if the case is related to people like Black Mask or Catwoman?”

Joe, sharp as ever, asked, “What did you find?”

Vivi relayed the information she had overheard to the NPC. With his vast experience, there was no need for her to handle this matter herself.

Joe thought deeply, “It might not be the same case. GCPD has been dealing with Catwoman for nearly ten years, and Iceberg Pharmaceuticals doesn’t seem like her typical target. What’s Catwoman’s goal?”

They had already left the sweltering workshop, now standing beside their own battered car, missing a door, with a dented hood.

Vivi was also curious about Catwoman’s goal.

Since it was related to the main quest, was it connected to the East End…?

Vivi boldly opened her panel and searched for the keyword “East End” in the [Records].

The secretary would compile and report the progress of the main quest to her, though Vivi didn’t always check.

[After discussions… a press conference was held… starting with the sewer renovation project in the East End… the East End has the lowest terrain, according to the blueprints, the ground level must be raised first…]

[The original plan was to employ residents of the East End for the work, temporarily relocating them, but as soon as this news spread, it faced strong opposition… cars entering the East End were stolen…]

[The plan is temporarily to blockade the East End, with discussions ongoing.]

Additionally, Shelk’s report contained a suspicious line: “Would you like to take this opportunity to clean the ‘trash’ out of the ‘house’?”

Vivi: “…?”

She read it twice and understood the metaphor: “house” referred to Gotham, and “trash” to the people of the East End. Even with the blueprints, Shelk doubted whether Vivi genuinely wanted to improve the living conditions of the lower class or was taking this opportunity to rid the East End of petty thieves, bandits, and those hiding there who were mostly protected by Catwoman.

If a civil servant like Shelk thought this way, Vivi knew without thinking, that Catwoman must have misunderstood her.

“But I guessed there might be misunderstandings when I saw the description of the main quest… so I had Shelk hire as many original residents as possible…”

Obviously, this approach failed.

Vivi was speechless.

An evil thought crossed her mind: Why not just do as Catwoman thought?

Most East End residents were from the lower class, with over eighty percent having petty theft habits. Abandoned children there often learned to steal from a young age, with no chance to rise in society as they grew, evolving from petty thieves to bandits, rapidly becoming fodder for Gotham’s gangs like Black Mask.

If she wiped out the East End, her reputation would definitely plummet towards devilish, but the collateral damage would actually be less than 20%… But Vivi, remembering Worker No. 1’s words, fell silent again.

“So why make NPCs so lifelike…”

If they were just pixel characters, she could have conquered Gotham in under a month, and in two, she’d be President.

With Gotham’s abundance of talent, would conquering America be so difficult?

She messaged Shelk, giving the names of Workers No. 1 and 2 and the Gatekeeper: “Fire these three guys tomorrow morning, then conduct a thorough background check on all employees, applying for aid funds for those in need.”

She reluctantly opened the 【Business Investment – Charitable Funding】 module, transferring half of the public account money into it.

In addition to the funds invested in buying materials for Iceberg Pharmaceuticals, the public account’s balance wasn’t looking too good at the moment.

Vivi’s personal account was quite wealthy, but it was more of a reserve fund. Compared to the limited-use public account, her more flexible private account was more reassuring. If possible, Vivi wanted to save this money for future needs.

Like right now—

【Coin Shop · April 21】

【Stray Animal Rescue Area (Sign), Price: 40,000 Gold Coins】

【A beautiful city often meets the requirements of harmonious coexistence between humans, animals, and nature. The little animals are also residents of your city. Within three kilometers of the sign, humans and animals can coexist harmoniously—you might even have a chat from time to time.】

【How to use: Nail it to the wall.】

【Cat Medal, Price: 50,000 Gold Coins】

【Cats and dogs often exist as family members in the city. This medal can only be awarded to outstanding cats, and in everyone’s recognition, he or she must be an excellent cat.】

【Seems useless… but maybe the cats will be happy?】

【Human-shaped Standee, Price: 30,000 Gold Coins】

【Standees are often used as promotional props. Quality is guaranteed by the store. In others’ eyes, the standee placed there is like a real person… but once touched by hand, the nature of the standee will be revealed.】

【The standee doesn’t move, but you can set its image and expressions, with five expressions to switch between freely.】

Seeing the Coin Shop’s offerings for the past two days, Vivi was sure that the system had secretly raised the prices after noticing she had made a profit.

Where did those few hundred or thousand gold items go? Why are they now priced in the tens of thousands?

The developers are really too much!

Despite the obvious money trap, Vivi, an all-in player, swept up today’s items, considering the possibility they might not be refreshed again.

“What are you daydreaming about?” Joe waved his hand in front of her, “Alright, we need to go back.”

“What about Catwoman? Aren’t we going to deal with her?” Vivi asked, puzzled, “What does MCU say?”

Joe sighed, “MCU says we don’t even have a body now, so this case has been deprioritized. They’re investigating a drug trafficking case and can’t spare people… Of course, if we want to investigate, we can do it ourselves.”

Vivi pondered, “Catwoman…”

“Catwoman only steals things,” Joe glanced at her, “We can warn the employees here to be vigilant. Do you want to arrest Catwoman?”

He sighed, probably thinking that Vivi had that typical “rookie’s ambition to do big things”—which was normal, considering she was a fresh graduate from the police academy, always full of energy.

Joe thought for a moment, “I can provide you with some tools, but I won’t join you. Rookie, I need to go home to my daughter.”

“What if I find the murderer in the homicide case?” Vivi said from behind him.

“Then that’s your credit,” he waved his hand, “Who let the MCU not come at all? But big talk doesn’t always become reality; it’s actions that count.”

An hour later, Vivi was squatting in a convenience store at a nearby gas station. She had acquired tools like 【Handcuffs】【Telescope】【Master Key】【Tear Gas】【Strong Flashlight】, all “borrowed,” as Joe said she wasn’t eligible to receive them yet at her current level, being a rookie and all.

Vivi bought a bag of bread and, upon leaving the gas station, manually nailed the adult-palm-sized silver sign to the exterior wall of the station building.

She crushed the bread and scattered it on the ground. Ants, mice, and blue-backed pigeons flew over, quickly gathering a crowd. Vivi could occasionally hear faint conversations, though the ants could only express simple emotions, while pigeons and mice managed a few words here and there.

—So this is “occasionally having a chat”? Perhaps more intelligent animals can “chat” about more.

She removed the sign and returned to Iceberg Pharmaceuticals the same way. Joe had intended to alert the plant’s manager, but Vivi, using her Mayor’s identity, had already informed Shelk and told him to stand down.

She needed to lure Catwoman in to find out what she was up to. If she nipped the situation in the bud, the storyline would stall!

She unlocked the door and sneaked back to the same ventilation shaft. As dusk fell and the factory workers left, only a few people remained. Soon, the bribed Workers No. 1 and 2 also left. Vivi waited, playing a few rounds of a match-three game—thanks to the phone provided by the police.

She nailed the 【Stray Animal Rescue Area (Sign)】 inside the vent passage and looked at the map on her phone when it ran out of battery.

Vivi: “…Huh?”

She didn’t see Catwoman, but she did see [Robin][Spider-Man] and [Rat Catcher].

Why were these three together?

Rat Catcher was surely Sheila. What was she doing in the factory? Her position wasn’t with the other two, suggesting they weren’t together.

Robin, Batman’s ally and a vigilante, might have noticed Catwoman’s actions and come to stake out. But why wasn’t Batman here?

And Spider-Man… Vivi’s eyes sparkled. She remembered this guy still owed her money!

Catwoman… where was she?

Vivi suddenly remembered something: “When my earrings were stolen, the system alerted me that Catwoman excels at disguise—”

The system map only displays professions, not names. Catwoman might not have used her Catwoman identity to enter here but disguised herself as an original worker to infiltrate.

Vivi frowned and looked straight down:

The vent’s iron slats were long and narrow. She raised her hand and pushed the flat human-shaped standee down from the vent.

Then, Vivi chose to change the standee’s appearance to someone she had never seen but had heard of.

You’re the one—

Batman!