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Chapter 52: I Believe You Will Catch Phantom Thief Kid
"Mr. James? Mr. James? Are you listening?"
Inside the GCPD, Director James suddenly startled awake, looking across the desk at Gordon.
"Oh, I apologize, Commissioner Gordon. I've been dealing with the Weathers Group regarding the cruise ship loan for days and haven't rested well. I zoned out. Sorry, where were we?"
Gordon stared at him for a few seconds before repeating himself. "We were discussing the suggestion that you consider canceling the Gotham filming plan. If you're worried about losses from a sudden cancellation, you could transfer production to Metropolis. It's a short trip from Gotham and much safer."
"I appreciate you considering so much for us, but... I currently do not intend to cancel the shoot," James politely refused.
Any other city might have been fine, but Metropolis? If he hadn't been lucky enough to witness Superman fighting a monster with a skull for a head—where the monster sliced through an entire skyscraper with a single laser beam—he might have believed Gordon's nonsense about Metropolis being safe.
Half the destruction effects in Hollywood movies these days were based on real footage from Metropolis. Some lazy editors even spliced actual clips directly into their films.
"Please listen to me, Mr. James. Phantom Thief Kid has issued a notice, and the note was found on that cruise ship. Do you know what that implies?" Gordon spoke with gravity. "It means he has already breached the perimeter outside the shipyard once, leaving no trace inside or out. Perhaps it's inappropriate for a policeman to say this, but I hope you understand: Phantom Thief Kid is no ordinary thief."
"I've heard some stories about Kid. Rumor has it he never keeps what he steals. I figure even if he does take the diamond, there won't be any substantial harm." James wore an expression of indifference. "Honestly, I'm quite interested in his god-like magic skills. If I get the chance, I'd really like to hire him as a stunt coordinator."
"You must not think that way. It's true there's no precedent of him keeping stolen goods, but he doesn't always return them to the owner either. Believe me, he's just as likely to toss the diamond into a roadside trash can."
Hearing this, Gordon's face turned stern. "Mr. James, the Star of Hope was borrowed from the Smithsonian Institution. If it is stolen, regardless of whether it is recovered, it will likely be a significant blow to your reputation."
At these words, James's eyelid twitched involuntarily. Yet, he shook his head with a relaxed expression.
"It doesn't matter, Commissioner Gordon. I believe in the GCPD's capabilities. You will surely protect the Star of Hope. As for canceling the shoot, let's not consider that for now. We've already signed an agreement with Weathers; not filming here would be a serious breach of contract."
James gave a very reasonable excuse. In fact, he had another reason for rejecting Gordon's suggestion, but it was one he absolutely could not voice—especially to Gordon.
Seeing the man's firm resolve—and hearing him profess faith in the GCPD—Gordon couldn't very well continue dissuading him. As the Commissioner, he couldn't show a lack of confidence in his own department.
"In that case, we will do everything in our power to prevent Phantom Thief Kid from stealing the Star of Hope," Gordon finally promised.
"Thank you." James shook Gordon's hand.
...
"Quartz, Flame, Ocean, Breeze..."
Tim stared blankly at the sky, muttering incessantly.
"Hey!"
A voice suddenly rang in Tim's ear, snapping him back to reality.
"Tim, what have you been mumbling about since we started?" Darren, sitting next to him, asked.
At this moment, the two were sitting in a moving sedan.
"Don't mind him, Darren. He's definitely thinking about Phantom Thief Kid's notice. He's been like this for a long time," Jack said from the driver's seat without turning his head. "The kid is obsessed with Phantom Thief Kid these days. Every time a new notice comes out, he won't eat or drink properly for days thinking about it. The last person he worshipped this much was Batman."
"What! Worshipped? I do not worship Phantom Thief Kid—and I don't worship Batman either!" Tim jumped up in his seat upon hearing his father's words.
"Do you know you look exactly like a child throwing a tantrum after having their secret exposed?" Darren looked at Tim with disdain.
"Darren, if you don't have anything nice to say, you can just stay quiet."
Some time ago, while James was negotiating the cruise ship loan with the Weathers Group, the rest of the crew had been hiring extras. Yesterday, all extra roles had been finalized. The crew then contacted everyone, including special guests like Jack and the boys, notifying them of the pre-filming banquet on the cruise tonight. That was why Darren and Tim were currently in Jack's car.
Before sunset, the trio arrived at their destination.
After many days, Darren returned to the shipyard where the luxury liner was built. Only this time, he didn't need to sneak around; he walked in openly through the main gate.
At the dock, the ship's gangway was already lowered, and a long queue had formed. At the front of the line, a newly established security checkpoint was screening everyone boarding.
The inspection process was extremely strict. It involved searching personal belongings, recording fingerprints and facial recognition data, and even requiring passengers to forcefully pinch their own cheeks before passing.
"Apologies. I'm sure you've heard about the notice from Phantom Thief Kid. This harsh inspection is for everyone's safety. We hope you understand."
As soon as Darren's group arrived, a staff member came over to explain the situation. Even as special guests, they were not exempt.
Many high-status individuals disliked being searched; it gave them the illusion of being arrested or oppressed, triggering a stress response. Fortunately, neither Jack nor Tim had such hang-ups.
Tim was fine, but Jack had actually shared the mindset of other wealthy people in his younger years—holding onto goodness but harboring an inherent arrogance. That changed years ago when he and his wife were kidnapped while traveling by a super-criminal named The Witch Doctor. His wife was poisoned, and he was nearly left permanently disabled. If Batman hadn't rescued them in time, Tim might have become an orphan.
Since the Drakes had no objections, Darren naturally had none either.
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