hotmtlnovel Chapter 4131 When the Pumpkin Ripens (3)
Chapter 4131 When the Pumpkin Ripens (3)
Chapter 4131 When the Pumpkins Ripen (Thirteen)
The Grayson Theatre Company's thank-you performance was a great success. Instead of their usual plays or Shakespearean productions, they presented a series of small-scale productions written, directed, and performed by the actors themselves. Most were Halloween-themed, including children's adventure stories, traditional Halloween legends, and various regional Halloween customs. It was suitable for all ages and had no viewing barriers. The actors even occasionally came down from the stage to interact with the audience, creating a lively atmosphere.
The main universe's Batman only glanced at the performance occasionally, spending most of his time looking at the tablet in his hand. Arrogance turned to look at it, then asked, "Are you working on something related to programming?"
"I'm sorry, Doctor, I know I should be focused on the performance. But some of the questions Lex Luthor raised regarding the maintenance of Brainiac's underlying protocol procedures are indeed worth investigating. Also, many of the automated systems in Krypton's machinery need maintenance..."
“I bet you’ve never had a peaceful Halloween,” Greed said. “Does anyone ever come to your house for candy?”
“Of course. Alfred prepares a lot of candy every year, and the children in the community love to come to him asking for it. But I rarely greet them in person. Autumn is a good season for scientific research.”
"On Halloween night, we'll be hosting a dinner party about our new food factory products and our research on growth plants. Would you like to come?" Arrogantly asked.
"Research findings?" The Batman from the main universe finally looked up and said, "So those three giant pumpkins in the backyard weren't a coincidence?"
"Of course not. A naturally grown pumpkin this big wouldn't even be able to bite into a cow," Greed said, clearly experienced. "A pumpkin this big and so juicy must be the result of mutation. I'm really envious of your place having the Green of All Things. We've put in so much effort to create magical plants, and they're still not entirely suitable for everyone..."
"So, this is Ms. Aisley's masterpiece?" the main universe Batman asked again.
“You could say it was a coincidence,” Arrogance explained. “Pamela made the plants so big just so they would hit people harder. But Brainiac terminated her research on the plants that hit people, so she could only further improve the flavor based on the results of her research on the enlarged bodies.”
"I'm more curious about why she wanted to study plants that cause injuries."
“Gotham wasn’t safe at first, so she needed some means of self-defense. But later it might have been purely to deal with those environmentalists, so that when they accused her of harming plants, the plants could jump up and punch them.”
“Very…creative. So how was the result?”
"Plants that can hit people? Although many kinds have been studied, the one that actually hurts the most is cabbage. And according to her research, the cabbages from the Kent family farm have the best fighting ability..."
"No, I mean enlarged plants."
"As you can see, they are all very large and retain their flavor very well. I've heard that the results with potatoes and corn are even more impressive. However, if you're interested in this, it's best to ask her directly; I don't know much about botany."
Do you think it's possible for a seed from this universe to survive in another universe?
"Pamela's modification of the seeds is probably based on magical principles, and whether the magic of this universe can be used in other universes should mainly depend on the Green of All Things. As long as you can reach an agreement with him, it should be possible."
“Looks like I’ll have to ask Poison Ivy when I get back,” the main universe Batman said thoughtfully. “While I may not be able to solve the global famine, I can at least improve Gotham’s agricultural environment. Even if it’s not on natural land, just growing some of these plants in greenhouses could greatly alleviate the survival pressure on the poor.”
“The Pale Knight shares your idea. He pre-ordered a lot of seeds at the beginning of the project, and Poison Ivy from their universe is also helping him. They've set up an experimental field, and we should have results soon.”
The main universe Batman nodded, then said, "When I was wandering around the city earlier, I saw a fence set up on the beach. Did you guys set up a marine ranch?"
"No, that's our seaweed farm. We don't allow people to get close because Atlanteans maintain it there, and their magic might affect humans. Arthur is in charge of that area; you can talk to him."
"Is he here too? Is he downstairs?"
Arrogance wasn't entirely sure either, so he texted Gordon downstairs and quickly received a reply: Aquaman and his wife were there, watching the show. So the main universe's Batman went down too.
After showing off his engagement ring and fiancée, Bruce disappeared without a trace. Arrogance guessed he probably went backstage to find Selena.
The performance lasted about three and a half hours. Near the end, the organizers gave everyone gifts: a basket of Halloween-themed candy, a witch's hat, several random Gotham-themed souvenirs, and tickets to different shows.
Tickets were randomly selected, including musicals, children's plays, and Shakespearean dramas. Arrogance happened to draw a children's play, so he decided to go down and exchange his ticket with someone. Many others hadn't drawn their desired merchandise or tickets either, so they all gathered down there to exchange theirs.
This is also one of the organizers' methods of diverting the crowd; otherwise, it would be easy for something to go wrong if so many people were pushing and shoving together to get out.
This proved to be a very wise move. Shortly after, a scream came from backstage, followed by a plump woman running in, shouting, "My daughter! My daughter is missing!!"
A commotion erupted. Gordon quickly pushed his way through the crowd and asked, "What happened to your daughter? When and where did she disappear?"
“She was backstage. Her cousin is a member of the theater troupe, and I took her over to get an autograph. But just as I turned around to chat with someone, she suddenly disappeared. The actors backstage all said they hadn't seen her…”
"Quiet, quiet!" Gordon shouted. "All parents, keep an eye on your children! Stay in the theater and don't move!"
The Gothamites, having seen their share of big scenes, quickly regained their composure. The main universe's Batman stepped out from the crowd and whispered, "There are no car lights in the backstreet; the criminal didn't have time to get out."
Upon seeing him, Gordon paused for a moment, but quickly realized: the main universe Batman was implying that the incident might have been deliberate, and the killer hadn't gone far. He immediately pulled out his walkie-talkie and ordered the police to cordon off the streets.
Barry had already vanished in a flash of golden light. He circled back and forth on the front and back streets several times, but found nothing suspicious. So he returned and told Gordon, "They're either still hiding in the theater, or they've gone into the sewers."
Bruce and Selena arrived as well. Hearing this, Bruce went outside to check the sewers, while Selena jumped onto the roof. They searched the area but found no clues.
Soon an officer arrived with a police dog. Gordon asked the mother, "Do you have any baby items?"
"Of course, but they're all in the little bag she's carrying. The rest are at home; is it too late to go back and get them now?"
Gordon was troubled. He vaguely remembered the woman; she seemed to be the head of the parish where the theater was located. But her house was about six miles away, and by the time it would take to go there and back, the killer would have been long gone.
"Candy," said the arrogant voice from the side, "Did your daughter eat the candy I brought?"
The woman exclaimed as if suddenly realizing something, "Yes, she ate two and got lemon sauce on her clothes. I didn't have time to wipe it off, and she smells strongly of lemon!"
Gordon rushed into the crowd, asking if anyone hadn't eaten candy. Immediately, a parent produced a chocolate ball they hadn't yet eaten. After breaking the chocolate open, the police dog sniffed the inside, sneezed, but quickly began searching the theater.
“Remember what I said before? That chestnut tree didn’t just grow this big recently. If they planned this years ago, there’s a good chance there are spaces in the theater we don’t know about.”
“It should be underground,” Gordon said. “I remember this theater has a basement, but it’s dark and damp and rarely used. I’ll go ask the theater company director.”
The person in charge of the theater troupe was Mr. Grayson, Dick's father. After thinking for a moment, he said, "We originally wanted to use the cellar as a warehouse, but the environment there is just too bad. There is a lot of ice around it, the temperature is too low, it is also difficult to retrieve things, and very few people go near there."
"Can you take us to the entrance?"
Mr. Grayson led the police officers and their dogs along the way. The dogs soon began barking wildly in front of the small door. Actually, even without the dogs, an ordinary person could smell a very faint lemon scent.
The most lingering lemon flavor doesn't come from the juice, but from the peel—a slightly bitter, refreshing taste that clashes with the cellar ambiance. Greed's chocolate balls, however, use a large amount of lemon peel, resulting in a rich and long-lasting flavor.
The group followed the smell and opened the cellar door; it was indeed very cold inside. After circling around, the main universe Batman looked up at the chandelier above him, then pointed to a spot on the ceiling and said, "Dig this up. If there are no wires, there must be a passage about three feet above."
Although Gordon didn't understand the underlying principles, he knew it might be related to electrical wiring. He trusted Batman unconditionally in this regard, so he had someone bring a shovel and started digging into the ceiling above him.
After digging, no electrical wires were found. Then the main universe Batman pointed to another spot and said, "Dig this way, the passage should be above."
Before two shovelfuls had even been used, a pile of dirt collapsed, revealing a dark, empty hole above everyone's heads. The police dogs started barking again, and Gordon cursed.
“I’ll go in,” Selena said. “I’m good at navigating tight spaces like this. Give me the flashlight.”
Bruce was a little worried. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything. He just walked over, picked up Selena, and carried her into the hole. Then he said, "Be careful."
Selena nodded, used her hands and feet to support herself on the cave wall and climbed up. She hadn't gone far when she turned a corner, and then there was no more sound.
Bruce was pacing anxiously down below. Suddenly, a loud shout came from inside the cave: "Get out of the way!"
Then came a man's scream and a child's cries. A few dozen seconds later, Selena jumped out of the hole, shoved the blood-stained dagger back into the bandage on her thigh, clapped her hands, and said, "Not bad, you haven't lost the basics. Get someone to bring them out."
Gordon quickly had someone widen the opening and then brought the man and child out together. The man was quite small, only about 1.6 meters tall; at first glance, he looked like a large child, but he was actually an adult man. Selena had slashed open his stomach, and his intestines were spilling out. Fortunately, the child was unharmed, except for being a little frightened.
The crowd cheered, while Gordon rushed the man to the hospital. Barry stood on the street, watching the ambulance drive away. He looked at Gordon and said, "He's one of the kidnappers. I have no mistake."
"I remember there was a boy in the previous three cases who was kidnapped after a school party. It seems they're good at taking advantage of the chaos. We need to be more vigilant these next few days."
Barry nodded and said, "I need to get someone to investigate where this tunnel leads. This isn't something that can be dug out in a day. I have a feeling this is going to be a big case."