Starting from scratch, Batman crushed my dream of getting rich

Chapter 396 Shauna, go and wipe out all those superpowered individuals.
Upon hearing Ma Zhaodi's words, Xiao Na's face showed surprise.

"You? But you don't look like it at all."

"Doesn't look like what?" Ma Zhaodi rolled his eyes. "Can't a cook have some hobbies? When will you all learn not to judge a book by its cover?"

“Ms. Xiaona, as a researcher who has achieved some success, I can assure you that the patented product that Ma Zhaodi presented is indeed enough to get your boyfriend out of prison immediately.”

Wells calmly explained, "While I don't know why a highly skilled chef would study aerodynamics and mechanics in his spare time, nor do I know why his level is comparable to that of a professional scholar, his inventions are indeed real."

Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin all nodded in agreement. When they received the gliding jet kite backpack blueprints from Ma Zhaodi this morning, they were even wondering if Ma Zhaodi had been kidnapped by some highly intelligent and educated criminal.

It's hard for them to connect a highly skilled roadside food vendor with a patent inventor possessing profound knowledge of physics, especially since Ma Zhaodi's gestures and speech have a very down-to-earth, everyday feel, and he doesn't seem like an old scholar at all.

But in truth, Ma Zhaodi was also secretly relieved, because this world didn't seem to have Gotham City, so naturally there was no Kite Man, which made the patent blueprints useful.

“But actually, we don’t necessarily have to use this patent to reduce his sentence.” Cisco examined the blueprints, feeling a pang of pity for Ma Zhaodi. He couldn’t help but say, “Being able to expose and report crimes, and assist in solving major criminal cases, is considered meritorious service and can lead to a reduced sentence. We’ve discovered that your boyfriend, Corey, has actually borrowed money from gangs in several central cities at exorbitant interest rates. We just need his help to catch some bad guys, preferably someone who can directly take down a few gangs—”

“You’re just reluctant to give up this patent.” Shawna looked at Cisco. “You think Corey doesn’t deserve to register it.”

“Hey, that guy cheated you out of your money to gamble, okay?” Cisco retorted instinctively. “I don’t even need to tell you, you should ask yourself, does that Corey really deserve it?”

Shauna fell silent.

She couldn't refute Cisco. Of course she knew Corey wasn't a good person. In fact, Corey wasn't even completely honest with her. It was just that she still liked him.

“It’s all up to you,” Ma Zhaodi replied. “I don’t plan to use this patent for any commercial products. The only difference is how your boyfriend gets out of prison. We can provide information on the patent or major crimes.”

After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Na finally sighed and said, "I'll go ask him this afternoon."

"no problem."

After receiving an affirmative answer, Shawna then asked, "Even now, I still don't know what you want me to do?"

“Oh, about that,” Ma Zhaodi replied, “Do you know how many super-powered criminals have appeared in Central City recently?”

Xiao Na shook her head in confusion: "You're asking me? To be honest, apart from the fact that many people in the city's bars have been getting into fights for no reason recently, and that they've all had their money stolen, I haven't really noticed anything strange."

“Shauna, what you described as ‘a random brawl’,” Dr. Wells continued, “is almost certainly the work of a criminal with superpowers.”

“You usually hang out in various bars in the city center,” Ma Zhaodi added. “You should know very well that these group fights are not normal—speaking of which, Cisco, do you have any video recordings of those bars at the time?”

“Barry went to Joe for it, and Joe said he would finish organizing the case files by noon and hand them over to him.”

“Wait, wait,” Shauna asked, “You haven’t answered my question yet. What do you need me to do?” “We need you to help us catch someone.”

Ma Zhaodi stated bluntly, "It's not just these inexplicable bar fights; the two recent citywide power outages, the fireball that streaked across the city last night, and you yourself—all these are superpowered individuals who have recently emerged. Moreover, we've confirmed that a very clever master thief is recruiting superpowered criminals as teammates. Central City is going through a turbulent time."

When he mentioned the Fireball, Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin's expressions all changed simultaneously.

"It's obvious that at times like this, we need manpower to protect the city and deal with those hordes of super-powered criminals who have suddenly appeared—superpowers would be the best, of course."

"Protect the city? Catch criminals with superpowers?"

Shauna was surprised that they would ask her to do this kind of thing: "Why would a thief like me do this kind of thing? What about The Flash? Isn't this usually his job? If you ask me, you'd be better off going to him directly instead of me. At least he'd be willing to do the work without needing any benefits."

Hearing this, Barry coughed awkwardly: "You don't have to make it sound so stilted."

"I'm afraid the Flash won't be able to appear right now, at least not in the short term, Ms. Shauna."

Wells explained calmly, “We have indeed made contact with that speedster, but according to reliable sources, he fought a super-powered criminal during last night’s blackout and temporarily lost his powers. It will probably take several days for him to recover—but I’m afraid Mr. Snart won’t wait that long.”

“Snat?” Shawna frowned. “That incredibly skilled thief with the freeze gun? The guy who stole the diamonds from the museum the other day?”

"That's right, that's the guy who's planning to form a team of super-powered criminals. Fortunately, he hasn't managed to recruit many people yet."

"But my only ability is teleportation, how am I supposed to fight those guys?"

Shauna's mindset shifted slightly: "I'm just a petty thief, and I don't even know how to fight. How could I possibly deal with those guys you're talking about?"

"The ability to teleport is already enough to deal with quite a few guys."

Ma Zhaodi laughed and said, "Don't underestimate yourself. You are one of our trump cards. Even though Snart already knows about your existence, with our help and Dr. Wells training you, you are still capable of dealing with other super criminals who are unaware of your abilities. This is called 'first-meeting kill'."

"Never mind, I've already agreed to it anyway."

After a moment of silence, Shawna sighed: "I have to go now, to see Corey at the prison—don't worry, I'll be back this afternoon to help you with that... ability training and tactical design."

“No problem.” Wells drove his wheelchair up to her and extended a hand. “It’s a pleasure working with you, Shauna.”

"It's a pleasure to work with you."

(End of this chapter)