Chapter 839: Gotham Renovation in Progress (Part 1) (Patreon)

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The old employees led a group of chattering children through the corridors, and as Jason walked along the road, he couldn't help but notice that, compared to the apartment buildings, this place felt more like a hotel.

The dark gray floor tiles had a beige pattern, and every three meters or so, there was a giant potted plant. At the entrance of each room, there was a carpet, and every three rooms, there was a trash bin.

The ceiling was also adorned with intricate patterns, and the lighting was soft, creating a somewhat dim but cozy atmosphere. As they reached the end of a room, the employees reached out and pressed the nameplate on the door, revealing a name: "Jason Todd."

Jason approached without hesitation, gripped the door handle, and with a flash of light, the lock clicked open.

The old employee explained, "The materials used for these doors are highly advanced. As far as Gotham knows, no firearms can break through these doors, and the windows are the same."

Jason pushed the door open, and what he saw inside nearly made him gasp in surprise.

This place did indeed resemble a hotel, right down to the rooms themselves. Each room was small, only large enough for a single bed. However, along the wall near the corridor, there was a built-in wardrobe, and above the bed hung a painting. Across from the bed, there was a window.

The window wasn't particularly large, about half the length of the bed, but it had a cozy alcove, just big enough for Jason to sit in.

Looking out the window, he could see the streets outside that hadn't been renovated yet, along with construction sites in the distance. The view was excellent.

"Rooms at the corner have better views," the old employee said, adding, "Although the interior rooms might not have such a great view, they are more spacious, and some even have balconies, ensuring good sunlight."

Many of the children excitedly rushed into the room, and Jason didn't mind. Six-Fingered Sister even dashed in, saying, "Get out! Get out! Don't mess around in here, you might break things, and you'll have to pay for them!"

One of the children, feeling the softness of the bedsheet, exclaimed, "Wow, if I sleep on this, I'll never want to wake up..."

"This wardrobe is quite large; I should be able to fit a lot of things in it, but I don't have that much stuff to put in. Should I go find something?"

"Look! Look! There's a compartment under the bed; the bed can be pulled open, and there's a space underneath to put things..."

"Wow, you can even put things behind the painting!"

The children searched the room as if they were hunting for treasures. Despite its small size, the room was equipped with ample storage space, and even the headboard of the bed had hidden compartments.

Jason was also excited. He clenched his fists and muttered, "The cabinet on the wall can be used for storing books, and the space under the bed can be for clothes, but maybe it'll get a bit damp, so..."

The old employee heard him and chuckled, "You don't have to worry about dampness. The entire building has an intelligent ventilation system that regulates humidity and temperature, ensuring it's never too cold or damp."

The children erupted into cheers once again.

After leaving Jason's room, they continued down the corridor to the end. Ahead, it opened up into a bright area. Jason noticed that this building was actually cylindrical, with a hollow square in the center, somewhat resembling the structure of the Living Hell South District.

During the renovation of Living Hell, they had preserved some of the old wells, turning them into an entertainment square. Although it was small and didn't have great natural light, it provided a space for people to move around freely.

Here was no exception. Standing on a covered bridge, you could see the square below, paved with tiles and adorned with benches and a few pieces of fitness equipment.

In addition to that, every three floors had a crescent-shaped terrace jutting out from the building, providing more space for residents to enjoy. The western side of the building was not fully enclosed, as it would connect to other buildings.

After touring the residential area, all the children checked out their respective rooms. By now, it was already dark, but their journey was not over. The old employees led them to an elevator, taking them down to the ground floor of the building.

This level, which was level with the small square, served as the central hub of life. Small stalls, newsstands, and restaurants were all located here. It was clear that if there were future tenants, the children could find work here.

Gotham didn't have any qualms about employing child labor. Many children worked in restaurant kitchens or helped knead dough in bakeries. This place provided them with all the necessary employment conditions. Even with Gotham's frequently inclement weather, they wouldn't have to go outside to work.

This was Wayne's design philosophy for these types of buildings. In simple terms, it internalized the entire city, integrating living, commerce, and storage within the building, while also connecting communities through the architecture.

As a result, they had nearly infinite expansion space. As long as the technology supported it, they could expand upwards and downwards, with structures supporting each other and various functional areas complementing each other. This would transform Gotham into a continuously growing tree.

Bruce and Schiller were aware of the problems with Gotham's rain. Even without the Court of Owls, the rain here was far from clean, and it polluted many sources of drinking water, affecting underground water and the ocean.

However, once this three-dimensional architectural structure was put into use, clean water would become part of a complete system, ensuring that every resident's water supply was clean and reducing the risk of madness.

After exploring the ground floor, the old employees led the children to the rooftop. The rooftop's landscaping was not yet complete, but you could already see some park-like features.

Pointing to the ongoing construction site next door, the old employee said, "The building next door will be 16 stories higher than this one, and this garden will become both its terrace garden and your rooftop garden."

"All the plants here will be connected to a drip irrigation system, so you won't have to water them or take care of them. They will also provide fresh air."

As for the rooftop of the building with a different design across from them, it would serve as a shared high-level square to make up for the insufficient sunlight inside the building.

Just as they were discussing this, they heard some commotion downstairs and looked down to see that a group of gang members had gathered outside.

Some children expressed concern, saying, "Even if they don't come in, what if they block us in and don't let any vehicles in? How will we get food?"

"Don't worry. The transportation routes don't pass through the public roads. Right now, we have an underground transportation route, and there are two elevated bridges being constructed on the fourth floor of the building. Even if they wait out there for a year, it won't affect you."

"Currently, prices here are the same as outside because the renovation project hasn't been completed yet. Once all of Gotham's renovations are finished, prices will be intelligently controlled to ensure everyone has enough wealth to purchase basic necessities."

The children leaned on the railing, amazed by what they were hearing. However, they soon noticed that the gang members had their guns pointed at them.

Some of them took a step back in fear, but the old employee reassured them, "No need to worry. If they stay outside without opening fire, we won't open fire either. But if they attack the building with gunfire, the defense system will activate marking mode until they are subdued."

The children shivered, recalling the horrific injuries they had seen on those gang members earlier. They realized that these weapons only targeted the limbs of gang members and not their vital organs. But if someone took four or five shots to the legs and arms, they probably wouldn't survive. Even if they did, they would be severely incapacitated.

"In the future, the chip implants on your bodies will grant you different privileges, allowing you to access different areas. Everything is controlled by the system, and no one can interfere..."

"What if I want to move to a different house?" one of the children raised their hand and asked.

"You can apply for a change of residence at the sales office on the ground floor. You can choose any vacant residence, but if it's a different model from your current one, you may need to pay extra or receive compensation."

The children asked a flurry of questions, most of them about minor details, like whether they could have plants, what would happen if the plants died, whether they could have pets, or who would clean the bathrooms.

Afterward, the old employee led them to a recreational area, which was an indoor square that resembled a canteen. Each window was still empty, but people would move in soon.

Next to the canteen was a bathhouse. There were two bathhouses in the entire building, one for regular showers and one for soaking. The old employee explained, "The water here is recycled, so you don't have to worry. However, there is a limit to the number of uses. You can't come every day, or the recycling system won't be able to keep up."

Jason asked, "But how will they determine how many times we've come?"

"When you enter the door, the marker will be triggered, and the system will automatically record the time you enter. During the summer, it's once every other day, and during the winter, it's once every three days. If you come more frequently than the set intervals, you'll be stopped at the door."

The other children didn't seem to be too concerned about this issue, but Jason felt like he was being monitored. However, he quickly realized that he was being overly sensitive. These children were just happy to be able to soak in a warm pool, and they wouldn't care about being monitored or having cameras in the bathhouse. When survival was a constant concern, privacy became a secondary issue.

Jason could imagine that once these children adapted to this way of life, they would become accustomed to the city's model and eventually accept the concept of chip implants and their associated permissions.

But he didn't know if this was a good system in the long run. All he knew was that it was far better than the gang system. At least here, the children could survive and live well.

As night fell, Jason put on his uniform once again and stood in the rooftop garden, which was still under construction. Then, he heard a low voice behind him.

"Nice uniform. Did you make it yourself?" Batman asked.

"No, a friend of mine made it for me," Jason replied, looking down at his uniform. "Black uniforms do look cool, don't they?"

"I want to make a similar uniform for Dick, but I'd prefer him to learn to make it himself. Would you like to learn with him?"

Jason looked up and met Batman's eyes. "No, I don't want to learn because the uniform isn't what matters."

However, Batman's eyes shone brighter as he continued to gaze at Jason.

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 840: Ongoing Transformation of Gotham (Part 2)