Chapter 851: The Conclusion (Part 1) (Patreon)

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The narrative returns to the organization established under the company system. It's divided into departments such as Sales, Statistics, Distribution, and Field Operations.

"The Sales Department is responsible for approaching residents in nearby Phase 1, 2, and 3 buildings for sales. Some handle the combined sale of newspapers and milk, others manage errands, and some promote purchasing services for groceries and daily essentials."

"Children in this department typically possess good communication skills, and those who excel in sales help teach others how to effectively market their products."

"The Statistics Department is tasked with compiling the orders received. However, many children struggle with writing, so we've hired a university professor and two skilled adults to assist with order documentation."

"Children in the Statistics Department usually don't need to leave the building, making it suitable for those with physical weaknesses or younger children. Running errands within the building isn't too strenuous."

"After completing the orders, they are sent to the Distribution Department. Children in this department categorize the orders by type and location, then assign them to the Field Operations teams for execution."

"The Distribution Department doesn't even require leaving the office, so it's staffed by individuals with disabilities or those too frail to move around."

"On the other hand, the Field Operations teams are where the majority of children work. Previously, the young runners were all part of these teams."

"They come to the office each morning to pick up orders and then head out for deliveries, eliminating the need for one person to handle everything, from sales to order tracking, addresses, and recipients, which sometimes led to mistakes and missing payments."

"Additionally, the Field Operations are divided into three shifts: morning, afternoon, and evening. The morning shift delivers milk, newspapers, and breakfast items. The afternoon shift handles grocery and daily essentials purchases, while the evening shift runs errands, delivers mail, and other tasks."

"This way, almost every child in the Field Operations teams gets half a day off to attend school."

Copperpot raised an eyebrow and asked, "There's a school here?"

Jason nodded, saying, "It's on the 5th floor, but it's not a traditional school. Wayne Group provided a bunch of books, and older children help the younger ones read. Occasionally, professors from Gotham University drop by, but they're not full-time teachers, so they can only spare an hour or two to encourage the children."

"Furthermore, there's a daycare center on the 7th floor for the youngest children, where dedicated individuals help them practice spelling."

Jason shrugged, saying, "With improved efficiency, everyone has more time for other activities rather than spending their entire day earning money to fill their stomachs."

"When all these construction phases are complete, we won't even need to face the elements. We won't have to endure rain, sun, or wind; we'll just move around inside the buildings. There are even elevators for going up and down, which will free up even more time."

"I've heard it already. Three or four children expressed their desire to attend vocational college. After all, the business street near Phase 3 construction has already opened up, including car repair shops. It's just a 10-minute journey from their homes, an excellent employment choice."

Jason took a sip of water, paused, and continued, "What's even more heartening is that I haven't seen any abandoned infants since all the residents moved in."

"As far as I know, in the past two or three months, there have been around five or six mothers giving birth, but none of them abandoned their children. Two of the mothers are under 20 years old, and one even lost her husband, but they didn't neglect their children as before; they brought them home and took care of them."

Copperpot nodded, saying, "Indeed, in the past, there were so many abandoned infants because many couples didn't take precautions during their relationships. When they became pregnant and separated, lacking the funds for an abortion, they had no choice but to give birth."

"Many single mothers couldn't afford to support their children. In the month leading up to childbirth, their ability to work diminished, often resulting in job loss and homelessness, making it challenging to support themselves, let alone their children."

"Even if they insisted on raising their children, various unexpected events could lead to their deaths. It's better to find a place to leave them, as there was a high chance they would be picked up by gangs or street children and at least have a chance at survival."

Jason added, "Now, at least they have a stable place to live. The houses are weatherproof, the children are safe from the cold, and they are secure, with no need to worry about break-ins or theft."

After finishing, Jason sighed and said, "I hope these children who grow up with their mothers will have better temperaments and won't be like those wild children raised by gangs, always inclined towards violence."

Copperpot inquired, "Where did those children from the gangs go?"

"Many of our local mob bosses have died, and many gangs disbanded. After distributing the housing, everyone became neighbors, and there was no longer a need to fight over past grievances. Those kids are now employees of the Handyman Agency, although they still have a penchant for trouble."

"That's already quite an improvement," Copperpot leaned back in his chair. "The streets around the Iceberg Lounge, in Phase 5 and 6, are likely to be part of the renovation plan. I'm thinking of expanding our operations and potentially replicating this model for the children there."

The two continued to discuss the management model of the Handyman Agency, both realizing the other's exceptional abilities. Jason leaned more towards leadership and understanding people, while Copperpot was a business genius. They were in complete agreement and planned to expand this model throughout the entire East District.

Their discussion continued into the night. After it ended, Copperpot made another visit to the Iceberg Lounge and reviewed his business empire mentally.

However, at that moment, he received a phone call informing him that there was finally a burst of violence in the area where Savage was located.

At this moment, in the corridors of the South District of Living Hell, Savage bent to avoid an Agent's sudden attack. However, on the opposite end, a group of professionals had him cornered, blocking his escape route with gunshots, while three more Agents emerged from the elevator.

Savage found himself surrounded, but he still managed to identify an escape route. He seized the opportunity, darting between two Agents and evading the others, then leaped out of a window at the end of the corridor.

Below was a canopy, and Savage used it to his advantage, jumping to the balcony on the floor below. He navigated around the balcony's corner and descended from the other side.

However, as soon as he reached the ground, he noticed two cars speeding toward him. Instinctively, he thought it was a trap set by the Agents and quickly turned and ran in the opposite direction.

Unbeknownst to him, the occupants of the cars were ordinary Gang members, and the direction he was forced to take led to the North District of Living Hell.

The North District was different from the South in that it housed mostly Gang enforcers. Furthermore, Savage had tried to force his way through the door leading to the North District, and nearly everyone here knew him.

Seeing Savage rushing toward them, they assumed the peculiar man was attempting to intrude once again. Drums and firecrackers sounded, creating a noisy commotion.

During the Agent pursuit, Savage had managed to avoid injury. However, after he plunged into the North District, a stray bullet grazed his arm, and he was struck by flying debris from a rocket explosion, which caused cuts on his eyelids. When he spotted a tank heading in his direction, he made the quick decision to accelerate and leave the Living Hell area.

But this didn't mean the pursuit was over. More Gang members were stirred up, and children ran through the crowds, relaying messages. The Gang chasing Savage grew larger and larger, to the point where it seemed they might be mustering an army to confront the impending arrival of the Green Lantern Corps.

The entire East District was in turmoil, with everyone on the hunt for Savage, the odd man out.

Despite Savage's formidable combat skills, he was vastly outnumbered. It wasn't just the numerous armed Gang members pursuing him; even with an equal number of sheep, a demon's arrival would cause chaos. Savage had no intention of engaging with them and could only fight while retreating.

Bullets and artillery shells were indiscriminate, and as time passed, Savage's wounds multiplied. Unfortunately, Gotham was experiencing rain once again.

The cold rain washed over Savage's wounds, and before long, he began to feel it. His wounds throbbed as if infected, and this particular night's rain was unusually cold. When it landed on his forehead, it made his thoughts somewhat fuzzy.

With a "bang," Savage fell from a low wall in an alley. Glass shards from the shattered window had cut a long gash on his arm, causing it to bleed profusely. The pain was unbearable, and when he attempted to support himself, he lost his grip and fell.

Gang vehicles were closing in, and Savage clenched his fists tightly. Just as he was contemplating a last-ditch effort, a glimmer from a puddle caught his eye. A pair of hands reached out and pulled Savage into the puddle, or more accurately, into the reflection in the puddle.

"Are you okay, Your Majesty?" Mirror Master's voice sounded in Savage's ear. He said, "My goodness, you've lost a lot of blood; I need to stop the bleeding first."

"Quick, get me out of here!" Savage urgently said. "The Agents are after me, and those damn Gang members too. We need to leave this place quickly!"

"But Your Majesty, you're seriously injured," Mirror Master replied. "We should find a place to rest first."

"There's no time!" Savage gritted his teeth. "You said that normal people can't stay in the mirrored world for too long, right? We have to take this chance to move. If we stay here and go back to the same location, we'll still be surrounded!"

"Very well."

Mirror Master guided Savage through the mirrored space. During the process, he couldn't help but notice the increasing number of wounds on Savage's body and the rain soaking his clothes. It was clear that Savage was becoming disoriented, and in the rainy Gotham night, exposing his wounds to the rain would only make matters worse.

Mirror Master couldn't help but smirk, but within the mirrored space, he pushed open a door, leading them to a peaceful and quiet apartment room in the heart of the city.

"Your Majesty, Gotham is too dangerous, and you're injured again. You should rest here for a while before going back," Mirror Master suggested. "This is an apartment I rented earlier, and the lease hasn't expired yet. You can stay here for now."

"Where are you going?" Savage asked, looking at Mirror Master.

"I have to go back. Captain Cold and Piper are still in the hands of those Gotham people. I have to rescue them," Mirror Master replied, hands on his hips, sighing. "Those two professors from Gotham University are tough to deal with. I managed to escape when they weren't paying attention."

"But Captain Cold and Piper don't have the same abilities. If they are trapped too, then all your efforts will have been in vain. We need to withdraw our people at the very least!"

Savage let out a deep sigh, gazing at the bustling traffic outside the window, and for some reason, he felt an unexpected sense of tranquility.

At this moment, he was completely alone. The majority of his liquid assets and treasures remained in Gotham. The carefully selected subordinates he had nurtured were also left behind. Except for his injuries, he brought back nothing.

But at this moment, Savage felt strangely fortunate. That dreadful city was like a microcosm of the entire world's madness, and returning to the orderly society, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He thought to himself, "Well, at least I'm still alive. I can earn more money if it's gone, recruit more people if they're lost, and at least Great King Vandel Savage is still here."

A momentary setback was not permanent.

Savage looked at the night sky over the central city and thought, "Next time, when I return to Gotham, I will make everyone bow to the might of Great King, bringing them the deepest fear."

Meanwhile, in the office of Gotham University, Schiller flicked a few beads on his abacus and said, "Forcing him into a desperate situation doesn't seem profitable at all..."

"Let's allow him to return and recuperate for a while, fatten him up a bit more, and then we can slaughter him once again."

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

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 852: The End (Part 2)