Chapter 882: Meeting the Mayor
"Is there any way to get to Holy City from Gotham City?"
Zhou Huai changed the subject so quickly that Eliza was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening.
One second they were discussing higher-dimensional laws and the Sacred Tree, and the next they were asking about transportation to the Holy City. Facing this being who could easily annihilate a level 70 powerhouse, Eliza dared not be negligent and respectfully answered after gathering her thoughts.
"Yes, sir, that was true before."
“In the past, the magic trains operated by the ‘Steam Gear’ guild could traverse most of the Federation and go directly to the Holy City. It was the safest and fastest mode of civilian transportation in the Federation.”
Eliza looked somewhat helpless.
"But as you know, sir, the entire Free Federation has recently been thrown into chaos due to the rumors of the old Holy Lord's fall. All the major powers are vying for territory, and the Steam Gear Guild has already announced a complete shutdown of all its magic trains in order to protect itself."
"What about the teleportation array?"
Zhou Huai habitually tapped the armrest of his wheelchair.
“There’s no teleportation array in Gotham City that leads directly to the Holy City.” Eliza shook her head. “The Holy City is the absolute core of the Holy See and the Holy Knights. To prevent surprise attacks from external enemies, the spatial laws around the Holy City are extremely compressed, and ordinary teleportation arrays simply cannot establish coordinates. The only way to get there is to rely on the three-star military airships used exclusively by the Holy See and the Holy Knights.”
"A military airship?" Zhou Huai raised an eyebrow. "Why don't we just steal one?"
Eliza was startled.
Stealing the Vatican's military airships? In the Free Federation, probably only this person would dare to say it so casually.
"Sir, military airships are under extremely strict control, and given the current chaotic situation, all the airships are holed up inside the defensive lines, making it difficult to find one..."
At this point, Eliza suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right! Sir, there's actually another way!"
"Oh? Tell me about it."
"The mayor of Gotham City we mentioned before, Bruce Wayne, has several private airships under his command!"
Eliza spoke faster.
"The Wayne family is incredibly wealthy, practically monopolizing more than half of Gotham City's industries. Their private airships are even of a higher grade than the Vatican's military airships!"
“I remember it very clearly. One of them was a four-star luxury magic airship. When Bruce Wayne became mayor, he flew around Gotham City in that airship. It was a really cool sight, and everyone in Gotham City saw it!”
"Is that so?"
Zhou Huai pondered for a moment.
Bruce Wayne? A four-star private airship? Interesting.
“Alright, then let’s go and have a talk with Mr. Wayne.”
Zhou Huai made the final decision.
Two minutes later, a strong wind howled.
Zhou Huai and Eliza rode on dark gold high-ranking griffins, taking off from the devastated hillside manor of the Yalige family.
On the lawn of the manor, the woman who had been transformed from a branch of the Origin Sacred Tree and bore an uncanny resemblance to Zhou Huai's mother stood silently. She gazed at Zhou Huai's departing figure, remaining motionless for a long time.
She didn't know if this young man could stand up to Mr. Duan, but she could sense that he possessed the ability to break the rules.
"This time... can we really do it?"
The woman spoke slowly, then shook her head and turned to walk back to the villa.
Griffins swiftly traverse through the clouds high above.
Eliza leaned out and pointed to a building in downtown Gotham City below, shouting, "Sir! That's it! Wayne Tower!"
Zhou Huai looked down.
In the chaotic downtown of Gotham City, amidst magical explosions, stands a dark gray skyscraper. Soaring into the clouds, its exterior a blend of high-strength alloy and magical glass, it stands out with a futuristic, sci-fi aesthetic against the backdrop of the surrounding dilapidated civilian buildings.
The most eye-catching feature is the huge "W" logo on the top floor of the building, outlined by magical neon lights, which is still dazzling during the day.
"This style really shows the perverse tastes of the rich," Zhou Huai thought to himself.
As the griffin approached, Zhou Huai sensed energy fluctuations in the high-altitude area above Wayne Tower.
That was a high-level defensive formation, imbued with a fierce killing intent; any unidentified flying object that intruded would be instantly annihilated. This mayor clearly didn't welcome anyone entering his territory from the air.
Zhou Huai had a thousand ways to break the formation, but considering that the core purpose of infiltrating the Free Federation was to find his mother, it was best to keep a low profile before he was sure of success, so as not to attract Mr. Duan's attention.
"Go down."
Zhou Huai patted the griffin's neck.
The griffin obediently folded its fleshy wings, avoiding the high-altitude restrictions, and landed on the plaza surrounding Wayne Tower.
The square is paved with obsidian tiles, spotless, a stark contrast to the chaotic streets outside.
As soon as the two men jumped off the griffin, before they even got close to the revolving glass door, two bodyguards in suits strode over.
Both men were above level 50, wearing sunglasses and equipped with magical weapons at their waists. They warily sized up Zhou Huai and Eliza, especially wary of the high-ranking griffin. But being on Wayne Tower's territory, they naturally felt confident.
What brings you two here?
The bodyguard with a scar on his left cheek stepped forward, his tone cold and hard.
Zhou Huai, too lazy to waste words, got straight to the point.
"I've come to see Mayor Wayne."
The two bodyguards exchanged a glance. Many people wanted to see Mayor Wayne every day, yet this ordinary-looking young man, without even a formal invitation, demanded to see the mayor. Did he think this place was a marketplace?
The scarred bodyguard refused outright.
"I'm sorry, Mayor Wayne is currently busy and cannot receive guests."
Seeing this, Eliza was afraid that the two bodyguards would anger this killer.
She stepped forward and bowed slightly, saying, "Don't worry, sir, this is a small matter. I'll talk to them."
After saying that, she turned to look at the two bodyguards, adopting the airs of an aristocratic family.
“I am Eliza Aligo of the Aligo family.”
Eliza said calmly, "We have something extremely important to discuss with Mayor Wayne. Please make an exception and inform him immediately."
The scarred bodyguard chuckled after hearing this, brazenly looking her up and down.
"The Yalige family?"
He said with a sneer, "In the past, we might have given the Yalig family some face. But now, who doesn't know that your Yalig Manor was just razed to the ground by the Blood Wolf Gang today?"
"A fallen family that has been wiped out dares to come to Wayne Tower and put on airs?"
Another bodyguard joined in, urging them to get out of here: "Mayor Wayne is extremely busy and doesn't have time for you stray dogs! If you dare to cause trouble here again, don't blame us for being impolite!"
Hearing their mockery, Eliza turned pale and was speechless for a moment.
Zhou Huai stood to the side, somewhat impatient.
He came here to find transportation to the holy city and had no interest in watching the lowly security guards looking down on him.
"Alright."
Zhou Huai interrupted Eliza, who was about to argue.
He couldn't be bothered to waste his time on such insignificant ants.
Zhou Huai raised his hand.
"Smack."
A snap of the fingers.
The next second, the two bodyguards froze, their contempt vanishing and replaced by fervor and awe.
The two men bowed in unison, respectfully making way for each other: "So you are two distinguished guests. We apologize for our rudeness earlier. Please come in!"