Beneath the black market, there was a huge underground space. It was originally a hidden weapons depot built during the Civil War, but now it served as a storage site for smugglers.
The cars were stored down here, and they used a freight elevator to bring them up. The elevator itself was hidden inside a small shed, one that didn't look suspicious at all in the middle of the black market.
"This is the place." Liu A'dou wasn't going to use the elevator—there were guards there. Stealing a good car wasn't going to be easy, so he chose to go through an old, abandoned subway line.
In the pitch-black underground tunnels, stepping over rusted rails and hearing rats scurrying around, neither of them felt the slightest discomfort. Truly a thief and a spy—working together with no problem at all.
"You use this route often?" Ada asked.
"People only see the glamorous side of Kaitou Kid. They have no idea how much work goes into those brief moments of glory."
"You're such a clown." But Ada was genuinely curious about his line of work. "Still, for someone your age to have mastered such skills, didn't you ever think of doing something else?"
"Never. If you want to live an exciting life in this world, you have to take an unusual path," Liu A'dou said. "Besides being a thief, my biggest dream is to meet the superheroes of this world, chat with them, learn some tricks, maybe even steal a few of their things—like Superman's cape, Iron Man's armor, Professor X's wheelchair, Magneto's helmet, Spider-Man's suit, Green Lantern's ring, Wonder Woman's lasso, Captain America's shield, Thor's hammer, and Hulk's shorts."
"What's with the last one?" Ada didn't know much about Hulk, so she had no idea that his pants always magically survived his transformations—completely unscientific.
"These guys are all pretty powerful, huh? Mind telling me more about them?"
"Oh, I could go on for days about each one. A lot of them have fascinating backgrounds—some are aliens, some are gods from Asgard, others heirs to ancient Greek fortunes. I'll tell you all about them later. For now, we're here." Liu A'dou shone his flashlight at the wall. "Behind this wall is the smugglers' warehouse. I've been here before and left a little secret entrance."
Under the beam of the flashlight, Ada spotted a small hole in the wall. "You're not telling me this rat hole is it, are you?"
"Exactly. That's the one." Liu A'dou grinned. "It leads straight into the warehouse. Ladies first, or should I go?"
He was clearly hoping Ada would go first, his not-so-innocent thoughts practically written all over his face.
"You go first, of course." Too bad Ada wasn't about to give him what he wanted, and she gave him a look like she'd seen right through his dirty little plan.
Tch, busted. Of course she'd see through him—she was Ada Wong, after all.
Liu A'dou could only obediently get down and crawl in, hands and knees working together. Ada followed behind him into the tunnel.
The passage was long, the ground damp, and he had no idea what his hands might touch. But Liu A'dou wasn't afraid of rats, so he boldly moved forward. After about two minutes, he felt a draft coming from ahead, and knew they were close.
When they emerged, Ada found herself in a huge concrete structure. The old weapons depot had been renovated by the gangs, and now it was filled with luxury cars.
"Back in the day, the gangs used an old subway exhaust shaft, so when they broke through the tunnel walls, they could get in here through the vents pretty easily."
"No wonder the walls got smoother toward the end—it was a ventilation duct."
No need to say more—now it was time to pick the cars. But Ada still had a question. "How are we supposed to drive these cars out of here? We're underground."
"I've got it covered. First, let's pick our rides. Each of us gets one."
The cars here were all kinds of makes and models, but even under the dim lights, their polished surfaces still gleamed. Almost every famous luxury car brand in the world was present. Liu A'dou figured that with a playboy's taste, it's never about buying the best—only the most expensive. So, he picked a blue sports car.
Ada chose a red Jaguar F-TYPE, bold and flashy.
"Here's your key." Liu A'dou handed her the key like performing a magic trick, making Ada glance at him again. Looks like he came prepared—he must've set his sights on these cars a while ago.
"So, how do we get out of here now?"
"Getting in was hard, getting out's easy. I've already got everything set up. Just follow my lead." Liu A'dou smiled as he started the car.
Ada smiled slightly too. If Kaitou Kid said he was ready, then he must be. Without hesitation, she started her car as well.
The blue and red cars pulled out from their spots, engines roaring, tires screeching softly as they rolled toward the elevator.
Liu A'dou pulled out a remote, and the elevator began lifting the two cars upward.
Ada wondered, if they were going to use the elevator, why didn't they use it on the way in? Wouldn't this just expose them? But since this guy was a thief, he must have a plan, so she calmed down and waited to see what trick he had up his sleeve.
Actually, it was simple. This elevator didn't have to go all the way to the surface—it could stop directly at the underground parking garage level. Of course, the elevator door wouldn't open, but for Liu A'dou, opening a door was nothing.
"So that's the plan." Seeing the elevator stop halfway, and Liu A'dou get out to pry open the door, Ada could already guess his trick.
"This door was originally built by the building next door, but it's always locked. All I have to do is access the central system and unlock it, and we can just drive right out."
"You've really done your homework."
"Of course, how else could I be a proper thief?" Liu A'dou's hands moved like lightning, breaking into the building's system and unlocking the door—all in under 30 seconds.
No one would suspect two cars coming out of an underground garage. Just like that, they drove the stolen cars out of the black market without a hitch.
"All right, we've got our wheels. Time to move." Liu A'dou put on his mask, adjusted his clothes, and handed Ada a small radio. "I'll bring the virus out safe. Don't worry."
Another manor. It had to be said that the handful of tycoons in Gotham owned almost all the land. They had factories, banks—but at the core, it was all about land. Everything on their land was private property. These tycoons had been plundering land since centuries ago, and they still did. On their land, they built grand family estates as a proud declaration of their ownership.
"Bruce, my old friend, what brings you here?" The wealthy man was surprised. Bruce never visited, but showing up uninvited was just his style.
"It's been a while. Hope you don't mind me dropping by."
"Of course not, come in, come in!" The tycoon welcomed Bruce into his home.
Listening in on the radio, Ada was thoroughly impressed with Liu A'dou's performance. His voice acting was spot-on—good, strong, and convincing.