2202 Side Story: Fantasy Journey 43

Swoosh! Thump!

As expected, Barry fell down for the 25th time on the new track.

Too lazy to get up, he yelled from the ground, "No, I can't run. It feels like I'm being tied down."

Luke didn't respond.

"Bale?" Barry turned around and saw Luke looking at his phone with a smile.

Barry found that odd. "What's wrong? Did something good happen for you?"

Luke put his phone away. "Not for me, for you."

Barry: "Me?"

Luke said, "Let's wait. Bruce will come back and tell you the good news himself."

Barry: ???

If I tell you the good news in advance, how will Master Wayne 'tempt' you? Luke murmured inwardly.

Ten minutes later, Master Wayne returned.

He walked over to a restless Barry and handed him a folder. "I was too busy a few days ago to make it. This is a small gift to welcome you to the team."

Barry was really surprised. "Ah, thank you. What is it?"

Master Wayne smiled kindly and gestured for him to take a look.

Barry opened the folder and read the first page. He raised his head blankly. "An external consultant for the CSI? I never applied… Huh, you helped?"

Although it was a question, he already knew the answer.

However, he couldn't figure out what this 'small gift' was for.

If it were before, this would indeed be a good job, but Barry was still self-aware, and knew that he wasn't a good fit for a government organization.

Even if the CSI forensics department was more like tech support and a 'cleaner,' it was still under the government.

The light smile never left Master Wayne's face as he gestured for Barry to continue reading.

Barry didn't understand the smile, but Luke had already translated it in his heart — with money, you could do whatever you wanted.

Sure enough, after Barry lowered his head in confusion and flipped to the second document, his eyes widened and his hands trembled.

A few seconds later, he raised his head, his eyes red. "My father's case has been reopened?"

Master Wayne straightened up under his black coat and nodded calmly. "I donated a sum of money to the GCPD's cold case division, and they said that they could help."

If this was a comic, the Master Wayne in front of Barry at that moment wouldn't be black, but would have a golden light on his back full of $ signs.

Barry was touched, but also a little conflicted. "Is this… a bribe?"

As soon as he said that, he felt that it wasn't appropriate.

Who was Master Wayne? Did he have to bribe the GCPD? If he wanted to get Barry's father out, he could look for a prominent lawyer to apply for compassionate release on the grounds of illness and go through the perfunctory formalities.

Doing that might not cost as much as donating to the GCPD.

Besides, donating to the GCPD didn't qualify as a bribe.

Master Wayne smiled lightly. "If it were a bribe, I would've just told them to let him go. But now… the cold case division and the CSI are working together."

Barry was stunned for a moment. "You mean…"

Master Wayne said, "It's much easier to use the GCPD's resources to carry out an investigation than to look around on your own. Also, it will all be legal."

Barry got it and got excited. "Thank you, thank you, Bruce."

Master Wayne simply patted his shoulder. "Everything will be fine. Work hard." He then turned around and left.

Barry was excited for a long while before he calmed down. He turned around and saw Luke, who had started working again. "Hehe, Bale, I might not have much time to work on this later."

Luke didn't think much of it. "It's fine. I'll follow you to prison later."

Barry: ???

…

In Luke's black SUV, Barry finally couldn't take it anymore. "Are you worried about me?"

Luke started the car and set it on autopilot after putting in their destination.

Then, he took out a big paper bag from the glove compartment. "Sandwich – want one?"

Barry, who was a black hole when it came to food, didn't refuse. He took a sandwich out, peeled off the wrapper, and took a bite, before he said vaguely, "Actually, I'm fine on my own."

He just didn't like interacting with ordinary people; he wasn't an idiot.

Whether it was Master Wayne, Luke, or even Diana, they all treated him like a little brother.

Although it felt good to be cared for, it also made him a little embarrassed.

Luke said, "Bruce helped you with the paperwork. I should at least help out a bit."

Looking at Barry's conflicted expression, he didn't beat around the bush. "I used to be a detective, and I have some personal skills in cracking cases. It's been so many years since your father's case; you need some outside help to dig out some details that may have been overlooked."

Barry's mouth dropped open. "You? A detective?"

Luke chuckled. "If you don't believe me, I can use Diana's lasso to demonstrate when she comes back. I was indeed a homicide detective."

Barry was lost for words. He really knew how to talk! His father had been wrongly convicted of killing his mother!

Eating a sandwich himself, Luke explained casually, "Actually, I've read the file on your father's case. As long as we find a top lawyer and find a few loopholes in the police evidence, he'll be released in half a year at most."

Barry was conflicted.

Even if he thought that way, his father might not.

It wouldn't be a good thing for his father, who had lost his fighting spirit, to come out of jail labeled as a 'madman' 'suspected' of killing his wife.

It was like how a person was charged for rape, but was released due to insufficient evidence.

Most people who found out would still feel that this person could be a rapist.

Unless Barry's father was completely cleared of this charge, everywhere would be a prison for his depressed father.

"However, after discussing it with Bruce, we feel that your father deserves a clear explanation." Luke interrupted Barry's worries. "So, we'll have to trouble him and keep him in prison for the time being."

How could this be trouble at all, if it would completely clear his father of his criminal charge? Barry hurriedly nodded.

After he entered prison, however, he realized that he had underestimated the power of money.

The two of them sat on a comfortable leather couch. The captain of the prison guards stood next to them with a respectful and clearly attentive attitude. "Mr. Bale, are you satisfied with this private reception room? Do you want a cup of coffee?"

Luke didn't answer. Instead, he raised his hand to tell the captain to be quiet, before he waved at Barry, who was pretending to be his attendant.

Barry also had a serious expression on his face. He walked over to a table and placed an extremely high-end suitcase on it.

The suitcase had been scanned when they first entered, and there were no metal or suspicious items inside. The captain, who hadn't seen the scan, turned his head curiously.

In the end, Barry took out… a porcelain tea set, complete with the teapot.

Next was a thermos of black tea.

Lastly, there was a three-tiered tea stand.