American comics farmer: start by adopting the villain savior.

Chapter 93 The Chronicles of Dio (Part 1): Entering Gotham Alone

"boom!"

Dio pushed the rusty iron gate of the school gate open with force, making a dull thud.

He was just about to step away from this place full of boring memories, but a hesitant and trembling female voice caught up with him from behind.

"Dior?"

He stopped and turned slowly.

Beneath the tall sycamore tree beside the school road stood a middle-aged woman wearing a floral apron.

It looked like she had been waiting for him here for a long time.

Sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting dappled, dancing light spots on her graying hair, but it couldn't conceal the deep crow's feet etched by time at the corners of her eyes.

He looks much older than I remember.

"Mrs. Green."

He nodded slightly, his voice calm and composed.

The dazzling golden hair drew a cold arc on the star on the side of her neck as she moved, like a blade in the sun.

This gesture is neither a greeting nor a farewell, but more like a glance at an old mailbox on the roadside that carries old memories but has long since become irrelevant.
Indifference, alienation.

"Dior!"

Mrs. Green seemed to muster up her courage and trotted a few steps closer.

The edge of a folded piece of paper was exposed from the apron pocket, and the words "Letter to Parents" were faintly visible.

Apparently, she was there to attend a parent-teacher conference for a student.

"It was you who saved the teacher back then, right?"

Her fingers unconsciously twisted the edge of her washed-out apron, and Mrs. Green's eyes were fixed on Dior's face, with a kind of long-suppressed exploration and gratitude.

"Teacher, this is me."

Her voice was very soft, with a barely perceptible sob, "I've been concerned about it for many years..."

Not paying attention to anything else, Dio's eyes just swept over the ring finger of her left hand.

The ring is still there.

It seems that the school bus crisis did not destroy her marriage.

"No."

Dio turned and pushed open the school door, causing the rusty hinges to groan harshly.

"Dior..."

The smile on Mrs. Green's face froze instantly, and a trace of hurt flashed in her eyes.

However, looking at the young man's back, which stood out in the autumn wind, standing tall and proud, she took a deep breath and suddenly raised her voice, shouting with an almost stubborn kindness and encouragement:
"Dio! Teacher actually...actually, I've always thought you were a good kid!"

"You must continue to work hard and be a good person in the future!"

call--!
Just at this moment, a bleak autumn wind blew by, picking up the withered and yellow sycamore leaves on the ground, swirling through the suddenly widened distance between the two people, making a rustling sound.

Dio's steps paused slightly at the moment when the wind blew and the leaves fell.

The sunlight that shone through the gaps between the leaves of his raised wrist had an almost transparent pale sheen.

The owner of the hand did not stop or look back.

He just waved it behind him casually and nonchalantly.

That gesture was like brushing off a non-existent, annoying dust from his shoulders.

However, looking at the familiar figure from behind, the loss and stiffness on Mrs. Green's face gradually faded away, replaced by a smile mixed with relief.

She shook her head slightly.

"This child... is exactly the same as before..."
-
Cebrelo Motorcycle Shop - Enjoy the fun of speed!
Motorcycle, repair, maintenance, cleaning and modification.

The neon sign on the glass door flickered with a slightly tacky light.

"jingle--"

Dio pushed open the heavy glass door, and the copper bell on the lintel made a crisp clanging sound.

A strong smell of motor oil mixed with rubber, metal and dust hit me in the face.

The store is not big, but it is packed with things:

The walls were covered with all kinds of brightly colored helmets and shiny spare parts; in the corner, several motorcycle frames were being disassembled and repaired, and wrenches, screws and oil-stained rags were scattered on the ground, making it look a bit messy.

An extremely burly, muscular, bald man was squatting next to a half-dismantled Harley, his thick arms bulging with muscles as he was struggling to tighten a bolt.

When he heard the bell, he raised his head suddenly and a surprised smile appeared under his thick beard.

"Dio! You kid!"

Cebrelo's eyes lit up, and his voice was so loud that it seemed like it had its own subwoofer, making the small parts on the shelf next to him buzz.

He dropped the wrench and stood up swiftly. He rubbed the oil stains on his overalls with his large, fan-like hands and strode forward, ready to give Dio a bear hug.
"I thought you forgot about my crappy shop!"

Frowning, Dio calmly took a step to the side, avoiding Cebrelo's passionate 'attack'.

The movements were so smooth as if they had been rehearsed thousands of times.

"Come on this,"

His tone was cold, his eyes already sweeping over the wall covered with helmets, "I'm busy lately."

Cebrelo wasn't upset when he missed, but instead laughed with his hands on his hips, shaking the roof so hard that it seemed as if dust was falling off.

"Busy? What could a little rascal like you be busy with? Are you busy trying to please the little girls in town?"

He winked mischievously, and his beard trembled.

Too lazy to respond to the boring teasing, Dio walked straight to the wall.

He casually picked up a black full-face helmet with several red lightning patterns on it, which looked quite flashy.

"Wow, you have good taste!"

Cebrelo came over and said proudly, "This is a limited edition. I saved it especially for you."

Dio glanced at him and asked coldly: "How much?"

Cebrelo waved his hand, looking generous: "Talking about money hurts our relationship! What's our relationship? Just take it and wear it!"

Dio snorted softly, but without hesitation put the helmet on his head and adjusted the strap at his chin.

Um.
Perfect size.

"You said you'd give me some oil last time, but then you turned around and raised the price for repairs."

"hey-hey!"

Cebrelo was exposed, but he was not embarrassed. Instead, he laughed even louder.

"I'm really giving it to you this time, as a thank you for teaching me that trick of cornering the drainage ditch last time."

After fastening the last buckle of the helmet, Dio's voice came out from the helmet, sounding a little muffled:
"My car?"

"It's in the backyard, it's ready for you!"

The burly man turned around and led the way through the maintenance area filled with spare parts, muttering non-stop.

"I happened to have some time a few days ago, so I retuned your engine. It's as smooth as new! The brake pads have all been replaced with high-performance ones, and the suspension is tuned to perfection! I guarantee you'll never want to get off this bike again!"

"Crench--!"

Cebrelo pushed open the creaking back door, and the setting sun poured in instantly.

As soon as you see it, you can see several motorcycles parked in the backyard, the most conspicuous of which is a black Harley
The car body has smooth lines and the metal parts shine coldly in the sun.

"How's it? Is it powerful enough?" Cebrelo patted Harley's wide, shiny seat proudly, like a craftsman showing off his masterpiece. "I even got a little surprise for you!"

Dio walked over and slowly paced around the familiar motorcycle, his sharp eyes finally falling on the tail end of the brand new exhaust pipe.

There was a small and exquisite chrome nameplate with two bold cursive letters clearly engraved on it -

DK.

"..."

Showing courtesy for nothing is either cheating or stealing.

Dio was silent for a moment, then looked up at Cebrelo, "You're helping with maintenance and repairing the car."

"When did you become so considerate?"

He even suspected that the old man had stolen some motorcycle parts.

Cebrelo scratched his head and chuckled, "I really want to learn how to turn a drainage ditch. Next time I go mountain running, can I?"

"You know what I mean."

Dio said nothing more, took a step forward with his long legs, and mounted the Harley nimbly.

The metal key was inserted into the lock, and with a gentle turn—"Boom!"

The engine immediately emitted a low roar, like a beast ready to go.

“It sounds good.”

Dio rarely praised him.

"of course"

Cebrelo's face lit up with a smile: "I put some good stuff in it!"

"Oh right." He suddenly remembered something and took a step closer, lowering his voice with a hint of mischief: "Your father... Mr. Locke, doesn't know that you have hidden such a big treasure?"

"Mr. Locke has been spending quite a bit in town lately, but judging from your behavior, it shouldn't have any impact on your family, right?"

Does it cost more in town?
Dio frowned. What does this mean? Are they all going to the poker game?

Forget it
In short, if Lao Deng knew about this car, his motorcycle would probably be driven under his butt every day.

Please refer to the mini tractor that Uncle Jonathan built for him. He basically didn't use it. In the end, it was Lao Deng who took Sarafir for a ride, and it was broken in the hands of the two of them.

Therefore, he secretly bought a Harley with the private money he had saved over the years and kept it with Cebrelo.

The owner is a nice guy...

Well, at least not until he convinced his opponent with his sheer speed advantage on Interstate 70.

We are 'very happy' to provide this free parking space.

"Okay, okay, when are we going to go for a ride next time?"

Putting on his helmet, Dio buttoned it up and turned around to say, "I've been busy lately, maybe next time."

Cebrelo was stunned for a moment, then reacted: "Then you still have time to nod, I thought you were going for a ride now?"

Dio was speechless: "It's just a habitual action of mine."

"Then what are you doing here today?" Cebrelo looked at him suspiciously. "Don't tell me you're here to steal the helmet?"

He started the motorcycle, and the roar of the engine drowned out Dio's answer: "I found a part-time job."

"Oh." Cebrelo moved closer. "Are you short of money lately?"

"is a bit."

"By the way, have you found the limited edition Harley I asked you to look for last time?"

"Yeah, I did ask, but the asking price is $100,000. Don't tell me you work part-time just to buy that car, right?"

"One hundred thousand dollars?"

Dio frowned slightly, "The one that cost ten thousand dollars?"

"."

"That's enough, kid."

"Let's not talk about a hundred thousand dollars for now. What part-time job can make you ten thousand dollars a month? Don't tease me, you little brat." Looking at the motorcycle that stepped on the accelerator and slowly slid forward, Cebrelo grumbled again, "You'd better tell me where you can work."

"Gotham."

The boy said this without even turning his head.

"Oh... Gotham..."

Cebrelo repeated unconsciously and nodded.

But the next second.
The expression on his face froze instantly, his eyes widened like bells, as if he had heard something from the Faraway Gotham!
It’s really possible to make $100,000 a month!

"What?! It's Gotham!"

He screamed in fear and quickly chased after him: "Dio, wait a minute! That place is no joke! Do you know how chaotic it is? Even the police don't dare go out alone at night!"

However, Dio had already ridden to the gate of the yard. He heard Cebrelo's shout, slowed down slightly, and looked back.

In the sunlight, his golden hair peeked out from the gap in his helmet, fluttering gently in the wind.

"Don't worry, I'm just going there to work." He said calmly.

"Work?! What kind of decent job can you get in a place like that?! I think you're crazy! Are you going to rob a bank for $100,000?!"

"Let's not talk about whether we can rob a bank or not. There are so many people robbing banks over there. Can you even stand in line?"

Cebrelo was so anxious that he stamped his feet and wished he could reach out and pull the car back.

Dio didn't answer, just waved his hand and then suddenly twisted the accelerator.

The Harley roared, and a faint blue smoke came out as its tires rubbed against the ground. The next second, the motorcycle rushed out like an arrow.

"Wait! Brat!"

Cebrelo gave chase, but Dio had already disappeared around the corner of the street.

This left him standing there, looking at the empty streets, and sighing helplessly:

"This child... is exactly the same as before..."
-
The nights in Gotham are never quiet.

Neon lights cast distorted shadows on the wet streets, and billboards flashed dazzling colors, reflecting on the flooded road surface like broken stained glass.

The air was filled with the smell of motor oil, rain, and some indescribable decay, as if the entire city was slowly rotting.

The sound of sirens in the distance was intermittent, like some kind of morbid wheezing, always chasing something but never catching up.

A faint sound of quarreling came from the alley, followed by a muffled sound, followed by a few indistinct curses and a flurry of footsteps.

No one would check to see what was going on.

In Gotham, curiosity is a luxury, often purchased for a bullet.

But in this sick city pulse——

The tearing roar of the engine came from far away, instantly crushing all the background noise!
A pitch-black Harley, like a ferocious beast breaking free from its restraints, rushed into Gotham at an almost insane speed.

The roar of the engine violently tore through the air, and the thick rear wheels spun wildly on the slippery road, scraping out a sharp hissing sound that made your teeth ache.

"Wow——!"

The car body passed through the narrow corner at a thrilling angle, with the edge of the tire almost kissing the ground, but miraculously maintaining precise balance.

It only left a ghostly black afterimage in the eyes of passers-by.

"Fuck, who's so crazy?"

A gangster leaning against the wall widened his eyes and dropped the cigarette in his hand to the ground.

"Mad?"

His companion grumbled, but his eyes couldn't help but follow the dark shadow.

In Gotham, those who are outspoken usually have two endings:

Either it disappears quickly or becomes a legend.

The rider in front of him clearly had no intention of keeping a low profile.
Under the helmet——

Dio narrowed his scarlet eyes slightly, and the corners of his mouth curled up in an almost happy arc.

The journey to Gotham on Interstate 70 was shorter than he had imagined, arriving in just two hours at full speed.

Of course, I had to refuel once during the journey, which inexplicably increased the cost of work.

"Tsk, the gas price in this crappy place is twice as high as Smallville."

He complained softly, but then he didn't care.

After all, the so-called Iceberg Club offers a very high salary, and if the so-called 'Black Gate Penguin C' wants to play tricks on him
Then he wouldn't mind letting this "bird lover" experience for himself what the "anger of an emperor penguin" means.

The car slowed down slightly.

Dio's sharp eyes swept across the Gothic buildings on both sides that looked like the ribs of a monster.

He felt a little strange. After such a fast speed, there wasn't even a single "fly" in uniform buzzing around to disturb him.

Gotham's law enforcers are on a collective vacation?
"boom!"

Along with a few buzzing sounds, he noticed the flashing car lights in the rearview mirror.

Several modified motorcycles were approaching him from different directions, the engine sounds low and dangerous, like the prelude to some kind of hunt.

"Oh~ So it's outsourced to a biker gang?"

With a sneer, Dio felt that the management of this place was outrageous.

"but."

"Fun before work?"

Dio whispered to himself, his scarlet pupils flashing with excitement in the night.

"That's... not bad."

(End of this chapter)