085. Ugly Grandpa's Ranks Swell

Su Ye never imagined he would encounter the Joker under such circumstances.

Without the slightest warning, the man appeared just like that.

The moment they met, Su Ye almost struck without hesitation, ready to unleash a blast of Fire Punch and send the Joker off to meet Heath Ledger.

Well, that was just a fleeting impulse, never realized.

No matter how wicked the Joker might be, what he despised were the systems and institutions of another country; what he wished to destroy belonged to others. As a foreign student, Su Ye had no right to interfere in another nation's affairs, right?

He couldn't act like those shameless old witches, poking their noses into others’ business and treating the act of testing boundaries as a stepping stone for their own advancement.

As long as the Joker didn’t provoke him directly, Su Ye wouldn’t do anything to him recklessly, even though he had promised Gwen to help her father catch the Joker.

When Su Ye entered the bar, the Joker was cheerfully sitting at the counter, chatting with Dongjo.

“Honestly, your look is a bit too exaggerated. That scar at the corner of your mouth—did you glue it on with a mold? It looks like it was actually cut open and stitched back together,” Dongjo remarked.

“Your makeup artist must be amazing. Please introduce them to me someday; I’d love to try a more alternative style myself.”

As he spoke, Dongjo rapped on the bar.

“With a getup like that, I have to buy you a drink today, no matter what. Xiao’er, a round of pain relief!”

Joan, who was tending bar as a part-time bartender, shot Dongjo a glare. “If you can’t say things right, don’t say them at all. When Ye says something like that, it sounds bold and hearty, but from you, it just has the air of a Japanese officer.”

Dongjo was a Muay Thai expert, but in truth, he was Japanese—so the officer vibe fit.

Despite her words, Joan still mixed a drink and handed it to the Joker.

From the moment the Joker walked in, both Joan and Dongjo recognized him. His makeup was identical to that of the bank-robbing Joker from a few days prior, making it highly likely he was that dangerous character.

Why would someone like this come to the Muse Bar? Was he just here for a drink, or did he have other intentions?

If he was here to cause trouble, the fighters wouldn’t be intimidated. They’d already taken on aliens like Loki without hesitation—if they hadn’t gotten drunk afterward, they’d have gone after the Destroyer too.

To these fighters, the Joker was just a weakling, barely stronger than a regular person, with a combat power of at most six—just a step above cannon fodder.

But if he simply wanted a drink, there was no reason to turn a customer away.

Because of Su Ye, everyone felt little hostility toward the Joker who had robbed an American bank. In fact, they were happy to buy him a drink.

Dongjo’s toast wasn’t to the Joker’s makeup, but to his audacious challenge to the law.

Those who dare to charge at windmills—you may not like them, but you have to respect their courage, don’t you?

After all, those windmills belong to someone else.

The Joker was no fool. In fact, his intelligence was remarkable—so much so that he could run circles around all the city’s police and even Batman, keeping everyone frantically scrambling after him.

He even possessed a certain ability to see through people’s hearts—not a superpower, but pure intellect.

So at first glance, he knew Dongjo had recognized him. At the same time, he felt assured of his safety.

That sense of security didn’t come from the knife in his hand or the grenade under his suit, but from Dongjo’s gaze—a look that said, “Hey, brother, I know what you did. Not bad. Well done!”

The Joker accepted the drink. Dongjo himself piqued the Joker’s interest.

With his sturdy frame, solid muscles, bold personality, and a dramatic expression, Dongjo was just the sort of person the Joker would love to recruit as a loyal, biting watchdog.

“Thank you,” the Joker said in a low voice, downing the drink in one go.

Setting down his glass, the Joker prepared to chat with Dongjo and see what he could glean.

The Joker hadn’t chosen the Muse Bar at random. He had heard rumors—though not widely reported—about the fight between the fighters and Loki, which piqued his interest.

While the Joker was highly intelligent, he still needed others to carry out his plans once they were set.

To him, these fighters might be excellent operatives: the sort of people who could fight hard but whose brains were mostly muscle, easy to manipulate.

Dongjo’s behavior confirmed his theory.

The Joker believed that if he could engage them in conversation, he’d quickly extract key information and exploit their human weaknesses to take control.

If they were willing to talk, of course.

The problem was, Dongjo wasn’t in a hurry to chat.

“Straightforward!” Dongjo laughed as the Joker downed his cocktail, then slapped the table and called out, “Waiter, two more drinks—make them depth charges!”

There are many ways to make a depth charge, but the basic idea is a large glass of low-proof liquor with a shot of high-proof dropped in. You don’t feel much at first, but the effect hits you hard later—often too late to stop it.

The Joker frowned slightly. He sensed that Dongjo’s intentions weren’t as simple as just sharing a drink; the man seemed to have something up his sleeve.

But who cared?

If you think you can get me drunk, you’re mistaken. Alcohol only makes me more clear-headed.

The Joker picked up the depth charge offered to him. “To this beautiful city!”

Dongjo raised his glass as well. “To this beautiful country!”

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

The two shouted in unison, downed their drinks, and set their glasses down, grinning at each other as if they were old friends.

From a distance, Su Ye glanced over, waved to Joan, and then headed to a booth.

Letting Dongjo and the Joker get acquainted wasn’t such a bad idea.

Dongjo had the personality of a hot-blooded shonen protagonist—righteous, forthright, impulsive, a touch melodramatic, easily swayed and incited, and immensely strong. He was just the kind of lackey the Joker would be interested in.

And the Joker’s schemes, full of danger and excitement, were perfect for someone like Dongjo to get caught up in.

For someone like Dongjo, who loved excitement and a good fight, the Muse Bar was a bit too small. With so many fighters gathered here, it almost felt like a waste of resources. Letting him out to cause some chaos might not be a bad idea.

Who knows—he might bring a surprise to New York.

In other words, letting this well-off fighter join the Joker in giving this beautiful country a tribute seemed entirely logical.

As it turned out, Su Ye’s guess was accurate. After a few drinks, Dongjo and the Joker were soon draping their arms around each other like brothers.

“Dongzi, do you like this city?” The Joker, his wild aura subdued, now appeared calm and sharp.

Dongjo shook his head. “Like it, my ass! My grandmother was—hic—done in by American soldiers back in the day…”

“Then let’s give this city—no, this country—a corrective operation together!” The Joker grinned.

Dongjo thumped his chest. “Boss Joker, just tell me what to do. I’m with you all the way!”

(Whether you like it or not, the Joker’s arc won’t get much focus. Just a bit of transition…)