Chapter 793 - Deadly Joke (20) _1

Of course, the steak in front of Bruce wasn't a complete one, but scraps and trimmings. However, the quality of the meat was exceptional, clearly the type of high-quality beef often eaten by the wealthy.

The next dish served surprised Bruce even more — a pot of clam soup, two oysters, two large sandwiches, and even a small piece of cake.

Selina rubbed her hands together, saying, "The West Coast is great in all respects, except the food isn't as good as home…"

Then she picked up her fork, speared a piece of beef, and popped it into her mouth.

Watching her savor her meal, Bruce found himself growing hungry. He cut off a small piece of steak and, upon taking a bite, the rich broth and abundant fat exploded in his mouth. The intoxicating taste made him feel intoxicated.

This experience answered a question that he had puzzled for a long time, why when Catwoman first went to a high-end restaurant with him, she did not show a surprising expression when she tasted the extremely expensive steak.

But today, the tables had turned, Bruce thought. He definitely failed to control his facial expressions, because Selina was now watching him with a teasing smile.

Selina chuckled and said, "Don't tell me you think we eat garbage in the slums? That's not the case!"

"Gotham is affluent, we've known this for a long time. Although the civilians aren't rich, as long as the wealthy have money, we can benefit somewhat from it." Selina shrugged her shoulders before continuing with her explanation.

"Because the restaurants do good business and have large client footfall, they use a lot of ingredients. They can buy these at cheaper rates as a result. Thus, owners aren't too stressed about food wastage. The majority of people working in the kitchens are from the East District."

"The restaurant owners turn a blind eye, and the kitchen staff bring back scraps. But since there are many high-spending customers, there are a lot of these scraps. The chefs and helpers can't eat them all, so they sell it."

"Of course, these scraps can't compare to the main dishes. The price is much more affordable. The steak you're seeing here is left over from high-end restaurants. Don't you remember that when we order at those places, we only choose the best parts of the cow? A cow has a lot of meat. There will always be some left over."

"Furthermore, there are dishes that use the best part of the cow's meat, but only the prime parts. The surrounding parts are cut into smaller pieces. What you're eating is this kind of meat. Even though the quality is good, because it's fragmented, it can't be sold at a high price."

Bruce looked down at his plate, Selina was right. The beef in his plate was already in such small pieces, there was no need for further cutting. This kind of fragmented beef would never be served in any restaurant in the South District.

"The seafood here is all frozen. It's usually stolen by the drivers transporting cold chain goods. Delivery damage is expected for these products, so over reporting isn't concerning. That's why every driver wants this job, because it's an easy way for them to make a quick buck."

"Also, these vegetables you see are usually used as garnish. The patrons of high-end restaurants don't eat them. When the kitchen staff clean the plates, they keep these aside and sell them too."

Selina looked out of the restaurant window and snorted, "Don't be fooled by how bustling it seems outside, their ingredients aren't as good as what we're eating. Many restaurant owners choose to use subpar meat, grind it up, and turn it into patties. They add more sauce to mask its taste. That's probably what you ate, hence the food poisoning."

"Of course, these kinds of restaurants with good ingredients, besides needing connections, are also a bit expensive. Normally, I can only afford to come once a month. But, as I just got back, I'm considering this as a celebration."

Bruce listened to Selina's explanation while continuing to eat. It had been a long time since he had tasted something this good.

As Selina daintily ate her meal, she said, "I think you might have underestimated the people in the slums. Do you really think we're not aware of the wealthy exploiting us daily? If that's the case, why shouldn't we take more for ourselves?"

"Thank God for their extravagance." Selina clasped her hands together. "I wish they would waste more daily, like taking only one bite of their steak, and I wish their bags of rice and flour became infested with insects. Oh, I don't have to pray for that one. The warehouse managers ensure that happens, as they can easily afford the loss..."

While eating, Bruce contemplated. If it had been before, he would have reprimanded Selina for her words, deeming it as theft, and hence illegal.

Selina traced Bruce's bruised face with her fingers, saying, "You worry too much, darling. You seem to believe you're too clever, and we're too stupid. But in reality, humans have a strong ability to adapt."

"I was born and raised here, and I've never felt that there was anything wrong with it. You don't need to empathize with us for a month and then think we are pitiable. We're not pitiable at all. We're doing quite well."

"But those...." Bruce paused and said, "Those people living in basements waiting for death, relying on marijuana for pain relief..."

"People like that are everywhere, pain is indiscriminate." Selina lowered her gaze and looked at her plate, "If you look at Gotham's best hospitals, you'll also see a bunch of rich people who have the dosage of their morphine pain relief set to maximum. Aren't they also waiting for death?"

"Indeed, our medical facilities are poor, many patients could be saved if in wealthier areas, many injuries could be treated, but, if all were cured, and there are no job vacancies, wouldn't the healthy ones starve to death?"

Bruce had no retort, Selina looked at him and said, "Gothamites die young, either in accidents or drinking to death, but the more deaths, the more opportunities for others. You replace the deceased, and you too could die, everyone gets that."

"You see yourself as too tough, and us as too weak." Under the dim light Selina's eyelashes emitted a golden glow, mesmerizing Bruce, he heard Selina speak in a poignant tone:

"Death doesn't scare us, it's everyone's preordained destiny. From birth to adulthood, we have seen too many deaths. Because of that, we are far stronger than you who are rich. We don't like to cry huddled over a sickbed, nor do those lying on the sickbed like to hear us cry."

"The time is better spent having fun, or even just having a drink. I know, you think this is too frivolous, too unserious." Selina picked up her glass and brought it up to her mouth, "But in reality, we also feel you guys live too seriously, too solemnly."

Selina wiped some liquor from her mouth, and looked at Bruce and said, "I don't really want to bring this up, but have you realized that in the East, it's actually very usual for someone to not have parents."

"It's not only usual, it's actually quite fortunate. If you open your eyes at birth and find yourself abandoned in a house, your parents nowhere to be found, you should thank God."

Although Bruce had gotten used to a lot, hearing Selina say this still felt absurd. Selina on seeing his expression chuckled and said, "I knew you'd be surprised, but what I'm saying is the truth."

"Firstly, if you don't have parents, that means no one is there to abuse you, to force you to make money, to sell you to filthy places."

"If you are in a house, rather than on the roadside or a trashcan, that proves your parents still had a clear mind and, as long as you last until someone discovers you, you generally won't die."

"And if you are of clear mind, that's absolutely fortunate, because it proves you haven't inherited your parents' addiction to drink and drugs, you won't become an addict right at birth."

Selina shrugged, "Sometimes, I would rather be without a mother so I don't have to work in the rain to buy cat food."

Bruce sat in silence, Selina softened her voice and said: "Honey, it's been over a decade. Even if you are rich enough to grieve with no need to work, at this rate, you will only miss a lot more."

"You think I've done nothing?" Bruce asked.

Selina opened her mouth to speak and then looked away uncomfortably, "Umm... That's not what I meant. You have done some stuff... like… at the very least… you did write quite a few papers?"

"I am referring to Batman," Bruce stared at Selina who looked away again. Insistent, Bruce pushed on and Selina sighed, "Just as I suspected, I don't really know what Batman does…"

"From what I know, apart from walking with me, you stand at the top of buildings taking in the views. Ah, wait! You actually did something else! You installed tons of cameras and dug a hole on a suburban mountain, which resulted in an endless stream of papers…"

Seeing Bruce's increasingly unhappy face, Selina quickly tried to remedy the situation, "…Ah, wait! I remember now! Chief Gordon told me that the traffic light in the central roundabout was converted by you into a Bat Light. It's too bright, it scares me every night…"

"OK, another thing…" Selina's eyes darted around faster but it still took over a minute before she continued, "Some time ago, the paper published news about you. Someone was paying high prices for your picture, or even just some information."

Seeing Bruce looking increasingly displeased, Selina instinctively recoiled and said, "…Okay, to be honest, I actually considered it, but I knew you would be angry, so, I didn't do it."

"Let's not talk about this. If you're finished eating, why don't we go for a walk?" Selina started to act coy because she knew Bruce was upset.

However, unexpectedly, Bruce asked:

"How much do my whereabouts sell for?"

"Um…" Selina was hesitant, then said, "Five dollars for a piece of information…"

"Excuse me???!!!"