American Comics: The Strongest Villain

"Boom!"

At the moment of the gunshot, Su Sheng was thrown backwards. Despite his feet remaining planted, his body twisted into an odd angle, and he quickly leaned back, his right hand bracing against the ground. The bullet whizzed past his head. Simultaneously, his left hand shot inward.

"Infinite superposition, ten times."

A shot rang out, followed by an exclamation from inside the room.

With a slight shift of his arms and waist, Su Sheng performed a nimble roll, wiped the non-existent sweat from his brow, and said with a grin, "That was close. Gotham sure does keep things interesting."

He walked in, closing the door behind him, and saw a girl who looked around sixteen or seventeen. She seemed like a model student, but her hands were trembling slightly, and a pistol lay at her feet.

"Nice marksmanship," Su Sheng applauded. He had originally planned to find someone to test his reflexes against, but it seemed he wouldn't need to after all.

For a well-behaved girl to have such precise aim, even shooting at the exact moment the door was kicked open, Su Sheng could only admire Gotham even more.

"I don't have any money. This apartment isn't even mine," the girl stammered.

"That's alright. I'm just looking for a temporary place to stay," Su Sheng said with an interested glance. The apartment was small, with simple upper and lower floors, and nothing of real value, despite facing the street.

"Snap!"

Suddenly, Su Sheng spun around and fired at the door. The bullet grazed the girl's hair and penetrated the door, making her body go rigid.

"I didn't say you could leave!" Su Sheng smiled, looking at the girl who had turned around.

The girl took a deep breath and slowly raised her hand, still frightened. "I'm not leaving. You can do whatever you want, just please don't hurt me."

Su Sheng observed the girl with a smile that was both unsettling and oddly reassuring. In a daze, she reached out and caught something thrown her way—it was her gun. The girl's eyes widened in surprise. Why was he giving her the gun? Wasn't he afraid she would shoot him?

Instinctively, the girl aimed the gun at Su Sheng but hesitated to pull the trigger, her eyes wide with shock.

"I'm going to take a bath to wash off the bad luck. Just make sure no one comes in," Su Sheng said casually as he headed toward the bathroom, his tone as if he were speaking to an old friend.

The girl watched him enter the bathroom, stunned by the sound of water running.

Suddenly, shouts erupted from outside, and the door was forcefully pushed open. The girl quickly turned and fired.

Boom!

The bullet hit the intruder in the forehead, and he collapsed with a groan.

The girl, stunned and silent, moved the body to the door and shut it again, holding the gun tightly as she stared at the door.

In the bathroom, Su Sheng heard the gunshots and smiled, continuing his shower leisurely.

Afterward, Su Sheng emerged, towel-drying his body, dressed in fresh clothes from the washing machine, and opened the bathroom door.

In the living room, the girl stood poised with the gun, still on high alert.

Su Sheng approached, patted her shoulder approvingly, and reached out. The girl hesitated but eventually handed the gun back.

Su Sheng strapped the gun to his waist, adjusted the sofa to face the door, and took a seat. He gestured for the girl to sit down, and she complied, adopting a ladylike posture with her legs closed and hands resting on her lap.

"What's your name?" Su Sheng asked casually.

"Harley Quezel," the girl replied, still shaken and obedient, despite the recent violence.

Su Sheng studied her with narrowed eyes. The girl seemed too nervous to move, and he found her reaction interesting. Though she looked innocent and unassuming, her actions were far from typical. Who would give the gun back to a terrified girl after a burglary and ask her to guard the door while taking a bath? It seemed unreasonably risky. Yet, this was Gotham, and it only made him more curious.

Harley Quezel, meanwhile, was intrigued by Su Sheng. Growing up in a chaotic environment with a deceitful father and a controlling mother had made her yearn for understanding. She had delved into psychology to make sense of the world and the people around her, and Su Sheng's bizarre behavior only fueled her curiosity.

Seeing Su Sheng scrutinizing her, Harley Quezel spoke again.

"Don't hurt me. I'll cooperate with whatever you want."

"How about I call you Harley Quinn?" Su Sheng suggested with a smirk.

Harley Quezel was taken aback. She had expected him to do something unpleasant, given the dangerous nature of Gotham, but instead, he wanted to rename her?

"Why?" Harley asked, genuinely curious. "Why Quinn? Does it mean something to you?"