"Hey, have you heard about that?"
"About what?"
In the classroom, two boys were whispering to each other, their heads tilted slightly together as they leaned over their desks.
"A few days ago, the luxury cruise ship from Withers Shipyard, which is said to be the best in the country, was launched. I heard Director James wants to film his new work, The Maculage, on it, and he's currently negotiating with the people at Withers."
"Director James? I've seen almost all of his movies, but The Maculage is still a long way from being released. What does where it's filmed have to do with us?"
"You don't know, do you? I've got some inside information."
The boy speaking lowered his voice further, clearly enjoying the sense of importance.
"Director James wants to capture the genuine reactions of people stepping onto a luxury cruise ship for the first time, so he's decided to recruit a hundred ordinary people as extras."
"Wait."
The second boy widened his eyes slightly.
"From the way you're talking, you're not thinking of going to the audition, are you?"
"Hehe~ Of course I am. It's said the female lead has already been confirmed as that big star, Elena, and she'll be wearing the Hope Star necklace. I don't want to miss the chance to see her with my own eyes. Who knows, maybe I'll even get the chance to kiss her hand."
"Hey, man, I think you're dreaming a bit too big."
The second boy shook his head, though a hint of envy flickered in his eyes.
"If this news is true, the people going to audition will probably fill all of Gotham, and there are only a hundred spots. How could it possibly be our turn?"
"It doesn't hurt to try."
The first boy shrugged.
"It's not like anything bad will happen if we fail, and if we pass, we'll hit the jackpot."
"By the way."
The second boy hesitated briefly before continuing.
"That Hope Star you mentioned, is it the legendary Hope Blue Diamond? The stone of misfortune that's said to be even more terrifying than the Vanafor family's emerald. Setting aside how they convinced the Smithsonian Institution to lend it, isn't Elena afraid something might happen if she wears it?"
"Oh, come on."
The first boy rolled his eyes.
"I thought you were going to say something serious. You don't actually believe that 'stone of misfortune' ghost story nonsense, do you? Even a three-year-old knows those are just lies made up by collectors to boost a diamond's fame."
"Take Vanafor's so-called cursed necklace. Samantha has been wearing it close to her body this whole time. Have you heard of any accidents happening to her?"
The two grew more and more animated in their discussion, their voices rising slightly as excitement took over, completely unaware that a tall, dark shadow had approached their desk at some point and was now looming over them.
"Gentlemen."
A stern voice abruptly cut off their idle chatter.
"If you don't like listening to my class, you can go stand outside the classroom."
The boys stiffened instantly.
Then, a plump middle-aged female teacher wearing leather shoes and dark sunglasses stepped fully into view.
"Uh… sorry, sorry. We won't do it again."
The teacher stared at the two of them for a long moment.
So long that their hearts began to pound and sweat slowly beaded on their backs.
"Hmph."
She snorted coldly.
"I'll let you off this time. If I catch you talking in class again, I'll have you come up here and be the lecturers for this lesson."
The threat was delivered calmly, which somehow made it feel even more frightening.
With that, the teacher turned back toward the podium.
"Now, where were we…"
The classroom gradually returned to its earlier quiet.
At the same time, in a seat by the window in the back row, Darren Greer wore an expression of focused attention, as if listening carefully to the lecture.
His posture was relaxed.
His gaze was fixed forward.
Only his right hand betrayed him slightly as it casually spun a pen between his fingers.
The two students who had just been caught chatting were seated not far in front of Darren, so their conversation had reached his ears clearly.
"A luxury cruise ship. The Hope Star."
Darren repeated the words silently in his mind.
Sounds like a perfect stage.
The pen slowed, then resumed its rotation.
Just when I was wondering how to choose my next target.
It had been more than half a month since the Two-Face incident ended.
For some reason, Gotham had been unusually calm during that time.
No major crimes.
No sensational scandals.
Nothing worthy of headlines.
Neither good nor bad.
The city felt as if it were holding its breath.
During that period, Darren had been carefully selecting his next target.
He had visited several major museums in Gotham under various identities, quietly observing security layouts, guard rotations, and emergency protocols.
He had compiled a list of the most valuable treasures currently on display.
Originally, he had planned that if he still had not found a suitable target in another ten days, he would simply choose one at random from the list.
After all, with Kaitou Kid's current fame, even without deliberately chasing high-profile events, he could draw enormous attention just by using his name.
What Darren did not expect was that while he had been eagerly waiting for major news to appear, the world remained stubbornly quiet.
Yet the moment he lowered his expectations, he accidentally overheard something interesting.
It could almost be called ironic.
"Hm."
Darren's eyes narrowed slightly.
A famous director filming a new movie on a newly built luxury cruise ship.
And the female lead will be wearing a world-class diamond during filming.
No matter how much I think.. sounds like a perfect stage.
His pen finally stopped spinning.
Or a perfect trap..
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
In the seat next to Darren, Tim had also heard the whispers from the two students in front.
He leaned back slightly in his chair, resting his chin on one hand.
"It does sound like something that would attract Kaitou Kid."
Tim glanced sideways at Darren briefly, then looked back toward the front of the classroom.
"Assuming it isn't made up."
He paused for a moment, then added casually.
"I'll ask Dad later whether this is actually true."
Darren did not respond.
He continued to face forward, the picture of a diligent student.
Only his eyes reflected a quiet gleam of interest.
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