The Phantom of the Opera (Part 2)

When you feel that something is abnormal, but everyone else says it is normal, do you feel like you're going crazy?

Batman is currently in this situation. As a relatively new Batman, his opponents are mostly gangsters or robbers. The most formidable opponents are either talented thieves like Catwoman or powerful mob bosses like Maroney.

Gotham at this point hasn't yet reached the level of the later Gotham Big Stage, so Batman is still a vigilante with a fairly normal mindset.

But one day, on this very night, he suddenly realized that he seemed to be surrounded by madmen.

A madman shoots a TV presenter dead on television, then raves about holding a show at the Gotham Grand Theater, and everyone around him thinks it's perfectly normal. They even buy tickets as instructed, including his ordinary Psychology Professor, the Godfather of Gotham, the priest, Gordon ...

It seemed that no one questioned this absurdity, which made Batman wonder if he had gone mad.

Humans have a herd mentality. When their attitudes contradict those of everyone else, very few people can choose to stick to their own beliefs. Although Batman is still unwavering, the strange feeling in his heart is gradually weakening.

Actually, if you think about it carefully, it's not absurd, because this is Gotham, Gotham has been crazy for a long time. It's just a little crazier now.

After getting their tickets checked and popcorn, the three headed to the performance hall. Gotham Grand Theater only has one main performance hall. When Schiller and his group walked in, everyone else was already seated. Besides Schiller's acquaintances, there were quite a few onlookers.

Below the stage was a group of television cameramen. Schiller lit a cigarette and went to chat with their boss.

"What? Why am I here? Of course, it's because someone hired me. Actually, even if he didn't pay me, I would still be happy to come and help, because he killed that most annoying host."

The head of the group of cameramen was a Big Beard. He took the cigarette Schiller offered him and said, "You have no idea how annoying he is. He's always causing trouble, and he makes it so that none of us can leave work on time."

"That green-haired guy is a bit crazy, but he doesn't seem very interested in money. A lot of people who want to buy tickets put money in the TV station's mailbox. That's several hundred dollars, enough for us to go on a business trip."

Schiller thought, it seems this Joker isn't entirely irrational, or rather, he understands people's hearts best.

The photographer pointed backstage and said, "It's not just us. He somehow managed to get an entire theater company's support staff. I heard they're from this old theater. He told them that the Gotham Grand Theater is about to be revived, and countless people will be watching tonight. So they're helping him prepare for the performance. Look over there, there's an orchestra over there..."

Schiller looked in the direction he was pointing and found that there really were people rehearsing.

Schiller wasn't particularly surprised, because he knew something about the Joker, but Batman was a different story; he was now genuinely starting to wonder if he was going crazy.

Why is it that in such an absurd situation, everyone behaves in a normal and orderly manner, and no one raises any objections?

Schiller returned to his seat and found Batman deep in thought. He said, "I told you before, Gotham is a book that can never be finished. There are new discoveries every day. Gotham is different every day."

"Recently, there have been a series of natural and man-made disasters, with roads cracking and buildings collapsing. Many people have nothing to do. When the logistics were renovated, almost everyone made a sum of money. If they don't squander it, what else can they do with it?"

"I think putting on a show would be a good idea, much better than a big party at a strip club, right, Evans?"

Evans sat stiffly in his seat and said, "Professor! Why didn't you tell me my father was coming? If I had known he was coming, I wouldn't have come! If he had seen me carrying a bucket of popcorn, I would have been dead!"

"Don't worry, your father should forgive your little mistake. After all, you're still alive, which is good enough."

That being said, when Falcone and caught a glimpse of his son, Evans hurriedly shoved the popcorn bucket he was carrying into Batman's arms.

Suddenly, a loud noise came from the stage, and a man in a purple tuxedo limped onto the stage, carrying a megaphone. He shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen! Look at me! Look at my new suit!"

He stretched his shoulders vigorously as if he had lice all over his body, twisted his waist from side to side, and said, "Damn it, the neckline is a bit tight. I shouldn't have listened to that salesperson; I should have bought a size up..."

"Okay, that's not important. I'm just a host. You can call me Mr. Jack!"

"Let me see... Oh my god! There are so many people! I'm so touched that you've all come to support me. Wait! Who's that? It's Batman!! It's Gotham's big star, Batman!! Let's cheer for him!!!"

As he waved his arms vigorously, the band made a commotion, and the people below cheered along with him, while Batman remained silent in the audience.

"You should stand up, bow to the left and right, and nod in greeting," Schiller told him. "This is a necessary part of the interaction between the host and the special audience."

Batman turned his head left and right, noticing that everyone seemed to be looking at him expectantly. But just as he hesitated, the Joker on stage shouted, "Alright, who else? My God! The Godfather of Gotham is here too!"

The Godfather did not stand up, but he stretched out One Hand and waved it left and right.

"As well as..."

The Joker seemed to choke suddenly, and said, "How do you pronounce that word again? Wait, uh..."

He rummaged around in his pocket, pulled out a small piece of paper, and said, "Professor Rhodey... Riggs!"

Schiller stood up, nodded to the left and right, and then waved.

"I hate this name, it's such a mouthful," the Joker muttered.

Then, regaining his enthusiasm, he said, "Welcome to the opening show of the Great Comedian Jack!"

"What did I say before? What was the name of this plan again?... 'The Owls Have Bad Luck'? No, no, no! I've changed my mind. That name is too tacky and doesn't suit me!"

"Now I'm going to call it— The Death of the Owls!"

As he spoke in a high-pitched voice, the orchestra began to play an opening piece. Instantly, the curtain behind him was pulled open with a "whoosh," and several lights focused on the center of the stage.

There were several hemp ropes hanging from the ceiling, with people tied up from head to toe hanging from the ends. They were men and women, old and young, but they all had one thing in common: they were wearing white bird-shaped masks.

The Joker took a strip of cloth and tied the megaphone to himself, which made his suit wrinkled and looked somewhat comical, but he didn't care at all.

He excitedly rushed into the band, grabbed a triangle, banged it loudly, and shouted, "Clang! Clang! Clang! The actors are on stage! Our main character has arrived!!!"

"Hey, over there, cameras, are you guys set up? You need to make sure the whole Gotham audience can see it clearly!"

The Big Beard gave an OK sign.

The Joker spun around, facing the group of victims who were tied up and suspended in mid-air by ropes, and said, "I bet you're all wondering how I found you?"

"Do you remember that charity dinner you held on Elizabeth Street a few days ago? I was the one who drove there to deliver the ingredients..."

"Which other day? Oh... it must have been about ten days ago, I don't remember, which restaurant was it again? That was me too, I'm a very hardworking driver, I often go to those places you guys frequent!"

"You thought you were hiding well?" the Joker laughed. "Owls without feathers are utterly pathetic. You can't hide anymore, hahahahahaha! All your feathers have been plucked out, you look as ugly as newborn ducklings, haha ..."

One of the bound men, whose mouth wasn't taped shut, shouted, "Impossible! We were clearly faking it..."

"You are heartbroken!" the Joker interrupted him, saying, "You put on an indifferent attitude, thinking you are no different from usual, but your hearts are bleeding, and I can smell the blood."

"What have you lost? What has thrown you into such disarray and heartbreak? Could it be... "the Joker chuckled, "Could it be money? Hahahaha!!"

"Hahahaha, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have laughed, but I really couldn't help it. You guys actually... you guys actually!!! Hahahaha, actually for money!!!"

The Joker was laughing Shang-Chi. He bent over, clutching his stomach, as if he was about to laugh himself to death.

Laughter erupted from the audience. Batman looked at Schiller, Schiller, as if suddenly realizing something, covered his mouth and said, "Oh, it's nothing. I just couldn't help it because it was really funny, especially..."

Schiller looked around and whispered to Batman, "... especially when you think about how all that money is in my pocket now."

The Joker gradually recovered from his Laughing Man. He noticed that the Owls he had tied up were all silent, and his smile hadn't faded. He asked, "Why are you all so serious?"

Isn't this funny enough?

After saying that, he asked the audience, "An organization that claims to be the rulers of Gotham! Actually... hahahahaha! A secret society that claims to Dark Existence, actually exposed just because of money, could this be... hahahahahaha!!!!"

Many people in the audience started laughing, which gradually turned into uproarious laughter.

The One who remained silent were Batman and the members of the Court of Owls on stage.

The members of the Court of Owls are feeling like Batman right now: are they crazy, or is the world crazy?

"Why can't we... you bunch of poor country bumpkins! Do you know how much money that was? It was a trap, we were being ripped off, we..."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" The Joker rushed forward and frantically pounded the member's head with the small iron rod he used to hammer a triangle. He said, "The person explaining the joke is the flaw in the perfect joke! Shut up!"

After a while, the Joker, panting, walked back to the front of the stage and said, "Alright, the opening ceremony is over, we're about to start the show!"

After saying that, he walked to the group of people who were hanging, tore the tape off their mouths, and said to them, "You should see that you are being hung at different heights..."

"And now..." the Joker said, stomping his foot, "There's a big surprise under the floor, just like the one I gave you before."

"From now on, the ropes binding you will slowly descend, and if anyone touches the ground, then... Boom! Hahahaha!"

"Of course, you also have a way to save yourselves. When a person dies, his rope will no longer fall."

"You should have already felt it. Your hands, which are tied behind your backs, are holding a button. When you press this button, one of you will die at random."

"And my audience!" The Joker turned around, raised his hands, and said, "Take out your tickets; there's a clue on them!"

He then said to those who were tied up, "Each of you can choose an audience member to ask a question, to guess who the button in your hand corresponds to, or who the button in someone else's hand corresponds to you."

"And then!" the Joker raised his voice, "Consider whether or not to press that button in your hand..."

He turned and bowed, standing in the center of the stage. The spotlight cast dark Shade on his tousled hair, making his smile somewhat sinister. His voice echoed in the empty theater, becoming melodious and rhythmic.

"When I heard that Gotham had a savior named Batman, I almost thought I was going crazy."

"But I'm not crazy, so of course he's not the savior."

"But this damn madman disguised as a bat rejected me, ignored me, and even insulted me by saying I was a mass-produced Assassin..."

"Now that I've proven I'm not, it's your turn... Batman."

I need a drink to write about the Joker's performance. Goodnight everyone.