I'm Not Sick, I'm Really Not Sick!

After telling Dr. Hugo about what he had gained from the Falcone Family tonight, Li Wei took the elevator out of Indian Hill Hospital and returned to his office.

"Creak, creak..."

After returning to his office, Li Wei lay back down on his shabby little bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.

He had not expected that after coming to Gotham for only a few days, he had already adapted to, even grown accustomed to, life here.

Could it be that he was naturally suited to this city of sin?...

At that thought, Li Wei gave a self-deprecating smile.

How could that be!

He was a law-abiding citizen. His adaptability was simply a little stronger than most.

That had to be it!

Sleep!

He still had to get up early tomorrow to prepare for Arkham's reopening! Business was finally about to officially begin!

Li Wei slept straight through until dawn.

Yet during that time, quite a few people in Gotham City found themselves unable to sleep all night.

For example, Sal Marroni, the head of the Maroni Family.

As a force capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Falcone Family, although it lacked the Falcone Family's deep roots in Gotham because it was a newer power—

The gap was not that great.

The Falcone Family could trace the clues back to Li Wei, and so could the Maroni Family.

At first, Sal Marroni had not paid Li Wei much attention. He had merely considered it a coincidence. Li Wei even looked somewhat frail, with an exceptionally kind face.

There was nothing about him that could be linked to the crazed killer, Khada Jhin.

But when he received intelligence from his men that Falcone had personally met Li Wei and personally escorted him to the nightclub entrance—

Sal Marroni shifted his attention to Li Wei.

Unfortunately, just like Falcone, Maroni had no evidence proving that Li Wei was connected to Khada Jhin.

He did not even dare send people to find Li Wei directly like Falcone had.

As an old rival, Sal could not be certain whether Li Wei was a smokescreen Falcone had thrown out.

If he was merely a smokescreen, Sal would be wasting his efforts. After Khada Jhin's recent rampage, the Maroni Family had suffered grievous losses. It was hard to say whether others might take advantage of their weakness.

But if he was not a smokescreen, and Sal really sent someone to trouble Li Wei, only for Li Wei to actually be connected to Khada Jhin, then Sal would be delivering himself to his death.

After the recent live television broadcast, he had gained a very clear understanding of the gap in combat power between his men and Khada Jhin. Unless he threw every last man at him, they would just be throwing their lives away!

But...

He could not simply do nothing either!

Otherwise, the underworld would think that Sal Marroni had grown old and lost his ability to intimidate others. Other underworld factions would gradually devour them, and perhaps even before anyone attacked them, the Maroni Family would collapse from within!

Because that was exactly how they had risen to power and come to control half of Gotham's underworld!

This was practically that old fox Falcone's open scheme!

Sal Marroni felt a splitting headache coming on.

He had to find an external target to attack and use it to redirect the internal conflict!

Just as he was agonizing over it, the newly promoted second-in-command suddenly approached with a nervous expression.

"Boss, I just received word that the Falcone Family is gathering manpower. What do you think..."

Sal Marroni's heart tightened.

Although the second-in-command had not said why the Falcone Family was gathering people, anyone could guess that they were most likely planning to strike while he was weak and finish him off!

That old fox Falcone was forcing him to make a choice!

Sal Marroni thought of the terror Khada Jhin had inspired and gritted his teeth!

"Sam, gather our people right now. Strike first! Prepare to go to war with the Falcone Family!"

Although the Maroni Family had suffered grievous losses and was clearly at a disadvantage against the Falcone Family, at least they still had room to fight back compared to facing the terrifying Khada Jhin.

If they faced Khada Jhin, Maroni estimated that his men might flee without fighting or even turn on him outright and kill him...

"Alright!" The second-in-command sighed in relief.

Anyone was fine. As long as he was not being told to lead men against Khada Jhin!

He had no desire to follow in the former second-in-command's footsteps!

Those gang members turning into Flesh Lotuses on the live broadcast, the bizarre and grotesque sight of it all, still sent chills through him whenever he thought about it...

Chapter 20: I'm Not Sick, I'm Really Not Sick!

While Gotham City's underworld became increasingly turbulent because of Li Wei—

Li Wei was sleeping.

While Dr. Hugo racked his brains because he could not find substitute materials for synthesizing Rage Potion—

Li Wei was still sleeping.

When the Gotham Police Department came knocking—

Li Wei... finally could not keep sleeping.

Otherwise, the Gotham Police Department really would smash down the door!

"...Bang bang bang... Bang bang bang..."

When Li Wei was awakened by the relentless pounding and groggily opened the asylum's front door—

Two figures in police uniforms stood outside. It was the partner duo of Gordon and Harvey!

This was Li Wei's first real face-to-face meeting with the pair, rather than being separated by a mask.

The mob could follow the clues to find him, and so could the Gotham Police Department.

Li Wei was not surprised by their arrival. He had even prepared for it long ago.

"Morning, officers." Li Wei yawned lazily. "What brings you here so early?"

In contrast to Li Wei's laziness, Gordon and Harvey both had bloodshot eyes. They had clearly been awake all night.

Gordon and Harvey exchanged a glance, looked Li Wei up and down in his pink pig pajamas, then glanced up at the asylum's sign before finally asking cautiously.

"Hello, sir. I'm Gordon, and this is my partner Harvey. Are you Director Li Wei?"

They had no choice but to be cautious!

The man before them looked to be in his twenties, yet he was wearing pink pig pajamas. It was clearly noon, yet he was calling it morning.

And this was Arkham Asylum.

They strongly doubted the man's mental state. Even Gordon, who feared no battle against evil, felt a little unnerved facing a madman for the first time.

"Yeah, I'm Li Wei. What do you need from me?"

Gordon and Harvey exchanged another glance. This time, both looked troubled.

How were they supposed to investigate a psychiatric patient?

"It's like this, Director Li Wei," Gordon finally said with difficulty after swallowing. "May I ask where you were between five o'clock last night and three o'clock this morning?"

Li Wei scratched his head as though trying to remember something, then suddenly slapped his hands together.

"I remember! I was chatting with Little Flower yesterday!"

Little Flower?

Gordon and Harvey's eyes lit up at once. Khada Jhin wore such flashy, flowery clothes that, considering the mental state of the man before them, he could absolutely call him Little Flower!

"Director Li Wei, then do you know where Little Flower is?" Gordon continued asking pleasantly, not even daring to raise his voice for fear of provoking Li Wei.

Li Wei nodded. "Of course. He's upstairs. Are you here to chat with Little Flower too? Then I'll take you up to see him."

Gordon and Harvey hurriedly nodded and followed Li Wei upstairs.

At the same time, they raised their guard to its highest level. They had never expected the investigation to go so smoothly after tracing the clues here!

The three of them took the stairs to the top-floor office. Gordon and Harvey had focused all their attention on the office door and had no mind to spare for the gloomy hallway...

As Li Wei placed his hand on the office doorknob, the two men's hands gradually moved toward the pistols at their lower backs.

Last night's Maroni Family massacre had already proven how dangerous Khada Jhin was.

They had only one chance to strike first.

Once they confirmed that Khada Jhin was inside, they had to wound him immediately and render him unable to resist.

Otherwise, they would be the ones who died!

"Little Flower, you have visitors!" Li Wei suddenly shouted, nearly startling Gordon and Harvey into firing their guns. "They want to have a chat with you."

That showed just how deep an impression Khada Jhin had left on them yesterday.

But after calming themselves slightly, they discovered that Li Wei's Little Flower was actually a flower?

There was a potted plant sitting on the desk. Li Wei stood beside it, introducing the two men to the flower.

"This is Sheriff Gordon, and this is Sheriff Harvey..."

Gordon:...

Harvey:...

"Sheriffs, Little Flower is saying hello to you. Did you hear it?" Li Wei reminded them.

Gordon and Harvey looked at Li Wei's serious, earnest expression and could only stiffly tug at the corners of their mouths before nodding at the potted flower on the desk.

"Hello, Little Flower. Nice to meet you."

Only then did Li Wei nod in satisfaction.

By now, Gordon and Harvey no longer suspected Li Wei.

Wasn't there a saying? When you talk to plants, your mental state might not necessarily be a problem. But when plants talk to you, your mental state definitely has a serious problem!

No matter how they looked at Li Wei's mental condition, he had nothing to do with the murderous madman Khada Jhin.

They had only come here because Arkham Asylum had taken over Scott Asylum's business, making the timing of Li Wei's appearance as an interested party a little too coincidental.

But now, it seemed that it really had only been a coincidence.

The only thing that puzzled them was how someone in Li Wei's mental state had become the director in the first place.

"Ahem..." Gordon cleared his throat. "Director Li Wei, um... Since we've seen Little Flower, we'll be leaving now. We still have other matters to handle."

"Should I see you out?" Li Wei made as if to stand.

"There's no need to be so polite. We can find our own way out..."

Gordon and Harvey hurriedly refused and fled outside as though running for their lives, as if staying a moment longer would infect them with Li Wei's madness.

Li Wei stood by the window and watched them rush into their police car before disappearing from view in a flash.

Li Wei smiled before withdrawing his gaze.

He moved the potted flower from the desk to the windowsill and dropped back into his chair.

Everything was going according to plan.

No matter how crazy he was, he was not crazy enough to think plants could talk. It was not as though he had bought Zyra's Hero Template.

It had all been an act.

This method could not completely clear him of suspicion regarding his connection to Khada Jhin, but it could at least fool them for a while.

And that period of breathing room was enough!