When the time came, someone would naturally take the fall, and his suspicions would naturally be cleared...
"I think with your abilities, killing those two without anyone noticing shouldn't be a problem, right?" Dr. Hugo said as he pushed open the door and entered Li Wei's office.
"Why would I kill them?" Li Wei spread his hands and asked in return.
Dr. Hugo was somewhat confused. "Haven't they already traced it back to you?"
"It doesn't matter. I might choose to eliminate other cops to prevent future trouble, but not those two. Not only will I leave them alone, I'll even step in to protect them if necessary. They can't die..."
Dr. Hugo nodded in understanding. "Although I don't understand why you're doing this, this kind of schizophrenic behavior does fit your current habits. I'll head to the Court of Owls now."
With that, Dr. Hugo turned and left, not giving Li Wei any chance to defend his mental state.
Li Wei: ...
I'm not schizophrenic! I'm not sick!
That was all an act! Pretending! Fake!
In the entire police department, perhaps only Gordon and Harvey truly held justice in their hearts and feared no authority.
Li Wei had included both of them in his plans from the very beginning!
He did need a chaotic Gotham, yes, but at the same time, he needed Gotham to maintain a certain degree of order!
Shadows only existed where there was light.
If there was no light, if everything was darkness, then shadows naturally would not exist!
People like Gordon and Harvey were precisely the most steadfast beams of light in Gotham's darkness. He only needed them to keep shining...
Everything Was Going According to Plan!
After leaving Arkham Asylum, Dr. Hugo headed straight for the Court of Owls.
As mentioned before, the Court of Owls was made up of Gotham's wealthy and influential elite, who fancied themselves Gotham's invisible rulers.
Therefore, the place where these elites gathered could not be some ordinary villa or clubhouse. It had to be unconventional to highlight their uniqueness.
Perhaps that was just a rich person's quirk.
The Court of Owls had chosen a sewer as its meeting place, with the entrance located in an unremarkable watch shop.
Perhaps only the inconspicuous owl symbol on the watch shop's sign could prove who the place belonged to.
After undergoing a series of identity verifications, Dr. Hugo finally entered the sewers through the watch shop's secret passage.
These sewers were not connected to any others within Gotham City. They were completely independent, an abandoned section left behind by some municipal renovation project.
There was not the slightest foul odor in the sewers. Instead, after the Court of Owls had renovated them, the interior had become exquisitely decorated in an antique style. Combined with the yellow lights on both sides of the passage, it made one immediately feel that this was a secret gathering place with a long history.
Dr. Hugo continued onward and finally arrived at his destination—the Court of Owls, Gotham's main headquarters!
An oval Western-style dining table, several high-backed chairs arranged around it, and warm yellow lighting made up everything inside the cavern.
At that moment, the long dining table was already full. Everyone wore an owl mask that concealed their faces, leaving Dr. Hugo able to see only the profound eyes hidden beneath them.
Dr. Hugo was the only person in the entire cavern not wearing a mask.
"Now that everyone is here, the meeting may begin," said the woman seated at the end of the table. "Dr. Hugo, take your seat."
Showing no unusual reaction, Dr. Hugo took the final empty chair as he normally did.
This also represented the fact that Dr. Hugo held the lowest status among the Court of Owls members.
In fact, if they had not valued Dr. Hugo's human experimentation, he likely would not even have been qualified to enter the Court of Owls!
"Next, let us discuss the recent events in Gotham. You all know that a perverse killer named Khada Jhin has suddenly emerged. The Maroni gang has suffered heavy losses. What do you think should be done about Khada Jhin..."
It was still the usual meeting process, but this time, the topic of discussion was Khada Jhin.
As Dr. Hugo listened to these so-called elites argue fiercely over Khada Jhin at the table, he laughed inwardly.
Not only did he have no right to speak now, even if he did, he had nothing to say.
If he absolutely had to offer an opinion, he could only say one thing to everyone present.
"Everyone here is trash. Just wait to die!"
As someone who had lived through it, he was the only survivor left behind by Khada Jhin. He had every right to speak on the matter.
Forget Li Wei—even his current self could wipe out these supposedly elite mortals at any time.
While listening to their argument, Dr. Hugo followed Li Wei's prior instructions and slipped a tiny scrap of paper into a corner beneath the long table...
Li Wei had attached an Invisible Lotus to that scrap of paper.
This was one of Khada Jhin's abilities—Mass Infatuation.
Besides exploding, the Invisible Lotus could also provide Li Wei with vision of the surrounding area.
The reason it had been tucked into a corner beneath the table was to keep some unlucky fool from accidentally triggering it and causing an explosion.
From this moment on, every movement of the Court of Owls was under Li Wei's control!
Some members believed they could recruit Khada Jhin into the Court of Owls. His power would become a sharp blade in the Court's hands.
The other members, however, believed that Khada Jhin was too powerful and too unpredictable. They suggested eliminating him as an unstable factor.
The Court of Owls members argued for a long time, but ultimately reached no conclusion. The supporters of both sides were split exactly evenly.
In the end, the woman who had opened the meeting interrupted the argument.
"Since everyone's opinions are divided, we'll wait until Khada Jhin has been captured, then convene another meeting here to decide how to deal with him."
Hearing the woman's words, Dr. Hugo curled his lips disdainfully.
Impossible! You people want to capture Khada Jhin?
Still, although Dr. Hugo was contemptuous inside, he did not cause any extra trouble and followed Li Wei's plan completely.
The next part was Dr. Hugo's report on the experiment's progress.
Although Indian Hill had always carried the Wayne Enterprises name, the Indian Hill Hospital project had actually been halted long ago by Thomas Wayne, the previous president of Wayne Enterprises. Its funding came entirely from the Court of Owls.
According to Dr. Hugo's report, the experiment still had made no substantive progress.
The Court of Owls members had long become accustomed to this and did not blame Dr. Hugo. They would still fund the next stage of his research.
However, after reporting on the research progress, the woman leading the Court of Owls continued questioning him.
"Dr. Hugo, I heard that Arkham Hospital has resumed handling City Hall's criminal medical services?"
Dr. Hugo's heart jolted. Just as the director had said, the Court of Owls had learned of it very quickly.
However, he showed no panic on his face and explained according to the plan Li Wei had prepared with him beforehand.
"Yes. Recently, we have not had enough experimental subjects. The next stage requires a large number of subjects, and criminals are far more physically suitable as experimental material than addicts picked up off the streets..."
The leading woman waved her hand and interrupted Dr. Hugo. She did not care about any of that.
Dr. Hugo was merely a researcher, completely under their control. Her purpose had only been to give him a warning.
"All right, I understand. There is no problem. From now on, Gotham's prisons will periodically send criminals your way. You only need to focus on your research, but don't forget..."
At this point, the woman stared into Dr. Hugo's eyes.
"Beware the Court of Owls, watching over your comings and goings;
They watch Gotham from the shadows, hidden among low walls and attic rooms;
Within your home, they stand beside you; at your bedside, they remain;
Never speak their name aloud, or the Talons will come for your head."
A nursery rhyme passed down through Gotham's shadows perfectly illustrated the terror of the Court of Owls.
In Gotham, there was nothing the owls did not know. The Talons watched everyone from the darkness at all times.
But you don't know who Khada Jhin is.
Dr. Hugo sneered inwardly. Everything was proceeding according to Li Wei's plan, but his expression revealed not the slightest flaw as he nodded respectfully.
"I understand, ma'am."
Just as usual.
"Oh, right. I have some files for you to take back and review. Gotham Police Department just completed them today—a suspect profile for Khada Jhin..."
Gotham's Way
Although Li Wei was far away at Arkham Asylum, everything happening in the Court of Owls remained entirely under his control.
Li Wei merely smiled at the Court of Owls' threat and paid it no further attention.
Humanity's common flaw was overestimating itself.
People always liked using their own insignificant strength to threaten beings capable of controlling their lives and deaths.
The Court of Owls was still useful, and it would even play a decisive role in every future stage of his plans. There was no harm in letting them dance around a little longer.
Compared to the Court of Owls, Li Wei was more interested in the profile Gotham Police Department had created for Khada Jhin.
He wondered whether their portrait of Khada Jhin was accurate...
While thinking about it, Li Wei took the five-million-dollar check Falcone had sponsored yesterday and headed out.
By all rights, Arkham Asylum had officially restarted today. This place was far too rundown, so he should buy some things and renovate it...
While Li Wei was making plans for a major shopping spree, Gordon encountered something more frustrating than everything that had happened over the past few days combined.
Inside the Police Commissioner's office at Gotham Police Department, the Police Commissioner spoke to the two men who had just returned to the station.
"Detective Gordon, Detective Harvey, put aside your other cases for now and apprehend the murderer of the Waynes as soon as possible."
"But Khada Jhin poses a far greater threat than that robber..."
Gordon still wanted to argue, but unfortunately, his superior had no interest in hearing it.
"Enough! Gordon, Harvey, this is an order! Pursue the murderer of the Waynes with everything you have! The case must be solved within forty-eight hours!" the Police Commissioner interrupted sternly.
Gordon had nothing more to say. He came from the military, and to him, orders came before everything, even if this order was not entirely right.
"Yes," Gordon answered somewhat dejectedly.
Just as the two were about to leave the Police Commissioner's office, the Police Commissioner spoke again.
"Oh, right. Gordon, Harvey, go to the reception room. Bruce Wayne and Alfred are here. They want to see you."
Gordon froze for a moment, then silently nodded.
After leaving the office, the seasoned Harvey finally spoke to comfort his partner.
"Buddy, look on the bright side. This is Gotham. Things like this aren't rare. You need to learn to get used to it!"
The experienced Harvey understood it better than the rookie Gordon, and he knew Gotham's rules for survival more clearly.
The Wayne family had definitely put pressure on their superiors today.
Khada Jhin might have caused considerable casualties, and the commotion had spread throughout Gotham City.
But in reality, every person Khada Jhin had killed had been a member of the Maroni gang. There had not been a single accidental casualty, much less any harm done to Gotham City's elite.
In Gotham, the impact of a hundred ordinary civilians dying was not as great as the death of a single elite!
Not to mention that the dead were members of the Wayne family, Gotham's most powerful family!
The fact that the Wayne family had waited until now to pressure Gotham Police Department was already showing them remarkable restraint.
Besides, other than producing a profile of Khada Jhin, they had no leads whatsoever. That guy was like a ghost...
"Ah..." Gordon merely shook his head, his face full of bitterness, and said nothing more.
In the police station's reception room, Gordon and Harvey met Bruce Wayne and Alfred, the butler.
Before you continue