Gordon Was Here!
This was Sheriff Gordon's second time stepping into Arkham Asylum.
Harvey and Gordon's car stopped in front of the asylum gates, and the atmosphere inside was somewhat stifling.
After the two had remained silent for a while, Harvey finally spoke to break the silence.
"Gordon, what do you think? How about we just take that Director Li Wei back for questioning? Haven't you always suspected there was something off about Li Wei?"
Gordon shook his head helplessly. "No. Right now, we're only suspicious based on other witnesses' testimony. We don't have any evidence proving that monster came from here, and we don't have a search warrant."
"This won't work, that won't work." Harvey scratched his head irritably. "Then what the hell are we supposed to do?"
Harvey's frustration was not because he had a bad temper or was overly impatient.
It was because, for cops like Gordon, solving cases in Gotham was simply too difficult!
Gotham had Gotham's ways!
For the police to survive in Gotham was not hard.
The hard part was solving cases while maintaining a sense of justice, refusing to collude with the gangs, and still following the law!
Mm... in Gordon's words, that was procedural justice!
The outcome might not necessarily be just, but the police had to ensure procedural justice!
"Harvey, once we go in, let's see what Li Wei has to say. Don't do anything rash..."
Harvey waved his hand in annoyance, cutting off his partner. "All right, I know, I know!"
Knock, knock, knock...
Gordon and Harvey got out of the car and knocked on the gates of Arkham Asylum.
They had expected the still "crazy" Li Wei to answer the door, but to their surprise, a stranger opened it instead!
Still, Gordon found this stranger somewhat familiar!
"Hello, gentlemen. Is there something I can help you with?" Stan wore work clothes covered in dust.
Before coming to the gate, he had been moving and organizing the renovation materials Li Wei had bought earlier.
Not only did his own room need tidying, but he also had to sort and categorize all those renovation materials.
When had a former chemistry expert ever done such work? He inevitably looked somewhat disheveled!
But he was still trying hard to adapt to his new life.
"We're from the Gotham Police Department. We're here to see Director Li Wei. And you are...?" Gordon frowned.
He racked his brains but could not remember ever having any dealings with the man before him.
It would have been strange if Gordon could remember!
The range of people he recalled only extended to the living. How could he possibly imagine that the person standing before him was someone "dead"!
No normal person could have imagined it!
Stan saw that the visitors were Gordon and Harvey.
His heart skipped a beat as well.
This was the second time he had seen the two sheriffs. The last time had been when he released the Viper Potion on the rooftop of the hotel.
But by the time he realized it, it was obviously too late to turn back. In the end, he could only brace himself and introduce himself using the new identity Li Wei had arranged for him not long ago...
"My name is Warwick Vander," Stan said. As he spoke, he opened the gates. "I'm an employee of this hospital. Please come in first. I'll go upstairs and get Director Li Wei."
Stan did not know why Li Wei had given his new identity that name. Whenever he asked Li Wei about it, he always felt that Li Wei's smile was filled with malicious amusement.
But that was not important!
"Warwick Vander..." Gordon repeated the name once more. When he realized he truly could not recall any connection to it, he temporarily gave up trying to remember and smiled. "All right, sorry for the trouble. Please notify Director Li Wei."
Stan nodded and turned to walk into the building.
Only after Stan disappeared into the ward building did Harvey turn to Gordon.
"Hey, buddy, is something wrong?"
Harvey knew his partner. That reaction meant Gordon felt there was something off about the other man.
Over the course of their recent partnership, Gordon had proven his ability and... sixth sense with facts.
Gordon seemed to possess an innate sixth sense when it came to criminals. So far, it had almost never been wrong!
Whenever he felt something was off about someone, if they investigated deeply enough, that person would definitely have a problem!
Unfortunately, Gordon had always insisted on procedural justice. Otherwise, their case-solving rate could have been even higher!
"Nothing. He just feels like someone I used to know."
"Someone you used to know?"
Harvey found that baffling. This was the first time Gordon had ever said something like that.
Stan stood outside the director's office, pacing anxiously back and forth.
In the end, he gritted his teeth and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Li Wei's voice came from inside the office.
Stan pushed the door open and walked in. Li Wei was sitting behind his desk, drinking coffee.
"Huh? Stan, why are you here? Do you need to buy some renovation tools?"
Li Wei wore a kind and benevolent expression.
Though his actions were enough to get him hung from a streetlamp a hundred times over, he felt that he was practically the most conscientious capitalist... no, the most conscientious entrepreneur of the people!
At the very least, whenever Stan needed tools for work, he always fulfilled the request unconditionally, and they had to be the best ones!
Where in all of Gotham City could one find such a conscientious entrepreneur of the people?
"No, Director." Stan's face was full of unease. "Two people from the Gotham Police Department are outside looking for you. Their names are Gordon and Harvey. They saw me on the rooftop during the Wayne Enterprises charity gala. It's all my fault. I went to open the door just now, and they saw my face..."
Stan had assumed that after hearing his explanation, Li Wei would fly into a rage or even drive him out of the asylum.
After all, for someone who was supposedly "dead" to appear before police officers who had seen him meant trouble.
But to his surprise, after hearing him out, Li Wei merely smiled and waved his hand.
"That isn't much trouble, Stan. By the way, you told them your name was Warwick Vander, right?"
"Yes, that's the name." Stan nodded.
"Then isn't that enough? You're Warwick Vander. You just happen to look a lot like Stan Topolsky." Li Wei spread his hands. "They don't have any evidence."
Stan: ...That worked too?
"First, they'd have to prove that you are you." Li Wei smiled, rose to his feet, and headed for the office door. "Don't worry. They won't have much time to waste on us. Soon enough, they'll have even bigger trouble."
The two walked all the way to the entrance of the asylum.
"Hey! Director Li Wei, long time no see!" Gordon tried his best to appear as friendly as possible.
After all, he knew about Li Wei's mental state...
"Sheriff Gordon, Sheriff Harvey, hello. Long time no see! I'm sorry your experience last time wasn't very pleasant." Li Wei replied with a smile. "What can I do for you?"
Gordon: ???
Harvey: ???
"Your mental issues... are better?" Gordon hesitated before asking cautiously.
The City Councilor Murder Case!
"Better? Of course they're better. Arkham Asylum is a designated medical institution of Gotham City Hall, so naturally we have exceptionally strong psychiatric care."
Li Wei continued speaking with a smile.
"Of course, if you have needs in that area, you can also check into our hospital for treatment. But that costs money."
Gordon and Harvey exchanged glances. Neither had expected this situation.
As for Li Wei's claims about medical standards, the two simply took them with a grain of salt. Although they belonged to law enforcement rather than the medical system—
—they also knew that in Gotham, a medical institution designated by City Hall was absolutely not chosen because of its outstanding medical standards!
The only explanation for Li Wei's "recovered" mental state was that when they came last time, Li Wei had deliberately pretended to be like that!
He was not sick at all!
This finally made everything clear to Gordon and Harvey.
It explained why a "mental patient" like Li Wei could become the director of Arkham Asylum!
At the same time, it made Harvey admire Gordon's "sixth sense" even more. Back when the two of them took down Cobblepot at the docks, Gordon had mentioned that he felt something was off about Li Wei.
Now it had truly been proven that there was something wrong with him!
Of course, Harvey knew his partner's temperament well. Without evidence, nothing mattered.
"Director Li Wei, where were you at ten last night?"
Gordon began the routine questioning.
Though he knew Li Wei might not tell the truth—or was even highly likely not to—he still had to ask.
"I was sleeping in my office." Li Wei spread his hands. "Gotham is extremely dangerous at night. I wouldn't dare wander around outside."
Gordon: ...
"Did you hear anything strange?"
Li Wei frowned and thought for a moment. "I think I heard a few wolf howls, but I didn't dare go outside, so I don't know what happened."
Li Wei's answer surprised Gordon. He had thought Li Wei would brush him off by saying he had heard nothing.
"About what time? And from what direction?"
Next, under Li Wei's superb acting, he described everything an observer should have seen.
Though most of it was true, it could not provide any particularly useful information.
"All right, Director Li Wei. Thank you for your cooperation." Gordon stood up and gave Li Wei a meaningful look. "Gotham is dangerous, and its waters run deep. I advise you not to get too involved."
Li Wei nodded, looking every bit like a law-abiding citizen. Gordon and Harvey could not find a single flaw!
Gordon and Harvey turned and walked out of the asylum.
Just as Gordon's hand touched the car door handle, a flash of inspiration suddenly crossed his mind!
He remembered!
He finally remembered where he had seen the man who had been standing beside Li Wei!
"Stan Topolsky!"
Gordon suddenly turned and shouted.
Unfortunately, both Li Wei and Stan stared at him with blank expressions.
Li Wei even looked around before asking in confusion, "Sheriff Gordon, who are you calling?"
Gordon instantly became uncertain...
Had he mistaken the man?
Was the other party really not the killer who released the Viper Potion?
Gordon forced a smile at Li Wei. "Sorry, Director Li Wei. Mistaken identity. We won't disturb you any longer."
"Take care~" Li Wei waved as he watched Gordon and Harvey get into their car and disappear down the street.
Before you continue