"...Arkham Asylum houses many patients suffering from severe mental illnesses, and Dr. Arkham is the attending physician for all of them."
On the television screen, a male host walked into Arkham Asylum and met Dr. Arkham, who wore a white lab coat and black-rimmed glasses.
He looked like an utterly ordinary middle-aged man.
Bai Lang sat on his bed, making the cells in his body rub against one another as he watched the news on television.
By now, he had reached a level where he could withstand bullets. Unless a crisis as serious as the nuclear bomb Joker had planted last time arose, there wasn't much that could hurt him.
Of course, large-caliber sniper rifles, machine guns, and rocket launchers still had an extremely slim chance of injuring Bai Lang.
But with his speed and unparalleled alertness, he wouldn't give anyone the opportunity to hurt him that way.
The current inside his body continued to grow stronger.
[Current Propulsion: 200,000 volts] → [Current Propulsion: 202,000 volts]
"Beep, beep, beep..."
Before Bai Lang could properly enjoy this moment of peace, the phone on the table rang again.
"Ah, what a shame Gotham is always in trouble. Peace never lasts."
Bai Lang sighed and answered the call. "Hello? Detective Bullock, what's up?"
A middle-aged man's voice came from the other end. It was Detective Bullock, another of the department's detectives.
"Detective Bai Lang, Director Gordon is dead. He followed a lead to investigate the Joker bombing, but just now, we found his body in pieces at the Taylor Street Warehouse."
Detective Bullock sounded anxious. After all, the police commissioner's murder was a major incident for Gotham's police.
Whether they could find the real culprit would affect the morale of every officer investigating cases from then on.
After all, the commissioner had been kidnapped by criminals and then killed.
If they couldn't find the culprit, should they even keep investigating cases?
Would they have to worry about being targeted for revenge every time they investigated one?
"Detective Bullock, don't panic. Wait for me to get there!"
Hearing the news, Bai Lang immediately thought of the explosion at the Rosco Hotel and the face that had been peeled off the Second Generation Joker.
No wonder this feels so familiar. This must be the New 52 storyline...
Although he'd forgotten most of the New 52 Batman comics' plot, Bai Lang still remembered a few of the characters quite well.
Director Gordon had been kidnapped by a villain named Dollmaker, and he'd apparently even had one of his kidneys taken.
Bai Lang carefully recalled the storyline he'd read in his previous life.
"If I remember correctly... they should be at the abandoned Gotham Mercy Hospital right now..."
"In the original storyline, Batman rescued Director Gordon."
"If I save him as Detective Bai Lang before Batman does, it should have an impact on the world and earn me Ability Points."
With that thought, Bai Lang immediately said to Detective Bullock over the phone, "Detective Bullock, take some officers to the abandoned Gotham Mercy Hospital!"
"Detective Bai Lang, why send people to Mercy Hospital? Could it be..."
Detective Bullock sounded surprised. He didn't know why Bai Lang had immediately told him to take officers there.
"Batman told me."
It really was Batman—just the Batman from the New 52 comics.
After saying that, Bai Lang hung up and headed downstairs toward police headquarters.
The discovery of the fake Gordon's body was a major incident for every police officer in Gotham.
Mayor Hardy and the media were certain to cover it relentlessly.
Bai Lang didn't want someone to parachute into the department and take over as commissioner while he was minding his own business.
What if his pay got cut? He still had a mountain of student loans to pay off!
Besides, Director Gordon wasn't dead yet!
Gotham's night sky was shrouded in clouds, and the Batman signal shone in the distance as usual.
Gotham Police Headquarters.
Detective Bullock slipped his phone back into his pocket and thought it over. In the end, he sent several officers under his command to Mercy Hospital with their weapons.
He himself slowly walked out through the main entrance of headquarters, ready to wait for Bai Lang.
As soon as he opened the door, countless camera flashes blinded him.
Dozens of reporters with microphones and cameras had been waiting there for quite some time.
After all, the news that Director Gordon's body had been found was like a piece of meat thrown to a pack of paparazzi.
Before the reporters could ask any questions, Bai Lang arrived at the entrance.
The reporters immediately turned their attention to him.
"Detective Bai Lang, will you hold a press conference to announce details of this incident?"
"Mayor Hardy says Batman is Gotham's greatest evil. What's your opinion?"
"Director Gordon is dead. How will you proceed with the investigation?"
"Is the new Joker connected to this incident?"
"Detective Bai Lang, is Director Gordon really dead?"
"..."
Bai Lang raised his hand to quiet them, then replied, "Director Gordon is, of course, still alive."
[Ability Points +1]
A pale blue notification box appeared before his eyes.
"If Director Gordon isn't dead, where do you think he is right now?"
Charlotte Rivers, a blonde with a curvy figure, held up her microphone and asked Bai Lang.
Bai Lang remembered her. In the comics, she seemed to be one of Bruce Wayne's lovers.
"Detective Bai Lang, we're broadcasting live. The citizens of Gotham are waiting to see what our police department does next—whether you can arrest the Joker, and whether you know where Director Gordon is..."
Bai Lang smiled and nodded. "Of course. Director Gordon is at the abandoned Mercy Hospital right now..."
Detective Bullock, standing nearby, furrowed his brow.
Clearly, he was unhappy that Bai Lang had revealed Director Gordon's unconfirmed whereabouts.
What if the criminals learned from the broadcast that the police had found their trail and moved somewhere else?
He sighed inwardly. Young people just loved showing off in front of the media.
[Ability Points +3]
After revealing Director Gordon's current location, Bai Lang gained another three Ability Points.
But suddenly, he sensed something was wrong and quickly turned toward the entrance to the police station.
A short, slender figure, about five-foot-six, was just about to push through the door.
The person wore a gray coat and kept their face completely hidden beneath a hat.
But the unnaturally pale fingers gave the person away at once. It was Joker!
He quietly said to Charlotte, "Excuse me. I need to catch a criminal."
Then, as the reporters looked on in bewilderment, he drew his gun and aimed it at the person about to step through the police station's entrance.
"Stop, Joker, or I'll be within my rights to shoot you!" A surprised smile tugged at Bai Lang's lips.
Everyone present was startled by Bai Lang's reaction, including Detective Bullock.
"Joker? That's him?" Detective Bullock stared at the figure, then glanced at Bai Lang.
"Detective Bai Lang, have you lost your mind?" Bullock shouted.
"Put the gun down, Detective Bai Lang. If he isn't Joker, do you understand what that means?"
Everyone there found it hard to believe. Some even thought the detectives had lost their minds after Director Gordon's death.
"Right, how could Joker walk into the police station in front of everyone?"
"Could he really be Joker?"
"..."
But only the Second Generation Joker, dressed in gray, knew just how badly he was sweating right then.
He felt as if the world's most powerful predator had locked onto him.
A chill surged from his tailbone and shot straight up his back. Cold sweat poured from every pore!
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