Exquisite Keychains

Exquisite Keychains

"Create some chaos and give Harvey Dent a little trouble."

This was Joker Lady's new assignment for Li Zu.

The original plan had been to kidnap Harvey Dent's son and daughter, but Joker Lady had suddenly taken an interest halfway through, repeating Bruce's name as she boarded the school bus. The mission had changed because of that.

Li Zu disliked the Joker. He hated her mental instability, her disregard for order, her heartlessness... even how she would kill Yoyo, who had loyally followed her, at the slightest disagreement.

And all of that seemed to fit the current him rather well. He did not want to become that kind of crazed lunatic in the future.

But what the Joker could offer him was something he could not refuse.

Something absolutely insane—"Overturn this collapsing, chaotic world!"

Compared to overturning this collapsing, chaotic world, Li Zu was perhaps more interested in what he would receive once his world exploration reached 100%. That was also his only interest and goal for action.

There was no exploration more thorough, more decisive, or faster than flipping the entire world upside down!

As for the superheroes? Weren't they all busy with World War Three?

The idea born in Arkham Asylum—"Find somewhere to hide and curl up"—seemed to have been completely thrown out of his mind after the electric shock and prison break.

Li Zu admitted that his mind was sometimes truly crazy, yet he always felt that madness was reasonable.

"Excuse me, has Mr. Harvey Dent come to work today?"

Li Zu held a gun in his hand. It had belonged to Batman Thomas Wayne, and it was the reward for completing 20% exploration.

When Li Zu opened the box, the gun had been lying in the corner of the wooden crate.

It only had four bullets.

He even maliciously wondered whether, if he killed someone with this gun, the blame would be placed directly on Batman.

"Damn it!" The security guard's expression darkened. Sweat slid down his skin, over his cheekbones and then his chin. As he nervously swallowed with a gulp, drops of sweat fell onto the Buttercup doll.

"Of course, Harvey... Mr. Harvey Dent is inside, in his office!"

"Could I trouble you to take me there?" His voice sounded polite, with a smile in it.

"Take him there, Bob. He helped you get that doll back~" His colleague yawned indifferently. "He even came by last night in the pouring rain. Maybe it really is something urgent~"

Their attitude was nothing like that of elite security personnel in a municipal building. They were more like guards in a welfare complex, willing to let anyone through for no reason as long as they knocked on the frosted glass.

"Of course, I'd be more than happy to take this gentleman there..." Security guard Bob tried his best to keep his expression from looking too ugly. Compared to Mr. Dent's safety, he cared more about himself.

If one wanted to survive in this hell, preserving oneself was always the wisest choice.

Security guard Bob walked ahead while Li Zu followed behind, holding up the doll.

The two of them brazenly crossed the lobby without attracting anyone's attention.

Then they arrived before the elevator.

"I prefer taking the stairs." He lightly patted the guard's shoulder. "What floor is Harvey Dent on?"

"The seventeenth floor..." The guard also breathed a sigh of relief. Taking the stairs would give him enough time. As long as he found an opportunity, he could escape.

In such a cramped place, a handgun would not be very useful.

"Then we'll take the stairs!" Li Zu made up his mind.

They entered the stairwell from the first floor.

Five minutes later, Li Zu emerged from the stairwell alone and quietly waited in front of the elevator on the third floor.

Ding~

The elevator doors opened, and Li Zu calmly stepped inside.

"Where's Bob?" someone in the elevator asked.

He was the colleague who had been standing at the entrance with security guard Bob five minutes earlier.

Beside him stood a woman wearing thick glasses. Her expression was indifferent, just like everyone in Gotham who was not insane.

"He wasn't feeling very well, so I came to see Mr. Dent by myself."

Li Zu explained, even giving the impassive woman with thick glasses a friendly nod.

"That guy's always like that, always trying to slack off. Oh, your keychain is really special!"

The man pointed at Li Zu's waist.

He wore two keychains.

One was dressed like a little Joker girl in purple clothes and twin ponytails. Her clothing was blood-red, and she had her eyes closed as though asleep.

The other wore a security uniform and had a face full of terror.

"Haha, this little thing even looks a bit like Bob!" He pointed at the keychain on Li Zu's waist and burst into laughter.

"You like it? You can have it." Li Zu readily removed the keychain, which was only the size of a pinky finger, and handed it to him kindly.

"Thanks! I'm sure Bob will get a huge shock when he sees this little figure! Hahaha!" He imagined his colleague's expression upon seeing a toy nearly identical to himself.

"It'll definitely be wonderful!" Li Zu's expression also seemed full of anticipation.

Ding. The elevator doors opened.

Li Zu gave a friendly wave. "This is my floor. Goodbye~"

"Goodbye!"

They waved goodbye warmly, like close friends parting after endless conversation.

The seventeenth floor was spacious and sparsely populated.

A door stood a dozen or so steps ahead, guarded by two burly bodyguards whose muscles looked ready to tear through their tight suits.

Li Zu caught sight of the insignia on their clothing.

They were security personnel under Wayne Security Company.

Ever since entering Gotham proper, he had constantly heard bits and pieces about Thomas Wayne, Gotham's legendary figure.

For example, the Wayne Family's wealth came from casinos, wineries, and gambling.

For example, Penguin was the king of this city's dark world.

For example, Gotham's police force had been privatized and corporatized. The police hired security companies, and security personnel maintained order.

A city like Gotham, reeking like a lump of rotting mud, would never receive any fresh blood. They could only seek help from within. Companies under the Wayne Family had always maintained close cooperation with the Gotham city government.

And Harvey Dent, as the public safety commissioner, had signed cooperation contracts with Thomas Wayne while also supporting the development of industries under Penguin's name, thriving in both the legal and criminal worlds.

He held the highest position in Gotham.

He surpassed the mayor in name and truly controlled Gotham.

Yet there were always people who disliked the "peace" brought by the cooperation of those three parties. Li Zu's "boss" was one of the villains disrupting that "peace."

Li Zu was stopped at the door by the two tall security guards.

He looked up at them and revealed an amiable yet strange smile. "I'm here to see Mr. Harvey Dent~"

Inside the office,

Harvey Dent sat behind his desk. Two photographs lay on it.

One was a family portrait: a photo of him with his wife, son, and daughter.

The other was taken when he had received the honor of Outstanding Prosecutor, standing before the Stars and Stripes.

He possessed honor, power, status, and a happy, complete family.

In this utterly terrible world, he was surely the luckiest person of all.

But when gunfire rang out beyond the door, his happiness was destined to be shattered.

Thanks to "Niulanshan Calf" for the reward.

(End of Chapter)