The bankrupt commercial buildings behind the East End Police Department had undergone a complete transformation. Traces of old advertising banners were still visible on the exterior of one six-story building, but its doors and windows had all been refurbished. They had even put in a token patch of green lawn out front, complete with a brand-new swing set.
A red banner hung over the entrance. It read:
Opening ceremony of the Gotham City East End Police Department Temporary Shelter School for rescued children.
"...This is not merely a building, but a beacon of hope."
Chief Bob McGinnis had made a point of wearing a brand-new police commissioner uniform, which squeezed his belly rather conspicuously. He waved his arms vigorously, his voice echoing through the microphone. "It is the Gotham Police Department's steadfast commitment to Gotham's future! It symbolizes that here in the East End, no child will ever be abandoned or denied the chance to find shelter..."
Li Jie stood with his arms folded in the back row of officers alongside Wilson, Harleen, and the others, keeping a straight face as he listened to Bob's flowery rhetoric, lifted straight from City Hall's publicity brochures.
"The boss always has something soul-stirring to say," Wilson whispered. "He could run for mayor, couldn't he?"
"Of course he could." Li Jie chuckled under his breath. "Five bucks says his next line is 'through the joint efforts of City Hall and our colleagues in the police department.'"
Sure enough, Bob's voice rang out a moment later. "...Through the joint efforts of City Hall and our colleagues in the police department, and especially with the generous support of socially responsible entrepreneurs such as Mr. Bruce Wayne, we have been able to turn this magnificent vision into reality!"
The reporters obligingly turned their cameras toward Bruce Wayne,