The clouds looked like milk diluted with dirty water. Gotham's sunlight filtered through the thick industrial smog and fell on his skin without bringing a trace of warmth. Yet Cobblepot stood outside the Iceberg Lounge, beaming with optimism and ambition.
Though he still worked under Falcone, this was the first business whose staffing, finances, and operations were entirely under his control. Cobblepot firmly believed this would be the starting point of his rise.
"That's right. Starting here, someday I'll become a king with the eyes of the world upon me." He straightened his suit collar, ready to enter the lounge, and instructed his bodyguard, "Gabe, go get last week's ledger."
The hulking bodyguard behind him did not obey. Instead, he hesitantly raised a finger and pointed behind Cobblepot. Before Cobblepot could turn around, a massive shadow loomed over him, swallowing him whole.
"Good morning, Mr. Cobblepot."
His frail frame jolted as though he had suffered a terrible fright. Turning to see Li Jie bundled in a down jacket, he hurriedly smoothed his hair, damp from the morning fog, and offered a flattering smile full of warmth and humility. He hastily extended a hand. "Good morning, officer. It's such a pleasure to see you again. We're old friends, aren't we?"
"That we are. Old friends," Li Jie said lazily, looking up at the Iceberg Lounge's sign. Several of the tubes bent into icicle shapes were already cracked. "Mind if I come in and sit for a while?"
"Of course, of course." Cobblepot led the way, personally pushing open the door inset with thick frosted glass. "Please, come in, Jay, if I may call you that. Please, come in."
Outside lay Gotham's cold, gray-white reality; inside was a twilight forgotten by time, ruled by velvet and shadows.
Only a handful of lights on the broad crystal chandelier were lit, spilling dim light across the empty hall. The air was excessively cold. The powerful central air-conditioning deliberately created a wintry atmosphere, mingled with the stale smoke of expensive cigars and the smell of tanned leather seats.
At the center of the hall stood an oval bar of black stone. Behind it, a liquor rack stretched to the ceiling, displaying spirits from around the world with flamboyant labels.
Countless tables and small booths lay submerged in deeper shadows, chairs upturned on the tabletops, leaving the place empty and desolate. Cobblepot limped as he led Li Jie to the innermost booth, then sat opposite him.
"Hey, Jay." He snapped his fingers twice, and a waiter immediately brought over a bottle and two glasses. Cobblepot eagerly opened the bottle and poured Li Jie half a glass. "I'm so glad you came to see me. What can I do for you?"
Li Jie did not answer. He tilted his head up to study the lounge's decor. After a while, he said with a touch of admiration, "You've really done a fine job with this place, Cobblepot. You just keep getting better."
"You're far too kind. I'm merely making a small contribution on Mr. Falcone's behalf," Cobblepot said with a bashful smile. "Speaking of which, Mr. Falcone has always thought very highly of you. Just a little while ago, he was talking about having you help him deal with that Cloaked Figure."
"Really? That's the first I've heard of it." Li Jie gently swirled his glass, the ice clinking softly inside. "But doesn't that count as leaking Mr. Falcone's information?"
"Ha-ha, how could it? You must have misunderstood something." Cobblepot gave two dry chuckles and raised his glass. "We're all doing this for Gotham. Let's drink to this city."
"A misunderstanding?"
"Of course. Of course it's a misunderstanding."
"All right, then. Let's drink to Gotham and misunderstandings."
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha..."
They clinked glasses, and Li Jie took a sip. "Seriously, I can't get used to this stuff. How have you been lately, Cobblepot? Zsasz hasn't done anything to you, has he?"
"Of course not. Zsa... Mr. Victor and I both serve Mr. Falcone. We may occasionally have minor differences of opinion, but those won't affect our... friendship."
Cobblepot maintained an innocent, harmless expression throughout. "Though I've heard Victor seems unhappy about you using one of his men to call the police last time. He has a bit of a temper. If any misunderstanding arises between you, I can help explain."
"Ah, I remember that. Was the guy called Todd or Toy?" Li Jie nodded unconcernedly. "I'll explain it to him myself. After all, Toy and I were fellow victims, both thrown into an ambush as bait by certain people."
"That was all... a misunderstanding. We were carrying out Mr. Falcone's wishes. After all, we did kill Fish Mooney in the end, didn't we?" Cobblepot's smile stiffened. He wiped the sweat beading on his forehead and drained his glass in one gulp. "Tell me, Jay. What exactly did you come here for today?"
"Oh, I almost forgot until you mentioned it."
Li Jie patted his head and pulled several sheets of paper from his pocket. "The Gotham Police Department has a case going right now. Here's a summary. Interested in taking a look?"
"This... am I allowed to read it?"
Cobblepot was about to touch the paper when he instinctively withdrew his hand, as though it might burn him. "Heh-heh, is that all right?"
Li Jie gestured for him to go ahead. Cobblepot picked up the summary and began reading, his expression gradually turning puzzled. "Jay, this case... doesn't seem to have anything to do with me?"
"Of course not. I never said it had anything to do with you." Glass in hand, Li Jie shifted around and sat beside Cobblepot. "But now that you've read it, it does."
"You can't pin this... no, you're not here to make one of my men take the fall." Cobblepot's eyes darted around. "You want me to help you find him."
He immediately sat up straight, his smile growing confident. "No problem, Jay. We're friends, and friends should help each other, shouldn't they?"
"Each other? Tsk, tsk... Oz, I haven't even asked for anything, and you're already trying to get something out of me?" Li Jie clicked his tongue. "Actually, I wanted to see Mr. Falcone and have you pass along a message. After all, he has far more resources than you do."
He draped an arm over Cobblepot's shoulders. "If that's inconvenient, I won't put you in a difficult position. Mr. Falcone does think rather highly of me, after all. It just seemed a little presumptuous to show up unannounced."
"All right, Jay. Let's speak frankly. Everything comes at a price. You know that going to Mr. Falcone would cost you far more, don't you?" Cobblepot seemed rather unused to such close contact and edged away with a smile. "Tell me, then. You want me to help you find a dwarf? Surely you could offer... a little something in return, between friends."
"I won't raid your establishments in the East End, but you have to guarantee there won't be any drugs in them." Li Jie tightened his arm, pulling Cobblepot back, and whispered in his ear, "No kind whatsoever. No weed, either."
"Jay, Jay, those junkies will eat me alive. Besides, Mr. Falcone won't allow us to give up profits that high." Cobblepot looked troubled. "I could reduce the quantity..."
"No. Not even a little. You figure out how to deal with the Roman yourself. But if you move other goods, guns, cars, appliances, even eggs, I won't interfere. Raid Rupert Thorne's smuggling warehouse at Miller Port, and the East End Police Department will look the other way." After finishing in a low voice, Li Jie released Cobblepot's neck. "Your shirt collar needs washing."
"Yes, yes, I have been rather busy lately. Heh-heh." Cobblepot answered with a false smile. He lifted his glass to his lips and sat lost in thought for a while before finally giving a firm nod.
"Then it's settled. May our friendship last forever."
"Our friendship last forever?"
The two smiled as they clinked glasses and drained their drinks. Li Jie stood up.
"So...?"
"I'll dig up every dwarf in Gotham and hand them over to you, so you can fulfill your dream of opening a circus." Cobblepot picked up the paper again and scrutinized it. "But forgive my bluntness, I think this is utter nonsense. If this fellow really can easily hypnotize a whole crowd into killing themselves, then he's like the Pied Piper in Grimm's Fairy Tales. One stroll through the streets, and he could be Gotham City's mayor tomorrow."
"You're right," Li Jie said, spreading his hands. "But perhaps that isn't what he wants?"
"Huh? He has that kind of ability, but stays home having tea parties and playing with dolls?" Cobblepot shook his head contemptuously and straightened his back. "Don't worry. I'll find him. I'd also like to see just what sort of creature this pathetic fellow is. But... Jay?"
He walked up beside Li Jie and asked quietly, "Why are you so determined to clear out the drugs? In terms of the law and profits, some things are much worse than this. Has... someone told you to target us?"
"No. This is my requirement, and the Eastern District Precinct's." Li Jie shook his head and stared solemnly at Cobblepot. "You said yourself that you don't believe this hypnosis business. Then how is he controlling these people? You know those strung-out bastards will take anything. If lunatics like this keep turning up on your turf, will you still be able to do business? What if one day he uses these controlled people to take your lounge, or even your head?"
"That seems a little alarmist... but you're right. At least until this fellow is dealt with..." Cobblepot agreed as well. "Business is business. There's no money to be made from lunatics."
They walked to the lounge's entrance, and Li Jie offered Cobblepot his hand. "Here's to a fruitful partnership?"
"Ah, yes, yes. A fruitful partnership, Jay." Cobblepot smiled and shook his hand firmly. "For this city?"
"That's right."
With inscrutable smiles, the two clasped hands tightly.
"For this city's tomorrow."
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