Chapter Summaries

Li Jie broke into an abandoned toy factory and found a strange research room and a group of girls reenacting an eerie tea party. After discovering a man trapped behind a reinforced observation window, he called James Gordon for backup and reached the conference room, where he confronted the girls.

• Li Jie slipped into the factory yard, knocked out two men guarding it, and searched the decaying building.
• In the research room, Li Jie found a pale man behind a reinforced window, who angrily demanded to know why people would not obey his commands.
• Li Jie called James Gordon for backup and asked him to bring isolation chips and have the officers leave their firearms behind.
• Li Jie forced his way upstairs and followed a strange corridor to a conference room.
• Li Jie found several girls dressed like dolls taking turns pretending to serve tea, and told them it was time to go home.

Li Jie and the GCPD fought the Mad Hatter’s hypnotized victims, but Jervis Tetch escaped through a hidden shaft with parts of his machine. Afterward, Gordon publicly praised the Cloaked Figure and called him Batman, while Li Jie learned he was being promoted.

• Li Jie helped the Cloaked Figure fight the Mad Hatter’s controlled victims and stopped using his gun when children rushed at him.
• Gordon and the officers arrived, but the Mad Hatter intensified the Hypnotic Pulse and controlled several officers despite their Jamming Chips.
• Li Jie fought through the attackers and reached the Mad Hatter, who escaped through a hidden Rabbit Hole with key machine components.
• The Hypnotic Pulse stopped, the victims collapsed, and Batman slipped away while Li Jie failed to follow through the shaft.
• At the precinct, Li Jie told Alan that the case was being presented as a cult investigation and said they would be promoted early next month.
• Gordon told reporters the Cloaked Figure was an ally and publicly identified him as Batman.

Li Jie was promoted to sergeant and received the Medal of Valor, then considered several challenges facing the East End precinct. The chapter ended with him fearing that he was beginning to adopt Bob’s mannerisms and wondering what he was becoming.

• Bob promoted Li Jie to sergeant and awarded him the Medal of Valor.
• Li Jie reunited with Wilson and his colleagues, then arranged for Alan to help Otis while Otis’s conviction was challenged.
• Li Jie noted that Nygma’s transfer to the East End was nearly complete but that he had not found space for the morgue and Forensics Division.
• After everyone left, Li Jie planned how to involve Bruce Wayne in the precinct’s work, revisit the CPS matter, and prepare for the fallout of Carmine Falcone’s possible death.
• Li Jie noticed himself unconsciously copying Bob’s posture and tone, poured his coffee into a plant, and wondered what he was becoming.

Li Jie managed precinct business, planned a morgue and evidence room with Nygma, and tried to prevent Harleen Quinzel from being assigned to the East End. The chapter ended when Bob urgently reported that someone had robbed Falcone's vault.

• Li Jie sent Alan and Otis Flanagan to Otis's hearing, then assigned Nygma and Anna to plan equipment for a basement morgue and evidence room.
• Li Jie sorted a stack of cases, noticed a notice assigning Harleen Quinzel to the East End for psychological counseling, and asked Bob to assign someone else.
• Bob rejected Li Jie's objection, gave him a renovation company's contact information, and discussed buying and renovating the Fortune Star Building.
• Bob called Li Jie upstairs and told him that someone had robbed Falcone's vault.

After Falcone’s regional vault was robbed and eight guards were killed, Li Jie proposed using the investigation to pressure Falcone for money and questioned Cobblepot. Li Jie learned the robbers had left a threat to drive Falcone out of Gotham and hinted that Cobblepot might be a candidate to replace him as a cooperative leader.

• Bob told Li Jie that robbers had stolen over seven million dollars from Falcone’s vault, killed eight guards, and left the city in turmoil.
• Li Jie advised Bob to investigate the robbery while squeezing money from Falcone, and told him to publicize Otis’s expected acquittal.
• Li Jie confronted Cobblepot at his bar, threatened him over the stolen money, and reminded him of their past dealings involving a donated van.
• Cobblepot said the masked robbers had left a dead guard holding a sign that read, “Get out of this city,” and reported that Falcone was anxious.
• Li Jie suggested Cobblepot could be better suited to lead than Falcone, then announced he was going to Falcone Manor.

Li Jie negotiated with Falcone to investigate the robbery without letting the mob war spread, then consulted Nygma and warned Wilson to stay away from the attackers. A system notification gave Li Jie two skill points, which he spent improving his revolver skills as he prepared for a possible fight.

• Li Jie met Falcone, who described the stolen money and demanded results while agreeing to give him some time to investigate.
• Li Jie asked Nygma to analyze the masked robbers, and Nygma concluded that their leader was likely brutal and focused on building up his forces.
• Li Jie told Wilson not to get involved with the dangerous people who robbed Falcone and warned him to stay safe.
• Li Jie received two skill points after changing Otis Flanagan's fate and used them to unlock Lightning Fast and Unerring Aim for his Revolver card.
• Li Jie noticed that Chinese-Style Iai had finished its cooldown and left the restroom ready to fight if necessary.

Otis Flanagan was freed after his murder conviction was vacated, while Li Jie and Cobblepot joined James Gordon to investigate the masked gunmen threatening Gotham’s criminal order. They concluded the gang might approach Cobblepot to demand his submission, leaving him warned to choose his side carefully.

• The court vacated Otis Flanagan’s murder conviction, dismissed all charges, and ordered his immediate release, and Otis thanked Li Jie and the others.
• Li Jie assigned Alan to the precinct and Wilson to oversee construction before Cobblepot arrived to help with the investigation on Falcone’s behalf.
• Li Jie and Cobblepot met James Gordon, who had taken charge of the Major Crimes Unit after Peter Grogan transferred to Homicide.
• Li Jie, Gordon, and Cobblepot compared leads and learned the masked gunmen had seven million dollars, Eastern European weapons, and plans to replace The Roman.
• Li Jie and Gordon reasoned that the gunmen might try to recruit or coerce Cobblepot, and Li Jie warned him not to mistake forced submission for a business deal.

Li Jie collected Erika Hale’s audit of CPS records, which showed suspicious finances that could be tied to corruption. When the Court of Owls tried to intimidate Hale into ending her cooperation with the police, she killed their Talon and warned them to leave her alone.

• Li Jie warned Cobblepot that the robbers might target him, then went to meet Erika Hale at the tax building.
• Hale explained that CPS’s accounts contained suspicious donations, inflated shipping expenses, and payments to personal accounts belonging to CPS and government officials.
• Li Jie brought Hale’s audit files back to the station and asked Alan to keep them safe and give the summary to the boss.
• A Court of Owls member confronted Hale at home and ordered her to stop helping the Gotham Police Department.
• Hale killed the attacking Talon, warned the Court of Owls member to stay away, and called building management to remove the body.

Li Jie, Cobblepot, and Gordon investigated Black Mask’s threat to Cobblepot, delivered with a severed hand and a demand for weapons. They suspected the weapons were intended for an assault on Arkham Asylum and began mobilizing the police before dawn.

• Cobblepot summoned Li Jie after Black Mask sent a severed hand and a note threatening Cobblepot’s mother unless he supplied weapons.
• Li Jie and Gordon examined the threat and discussed how Black Mask might exploit the police response as a diversion.
• Li Jie asked whether gangs were recruiting, but Gordon and Cobblepot said there had been no sign of it.
• Gordon suggested Black Mask might be planning to free inmates from Arkham Asylum with the weapons.
• Li Jie urged Gordon to report the threat to Chief Loeb immediately, despite the early hour.

Li Jie organized East End officers to support a dangerous operation while Gordon rallied Central Headquarters to defend Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Penitentiary. Despite limited manpower and Loeb’s refusal to secure the other locations on the threat list, officers prepared to mobilize against Black Mask.

• Nygma said Gotham’s officers were spread too thin to protect every possible target, and Li Jie learned the unfinished building next door could serve as a forensics lab and medical examiner’s office.
• Loeb dismissed Gordon’s warning about Black Mask’s many potential targets, ordering him to focus on Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Penitentiary.
• Li Jie invited East End officers to volunteer for the dangerous operation, and Albert joined despite his poor test results and approaching retirement.
• Most of the East End officers volunteered, and Li Jie assigned team leaders, warned Wilson to avoid weapons other than his Glock 17, and put Otis in the lead car.
• Gordon showed Central Headquarters a photograph of Cobblepot’s severed hand and urged officers to defend Gotham rather than serve gang interests.
• Central Headquarters officers rose and followed Gordon to draw long guns and bulletproof vests.

Li Jie and Gordon brought a police convoy to Arkham Asylum after learning terrorists might attack it, despite Loeb withholding officers and equipment. Doctor Strange allowed them to establish defensive positions, and Li Jie guarded the entrance while Gordon covered the rear.

• Li Jie ordered the Eastern District officers to prepare for the delivery, then met Gordon near Robinson Bridge and learned that Loeb had diverted most officers to protect other locations.
• Gordon sent five cars to watch the delivery site while the rest of the convoy headed toward Arkham Asylum.
• On the way, Li Jie told Albert to stay in the back and avoid firing if shooting began.
• Doctor Strange met Gordon at Arkham and reluctantly agreed to let the police set up positions, warning them not to upset the asylum's delicate balance.
• Li Jie parked his Patrol Van across Arkham's entrance to guard the front while Gordon took responsibility for the rear.

Li Jie and Gordon survived a gunfight outside Arkham Asylum, where a swarm of rats killed the attackers, then learned that Gotham Police Department headquarters was under attack. Li Jie rushed back with Gordon while Wilson stayed behind to loot equipment for the East End officers.

• Li Jie spotted two vehicles approaching Arkham, narrowly dodged a sniper’s bullet, and was struck in the side by a rifle round that his ceramic vest plate stopped.
• A swarm of rats overwhelmed and killed the gunmen in the woods, leaving officers to discover rat carcasses and bodies with their masks still missing.
• Li Jie realized the dead attackers were not Black Mask’s men, and a radio call reported that headquarters and its evidence warehouse were under attack.
• Gordon ordered the officers back to headquarters, and Li Jie drove there with him while Otis and Albert stayed behind with Wilson.
• Wilson told the remaining East End officers to load useful equipment into their vehicles while leaving the money behind.

Gordon and Li Jie investigated the robbery of the Gotham Police Department’s evidence facility and agreed to pursue the evidence against Loeb in the name of justice. Meanwhile, Batman was delayed by a masked woman who called herself Catwoman, and Li Jie learned that Falcone’s vault had been robbed by thieves wearing the same masks as the police station attackers.

• Gordon and Li Jie reached the Gotham Police Department after masked attackers wounded officers, fired a grenade into the station, and fled west in three vehicles.
• Gordon and Li Jie found the evidence facility nearly emptied, two dead officers, and a taunting note signed B.M.; Li Jie questioned whether Loeb had been involved.
• Gordon agreed with Li Jie to follow the evidence against Loeb in the name of justice, while they wondered why Batman had not appeared.
• Batman fought a masked woman across the rooftops, but she evaded him and agreed to leave after he offered to pay her double.
• Gordon told Li Jie that Loeb had reported another robbery at a Falcone vault by thieves wearing the same masks, prompting Li Jie to question who had attacked the police station.
• The masked woman vanished into Gotham’s night and named herself Catwoman.

After the attack on Arkham and the raid on Central Headquarters, Li Jie briefed Chief Bob on the evidence warehouse’s destruction and helped him plan a public show of support for fallen officers’ families. At the Forensics Division, Li Jie and Nygma discussed the attackers’ weapons and the risks of searching Gotham for the terrorists.

• Li Jie told Chief Bob that a mole had helped the attackers empty Central Headquarters’ evidence warehouse, leaving several people dead and the headquarters officers cowering inside.
• Wilson and the East End officers brought weapons and supplies back to the precinct, and Li Jie ordered them stored in the new Forensics Division for Nygma to examine.
• Bob saw Li Jie’s bruising and heard his account of the night, then recognized an opportunity to replace Loeb as chief.
• Li Jie advised Bob to visit the families of Brian and Nelson with relief money and reporters present, presenting himself as a chief who supported officers and their families.
• After being treated at the hospital, Li Jie visited Nygma, who identified the recovered weapons and night-vision equipment as signs of a poorly equipped mercenary group.
• Li Jie and Nygma considered ways to locate the terrorists, but Nygma warned that a building-by-building sweep could cost many East End lives.

Li Jie attended an East End Police Department meeting where Bob ordered officers to avoid unauthorized action against Black Mask and assigned Li Jie to handle the Roman’s latest robbery. The meeting ended with Bob revealing that congressmen feared a global nuclear war within a year because of the millennium bug.

• Li Jie learned that Bob had avoided making bold promises to the media because he feared being put in charge of the dangerous Central Headquarters case.
• Bob told the East End officers not to make public threats, accept Central Headquarters orders without authorization, or pursue criminals on their own.
• Bob introduced Edward Nygma as the new head of the Forensics Division, and Nygma reported that the investigation had few leads.
• Li Jie agreed to visit the Manor again after Bob said the Roman had been robbed and might unleash his men on the streets.
• Bob told the meeting that congressmen expected a possible global nuclear war within a year because of the millennium bug.

Li Jie convinced Falcone that Oswald Cobblepot had been framed for the vault robbery and took the badly beaten Cobblepot to the hospital. As Cobblepot slipped unconscious in the van, Li Jie pressed him to swear he was innocent, but received no answer.

• Li Jie arrived at Falcone Manor and examined footage of the vault robbery, noting that the limping robber seemed to make sure the hidden camera caught him.
• Li Jie argued that Cobblepot was being framed, pointing out that he had an alibi from the police-arranged meeting with Black Mask.
• Falcone accepted that another mole might be responsible for stealing twelve million dollars and ordered the others out of the room.
• Falcone asked Li Jie to take the battered Cobblepot to the hospital, while privately telling Zsasz that he had beaten Cobblepot as a lesson for getting close to the police.
• In the Patrol Van, Li Jie asked Cobblepot whether he had been behind the robbery, but Cobblepot lost consciousness before answering.

Selina Kyle was ambushed by Roman Sionis while collecting money and escaped the warehouse with a gunshot wound before falling from a rooftop. Li Jie and Nygma discussed whether Cobblepot had staged an incident, then considered confronting him over twelve million dollars.

• Selina Kyle met Roman Sionis at Dixon Pier to collect the hundred thousand dollars he owed her.
• Roman revealed the ambush, and Selina fought off his gunmen by breaking searchlights and escaping through a window.
• Roman shot Selina in the thigh, and she fell from a rooftop as a pair of enormous wings descended toward her.
• Li Jie and Nygma reviewed footage and concluded that the person attacking Cobblepot was probably not Cobblepot himself.
• Li Jie and Nygma discussed Cobblepot's injuries and the possibility of getting half of his twelve million dollars.

Li Jie tried to keep Harleen Quinzel away from Nygma and the police department’s new building before Gordon asked him to help with a case. Meanwhile, Selina Kyle woke in Batman’s cave after he treated her wound, then left with her money and vowed to take revenge on Roman Sionis.

• Li Jie found Harleen Quinzel arguing with Nygma about a possible personality disorder and pulled Nygma away before the confrontation escalated.
• Li Jie arranged free consultations and macaroni giveaways to keep Harleen occupied, then cordoned off the route to the Forensics Division.
• Gordon asked Li Jie to help with a case because he was handling Central Headquarters’ Black Mask investigation.
• Selina woke in Batman’s cave with her gunshot wound bandaged and learned that Black Mask had shot her.
• Selina took the four hundred thousand dollars Batman had recovered and left the cave, promising to pursue Roman Sionis for revenge.
• Batman picked up a fragment of Selina’s cat-claw from the floor as she disappeared into Gotham.

Li Jie and Nygma investigated the dismemberment case before an anonymous caller gave Li Jie a lead on Black Mask’s new base. Li Jie joined Gordon’s convoy and planned a risky way to enter the building, but Wilson spotted something near their destination.

• Nygma examined the dismembered remains and concluded that the killer had surgical or butchering skills and was assembling victims into a pig-headed monster.
• Li Jie received an anonymous tip that Black Mask had a base in a defunct express company’s basement on Brandon Avenue.
• Li Jie called Gordon and joined Central Headquarters’ convoy, hoping to recover some of Black Mask’s stolen goods.
• Li Jie proposed reversing his sturdy van through the entrance while the police prepared to respond, and Gordon agreed.
• As the convoy approached the base, Wilson pointed at something ahead and shouted.

Li Jie and Wilson stopped an armed robbery at a moving company, secretly took bags of evidence cash, and covered their tracks. Elsewhere, Black Mask realized someone had manipulated his gang into fleeing the police and ordered his men to move, while an unseen watcher continued to track him.

• Li Jie rammed the Patrol Van into a box truck as gunmen opened fire, then Wilson and Gordon pursued the fleeing trucks while Li Jie and Wilson searched the moving company.
• Li Jie found bags of Gotham Police Department evidence cash in the wrecked truck and secretly hid two bags in the Patrol Van.
• Wilson shot a gunman inside the building, and Li Jie told him to kill the wounded survivor and keep the stolen money secret from Chief Bob.
• Li Jie paid Junker and Dren to repair the Patrol Van and remove traces of the collision.
• Black Mask deduced that an unknown caller had helped the police by warning his men to flee, shot Number One, and ordered the gang to relocate.
• A hidden watcher observed Black Mask through binoculars and vowed to keep driving him until he was exhausted.