"V, put the gun down first."
The Joker gripped her wrist tightly, his voice low but carrying an unyielding command.
V stared at him with red eyes.
"Let me go! Those scumbags are still outside!!"
"I know."
"You know? You know, so why are you stopping me?"
V struggled violently, having already thrown the two guns to the ground, her fingernails almost digging into the Joker's hands.
The Joker didn't let go, but merely glanced into the depths of the warehouse.
The culture tanks are still running, and the production line hasn't stopped.
Every second, new people are sent into that meat grinder.
He wanted to rush out more than anyone else and kill all the members of the Maelstrom Gang.
But he couldn't.
He brought everyone here and must be responsible for their lives.
"V, listen to me."
The Joker gripped her wrist tightly, staring into her tear-filled eyes.
Even if we kill a hundred people now, a hundred new Butcher will take over this assembly line tomorrow.
"Then I'll kill them all!"
"Then what?"
The Joker looked at V, his voice suddenly turning somber.
"How many people do we have? And how many can we kill? Ten, twenty, or a hundred? We can kill them tomorrow, or the day after."
V froze for a moment, his chest heaving violently.
The Joker looked at the mutilated bodies soaking in nutrient solution, his face paint blurred by rain and sweat.
"We used to think we could rise up on our own, with a few guns, a few cars, and a bunch of fearless people, to awaken the citizens and then overthrow Nite Owl and Luthor ourselves."
He slowly released his grip.
"In retrospect, this whole thing was a joke."
V clenched his teeth, his voice trembling.
"What did you say?"
I said, we were wrong.
The Joker looked at her, his tone frighteningly calm.
"We cling to this illusion, knowing that every second we delay means more people will be sent into meat grinders. We have no right to continue clinging to that pitiful pride and pretending we can solve everything."
He patted V on the shoulder, turned around, and strode towards Chen Mo.
Chen Mo remained leaning against the doorframe, a handful of sunflower seeds in his hand, his face showing no surprise whatsoever.
The Joker stopped in front of him, remained silent for a few seconds, and then lowered his head.
" Chen Mo, please help me."
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.
"What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly."
The Joker raised his head and removed the mask from his face.
For the first time, that face covered in paint was free of any disguise.
"I beg you to help me rescue the people here and destroy the Maelstrom Gang and the corporation behind them."
He spoke very slowly, each word seeming to be squeezed out of his throat.
"You said before that you could kill everyone here if you wanted to."
"Now, I beg you, kill them all."
The warehouse entrance fell silent as everyone stared at the two men, awaiting the outcome of their conversation.
Chen Mo looked at him and suddenly clapped the sunflower seed shells off his hands.
"Why didn't you say that earlier?"
He grinned.
"I'm waiting for you to come to reality."
Harley Quinn blinked.
"So you knew all along that Honey would ask you for help?"
Isn't that obvious?
Chen Mo put away the melon seeds and took a step towards the warehouse.
"If a person can't even see their own limitations, their death is just a waste of air. Now that he's finally looking for outside help, I can still give him some face."
V picked up the two pistols and strode over.
So what are you planning to do? Do you need me to help?
"I'll tear this place down first, then settle accounts with Luthor and Nite Owl. You can cheer them on from the sidelines; it's not like you're just getting carried to victory."
Chen Mo spoke of it casually.
But just then, the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to shake violently.
The culture tanks in the warehouse shook incessantly, and the steel cables securing them emitted a screeching sound. The robotic grippers on the assembly line all came to a standstill, and alarm lights flashed one after another.
What happened?
Harley Quinn grabbed the metal door frame beside her and almost fell.
The Joker looked up at the ceiling.
"They're not our people; a large military force is approaching from outside."
The next second, a piercing loudspeaker blared from all directions of the factory.
"Listen up, you inside! You are surrounded!"
"Immediately lay down your weapons, cease all resistance, and submit to military inspection."
"Repeat this: Surrender immediately."
As soon as the sound faded, a red light simultaneously illuminated the walls outside the warehouse.
Through the broken factory windows, one could see a dense array of armored lights amidst the acid rain.
They were positioned around the factory perimeter, blocking all exits.
Dozens of heavy armored vehicles were parked on the street, their gun barrels already adjusted. Further away, several military transport planes hovered in the air, rows of missile launchers hanging from their bellies.
V looked grim.
" Luthor's men?"
The Joker nodded.
"It's him."
Looking at the armored units outside, he finally understood why the factory had left such an obvious flaw.
This is by no means an accident.
From the very beginning, this place was a trap deliberately set by Luthor.
He originally intended to use the factory to trap Nite Owl, but instead of Nite Owl, he encountered a group of nameless nobodys attempting to launch a rebellion.
The Joker's lips twitched.
The good news is that Luthor doesn't seem to have figured out Chen Mo's true identity yet.
"Honey, what do we do?"
Harley Quinn gripped the medical kit tightly, her face pale.
For the first time, the Joker smiled easily.
"With Chen Mo, what's there to be afraid of?"
He had just asked Chen Mo for help when the heavily armed troops outside arrived.
What's this?
The moment they decided not to rely on themselves, reality immediately came to examine whether their decision was correct.
Chen Mo walked up to a culture jar and tapped on the transparent body.
The person inside twitched their eyelids slightly.
Can these people be saved?
Harley Quinn quickly went over to check the equipment.
"As long as the nutrient solution and life support system are not damaged, he won't die for now."
"That's fine."
Chen Mo nodded.
"I'll swat the flies outside first, then I'll come back and deal with these cans."
The Joker was taken aback.
"Are you going out?"
"They've been shouting for their surrender for ages; it would be disrespectful not to come out."
Chen Mo turned and walked towards the factory's main entrance.
Just then, a deafening cannon blast suddenly rang out in the distance.
The entire half-meter-thick load-bearing wall was smashed to pieces, and a huge Shockwave swept in, sending steel bars and rubble flying in all directions.
The Joker Gang everyone find cover.
Amidst the smoke and dust, a four-meter-tall heavy military mech stepped slowly into the warehouse, its body treading on scrap metal scattered on the ground.
It was covered in black armor, with blue plasma flames constantly spewing from its shoulders and chest. Its thick cannon barrel rotated once before finally aiming steadily at the Joker's face.
A cold white scanning light illuminated the inside of the mech.
Immediately afterwards, a cold voice came from the loudspeaker.
"It's a pity."
"Your game of rebellion is over."