Two of the most sensational events in Gotham City occurred within two days.
The first was the Clown's public execution of Batman's followers who impersonated him, threatening to kill one person a day if Batman didn't reveal his identity.
The second was that the Clown was actually caught!
It was none other than Batman who caught the Clown.
Bai Ye also admired the hero of Gotham City; he was truly selfless, handing over his own girlfriend's bomb threat to a love rival to handle, then rushing off to catch the Clown himself.
And he actually succeeded!
A day prior, the Clown had gained notoriety as the first criminal in Gotham City to openly challenge Batman.
A day later, with the Clown caught by Batman, Batman's fame reached its zenith.
As for Commissioner Gordon, he was merely in charge of the escort.
Although Batman fought crime, he never killed. Otherwise, with his vigilantism, he would be challenging Gotham's order.
While this rival of Batman stood by him, many, like Commissioner Gordon, believed Batman's existence was not beneficial.
However, now that Bai Ye had blown up the Investigation Bureau, completely destroying its credibility, Commissioner Gordon was willing to cooperate with Batman, and the arrest of the Clown was the perfect opportunity to regain prestige.
But…
"It's about to begin!" Bai Ye exclaimed excitedly. "It's finally about to begin!"
From his memories of his past life, Bai Ye knew this was the true start of the chaos, everything…
Would begin with the arrest of the Clown!
As Bai Ye thought this, a screen suddenly materialized before his eyes.
"You have received a mission."
"Rescue the Clown, Mission Reward: Sin Value x100, Clown's Playing Card x1."
Bai Ye looked at the screen, unsurprised by the sudden mission, as he had experienced it in his previous life.
Moreover, Bai Ye knew that the chosen ones from the Order faction had also received their missions.
The mission was simple: for the Sin faction, it was just four words – Rescue the Clown!
For the Order faction, it was also simple – Prevent the Clown's escape!
It was a two-sided mission: one side gained Sin Value, the other Order Value; one would receive the symbolic playing cards left by the Clown at each of his crimes, while the other would receive Batman's emblem, the Bat-suit.
Bai Ye watched the television screen as the Clown was escorted into a vehicle. Amidst the blaring sirens, the Clown was being transported away.
Bai Ye couldn't help but chuckle, "This suddenly got interesting, didn't it!"
Bai Ye crossed the street, bought a few burgers from a fast-food joint, stuffed them into a paper bag, and ambled towards the Investigation Bureau.
The Investigation Bureau, which had been reduced to rubble, had undergone simple repairs and was now operational again. However, the cracks on the walls, the shattered main gate, and the piles of rubble in the corners were stark reminders of the ordeal the place had endured.
Bai Ye loitered around the Investigation Bureau, observing his surroundings.
Everything appeared normal: people walked by, shops on either side were open as usual, and agents bustled in and out, engaged in their work.
Yet, a palpable sense of tension could be felt.
At a hot dog stand on the corner, the vendor was attempting to make a hot dog for a customer, but fumbled repeatedly. Either the sausage didn't go into the bun, or the ketchup was squeezed onto his own hand, or he accidentally dropped the hot dog while bagging it.
Come on, it's just a hot dog, not a complex dish like Jian Bing Guo Zi.
This obvious absent-mindedness, Bai Ye thought, looked incredibly fake.
He withdrew his gaze and looked into the distance, spotting occasional glints of light on a rooftop.
Binoculars or a sniper scope, likely. And not a very professional one, or they wouldn't be so easily noticed.
Were they from the Order faction?
Or the Sin faction?
Bai Ye smiled, knowing it could be either, as everyone had received a mission.
Of course, not many people had arrived around the Investigation Bureau yet. Most would likely choose to intercept the transport vehicle directly and rescue the Clown en route back to the Bureau.
It was a good idea, but not entirely. After all, Commissioner Gordon was merely a figurehead. The one who truly captured the Clown was Batman.
With these thoughts, Bai Ye walked into an apartment about 150 meters from the Investigation Bureau. As he ascended the stairs, he kept peering out the windows. Reaching the door of apartment 606, he covered the peephole with one hand and knocked with the other.
Soon, a voice came from inside, "Who is it?"
Bai Ye called out, "Water meter reader."
*Click!*
The door opened, revealing a man weighing at least three hundred pounds. In front of him, a dark gun barrel appeared.
"Shh!" Bai Ye made a silencing gesture. "Stay quiet, and you won't die. Understand?"
The fat man nodded frantically. With a gun in hand, whatever he said went.
Bai Ye entered the room, closed the door, and motioned for the man to go into the bathroom and lie down in the bathtub. He then grabbed a towel, tore it into strips, and tightly bound the man's hands behind his back.
"If you're thirsty or need to pee, call me. But keep your voice down, understand?" Bai Ye patted the man's face. "If you cooperate…"
Bai Ye checked his watch and continued, "In about six hours, I'll leave, and you can go back to your bed and sleep like nothing happened. But if you don't cooperate, you'll be sleeping in a graveyard."
"I'll cooperate, absolutely cooperate," the fat man said quickly. "I won't shout. If you need money, it's in the second drawer under the TV cabinet; my cash is hidden in a metal box there."
"Don't worry, I don't need your money." Bai Ye took out a wad of cash and placed it next to the bathtub. "I can even give you money. By the way, do you have any family?"
Bai Ye had glanced around the apartment upon entering. It was a one-bedroom unit. Besides the fat man, there was no one else, but it was possible others lived there and were currently out.
"No," the fat man replied. "I live alone."
"That's good," Bai Ye said. "Behave, and you won't die. This money is yours too."
After speaking, Bai Ye left the bathroom and went to the living room window, looking down at an angle towards the main entrance of the Investigation Bureau.
It was an excellent vantage point.
Bai Ye thought as he sat down in the living room's rocking chair and casually turned on the television to the news channel.
Sure enough, a breaking news report soon appeared: a group of criminals attempted to hijack the escort vehicle but were repelled by the sudden appearance of Batman, who also arrested seven criminals who would be transported along with them.
…