Two of the most sensational events in the City of Sin occurred within two days.
The first was the Joker publicly killing Batman's followers who imitated him, threatening to kill one person a day if Batman didn't unmask himself.
The second was that the Joker was actually caught!
It was none other than Batman who apprehended the Joker!
Bai Ye was also impressed by this hero of the City of Sin, truly sacrificing himself for others. His own girlfriend received a bomb threat, yet he handed it over to his love rival to handle while he went off to catch the Joker.
And he actually caught him!
A day prior, the Joker had gained notoriety as the first criminal in the City of Sin to dare challenge Batman head-on.
A day later, the Joker was apprehended by Batman, elevating Batman's fame to its peak.
As for Commissioner Gordon, he was merely in charge of escort.
Though Batman fought crime, he never killed. Otherwise, with his vigilantism, he would be challenging the very order of the City of Sin.
Even though the Batman's love rival stood by Batman's side, many, like Commissioner Gordon, believed Batman's existence was not a good thing.
However, with Bai Ye having bombed the Investigation Bureau, stripping it of all credibility, Commissioner Gordon was now willing to cooperate with Batman. This arrest of the Joker was the best opportunity to restore their reputation.
But…
"It's about to begin!" Bai Ye exclaimed excitedly. "It's finally about to begin!"
Because of his memories from his past life, Bai Ye knew very well that this was the true beginning of chaos, and everything…
It all began with the arrest of the Joker!
Just as Bai Ye was thinking this, a light screen suddenly appeared before his eyes.
"You have received a mission."
"Rescue the Joker. Mission reward: Sin Value x100, Joker's Playing Cards x1."
Bai Ye looked at the light screen, completely unsurprised by the sudden mission, as he had experienced this mission in his past life.
Furthermore, Bai Ye knew that the chosen ones of the Order Faction had also received a mission.
The mission content was simple. The Sin Faction's mission had only four words: "Rescue the Joker!"
And the Order Faction's mission was equally simple: "Prevent the Joker's escape!"
A two-sided mission, one faction gaining Sin Value, the other gaining Order Value. One would receive the symbolic playing cards left by the Joker at each of his crimes, while the other would receive Batman's iconic Bat-suit.
Bai Ye watched the television screen. The Joker had already been loaded into a vehicle, and with the wail of sirens, he was being escorted away.
Bai Ye couldn't help but smile and say, "This is suddenly much more interesting!"
Bai Ye crossed the street, bought a few burgers from a fast-food joint, stuffed them into a paper bag, and then ambled towards the Investigation Bureau.
The Investigation Bureau, which had been blown to smithereens, had undergone simple repairs and was now operational again. However, the cracks on the walls, the shattered main door, and the rubble piled in the corner all testified to the ordeal this place had endured.
Bai Ye loitered around the Investigation Bureau, observing his surroundings.
Everything appeared normal. People walked by, shops on both sides were open as usual, and agents bustled in and out, carrying out their work.
Yet, a subtle tension could be felt in the air.
At a hot dog stand at the intersection, the vendor was making hot dogs for customers, but he failed repeatedly. The sausage wouldn't go into the bun, the ketchup squirted onto his hand, or he dropped the hot dog while bagging it.
Come on, you're just making hot dogs, not some complex dish like Jianbing Guozi.
This obvious distraction made Bai Ye feel that anyone watching would see through it.
He shifted his gaze and looked into the distance, where occasional glints of light could be seen on a rooftop.
Binoculars, or a sniper scope, he mused. And it didn't look very professional, otherwise, it wouldn't be so obvious.
Was it someone from the Order Faction?
Or from 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 hijack the transport vehicle when it returned to the Bureau to rescue the Joker.
It was a good idea, and yet not. Don't forget, Commissioner Gordon was merely a figurehead. The one who truly caught the Joker was Batman.
As he thought, Bai Ye walked into an apartment building about 150 meters from the Investigation Bureau. As he climbed the stairs, he kept glancing out the windows. He reached the door of apartment 606, covered the peephole with one hand, and knocked with the other.
Soon, a voice came from inside, "Who is it?"
Bai Ye called out, "The water meter reader."
*Click!*
The door opened, revealing a man weighing at least three hundred pounds. As he opened the door, he was met with the dark muzzle of a gun.
"Shhh!" Bai Ye made a silencing gesture. "If you're quiet, you won't die. Understand?"
The fat man nodded frantically. With a gun in your hand, whatever you say goes.
Bai Ye entered the room, closed the door, and motioned for the fat man to go into the bathroom and lie in the bathtub. He grabbed a towel, tore it into thin strips, and bound the fat man's hands behind his back.
"If you're thirsty or need to pee, call me, but be mindful of your volume. Understand?" Bai Ye patted the fat 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 as if nothing happened. But if you don't cooperate, then you'll be sleeping in a grave."
"I'll cooperate, I'll definitely 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 all hidden there."
"Don't worry, I don't need your money." Bai Ye took out a wad of cash and placed it beside the bathtub. "I can even give you money. By the way, do you have any family?"
Bai Ye had already scanned the apartment upon entering – one bedroom, one living room. Besides the fat man, there was no one else, but it was possible someone else lived there and was out.
"No," the fat man replied. "I live alone."
"That's good," Bai Ye said. "Be obedient, and you won't die. This money is all yours too."
After speaking, Bai Ye left the bathroom and went to the living room window, looking diagonally down at the main entrance of the Investigation Bureau.
It was an excellent vantage point.
As he thought, Bai Ye sat down on the living room's rocking chair and casually turned on the television, switching to the news channel.
As expected, the news soon reported live. A group of criminals attempted to hijack the escort vehicle but were repelled by the sudden appearance of Batman, who also apprehended seven criminals who would be escorted along with the Joker.