novelraw Chapter 199, Section 96: The Darkness Before Dawn
Chapter 199, Section 96: The Darkness Before Dawn
Chapter 199, Section 96: The Darkness Before Dawn
Later, under questioning from Qin Wei, Thomas revealed many secrets about the court.
The content is not limited to the court's centuries-old "summoning of the gods" plan; it even takes a more people-oriented and business-related perspective, detailing the various ways in which the financially powerful court exploits Gotham.
First, they would invite Gotham City officials to a banquet under the guise of a powerful family. Then, they would set traps, using money to satisfy the greedy and women to satisfy the pleasure-seeking. Finally, someone would take photos as evidence, and then they would use black gloves like Maroney and Falcone to coerce and manipulate them.
Once the truth comes out, these corrupt officials will quickly "commit suicide" in prison, and most people, even if they investigate further, will only be misled by the appearance of "political-gang collusion".
The Court of Owls has used this tactic for over a century, with the only time it failed was when the Joker, during a live broadcast, revealed the court's emblem in front of all the citizens of Gotham.
In fact, the Court of Owls' reaction was a bit excessive. After all, even if it was discovered, it didn't mean anything. But the inherently cautious court wanted to nip any unstable factors in the bud.
Unsurprisingly, they fell into the Joker's trap and bumped right into the equally bewildered Bat family.
Now that the decisive battle is about to begin, Qin Wei has already raised his hand, ready to make a decisive move.
He transcribed Thomas's dictation and organized the language into a speech.
Look at what's recorded on these pages: assassinations, threats, hostile takeovers, price gouging, drug trafficking. These crimes may seem insignificant on the court's record of offenses, but they are enough to ignite the anger of the citizens.
Indeed, even now, some people still believe that the existence of the courts is nothing more than an urban legend, but Qin Wei wants to make these people face reality and rub salt into Gotham's wounds.
His chosen spokespeople were Thomas and Daniel, and what could attract the audience's attention more than two identical clones in front of the camera?
The recording equipment had been set up in the basement, and the two men were dressed and reading their speeches. Now they were just waiting for Tim to break through the firewalls of the TV station and video website and connect to the signal.
Taking advantage of this rare free time, Qin Wei went to the wasteland behind the castle.
On this gloomy afternoon, Gordon held an umbrella, ready for a possible downpour.
A stone tablet stood before him, bearing only the crookedly written word "fighter" without a name.
The stone tablet was carved by Qin Wei for Anatoly. He felt that the KGB beasts, who were too bloodthirsty, were not worthy of being called comrades, so he used this word.
"What are you thinking about?" Qin Wei asked, standing beside Gordon.
"I'm thinking, do you think people are always this complicated?"
"People who see things in black and white are always a tiny minority. Most people are gray, some may lean towards white, and some may lean towards black." Qin Wei sensed the complexity in Gordon's heart at that moment and patted him on the shoulder to comfort him.
"Just like what I'm about to do, bring a storm to Gotham, a storm that may take many lives, including mine."
"But in the face of the significance of its arrival, all sacrifices are worthwhile."
"But innocent people will die, and you have no right to decide their life or death," Gordon retorted.
"Yes, I can't really say who's right and who's wrong! After all, American ideology places more emphasis on the free will of the individual, and someone like me who pursues collective consciousness and often talks about sacrifice and dedication seems more like a dictator."
Qin Wei mercilessly dissected his own problems, leaving Gordon speechless as all his lines were stolen.
"Honestly, I don't know if this path I'm on is even viable. All I know is that someone has blocked the wrong path for me, Thomas Wayne, who tried to save Gotham through capital, and—"
Qin Wei wanted to mention Bruce next, but since everyone assumed he was Bruce, some things weren't appropriate to say in public.
In the nearby stable, Tim peeked out, holding a laptop.
"Mr. Wei, could you come here for a moment?"
As he spoke, the boy was also typing away on the keyboard, looking extremely busy.
"Ms. Barbara hasn't been online for over twelve hours. At first, I thought she was just tired and fell asleep, but she didn't reply to any of the messages that popped up." His tone revealed undisguised anxiety.
"I just tried hacking into the security camera footage, but I found she wasn't inside the house—"
Tim didn't say anything more, and looked at Qin Wei with pleading eyes.
Qin Wei also sensed something was amiss and hurriedly informed Gordon of the news.
"What! You're saying Barbara's a hacker—Oh my god—damn it, you shouldn't have dragged her into this!"
The overwhelming amount of information left Gordon momentarily at a loss for where to begin.
The elderly father was shocked by his beloved daughter's true identity and angry at Qin Wei's reckless actions. However, it was not the right time for infighting; the most urgent task was to find Barbara's whereabouts.
Gordon called his daughter's cell phone, but this foolish approach didn't seem to work. Qin Wei and Tim were already studying the surveillance video from the apartment near Gordon's house.
Surprisingly, the call went through.
"Hey there, Chief Gordon! Oh no, I shouldn't call you Chief anymore. You and I are no different, just a wanted criminal, a rat in the gutter!"
Barbara's sweet smile appeared on the phone screen, but the voice coming from the other end terrified Gordon.
"JOKER!"
Gordon screamed, and his violent reaction also attracted the attention of Qin Wei, who was standing nearby.
"Turn on speakerphone!"
Qin Wei and the clown said in unison that it seemed they both knew Barbara was just a bridge for communication.
Gordon was forced to comply, and as soon as he pressed the button, the Joker's chaotic laughter burst out of the receiver.
"Hi! Honey, it's been so long since we last talked!"
"Yes, if you'd like, why don't you tell me the purpose of this trip?"
"Hahahaha, of course it's to contact you. Ever since I discovered you knew some secrets, you've started to slip out of my control. I've sent you so many comics, but you haven't read a single one. Don't you really care about your future at all?"
"Thanks to you, my life has become much more comfortable without those damn comics."
Gordon was getting increasingly anxious as he listened to the two chatting idly.
"Quickly, ask him! Quickly, ask him where Barbara is!"
Unsurprisingly, this move drew ridicule from the clown.
"Hahahaha, it seems some people are about to lose their temper. Our loyal and brave Mr. Gordon always reveals his vulnerable side in front of his daughter."
"But rest assured, my target has never been you, and I will never take nude photos like some despicable guys."
Then the Joker sent a selfie taken from below, his creepy smile almost taking up the entire screen.
Aside from these invalid messages, one can roughly deduce from the paintings on the wall and the view of the high-rise buildings outside the window that in a corner of the other party's high-rise office, the unconscious Barbara is trapped in an office chair.
"Don't bother guessing where this is, darling, I'll tell you!"
"In Wayne Tower, in Thomas's office, I'm setting a time bomb from now on, for 24 hours! If you want to rescue her, you'll probably have to come back to Wayne Tower!!!!!!!!!"
"You want me to start a war with the Court of Owls ahead of schedule?"
Qin Wei keenly discerned the clown's intentions.
Yes, storming into the courthouse in broad daylight is surely a signal to start a war.
"Smart kid! The court is already at a disadvantage. If you were fully prepared, this war would turn into a one-sided massacre. Wouldn't that be too boring?"
"You just want to turn me into a bat, right? Joker, sending someone skilled in stealth and ambush into frontal combat is not the outcome you want," Qin Wei retorted with a cold smile.
"I know, I know, I know, but time is running out. You've successfully attracted his attention. The Apocalypse is about to begin, and we must hurry!" The Joker's tone suddenly became urgent.
"And you must trust me, trust the perfect timing I've chosen for you—"
"Soon, the most dangerous place will become the safest place, and the safest place will be fraught with danger." "Goodbye, my dear. If you think you're responsible for Ms. Barbara's predicament, then hurry and save her!"
Qin Wei hung up the phone, and Tim Na also completed the signal tracing. The Joker hadn't lied; the signal source was Wayne Tower.
"Looks like we need to move the plans forward!"
Qin Wei unbuttoned the first button of his collar. On this cold winter afternoon, the clown's provocation made him feel hot all over.
"Tim, connect to the live stream immediately! I need to see the angry citizens storming the Tower of Venn right away, then notify the people of Rome to follow suit, bring torches and homemade incendiary bombs. Only a big enough commotion can cover my infiltration."
Qin Wei did not believe the clown's one-sided story, and the claim that "a safe place has become dangerous" was even more puzzling.
But in fact, Joseph didn't lie to him this time.
Because the owls' night is about to begin, and their claws will soon be unleashed!
While scheming against Qin Wei, the Joker was also scheming against the Court of Owls, and this time, the bargaining chip he threw in the Court's face was the hideout of the League of Assassins.
Twenty years ago, on the night of the riots, the League of Assassins was nearly wiped out, with only Rashomon and Talia remaining, along with a few junior assassins hiding on Gotham's Necro Isle. These lingering threats have always been seen as a thorn in the side by the courts.
This time, the Joker used Bane's connection to reveal the hideout of the League of Assassins to the court.
Of course, the League of Assassins alone was not enough to warrant the Claws mobilizing their entire force, so he also placed an additional bet—the Bat Family's secret base, Wayne Manor.
Thus, the entire play becomes absurd and ridiculous under the clown's deliberate arrangement, and the two sides are about to engage in a house-swapping operation without knowing it.
Bats will storm the completely undefended Wayne Tower, while those inside Wayne Manor will suffer the frenzied bites of hundreds of sharp claws.
The Joker, the mastermind behind the whole affair, will finally get his wish and acquire a fully grown bat cub.
Of course, the Joker, with his God-like perspective, can do much more than just that.
During the few days he disappeared from Gotham, he went to the neighboring city of Metropolis and, using his superb disguise skills, approached Louise Lane, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, as a news intern.
Thanks to that middle-aged rancher, the crime rate in the metropolis has been ridiculously low for the past decade or so, and Louis met with Joseph without any suspicion or suspicion.
This seemingly uneventful meeting actually laid the groundwork for the disaster that would strike three months later.
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