Chapter 619: Pathological Crisis (Part Five) (Patreon)

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In 1989, conducting an investigation was quite a troublesome affair, primarily because the technological means at that time were not as advanced as they are today. Even though Metropolis was one of the most technologically advanced cities globally, the number of surveillance cameras and dashcams here was less than 1% of what would come after the 21st century.

Consequently, most of the surveillance footage available that could provide direct leads was from peripheral sources.

Moreover, due to Metropolis' generally good security situation, many cameras were left unused, as no one bothered to maintain them. Lex had only recently taken over the Luthor family, and he didn't have the time to install cameras in every nook and cranny of Metropolis, as Bruce did in Gotham, let alone invest further time in their maintenance.

This led them to adopt a more primitive investigative approach, relying on on-site investigations, questioning witnesses, narrowing down the list of suspects, and then interviewing them separately to find clues from their testimonies.

While Bruce was conducting on-site investigations at three companies, Lex arrived at the Metropolis police station. He was in the surveillance room, observing professional interrogators questioning the suspects.

Among these suspects were three janitors, a bank employee, a guard from the Pallo Company, and a security guard from the villa of the nearby bank's CEO. These individuals included all the last eyewitnesses and the first eyewitnesses at the crime scene.

The Metropolis police station was much more spacious and well-lit than its Gotham counterparts. There were no visible signs of wear on the walls. Even the interrogators seemed relatively friendly, using the professional knowledge they acquired in school to repeatedly ask certain questions in sequence, helping the detainees remember more details.

Lex sat in the monitoring room behind the scenes, alongside the police station chief. He turned to the chief and said, "This damn murderer has cost the Luthor Group a substantial contract. The bank CEO took my money and then died. I won't let this killer get away."

"Luthor, rest assured, such a heinous case in Metropolis has probably already caught Congress's attention. More professional personnel will handle this matter," the police station chief assured him.

"I just want results," Lex said expressionlessly. "The Luthor Group expects a return on every investment. If not..."

Lex turned his head to look at the police station chief, who knew what he meant because he had also received money from the Luthor Group. If he couldn't help the Luthor Group resolve this matter, Lex had ways to make him regret it.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the door. The footsteps were steady and evenly spaced, indicating a well-trained individual.

"Knock, knock, knock." The door was knocked on, and the officer standing by the door opened it. A striking female detective entered. She first shook hands with the police station chief, who introduced her to Lex with a smile. "This is Detective Angela Dodgson, a local from Metropolis. She has worked in various police departments and has solved several serial murder cases. I specially brought her in as a capable assistant."

Seeing Lex, the detective known as Angela furrowed her brow. Lex looked like a teenager and seemed out of place here. The police station chief hastily explained, "This is Mr. Luthor, who has been instrumental in the work of the Metropolis police station."

"The bank CEO who was victimized this time was his friend, and they had a business relationship, so he is very concerned and requested to come here..."

"You should know, Detective Dodgson, that not just anyone can enter the interrogation room backstage of the police station, right?" Angela, however, showed no mercy. She turned to the police station chief, who awkwardly took a step back and smiled, saying, "I'll escort him out now."

After escorting Lex out, he sighed and rolled his eyes. Lex asked him, "Why are you so afraid of her? You're the chief, and she's just a detective. What can she do to you?"

The police station chief looked around and motioned for Lex to speak quietly. He said, "You don't know how formidable this female detective is. She specializes in tracking down serial killers."

"Star City, Willow City, Central City... she has left her mark on all major cases in recent years. Whenever there's a high-profile case, she gets called in."

The police station chief sighed, saying, "Mr. Luthor, I know you have high hopes for me, but Metropolis has been too peaceful for too long. My subordinates and I have no clue when it comes to such a serious case. If we don't bring in a professional, who knows how long it will take to solve."

Lex also sighed, saying as he and the police station chief walked out, "This business is the most important one I've handled since taking over the Luthor Group. Now it's hit a roadblock, and the pressure on me is immense."

The police station chief patted his shoulder, and then Lex heard him ask, "I heard that the second victim was the female CEO of Pallo Company. I've heard of that company; they specialize in manufacturing chemical raw materials for cleaning agents. What's the connection between her and the bank CEO?"

The police station chief shook his head and said, "Isn't it about the new chemical factory? Haven't you heard? Snow Mountain Company and many other nearby cleaning companies in Metropolis have placed large orders with Pallo Company. But as the orders piled up, their production capacity couldn't keep up. So, Pallo Company wanted to establish a chemical factory in the western outskirts of Metropolis."

"Do you know that place? It used to be a mental hospital. Pallo Company bought the land, and the loan was already approved. They could start construction at any time. But who would have thought that the CEO would meet with a tragic accident..."

The police station chief shook his head, looking regretful. Lex, however, silently noted this information. After leaving the police station, he returned to the underground laboratory of Luthor Manor. At this point, Bruce was already waiting for him in the manor.

Bruce inserted a data storage device into the computer's interface, containing the clues he had obtained during his investigation.

As the images and text were displayed, Bruce explained, "First, I visited the Snow Mountain Cleaning Company. Their security system was extremely lax. The entire company only had three cameras, of which two were broken. Their surveillance room was merely for show."

"Furthermore, out of nearly 2,000 employees in their company, over half are cleaners. Due to the sheer number, they don’t recognize each other. They are divided into indoor and outdoor teams. Those qualified for high-altitude work and those without the qualification don't work together. They even have many externally hired technicians, and their HR management is a complete mess."

"So, if a stranger infiltrates, they wouldn't be discovered?" Lex inquired.

Bruce nodded, "Their drivers and technicians wear the same uniforms. Impersonating a driver or technician is even easier because they don’t belong to a fixed team and are completely unfamiliar with the cleaners."

"There's no issue with Snow Mountain Company. I've reviewed their accounts and the financial situations of their top executives, everything seems normal," Bruce summarized.

"As for Pyro Company..." Bruce paused, "It's the same everywhere else. However, they don't even have a single camera. It's impossible to ascertain how the culprit transported the body to the rooftop and then threw it off."

"However, while investigating their accounts, I found that they've recently seen a surge in orders. Many cleaning companies, represented by Snow Mountain Company, are purchasing cleaning agent raw materials from them."

"In response, they applied for a loan from the central bank, aiming to transform the western suburb mental hospital of Metropolis into a new chemical plant," Lex continued where Bruce left off.

The two paused momentarily. Bruce then said, "All clues ultimately point to the transaction between the bank, Pyro Company, and Snow Mountain Company. And this transaction leads to the soon-to-be-established chemical factory, which in turn points to the mental hospital."

"If the killer intends to lead us to that mental hospital, what could possibly be there?" Lex asked.

"Grab your things. Let's go check it out. I suspect there's a secret there, a secret that the killer risks exposure to keep," Bruce said.

The car sped through the Metropolis night, weaving between bright city lights, then heading towards the dark outskirts.

A soft brake sound was heard. Bruce alighted from the car, remarking, "Your car is truly rotten. It's beyond salvation."

Lex emerged, looking at his luxury car, reminded of Bruce's Batmobile. Surprisingly, he didn't retort, thinking he should also get a car as efficient as the Batmobile. Although his luxury car is good for show, it couldn't compare to the Batmobile in utility.

Batman moved forward, glancing at the muddy ground beneath his feet. The soil here was notably damp, likely due to underground water resources from being close to the coast.

Further ahead, the mental hospital came into view. It seemed relatively new, with only a few lit windows amidst mostly darkness.

As they approached, Bruce sensed something amiss. He stopped Lex and pointed out, "Look there, armed guards... that's not normal."

"Why does a remote mental hospital have better security than downtown banks and corporate buildings?" Bruce squinted towards the hospital and said to Lex, "Let's sneak in from the side entrance."

Meanwhile, in the interrogation monitoring room, Detective Angela heard frantic footsteps outside. Suddenly, the door burst open. A policeman rushed in, shouting, "The third... the third murder at Snow Mountain Company! Hurry!"

Angela immediately reached for her gun, loaded it, and dashed out of the police station. Riding in a police car, with sirens blaring, they soon reached the front of the Snow Mountain Company building.

A shadow sat in the middle of the road, arms missing, and the upper body secured to a chair with iron wires.

Officers surrounded the scene. As Angela approached, the 'corpse' twitched.

She approached cautiously with her gun ready. It became clear that the man, though restrained, was still alive. His mouth and neck were overstuffed, lips sewn shut with iron wires. His distended belly seemed to house something alive.

He struggled painfully, gasping. As Angela was about a meter away, the man's stomach exploded.

Flesh and blood spattered out, landing just less than ten centimeters in front of Angela. Obviously, the other party controlled the distance very accurately, and no trace of blood splashed on the detective's body.

After the abdominal cavity exploded, Angela clearly saw that the foreign objects that made the victim's abdomen bulge were countless rats.

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 620: The Morbid Crisis (Part Six)