Chapter 820: Infiltrating Enemy Lines - Batman (中) (Patreon)

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The challenge for ordinary Gothamites trying to masquerade as gang bosses lay in their inability to acquire luxury cars, fine suits, and bodyguards. If they possessed the skills to acquire such assets, they would have long ascended to the status of gang bosses themselves.

However, Bruce was different. He was a wealthy man with a penchant for recklessness, determined to carve out a career beyond his own social class, something that ordinary individuals couldn't fathom accomplishing.

Indeed, Bruce's plan was to meticulously observe the behavior, mannerisms, and attire of gang leaders and then emulate them to infiltrate their ranks.

This idea had arisen during his time in the slums when he realized that Gotham was teeming with gangs, with leaders of all sizes, and it was impossible for regular people to remember so many faces. Furthermore, gang personnel turnover was swift. Today, you could be ruling three blocks, and the next day, you could be gone. At that moment, even the bodyguards of nightclubs and mansions wouldn't know.

The reason for the need to observe was that Bruce initially believed that members from different ranks might have significant differences in their appearances. Therefore, he meticulously noted every distinction to facilitate future identification.

However, as time passed, due to the mob bosses' obsession with the Godfather, they had all converged externally. Everyone wore black suits and leather shoes, with Twelve Families members sporting an additional red poppy. Wasn't it enough to dress this way to converse with members from any rank?

"A plan gradually formed in my mind, but I knew that to execute this audacious scheme perfectly, I needed many elements in place, and for that, I had to find someone..."

Another page was torn from the calendar, leaving less than a day to meet the deadline. But at this moment, Bruce's thoughts flowed freely, and a familiar name appeared among the words he penned - "James Gordon."

"James has always been my right-hand man, and this time, I hope he can cooperate with my plan..."

"Until now, I still remember the surprised expression on his face when I approached him and told him to arrest me. He must have thought I'd gone mad. But in reality, this is the most critical part of my plan..."

Beyond the faint smile on Bruce's lips, Gordon sat opposite him with an expression of utter astonishment. He widened his eyes and said, "What did you say? Let me arrest you? You..."

"Wait a moment, Bruce, let's talk this over," Gordon approached and patted Bruce's shoulder, saying, "I know you've been through a lot of trauma before, but some things need to be done step by step. You're still young; don't go down the wrong path..."

"No, James, listen to me," Bruce calmly looked at Gordon and said, "If I get arrested, will I be sent to prison?"

Gordon's movement stiffened for a moment, and he said, "Regardless of whether you will be... Well, you shouldn't be sent to prison. You're a psychiatric patient with a mental illness detection report from the hospital, so you should be sent to a mental hospital."

"So, which is Gotham's most famous mental hospital?" Bruce inquired.

"Of course, it's Arkham Asylum... Wait, you're going to Arkham Asylum? Why are you going there? There are no fellow patients of yours there, only a bunch of gang bosses who refuse to leave..."

"I'm going there to find those gang bosses."

In the end, Gordon helped with this endeavor, and Bruce, under a false identity, was tried and subsequently incarcerated in Arkham Mental Hospital.

Standing once more in the hospital's corridor, Bruce had a completely different mindset. The last time he interned here, he watched Schiller turn a once-normal psychiatric hospital into a gathering mansion for gang bosses. Back then, he had interacted with these gang bosses, but at that time, he stubbornly believed that there was nothing to gain from these criminals. He would talk to them merely as a formality.

But now, he stood in front of Arkham Asylum, dressed in a suit, wearing a tie, and with his polished shoes gleaming.

He stepped out of the car, adjusted his tie, walked in briskly, entered the room, lit a cigar, and sat down. Before he could even speak, a gang boss, dressed similarly, approached and said, "This is some good stuff, buddy. Where did you get it? Is it from that batch before December?"

Bruce's fingers gently brushed the side of the cigar as he replied, "It's not contraband; I just spent a little extra."

The person beside him raised an eyebrow and took a seat next to Bruce. Bruce wore a mask, but the scar on his neck, not yet fully healed, suggested he had suffered severe burns.

"I'm Harrison, and Fisher's Wharf in the East District is my territory. Where do you come from? And who are you looking for here?" Harrison asked.

"You can call me Match Malone. My turf isn't far from Wayne Tower, and I have some connections in the South District as well. I'm not here to find anyone in particular; I'm here to discuss some business..." Bruce replied.

Every word Bruce spoke was true, and his demeanor and tone revealed no flaws. Harrison narrowed his eyes and said, "Not far from Wayne Tower..."

Bruce didn't continue speaking, giving Harrison ample room for imagination. Harrison couldn't possibly fathom that the person before him was Bruce Wayne. As far as he knew, the territories near Wayne Tower were directly controlled by the Twelve Families.

Harrison thought that the way this person presented himself clearly indicated his identity. He wanted others to know that he was associated with the Twelve Families but didn't want to specify which family.

Since this was the attitude, it suggested that the business he wanted to discuss might be somewhat unusual. Harrison thought this through and looked at Bruce, saying, "You should understand the rules here. This is lawless territory, and whether a deal can be struck depends on the sincerity you're willing to show. How much sincerity are you willing to put forth?"

"I thought that anywhere in the world where business is conducted, it should begin with discussing returns," Bruce responded fearlessly. After all, he wasn't truly a playboy. The success of the Wayne Family had been in no small part due to his efforts, and gaining the upper hand at the negotiation table was a skill he had mastered.

Harrison tapped his fingers and found that the other party was a tough nut to crack, truly worthy of being a member of the Twelve Families. So, Harrison thought, and then he smiled, softening his tone, "Indeed, that's the way it should be. But the situation here is somewhat special. You can understand it as, as long as you can enter this hospital, you have an opportunity to engage in equal dialogue with everyone."

"In the past, you might not have the right to meet some people, and some people might not have the right to meet you. We all had to follow the rules and couldn't act recklessly. However, in this hospital, we all have only one identity, and that's a patient."

"If you're coming here for the first time, I have to remind you to remember this. We're all just patients here. If you still consider yourself a gang boss, some very terrifying things might happen. There's a doctor here who doesn't appear often, but it's best not to provoke him. If you start firing your gun here and put a hole in the wall, you'll be in big trouble."

"I've been here before," Bruce said directly. "At that time, the Professor was still working here, and I made some like-minded friends, which was very beneficial to my career. So, this time, I'm looking for more reliable partners..."

Upon hearing this, Harrison changed his attitude again. He said, "So, Your Excellency has been here before. There's nothing more to say then. What kind of business do you want to discuss?"

"But it's been a long time since then, and I don't know if the situation here has changed. If you're willing to give me some guidance, maybe I could get a diagnosis from that Professor?" Bruce inquired.

Harrison's eyes immediately lit up, and he placed his hands on the desk. "Now, everyone knows that Gotham has two unique places, one is Arkham Asylum, and the other is Gotham University."

"In these two locations, no matter who enters, they all have the same identity. If you're inside Arkham Asylum, you're a patient. If you're inside Gotham University, you're a student."

"But because of this, we have the opportunity for equal exchange. Many people choose to admit themselves or enroll their children to discuss some difficult business."

Hearing this, Bruce was momentarily stunned. Arkham Asylum and Gotham University had become the two most unique places in Gotham, and they both shared a common characteristic—they had been influenced by Schiller.

"Thinking about this, I'm a bit puzzled. Could this be a coincidence? Or did someone realize the problem with these rules a long time ago and intentionally broke with convention, creating a platform to enhance communication and alleviate the issues caused by rigid rules?"

"What baffles me is that the Professor who influenced these two places doesn't seem like someone who wanted to save Gotham."

"But I don't think it's a coincidence either. If I remember correctly, the Godfather created the rules for the Gang and demanded that everyone adhere to them. Yet this hospital broke with convention. Why didn't the Godfather object?"

Bruce paused his writing for a moment and then continued:

"Or is it true, as he said, that the Gang's rules were the only deal-with solution available in his time? And now, everyone realizes that these rules can't sustain us any longer."

"Perhaps Arkham Asylum and Gotham University are the prelude to the Godfather's desire to loosen the reins. But why, after three years, is Gotham still the same, and these forms of platforms haven't expanded more widely?"

"What are the Godfather and the Professor waiting for?"

As these words were penned, Bruce's pen suddenly paused, and a conjecture appeared in his mind that felt absurd. He was left in disbelief as he allowed the ink to smudge on the paper.

"...Are they waiting for me?"

"Since that time, have they been waiting for someone to awaken from the rules, realize the problem, and have the courage and wisdom to overthrow everything and establish new rules?"

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 821: Deep Behind Enemy Lines - Batman (Part 2)