novelnext Chapter 104 The Death of the Mayor
Chapter 104 The Death of the Mayor
Chapter 104 The Death of the Mayor
The incident at school didn't have much impact on Zheng En's life. Apart from handling some school affairs and doing daily tasks, he would still accompany students to participate in group activities from time to time.
Older children may seem less comfortable, but younger children don't have as many concerns.
Especially given that Jason and Casey, who were leading the group, were both very close to him.
The first children to join the boarding school were those who were relatively familiar with Jung Eun. The goodwill he built up while distributing free food allowed him to gain students in addition to those left behind by Mrs. Gunn.
Inspired by these students, other students were also willing to be bold enough to approach him.
Shortly after dinner, it's time for group activities. There are many kinds of activities, sometimes playing games, sometimes watching movies. The children will raise their hands to vote on what to do next, but there is one thing that is always the same.
They have to watch today's news in the classroom.
Gotham's evening news usually starts at seven o'clock, which is when most people have finished dinner. Children gradually return to their classrooms from the cafeteria, and the places where they studied during the day become playgrounds at night.
They learn knowledge here and also receive information from the outside world through multimedia teaching materials.
"Good evening, and welcome to Gotham Evening News. I'm your host, Amy, and I'll be bringing you the latest news updates—"
Jason, the class monitor, turned on the multimedia system, took the remote control, and sat down next to Zheng En.
American schools don't actually operate on a class-based system, nor do they have class monitors, but the principal of this school was Chinese. Before founding the school, Zheng En thoroughly researched the practices of local schools and solidified his belief that "happy education" was harmful.
If they really followed the local school model, wouldn't the Wayne Foundation have to support these kids indefinitely? Forget about socialization; they'd lose all their original survival skills and wouldn't last three days back in that godforsaken place in the East End.
He established the school charter according to the methods of his hometown. Although the teachers were not used to it, they knew how to make money; the children had never been to school, so they did whatever they were told.
Watching the news isn't exactly a fun activity, but when a group of kids get together, even eating becomes more exciting. They might not understand much of the news, but they'll ask questions, and when the host mentions something they can comprehend, they'll discuss it with those around them.
"—Harvey Dent was officially sworn in as Gotham's new prosecutor. This lawyer, known for his toughness, integrity, and uncompromising nature, pledged in his inaugural address to thoroughly dismantle Gotham's deep-rooted network of corruption—"
The host on the screen spoke eloquently, while the children in their seats chattered excitedly.
"Who is Harvey Dent? And what is a prosecutor?"
"Corruption—I know that word! It refers to someone doing bad things, I understand! He wants to be a good person!"
Jung Eun never stopped them from expressing their opinions, and the children discussed it enthusiastically.
"A prosecutor is someone who can judge bad people. I've heard that name before; he's the guy who went against the Romans." Jason is knowledgeable and usually the one who answers questions among the kids.
He had seen the video of the trial online beforehand, and thought, "Harvey Dent should be a good prosecutor."
The host was still introducing Harvey, saying, "He stated that he would launch indiscriminate and unexempt prosecutions against gangs, money laundering, and violent crimes, targeting the forces and families that have long controlled the city's underground order—"
"My God, is he trying to arrest all the gangsters?" one child exclaimed, while another scoffed, "No way, I bet he'll be bribed, just like the Romans did to everyone else."
Children may be illiterate and not know many advanced words, but their understanding of Gotham is no less than that of adults.
"It doesn't matter if they're arrested, gangsters go to the police station all the time anyway, they'll be out in a couple of days."
"Exactly, exactly. Surely there aren't gangsters who don't even have any police friends?"
Zheng En listened helplessly, but these were the truths, and the truth is always hard to hear.
Gotham's evening news is updated daily, with limited topics to cover, but the explanations are quite detailed. Zheng En had assumed today's topic would only be Harvey, but near the end of the broadcast, the host seemed to hear something through his earpiece and promptly changed the subject.
"—We will continue to follow up on this development." Her expression turned serious. "We have just received news that Gotham City Mayor Aubry James has been brutally murdered at his private residence in the suburbs."
"We will now connect with the reporters on the scene immediately."
The footage in the studio was cut off, and after a few buzzing electrical sounds, the slightly shaky camera on the screen stabilized, recording the reporter's face and the bright yellow warning tape behind her.
The scene was very dark. Even with the cameraman using a portable fill light, he could only roughly capture the reporter's appearance and the dark, blurry background behind her.
"Good evening, everyone. This is Vicky Weir, bringing you the most authentic and accurate live coverage."
.
The blonde, blue-eyed reporter had sharp features. She stood in front of the police line, with police officers constantly coming and going behind her. "I am currently in the suburbs of the Upper West Side. The villa behind me is a private property under the name of Mayor Aubrey James."
"This place is in a remote location, with only one road passing in front of the villa. At this moment, the entire villa has been completely sealed off by the GCPD, and no unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter."
She calmly recounted everything she had seen, the red and blue lights of the police car flashing incessantly at the edge of the frame, the urgent sirens constantly echoing around her.
"According to information we obtained from officers at the scene, the mayor was murdered inside the villa. The specific cause of death, the identity of the murderer, and the motive are currently difficult to determine. Police have cordoned off the entire area, and patrol dogs and SWAT teams are conducting searches in the surrounding woods, but as of now, no suspects have been apprehended."
"There were no signs of forced entry at the scene, and the situation inside the villa is still being kept strictly confidential, so we cannot obtain more details at this time. What is certain is that a sitting mayor was murdered in his private residence, which is arguably one of the most heinous incidents in Gotham in recent years."
"This is the latest information I have gathered from the scene."
"Okay, thank you for the report from the reporter on the scene."
The camera cut back to the studio, where the host solemnly summarized, "The murder of Mayor Aubrey James at his suburban private villa has undoubtedly shocked the entire city of Gotham."
"Our reporters will continue to follow up and report, bringing you the latest news as soon as possible."
The brief news broadcast silenced the entire classroom. Even though they didn't understand what the mayor's death meant, the children could feel the tense atmosphere.
A great man has died.
"What would happen if he died?" a younger girl couldn't help but ask. Jung Eun didn't know either. "Maybe something would happen, maybe nothing would."
The death of the mayor was of little consequence to Jung Eun; it was merely the beginning of a new mission and the debut of a supervillain.
But the key issue is that he can no longer contact the unified editorial office.
This doesn't mean there's any necessary connection between the two; in fact, the leader had gradually cut off contact with him a long time ago.
This break in contact wasn't the kind where Jung Eun deliberately provoked him and got no response; rather, it meant that the connection between them had become less close.
Contrary to what Zheng En initially imagined when he transmigrated, Tong Bat and the system were not the kind of things that resided in his mind.
"I understand your thinking; I thought so too before. But now it seems that the system is actually just providing us with a channel for communication."
Tong Bat reminded Jung Eun, "Remember when I told you that my memories would return as I completed more missions?"
"Hmm, what did you remember this time?"
Zheng En worked so hard on the mission not only to get the reward, but also largely to help Tong Bian regain his memory.
Tong Bian's memory was hazy. Although he had vague impressions of various acquaintances after encountering them, they were not clear. He didn't remember why he became a mentor, and even with the permissions granted by the system, some parts of the agreement he signed were still blocked.
He paused for a moment, then said, "My memories are overlapping."
"puff""
Jung Eun, who had just taken a sip of water while the other person was thinking, choked on the news and coughed violently. After finally catching her breath, she exclaimed, "Overlapping? Does this mean the universe has already rebooted?"
He said this place was so strange, with clowns hiding somewhere and owls that had gone mad. It would be easy to explain if it was a conflict in the storyline of a universe reboot.
However, the editorial board denied his statement.
"No, the only overlap is with my memories."
The other person rephrased it, and Jung Eun instantly understood what he meant: "So you might be someone who has experienced multiple reboots?"
"Yes."
Batman won't easily reveal his personal information unless absolutely necessary. "I've remembered some things, but those memories are too vast, and I need to rest for a while to process them."
"During this time, I may disconnect from you," Batman added. "This is something I can only do recently."
Zheng En asked, puzzled, "Why?" He was used to having Batman by his side, just like Iron Man couldn't live without his Jarvis.
Even if the leader does nothing, just knowing that he's there makes people feel at ease.
In DC, if there's something that even Batman can't do, then just destroy it; the Flash will always reboot (as a backup).
"Remember? When you were emotional, I could sense your emotions," Batman explained. "I have reason to suspect that those memories are transmitted to your mind through the connection between us."
"They are too heavy and too large; even if only a little bit leaks out, it is beyond the capacity of the human brain to handle."
Zheng En trusted Tong Bat's judgment. "Then you'd better come back soon, or you'll only see a completely different Gotham."
"I will," he said.
Zheng En was not as perceptive as Tong Bian and could not tell whether the connection existed. However, he had not received any response since that conversation.
He didn't know what the bat leader had done behind his back, but he figured it wouldn't be easy.
The leader did what he was supposed to do, and he should do the same.
The mayor's death was no small matter, and even though the task hadn't been refreshed on the panel yet, Zheng En still planned to go and check it out.
Even a rookie Batman can spawn the Court of Owls at this point; if you don't keep an eye on things, who knows what kind of formidable supervillain might spawn next.
Thinking this, he did just that, flying towards the outskirts of the Upper West Side with a bamboo dragonfly on his head.
The police cars below were still honking their horns, their red and blue lights flashing blindingly.
The current mayor's tragic death at home is a major event, and the police department has dispatched only the best officers. Although Gordon is a new recruit to the Gotham Police Department, he and Brock have solved numerous cases in a short time.
Besides the Arkham bombing that displeased Police Chief Rob, their abilities were evident in things like the corporate murder mystery game and the museum jewelry theft. Even though Rob disliked them, he had to admit their capabilities.
"Aren't you usually so capable when investigating cases? Go solve this case and bring the killer to justice!"
Rob slammed his fist on the table. His personal troops were skilled at using ammunition to violently suppress the people, but they were not good at investigating and prosecuting.
Brock rolled his eyes, but quickly followed Gordon to the outskirts of the Upper West Side.
"What's the situation at the scene? Has anything been found outside?"
Before Gordon even entered, someone came to greet him. The officer in charge of the scene hesitated for a moment, then said, "You should go in and see for yourself."
Gordon frowned, but he quickly understood what the officer meant.
This scene cannot be described in just a few words.
The scene before me didn't resemble murder; it was more like—some kind of indescribable ritual.
The man was nailed to the wall, his entire body and its bizarre shape protruding forward, obscuring his back. However, it was clear that the skin on his back had been completely cut open, with the upper edge sewn to his elbows, making it appear as if the man had grown fleshy wings and was about to take flight.
The strong smell of blood almost made Brock vomit. Gordon coughed twice, pondered for a moment, and then turned off the light switch next to him.
The shape of the corpse reminded him of a relief sculpture, and some relief sculptures seem ordinary, but their brilliance lies in their shadows. He reached for a flashlight from the officer next to him, but couldn't see anything unusual about it.
"Does this look remind you of anything?" Brock nudged Gordon with his elbow, and Gordon, who was only holding it loosely, lost his grip and the flashlight fell to the ground.
The light shone from the floor, casting an extremely long shadow of the corpse.
"————I think I know what you're going to say."
Gordon's pupils reflected the image of that jet-black bat, its wings outstretched as if about to take flight.