Chapter 157: The Unlucky Commissioner

"Hahahaha—"

Inside the iron door of the interrogation room, the man's laughter echoed in the narrow space.

Ma Ma Zhaodi was not outside the door, but he was currently outside the interrogation room; he could hear the two people talking through the wall and could feel that, at this very moment, the Riddler seemed truly happy.

"Gotham has had nearly thirty people sent to the hospital, Edward Nygma!"

Through the small window in the door, Ma Ma Zhaodi could see a cop and a criminal inside—under dim light, the black police commissioner's face was covered in heavy shadows, appearing infinitely gloomy; he clenched one hand into a fist, slammed it onto the table before him, and hammered down hard: "So I'm sorry, I damn well don't see the funny side of this."

And opposite him sat the Riddler, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and long trousers; he was almost completely different from the Riddler in Ma Ma Zhaodi's universe.

He no longer wore the green costume Ma Ma Zhaodi remembered, revealing strong and powerful forearms; the muscles on his back made the shirt bulge slightly, clearly showing he had not neglected exercise during his days in prison, and perhaps possessed considerable close-combat ability.

Ma Ma Zhaodi recalled slightly that on April Fool's Day, the Riddler had been completely curled up; compared to the tall and burly Sofia, his impression of him had only two points: "cowering" and "weak," with perhaps a hidden "clever and cunning, looking out for himself" added on top, and besides that, there was literally no other impression.

Was this the effect the Riddler wanted? Ma Ma Zhaodi couldn't be sure, but he thought the possibility was high.

The Riddler raised his head, his angular face exposed under the light; unlike the Joker's thin and sharp features, his square face combined with blond hair actually appeared masculine and heavy, quite different from the common impression of a schemer, looking more like a relatively intelligent ordinary burly man.

After hearing the commissioner say that line, "I'm sorry, I don't see the funny side of this," he finally reined in his laughter and replied: "No, it should be me who is sorry; I know you don't see what's funny, Detective."

He specifically used the word "Detective," with a tone of mockery: "But you should at least be able to see—that is exactly where my funny side lies."

As he spoke, he casually tapped the Gotham map spread on the table, but the black bald police commissioner simply did not want to waste time with him at this moment; plus, being mocked by the prisoner for being a detective yet being fooled by a criminal, his face instantly turned black; he decided to get the upper hand on the other guy—when cooperating with other prisoners, such a strategy always worked.

"Our deal is, you help me, then I help you—since you haven't helped, then I won't accompany you anymore, goodbye, Nygma."

Before leaving, he disdainfully turned back and sneered: "I guess Gordon wasn't wrong; only that Bat can figure out the Joker's hiding place."

At this moment, the Riddler indeed reacted.

"Wait, please, I can do it—I want to help, I want to help!"

"Oh?"

Pretending to leave, the detective turned his back to the Riddler, a hint of triumphant smile appearing on his face; intimidation, bribery, and goading—this trick worked almost every time against prisoners.

"I can solve this matter better; anyway, if you can explain one thing, this problem is easily solved, Commissioner."

"Oh, no problem, Nygma." The commissioner immediately showed a gentle attitude; he casually pulled out the chair opposite and sat down: "What do you want to know?"

Since a moment ago, he had been standing; only after the Riddler was brought under control was he willing to sit opposite and talk properly—that was his consistent thought: prisoners not brought under control would not be honest.

Ma Ma Zhaodi, however, did not think the Riddler had been brought under control; rather than saying he was seen through by the commissioner, it was the phrase "only Batman can solve the riddle" that made the Riddler feel offended.

The goading worked, he thought, but it worked a bit too well; insulting the Riddler's puzzle-solving ability was almost equivalent to pointing at a musician and calling his performance garbage, or pointing at a basketball player and calling his skills shit—it was insulting the other party on the aspect they were most proud of.

Regardless of whether what was said was right or wrong, anyone with a bit of pride in their craft would get very angry, and the Riddler's pride in his puzzle-solving ability was not just "a bit"—plus, he was a mental patient.

He looked up at the surveillance camera in the corner of the interrogation room; the slightly flickering red light indicated it was active, and officers were already monitoring the entire conversation via surveillance; it seemed this conversation had a certain level of security.

The conversation in the interrogation room continued; the commissioner sat opposite the Riddler and asked: "What do you need to know?"

"Ah, if you could—I mean, you just need to tell me, why does the end of the world never come? Can you?"

Hearing the Riddler ask such a strange, nonsensical question, the commissioner's face showed a puzzled expression: "Say that again?"

He received no answer, and Ma Ma Zhaodi saw the Riddler's right hand reach toward his waist, his internal alarm bells ringing loudly.

Not good!

In the commissioner's eyes, Nygma suddenly leaped up, vaulted over the table, and waved a sharp, Bai Bai Sensen dagger in his hand.

"I damn well knew it!"

Ma Ma Zhaodi, whose nerves were already taut, immediately used the "I Did Not Kill Anyone" skill on the Riddler.

The dagger, flashing with cold light, easily sliced open the commissioner's neck; bright red blood sprayed out from the major artery, and this slash got stuck on the lower jawbone of the face. Amidst the officer's wails, Ma Ma Zhaodi could hear the Riddler make an annoyed "tsk" sound.

The dagger was waved again, from the abdomen to the chest, then slashed back to the neck, and finally the face, one slash after another, without hesitation, without mercy.

Ma Ma Zhaodi looked at the iron door before him, preparing to leap and smash it open, but was suddenly pulled away by Ma Ma Luoni Baron, who had rushed over from the monitoring room.

"What are you still standing there for! The Riddler has gone damn crazy! Come quickly and get the helmet and weapons!"

【Ding】

【You have a new gig available, please check】

【Diligent Guardian】

Mission Introduction: The Riddler stayed obediently in the Gotham Police Department for a year, but now suddenly killed the commissioner; everyone could naturally guess his next move, but everyone might not be able to stop his next move—after all, before truly acting, a smart person has certainly made preparations.

Note: As an unexpectedly arrived Guardian, you will naturally do your utmost to prevent the Riddler's current escape; interestingly, schemers often fall to accidents.

Status: Pending Completion

Reward: Intermediate Combat Mastery, 50,000 Asset Points】

A simple and unadorned reward, but Ma Ma Zhaodi liked it very much.

(End of Chapter)