Chapter 164: Fools Have No Normal Logic

This driver was certainly not the Clown.

When Ma Ma Zhaodi got in the car, he had already glanced over; the other man's skin color, height, build, scent, accent, and even his dressing habits were completely different from the Clown's. Setting aside whether the Clown could even disguise himself like this, first of all, he had no reason to disguise himself this way—at the very least, he would never do such a thing just to go after Ma Ma Zhaodi.

Just from yesterday's meeting with the Clown, it was clear that the Clown in this world was also a high-IQ criminal, and quite particular, with his own style of dress and demeanor. Ma Ma Zhaodi found it hard to imagine him deliberately changing his clothes into cheap, wrinkled, and oil-stained rags, and then deliberately shaving his head into a bald spot.

Fighting Batman might be worth such a sacrifice of image, but fighting himself was absolutely impossible.

Then, the answer was naturally the second one—this driver, like Grandi before, had been hit by the Clown's laughing gas.

And the reason he had lasted until now was the "I didn't kill anyone" skill buff Ma Ma Zhaodi had added to the Clown last night; otherwise, he would probably already be dead from the laughing gas on this street.

Ma Ma Zhaodi watched the driver, who was laughing uncontrollably; he seemed to be on the verge of losing consciousness. In just a few sentences, he could no longer spit out a single complete word, emitting only chilling bursts of manic laughter.

"Eat my milk!"

When Ma Ma Zhaodi took out a water gun and shot some MC milk into his mouth, a few seconds later, this driver finally calmed down slowly and regained some sanity—not that he didn't want to give him milk candy, but mainly because he was afraid the driver would choke on the milk candy while laughing uncontrollably; at that point, before the Clown's laughing gas could kill him, Ma Ma Zhaodi's milk candy would have choked him to death first.

"Cough, cough, cough, oh my god, oh my god." He covered his throat, coughing dryly; the desperate, manic laughter had placed an enormous burden on his throat and lungs, and now he was even coughing up blood streaks. The Clown's laughing gas was truly lethal.

"I finally don't have to laugh anymore, oh my god, I feel like I almost died just now."

You are about to die, Ma Ma Zhaodi silently retorted; if he hadn't met this taxi driver, the driver might have been taken back to the Gotham City Police Department to undergo dual interrogation by Gordon and Batman.

Of course, in that case, he would still have a chance of survival, after all, the omnipotent Lu Lu Xiusi could research an antidote in time.

"Mr., I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, I just suddenly—I don't know why—wait, why is there a sweet taste in my mouth? What happened just now? Did you give me something to eat?"

"No, I didn't. Just now you suddenly laughed very loudly, laughing for a long time before calming down," Ma Ma Zhaodi replied. "As you can see, I am an officer of the Gotham City Police Department. You looked just now as if you had been hit by the Clown's laughing gas. I have to report this situation to the Chief. Perhaps someone will come to take your statement later, but it won't be me—I have to rush to the destination of your last passenger to check the situation there. If we're lucky, no one will have been hurt there, but I don't hold out much hope for that."

"Uh, I remember, at that time I was driving on the road in the Fort Odis district, it was still early morning, there was almost no one on the road. When I passed a small alley, a man with very pale skin walked out from inside, he waved at me and took my ride."

"Darry Campbell," Ma Ma Zhaodi said into the phone. "That is the name of that taxi driver, and that yellow taxi belongs to him."

"Campbell is an old driver; he has been driving a taxi for fourteen years. He encountered the Clown, who was trying to hail a ride on the road. Ordinary citizens don't all recognize the Clown; at that time, he thought it was just an ordinary passenger."

"He was wrong." A sigh came from Chief Gordon on the other end of the phone: "Fortunately, he didn't die. However, why didn't the Clown's laughing gas kill him?"

"I don't know, maybe the dose he inhaled wasn't large?" Ma Ma Zhaodi shrugged: "In any case, at least he isn't laughing now—speaking of the situation at that time, he was telling the Clown about his two children. This man was remarkable; he supported his two children through college on tips alone. Although he still owes student loans, all other tuition, miscellaneous fees, and living expenses were borne entirely by him."

"Thank God, he is still alive." Chief Gordon let out a breath: "Otherwise, his two children would have lost their father—but where did the Clown get off the car?"

"Oh, this is the key point. According to Campbell, he drove the Clown to number 69 Dick Sprang Street." Ma Ma Zhaodi shook his head: "This unlucky guy told the Clown a yellow joke."

Chief Gordon fell silent for a moment: "Dick? Sixty-nine?"

"Uh-huh—I guess the Clown might not have liked that kind of humor," Ma Ma Zhaodi responded. "In any case, the Clown arrived at number 69 Dick Sprang Street about half an hour ago. I am currently on my way there in a taxi. Campbell has gone to Gotham Hospital; you should be able to find him there."

"Stay safe, Ma Ma Zhaodi," Chief Gordon instructed. "You are alone, and you have no weapon. If you face a dangerous person like the Clown, prioritize your own safety."

Ma Ma Zhaodi smiled; in ninety-nine percent of parallel universes, Chief Gordon was a good man.

"Wait a moment, I will dispatch police forces there immediately. Ma Ma Zhaodi, after you arrive at your destination, you can check the situation first, but do not act rashly. If you encounter the Clown, just wait for backup. If you can stall, stall; if you can't stall, run."

"No problem."

Ma Ma Zhaodi casually agreed, but did not hang up the phone—after obtaining the identity in this world, his original phone card and driver's license and other identification documents were now usable in both universes; this was very convenient.

He kept the communication line open, took a taxi all the way to Sprang Street, and just as he got off the car, Chief Gordon's voice came through the phone again.

"Ma Ma Zhaodi, where are you?"

"Chief Gordon, I just got off the car at number 69 on the street. There is a house here; it looks like an ordinary residence."

While reporting the situation to the phone, Ma Ma Zhaodi approached the room. Relying on his superhuman hearing, he sensed that there seemed to be no human voices inside the room; it seemed the Clown had already left.

So he stepped closer to the door of the house step by step and took a lock-picking tool produced by the system out of his pocket.

On the other side, Chief Gordon sat in the car, also rushing towards Sprang Street. Looking at the documents in his hand, he continued speaking to Ma Ma Zhaodi.

"The files on that house have been found. The owners are a couple, Kim Templeton and Tony Templeton; they moved in one year ago."

"I know, Chief, I know..."

Ma Ma Zhaodi's voice came through the phone; he sighed.

"Their family has five members, right?"

(End of this chapter)