Chapter 187: Should You Consider Going to a Church for an Exorcism Ritual?

"Sheriff, you have a delivery."

Hearing these words, Sheriff Gordon's heart skipped a beat.

Having worked at the Gotham Police Department for so long, the vast majority of deliveries he received were normal: small gifts from friends, postcards from old classmates, or prank gifts from colleagues. In short, out of a hundred deliveries, basically ninety-eight were normal.

But those rare, abnormal deliveries were usually extremely terrifying.

Once, a serial killer had sent a bloodied, beautifully wrapped limb intended as a threat and provocation; gangsters had also sent criminal data and evidence against their rivals, trying to use the police department as a pawn. However, such things were actually manageable; for the officers of the Gotham Police Department, these at most caused some pressure. Most officers simply gave up, while a few were used to handling pressure. For a police department led by a sheriff comparable to a war god, this basically caused no real harm.

But sometimes, the delivered items could cause actual physical harm.

Scarecrow's fear toxin, the Joker's laughing gas, Two-Face's bombs, Deathstroke's tear gas plus a solo raid—these were terror-attack-style packages. They caused actual harm to the police department and were very troublesome. In the several attacks the Gotham Police Department had suffered, some of the toxins were only neutralized after Batman developed an antidote, but most of the time, the outcome was still a large number of officers severely injured.

"Has the package been scanned?"

"It has been scanned. One seems to contain some kind of electronic product, very small, like a mobile phone; the other seems to be a letter."

Hearing this reply, Gordon finally let out a long breath: "Then perhaps it's a letter written to me. Since it's safe, bring it in—oh, Joseph, the new officer Ma Ma Zhaodi, did he report back today?"

"Yes, he is outside."

"Then perfect, go call him. I have something I want to discuss with him."

Soon, Joseph walked out of Gordon's office.

"Ma Ma Zhaodi, Sheriff Gordon needs to see you." Saying this, he casually handed the package to Ma Ma Zhaodi: "This is his package; you might as well take it in?"

So Ma Ma Zhaodi knocked on the door and entered the room.

Director Gordon reached out to open the package while saying, "Ma Ma Zhaodi, you are a new officer, but you have great potential. You've done quite a lot in just a few days at the department, so naturally, I hold a positive attitude toward you."

"However, your luck is slightly bad. Yes, when you were at the theater, you encountered a theater explosion; when you were at the prison, you encountered the Riddler killing people and escaping; when you were on paid leave wandering around, you encountered a car accident involving the Joker, and him shooting the Riddler; when you were taking a taxi, you encountered a driver who had been attacked by laughing gas."

"It is said that you recently found a house in the East End protected by the Falcone family, and you often go to a bar. You should know that the Falcones were later attacked by the Joker, and that bar was blown sky-high."

Ma Ma Zhaodi looked at Sheriff Gordon, a smile of awkwardness yet politeness appearing on his face.

"It's not that you did anything wrong." Sheriff Gordon carefully weighed his words, trying to avoid provoking the young officer before him: "Actually, you have earned quite a few merits. How to put it... we think you should go to a church to undergo an exorcism ritual."

"Of course, today is your first day on the job. Relax first; mindset is also important."

While speaking, Sheriff Gordon took a small mobile phone out of the package.

"Hmm? A mobile phone?"

Sheriff Jim Gordon fiddled with it a couple of times in confusion, and then the phone's screen lit up; it seemed to have no password lock.

"Dear Jim, when you hear this recording, I hope you can smile. After all, arresting dozens of people last night must have made you very happy—just like the little match girl seeing her grandmother in the light. This gave you some false hope, didn't it?"

The voice rising from the phone was shrill and modulated; this way of speaking was full of theatricality, like an actor performing on stage.

"Now, count down three numbers, because after three numbers, everyone in the police department will see their grandmothers!"

"Three—One!"

Ma Ma Zhaodi's pupils suddenly contracted. He immediately used "I Did Not Kill Anyone" twice, turning the twenty-eight-meter range into a survival domain where everyone was locked at critical health, then sprinted out the door and stood in the center of the police station—this would cover almost the entire hall.

During this time, he had not seen the Joker or the Riddler, so he could not apply skills to them. If the police station were truly attacked by a large-scale weapon of mass destruction, people would really die.

And the next second, huge flames and a booming sound swallowed the Gotham Police Department.

Boom—

"Breaking special report: The Gotham Police Department was destroyed by an explosion this morning. Currently, all injured officers inside the station have been sent to the hospital. Fortunately, amidst this dual attack of bombs and toxins, there appear to be no deaths; the vast majority of the injured only suffered minor wounds."

"Director Gordon currently has only minor scratches. He stated that the Joker and the Riddler have gone completely mad. Their methods are despicable and cruel. Unable to find Batman, unable to find the Crazy Biker, and unable to grab any leverage from either side, they simply turned their spears directly at the police department, which had arrested a large number of thugs and gang members."

"But he will not shrink back from one attack. Currently, the search and excavation work on the ruins of the police station is still ongoing."

Ma Ma Zhaodi sighed, took a cigarette out of his pocket, and offered it to the side.

"The letter was found too. It was the Riddler's bomb warning; his fear toxin was detonated by the Joker's bombs. Want to smoke?"

Director Gordon also sighed: "No smoking. I don't dare accept your cigarette right now."

Ma Ma Zhaodi put the cigarette back and shrugged his hands.

"I can't help it; I just happened to be there."

"Go to the church as soon as possible." Sheriff Gordon waved his hand irritably: "Go home. The police department will grant you paid leave again; I approve it."

Ma Ma Zhaodi was speechless.

After a long while, Director Gordon asked again: "Did anyone come to rescue those East End thugs, or the people of the Falcone family?"

"No. The Joker and the Riddler haven't made a move yet. I guess they are good at calculating accounts. Members with broken limbs and disabled bodies cannot serve as combat power for now. Bringing them back would just mean eating without working, so they were simply left in the hospital. Those two blew up the police station mainly to vent their anger; there probably won't be any follow-up plans."

Sheriff Gordon fell silent again for a moment, then waved his hand once more.

"Call the ambushing officers to withdraw. Perhaps this war will have to be fought for a long time."

Ma Ma Zhaodi thought for a moment and said, "By the way, if I find a part-time job during my paid leave, will our police department still pay my salary normally?"

"?"

(End of Chapter)