Chapter 152

When outsiders entered the Living Hell, they certainly couldn't tour it like a group of tourists, and Fish certainly wouldn't tolerate them arbitrarily claiming territory; at first, her stance was firm and unyielding, leading to several violent clashes.

Batman continued, echoing Gordon's voice: "The scale of gang wars in the Living Hell has become increasingly outrageous—I had to rush there night after night to stop them from blowing up the newly renovated buildings. In fact, on the first day I arrived, Fish was planning to do exactly that."

"During the renovation of the Living Hell, I upgraded its water system, but Fish wanted to turn that device into a bomb to blackmail other gang bosses into leaving. I stopped her."

Batman stood in the shadows of the room's corner, wrapped in his cape, as if he weren't there at all—only his deep voice echoed through the room. Shi Ler asked him: "So you discovered Fish's murder while maintaining order in the Living Hell?"

Batman continued: "I had patrolled the Living Hell for several days. Today was supposed to be my last, as the gangs had finally divided their territories and were about to return to calm."

"But that night, on the rooftop, I heard some commotion. When I arrived, only two people were in the room: one was Fish Mooney, already dead; the other was Oswald Cobblepot."

Shi Ler turned to look at Gordon and said: "So why are you so invested in this case, Detective Gordon? As far as I know, at least a dozen gang bosses have died in Gotham this year alone—I doubt Fish was special."

"Indeed." Gordon nodded. "The Mooney gang wasn't large by Gotham's standards. Honestly, the Living Hell never yielded much profit, and Fish was among the poorest of the gang bosses."

"Brock told me he had dealings with Fish just a few days ago—a murder on Green Street. Of course, the case wasn't worth mentioning."

"The key point is, Brock told me Fish was a complete lunatic—she suffered from severe mental disorders and was a sadist."

"My intense focus on Fish's death stems from necessity—this case involves a key figure."

"Who?" Shi Ler asked.

"The Godfather's son, Evans Falcone."

"Evans? How did he get involved in this?" Shi Ler asked, puzzled. "Two days ago, I called him to my office to review his thesis—I sensed nothing amiss."

Gordon sighed. "The Living Hell is the first step in Gotham's renovation. The old Godfather cares deeply about it, and so do the heads of the Twelve Families. Naturally, he sent someone he trusted to oversee it."

Shi Ler shook his head. "I don't believe Falcone would send Evans. Even I know Evans isn't mature enough."

"What if young Falcone volunteered?"

Gordon paused. "I heard this from our new director—you know he's Falcone's man."

"He told me young Falcone grew impatient. He asked the Godfather to personally supervise the Living Hell project. The Godfather said nothing, but it seems he ultimately agreed."

"Perhaps he's feeling threatened," came Batman's low voice from the corner—calm and steady, unlike Gordon's agitated tone.

"The new mayor, Luo Yi, has become Falcone's adopted son. He's doing quite well."

Gordon nodded, continuing Batman's thought: "Luo Yi isn't much older than Evans. He lacks high education, but he's a pragmatic, experience-driven doer—someone who naturally wins the favor of gang bosses. After all, his background resembles theirs, and they can talk easily."

"But that makes the original heir, young Falcone, look awkward," Gordon shrugged. "It's natural he'd feel anxious."

"So he persuaded the old Godfather to let him join the Living Hell project?"

"Exactly. That's why I'm under pressure now," Gordon rubbed his temples.

"I said before: Fish was a lunatic. She had a violent temper, ignored all advice, and was reckless—even disrespecting the Godfather's own son."

"When Evans arrived in the Living Hell, he naturally wanted to mediate gang conflicts. He clashed with Fish multiple times."

"Evans hoped Fish would sit down with the other outsider bosses and resolve things peacefully—to demonstrate his mediation skills. But Fish refused outright."

"We have an informant in the Mooney gang. He reported that Fish had nearly gone completely insane—she began beating her subordinates and even wanted to kill indiscriminately…"

"Wait." Shi Ler interrupted Gordon. "Could Cobblepot have been one of her victims?"

Gordon sighed again, looking weary. "That's my inference too. I don't know what role he played under her, but he certainly seemed like the kind of person she'd vent on—he had no ability to resist. Sadists love tormenting people like him…"

Shi Ler said nothing, merely gestured for Gordon to continue. After drinking some water, Gordon went on: "The clashes between Fish and Evans grew fiercer, nearly sparking gunfire on several occasions."

"Logically, Evans shouldn't have feared Fish—he was the Falcone heir, and all Twelve Families answered to him."

"But he was desperate to prove himself, determined to handle it alone, refusing help. His impatience backfired: he failed to control Fish, and the other outsider bosses saw him as slow, indecisive—not true Gotham gang style."

"Now that Fish is dead, every outsider boss believes Evans did it. They're all on edge and refuse to listen to him. Even some within the Twelve Families are dissatisfied with his actions."

Gordon spread his hands on the table. "At first, he dithered, clinging to unrealistic hopes of peaceful resolution—then, in rage, resorted to assassination. It looks anything but honorable."

"Our new director is the old Godfather's man. He still doesn't know the Godfather's true stance—after all, he's his own son. The Godfather won't abandon him so easily."

"So the director wants me to solve this case quickly—even if I find a convenient scapegoat—to clear Evans's name and prevent this Falcone heir from looking foolish and damaging the Godfather's prestige."

Gordon slapped the table. "That's why I called you in the middle of the night—we need a breakthrough from that boy, Oswald."

"It seems you're not trying to exonerate Evans—you want the real truth."

"I don't try to exonerate anyone. Even if Fish was a lunatic who deserved to die, I still want to find the real killer."

Shi Ler stood up. Gordon rose with him. "Professor Rodriguez, I know you've spent years tracking brutal serial killers, with major case resolutions across the world."

"I admit—I desperately need your help. But I can't offer you any substantial reward…"

Gordon sighed. "This case involves too many powerful factions. If we don't solve it soon, it might…"

Shi Ler turned to look at him. Under the light, Gordon's face looked haggard, his expression embarrassed.

The detective was no longer young; his face bore the creases of time. Shi Ler said to him: "You know better than I do—this is a struggle between Falcone heirs, and it may determine the next King of Gotham's Underworld…"

"Anyone in Gotham caught in this vortex could be crushed—including you, Detective Gordon." Shi Ler's tone was grave, his words solemn. "Investigating the truth in such a vortex—tomorrow, you might be found dead on the street…"

"He won't." Batman's voice came. "If Gotham has only one good person left to protect, I'll at least ensure he survives the next day."

Shi Ler stared at Batman. Batman stared back. A silence spread between them. Shi Ler had almost forgotten when he last spoke with Batman like this.

Finally, he sighed and said to Gordon: "This case does concern me. The Living Hell is the first step in Gotham's renovation—it's critical. If violent conflict erupts now, even if you didn't call me, Falcone would. If Evans falters, as his tutor, I must clean up the mess."

Gordon walked ahead to open the door. Shi Ler stepped out, head bowed, muttering to himself: "I knew I wouldn't get a few peaceful days here…"

Xiao Shuting

At the morgue, the coroner had left. Gordon dragged Fish's body from the cold storage. Shi Ler lifted the sheet and glanced at it—Fish's head had been struck by a bullet.

Gordon pulled the sheet back further. "The fatal wound was the bullet to the head. No other injuries on the body. The coroner's report ruled out all other causes of death."

"Alright, shot in the head. The killer was almost civilized."

Gordon shrugged. "Sounds like a black joke, but it's true. In Gotham these past years, I've seen mostly corpses riddled with submachine gun fire. Someone who only shot once in the head? That's civilized by Gotham standards."

Shi Ler stared silently at the corpse. Batman stepped forward, silent too. Finally, Gordon couldn't bear the silence. He tilted his head left, glanced at Shi Ler, then right, glanced at Batman, and asked: "So—what did you two notice?"

"We saw the same as you."

"Alright, let's lay out the investigation path," Shi Ler began. "Gordon, you can follow Evans's trail—you have a director loyal to Falcone. You can claim you're clearing Evans's name and get his support. Batman, investigate the other gang bosses—see if any of them had motive."

"As for me, the only possible eyewitness is now suffering acute stress disorder. I need to treat him. If I get his testimony, things will be much easier."

"And," Batman fixed his gaze on Shi Ler, "we can't rule out Cobblepot as the killer. After all, he was the only other person present. He might have killed Fish first, then feigned unconsciousness."