Chapter 57: Cat Getan Evening Bell (Part 1)

Silence echoed in the empty room. Finally, Batman said: "From that day on, everything I did, every training I experienced, was for revenge."

"The law and the trial told me that it was Joe Chill who killed my parents, but I know the facts are not so. I spent several years making myself capable of questioning this result."

"... And now, it's time for the bat's revenge."

Accompanied by the dull evening bell of the Cat Getan Cathedral, Batman's figure disappeared.

The recent movements of the Edward family made Batman, who was monitoring the entire Cat Getan City at all times, discover that before the Edward brothers became famous, when they first came to Cat Getan, they were once the leaders of the alley where his parents died.

But now, the Edward brothers are dead, leaving only their nephew. And Little Edward offended the Godfather. If Falcone is unwilling to let him go, then the Edward family will cease to exist.

Batman first found Little Edward. He didn't need to send someone to invite people like the Godfather; he could appear directly in the shadows behind anyone.

The next day, Cat Getan was filled with dim mist again. Later, dusk dyed the hazy mist over Cat Getan with more colors.

Shiler was chatting with the priest at the entrance of the church. He was like an authentic Westerner, entering and leaving the church on time, without looking out of place at all.

The priest here is very knowledgeable and has a very deep understanding of theology. Shiler likes to chat with him about philosophy and theology, and at the same time, he can learn about intelligence.

The old priest lived in Cat Getan for a lifetime, experienced all the eras of Cat Getan, and knew all the stories here.

The priest said: "Recently, the laborers at the dock don't come often. Perhaps their business has become better. I hope so. God tells people that they need to use such hard labor to atone for their sins."

"Recently, the number of merchant ships at the dock has increased, and the business of cargo ship owners has also improved," Shiler said.

"I remember many years ago, for a while, many laborers liked to come here to pray. The church had never been so lively."

The old priest's voice carried the unique imprint of the era, like a track laid from history, a bit faded and old.

"It can be seen that they were not busy at that time. Maybe business was not much. Many people were complaining, some were very angry, and there were quarrels. I tried my best to persuade them."

"You are a good person," Shiler said.

The old priest squinted his eyes and recalled. He said: "In that era, it was chaotic everywhere. I remember, at that time, the one who dominated the dock was a man named Leif. He was not easy to mess with. People called him Big Hu Zi, and some called him Viking Pirate."

"He was burly and strong, with a full beard, and brought a dozen equally strong subordinates. They ran rampant at the dock, no one dared to mess with them, specifically collecting protection fees from laborers and extorting others."

"Later, later, who sanctioned them?"

"It was Falcone. The Godfather gave him a hard one."

The priest touched his fingers that were a bit dry due to aging. He said: "Originally, it should have been the Godfather who took over those docks, but I don't know how, it finally fell into the hands of the Edward family."

The priest shook his head and finally said: "I'm not saying the Edward family managed it badly, but perhaps, if the Falcone family had taken over the docks back then, the entire East District would have been connected in a line, and the Falcone family would be much stronger than it is now."

"I often hear people say..." Shiler said, "The Godfather's control over the East District is a bit weak, because he only controls the northeast and some areas in the southeast, but lets the most important dock part go."

The priest shook his head and said: "Perhaps he has his own plans."

Shiler thought. These things the priest told him were not secrets. The reason why they were not widely spread was because few people who survived that era were left.

Of course, as for why the Godfather didn't control the dock in one breath, Shiler guessed that there might be more complex disputes here.

After dark, Shiler bid farewell to the priest. He walked out of the church alone.

After the last ray of sunset light sank below the horizon, he heard seven heavy consecutive rings from the church bell tower above his head. This bell sound carried an indescribable atmosphere of decay.

The priest drew a cross on his chest in front of the church door and said in a low voice: "This is a funeral bell... God bless, your soul must be liberated..."

Shiler stood outside the door. He looked back. In a deep gray haze, he saw a black and yellow figure standing on the high bell tower.

On the other side, Little Edward slumped on the ground, facing the shadow with two pointed ears in front of him, and said tremblingly: "I only know... I only know, back then... the Godfather ended the chaotic situation of the eastern dock. My father and uncle wanted to share a piece of the pie, even if they could only get one dock..."

"But, but the Godfather suddenly didn't want any of them... So, our family got all five docks. I don't know how this happened... I was too young then, you can only go ask the Godfather, I really don't know anything..."

After the bat's shadow left, Little Edward crawled up from the ground trembling all over. He cursed in a low voice, suddenly he saw another shadow appear in front of him.

He looked up and saw a huge umbrella facing him. Behind the umbrella, a gloomy eye was staring at him. Edward just wanted to let out a scream of fear, his vocal cords were cut off along with his throat.

After a slight sound, the sound of heavy objects landing accompanied by the extinguished lights in the Edward mansion, everything became quiet.

Finally, Batman still came to Falcone's mansion. It was pitch black here, as quiet as if no one existed.

Unlike the Edward mansion which was brightly lit and guarded all night, the mansion where this Cat Getan Godfather lived was like having no defensive power at all. Batman knew this was not normal.

Finally, Batman met him in Falcone's office. There was still no one here. Falcone seemed to be waiting for him specifically, sitting alone in the office in the early morning.

"I knew you would come," Falcone said. "You were not careful enough when investigating Old Edward's resume."

"That means his resume must have something special, worthy of your such concern," Batman said.

"Indeed, are you interested in hearing stories from many years ago?"

Afterwards, Batman learned about the turbulent era he had never seen or heard from this Godfather who had ruled Cat Getan for forty years.

"... They called friends and companions, and were ruthless. Among them, Viking Pirate Leif had the greatest power."

"I know very well that if I want the Falcone family to truly stand firm here, I must take him to the knife."

"That big beard relied on years of extortion or ship owners, and earned a large sum of money. He was unconvinced and wanted to resist me."

"So, I killed all his family members in front of many people, and then stuffed him into a gunpowder barrel."

"Of course, that scared many people and made my plan go very smoothly."

"What I want to know is about Park Row," Batman said.

"Don't worry, it's almost there."

Falcone turned the chair. He looked at Batman from the side and said: "You are somewhat like your father." He nodded and said, "... Very like."

Before Batman could say anything, Falcone said: "I cleared the major forces at the dock at that time, but I didn't take over the dock, but threw them to the Edward family. This matter is related to your parents."

"Your mother was a good person, a kind lady. She sympathized with those laborers at the dock, feeling that they worked for more than ten hours a day too hard. Your father agreed. They felt that they should be better to those poor people."

"So, they didn't allow gangs to oppress those laborers and formulated a more relaxed working system. You know, they only work for a few hours and have to rest for a while, eat something and drink some water."

"The Wei En family was determined to reform the order of the entire Cat Getan dock, but I know... I know."

"I know that what they did wouldn't work, but I was unwilling to confront the Wei En family, so I withdrew and let them manage it however they wanted."

"I let the Edward family control all the docks. The Edward brothers were still smart."

Falcone lit a cigar; the faint light illuminated his face, casting dark shadows beneath his sharp brow, shrouding his eyes. One could still vaguely see a trace of the young godfather who had once dominated the era.

"So, it was the Edwards who hired that guy named Joe to kill my parents?"

The cigar smoke drifted up slowly. Falcone's speech speed began to get slower and slower, as if the things he recalled were getting farther and farther away and less clear.

"You mean the person who actually did it? No, it wasn't them, it wasn't Edward."

"The person who actually did it was a laborer at the dock, named Louis."

"Laborer?" Batman felt very absurd. He asked: "Why? How could it be a dock laborer?"

"I know you can't figure it out. The Wei En couple helped them. Yes, laborers don't have to work so long every day, being oppressed by gangs and cargo ship owners together. They found their savior..."

Falcone shook his head and said: "But you don't understand, the laborers are also divided into three, six, and nine grades. The work of carrying sandbags and moving heavy objects is the most tiring. In the past, it was those lowest-level small workers who did it. Big workers only did light work like distributing manpower and counting materials."

"Your parents wanted to make everyone not hard. No one did those dirty and tiring jobs. The cargo ship owners delayed too long and lost a lot of goods. They would rather take a detour than come to Cat Getan dock again."

"I remember... that Louis was... the general worker of the third or fourth dock. He was watched very closely by the Wei En family. He had to assign the same work to everyone, work only nine hours a day, and have to rest for two hours in the middle to let them eat."

"The cargo ship just stopped there. No one moved the goods. The fresh food and fruits on it went bad. The cargo ship owner wanted Louis to pay. Louis couldn't afford to pay, so he was beaten by the cargo ship owner and sailors and broke his leg."

"So, he hired that guy and killed the Wei En couple?" Batman's voice had a hoarseness that fell to the bottom of the valley.

"He sought help from Old Edward, so they created that murder case in Park Row together."

"You must think it's very absurd. Judas betrayed his Lord and let his benefactor suffer," Falcone said.

"... But this is Cat Getan, a place where even the devil has to take a detour."

Batman closed his eyes. This truth was completely different from what he imagined.

This is not a story of the perpetrator and the innocent entangled and confronting each other. There is no justice here that can be upheld at a glance.

Everything is not a white wall and a black shadow, but an old, faded gray videotape, covered with the thick dust of that era.

"The little guy who did it and the Edward brothers are all dead, but Louis is still alive. If you still want revenge, go to No. 7, Tail Alley, Shen'en Street, east of the church. He lives there."

After speaking, Falcone exhaled the last puff of smoke, and he also closed his eyes.

His fingers were well-maintained, almost without any wrinkles. The cigar between his fingers had burned out, and the fire gradually went out, as if drawing a period for all the waves of that boiling era and that turbulent era, silently. ===== CHAPTER 58 =====