"Everything's falling apart!" Independent News Channel was in chaos, Gotham City was in chaos, people were in chaos. "Another murder!"
Liu A'dou and Iselin had already covered two murder cases, both incredibly brutal. And each corpse had a Joker card left behind.
The Joker had finally begun his killing spree. This was why everyone feared him—he slaughtered without reason and used any means to achieve his goals.
"So disgusting. Just thinking that Joker uses playing cards like Kaitou Kid makes me sick!" Iselin supported Kaitou Kid, so her hatred for the Joker ran even deeper.
"What do you expect? He came out of Arkham Asylum—of course, he's disgusting." Liu A'dou was driving the beat-up old broadcast van they'd dug out of the station's storage. Clearly, the higher-ups didn't want to spend another dime, so Howard had assigned them this clunker.
Liu A'dou figured he must be cursed with bad cars. His own car was a second-hand wreck, and just when they'd finally gotten a new one for work, it got blown up. Now they were stuck driving this relic.
"You really think Joker will target Harvey Dent's girlfriend?" Iselin still wasn't fully convinced by Liu A'dou's idea.
Liu A'dou replied, "Look at Joker's targets—they're all government officials who dared to stand up to the gangs. Harvey Dent's definitely on that list, but he's not easy to get to. That's why his girlfriend is the next best target."
Rachel might not have been as pretty as Iselin, but she had a great presence. She was Harvey's assistant and a solid prosecutor in her own right.
"Liu, when do you think this will all end?" Iselin hadn't slept well for days. Joker was too crazy—anyone could be next. Batman fans, honest officials, good cops, every brave person was being killed. Iselin was even starting to worry that Joker might come after them. "Do you think Joker really wants to force Batman to turn himself in? Will that stop him?"
Liu A'dou knew it wouldn't be that simple. "When people are in danger, they get scared. They'll want to get rid of anything that threatens them. They'll turn against Batman, and against anyone who supports him. They'll forget how much he's helped them, and they'll demand he surrenders. That's human nature—and exactly what Joker wants." Liu A'dou spoke slowly, like some kind of psychology expert, leaving Iselin completely stunned.
"Then… will Batman really give himself up?" That was the question on everyone's mind.
Liu A'dou gave a firm answer. "Yes."
Iselin could almost see it—the crowds turning on Batman, forcing him to surrender. It was too cruel. But putting herself in their shoes, she wasn't sure what she'd do either. "Batman would really do that?"
"A hero is a hero because they sacrifice themselves to save others," Liu A'dou said confidently. "But that's only if he can't catch Joker first. Don't worry, Joker's no match for Batman."
Iselin looked at Liu A'dou, hoping he was right.
Rachel had long noticed the two reporters tailing her, but since she refused interviews, she figured they'd eventually give up. To her surprise, their stamina outlasted hers, and now she was pissed.
"What exactly do you want?" Rachel banged on their car door, her tone sharp.
"Hello." Liu A'dou smiled. "We're reporters from Independent News Channel."
"I know, I recognize the markings on your van. But you've been following me for two days—what exactly are you trying to do?" Rachel pointed at the freshly painted logo, clearly annoyed.
"Actually, we're friends of Harvey Dent. He never mentioned us?" Liu A'dou replied casually.
She had heard of them, but didn't know much. Rachel glanced at Liu A'dou, noting his Asian features, and asked suspiciously, "You're Liu A'dou?"
"Yes, yes, that's me, and this is Iselin. We're both friends of Harvey's," Liu A'dou explained. "We're actually here to protect you."
"Pfft!" Rachel laughed. "I'm just going to have dinner with Harvey right now, and you're here to protect me? I appreciate the concern, but really, it's not necessary. You're reporters—shouldn't you be out chasing news? So please, stop following me."
Everyone was busy lately, and Rachel had no patience for being shadowed everywhere she went.
Rachel walked off, and Iselin turned to Liu A'dou, reminding him that this whole protection plan had been his idea. "So, are we following her or not?"
"It's obvious she's lying. No way Harvey Dent has time for dinner right now, not with everything going on. Follow her."
Sure enough, Rachel didn't go to a restaurant, she went straight to the police station. When she realized she couldn't shake Liu A'dou, she shot them a glare.
"I still think this is a bit much," Iselin muttered.
Liu A'dou already knew that trailing Rachel wasn't a long-term solution, so he planned to use his magic doves to help keep an eye on her. If anyone tried to abduct her, the doves would follow. It was much safer than tailing her in person.
"Don't worry, even if she doesn't like it, there's nothing she can do about it," Liu A'dou said. But just then, Rachel and Harvey Dent came out of the police station together, got into a car, and headed toward Gotham Hotel.
"They're actually going to dinner?" Iselin raised an eyebrow. Just moments ago, Liu A'dou had been so sure they wouldn't be. Now Rachel and Harvey were "slapping him in the face" with their dinner plans. Iselin had started to believe everything Liu A'dou said—until now.
Liu A'dou blushed.
Luckily, someone came to his rescue. "Hey, you two are improving. You actually found out about Bruce Wayne's dinner party for Harvey Dent."
"Thomas?" Liu A'dou was surprised.
"Why the shock? You're not here for the party?" Now it was Thomas's turn to be puzzled. He thought his two colleagues had come because they'd gotten the same tip.
They shook their heads. They were just low-level reporters—how could they have known Bruce Wayne was hosting a party for Harvey Dent, inviting Gotham's wealthiest to raise political donations, supporting Harvey as the city's first legitimate hope in the upcoming election?
No one could say no to Bruce's invitation, so half of Gotham's elite were at the event. The party was bustling.
"You know Gotham Hotel is also owned by Wayne Enterprises, right?" Thomas added.
Wow. The rich really were something else.
But people like them could only drool from outside. They didn't have the status to attend such a party, so even Thomas, who had come after getting wind of the event, could only wait downstairs.
The sound of helicopter blades echoed through the night, getting louder and louder. Thomas said with a trace of envy, "That must be Bruce."
No wonder Thomas was so sure—no one else in Gotham flaunted their wealth like Bruce Wayne, the ultimate rich kid.
"Rich people sure know how to show off," Liu A'dou muttered, jealous, but then he remembered how things played out in the movie. Tonight, the Joker was supposed to crash the party. With that thought, he quickly excused himself to "go to the bathroom" and slipped away.