Everyone silently watched as Gordon and Harvey Dent in the video passed blame back and forth, feeling somewhat disheartened.
A district attorney and a police commissioner, both trying their best to uphold the law and order, to seek justice. Yet, there always seemed to be obstacles within the official system.
Peter Parker couldn't help but sigh, "Sometimes it really feels like crime is endless. No matter how much we do, we can't completely eradicate those wrongdoings."
Commissioner Gordon glanced at him, "That's why law and order are especially precious. We can't eliminate crime entirely, but we must put the toughest ropes on potential criminals or those currently causing harm. Only this way can Gotham City regain peace!"
Bruce Wayne nodded, "This is what we need to do."
The three of them reached a consensus, believing that a framework of law and order was necessary to drive out evil and save the decaying Gotham. However, Arthur had a different perspective.
Indeed, the law maintained social order, but could this order be called fair? Was there a perfect, flawless order in this world that could benefit everyone?
Clearly not. In most cases, sacrifices had to be made. For instance, stable and peaceful conditions in affluent areas meant chaos in the lower-class neighbourhoods. This was a well-known order permitted by the existing laws of Gotham.
In other words, under the existing legal framework in Gotham City, most ordinary citizens were actually the sacrificed part, exchanged for the stability and tranquillity of the upper and middle class.
Arthur, being at the very bottom of Gotham, knew just how chaotic and unbearable life was in the lower-class areas. And why did slums always become breeding grounds for crime?
Under the old order, security in the lower-class neighbourhoods continued to deteriorate, and this was the crux of the problem. What was even more despairing was that this root issue was permitted by the old order.
"Is the law and order a noose around the necks of criminals, or is it a bridle around our necks, the poor?"
Arthur silently pondered in his heart, knowing that if he voiced his thoughts, they would be entirely contrary to the mainstream. So, he kept silent.
Just continuing to watch the screen, perhaps in an alternate future of Gotham, an answer to this question could be found.
In the video, Harvey Dent was still complaining. If he had been better prepared, he wouldn't have let the gang leader take all the ill-gotten gains and escape before the police acted.
Bruce Wayne asked in a low voice, "If I bring him in, can you make him talk?"
"Don't just talk, he can even sing!" Harvey Dent replied confidently.
But when he turned around, Batman had already disappeared. Commissioner Gordon shrugged, "He's always like this and he's good at it."
Batman was a master of time management. After formulating a plan, he would meticulously and rigorously work towards his goals.
Upon returning, he immediately began preparations, while on the Joker's side, he was not idle either. He had previously infiltrated the gathering of the gang bosses alone. Although many bosses didn't take this freak seriously, one of the African-American boss was provoked by the Joker's arrogance and madness.
At that moment, in the gathering, the African-American boss declared that he would pay to have Joker killed, and he indeed took action. Shortly after, he saw the Joker's lifeless body...
Did the Joker, who was so arrogant before, really die?
Peter Parker furrowed his brows, "No, the Joker definitely isn't dead. He has a scheme!"
In the video, Joker was wrapped in a black plastic bag, and the African-American boss Gambol only glanced at him casually and didn't care. He turned to the people who had come to claim the reward and said, "Since he's dead, you can only get 500,000..."
At this moment, Joker suddenly burst out of the bag, holding a knife in each hand and taking down two henchmen beside him. Then he pounced on the African-American boss.
At the same time, the people who came for the reward also drew their weapons to turn against the African-American boss. It was clear that they were all Joker's underlings. This was a horrifying and thrilling act directed by Joker himself, a magic trick of resurrection.
"What about the living ones? Huh?"
Joker asked the terrified Gambol with a knife at his mouth, licking his bloodied lips and asked him softly, "Do you want to know how I got these scars on my face?"
Without waiting for the response, he continued, "My father... he was an alcoholic, a monster. One night, he went crazier than usual, and my mother had to hide in the kitchen, holding a knife for protection. He saw it, very angry, no, extremely angry. So, I saw him, he came to my mother with a knife! Stabbing and laughing, then he turned to me and asked, 'Why so serious?' So, he put the knife in my mouth and said, 'Why not add a smile to your face?' And then..."
Joker paused, suddenly turned to the camera, and asked seriously, "Why so serious?"
This scared the viewers who were completely engrossed in the live video. Even the brave ones had their hearts racing. The Joker in the video was too insane, and his madness was genuinely terrifying to normal people.
Of course, the Joker in the video wasn't going crazy for the viewers outside the camera; he was questioning a small henchman of the African-American boss.
This henchman was almost scared out of his wits. Then, there was a splattering sound of blood. The African-American boss was killed just like that. Joker thought for a moment, he was a gang boss, but he didn't take it seriously.
He even offered a position to the remaining three henchmen, giving them only one spot, making these three henchmen fight each other. This was clearly his twisted sense of humour.
Commissioner Gordon saw this and furrowed his brow, "Joker intends to consolidate Gotham's criminal forces!"
Bruce Wayne glanced at him and shook his head, "No, he intends to develop his own force, one different from other criminal organizations, crazier, and without any boundaries."
Even without seeing more of the follow-up, he had already realized the Joker's tenacity and danger. This kind of skilled madman, when causing trouble, would be far more destructive than those other crime bosses!
In the video, Joker was consolidating the criminal organizations, while Batman completed his training and went to Hong Kong to capture that gangster.
As Joker had mentioned, Batman didn't care about the law. With the help of Lucius Fox, the newly appointed CEO of Wayne Enterprises, Batman went solo and infiltrated, swiftly dealing with the lau's henchmen around him. Finally, under the watchful eyes of the local police, he flew away with Lau from the skyscraper.