In the lab of Gotham Police Department's Forensic Evidence Analysis, Gordon propped himself up with his hands on the table, watching a skinny man with glasses analyzing footprint samples.
Vena, an electrical engineer, leaned against the door and folded her arms saying, "I don't believe the local people are behind this, and certainly not the Penguin Man. The loss would be unacceptable for him."
"You know what he's doing in the basement, right?"
"Of course, he can't fool me with his power consumption." Vena pushed her glasses and said, "At least he uses a fully automated factory. It's much better than using informal labor, apart from the cost of electricity."
"Moreover, his poppy factory is probably larger than you think. I mean that what's visible on the surface is just a cover." Vena took out a document from her toolbox and said, "The actual power consumption is more than tenfold of what you see."
Gordon took the document with suspicion, and after glancing at it, he was shocked. He said, "Is he trying to build a spaceship?! How could he use so much electricity?!!"
"The growth and production of poppies are not the main issues. He has also set up a whole set of electronic computing networks there, which he calls the 'Virtual Chief of Staff,' also known as the Brain System. That thing ensures that he gains advantage in every election."
Gordon frowned deeply and said, "No wonder he has been advocating electronic voting, he had prepared to intrude the ballot warehouse beforehand."
"If it wasn't Penguin Man who did this," Gordon stroked his chin and said, "I guess no one else would want to catch the murderer more than him."
At this moment, Gordon's phone rang again. He picked it up without looking and said, "We have some clues, but not many. Don't expect us to catch the culprit. We're short on police force."
There was another roar on the other end, but it didn't work. It was clear that the other party's purpose was just to vent their emotions. Gotham's police force had never been sufficient.
"We have found what might be the perpetrator's footprints, but this person is not in our database, and we have found no specific information about the shoes... I've said there aren't many clues."
"Mr. Mayor, if you don't want problems in the next election, tell me where Bruce Wayne has gone. Stop saying you don't know; even a three-year-old would not believe it."
As Gordon was speaking with several people, a young policeman walked over and knocked on the door. Gordon said a few words perfunctorily, hung up the phone, and asked curiously, "Has the new chief of police arrived?"
The young officer was a bit troubled. He said, "Mr. Harvey Brock has arrived, but I don't know if he is the chief of police."
"Let's go and see."
Gordon quickly walked out of the evidence room and into the police station lobby, where he saw Harvey Brock, who was impeccably dressed, with shining leather shoes and immaculately combed hair.
He had a handsome face, looked young and strong, and stood tall like an Ailanthus tree. He also had a playful smile on his lips.
Gordon inhaled deeply.
"Hello." He stepped forward and shook hands with Brock. But Brock gripped his hand and shook it vigorously, which was not a common way for police to greet each other. It was more like the fake enthusiasm when meeting at a banquet.
"I've long heard of you, Chief Gordon. It's an honor to work with you."
"You might have come at an uncomfortable time." Gordon sighed and said, "I assume you've seen the changes in this city on your flight or drive over."
"Of course, it's truly miraculous."
"We're still far from a miracle." Gordon patted Brock's shoulder. As they walked into the police station together, Gordon said, "I hate beating around the bush. Honestly, why did you come to the most dangerous city in America?"
Brock immediately smiled and said, "There are too many cases in this city, aren't there? By the way, have you seen the show I hosted? 'Hollywood Detective'."
Gordon sighed deeply. His wrinkles deepened, and he shook his head, saying, "I don't watch much TV, sir. The security situation in this city obviously doesn't leave me with much spare time."
"No problem, I'll send you a set of Blu-ray discs, back to the topic. The sixth season of 'Hollywood Detective' was hindered. This will disappoint my fans, so I hope to give them a special little gift."
"Like?"
"The murder case of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne."
Gordon's pupils contracted sharply. He was considering suggesting to his superiors that this star detective should be content to sit in an office and not look for trouble.
Gordon's phone rang again. After answering and listening for a while, he said, "Okay, I got it. I'll be there on time."
"Is there another banquet waiting for us?"
"Yes, Mr. Brock, I'm afraid we don't have time to host a welcome banquet for you. Tonight, our mayor, Mr. Oswald Cobblepot, is hosting a banquet."
"Even after such a major incident in the city?"
"We're still far from 'major'."
"You damn cops! You have been investigating for a week, when can you finally give me an explanation?!!!"
A lady with big curly hair and a jacket was rushing into the police station despite the resistance of two policemen.
Gordon and Brock came down the stairs just in time to meet her. Brock immediately stepped forward to stop the policemen from intercepting the lady and said, "What happened, ma'am? Are you in trouble?"
The lady with the big curly hair began to cry helplessly. Brock turned to look at Gordon, while Gordon, with a blank expression on his face, walked towards the file room.
"What happened?" Brock caught up with him.
"Birthday Boy." Gordon just said this phrase, which seemed to be the name of the culprit, and after looking back at the woman, he said, "But we currently don't have the energy to deal with this case. We have two major problems to solve at the moment."
"Bruce Wayne has been missing for three days, and within those three days, Wayne Enterprises' shareholders have made hundreds of calls to Gotham Police Department."
"The luxurious and advanced power grid that our mayor painstakingly established on a certain avenue is out of power. We need to figure out how to restore the power and find the culprit."
"But she's crying!" Brock said incredulously, spreading his hands: "We are the police, we should be solving her troubles!"
"That might be the case on your show," Gordon took a report from his assistant and said: "But this is Gotham."
"I don't understand, how could you be so indifferent..."
Just then, two officers burst into the room yelling, "Chief! It's terrible, the deepwater port at Prolos Dock is flooded, not a single ship can dock!"
Gordon's hand stopped, he turned to the two officers and said: "Repeat that, the port is flooded?! Are you high?"
"Yes, uh, no. What I meant was, it's flooded by sand, a sand mountain appeared there!!"
Gordon was taken aback. He blinked, adjusting his glasses, trying to find a hint of hallucination on the young officers' faces from drug overload.
"Who brought the sand to the dock?"
"We don't know. According to the dock workers, the mountain appeared out of nowhere. No one saw any trucks or ships transport it," they replied.
"Oh, God. Could it be…" Gordon started massaging his temples, finding all of this to be a headache.
Before he could finish, another policewoman rushed in, "Chief, it's bad news! We have a gunfight between the mayor's men and a bunch of mysterious agents at Prolos Dock!"
"Agents? Which organization has the audacity to come to Gotham?!"
"Chief! Chief! A disaster happened! Your men, the mayor's, they're being arrested by those agents!"
Gordon felt dizzy. He didn't have time for Brock anymore and commanded, hand waving at everyone: "Get the vehicles ready and tell the officers on the scene to stop those agents, or they will be walking into a death trap!"
As Gordon put on his coat, he grumbled while walking: "What the hell is Amanda thinking? Doesn't she realize this is a suicide mission for her men?!"
"Boom!"
"Sizzles——"
An explosion was followed by the sharp sound of brakes. In the sudden forward lurch caused by an emergency halt, Gordon saw a bright current of electricity whizzing past above his head.
"Stop! Electro!"
A figure followed closely, dashing between two buildings very agilely. He jumped at least three meters high with one leap.
But in the next second, due to the wrong leap angle, trying to change his direction in mid-air, he hit the curtain wall straight on and fell down along it.
"Stand still! Bruce Wayne, tell me where Peter Parker is, I'm not done with him!!!"
Immediately after, another silver figure soared overhead. The muzzle on his arm fired continuously at the front, and sparks and electricity flew everywhere.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
A shining stars and stripes shield whizzed over Chief Gordon's police convoy. A muscular man in a shining uniform sprinted and leaped, bouncing between two buildings and reached the top at an astonishing speed.
"Stark, calm down! We need to talk. You've bombed the Golden Gate Bridge, you have to face legal judgment!"
"All units, all units, be advised, intercept Iron Man and Captain America immediately! The chief demands chaos on the streets be quelled within half an hour... Coulson, stop ogling at the captain and start working!!!"
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The tremors from the rotor blades of an armed helicopter came from the side, and a squad of helicopters with shield coatings emerged. A woman in an agent's uniform, her hair tied back, leaned half her body out of the chopper yelling into a speakerphone.
"This is Agent Hill. Attention ground units, withdraw from the port immediately! Concentrate on dealing with the disturbance on the streets!"
Gordon's gaze followed the helicopter passing overhead, and before he could react further, he realized his car window was being knocked.
"Hello, sir! Well, it's hard to explain, but can I hitch a ride with you?! He's too impatient, he ran off before loading the linker in the spider silk launcher, I have to take it over too him!"
Gordon rolled down the window, discovering a young face in front of him. Not exactly handsome, but very innocent; one glance was enough to tell he wasn't a local Gothamite.
But he was very familiar, sat directly behind and pointed behind him saying, "Can you help me chase after that running guy in front? Thank you!"
Looking at the fallen lamppost blocking the road, and there was no longer a way to reach the dock, Gordon didn't hesitate any longer and turned the car around, going in the direction of the mad dash of the freaks.
"Looks like you know something, don't you? What's your name, kid?"
"My name is Peter Parker, you can just call me Peter." Peter took a deep breath, showing a complex look and said,
"I do know a lot, but it's really hard to explain to you! Chase him down quickly! Otherwise, this rookie will fall to his death!"