ctnovel Chapter 124 Gotham Needs Me
Chapter 124 Gotham Needs Me
Chapter 124 Gotham Needs Me
He saw Bruce's fingers clenched into a tight fist, his knuckles white, and the veins on his arms throbbing.
"Gotham still needs me." Bruce's voice was soft, but it carried an almost obsessive determination. "Bane hasn't been defeated yet, the fugitives are still causing trouble on the streets, I can't rest."
"This isn't perseverance, it's suicide!" Alfred trembled with rage, tears streaming down his aged face. "Do you think you're a god? You're only human; you feel pain, you get tired, you collapse!"
"If I fall, what will happen to Gotham?" Bruce turned around abruptly, his eyes bloodshot. His once deep eyes were now filled with surging pain and struggle.
His face was as pale as paper, his lips were cracked, and even his breathing was visibly trembling.
"What about the citizens, those who believed in Batman? What will happen to them?"
Alfred looked at him, his lips trembling, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end it turned into a heavy sigh.
"Your obsession will destroy you."
These words acted like a fuse, completely igniting Bruce's long-suppressed emotions.
He suddenly roared and slammed his fist into the solid wood wall next to him.
With a muffled thud, a clear fist mark was left on the wall, and wood chips flew everywhere.
Bruce's fist was instantly stained red with blood, which flowed down the wall and dripped onto the scattered pills, creating a shocking scene of red and white intermingling.
He stared blankly at his bleeding fist, as if he had lost all strength, and his body swayed slightly.
Li Wei stood at the door, his fingertips icy cold.
He could see the despair deep in Bruce's eyes, a kind of collapse where all his efforts had been in vain.
He wanted to step forward and offer a tissue, to say a few words of advice, but ultimately stopped in his tracks.
He knew that any words of comfort at this moment would be an offense to Batman's pride; and no amount of persuasion could shake Bruce's conviction.
Alfred clutched his chest, looking at Bruce's bleeding hand, and tears finally streamed down his face: "Sir..."
Bruce ignored him, slowly squatting down, his gaze fixed on the pills on the ground, his eyes unfocused.
Li Wei quietly moved his feet and walked to the steps by the door.
He bent down and carefully picked up the pills that were not soaked in the medicine or broken, and put them into a small cardboard box in his pocket.
These pills are Alfred's hard work, and they are what Bruce needs most right now.
Without disturbing anyone, he gently placed the cardboard box on the carved railing by the door, placing a small stone on top to prevent it from being blown away by the wind.
Having done all this, Li Wei turned around and silently left along the path in the courtyard.
Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, like shattered hopes.
He could hear Alfred's low sobs and Bruce's suppressed coughs coming from the study behind him; each cough struck his heart like a hammer blow.
As the pickup truck drove away from Wayne Manor, the car radio suddenly crackled to life. A police officer's voice, choked with breathlessness, boomed: "Advisor Levi, urgent report!"
Li Wei's nerves tensed instantly, and he gripped the walkie-talkie tightly: "Speak."
"Bane's influence has completely taken over the underground order in Gotham South!" The officer's voice was filled with barely concealed panic. "The three largest gangs have declared their allegiance, and the black market arms trade is now under his control."
Li Wei's heart sank, and he unconsciously pressed the accelerator harder.
"Also, a march took place in the West End, with about two hundred people holding signs that read 'Bane Rules Gotham' and chanting slogans in the streets."
The faint screams of the crowd could be heard over the walkie-talkie, sharp and frantic.
"They say...that Batman is no longer good, and only Bane can bring order to Gotham."
Li Wei's fingertips were icy cold, and his hands gripping the steering wheel trembled slightly.
His worst fears came true.
Bane not only wants to destroy Batman's body and will, but also to completely shatter the hopes of Gotham's citizens.
When people stop believing in Batman, and when chaos becomes the norm, Gotham truly falls apart.
As the pickup truck drove into the city, the atmosphere on the streets was more oppressive than usual.
Li Wei saw that the street corner in the South District, which used to belong to the gang, was now occupied by mercenaries dressed in black combat uniforms.
They crossed their arms, their eyes were cold, and they bossed around the passersby, and no one dared to resist.
The owner of a convenience store was asked to pay "protection money" by mercenaries. After hesitating for a moment, he was slapped to the ground.
The citizens nearby lowered their heads and walked quickly past, their faces full of fear, and no one dared to step forward to stop them.
"Is this the order that Bane brought?" Levi muttered to himself, his eyes sharpening.
He continued walking and soon saw the marching procession that the police had reported.
They held up colorful signs that read "Batman out of Gotham," "Long live Bane," and "Chaos is freedom."
Leading them were a group of thugs with prior convictions for robbery. They waved their arms and roared, "Batman has been defeated by Bane! He can't protect us!"
In the crowd, some people had fanatical eyes and shouted along; some were expressionless, as if they were being swept along; and some secretly wiped away tears, their eyes filled with despair.
An elderly woman was pushed to the side of the road by the crowd, and the vegetable basket she was carrying fell to the ground, scattering vegetables all over the ground.
Watching the marching crowd recede into the distance, she murmured to herself, "Batman won't abandon us, he won't..."
Li Wei stopped the pickup truck, got out, helped the old lady up, and picked up the scattered vegetables for her.
"Thank you, young man." The old woman looked up, her face covered in wrinkles, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "You're a police officer, right? Batman... is he really alright?"
Li Wei felt a tightness in his throat as he looked into the old woman's expectant eyes.
He wanted to say "Batman is great," but he couldn't go against his conscience; he wanted to say "He'll come back," but he wasn't entirely sure.
"He's persevering," Li Wei finally said, his voice low but firm. "And we are too."
The old lady nodded, gripping the shopping basket tightly in her hands: "I believe in him, just as I believe the sun will always rise in Gotham."
Li Wei returned to his car, took out his walkie-talkie, and dialed Gordon's number.
"Gordon, I've seen the situation in the South and West districts." His voice was steady. "Bane's mercenaries have begun to openly control the streets, and the protests are still growing."
On the other end of the phone, Gordon's voice sounded tired: "I've received the report and am mobilizing the remaining police force to set up defenses in various areas."
"That's not enough," Li Wei interrupted him. "We can't just passively defend; we must actively gather clues and find Bane's core stronghold."
He paused, then added, "In addition, arrange for people to keep a close eye on the march to prevent them from being manipulated by Bain into taking drastic actions."
"I understand," Gordon's voice came through. "The tech team is analyzing the items on the Joker, hoping to find Bane's trail."
After hanging up the phone, Li Wei started the pickup truck and drove towards the police station.
Along the way, he saw more and more citizens gathering on the streets, their eyes filled with confusion, not knowing who to believe or where to go.
Outside a newspaper office, reporters surrounded several protesters, microphones shoved near their mouths, recording their questions about Batman and their adoration of Bane.
Li Wei knew that once these reports spread, they would only cause more people to lose hope and hasten the fall of Gotham.
He must find Bane's weakness as soon as possible, and he must let Batman know that he is not fighting alone.
Back at the police station, the dispatch room was a hive of activity, with officers shouting into their walkie-talkies, their faces filled with anxiety.
"Advisor Levi, there's a conflict between citizens in the North District. Some support Bain, some oppose it, and fighting has already broken out!"
"Since Bane took over the black market in the East District, drug trafficking has become even more rampant. Children have accidentally ingested drugs and have been hospitalized!"
"Our officers were attacked by Bane's mercenaries while patrolling the South District, and two were injured!"
One bad news after another came like a tidal wave, making it hard to breathe.
Li Wei walked to the control panel, picked up a pen, and quickly wrote on the whiteboard: Bain's core forces—Southern Black Market, Western Abandoned Factory, and Arkham Outposts.
"Notify all officers in the area to focus on monitoring these three locations." His voice was calm and steady, cutting through the noise in the dispatch room. "Avoid initiating conflict; only gather intelligence, record the mercenaries' shift change times and their weapons and equipment."
He looked at the young officer beside him: "Contact the technical department and sync all the surveillance footage here. I need to keep track of Bain's movements in real time."
"Yes, sir! Advisor Li Wei!" The young officer immediately turned and ran to carry out the order.
Li Wei picked up the coffee on the table, took a big gulp, and the bitter taste cleared his muddled mind a bit.
His gaze fell on the word "Batman" on the whiteboard, which he had casually scribbled down last night and was now half covered by dense information.
He remembered Bruce's bleeding fist, Alfred's tearful eyes, and the old lady's expectant gaze.
Gotham cannot exist without Batman, but Batman cannot exist without Gotham.
Now, this city needs someone to step up and hold onto that last glimmer of hope until Batman gets back on his feet.
Li Wei took out his phone and found the encrypted number that Alfred had given him for emergency contact.
He drafted a short message: "Bane's mercenaries are collecting protection money in the South District, and there are arms shipments at the West District factory. Police have been assigned to monitor the situation. Please be aware of security."
After sending the message, he deleted the message history and put his phone back in his pocket.
He didn't know how Bruce would react after seeing the text message, or whether he would be able to stand up again.
But he knew that all he could do was to do his best to gather clues, hold the line, and buy Batman even a second of breathing room.
In the evening, Li Wei received a report from the technical department.
"Advisor Levi, we found a special metal powder on the Joker's dagger." The technician's voice carried a hint of excitement. "This powder comes from an abandoned smelter in the West District. It has long since ceased production and is now likely Bane's arms processing site."
Li Wei's eyes lit up instantly: "Are you sure?"
"Confirmed! This metal is of very high purity, and only that smelter can produce it. Moreover, we found that a large amount of raw materials have recently been shipped there."
"Okay!" Li Wei immediately picked up the walkie-talkie. "Notify the officers in the South and West districts to quietly approach the abandoned smelter without alerting them."
He turned to Gordon and said, "We've located one of Bane's key strongholds. Move in tonight and take it down!"
A glint flashed in Gordon's eyes: "Should we notify Batman?"
Li Wei was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "No need. He needs rest now, and... we can't always rely on him."
Gordon nodded, a hint of relief on his face: "You're right, we can protect Gotham too."
As night fell, the streets of Gotham fell into a deathly silence.
Li Wei drove his pickup truck, leading ten elite police officers, toward the abandoned smelter in the western district.
Outside the car window, the glow of the streetlights cast long shadows on the ground, like lurking ghosts.
The outline of the smelter gradually became clear in the night, with tall chimneys standing in the darkness, exuding an eerie atmosphere.
Li Wei signaled the officers to stop the car and turn off the lights, then took out his binoculars to observe the situation at the smelter.
The factory gates were tightly shut, with two mercenaries standing guard at the entrance, rifles in hand, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
On the second floor of the factory, lights were flashing, and shadowy figures could be vaguely seen moving inside.
"Two people on the left, three people on the right, come with me." Li Wei lowered his voice, took out night vision goggles from his backpack, and handed them to the officers next to him.
He led his officers, using the weeds as cover, and quietly approached the factory wall.
The wall was high and covered with barbed wire, but that didn't deter the well-trained officers.
One officer took out rock climbing equipment, quickly climbed up the wall, lowered a rope, and the others quietly entered the factory through the rope.
The factory was pitch black, with only the sound of machines running coming from the distant workshop.
Li Wei signaled the officers to split into two groups: one group to deal with the mercenaries on guard duty, and the other group to infiltrate the workshop.
He then made his way toward the lights on the second floor, which was likely Bane's temporary command post.
With footsteps as light as a cat, Li Wei moved close to the wall, avoiding the debris on the ground.
There were no lights in the second-floor corridor, only a faint light shining through the cracks in the door.
He held his breath and gently pushed open the slightly ajar door.
Inside the room, several mercenaries were gathered around a table, looking at a map and talking in hushed tones.
"Lord Bane said that patrols will be intensified tomorrow to completely subjugate the people of Gotham."
"Any news from Batman? I heard he's gone into hiding and too scared to come out."
"Who cares? Even if he comes out, he's no match for Lord Bane."
Li Wei's eyes turned cold, and he gripped the military knife in his hand tightly.
He charged in, his saber slicing through the air and striking the mercenary closest to the door squarely in the knee.
The mercenary screamed and collapsed to the ground.
The other mercenaries reacted quickly and drew their guns, but Li Wei nimbly dodged them.
Using the tables and chairs in the room as cover, he charged forward time and time again, his saber clashing with his gun, making a piercing sound.
Hearing the commotion, the police officers rushed in and engaged in a fierce battle with the mercenaries.
A few minutes later, all the mercenaries in the room were subdued, leaving no survivors.