There is no Batman in Gotham City comics.

Chapter 53 Brief Clash

"I suggest you just say what you want to say. Don't always play these third-rate horror movie face-jumping kills. It's not fun, and it even makes your methods look very amateurish."

"Really... You seem to know me quite well! So, what kind of character is the Joker in your mind? A villain without any bottom line? The red-nosed circus performer? Or the old man on the subway who reaches out and asks you for half a hot dog?"

"There's a hint of disrespect in your tone... Perhaps you'll truly understand what kind of guy I am when I slit your throat with a playing card."

Qin Wei was startled, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He hadn't expected to be targeted so early.

Indeed, even being a pushover in Gotham carries enormous risks.

"Don't be nervous, darling, it's just a little joke, hehehehe..." The clown's broken laughter, like an annoying mosquito, darted through the night.

"Oh, sorry, you don't seem that nervous. Don't worry about it, it's just my catchphrase!"

Qin Wei had a bit of a headache. After rambling on with this guy for a long time, he only managed to get one useful piece of information: "I had already met the clown a long time ago."

"Stop laughing! Can't we get this conversation going? What the hell did you come here for? Give me a straight answer, are you letting me leave or not!"

The clown seemed stunned by Qin Wei's sudden outburst of shout, his eyes darting around before he recovered.

"There's really no reason I'm looking for you, it's just because I miss you. I wanted to see you even before the incident happened, I couldn't wait, I couldn't wait!!!"

After Qin Wei's warning, his tone did become much more serious, but the madness ingrained in his bones could not be erased.

"I can't wait to see you, to meet the Gotham rising star who's about to outmaneuver Falcone and Maroney. You're a gangster, but what you do is anything but gangster-like. You want to install a new king with absolute power and reshuffle the chaotic Gotham... Listen to this grand plan, naked heroism!!!!"

That's absolutely right, except for the purpose. Qin Wei doesn't want to be a hero.

"So, you're here to stop me?"

"Oh no no no no no! On the contrary, I'm here to help you..."

"Look! This truckload of weapons and equipment is my gift to you. Take it and rob Maroni's bank! The prerequisite for rule is chaos, and chaos is exactly what I want. We can both find plenty of fun in this plan."

"Now that you've seen me, may I leave?" Qin Wei asked calmly.

"Of course, please go ahead!"

Leave? That's ridiculous! I won't leave until I kill you!

The instant the clown lowered his gun, Qin Wei grabbed his wrist, twisted it behind his back, and pulled the trigger six times in quick succession.

He didn't want to kill, but the Joker was an exception. Letting him live was like planting a time bomb in his future plans! This was something a cautious strategist could never tolerate.

Qin Wei had done all he could, but the outcome took an unexpected and erratic turn.

Click!

Click!

Click!

Click!

Click!

Click!

The firing pin of the revolver bounced back, and the crisp sound of the empty gun seemed to freeze the air.

As the gun fired a small white flag bearing the words "surprise!!", the Joker's long-suppressed laughter burst forth like the Gotham River overflowing its banks.

"Haha ...

Even Qin Wei was amused.

Compared to the previous clumsy jokes, the clown's move was truly amazing.

"Honey, you really want to kill me that badly? Stop messing around! Let's go!" The clown brandished another gun in his hand; this was his real lifeline.

Qin Wei shrugged with a wry smile:

"Alright!"

But did he really give up? Of course not! Just as he turned to leave, he suddenly collapsed to the ground, shouting at Reus in front of him:

"shot!!!"

The scattered projectiles kicked up clouds of dust.

……

Unfortunately, the clown eventually escaped, and the remaining bloodstains on the ground led to the dense bushes under the bridge.

Meanwhile, an unlucky guy sat on the ground, scratching his head in frustration, lamenting his bad luck.

Let's take a closer look and see who this poor guy is.

Oh, it's Qin Wei!

The clown swaggered in, carrying a bag full of mysteries, and without Qin Wei's permission, pried open the latter's skull and stuffed them inside.

Why does he want to see me?

"How did he find me?"

"How did he find out about my entire plan?"

Why do you say this batch of weapons was a gift from him to me?

Qin Wei didn't need to think about these brain-teasing questions, but the prerequisite was that he could blow the clown's head off with a single shot.

Reus stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.

This man had only known Qin Wei for a short time, but in his impression, the usually composed Qin Wei would never show such an expression.

It seems that letting the Joker go was a huge blow to him.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine! Thank you. And you?" The habitual reply came out without thinking.

The other person didn't respond. Qin Wei looked up awkwardly and glanced at them, then quickly changed the subject:

"It's all your fault! You usually get one headshot with a single shot, but when it really matters, can't you even aim properly?"

"Boss! I can't take this job, shotgun, shotgun!" He weighed the large weapon in his hand. "At this distance, the bullets are scattering everywhere, and I'm afraid they might accidentally hit you..."

"Don't even mention accidental injury. Even if you cripple me, I won't blame you as long as I can kill that bastard... Never mind, I'm not saying anything more!"

Qin Wei dusted himself off and stood up. He knew he shouldn't have taken his anger out on Royce; he couldn't blame anyone else for this.

Putting aside their complicated thoughts, the two continued their journey towards Wayne Manor.

After the minor hiccup, the rest of the journey went exceptionally smoothly.

Reus's men had been waiting in the open space for a long time. More than 20 of them hurriedly unloaded the weapons and loaded them into their own trucks.

"Keep the goods with you for now! I'll withdraw another two hundred thousand tomorrow, and you can give it to the guys who moved the goods tonight as overtime pay. By the way, just say you earned it, don't say I gave it to you!" Qin Wei said to Royce.

His move was clever; it both rewarded his Roman allies and silenced their complaints, and without overstepping his bounds by directly bestowing a reward upon Reus, thus elevating Reus's standing in the eyes of his followers.

One can imagine the admiration these guys, who usually only earn a few dozen dollars a day to barely make ends meet, would feel for Royce after receiving this huge sum of money.

Royce bit his lip and nodded. How could this seasoned veteran not understand the true meaning behind Qin Wei's words?

The reason behind these heartwarming words is truly devastating.

"Thanks, boss!"

"If you work with me to grow our business, I will not treat anyone unfairly."

Following Royce's car back to Gotham, Qin Wei got out in the business district.

He planned to visit Oswald at the hospital, and the two parted ways thereafter.

But it wasn't until the truck had driven far away that Qin Wei remembered that he had left the truck and the money at the port. Now he was wearing tattered clothes, and his pockets were so clean that you couldn't even find a loose thread.

"Damn it, I forgot about that! My head's too full of things!"

Just then, a taxi stopped in front of him.

"Hey buddy~ Haven't seen you in a while, you... why are you dressed worse and worse!" The driver rolled down the window, grabbed a handful of fries from the large paper bag on his chest, and started crunching them.

Qin Wei recognized the other person. This driver had taken him to Wayne Manor the first time and to Dodge Manor the second time. He never expected to have another chance to meet him.

Is Gotham really this small?

"Judging from your disheveled appearance, you must be broke! I happen to have no business tonight. Tell me, which manor would you like to go to, and I'll take you there."

"Does it have to be the manor?" Qin Wei laughed, opened the car door without ceremony, and plopped inside.

Sinking into the soft cushions of the taxi, he was so comfortable he was almost asleep.

He dozed off for a while, then realized that Oswald was probably already asleep at this time.

"No, I can't let this bastard have it too easy. Why should I be risking my life outside while he's sleeping soundly in the hospital?"

Furious, Qin Wei took out his phone and dialed the number.

Oswald has a terrible temper when he wakes up, and just thinking about how he'll be all grumbling and cursing after being woken up makes Qin Wei want to laugh.

But no one answered the phone, and the busy tone that lasted for more than ten seconds gave him a bad feeling.

I dialed again, but it was the same.

Just then, Falcone called.

The old lion never contacted him in the early hours of the morning, and Qin Wei realized that something unexpected must have happened during the dozen or so hours that he was away.

"Don't make a sound, listen to me." Falcone's deep, resonant voice came through the receiver.

"Maroni sent me an invitation to an investment auction reception. I shouldn't have attended during this special time, but he gave me a reason to be there."

"I'm worried that this party will be my last."

"The party will be held the day after tomorrow. You have 24 hours. By whatever means you use, find out the truth about why Maroni is holding this party and whether he will harm me."

Qin Wei hung up the phone:

"Let's change course. This time we still need to go to the manor. Maroney's manor."