Chapter 1 A City in Turmoil

Around eight in the evening, the street outside Gotham Police Department was packed with protesters and reporters.

People held signs and shouted slogans. Most of the signs targeted Commissioner Gordon, with messages like "Gordon Resign," "Gordon Must Go," and others such as "Dereliction of Duty," "Bats Out," "Hang Them," and so on.

When Gordon appeared on the street, a swarm of reporters surrounded him, thrusting microphones, recorders, cameras, and lights in his face, bombarding him with a barrage of sharp questions.

"It's rumored that fifteen more officers resigned today, is that true?"

"How long will it take for the street to return to normal?"

"Who is responsible for the losses from today's bank heist?"

"How will you explain to the families of the deceased officers how 'Nobody' slipped away from under the police's noses?"

"Commissioner, is it true that criminal elements have infiltrated the police force?"

"Is the police force being threatened by the mob?"

"Shouldn't you consider resigning, Commissioner Gordon?"

There are many people in this world who think they are very clever, that they are some kind of important figure, that their lives and careers are so meaningful.

In reality, it's all bullshit.

In America, most journalists have this tendency for self-aggrandizement. They believe they guide public opinion and change the fates of others. They think they are more intelligent and insightful than the average citizen. They spend their days making irresponsible statements, exploiting their professional knowledge to distort facts, and earning a higher social status, attention, and profit for themselves.

To that end, they don't hesitate to ruin others' reputations and lives.

In the eyes of others, this group is a bunch of self-righteous demons, repulsive to the core. Yet, they are always smug and oblivious, brimming with a sense of social mission.

But the fact is, they are not superior; it's just an illusion. If these people stepped out from behind the camera and in front of it, from reporters to the reported, they would immediately realize what they truly are.

When their petty power to distort right and wrong is taken away, beneath their hypocritical faces, they are nothing more than a group of agitators. They are a group of people that has existed since the dark ages, described in the Bible as one of the harbingers of the end of the world.

From the moment these people impose their views and positions on others, they have forgotten the essence of their profession. When an observer, a recorder, crosses a certain invisible boundary, he will go further and further, eventually becoming a liar and fabricator who will stop at nothing to grab attention.

Most of Gotham's reporters are like this.

As for the citizens of Gotham, allow me to quote a passage from Maupassant's *The Horla*—

"The people are like stupid flocks of sheep, now placidly patient, now in ferocious revolt. Say to them, 'Rejoice!' and they rejoice; say to them, 'Go and fight your neighbor!' and they go and fight. They acclaim all those whom they are told to acclaim; then they reject them all on an order from somebody.

The rulers are just as stupid; only, instead of obeying men, they obey principles, and as principles are invariably foolish, false, and cruel, the evils which spring from them are even greater. So we ought either to be governed by nobody, or to be governed only by those who have some right to it through their superior education and intelligence.

I wonder why we don't try a king of philosophers?"

Our Commissioner Gordon is precisely that shepherd.

So are the superheroes of the Shen Wang (God Network).

They do their best to protect this city and ensure its citizens live and work in peace. But they are constantly questioned, attacked by agitators, and forced to compromise while risking their lives to fight criminals.

That's why Feng Bujue mocks them, even feels sorry for them… Compared to the villains' "misery," the heroes' "misery" is mostly self-inflicted.

"One last question… is Batman really dead?" The question came from a unique, charismatic voice.

Gordon turned his head and saw a small man in a green suit standing at the edge of the crowd, leaning against the wall, looking at him leisurely.

"Riddler…" Gordon muttered.

Unfortunately, as Feng Bujue said, in this place where "the law is spoken," even if you know that a super-criminal is standing in front of you, you can't just arrest him.

"Okay, please make way, let the vehicle through, this is an important prisoner." Gordon stared at the Riddler for a few seconds, then squeezed through the reporters' encirclement.

At this moment, a prisoner transport van drove up the street, and several armed officers quickly jumped out of the vehicle, forming two rows.

On the other side, two prisoners also walked down the steps of the police station.

At this moment, Shiva and Seven Murders were each restrained by two officers, and their hands and feet were shackled.

About twenty minutes ago, the two entered the interrogation room of the police station, and before their butts could even warm the seats, Nightwing, who was questioning them, suddenly went out to answer a communication. No one knows what Sage told him, but the interrogation ended there, followed by this scene...

At this point, both players realized… the situation was not good. They had the same thought: knowing that there were superheroes monitoring nearby, resisting rashly could lead to being shot on the spot, so it's better to wait and see if there would be an opportunity to escape later.

"Sage, the two from the police station are about to depart." Nightwing, standing on the roof of the police station, kept a close eye on the movements below and communicated with the Batcave, "I'm worried they'll escape on the way, I'm going to follow them. How's Tim doing?"

"Not good… lost contact about fifteen minutes ago, exactly the time limit he mentioned for the explosion." Sage replied, "Damian is closest to him and has already gone over there. He went in the Batmobile, so if something happens to Tim, there's emergency life support equipment on board."

A hint of worry flashed across Nightwing's determined face under the mask: "I have a bad feeling, Barbara, you'd better call someone else over."

Sage replied, "Okay, I'll contact someone as soon as possible."

"I can't leave here for the time being, please let me know as soon as you have news about Tim, okay?" Nightwing said.

"Be careful too… Dick." Sage said with concern.

…………

At the same time, Gotham City, inside a warehouse.

"Uh… where am I…" Tim Drake woke up from a brief unconsciousness. When he adjusted to the surrounding light, he saw a figure in a purple long suit standing in front of him.

"Don't be nervous, Tim, while you were unconscious, we moved you here… to a safe place." Feng Bujue replied with his back to Tim, while he was adjusting a camera.