Chapter 55: Irony

"The director has been shot, the director has been shot!"

A gunshot rang out, and the Fourth Division of the police station descended into chaos. George, the officer holding the gun, burst into laughter. The onlookers only saw his arm move as he adjusted the aim of the gun, but they didn't have time to see who the next targeted person was. The lights, which had just recovered a few seconds ago, went out again with a buzzing sound.

And when they flickered back on, it was the flash of the fired gun that illuminated the scene.

The flame at the barrel of the gun vanished in an instant, briefly illuminating the sinister smile on the face of the officer. Another officer was shot, and the police station plunged into darkness once again.

The officers became a chaotic mess. Some drew their guns, pointing them into the pitch-black darkness, but unsure of where to aim. They couldn't target anything in the darkness, but George seemed to know the location of each one of them, as if the darkness posed no obstacle to him.

Maniacal laughter filled the air, sounding like surround sound in a movie theater, impossible to discern its origin.

Someone took out their phone to unlock it for flashlight illumination, but just as the screen lit up, the flash of the gun once again illuminated the darkness. Bullets pierced the bodies of the officers, splattering the phone screen with bloodstains, causing it to shatter.

"It's over there!"

Someone shouted and pulled the trigger in the direction where the gunfire appeared. However, the only response was a scream of agony from another law enforcement officer, seemingly hitting a comrade.

Meanwhile, the laughter grew even more brazen. "Ha! Great marksmanship! I guess it was Old Li who fired the gun? I can't match your precision."

"Oh my God, it wasn't intentional, ahh!"

This time, it wasn't the sound of gunfire but the sound of a sharp weapon tearing through flesh. The voice of the officer named Old Li abruptly stopped in the darkness, replaced only by a chilling and terrifying laughter.

Then came the sound of someone falling to the floor.

The haunting screams of Old Li before he fell continued to echo in everyone's hearts like a curse. Over half of them were petrified with fear, as this nightmare-like situation felt unreal.

No one could have imagined they would encounter such a thing within the police station. This small substation had instantly turned into a prison for each of them, where they were locked up with the most ruthless and terrifying monsters.

Fear of the unknown is the most terrifying aspect, and that was precisely the current scene's most accurate portrayal. Darkness was the breeding ground for fear, where the Grim Reaper seemed to be everywhere, repeatedly brushing past them. People around them fell one after another, pushing those who survived closer to the quagmire of fear with each instance.

It was something even more frightening than death. They were forced to stare into the abyss, as if a demon was shamelessly devouring everyone's sanity, pushing each person to the edge between reason and madness.

And for some, it was only a matter of time before they crossed that line.

"Die, die!"

Inspector Richard fired his gun towards the direction Brenda had just been. The muzzle flash briefly illuminated the space, but there was no sign of George. However, the stray bullet grazed the cheek of one of his colleagues, causing another scream.

"Stop, Inspector!" someone shouted at him. "You'll hit your own people!"

But he seemed oblivious, turning his head and firing again, muttering incoherently, "Do you think I'm afraid of you? Come on! I'm right here, bring it on!"

The laughter continued, as if mocking him.

Someone groaned in pain after being hit by his bullet, but Richard didn't stop. He turned his head and fired in the direction he believed the enemies were, seemingly unconcerned about friendly fire.

"Damn it, I told you to stop!" Another officer couldn't hold back and fired towards Inspector Richard. The shot hit him squarely, and with a look of disbelief, Richard fell to the side.

The laughter intensified, as if witnessing something extremely amusing.

The situation was indeed ironic. Officers from the same division, colleagues who worked together day and night, turned their guns against each other in the face of a common enemy.

In the darkness, George laughed heartily, but his laughter suddenly halted as he seemed to sense something. He turned his head and saw a black bat, towering over him by a full head's length, silently appearing by his side. They were so close that they could almost hear each other's breath.

Without hesitation, George immediately raised his arm, and at the same moment, a sharp Batarang was unleashed. The razor-sharp blade cut through the flesh of his arm, sending bone fragments flying.

George retreated in a flash, still laughing oddly. "Ha.. it's you."

Before he could finish sentence, he was kicked by the Batman, sending his body flying and smashing a desk into two pieces.

Chu Cheng had transformed into Batman because he considered Batman to be the fastest among all the heroes he currently possessed.

Gliding with the cape and using the grappling gun was already quite fast, but today he didn't come alone.

This time, he brought the Batmobile.

The performance of the Batmobile went without saying. With all its horsepower unleashed, it surpassed even racing cars. When the jet propulsion was activated, it could even traverse rooftops. In the classic origin story of the Batman, "Batman Begins: The Dark Knight," the Batmobile made a spectacular appearance, leaving the entire Gotham City Police Department in awe with its rooftop acrobatics.

It was thanks to the Batmobile that Chu Cheng was able to rush to the scene so quickly.

As George hit the ground, he immediately raised his gun again, and the flash briefly illuminated the space. However, the direction his gun pointed was already empty.

As he stood up, Batman appeared behind him once again, restraining his arm. But George laughed weirdly and casually broke his own arm, then quickly raised the gun again, aiming at Batman's head.

Batman dodged the gunfire by tilting his head, grabbed George's arm, and kneed him, causing the handgun to fly out. In one smooth motion, Batman twisted George's arm as well.

However, as an infected individual, George couldn't feel pain. He tried to kick towards Batman, but Batman's swift kick snapped his leg bone. Then, without landing, Batman followed up with a powerful kick to George's chest. George flew through the air, causing the other officers nearby to dodge.

He didn't give up. He continued to laugh, crawling up with his maimed body, seemingly still intending to attack. But before he could stand up, Batman threw a gel explosive at his feet, which detonated upon contact with the air. The gel rapidly expanded, turning him into a statue in a fleeting moment.

He finally stopped.