Chapter 820: Batman Behind Enemy Lines (Part 2)_1

The difficulty for ordinary people in Gotham to disguise as mob bosses lies in their inability to acquire luxury cars, fine suits, and bodyguards. If they could, they would already be mob bosses themselves.

But Bruce is different; he's a mad billionaire who insists on seeking a profession outside his own class. The impossible becomes possible if he wants it to be.

Indeed, Bruce's plan involves observing the behavior, mannerisms, and appearances of mob bosses, then disguising himself and blending into the crowd.

The idea occurred to him during his many days in the slums when he realized there were simply too many mobs in Gotham, with countless big and small bosses. It was impossible for ordinary people to remember all those faces.

Given the high turnover rate in the mob world, you could rule three blocks one day and get killed the next, probably without the boss from the neighbouring block even knowing. How could the bodyguards of nightclubs and mansions keep up?

Observation is essential because Bruce had assumed there would be significant differences in appearances between mob members of different ranks, so he needed to remember each detail to recognize people later.

However, due to the mob bosses fanatic devotion to the Godfather, their appearances had become almost indistinguishable, all donning black suits and leather shoes. If members of the Twelve Families added a single red poppy, wouldn't anyone dressed similarly be able to communicate with any class of the mob?

"A plan is gradually forming in my mind, but I know to pull off this grand deceit, I'll need many other factors. There is one place that can facilitate the perfect execution of my plan, and to get there, I need to find a person…"

Another day was torn off the calendar, with less than a day remaining to hand in the assignment. However, Bruce was brimming with ideas. Among the words that he scribbled down, a familiar name appeared— "James Gordon".

"James has always been a great help, and this time, I hope he can work alongside my plan..."

"Even now, I remember the look of surprise on his face when I approached him and asked him to arrest me. I understand his confusion; he must have thought I'd gone mad. However, this is a crucial part of my plan..."

Bruce cornered his smile as he replayed James Gordon's bewildered expression. "What are you saying, have me arrest you?? You…" He stammered.

"Wait a minute, Bruce. Let's talk..." James Gordon patted Bruce's shoulder, "I know you've been through a lot, but some things need to be done gradually. You're young, don't stray off the path..."

"No, James, hear me out." Bruce calmly looked at Gordon, "If I get arrested, will I end up in prison?"

James Gordon faltered, "Whether you will or not...fine, you probably won't be locked up in prison. You're a mental patient with a diagnostic report from a hospital. You'd likely be put in a mental institution."

"Which is the most famous mental hospital in Gotham?" Bruce asked.

"Of course it's Arkham Asylum...wait, are you planning to go to Arkham? What's there for you? There aren't any of your fellow patients there, just a bunch of mob bosses that refuse to leave..."

"I'm here to find those mob bosses."

In the end, Gordon complied. Bruce successfully orchestrated his trial under a false identity and subsequently got admitted to the Arkham Psychiatric Hospital.

Standing again in the corridor of the hospital, Bruce felt entirely different from his past tenure as an intern. He had helplessly watched as Shiller turned a somewhat normal psychiatric hospital into a playground for mob bosses.

Back then, he did interact with the mob bosses, but he was adamant. There was nothing noteworthy about these criminals, and any conversation he had with them was superficial.

Now, standing in front of Arkham Asylum suited up, with a neatly adjusted tie, his shoes polished to a shine, Bruce was ready.

Stepping out of the car, dusting off, fixing his tie, walking briskly into the building, he entered his room, lit a cigar, and sat down to a puff of smoke. Before Bruce could speak, another similarly dressed mob boss approached him, "This is some good stuff, pal. Where did you get it? This couldn't be from the stash before December, could it?"

Bruce gently rubbed the side of his cigar, "It's not contraband, just a little expensive."

The man next to him raised an eyebrow, sitting down in the chair next to Bruce. Bruce wore a mask, but a healing scar on his neck hinted that he had suffered significant burns.

"I'm Harrison. The Fisherman's Wharf in the East District is my territory. Where are you from? Who are you here to see?"

"You can call me Match Malone. My turf isn't far from the Wayne Building. Of course, it's also a tad related to the south district. I'm not here to find somebody, but to discuss a business transaction..."

Everything Bruce said was true, thus his demeanor and tone carried no hint of deception. The person named Harrison squinted: "Close to the Wayne Building..."

Bruce didn't elaborate further, leaving ample room for Harrison's imagination. Harrison certainly couldn't guess that the man before him was Wayne, but he knew that the areas surrounding the Wayne Building were directly under the control of the Twelve families.

Harrison figured that this man must be revealing his identity by implication, but also expressing a standpoint—he only needs to know that I belong to one of the Twelve families, not specifically which family.

If this is his attitude, then it implies that the business he wants to negotiate might be a bit peculiar. Harrison surmised all the reasons, then looking at Bruce, he said, "You should understand the rules here. This is lawless territory. Many businesses depend on sincerity, and it depends on how much earnestness you're willing to show."

"I thought that anywhere in the world, when discussing business, we should first negotiate the returns." Bruce was utterly unafraid of probing. After all, he wasn't a squandering playboy. The Wayne Family had grown to its current status, and much of it was due to him. Gaining an edge in a negotiation was simple for him.

Harrison rubbed his fingers together. He found he was dealing with a tough candidate, certainly deserving of being a member of the Twelve Families. So he smiled, softened his tone and said: "Indeed, it is. But the situation here is special. You should know that as long as you can get into this hospital, you have a chance to have a fair dialogue with everyone."

"Before this, you might not have the right to meet certain people, and they had no rights to meet you. We all need to obey the rules and not create chaos. But, in this hospital, we all have only one identity—that of a patient."

"If it's your first time here, I need to remind you about this. We're all just patients. If you still consider yourself a mob boss, terrifying things can happen. There's a doctor here who doesn't appear often, but you better not provoke him. If you were to fire a gun in here and put a hole in the wall, you'd be in big trouble."

"I've been here before." Bruce said bluntly, "At that time, that professor was still working here. I made some like-minded friends here, which has been very beneficial to my business. So, this time I am here to find some more trustworthy partners..."

Hearing this, Harrison changed his stance, he said, "So you've been here before, then there's nothing more to say. Whatever business you want to discuss, feel free to do so."

"But it's been a long time since then, I'm not sure if the situation here has changed. If you're willing to guide me, perhaps I can get ahold of that professor's medical report?"

Harrison's eyes brightened, he put his hands on the table and said, "Everyone knows that there are two unusual places in Gotham - Arkham Asylum and Gotham University."

"In these two places, no matter who enters, they each have only one identity. If you're in Arkham Asylum, you're a patient. If you're in Gotham University, you're a student."

"And because of this, we have the opportunity for equal exchange. Many people choose to admit themselves or send their children to the school to discuss some matters that are otherwise hard to discuss."

Upon hearing this, Bruce hesitated. Arkham Asylum and Gotham University had become the two most unique locations in Gotham, and they both had one thing in common—both were influenced by Shiller.

"Thinking about this, I became skeptical: is this a coincidence? Or did someone figure out the inherent problem with this rule long ago, deliberately break the regulation, create a platform, strengthen communication, and alleviate the issues caused by a rigid rule system?"

"What confuses me is, the professor who's influenced both locations doesn't seem to care about saving Gotham at all."

"However, I don't think it's a coincidence. If I remember correctly, the Godfather established the rules of the mob and demanded everyone to obey them. Yet, this hospital breaks the norm. Why hasn't the Godfather expressed any objections?"

Bruce put down his pen and paused before writing:

"Or is it like he once said, the mob rules were the only solution he could find in that era, and today, everyone must realize that these rules can't sustain anymore?"

"Perhaps, Arkham Asylum and Gotham University are just preludes for the Godfather to loosen the reins. But why, after three years, has Gotham remained the same, and why hasn't this kind of platform developed more widely?"

"What are the Godfather and the Professor waiting for?"

As this line was written, Bruce's pen suddenly paused. A conjecture crossed his mind that felt absurd. His penstroke across the paper blurred with a hint of disbelief.

"...Are they waiting for me?"

"Since then, have they been waiting for someone to awaken from within the rules, realize the problem, gather the courage to overthrow everything, and have the wisdom to establish new rules?"