Chapter 24: The Commissioner's Request

"Sorry, it's working hours now. If you have any personal matters to discuss, please wait until after I finish work."

Harley Quinn's face had lost its sweet business smile. After coldly dismissing Gordon with these words, she turned and left, leaving Gordon standing awkwardly in place.

Gordon's face showed a troubled expression. After hesitating for a moment, he found an empty table and sat down, while his eyes intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Harley, who was still working.

"Hey, stop staring. You'll attract Gordon's attention if you keep this up—if he discovers your identity, it'll be trouble."

After being kicked in the leg by Dinah, Jekyll finally turned around, but still muttered under his breath.

'What exactly does Gordon want from Harley? Could it be...'

"What are you thinking about now? Didn't my words just reassure you?"

Dinah glared disapprovingly at Jekyll, but she also glanced in Gordon's direction.

"I won't suspect Harley anymore, but given Gotham's tight police force situation, why would he take leave to come see her? You must be curious too."

Hearing Jekyll's words, Dinah furrowed her brows slightly, hesitated for a moment, then lowered her voice and said slowly:

"Gordon knows my parents. If he finds out I'm here and tells my parents... uh."

Dinah gritted her teeth, seeming to struggle with something internally, before letting out a soft sigh.

"If Harley finds out, you better claim it was your own plan. Don't drag me into it."

Before she finished speaking, Dinah reached into her waist bag and pulled out a small, pill-sized black gadget.

"This is a miniature bug. Just peel off the back and you can stick it on—hey, remember to retrieve it later!"

Before Dinah could finish her sentence, Jekyll eagerly took the bug and stood up, heading towards the restroom.

Meanwhile, Harley Quinn seemed to notice that not attending to Gordon's table would attract more attention. Reluctantly, she picked up a glass of water and walked towards Gordon's table.

"Sir, if you're not dining, could you please—?"

"We need to talk, Harley. You've been avoiding me, and I wouldn't have found you if I hadn't resorted to this method."

Upon hearing Gordon call her name, Harley Quinn's expression changed. After making sure no one was paying attention to them, she glared fiercely at Gordon.

"This job isn't easy to come by. If you get me fired, I won't let you off the hook—whatever it is, wait until I'm off duty to talk. Don't talk to me during work hours!"

With that, Harley forcefully placed the glass of water in front of Gordon, who seemed hesitant to speak, and then turned to leave.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, Harley let out a soft exclamation and quickly covered her hip, then turned to glare at Gordon with embarrassment and anger.

"Show some restraint! Keep your hands to yourself, customer!"

Gordon, who had just taken a sip of water, almost choked. He looked puzzled at Harley, who was now filled with anger, not knowing what had happened.

Ignoring him, Harley gave a cold snort and then put on a sweet smile to serve other customers. A moment later, Jekyll returned to his seat from the restroom and looked thoughtfully at his right hand.

"Is it really that firm and elastic? Sigh!"

Once again, Dinah kicked him hard on the leg, glaring at him with an unfriendly expression, her gaze sharp as a knife.

"I told you to place the bug, so what were you doing just now?"

"I was trying to follow your instructions and stick the bug, but Harley happened to turn around suddenly, so my hand accidentally— Sigh! Stop kicking, stop kicking, my leg's about to break!"

Time flowed slowly, with customers coming and going in the shop, but both Gordon's and Jekyll's tables remained untouched.

The difference was that Gordon only ordered a glass of lemon water, which seemed particularly awkward and suspicious, while Jekyll and his companion kept ordering desserts. Dinah's appetite seemed endless, so to onlookers, they appeared to be just an ordinary couple.

Finally, as evening approached, it seemed that the other employees who were supposed to take over from Harley Quinn had arrived.

Seeing Harley bid farewell to her colleagues with a cheerful expression and then leave the fast-food restaurant with her bag, Gordon quickly threw a few coins on the table and hurriedly followed her out the door.

Meanwhile, Jekyll immediately sat next to Dinah's seat, and the latter took out a new phone. After a brief operation on it, the phone began to emit a faint sound.

The two of them almost leaned their heads together, listening carefully to the sound coming from the phone. From the perspective of bystanders, this couple was overly affectionate.

Rustle, rustle.

"Let's talk here, Commissioner Gordon, but please be quick. I'm in a hurry."

Harley Quinn's voice sounded somewhat indifferent and impatient.

"Although no one is passing by here, it's still on the main street. Isn't it too—"

"Commissioner Gordon, known for his integrity, wouldn't be bringing up anything unsavory, right here?"

Gordon's voice paused for a moment before resuming.

"Well, then let's get straight to the point—That man rumored to be the Joker's resurrection, you've hidden him away, haven't you?"

Jekyll's heart tightened. Gordon seeking him out wasn't news to him.

"No comment."

"Well, if you don't want to say, let it be. Keeping this matter as a rumor for now is probably for the best. But you must ensure there are no more casualties. However, the warrant won't be withdrawn for the time being. Handle it yourselves."

Jekyll's pupils contracted. Gordon's response was somewhat unexpected, and if it wasn't about his own affairs, then why would Gordon prefer to take leave to talk to Harley?

"If it's not about his affairs... I understand. You came to me for Barbara, right?"

There was another brief pause in the voice. After a while, Gordon's hesitant voice slowly rang out.

"I know you've been to my house a few times when I was on duty, right? I know Barbara called you."

"Barbara and I have been friends for many years, as you know—you're not going to interfere even in gatherings between girls, are you? Barbara is not a little girl anymore, Commissioner Gordon."

The sound coming from the phone clearly indicated Gordon sighed, then his voice lowered.

"If it was just a regular gathering of friends, I'd be glad. But I distinctly saw signs of a scuffle in the courtyard. If I'm not mistaken, you must have been sparring with Barbara, right?"

Harley Quinn's voice fell silent, then Gordon's voice resumed, this time, both Jekyll and Diana could clearly hear a slight tremble in his voice.

"Barbara must be intending to put on that uniform again, because of what happened to Batman—I'm begging you, Harley, help me stop her. I don't want Barbara to become Batgirl again!"

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