hotmtlnovel Chapter 3860 The Nameless Bat (3)
Chapter 3860 The Nameless Bat (3)
Chapter 3860 The Nameless Bat (Part 30)
“Oswald Copperfield, you can also call me the Penguin,” the man who barged in said expressionlessly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Professor Rodriguez. I heard you were a professor for the intelligence organization for a while, is that a proper title?”
Schiller nodded, and looking at the Penguin, he said, "I've heard you used to be a mayor, so may I call you Mr. Mayor?"
“That’s all ancient history.” The Penguin walked inside expressionlessly, looked up at the interior decoration, and said, “I only served one term and was soon out of office. I was just a poor loser.”
“I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” Schiller said, sitting down on the sofa. “If Gotham were to return to the gangster era, most people would vote for you, but you suddenly lost. And none of the three mayors who followed you lived to the end of their terms. Why do you think that is?”
"You didn't come to see me for this, did you?"
"I want to know who that damn Eden Killer is, and where he is now. You're Batman's friend, and you've been to the crime scene, so you can give me an answer, right?"
"Can I ask you why you're looking for him?"
“If he only kills those johns and prostitutes, I won’t bother with him. But he shouldn’t touch the mayor. Everyone who dies in that position deserves it, and they all have to live to see judgment. If anyone can just kill them, Gotham will be in chaos.”
"You became mayor, but you found it wasn't as easy as you thought. There was so much to do, so many dangers to face, so you chose another path: to retire gracefully, stay behind the scenes, and push scapegoats to the forefront. Don't you have enough scapegoats in reserve?"
"Tell me, where is the Eden Killer?"
“Give me the camera,” Schiller said.
The penguin glanced at him and waved to his subordinate. The bodyguard took out a small camera and placed it in Schiller's hand.
"Thanks to this young lady, we have roughly figured out the truth behind this serial murder case. In short, the one who attacked the mayor was not the Eden Killer, but a copycat."
"Copycat?"
"Yes, someone is imitating the Eden Killer."
"Do you think he deliberately targeted the mayor, or did the mayor just happen to be a scoundrel who frequents prostitutes, thus falling into his criminal sphere?"
“Of course it’s the former,” Schiller said, looking at the group. “If the selection criteria are that simple, then it’s unlikely that the mayor will be chosen even in a few years. He can only be targeting the mayor.”
"But why would he do that?"
"Targeting the mayor is targeting you. He definitely wants to disrupt you, distract you, and make you worry about the chaotic political situation that has started again after the mayor's death. As for the rest, I don't know."
"You still haven't told me where he is."
"What you want is the whereabouts of the Eden Killer. I can only tell you that the Eden Killer is not a single person. To be precise, he controlled two people. One is currently in the intensive care unit, and the other is already dead. As for his true whereabouts, no one knows, and I don't know either."
"What about the copycat who killed the murderer?"
“Nimosini,” Schiller said, turning to Nimosini, “tell this gentleman what you saw.”
Nimosini was still reeling from the shock, because the instant Schiller opened the door and the Penguin appeared, she realized that her actions were completely under Schiller's control, and that she was the one who had brought about the current situation.
Why would penguins come to your door?
Because he wanted to know information about the crime scene.
Why would a penguin want information about a crime scene?
Because the mayor is dead, and he has the CCTV footage that could be used as evidence, he wants to find the murderer who killed the mayor.
Where did the camera come from?
He got it from Ross.
Why would he go to Ross's place?
Because of himself. Because he suggested telling the Penguins about Ross's whereabouts so they could fight each other to the death.
The Penguin's real reason for wanting to investigate the mayor's case is that he doesn't know the specifics of the Eden Killer, nor does he know that Cowens is dead.
Why didn't he know?
Because his informant at the police station was detained.
Why was that informant detained?
It was all because of him. Because he told Gordon that someone would take the camera from Cowens, allowing him to set up an ambush, which gave Ross the opportunity to frame the big guy's informant. As a result, the Penguin's informant was arrested, preventing him from knowing what was happening inside the police department.
In other words, the penguin is now coming to her door entirely because of her two suggestions.
But now, Nimosini realizes that the reasoning and advice she thought she had succeeded with were not actually her own thoughts, and that she had been so easily led and manipulated by Schiller.
She realized the problem with the camera because Schiller, through some form of psychoanalysis, gave her an absurd conclusion, and then asked her to deduce further from that conclusion. Her idea of having the Penguin use one enemy against another also stemmed from Schiller's suggestion that Gordon send police to protect Ross; she followed this line of reasoning.
Schiller was the one who really wanted the Penguin to come to them, but he did nothing, making it all seem like a coincidence.
Now, he's putting himself in the Penguin's shoes to deduce who the copycat is, knowing full well he can't say anything, because if he brings up the letter opener, Schiller will inevitably become a suspect. What will the Penguins do if they suspect him of being the copycat?
Nimosini realized it was a trap. Even if she told the Penguin the truth, the Penguin couldn't do anything to Schiller, and she would be the one who suffered in the end. She had no choice but to keep it a secret.
Nimosini gave the penguin the same physical characteristics as she had given Gordon, omitting the part about the letter opener, and then the penguin left.
Nemosini was completely baffled. So why had Schiller called the Penguin over? They hadn't made a deal, hadn't discussed any terms, and hadn't talked about any secrets; the Penguin just left.
No, they still made a deal. Nimosini looked at Schiller, who was holding a small camera in his hand. So, Schiller wanted this camera?
Nemossini couldn't help but feel a sense of absurdity. For a fleeting moment, she even thought that Schiller was the Killer of Eden, deriving pleasure from the footage of his murders captured on cameras. But she knew that wasn't the case. So what did Schiller need the cameras for?
And then there's the Penguin. It seems his harassment of the copycat isn't about threatening him to kill, but simply about preventing any more big shots like the mayor from dying. What the hell? When did this mob boss become so righteous?
"Please sit down, miss. You must have a lot of curiosity about the penguins, right?"
Nemosini actually wanted to say that she was more curious about him, but considering their current situation, she said nothing. She simply sat down opposite Schiller, wanting to hear what he had to say.
"Being the mayor of Gotham is not an easy job. The Penguin realized this problem not long after he became mayor. He may seem very glamorous, but in reality, there are all sorts of assassinations and terrorist attacks. So he chose to go into the shadows and put forward several puppets to help him solve this problem. The current mayor is one of them."
"So far, apart from the current mayor, every one of his puppets has survived until they are no longer needed. But the Copycat killed the current mayor and has the potential to kill other important figures. Some of them are also puppets of the Penguin, and the Penguin doesn't want to see this happen, so he must get rid of this Copycat."
Nemosini quickly realized that the Penguin was actually a mob boss eager to rise to power, but in reality, he was the uncrowned king of Gotham. The two types of people had different behavioral logics.
The new generation seeks opportunities to rise to power, while the rulers only desire stability. If the Penguin is the latter, then the only reason he stopped the assassins is that he didn't want Gotham to descend into chaos; only stability could perpetuate his rule.
So he didn't care about the camera at all. He wasn't Batman, needing evidence to sentence someone to death. Once he found the exact location, he wouldn't let the killer leave the room alive. That's why he so easily handed the camera over to Schiller in exchange for some clues about the killer.
All reasoning has limitations, primarily stemming from the reasoner's knowledge base and perspective. Faced with the same event, even with the same intelligence, a primary school student and Batman might arrive at completely different truths simply because their knowledge bases differ so greatly.
So this still stems from a lack of knowledge. Nemosini sighed inwardly. She was just an orphan abandoned by her foster family; how could she possibly know the true status of the Penguins?
No, Nemosini realized she could actually find out; she could just ask James Gordon. This director had been a powerful figure in Gotham for decades; even the Penguins could only gather information about his territory through informants, and couldn't rely on direct confrontation.
Previously, he had only regarded Gordon as a stupid, long-winded, and basically slow-witted old stubborn man.
Or there is another chance, which is to hear Schiller recount his first encounter with Batman. Although he may not hear about the Penguin, he can probably deduce some things from the situation of Gotham's high society.
However, she was so focused on solving the new case that she didn't listen to the whole story, nor did she observe Schiller carefully. She didn't even notice that there were no vases in the house, nor did she hear the suggestive words he had spoken earlier. As a result, all the blame was now being placed on her head.
Nemosini sighed deeply, sat dejectedly on the sofa, and said nothing.
Then she saw Schiller take out a computer and import the video files from the webcam into it. The reflection in his glasses showed the video files were playing, and Schiller remained expressionless.
This proves he's not the Eden Killer, or at least not a psychopath who enjoys watching crime scenes. Otherwise, why would he need this thing?
Countless clues swirled in Nemosini's mind, constantly colliding, breaking down, and reassembling. Realizing her own arrogance, she couldn't help but recall the conversation she had overheard between Gordon and Schiller.
“Loneliness and learning,” she murmured softly. “The Eden Killer needed crime footage to learn…”
The crime footage was useless to Schiller, yet he went to such lengths to obtain it. Was he planning to send it to the Eden Killer so he could study it?
Nimosini felt a cold sweat break out on her brow instantly. Damn it, could Schiller possibly be training assassins?
Nimosini, reflecting on her own experience, realized that the moment she chose to conceal the murder clues from Gordon, she was no longer innocent. A person's bottom line can be continuously lowered; from concealment to helping, to violence, it probably doesn't take long.
She had a glimmer of hope, but just now she chose to hide it from the Penguin. Once the truth is known and she is driven to the brink by this underground king, can she really refrain from committing a crime?
If that's the case, what can I do?
Who else can we rely on?
Who else can we turn to for help?
Who can help her?
At that moment, Nimosini clearly heard the name echoing in her heart—"Batman".
Schiller: Laugh