There is no Batman in Gotham City comics.

Chapter 31 The Shift in Offense and Defense

Maroni ultimately underestimated Oswald.

Little Penguin is indeed timid, but that's because he's been working in the lower rungs of Gotham City and has developed a habit of reading people's faces; he is indeed greedy, but he's never stingy with the money he gets from Maroney and always generously distributes it to his subordinates.

But he was by no means a selfish or cowardly person.

Even more fatally, Maroni underestimated Qin Wei's influence on Oswald.

He arrogantly believed that he could use Dodge's drug business as leverage to lure Penguin into giving up, unaware that under Qin Wei's subtle brainwashing, Oswald had already firmly believed that he would become the king of the underworld.

While Dodge's business was certainly tempting, it seemed utterly pale and laughable compared to that grand goal.

But honestly, while the chicken soup was certainly tempting, Oswald's mental defenses were almost completely broken when Maroni's punches and kicks rained down on him.

This old fox had already deeply imprinted the mark of fear into the minds of every leader. This fear stemmed from what everyone had seen and heard: one cruel punishment after another, one public massacre after another.

This fear cannot be masked by simple platitudes or brainwashing.

Qin Wei knew this, so before leaving, he gave Oswald one last message.

"If someone could kill you with the flick of a finger, but doesn't kill you immediately, there's no doubt it's because killing you would cause them a loss."

"At this point, what you need to do is understand their psychology. The more they want something, the less you should give it to them; that's your last resort!"

At first, Oswald didn't understand what this convoluted phrase meant, until he was beaten bloody by Maroni and his gaze inadvertently fell on Dodge's corpse.

"You've been a dutiful and loyal dog for so many years, and yet you still died!"

In the instant his gaze met the corpse's empty eyes, Oswald suddenly felt like laughing.

He wanted to mock Maroney's temper, for all these years he still only knew how to control his subordinates with such a low-level method as violence; he wanted to mock Maroney's incompetence, for he couldn't even get an answer out of him.

What he most wanted to mock was Maroni's stupidity; every move he made was within Qin Wei's calculations.

Oswald suddenly thought that Maroni was just so-so.

……

Appeared!

When the blank comic finally showed content, Qin Wei let out a long sigh of relief and slumped into his chair like a rag doll.

Oswald ultimately withstood the test.

He excitedly rubbed his face, calmed himself down, and began to carefully read the comic.

At the beginning of the comic, a group of robbers wearing red hoods raid Gotham Central Bank. Unlike the Red Hood gang that is running rampant outside, they have a clear division of labor and are highly professional. In just 15 minutes, they steal 45 million US dollars and drive away in a modified armored pickup truck before the Gotham police arrive.

The story itself didn't explain many details, but Qin Wei noticed something unusual in one of the frames.

It was a red-hooded robber in the corner of the frame, pointing a shotgun at the lobby manager's forehead and demanding the vault access card.

When Qin Wei saw a few strands of dark green hair peeking out from under his hood, his head exploded with a buzz.

Who else could it be but the Joker with green hair?

He is eccentric and violent, cunning and manipulative, and what's even more terrifying is that his plans have no clear purpose. It seems that he just wants to drag the whole world into a quagmire of chaos and panic, and use human screams and cries to please his unconventional comedic taste.

Unable to cooperate, untamed, or even communicate normally, the Joker is the embodiment of chaos and the last person Qin Wei wants to encounter. If this guy were to become the main antagonist in this storyline, Qin Wei would abandon all of his plans without hesitation.

Playing games with the clown means you'll lose everything, even if you win.

Qin Wei breathed a sigh of relief as he continued flipping through the comics.

It seems that the green hair was just a little Easter egg planted by the author, and the clown did not appear in the rest of the story.

Returning to the comics, Batman teams up with Gordon to investigate the case and discovers that the bank's true owner is Sal Maroney. This is a criminal bank specializing in money laundering for the Roman Empire.

Besides the forty-five million dollars, Maroni seemed to have lost something even more important. He dispatched all his men and set a high bounty to hunt down the Red Hood robbers throughout the city.

Meanwhile, Batman also located the robbers' hideout, and on a dark and stormy night, he quietly infiltrated their lair. ...

The comic ends here.

It revealed little information to Qin Wei, but it was absolutely crucial.

First, the comic corresponds to reality; the heist occurred on August 22nd, exactly one month later. Second, Qin Wei suspects that "that thing" Maroney hid in the bank is likely some scandals and evidence of his blackmailing Gotham's wealthy businessmen and politicians. Once these things are exposed, even without Harvey Dent's intervention, those people will not let Maroney go.

This guess is reasonable, which is why the old fox acted so flustered.

In other words, it is Maroni's Achilles' heel; as long as he can get "that thing," he will definitely be able to defeat the other party.

But the question is, how do we get it?

Before the robbers could act, and ransack the bank from top to bottom? The moment this thought crossed Qin Wei's mind, he couldn't contain himself. Not to mention that the gangster bank was heavily guarded, he didn't even have a single person he could rely on, so the plan was impossible to carry out.

The second method is to emulate Batman by tracking down the robbers and finding a way to steal the items.

But that means going head-to-head with the Joker.

Qin Wei, conflicted, started biting his nails again.

Suddenly the phone rang, and Oswald's voice came through the receiver.

Are you alright?

"Everything... is fine, don't worry... I didn't betray you."

Oswald lowered his voice, which sounded extremely hoarse, like the noise of a glass marble rolling in a ceramic bowl.

"What nonsense are you talking about... Did Maronny let you go?"

"I'm afraid not. That's why I called you. That dog Maroni said he wants to talk to you."

"Yes, I'll be there soon." Qin Wei wasn't surprised; in fact, he was quite excited.

In his mind, if the plan went smoothly, Maroni would definitely request to see him. And now, things were progressing according to plan. Everything was under control, and this wonderful feeling gave Qin Wei an unprecedented sense of security.

He took a taxi to Maroni's mansion, and as soon as he got out of the car, he saw Oswald waiting for him by the roadside.

The poor little penguin was beaten black and blue, his hair stained with dried blood, which had turned half of his face red. But Oswald stood taller than ever before, his chest puffed out.

Qin Wei stepped forward and gave the other person a big hug.

"I'll take you to see Maroni... By the way, are you really ready?" Oswald began to worry about Qin Wei instead.

"Prepare? Do I need to prepare to see him?" Qin Wei laughed. He didn't need to prepare at all. No matter what cards Maroni played, he just needed to play it by ear.

Initially, the fake Harvey plan did cause him considerable trouble, but the situation completely reversed after Oswald called.

It's his turn to play this game.