By the time Liu A'dou arrived, thick smoke had filled the factory, more terrifying than a fire. This was Batman's powerful smoke bomb, the perfect cover for him to stealthily take down any enemies.
Liu A'dou, determined to seize the opportunity, had not anticipated Batman's grand method.
In reality, Batman hadn't wanted things to escalate this way either, but the enemy's firepower was too strong. Amid the thick, impenetrable smoke, Batman, wearing a small respirator, silently moved toward the enemies and began to take them down one by one. The Batman helmet had many functions; by activating the thermal imaging, he could move freely in the smoke.
Batman excelled at using any cover. As the knight of the night, he was most skilled at attacking in places where others couldn't see him, but he could still see them. His training as a shadow warrior had been perfected, allowing him to move like a ghost in the smoke and attack.
Powerful fists became his best weapon: quiet and efficient, he knocked out the enemies with martial arts techniques. Soon, all of Penguin's men were knocked out cold.
Penguin, realizing the situation was turning for the worse, spun his umbrella in an attempt to blow the smoke away. But it had little effect. Batman's smoke bomb worked wonders, and with the underground factory being enclosed, there was no way to disperse it.
Batman, you truly are ruthless, Penguin thought. Struggling to breathe, he knew that if he didn't run now, he would have no chance. With a determined thought, he closed his umbrella and pressed a button, transforming it from a light machine gun into a chemical sprayer.
He pointed the umbrella at the floor, releasing a stream of green liquid that quickly corroded the ground, creating a large hole. Without hesitation, he jumped into the sewer.
Gotham City's sewers were vast and interconnected, and many criminals, like the famous Killer Croc, lived in them.
Penguin, with his short legs, ran desperately, ignoring the stench, knowing that all he had to do was shake Batman off.
Batman, realizing he couldn't locate Penguin, immediately threw a bomb that blew open two layers of the ceiling, dissipating the smoke. He soon discovered the hole in the sewer floor where Penguin had escaped.
Batman didn't hesitate and jumped down into the sewer, using sound to track Penguin's movements, following him closely.
Liu A'dou, watching the hole leading to the sewer, shook his head. He thought, better skip the sewer, crawling through the ventilation ducts was already enough. Before the police arrived, Liu A'dou quickly surveyed the area. He saw several large men who had been knocked out, all lightly injured—Batman had been careful with his strikes. To take down so many people alone, Batman was indeed impressive. But compared to his own skills, Liu A'dou thought Batman still wouldn't be a match for his Jeet Kune Do.
Liu A'dou picked up two intact weapons, quickly leaving the scene. He didn't want to be surrounded by the police. This was a very profitable night, collecting both money and advanced technology. Liu A'dou even considered writing a thank-you note to Penguin.
By the time he got home, it was already dawn. Liu A'dou, used to staying up late, didn't mind. After all, as an outside photographer, he could catch up on sleep during work hours.
The commotion from the underground arms factory had attracted numerous reporters. At breakfast, the news station's program about Batman was already airing a detailed report. The people on the scene were familiar faces, his colleagues, including Thomas.
Iselin regretted not working overtime the night before; if she had, she would have had a big news story, "I hate Thomas. He always beats me to the big news."
Liu A'dou was speechless. Iselin was nearly obsessed with chasing big news every day.
"Look at those weapons. They're terrifying," Iselin said, focusing on the news. The police had seized many weapons, and it was reported that these weapons were highly destructive. If criminals got their hands on them, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"That was truly terrifying; Batman really did an amazing job. He found the underground arms factory by the second day after the Bat-Signal was sent out. Incredible," Liu A'dou remarked, astonished. Batman moved so fast that Liu A'dou was caught off guard. If it weren't for his expertise in escaping, the headline today would have been about Kaitou Kid's capture. At that point, he would have had to compete with the arms factory for the top story.
"Well, it's Batman. No criminal in Gotham can escape his eyes. But there's no report on the mastermind yet, so we don't know if the mastermind managed to escape," Iselin replied.
Liu A'dou had no idea about that. He only knew that Batman had gone after Penguin. The outcome was still unknown. But anyway, last night's haul had been enough, and now it was time to get ready for Kaitou Kid's next performance.
The next heist would be at a wealthy businessman's mansion. This man owned a green gem called "Angel's Wing." Liu A'dou had already scoped out the place, though he hadn't set up the traps yet. But he knew the mansion's security company had scheduled maintenance tomorrow, and tomorrow was his day off.
"Iselin, tomorrow I'm going to the garage to get my car serviced; it'll probably take half a day. You can handle lunch on your own, right?" Liu A'dou said casually.
"Tomorrow I'm off as well, no problem." Iselin didn't suspect Liu A'dou's real intentions. "But, we still need to check out the arms factory. Maybe there's some more news to uncover."
Liu A'dou readily agreed.
They first headed to the company to grab the broadcasting van and rushed over to the underground arms factory, only to find it completely locked down. The places that could be filmed had already been covered. If they wanted any more news, they would have to wait until the police were done with their investigation.
"Guess there's no chance here," Iselin sighed. She was still worried about what the station manager had said, fearing she might not be able to continue as a reporter.
"Of course not. Thomas has probably already dug up all the valuable material around here." Even though their cooperation had been brief, Liu A'dou greatly admired Thomas's professionalism. His nose for news was sharper than a dog's.
"Should we try looking elsewhere? I heard Harvey Dent is keeping an eye on the boss of the black gang. Maybe we can find some big news and help him get the evidence," Liu A'dou suggested.
Iselin glanced at the blockade and, with a frustrated stomp, said, "I guess we have no other choice."
"Alright, then. Let's rent a car; we can't use the broadcasting van," Liu A'dou responded, already taking action.
They quickly swapped cars and began tailing the mob boss. Harvey Dent probably hadn't expected this, but Liu A'dou had kept his words in mind. He had been following the prosecutor's movements, knowing Harvey was particularly annoyed with the bail of a mob boss.
However, with Batman focused on investigating the arms trade and pursuing the fugitive Penguin, he wouldn't be able to help Harvey, and that's where Liu A'dou came in. There was both big news to be found and a favor to be done for Harvey. Harvey Dent's popularity in Gotham had been rising, and Liu A'dou figured that through him, he might be able to worm his way into some social events with the city's elites. There was even a chance he might meet Bruce Wayne someday.
"I don't think this is going to work," Iselin muttered after hours of watching. The mob boss hadn't shown up. "If I were him, I wouldn't do anything crazy while on bail. If he gets caught, he's done for."
"That's normal thinking," Liu A'dou replied. "But in Gotham, the gangs don't think that way. They just believe the incompetent police can't touch them. Only Batman has the power to catch them, and maybe Commissioner Gordon."
Iselin was taken aback by Liu A'dou's words, then let out a bitter laugh. She realized that, indeed, Gotham was that messed up. But it made her more patient.
Half an hour later, the heavens smiled upon them. The mob boss finally left his hideout, and both Liu A'dou and Iselin could smell the scent of news.