Liu A'dou received intelligence from the prosecutor's office and, together with Iselin, quietly followed the mob boss who was out on bail, hoping to gather evidence or uncover valuable news.
They tracked him all the way to the docks.
The mob boss was at the docks, and Liu A'dou immediately realized what they were likely there for.
"We should go," Iselin suddenly said, even more eager than Liu A'dou. She was clearly stirred by the situation—Gotham City was her hometown, and she felt the need to contribute to its betterment.
"Don't get too close. We're reporters, not cops. Just watch from a distance, and make sure we're not seen. All we need is to capture their actions on film," Liu A'dou cautioned. "Safety first. Safety first."
"I know." Iselin wasn't afraid of the mobsters. She had grown up as the daughter of a mob boss, so dealing with dangerous individuals was nothing new to her. That's why she was so nonchalant in this situation.
The two of them hid behind a corner of the shipping containers. Liu A'dou specifically chose a spot with the light coming from behind them to avoid any potential glare from the camera lens that could give away their position.
"What are they doing?" Iselin whispered.
"They're probably making a deal. Whatever it is, it's illegal, so we're on the right track," Liu A'dou said. He was determined to capture everything without missing a beat. He planned to make two copies—one for Harvey Dent and one for broadcasting at the station.
In addition to the mob boss under surveillance, there was another group of desperate individuals.
The two groups of criminals were a stark contrast. The mob boss and his men were all impeccably dressed in suits, ties, and neatly combed hair. The boss even wore a gray scarf, as if it were written across his face that he was the boss.
The men making the deal, on the other hand, were dressed in rugged, dirty denim work clothes. Their hair was messy and greasy, with scruffy beards, showing they hadn't shaved in days. Their shoes were worn-out and looked like they had just come from a construction site.
But Liu A'dou could tell they weren't construction workers. He could smell faint gunpowder, and combined with their appearance, he deduced they were most likely armed robbers. In Gotham, such criminals weren't uncommon.
Sure enough, the rough-looking men pulled out a small black cloth bag and handed it to the mob boss. The mob boss poured out sparkling fragments from the bag.
"Diamonds," Liu A'dou said with his sharp eyes, able to tell immediately that these were worth a fortune. At least $10 million. These men were likely diamond thieves, and they were here to sell their stolen goods to the mob boss.
Iselin's eyes widened as she saw the diamonds. She couldn't tell if they were real, but based on the surrounding environment and the expressions of those involved, she suspected they were authentic. This was a diamond deal happening right before her eyes—big news. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, as bright as the diamonds themselves.
"We can't miss this shot," Iselin said, eager.
"Shh, quiet," Liu A'dou whispered. These people were dangerous, and he didn't want to be caught in their line of sight with a gun pointed at him.
Iselin quickly realized the seriousness of the situation and covered her mouth, though her eyes were still wide open.
The deal wasn't going smoothly. The mob boss had the diamonds thoroughly examined, but the robbers were losing their patience. It seemed the price was still not agreed upon, and both sides' expressions changed subtly.
But fortunately, no violence erupted. The tension was palpable, and it seemed that with one wrong move, a confrontation might break out.
Finally, as the robbers lost all patience, the mob boss made a gesture and said a few words. He gave his best offer, acknowledging that the diamonds were top-quality and that the robbers were desperate men. If the price was pushed too low, the deal would fall apart. The mob boss had his own way of doing business, and he knew when to make a deal and when to walk away.
The robbers discussed briefly, nodded in agreement, and the deal was done.
The deal was finalized, and the diamonds were exchanged for the cash box. The robbers took a few stacks of bills from the box, inspected them, and found no issues.
With the deal concluded, Liu A'dou and Iselin finally had firsthand evidence.
"That was intense," Iselin said, coming back to her senses. She realized her back was drenched in sweat, her body stiff from having maintained a tense posture for so long. Now, she was feeling numb in her limbs from the stress.
"Are you alright?" Liu A'dou noticed Iselin almost stumbling and quickly supported her, letting her lean against him. One hand held the camera, while the other went around her waist.
"I'm fine, just a little shaken." Despite having seen plenty of gangsters, this was Iselin's first time witnessing a black-market deal like that.
"It's alright, it's alright," Liu A'dou said. "We got the big news, and we've got the evidence for Harvey Dent. Two birds with one stone." He felt quite satisfied. "Get up, I'll help you walk."
Iselin felt Liu A'dou's warmth radiating through his body, and her heart began to race.
It seemed the girl really did like him. Liu A'dou felt a sense of pride. While it's true that beautiful women often love heroes, it wasn't always easy for a hero to avoid the charms of a beautiful woman. Liu A'dou, of course, felt that he was a great match for someone as attractive as Iselin. When he wasn't shy, Liu A'dou could be quite shameless.
He quickly contacted Harvey Dent, sending over the evidence, and then reached out to the station's chief editor, sending them the video. As for when it would air or how it would be broadcast, that wasn't the field of an outdoor reporter.
Soon, they received a call from Howard, the station head, who praised their performance highly. Clearly, this footage was of great value—it was firsthand footage of an illegal transaction, an exclusive and rare scoop. This would be the best story since the independent news station was established.
On the other hand, Harvey Dent immediately contacted Commissioner Gordon, and the police quickly acted. That very night, the mob boss was re-arrested, and the stolen diamonds were seized as evidence. Moreover, a wanted notice was issued for the diamond thieves based on screenshots from the video.
"A huge success." Iselin raised her glass and drank it all in one go. "This is the most exhilarating moment I've had since becoming a reporter. Not only did we punish the bad guys, but I also proved my journalistic skills. It's amazing! Did you hear how the station chief praised me?" Iselin was already drunk. "'You did a great job, no wonder you're one of our top reporters.' Now I'm an excellent reporter, hahaha!"
"..." Liu A'dou didn't feel like commenting on her drunken state.
"Drink up," Iselin said as she hooked her arm around Liu A'dou's neck and poured more alcohol into his mouth.
Back in the world of Conan, Liu A'dou hadn't been allowed to drink since he wasn't yet twenty, but he had sneaked a drink here and there. After crossing over, his ID said he was an adult, but he didn't drink much. In fact, he'd only drunk a couple of times since arriving in this world, mostly at gatherings after work.
The alcohol flowed into his mouth and down his throat, warming his body. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the warmth from Iselin's body so close to his. But after drinking, Iselin really did have a lot of strength, pouring him two big glasses of beer before loosening her grip and helping herself to a few more.
Martin Hu, the owner of Chun Xiang Lou, couldn't watch any longer. "A'dou, enough is enough. Be careful not to make your girlfriend too drunk. Take her home now. As for the money, you can settle it tomorrow."
"Alright, thank you, Boss Hu." Liu A'dou held Iselin's waist and, using his strength, lifted her up. Carrying someone who had lost consciousness was tough because all their weight was on him, but Liu A'dou was strong enough. He bent his knees and, using one arm to hold her, he scooped her up into a "princess carry."
Seeing Liu A'dou lift Iselin in his arms, Boss Hu shook his head. "I was planning to introduce him to my daughter. I didn't know he had it in him to handle such a big girl." He suddenly grinned wickedly, as if thinking of something unsavory. "The kid may not have the stamina, but no wonder he can handle the foreign ladies." The more he thought about it, the more his mind veered off track, and he began to laugh inappropriately.