Chapter 139: Corruption Investigation
2023-05-02 Author: Yue Shang Xintou
"Who is Batman?"
Main World, early morning in New York.
Listeners who turned on their radios heard this question posed on *The Mercury Theatre on the Air*, the CBS radio program hosted by Orson Welles.
Welles had become a rather popular radio host recently, and the radio drama program he directed had garnered the support of many listeners.
Upon hearing Welles' question on the radio, the vast majority of the public was baffled; they clearly had no idea what kind of being this 'Batman' he spoke of was. Of course, a small portion of listeners felt a sense of delight at the broadcast's content. They were the loyal readers of *The Messenger Newspaper*, and the comic in the latest issue happened to be serialized right up to the plot point where Batman appeared.
Readers reacted with great enthusiasm to this Mysterious Man from Gotham City.
They knew very well that this Batman could be the next brand-new Superhero after Superman.
And this Superhero's powers had also become the most hotly debated topic among the readers of *The Messenger Newspaper*.
...
"Boss, here's the financial situation of New York City since Mayor Jimmy Walker took office, which you asked me to investigate..."
Inside the Messenger Newspaper office, Little John handed a thick stack of documents to Colin.
The investigation hadn't been difficult. Perhaps it was more accurate to say that Mayor Jimmy Walker and the Tammany Hall behind him were simply acting with impunity. As the organization with the most political and economic power in New York City, Tammany Hall's influence permeated every level of the New York City Government. It could be said that anyone who wanted to make a move against Jimmy Walker would be pitting themselves against the entire New York City Government and the political forces behind it.
"Although I expected there would be problems with the City Government, I never imagined it would be this severe."
If he hadn't investigated it himself, Little John might never have known that the corruption in the New York City Government had reached such a critical stage.
According to the investigation's results, over sixty percent of municipal officials were involved in extensive bribery and malfeasance.
In some districts, the police were even known to accept bribes to determine your guilt or innocence.
As his gaze fell upon the thick stack of documents, a trace of worry appeared on Little John's stoic face.
"Boss, are you really planning to publish this story in *The Messenger*?"
Little John knew very well that the Newspaper Agency was targeting the current Mayor of New York City.
Once the report on the New York City Government's corruption was published, the Messenger Newspaper would be the first to bear the brunt of the fallout.
"Isn't exposing the truth what the news media is supposed to do?"
Taking the documents from Little John, Colin casually flipped through the contents, his eyes scanning the shocking cases of corruption one by one.
The extent of New York City's corruption had not only exceeded Little John's expectations but Colin's as well.
With a Mayor like this, it was no wonder New York City's situation was so dire.
If the Great Depression was an unavoidable disaster, then the actions of the current New York Mayor, Jimmy Walker, were like giving the already teetering New York City a hard shove toward the cliff's edge.
And yet, a Mayor like this still had the audacity to plan a run for his third consecutive term.
From this, one could see just how much influence the Tammany Hall behind New York City had on political maneuvering.
Closing the file in his hands, Colin spoke to the anxious Little John before him.
Of course, his reason for having him investigate the corruption in New York City wasn't purely driven by a sense of justice. In fact, Colin knew full well that even if he didn't expose any of this, it wouldn't be long before Mayor Jimmy Walker would be investigated for rumors of corruption anyway. And with the Presidential Election approaching, the Democratic Party would eventually abandon this scandal-ridden New York Mayor.
All Colin was doing was moving the timeline of Jimmy Walker's corruption scandal breaking forward just a little.
At the same time, it was to prove his support to LaGuardia.
Because after Jimmy Walker stepped down, the 99th Mayor of New York City would be this very Republican candidate, LaGuardia.
Furthermore, LaGuardia would go on to be successfully re-elected for three terms as Mayor of New York City, becoming the most popular mayor in the city's history, bar none.
Hearing Colin's reply, although Little John still felt a bit uneasy, he knew it was his boss's decision and not something a mere reporter like him could change.
Therefore, pulling his gaze away from the investigation files, Little John hesitated for a moment before he couldn't help but ask.
"So, boss, can you tell me what Batman's powers are?"
He had read the serialized story before the newspaper readers, so he had thought more about the character of Batman.
In fact, Little John had discussed the topic of Batman with Jacob more than once.
He believed that since Batman could fight criminals in Gotham City like Superman, he must naturally possess powerful superpowers as well.
As the second Superhero to debut in *The Messenger Newspaper* after Superman, Little John was immensely curious about Batman's identity. He was especially intrigued by Batman's attire—that black, bat-like suit and his silhouette hidden in the shadows were completely different from Superman's Superhero image, giving him a brand-new experience.
Little John had even debated with Jacob about who would win if Superman and Batman were to fight.
On this result, both Little John and Jacob unanimously agreed it would be Superman.
"He has none."
Under Little John's expectant gaze, Colin gave an answer that took him completely by surprise.
"What?!"
"I said, Batman doesn't have any superpowers."
...
"...At that time, I had just completed an investigation that could change the political landscape of New York City, yet my mind was filled with questions about Batman. After handing the investigation files to Mr. Collin Roper, I summoned my courage and asked him: Sir, what exactly are Batman's powers? Facing my question... Mr. Collin Roper in the newspaper office seemed to have been prepared for it. He smiled, shook his head at me, and said: None!"
"When I heard those words, I thought I had misheard. However, Mr. Collin Roper repeated himself, seemingly enjoying the look of astonishment on my face. A Superhero with no superpowers—the shock this gave me was no less than the birth of Superman. I find it hard to describe the feeling after learning Batman had no superpowers. There was some disappointment, yet also some confusion. It was just that, at that moment, no one could have imagined that this very Batman with no superpowers would become another great Superhero after Superman. No, perhaps one person knew, and that was Mr. Collin Roper..." — Excerpt from *1932 Batman and I*
Author: John Walker
(end of chapter)