met free Chapter 54 Public Trial
Chapter 54 Public Trial
On his way back, Zheng En stopped a rape, taught two groups of teenagers who wanted to rob him a lesson, scared away the homeless man who was following him, and greeted the bald, burly man who was probably still covered in gunpowder and blood when he went upstairs.
The bald, burly man was quite surprised that he dared to come out so late, and kindly reminded him, "Things have been a bit chaotic outside these past few days, so don't wander around at night if you don't have to."
"Okay, thanks, brother."
Zheng En and he had a decent relationship, like acquaintances who would fight together. Zheng En heard about the suit loan from him.
The other party initially wanted to scare Zheng En by making a move, hoping to curb his curiosity and stop him from asking about things related to the gang.
But Zheng En didn't know that the bald, burly man didn't really intend to hurt him. He thought he had given himself away and took advantage of the man's carelessness to throw him to the ground. If the bald, burly man hadn't spoken up in time, he would have broken several ribs.
After that, the bald, burly man became much more polite to Zheng En, and they would nod and greet each other when they met on the street.
The bald, burly man looked to be in his thirties or forties. It wouldn't be an exaggeration for Zheng En to call him "Big Brother." He used this opportunity to ingratiate himself, asking, "Is there some kind of conflict between the local gangs?"
"I guess so. The top boss can't control the people below, but it's dragging us errand runners down with it."
The bald, burly man spoke vaguely, and it was clear that he didn't intend to elaborate today, so Zheng En didn't press him further.
Back in the rented room, Jung Eun slumped onto the sofa, vaguely seeing dried bloodstains underneath through the gaps, which she quickly covered with a cushion.
When I opened my phone, the first thing that popped up were two unread messages.
【I'm home now.】
—Jason.
The court hearing date has been set.
—Harvey Block.
Zheng En first replied to Jason's message.
【Me too.】
—Z.
Then I opened the message from Brock.
The trial date has been set for the 13th of this month. The media will probably announce it tomorrow. That reporter from the Gotham Daily, Vicky Weir, she's even followed the GCPD around. Should I save you a front-row seat? I guarantee you'll have a crystal-clear view, but I can't guarantee your safety.
The litigation process has been progressing smoothly so far. Although the prosecutor is a slow and incompetent coward, his newly appointed assistant is very motivated.
However, I must remind you that just as Batman can get prosecutors to change their statements, Falcone can also get others to change theirs.
—Harvey Block.
【OK】
—Z.
Zheng En knew that Blok was a pessimist and that Falcone wouldn't be so easily brought down, but he still had to go and see what was going on. Whether Falcone would suffer or not, it wouldn't stop him from joining in the fun.
The other party replied quickly with a middle finger emoji.
Zheng En rolled her eyes. She knew this guy liked to slack off; he always replied to messages instantly.
He only knew two police officers, Brock and Gordon, and the only way to learn more about the aftermath of the Arkham bombing besides the media was through them.
Given that Gordon carries a greater burden and responsibility, including the crucial task of communicating with Batman, Jung Eun decided to consult with Brock about the case's progress.
He didn't want to go through all this trouble, but since he was clearly in the wrong in the initial matter, he eventually agreed. Over the past few days, he has sent seven or eight messages, all about the progress of the lawsuit.
Based on the court hearing schedule, barring any issues, the full proceedings should conclude before winter.
Zheng En estimated the time; the 13th of this month, which is the day after tomorrow.
With people in the police station helping to reserve seats, there's no need to worry about not being able to get a seat during the public trial.
[Beep]
[Mission: Prologue]
You know Gotham is about to change.
Although most people haven't realized this yet, that's how history works; very few people can perceive the existence of key turning points. And most people only realize what those moments meant when they look back later.
Just like the gun that appears in the first act, it will always be fired in the third act.
[Mission Requirement: Protect the prosecutor and his assistant]
[Task Reward: US$10,000]
Simulated points × 20
Batman Skill Fragments: Multiple Languages and Learning Basics (You can understand most languages with basic vocabulary, roughly equivalent to an eight-year-old child)
Batman Skill Fragments: Introduction to Tactical Thinking (You can make basic judgments about the current situation)
Jung Eun: I knew it.
How could the panel not issue a task for him to get involved in something like this?
Brock's prediction was accurate; the Gotham Daily published the news the next day.
Although the news was released relatively late, it was very comprehensive, making one wonder if the reporter had secretly sneaked into the GCPD's archives and looked through the files. And based on Jung Eun's own understanding of Vickyville, this woman was indeed capable of doing such a thing.
May the Gotham Police Department not have been hacked.
Amen.
When reading about it in the newspapers, it didn't seem like much, but after watching local radio programs in Gotham and logging onto social media online, many people found it unbelievable and it caused quite a stir.
"My God, someone actually dared to sue the Romans..."
"I used to think this was just a rumor, and I wondered when the Gotham Daily had fallen so low as to resort to sensationalism like a third-rate tabloid. Now it seems I was completely wrong."
"It's alright. There have been similar reports before, but they never made it to the trial stage, and the cases were quietly suppressed."
Gotham is a city closely connected with the mob, and most people have heard of the Romans' reputation to some extent, but there are also those with clean backgrounds who don't know enough about Falcone.
"Is the police finally going to crack down on the gangs? Are they using this guy to establish their authority?"
Someone replied to him, first sending a crying emoji, "The way you put it, I'm afraid the Falcone family will massacre the police station. Gun smuggling is a major source of income for the mafia, and their equipment is far better than the police station's."
Zheng En was getting numb from reading all these comments. You Gotham people know way too much, don't you?
He searched for Falcone's entry and found that their family's affairs had never escalated to this extent before, but this time perhaps someone took the lead and rushed ahead, and other newspapers that followed the hot topic also became reckless.
People were focused on the aftermath of the Arkham bombing and on the Romans caught in the crossfire. Even though the Falcone family controlled the media and tried to divert attention by steering other events, the media has always been like a stray dog sniffing out fresh blood.
When a leader pounces first, the other stray dogs will follow closely behind.
On the day of the trial, the number of people who came to join in the fun was several times greater than Zheng En had imagined.