PFC Chapter 5: Let's wait and see.
Chapter 5: Let's wait and see.
Li Wei sat up without turning on the light.
"I knew you'd come." He stretched, "but this isn't a good way to meet."
"Give me an explanation." Batman's voice was lower than in the interrogation room, like the creaking of old machinery. "I want to know everything."
"I've already explained it to Gordon: criminal psychology analysis, behavioral pattern inference—"
"You're lying." Batman stepped forward, interrupting Li Wei, and the temperature in the room immediately dropped several degrees.
"Your heart rate was very high and your pupils were slightly dilated when you entered the police station—you were clearly in a state of panic."
But outside the interrogation room, your heart rate was steady, your breathing was smooth, and you had clearly calmed down.
The turning point occurs when the Joker walks down the corridor and enters the interrogation room.
In such a short time, what exactly did you analyze and conclude?
After hearing Batman's words, Levi felt a chill run down his spine.
This guy was actually observing him, and it had started the moment he entered the police station.
Those details, those subtle physiological reactions, were all recorded and analyzed by this guy.
"Focus under pressure," Levi said. "Seeing the Joker activated my expertise."
"Professional knowledge." Batman repeated the word, as if pondering its authenticity. "Your major on your passport is sociology, not criminal psychology."
Your only published paper is about "post-industrial urban community structure," so where does your so-called "expertise" come from?
Li Wei fell silent. He didn't know how to explain all this. Could it be that he had seen the plot in advance?
The identity assigned by the system was too crude and couldn't withstand the meticulous investigation of someone like Batman.
Moreover, judging from Batman's demeanor, he has clearly investigated Batman's background thoroughly.
"I meant no harm." After thinking for a moment, Li Wei decided to give up struggling. "I saved two people, which proves my stance."
"Motive," Batman said. "Why come to Gotham? And why get involved in these things?"
This is a question that cannot be answered with conventional logic. Li Wei can't just say, "I'm playing a game, and you're just an NPC in this game."
However, Li Wei also knew that he had to give a sufficiently shocking and truthful answer.
An answer that can explain all his abnormalities without revealing his identity as a gamer.
Taking a deep breath, Li Wei stared intently into the eyes beneath the mask, his gaze filled with sincerity.
"I've seen you train."
Batman remained motionless, but the air in the room began to freeze.
“It wasn’t in reality,” Li Wei continued. “It all happened in a dream, a recurring and vivid dream.”
I dreamt of a boy watching his parents die in an alley, and I dreamt of him wandering the world, learning dozens of martial arts.
I dreamt he jumped into a well and was surrounded by bats. I dreamt of a man named Ducard, and an organization called the League of Shadow Warriors.
Batman didn't react, but Li Wei could sense that the guy opposite him had been intimidated by him.
So he decided to strike while the iron was hot and not give Batman a chance to think.
"I dreamed of even more," Levi said in a low voice. "A prison called Arkham, where people dressed like straw are locked up, along with frozen scientists and madmen who tell riddles."
I dreamt that a cat was walking on the roof and stole a pearl necklace.
I dreamt of a penguin plotting in an iceberg club; I dreamt of a darker shadow, wearing a mask, reborn after a life of homosexuality!
He raised his head and looked directly into the pupils opposite him, which were beginning to dilate in shock.
"I never knew what these dreams meant until yesterday, when I stood outside the interrogation room looking at the Joker, and I realized that those dreams were omens."
The future of Gotham, all the possible futures!
This is a dangerous adventure; either Batman believes he has some kind of precognitive ability, or he sees him as a madman or a threat.
After Li Wei finished speaking, the room fell into a long silence.
The distant sound of police sirens broke the slightly eerie silence in the room.
Batman exhaled a deep breath and looked directly into Levi's eyes.
"The first lesson Ducard taught me was to use fear. But the second lesson was: don't let your fear control you. So what are you afraid of, Levi Tran?"
This question hits the nail on the head; through Levi's account, Batman astutely discovers his inner fears.
"I'm terrified..." Li Wei chose to tell the truth, after all, this was one of his goals.
"I am afraid of knowing the ending, but I cannot change it."
I fear the tragedies that happen in my dreams—Rachel dying, Harvey falling into depravity, a bridge collapsing in flames, a child losing his parents.
I came here to stop these things, but I don't know if I can do it, and that fills me with deep fear.
This is true; after all, the more he can do, the more rewards he will receive when the dungeon ends.
Everything he said was his truest thought.
After hearing Li Wei's words, Batman fell silent again.
After a while, he turned around and walked straight to the window.
"Gordon has given you an identity, use it wisely," Batman said. "But remember, if you threaten this city, I will find you."
Whether what you say is true or not, regardless of where your dreams come from.
"No, you'll need my help," Levi said to Batman's retreating figure before he left.
"The Joker is just the beginning, there's more to come—the Penguin, the Riddler, Poison Ivy... and a guy named Bane."
Oh, I forgot to tell you, he'll break your back—Batman, literally break it.
Batman stood by the window without even turning his head.
"Then let's wait and see how this guy named Bane will break my back."
After saying this, Batman leaped into the night and disappeared as if he had never been there.
Li Wei collapsed onto the bed, his back soaked with sweat; the conversation had just taken a toll on his energy.
After carefully reviewing everything that happened today, Li Wei realized that the script had deviated from its original direction and was trending away from the "Dark Knight" he remembered.
The butterfly's wings have already flapped, but no one knows the direction of the storm.
Outside the window, the Gotham skyline stretched out in the darkness, like the spine of a sleeping behemoth.
Leaning against the back of the giant beast, Li Wei finally relaxed and fell asleep.
......
At six in the morning, the coffee machine at the Gotham Police Department groaned wearily as it spilled a burnt-black liquid.
The police station was in a mess after last night's explosion, but after a night of hard work, it is now back to normal operation.
Li Wei stood in front of the whiteboard, holding a disposable paper cup, looking at the photos and clues about the Joker case that were posted on it.
He slept very soundly after Batman left, and although he only slept for three hours, his mind is now unusually clear.
He couldn't tell whether it was the effect of adrenaline or the convenience brought by his player identity, but it didn't matter.
As long as he can recover his energy quickly, that's good news; the underlying cause is not important.
Gordon walked into the conference room, his eyes filled with deep weariness.
"How did you sleep last night?" he asked, his tone less concerned and more like a polite inquiry.
"Not bad." Levi took a sip of his bitter Americano. "We need to talk about the Joker's next move."
Gordon poured himself a cup of coffee, also without sugar.
"Based on your analysis, what will he do next?"
Li Wei walked to the whiteboard and picked up a marker.
This was his chance to demonstrate his value and the key to building trust with Gordon; he had already prepared his strategy.