Starting from scratch, Batman crushed my dream of getting rich

Chapter 171 Formal Contact with Another Bat
Batman didn't expect Ma Zhaodi's answer to be so straightforward. He paused and then emphasized the point of the question again.

"You cracked Poison Ivy's poison—you're a Gotham Police Department officer with no experience in chemistry or botany, a newcomer with no fixed place to live and nothing to your name. Yet, you were able to crack Poison Ivy's plant toxin in a matter of minutes."

He stared straight at Ma Zhaodi, and his speaking style was almost the same as that of Ma Zhaodi's original Batman in Gotham City, with no emotional ups and downs in his voice.

"how did you do it?"

"I have a kind of milk candy that can treat toxins." Ma Zhaodi shrugged. "It's that simple."

Upon hearing this answer, Batman immediately looked at him with disapproval. It was obvious that Ma Zhaodi's statement was too general and outrageous - if a doctor claimed that he had some medicine that could cure all diseases, he must be a liar and did not understand medicine.

"You might not know this. First, Ivy's toxin is like the Joker's laughing gas and the Scarecrow's fear gas. The formula changes every time, so the antidote needs to be re-studied every time. Second, candy can't cure the poison."

Bat took two steps forward again, and his tall figure stood in front of Ma Zhaodi like a black tower. He repeated his question.

"So, how did you manage to remove the poison from her?"

Ma Zhaodi sighed.

"Mr. Batman, first, when someone doesn't want to answer your questions, you have no right to force them to answer because they have no obligation to do so. They're not a criminal." He stuffed his phone back into his pocket. "Second, I didn't lie to you, but I'm too lazy to prove it. Third, a neutral person won't actively become an enemy unless someone actively pushes them towards the opposite side, and your attitude is pushing them towards the opposite side."

"Fourth, when asking for advice, always use the word 'please'. This is etiquette that even children know, unless their parents haven't taught them."

He said to Batman: "Now, my answer is 'I have a candy that can detoxify', do you have any other questions?"

Batman remained silent. He had been through too much in the past year. This cold and tough way of negotiation was almost a habit he had gradually developed when dealing with criminal cases. If he didn't do this, he would not be able to instill a strong impression of fear in the criminals' hearts, and his deterrent power would not be enough to suppress Gotham.

It is precisely because he tried his best but still could not save everything that he needed to pretend to be omnipotent.

As for Ma Zhaodi's answer, his thoughts actually went deeper - what if the Riddler, the Joker, or Poison Ivy joined forces with each other to plot a bigger conspiracy?
If this police officer gained his trust and the trust of Sheriff Gordon, but turned against him at the most critical moment, how bad would the situation be?

This idea is not groundless. If the Riddler, the Joker, or Poison Ivy suddenly stopped killing people, it might be Ma Zhaodi's ability, but it might also be the result of a plan by both parties. Earlier today, before the Riddler escaped from prison, he had been to the hospital and entered the other's ward.

Although the surveillance showed that he just left some banknotes for the Riddler and did not do anything else, this behavior itself was very strange.

As we all know, Batman's trust is layered, and even he himself is not the core of his trust list - having said that, it does not mean that he will give the most superficial trust to anyone casually. His questioning of Ma Zhaodi is actually a process of him asking for a reason to trust the other party, and a process of him actively seeking allies and cooperation - it's just that he is not skilled, so the whole process seems like interrogation.

".In the incidents where you appeared, no one seemed to have died. Is this incident related to you?" "Forget it, you'd better not ask." Ma Zhaodi waved his hand: "I'm not in the mood. Maybe next time."

Despite being met with a setback, Batman wasn't angry. He wasn't a moody super criminal, but he wasn't a normal person either. He had a strong ability to control his emotions. Furthermore, Ma Zhaodi's response indicated that the other party wasn't eager to establish a close relationship with him, which actually reduced his suspicion.

He looked at a young white man on the ground and said, "His name is Christopher, nicknamed 'Fish Taste'. He has three children and a fourth is on the way - his wife thought he was selling seafood at the dock."

Ma Zhaodi raised his eyebrows.

Batman then looked at the red-haired man beside him: "Kalaino, nicknamed 'Big Gun', married a man named Sam, who was a fifth-grade teacher. A week later, Sam found out his real job and committed suicide."

"Leonardo, nicknamed 'The Fan,' started working for Carmine a few months ago because his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and the family couldn't afford the medical expenses."

Having said this, Batman paused and looked at another person.

Chino, nicknamed "Baby Face", is an undercover policeman working for Sheriff Gordon. He provides first-hand intelligence about the Falcone family.

He served in the Marine Corps for a long time and had participated in wars. Gordon showed Batman the letter he wrote to his wife, which was a suicide note he left in advance in case he encountered an accident.

His identity is a secret. If he really died here today, Batman might be able to tell Ma Zhaodi about his situation, but he is still alive, so Batman cannot tell anyone about his situation. In the eyes of others, he can only be a pure gangster.

"They are all thugs of the Falcone family, but they are also human beings." Batman said: "You saved them, and you can use this method to save more people. I don't want you to hand over this method, but I just want to know if you are willing to use it to help others."

Ma Zhaodi looked at Batman and secretly admired his learning ability. In just a few minutes, he extracted some helpful things from his own point of view and immediately changed to a way of conversation that was more conducive to achieving his goal.

Batman is Batman after all. No matter which universe he is in, they are all genius templates with cheats.

"I'll take this as your apology," Ma Zhaodi said. "Anyway, Commissioner Gordon also said that Batman has a heavy idol burden and can't bring himself to say 'I'm sorry.'"

Batman's expressionless face darkened a little at this.

While the two were talking, sirens suddenly sounded outside the botanical garden. Sheriff Gordon finally arrived with his colleagues from the police station. At the same time, Alfred's voice sounded again in the headphones.

"Master, we did find out something about Mr. Falcone's relatives. His mother, Carmen Marie Falcone, seems to have separated from Carmine several years ago. She left Gotham alone and went to Metropolis. She hasn't been seen since noon today."

(End of this chapter)