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Chapter 326 Gotham Survival Rules

Gordon held Du Mu back for a long time, repeating all the precautions he could think of over and over again before letting him go.

Unfortunately, the Gotham Police Department is severely understaffed.

It is already very difficult to find someone who is willing to stay in this place and become a police officer.

Moreover, they face various dangers every day. Encountering armed robberies during patrols is commonplace, and they have to deal with those crazy super criminals every now and then. The casualty rate is always high.

Therefore, every active-duty police officer is a vital resource for the Gotham Police Department; losing one is a significant loss, and finding a replacement is extremely difficult.

Especially someone like Du Mu, who was able to infiltrate the Penguin Gang for so long and provide the police with a lot of crucial intelligence, is a rare resource in the Gotham Police Department. Gordon doesn't want anything to happen to him.

After leaving the director's office, Du Mu met his partner shortly after Gordon's arrangement.

"Rookie, I'm your partner Harvey Block. Just call me Harvey. I've been in this godforsaken place for over ten years. There's nothing I don't know about the police department. Feel free to ask me any questions."

Harvey was an old man, wearing a Fedora hat and with a full beard, a classic image of a seasoned police officer.

Du Mu was filled with awe upon hearing this.

The fact that he's still alive after working for the Gotham Police Department for over a decade is admirable enough.

"Hello, my name is Du Mu, and I'm new to the Gotham Police Department."

"I've heard of you. You went undercover in the Penguin Gang for six months, helped the police thwart several illegal transactions, and managed to get away unscathed. You've got some skills."

Harvey's tone was full of admiration, then he kindly reminded him, "But you have to be careful. If Cobbler finds out about this, he'll probably be furious. That guy cares a lot about his reputation. Even if you have this police uniform to protect you, you're still bound to face retaliation. Be extra careful these days."

Du Mu asked curiously, "Who is Coppa?"

Harvey raised an eyebrow: "Hey, boss of the Penguin Gang, you've been in the Penguin Gang for so long, and you don't even know this?"

Du Mu then realized: "Oh, you mean the penguin man."

The Penguin is a notorious villain in Gotham, the leader of the Penguin Gang, and looks just like a penguin.

Du Mu had seen this character in the comics, so he was familiar with him.

"Keep your voice down!"

Harvey quickly cut Du Mu off: "That guy hates being called that. There might be some informants in the police station. If this gets back to him, you'll be in real trouble. Remember, even in the police station building, you have to watch what you say."

"OK."

Du Mu agreed verbally, but he didn't really take it seriously.

Even setting aside the entire DC universe, within Gotham City alone, the Penguin is just an ordinary villain.

He's constantly getting beaten up by the evil Batman or bullied by other supervillains, which is really embarrassing.

"Come with me."

Harvey was afraid that Du Mu might say something he shouldn't, so he led him out of the police station.

The two went out one after the other and got into a police car parked at the door.

Du Mu got into the passenger seat, and Javi pulled the door shut, started the engine, and casually took out a cigar from his pocket and put it in his mouth.

Harvey: ("A)y—~~

He turned to look at Du Mu and handed him another one.

"Want to smoke?"

I don't like smoking.

Du Mu refused, and looking at Harvey puffing on his cigarette, asked, "Is it alright to smoke while on duty?"

Harvey chuckled: "Rookie, there aren't that many rules in Gotham. After all, rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

"Understood."

Seeing that Du Mu was so cooperative, Harvey nodded, with an expression that said, "This kid is teachable."

He put away his joking tone and said seriously, "Since Gordon assigned you to my team, it means he thinks highly of you. I'm sure he's already told you everything he needed to, so I won't repeat it. Instead, I'd like to teach you something practical."

As he spoke, he reached into the glove compartment of the police car, pulled out an old notebook, and casually tossed it onto Du Mu's lap.

"This is all the experience I've accumulated from being a police officer in Gotham for over a decade. It should be helpful to you."

Du Mu glanced down at the cover, which read: Gotham Survival Guide.

He opened the notebook, and dense text immediately came into view.

"Survival rule number one: Never touch the water in the sewer, especially the kind that looks abnormal."

"Survival rule number two: If you encounter a strange riddle, never try to guess it; if you hear a strange laugh, immediately stay far away."

"Survival rule number three: Protecting plants is everyone's responsibility."

"Survival rule number four: Always carry a gas mask with you."

"Survival Rule Five..."

"The notebook was full of various survival rules, which looked like a strange tale of rules."

Du Mu secretly praised him.

No wonder he's a veteran player who's been in Gotham for over a decade; he's got some skills.

This thing isn't some survival guide; it's clearly a dungeon walkthrough.

Harvey slowly exhaled a puff of smoke: "As long as you follow the survival rules above, you'll be able to survive peacefully in the Gotham Police Department. I only have this one copy, and since I like you, I'm giving it to you."

Du Mu was a little surprised.

Although the survival rules were of little use to him, Harvey's attitude of taking the initiative to help newbies still deeply touched him.

"I'm not taking this for nothing; consider this a small token of my appreciation."

Du Mu took out the remaining banknotes from yesterday's hotel stay and stuffed them all into Harvey's hand.

Harvey glanced at the banknotes in his hand and frowned. "What do you take me for? I'm telling you this not because I want your money."

"It's our first meeting, I don't have much to give you, but consider this money as a gift for your cigarettes."

"You don't need that much even if you smoke."

"Then add drinking. Smoking without drinking is the same as not drinking at all."

'

""

After a few rounds of back and forth, Harvey finally said with a helpless expression, "Sigh, since that's how it is, I'll accept it then. Just don't do it again next time."

He stuffed the banknotes into another compartment of the locker.

Du Mu glanced inside following his hand and vaguely saw several notebooks lying in that compartment, with covers exactly the same as the one in his hand.

Du Mu:

""

Harvey noticed Du Mu's gaze, coughed twice, closed the storage box lid, and said without changing his expression, "Today, I'll show you around and familiarize you with our daily work process."

After saying that, he stepped on the gas and the police car turned onto the main road.

Harvey was a very talkative person; he barely stopped talking the whole way.

As the conversation went on, the topic turned to Batman, Gotham's hottest star right now.

Harvey knew far more about Batman than the street thugs did.

Years ago, Batman made his first appearance in Gotham City, and in a short period of time, he caused the city's crime rate to plummet.

And this all stems from Batman's fear-inducing power.

He never kills any living being; he adheres to an absolute principle of non-killing.

No matter how heinous the criminal, he would not kill them.

However, while Batman doesn't kill people, that doesn't mean he won't cripple you, such as by breaking your arms or legs, causing cerebral palsy, paralysis, and so on.

In the eyes of many criminals, this is a hundred times more terrifying than death.

They not only face extreme pain, but also an exorbitant medical bill that they are ultimately unable to pay, triggering an unspeakable death sentence. Gradually, they disappear from people's sight, and no one knows where they went.

That's why Gotham City's criminals are so afraid of Batman; many have even developed bat phobia, their legs going weak at the sight of a bat.

It's fair to say that anyone who dares to become a criminal in Gotham is a ruthless individual among ruthless people.

Batman is always elusive, and apart from Gordon, almost no one can contact him on their own initiative.

However, his appearances follow a pattern, mostly occurring late at night, which is when criminals are most active.

After listening, Du Mu suddenly blurted out, "I bet this Batman is a rich man."

Harvey raised an eyebrow: "How so?"

Du Mu analyzed, "Think about it, he only comes out to play every night or even late at night, so he doesn't have much time to sleep. If it were an ordinary office worker, who has to work during the day, how could they have such good energy? Only rich people who don't have to work during the day can play like this."

"That does sound somewhat reasonable."

Harvey took it to heart and actually started thinking about who in Gotham City fit the bill.

Just as a certain playboy came to mind, the car radio suddenly crackled to life, and the dispatcher's voice came through.

"A resident reported a violent incident near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Gangkou Road in the East District. Nearby units are requested to go and confirm."

Harvey picked up the walkie-talkie and pressed the call button: "Roger that, we're on our way."

He stubbed out his cigar, turned to look at Du Mu, and grinned: "Rookie, you're in luck, running into something like this on your first day at work."

As soon as he finished speaking, the police car accelerated and headed towards the address where the report was filed.

Less than ten minutes later, the car turned into an old residential area.

They were still some distance from their destination when Harvey turned to Du Mu and asked, "Is your sidearm ready?"

"Ready."

Du Mu nodded and reached into his clothes to pull out a golden Desert Eagle.

(°—)

Harvey stared at the gun, his eyes wide open.

He paused for several seconds before speaking: "You took bribes, kid? No, it's only my first day on the job, where would I get bribes to take?"

Du Mu casually replied, "I bought it with money I saved up during the six months I spent with Tencent."

"Are the benefits for the Penguin Group really that good?"

Harvey looked on with envy.

If he had known this job was so lucrative, he would have applied to go undercover.

He quickly regained his composure and said seriously, "Read my eyes and act accordingly. If things don't look right, don't hesitate, just open fire."

"clear."

Du Mu nodded seriously.

Harvey turned off the engine, opened the car door and got out, and Du Mu followed.

The two walked into an alley and soon saw several figures.

Deep in the alley, a man was kneeling on the ground with his hands tied behind his back. His face was covered in blood, and his original appearance was no longer recognizable.

Standing nearby were four or five burly men in black suits, each with a fierce build and a gun at their waist.

One of them was pressing a gun to the back of the kneeling man's head, seemingly saying something.

Harvey's expression changed immediately when he saw the men in suits.

"Damn it, how did we run into them?"

.

"Who are they?" Du Mu asked in surprise.

Harvey lowered his voice and spoke rapidly: "They're from Black Mask. The leader is called Basso, a trusted lieutenant of Black Mask, and holds a high position in the gang. I didn't expect to run into them here."

Black Mask is also one of Gotham's supervillains, similar to the Penguin, and controls a faction within Gotham.

Barthol noticed someone approaching at the alleyway entrance, turned around, and looked surprised. "Hey, isn't this Officer Harvey from the Gotham Police Department? Who called you here?"

He laughed easily and without any fear because of Harvey's identity. He didn't even put down his pistol, and his words showed that he didn't take Harvey seriously at all.

The man kneeling on the ground heard the word "police" and struggled to raise his head, but was slapped back down by the burly man next to him.

Basso glanced at the person on the ground, then looked at Harvey with a smile: "Officer Harvey, you've come at the right time. I have some personal matters to attend to, I'll be right back. If you're not in a hurry, why don't you wait here for a bit?"

His attitude was extremely arrogant; he didn't seem to be talking to the police at all, but rather like he was dismissing a passerby who was just watching the commotion.

Harvey's face darkened. "Basso, what are you doing?"

"Doing our boss a favor, cleaning up those who don't follow the rules, what, Officer Harvey wants to get involved?"

Basso sneered, his tone laced with undisguised threat: "You're a smart man; you should understand what happens when you offend us, right?"

Several burly men in suits nearby simultaneously placed their hands on the guns at their waists, staring at Du Mu and Harvey with hostile eyes.

The atmosphere in the alley suddenly became tense.

Harvey frowned.

Basso is Black Mask's top henchman and the gang leader. Provoking him is no good.

Moreover, there were only two of them, Du Mu and the other side, who had so many people. If a conflict broke out, they would definitely suffer a great loss.

Seeing Harvey's expression, Basso laughed even more unrestrainedly: "Harvey, we've known each other for a long time. I'll give you face. You can turn around and leave now, and I'll pretend I didn't see anything."

Harvey hesitated for a few seconds, gritted his teeth, and decided to back down and wait for reinforcements to arrive.

He turned his head and winked at Du Mu.

Du Mu nodded, indicating that he understood.

boom!

The gunshot rang out in the alley, making people's ears ring.

Basso's smile froze.

He looked down at his heart; a bullet hole was gushing blood, which quickly stained his dark gray suit red.

Basso opened his mouth as if to say something, but only a few muffled breaths came out of his throat.

Then, his body swayed and he collapsed to the ground.

A once-powerful gang leader has met his end.

Everyone:

""

Harvey's mind went blank. His lips moved, and after a long pause, he managed to stammer, "You...you killed him?"

Du Mu was taken aback: "Huh? Didn't you give me a look, signaling me to open fire?"

Harvey was on the verge of tears: "That look of mine is telling you to retreat! Retreat!"

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