"What have you done to me?" The killer looked at his withered hands in disbelief and cried out, but he no longer had the strength to say more.
"Just a bit of magic," Liu A'dou replied lazily, not bothering to explain. The effects of the mysterious APTX4869 pill were not something that could be explained in just a few words.
"Who are you really?" Only now did the killer realize that the figure in the white mist was also dressed in white—not a ghost, but a living person.
Liu A'dou thought to himself, of course, I'm not a ghost. I'm just using the killer's own voice to scare him, but I'm not going easy on him like a ghost. Ignoring the scumbag who could no longer take care of himself, Liu A'dou picked up the remote control from the ground. "Three-way crossover, classic remote control. Tell me where the bomb controlled by this is?"
"Why did I become old?" The killer was on the verge of losing his mind.
"Tell me where the bomb is, and I'll restore you," Liu A'dou said. "Or you can stay like this until you die."
The killer raised his aged face and looked at the phantom thief, his figure flickering in the mist. Tears began to fall as he spoke, "I'll tell you..."
The bomb was in the apartment building, in his room. It was meant to destroy evidence. The room contained evidence of many of his previous murders and the information about his employer.
"I see." Liu A'dou thought to himself that the killer's professional skills left much to be desired—he had left evidence linking him to his employer. Didn't he know that not burning evidence was unprofessional? In reality, the killer had kept the evidence to prevent being betrayed by his employer. He had left a backup plan, so if he was caught, his employer would also suffer.
Liu A'dou took all the evidence without hesitation.
"You said you'd help me restore my body." The killer pleaded with Liu A'dou as he took the evidence, "I've given you everything, now make me young again."
Liu A'dou looked at the killer, coldly smiling. "I just said that. Never believe a thief's words." This killer, who killed innocents for money, truly deserved to be punished.
"You can't do this, you can't treat me like this! Give me back my youthful body, demon! Make me young again!" The killer no longer had much strength. After Liu A'dou had taken him upstairs, he sat on the floor, barely able to speak. His breaths were shallow as he gasped for air. "Demon... you're a demon..."
"I'm not a demon. I'm a thief," Liu A'dou replied, watching the killer without a shred of sympathy.
The walls of the room were covered with photos—news articles about the bombings the killer had committed. Each one was a gruesome reminder of his crimes. Since his weapon of choice was bombs, innocent people often got caught in the blast. In almost every case, besides the intended target, innocent bystanders were either wounded or killed outright. There was one particular article about a school bus that had been caught in the blast, killing three children and leaving several others disabled. But the killer had proudly hung this article on his wall, treating it like an award. It was infuriating.
But in the end, Liu A'dou showed his mercy. He shoved the remote control back into the killer's frail hand. "A farewell gift."
If the killer didn't want to live the rest of his life incapable of caring for himself, he could just press the remote. Of course, he could choose not to, and in that case, his future would be a life spent in a Gotham City nursing home for the elderly, which was no more comfortable than a prison.
Liu A'dou left the choice up to the killer, truly a 'merciful' phantom thief.
Through the thick fog, a loud bang echoed from behind him. It seemed the killer had made his choice. But that no longer mattered to Liu A'dou. He mounted his phantom thief motorcycle, cutting through the mist and speeding toward the outskirts of Narrows Island.
Liu A'dou shut off the Eye of God and carefully put the USB drive away. After changing his clothes, he quietly returned to the witness protection apartment. It was already dawn, and this time, he had spent more time out than he would have on a typical heist. It was clear that upholding justice wasn't an easy task.
The truth of that night would remain buried in the thick fog of Narrows Island, hidden from the world.
In the morning, the fat police officer rubbed his neck and woke up, puzzled at how he had fallen asleep. Sleeping on the sofa made him feel uncomfortable. However, seeing that the people he was guarding were safe, he let out a sigh of relief. Otherwise, Commissioner Gordon would certainly have given him a piece of his mind.
Ding dong!
It was Harvey Dent, coming to visit them. His hand still hadn't fully healed, so he was recovering and had handed over his work to his girlfriend, Rachel.
"I brought you breakfast," Harvey Dent said.
"Thanks!" Liu A'dou, though he hadn't slept all night, was in good spirits. "I still haven't thanked you properly. I can't believe you came all the way here to check on us. I feel bad about that."
"Haha, no worries, that's what friends are for," Harvey Dent replied with his usual sunny smile. "Eat while it's hot, just out of the oven."
The three of them squeezed into the small dining area, eating breakfast and chatting. Harvey Dent had come to strengthen their cooperation. Both Liu A'dou and Iselin had performed excellently in the bomb incident, especially Liu A'dou, who remained calm under pressure. Someone like him, if willing to gather intelligence, would be highly effective, so Harvey had come.
"The world is changing dramatically," Harvey Dent began with a broad perspective. "Mutants in New York are fighting for their own interests. Metropolis is like a flower being targeted by alien bees. But that's a bit far off. Let's talk about Gotham City. The criminals here are getting smarter, and their technological methods are more advanced. The Gotham police are struggling. They have no power to deal with these criminals. There's Batman, of course, but even he isn't enough," Harvey Dent said, growing more passionate. Gotham's current situation was worrying, especially with the bomb killer who had the audacity to seek revenge on behalf of his employer, showing complete disregard for the law. "Now, in Gotham, there are fewer and fewer people like you two—brave enough to stand up and fight against evil forces."
Liu A'dou and Iselin exchanged glances. Harvey Dent was just over thirty, but he had been working as the local prosecutor since he graduated. He had seen both criminals and victims, and his desire for justice was strong. But in Gotham, his power felt minuscule. It was like a stick floating in a swamp, always on the verge of being swallowed.
Liu A'dou looked at Iselin. She was still having nightmares. He wondered if she still had the courage to face this life.
"Iselin, I know the bomb incident shook you," Harvey Dent continued. "But this is the unfortunate reality in Gotham. Even if you hadn't followed them and recorded their transaction, you could have easily run into something like this." Harvey clearly needed help, so he tried to persuade Iselin. "We are all ordinary people, law-abiding citizens. But now, the Gotham government can hardly ensure the safety of all its citizens. This is when ordinary people like us need to step up. We may not wear armor like Batman, but we have our eyes, ears, and voices. We can speak out about what we see and hear. Gotham needs us, and I hope you both will be brave and continue helping me, helping this city."
These heartfelt words in the chaotic Gotham City felt like the ringing of a bell, loud and clear. In this conversation, Harvey Dent finally opened up completely.