"Indian Mountain..."
Gordon tried to recall, but even as the Police Director, his understanding of this place was limited.
He knew that it didn't belong to anyone; it was an enormous junkyard where many wanderers lived.
Moreover, the land seemed cursed, as not even weeds could grow there.
Hmm... in fact, this was probably the part of Gotham with the lowest crime rate, since no criminals would come here to make a living.
"It seems you haven't thought of anything." Falcone smiled at him, shaking his head, whether in disappointment or contemplation: "So let's try another name. Does 'Indian Mountain Quasi-Military Zone' or 'Gotham City Research Institute' spark any ideas?"
"!!!"
With the military and research institute mentioned, Gordon, with his experience, instantly understood what kind of place this was, causing his pupils to dilate involuntarily.
At that moment, his only thought was: After all these years, Falcone had gone mad as well.
Even without hearing those names, he could guess what went on there. Though the Amazonians looked down on technology, in their long war with Atlantis, they naturally used technology to create weapons to arm ordinary people or to massively eliminate enemies.
Some of these were probably things that would make Leixiao Gu fall silent and Briss shed tears of emotion, yet he never imagined there would be such a place in Gotham as well.
"Ah, it seems you've thought of something. Not bad, still as sharp as ever, I'm pleased. As you guessed, this place was once a special research institution set by the Amazon Council, focusing on biological weapons."
Falcone gently clapped his hands, gesturing for Sofia to sit and listen to tales of Gotham's founding.
"Our city was established in the 1880s by four great families." He quietly walked to the fireplace, holding a wine glass, watching the flames flicker: "They were the pioneers of this city; it took nearly ten years, until 1891, for Gotham to be completed."
"The four families were, respectively, the Vayne Clan from which little Briss' mother hailed, the Kane Clan from which her father hailed, today's 'Silence' Thomas' Eliot Clan, and the Kobert family."
"Well, strictly speaking, among our Ten Clans, except for the Kobert family, we were all latecomers, merely some pitiful homeless people before our ancestors arrived in Gotham."
"I might have gone off-topic, ah, let's return to the construction of Gotham. Back then, the four great families weren't as wealthy as today, at most they just had some money. They could have built a small town here, but a city? Tsk tsk..."
"Amidst this financial shortfall, a political broker from the Amazon Council approached them with an offer they couldn't refuse."
"The Amazon Council would fund them to build a city here, specifically, a bridgehead on the East Coast to fight Atlantis."
"Once the city was completed, the four families could manage it on behalf of the council, and the council wouldn't interfere. The council intended to build research institutes, military bases, prisons, and temples here, and the four families had to handle all logistics and supplies within the city."
"What lay before the four great families back then wasn't today's towering buildings but a barren shoal and a little town. They were in no position to refuse this 'pie from the sky,' hence they quickly reached an agreement with the messenger, becoming white gloves of the Amazon Council."
"The city was established, and the council honored its promise, handing over the city to them. They likewise continually supplied the council with goods from Gotham, such as fish, steel, and human resources."
"Your police station, along with Black Gate Prison and Arkham Asylum, among other places, have you noticed how much they resemble fortresses? Because they were constructions of that era."
"As decades passed and the nature of wars changed continually, soon enough, the council felt it needed a bigger stick to intimidate those creatures in the water. So, they bought the cemetery of the Indian ancestors and built the Gotham City Research Institute, aiming to eradicate adversaries for good in any potential wars."
"What could be more convenient than establishing a biochemical research facility in a seaside city, to directly pour venom into the sea?"
"This is where we are now. I must say, those people from the past century had imaginations that even I, an 'old man,' find astonishing. You truly should see the monsters hovering above us, haha, they indeed have brought me quite a bit of amusement."
Gordon was now restless, overwhelmed with anxiety, shifting constantly on the sofa as if sitting on pins: "So, Falcone, what's your aim? What do you plan to do, having seized this place?"
The old man took a sip of his drink, turned around calmly: "My aim is to give you another chance to build the Gotham you envision. We, the mafia, have always thrived on social life; perhaps it's time to cleanse ourselves and engage in legitimate business."
"Hmm?" Gordon truly couldn't grasp Falcone's notion, not even sure if he'd ever understood.
"Beneath us lies a full 40 million cubic meters of green liquid. It's a specially concocted compound enhanced by magic. Once dissolved in water, it can effortlessly penetrate the skin and flesh of animals, turning living beings into corpses... the manual states they named it 'Super Sarin,' initially intended for deployment in oceans to entirely eliminate the Atlanteans."
Falcone also settled on the sofa, placed down his wine glass, and continued smiling at Gordon:
"But later science discovered that if the oceans were polluted, these toxins would spread across the entire Earth via rainfall; at that time, even the Amazonians wouldn't survive, so it was abandoned in 1990."
"Get to your point," Gordon pursued.
"I've returned this time to use them to purify Gotham, just a little, to restore it to its original state—when it was empty. Gordon, at that time, you can build your city as you wish. Once this rain ceases, when you step out tomorrow, you'll find that Gotham's light will be so dazzling."
"You seem to have forgotten to mention your daughter. Isn't this her city?" Gordon scoffed at this idea, contemplating ways to stop this madness.
Falcone solemnly shook his head, raised a hand to interrupt Gordon: "No, Gordon, only you, the new Gotham will center around you, and Sofia will merely assist in managing the darkness. If she were to govern the city, what would be different from when our Ten Clans were in control? You promised me you'd infuse Gotham with hope, this is for the city's future!"
"Yes, I want Gotham to improve, but not this way!" Gordon widened his eyes, repeatedly shaking his head.
"Don't be afraid, Gordon, it'll all be over soon. Everyone in Gotham will die in their sleep without knowing, without any pain." Falcone gently took his hand, their skins similarly withered: "The inhabitants of Gotham are beyond saving; their hearts are filled with madness and darkness. Only by completely cleansing them from Gotham can this city be reborn."
"You're insane, Falcone, insane." Gordon pulled back his hand, leaning against the back of the chair, the flickering firelight highlighting their faces, with only Gordon's appearing ghastly pale.
Falcone smiled as he returned to his seat, fetched a cigar from the box on the table, patiently trimming it: "No, Gordon, this isn't insanity. It's something I learned during my time in Hong Kong. Over there they have a saying 'Learn as long as you live,' from which I've greatly benefited... I finally discovered in the magical East a way to cure Gotham, that is what they call 'cutting off one's own hand to save the body.'"