After hearing the conversation between those two gang members, Jude was filled with genuine awe.
He'd heard for a long time that the Falcone family were tough guys, but today he realized hearing about them couldn't compare to meeting them in person. Deal with Dent first, then Batman. He wouldn't dare say such bold words even in his dreams. He could only curse at Batman internally, where it was safe.
A cold, sarcastic voice cut through the conversation.
"Suicidal idiots."
Jude nodded subconsciously. Exactly right. Very insightful comment.
Wait. Why did that voice sound familiar?
"Who the hell are you calling idiots? You wanna fight?"
The family member whose proposal had been rejected was already irritated. Hearing sharp criticism from the sidelines made his anger spike. He turned sharply, eyes wide, trying to identify who dared mock him.
But Jude recognized the speaker first.
Holy shit. Clinton Banner!
The same guy who'd spent months riding Old Jack's bus, chasing him and Drake around while shooting at them! He'd joined the Falcone gang?!
Clinton seemed to recognize Jude and nodded in greeting.
When the angry man saw Clinton and the Beretta on his waist, his voice suddenly softened. If Jude guessed correctly, Clinton had probably made a name for himself in the Falcone family with his marksmanship.
Or possibly by blowing the heads off a few gang members who'd dared provoke him.
"Stop arguing." The person who'd initially called them suicidal spoke up to defuse tension. "Stop gossiping about family business. If you've got time, think about how you're spending Thanksgiving instead."
"How am I supposed to celebrate Thanksgiving? I don't have a wife."
The topic gradually shifted. Clinton sneered, turned, and walked away. Jude lost interest in staying. The interruption had reminded him he still had work to do.
He pulled up the system interface.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Mission: Better to Redirect Than to Block
Status: Incomplete (0/1)
Reward: Advanced Culinary Mastery
Bombing Harvey's house had been somewhat unscrupulous and risky. The bounty he'd received didn't count as asset points. But considering Falcone's reward was still active, a few thugs could show up at any time to help complete Two-Face's origin story.
Jude had to intervene.
Moreover, he was the one who'd burned Falcone's twenty million dollars. Letting Harvey Dent take the blame made him feel guilty.
He walked toward Clinton.
"Hey, Clinton. Long time no see."
Clinton turned. His face remained droopy, no different from that day on the bus or the night he'd helped chase off Jude's robber. The strange addition was fresh scratches across his bald forehead. Probably acquired while seeking revenge on someone.
"What do you want, coward?"
Jude felt a flicker of irritation at the greeting, but seeing Clinton's fierce expression combined with his round bald head sporting claw marks, he suddenly wanted to laugh instead.
"My name's not 'coward,' it's Jude. Thank you."
"Makes no difference. What do you want?"
"Yeah, there's something I need. Do you know the Irish Gang?"
"I was responsible for driving the car that day. Took the package to the location. I'll write it all down if you need it."
The thin man with a mustache and shifty eyes was "Slippery" Jimmy.
"I delivered the package to that woman—Harvey Dent's wife, Mrs. Dent, you know her. I'll write it all down, if you want."
The decent-looking man was Kevin the "Hypocrite."
"I followed Dent to his house. Yes, I did. Tailed him straight home. Write it all down if you need me to. I will."
The fat guy with receding hairline and glasses who liked repeating himself was "Duet" Willy.
"I pushed the damn detonator. And I'll write it all down if you want."
The man with thick eyebrows, dark hair, and prominent nose was "Boy" Donny.
"I bought the materials and assembled the bombs. Yes, I did the work—I'll write it all down, man. That what you wanted me to say?"
The last man, with big ears and a long face, was Mickey the Mouse.
Five people. Five voices. Five flawless confessions sounded one after another in the room. But Jude, hiding nearby and eavesdropping, couldn't help losing focus.
"This guy's name is Mickey, and his nickname is Mouse. Is that really okay? Won't Disney's legal department have objections?"
Meanwhile, the conversation continued inside.
"Everything straight, Mickey?"
"No problem. I know the script cold. If there's any issue later, just stick to this."
"Finally! I can rest. I've been exhausted these past few days."
"You're tired? You didn't do anything except go out practicing your pickup lines on married women and scamming ordinary girls."
"It's all part of the cover. What can I do? You spend every night outside Harvey Dent's house until midnight, but I didn't complain about that."
"What the fuck are you talking about? I spend hours sitting outside Harvey's house waiting to see when he comes home. I'm bored to death. Why don't you switch with me?"
"Do I have the gentleman's face you have?"
"You mean 'fake gentleman,' right?"
"Why don't you look at Mickey? Who's switching with him?"
"You can make bombs? Why don't you go? Mickey must be tired of doing dangerous work. He'd be happy to have someone take his place."
"Fuck you! Last time you said you'd drive Jimmy's getaway car, you said the same thing. That time we ended up in jail for six months."
Jude tried desperately to suppress laughter. These four were too comedic. He could barely contain himself.
He closed his laptop, noted the gang members' locations, and left on foot. The Irish Gang usually hid in the East End, so walking was simple enough. If his two vehicles weren't so conspicuous—the Death Car and the racing wheelchair—driving would've been more convenient.
As for how he'd achieved the eavesdropping:
SYSTEM PURCHASE
Surveillance Kit - Laptop Computer + Lighter-Shaped Bug/Tracker
Price: $4,000
Note: Curious why it's so expensive? Buy the Hacking skill and you'll find out.
Note 2: Even in a world without CTOS, its built-in hardware and software configuration becomes an excellent tool in expert hands.