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Chapter 81: Revolution
No one knew when it started, but a massive influx of weapons had poured into the Old City. Although these weapons were old and outdated in the eyes of those in the know, for the people of the Old City living hand-to-mouth, the fact that reasonably priced, high-quality weapons were being sold to them was a truly earth-shattering event!
The entire Old City was in an uproar!
The Old City was controlled by numerous gangs; normally, it would be impossible for such weapons to flow in!
The common people, who lived in poverty and suffered under the oppression and exploitation of the gangs, gritted their teeth and took out the money they had hidden with great difficulty. They left their homes to buy the weapons that were now within their reach.
An old homeless man was still watching over his battered oil drum. The weather was excellent today. In the middle of the rainy season, such fine weather brought the greatest joy to the struggling homeless man. It meant he wouldn't have to freeze and could spend more time looking for food. He was old, and besides, there was no work for him in this Old City. Everyone who lived here was poor; it was a completely different world from the New City District.
That is, until the local gang came knocking again.
“Old man, it’s time to pay this month’s protection money!” A member of the Falcone Crime Family cornered him, speaking menacingly to the old homeless man. Usually, these wretches would obediently hand over their money and whatever scraps they had accumulated. He could turn in a portion to his superiors and secretly pocket the rest.
Resist? Don’t be ridiculous. This bunch of impoverished wretches didn’t dare to resist, nor did they know how. The entire Old City was ruled by Falcone and a host of gangs surviving in the cracks. All firearms were monopolized. What would the wretches resist with? Twigs and wooden sticks?
The old homeless man’s eyes widened. “I’ve already paid! I paid you a few days ago! I can’t even afford to eat now. I’m picking through trash every day. I’ve given you all my money and scraps!” He clutched his overcoat tighter; it was the only decent thing he had left.
“What? You gave it to me? How come I don’t remember? Then just pay it again,” the young thug sneered, cursing the pathetic old fool in his heart.
The old homeless man’s face flushed red as he stared at the other man with hatred. His lips trembled, and the hand in his pocket touched the cold metal, giving him a sliver of security.
“If Falcone were still around, at least he wouldn’t stoop to robbing the poor…”
“What did you say?” The thug was a little stunned. He dug a finger in his ear and brazenly drew his gun. “Are you complaining? You don’t want to live anymore?”
Bang!
A gunshot, like the first shot fired against the brutal rule of the Falcone Crime Family, echoed throughout the Old City. This shot would be etched into the history of Gotham City, extensively written about by later generations.
The old homeless man tightly gripped the recently purchased gun, his hands trembling, a mixture of ferocity and fear in his eyes as he stared at the fallen thug.
He had killed someone! He had killed one of Falcone’s henchmen!
Coincidentally, Anderson, who had switched careers to become an arms broker, was not far from the old homeless man. He had been assigned to the Old City by Tony, and the large shipment of weapons had flowed out from his hands. Hearing the shot, he rushed over and witnessed the old man shooting the other man.
“I… I killed one of Falcone’s men…” the old homeless man stammered, trembling.
Anderson looked at the rare, even insane, scene before him and, for some reason, suddenly smiled. Falcone was Gotham’s Underground King, the emperor of the Old City. In Anderson’s eyes, he was an even more incredible formidable entity, but that was in the past.
The subordinate of this local tyrant, who not long ago could lord it over Anderson, was now as worthless as trash on the roadside.
Anderson stared at the old homeless man, especially the gun in his hand, lost in thought. He, Anderson, would officially embark on a new path starting today, and he would never look back. Otherwise, Falcone wouldn’t let him go; he would surely chop him up and feed him to the dogs. His only choice was to follow closely in Tony’s footsteps. But this new direction didn’t look so bad, did it?
“Nice coat!” Anderson complimented, flicking his own overcoat as he turned and left with his two newly recruited underlings.
The old homeless man remained standing there, still holding the gun, stunned and silent for a long time. His intuition told him this was only the beginning. Those arms dealers who had appeared in the Old City would not stop selling weapons, and more and more poor people would take up arms to resist.
The revolution had begun.
...
A banquet hosted by Bruce Wayne was underway, with many local celebrities in attendance, including figures from both business and political circles. Even that guy Tony had managed to get in. Many people gave Tony strange looks, but in the end, no one said anything.
Even Bruce said nothing. Bruce, being filthy rich, threw a party just for the liveliness of it. Who made a rule that Tony couldn’t come?
“Mr. Tony, I heard you’ve handed over the affairs in the Old City to a young thug named Anderson?” Fox took the initiative to walk over and chat with Tony, saving him the awkwardness of just standing there.
Tony’s actions could not be hidden from Wayne Enterprises, or rather, from Batman. Secretly dumping weapons on the poor in the Old City, and even offering the favorable option of installment payments—they would never believe he wasn’t up to something.
“Mr. Fox.” Tony raised his glass in a toast. “Anderson is a pretty good guy, clever and cunning, more than enough to handle things over there.” He wasn’t afraid of Anderson messing things up. If he couldn’t even sell a few scattered weapons, then he would be far too useless as an underling.
As for betrayal? Heh heh heh, as long as Anderson wasn’t an idiot, he wouldn’t betray him, because he knew full well that Tony would definitely kill him…
“Pepper Potts just left yesterday. I wonder if you stayed behind specifically to handle matters in the Old City, Mr. Tony? I hear people are dying there every day—the poor, and gang members,” Fox said, his gaze sharp.
“If they don’t shatter the gloom above their heads with their own hands, how can they ever see the sunlight? I’m just giving them the opportunity to obtain weapons. The power to buy or not is in their hands, and the power to resist or not is also in their hands. They can, of course, choose to remain good citizens, periodically handing over their valuables in exchange for Falcone’s protection. No one is forcing them to make a choice.” Tony’s expression was full of meaning. “At least giving the people a chance to fight back is far more efficient than Batman working alone. No matter what Batman does, people are still dying in this city every moment. Why not let the people choose for themselves?”
Fox’s eyelid twitched. He stared at Tony, trying to read something in the young man’s eyes, but he found nothing. Tony’s expression didn’t change at all, as if the words he had just spoken had no hidden meaning.
On the other side of the party, the Dark Knight, Batman, and Gotham City’s Knight of Justice, Harvey, finally reached an agreement to completely crush Falcone and the Joker.
“What are you going to do about Mr. Liu? All of the Falcone Crime Family’s money has been hidden by him,” Harvey asked Batman with a serious expression.
“I will go to Hong Kong and bring him back to Gotham City,” Batman said in his hoarse voice.
“There’s one more thing… Stark Industries is selling arms in the Old City. Sporadic firefights and casualties have already occurred between civilians and the gangs.”
“It’s not Stark Industries selling arms; it’s Tony selling them himself! He’s arming the Old City. He’s coercing the people, sending innocent civilians to the battlefield!” Batman stood in the shadows, his tone severe, but his eyes held a rare hint of hesitation. “After I deal with Mr. Liu, I will find Tony and put him in prison. He shouldn’t be doing this. Innocent people shouldn’t become his soldiers… Gotham City needs stability, not war… Gotham needs you, Harvey. You are the conscience of this city!”
“Harvey, only you have a chance to end the crime in this city! Only you!”
(end of chapter)
No one knew when it started, but a massive influx of weapons had poured into the Old City. Although these weapons were old and outdated in the eyes of those in the know, for the people of the Old City living hand-to-mouth, the fact that reasonably priced, high-quality weapons were being sold to them was a truly earth-shattering event!
The entire Old City was in an uproar!
The Old City was controlled by numerous gangs; normally, it would be impossible for such weapons to flow in!
The common people, who lived in poverty and suffered under the oppression and exploitation of the gangs, gritted their teeth and took out the money they had hidden with great difficulty. They left their homes to buy the weapons that were now within their reach.
An old homeless man was still watching over his battered oil drum. The weather was excellent today. In the middle of the rainy season, such fine weather brought the greatest joy to the struggling homeless man. It meant he wouldn't have to freeze and could spend more time looking for food. He was old, and besides, there was no work for him in this Old City. Everyone who lived here was poor; it was a completely different world from the New City District.
That is, until the local gang came knocking again.
“Old man, it’s time to pay this month’s protection money!” A member of the Falcone Crime Family cornered him, speaking menacingly to the old homeless man. Usually, these wretches would obediently hand over their money and whatever scraps they had accumulated. He could turn in a portion to his superiors and secretly pocket the rest.
Resist? Don’t be ridiculous. This bunch of impoverished wretches didn’t dare to resist, nor did they know how. The entire Old City was ruled by Falcone and a host of gangs surviving in the cracks. All firearms were monopolized. What would the wretches resist with? Twigs and wooden sticks?
The old homeless man’s eyes widened. “I’ve already paid! I paid you a few days ago! I can’t even afford to eat now. I’m picking through trash every day. I’ve given you all my money and scraps!” He clutched his overcoat tighter; it was the only decent thing he had left.
“What? You gave it to me? How come I don’t remember? Then just pay it again,” the young thug sneered, cursing the pathetic old fool in his heart.
The old homeless man’s face flushed red as he stared at the other man with hatred. His lips trembled, and the hand in his pocket touched the cold metal, giving him a sliver of security.
“If Falcone were still around, at least he wouldn’t stoop to robbing the poor…”
“What did you say?” The thug was a little stunned. He dug a finger in his ear and brazenly drew his gun. “Are you complaining? You don’t want to live anymore?”
Bang!
A gunshot, like the first shot fired against the brutal rule of the Falcone Crime Family, echoed throughout the Old City. This shot would be etched into the history of Gotham City, extensively written about by later generations.
The old homeless man tightly gripped the recently purchased gun, his hands trembling, a mixture of ferocity and fear in his eyes as he stared at the fallen thug.
He had killed someone! He had killed one of Falcone’s henchmen!
Coincidentally, Anderson, who had switched careers to become an arms broker, was not far from the old homeless man. He had been assigned to the Old City by Tony, and the large shipment of weapons had flowed out from his hands. Hearing the shot, he rushed over and witnessed the old man shooting the other man.
“I… I killed one of Falcone’s men…” the old homeless man stammered, trembling.
Anderson looked at the rare, even insane, scene before him and, for some reason, suddenly smiled. Falcone was Gotham’s Underground King, the emperor of the Old City. In Anderson’s eyes, he was an even more incredible formidable entity, but that was in the past.
The subordinate of this local tyrant, who not long ago could lord it over Anderson, was now as worthless as trash on the roadside.
Anderson stared at the old homeless man, especially the gun in his hand, lost in thought. He, Anderson, would officially embark on a new path starting today, and he would never look back. Otherwise, Falcone wouldn’t let him go; he would surely chop him up and feed him to the dogs. His only choice was to follow closely in Tony’s footsteps. But this new direction didn’t look so bad, did it?
“Nice coat!” Anderson complimented, flicking his own overcoat as he turned and left with his two newly recruited underlings.
The old homeless man remained standing there, still holding the gun, stunned and silent for a long time. His intuition told him this was only the beginning. Those arms dealers who had appeared in the Old City would not stop selling weapons, and more and more poor people would take up arms to resist.
The revolution had begun.
...
A banquet hosted by Bruce Wayne was underway, with many local celebrities in attendance, including figures from both business and political circles. Even that guy Tony had managed to get in. Many people gave Tony strange looks, but in the end, no one said anything.
Even Bruce said nothing. Bruce, being filthy rich, threw a party just for the liveliness of it. Who made a rule that Tony couldn’t come?
“Mr. Tony, I heard you’ve handed over the affairs in the Old City to a young thug named Anderson?” Fox took the initiative to walk over and chat with Tony, saving him the awkwardness of just standing there.
Tony’s actions could not be hidden from Wayne Enterprises, or rather, from Batman. Secretly dumping weapons on the poor in the Old City, and even offering the favorable option of installment payments—they would never believe he wasn’t up to something.
“Mr. Fox.” Tony raised his glass in a toast. “Anderson is a pretty good guy, clever and cunning, more than enough to handle things over there.” He wasn’t afraid of Anderson messing things up. If he couldn’t even sell a few scattered weapons, then he would be far too useless as an underling.
As for betrayal? Heh heh heh, as long as Anderson wasn’t an idiot, he wouldn’t betray him, because he knew full well that Tony would definitely kill him…
“Pepper Potts just left yesterday. I wonder if you stayed behind specifically to handle matters in the Old City, Mr. Tony? I hear people are dying there every day—the poor, and gang members,” Fox said, his gaze sharp.
“If they don’t shatter the gloom above their heads with their own hands, how can they ever see the sunlight? I’m just giving them the opportunity to obtain weapons. The power to buy or not is in their hands, and the power to resist or not is also in their hands. They can, of course, choose to remain good citizens, periodically handing over their valuables in exchange for Falcone’s protection. No one is forcing them to make a choice.” Tony’s expression was full of meaning. “At least giving the people a chance to fight back is far more efficient than Batman working alone. No matter what Batman does, people are still dying in this city every moment. Why not let the people choose for themselves?”
Fox’s eyelid twitched. He stared at Tony, trying to read something in the young man’s eyes, but he found nothing. Tony’s expression didn’t change at all, as if the words he had just spoken had no hidden meaning.
On the other side of the party, the Dark Knight, Batman, and Gotham City’s Knight of Justice, Harvey, finally reached an agreement to completely crush Falcone and the Joker.
“What are you going to do about Mr. Liu? All of the Falcone Crime Family’s money has been hidden by him,” Harvey asked Batman with a serious expression.
“I will go to Hong Kong and bring him back to Gotham City,” Batman said in his hoarse voice.
“There’s one more thing… Stark Industries is selling arms in the Old City. Sporadic firefights and casualties have already occurred between civilians and the gangs.”
“It’s not Stark Industries selling arms; it’s Tony selling them himself! He’s arming the Old City. He’s coercing the people, sending innocent civilians to the battlefield!” Batman stood in the shadows, his tone severe, but his eyes held a rare hint of hesitation. “After I deal with Mr. Liu, I will find Tony and put him in prison. He shouldn’t be doing this. Innocent people shouldn’t become his soldiers… Gotham City needs stability, not war… Gotham needs you, Harvey. You are the conscience of this city!”
“Harvey, only you have a chance to end the crime in this city! Only you!”
(end of chapter)
