Just as Rob's patience was about to run out, a faint metallic scraping sound came from the shadows, and a figure slowly emerged.
The person was tightly enveloped in armor as black as ink, each plate gleaming with a cold luster, as if capable of devouring light.
A perfectly fitted mask covered his head, revealing only red-glowing goggles.
Rob's pupils constricted, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on his gun, his knuckles turning white from the effort.
After You-Know-Who stood still, he did not attack; he merely reached out and lightly touched his chest.
In an instant, a startling change occurred.
The surface of the originally pitch-black armor rippled with a shimmering light, its color fading like melting ink, gradually turning to pure White. Immediately after, a glowing purple hourglass lit up in the center of the armor.
Seeing the other party's attire, Rob felt a sense of familiarity.
After thinking carefully, he remembered.
When Police Officer visited the families whose homes had been raided earlier, he had obtained photos of those who claimed to be members of the Tiangong Society.
They were a group of beings wearing White armor with a purple hourglass symbol on their chests.
Why would these people come looking for him?
Suddenly, Chief Luo Bu felt a chill down his neck, and he clutched the gun in his hand even more warily, the barrel aimed squarely at the being opposite him, his voice slightly trembling: "Are you from that Tiangong Society? What do you want at the Gotham Police Department?!"
The Tiangong Society member's voice came from behind the mask, full of mechanical texture: "Chief Luo Bu, put down your gun. We are not enemies. We just want to talk to you."
"There's nothing to talk about!" Rob responded through gritted teeth, his arm aching slightly from holding the gun for so long, but he dared not relax in the slightest. "You people have thrown all of Gotham into a panic. Why should I trust you?"
"Only those at the top—oh, never mind."
The Tiangong Society member in front of him had originally wanted to mock him, but after some consideration, he gave up.
He still said in a mechanical voice: "Let's talk, otherwise..."
Before he finished speaking, another voice, equally mechanical, suddenly sounded from behind Rob: "You will regret it."
Rob's whole body trembled, and cold sweat trickled down his cheeks.
Although he didn't turn to see who was behind him, he realized it.
Damn, he was surrounded!
Before he could react, a silver flash occurred, and he felt a sharp pain in his wrist as his service pistol clattered to the ground.
The Tiangong Society member behind him silently picked up the gun from the ground and handed it to the Tiangong Society member in front of him.
The one in front was not polite; he slowly tightened his grip on the revolver, his arm muscles bulging slightly, and with the creaking sound of metal struggling under pressure, the gun in his hand gradually twisted and deformed, soon becoming a crumpled piece of scrap metal.
"Can we talk properly now?" Having twisted the revolver with the Plumbers suit's enhancement, the Tiangong Society member's tone remained mechanically cold, carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.
Rob stared at the service pistol in the other's hand, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally nodded helplessly.
The Tiangong Society member nodded: "The reason we're looking for you is very simple."
"We want that billion-dollar sponsorship from the Wayne Family."
Rob's head snapped up, his eyes filled with shock and anger: "Are you crazy? That's the Gotham Police Department's money! You're slapping the Gotham Police Department in the face!"
"That is indeed a slap to the Gotham Police Department's face, but not to your face." The Tiangong Society member's voice was devoid of emotion, his mechanical tone sending shivers down one's spine. "Chief Luo Bu, why tie yourself to the Gotham Police Department?"
"I am the Director! How can I stay out of it?" Rob clenched his fists, his nails almost digging into his palms.
"You're not in charge of that money right now," the Tiangong Society member took a step forward, further pressuring Chief Luo Bu, "You must want to get rid of those two in charge, right? James Gordon and Harvey Bullock."
Rob's pupils suddenly constricted, and after his secret was pointed out, his body trembled uncontrollably: "You... how do you know?"
"There's nothing we don't know." The Tiangong Society member let out a mechanical chuckle, "We even know that yesterday you were caught cheating on your wife in bed."
At this point, he paused slightly before adding: "My apologies, I misspoke. You were caught cheating on the sofa."
Rob's face instantly turned ashen, as if he had been stripped naked in public and was utterly mortified.
But he quickly forced himself to take a deep breath, the stinging pain from his nails digging deep into his palms gradually bringing him back to calm.
He stared intently at the purple hourglass in front of him, which glowed with an eerie light, his mind racing.
The fact that the other party could accurately mention his scandal from yesterday, and was so knowledgeable about the relationships between himself and those two within the Gotham Police Department, left no doubt that there was an informant from the Tiangong Society within the Gotham Police Department.
Thinking about this, Rob actually felt a slight sense of relief; at least, thinking this way, the other side wasn't some all-seeing eye constantly watching him or anything.
Now that he had calmed down, he began to consider the other party's proposal. Gordon and Harvey were thorns in his side, and he had always wanted to get rid of them. If he could use the Tiangong Society to tarnish their reputations, he would not only vent his anger but also eliminate those who threatened his position.
Afterward, he could even choose to lead these Tiangong Society members into a trap, capture them, and further elevate his own reputation.
Even if he didn't choose that, he could still get a share of that billion-dollar sponsorship.
Thinking about it this way, it seemed like a sure win.
Of course, the money sponsored by the Wayne Family consisted of consecutively numbered U.S. dollar bills withdrawn from the bank.
However, he didn't have to worry about that; he had been involved in both the legal and illegal sides of Gotham for so long that he had plenty of money laundering channels.
He could even imagine tomorrow's newspaper headlines boldly proclaiming, "Gotham Police Department Loses Billion-Dollar Sponsorship, Hero Police Gordon, Harvey Accused of Malfeasance," and citizens holding banners, angrily cursing at the Gotham Police Department's entrance.
At this thought, a sinister smile curled on Rob's lips. He looked up, his eyes filled with greed and determination: "I agree, but I want thirty percent, and I want to personally see Gordon and Harvey utterly ruined."
The Tiangong Society member, hearing this, stroked his chin and began to ponder.
"You're asking for a bit much..." He nodded, "Deal."
The Tiangong Society member behind him pulled Rob up. After Chief Luo Bu brushed off some dust, he looked at the Tiangong Society member opposite him: "What do you need me to do?"
"It's simple," the Tiangong Society member instinctively snapped his fingers, then realized he couldn't make a sound with his gloves on. "Tomorrow night, we'll create a commotion near the city center and get into a fight with Maroni's gang members. At that time, you'll use the excuse that there are too many people on site and insufficient Police to transfer James Gordon and Harvey Bullock away."
Rob frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "What if they refuse to go?"
The Tiangong Society member let out a harsh, mechanical laugh: "Don't they pride themselves on being good Police? How could good Police disregard the lives of the public? As long as you emphasize that the situation there is critical and a large number of innocent citizens are in danger, how could they stand by and do nothing?"
"What if they still refuse to go?"
"Then that's our concern." The Tiangong Society member turned around, preparing to leave. "Don't worry, they will definitely be transferred, definitely."