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Chapter 177: The Phantom of the Opera (3)

Do you ever feel like you're going crazy when everyone else says something is normal that you find abnormal? That's the situation Batman finds himself in. As a newly emerging superhero, his opponents are just some gangsters or robbers, the most dangerous being Catwoman, a talented thief, or Maroni, a powerful gang leader.

Gotham hasn't reached the level of chaos it's known for yet, so Batman is still a relatively sane vigilante. But one night, he suddenly feels like he's surrounded by madness.

A lunatic shoots a TV host and rambles about putting on a show at the Gotham Theater, and everyone around him seems to find this normal. They even bought tickets, including his ordinary psychology professor, Gotham's Godfather, Father, Gordon, and more.

No one questions this absurdity, making Batman wonder if he's the crazy one. Humans tend to conform to the attitudes of others, and when they contradict your own, few people choose to stand their ground. While Batman hasn't wavered, his strange feeling is slowly fading.

Upon reflection, it's not so absurd because this is Gotham, a city that's already gone mad. It's just a little crazier now.

After checking their tickets and getting popcorn, the trio heads to the theater. The Gotham Theater only has one main stage, and when they enter, everyone else is already seated. Apart from Schiller's acquaintances, there are even more onlookers.

Schiller chats with the TV crew and learns that the Joker is not completely irrational. He seems uninterested in money, and people have even put hundreds of dollars in the TV station's mailbox for tickets.

The Joker has gathered a whole troupe of staff from the theater, and there's even a band rehearsing. Schiller isn't surprised, but Batman is starting to doubt his sanity.

Why is everyone behaving so normally in this absurd situation? Schiller tells Batman that Gotham is an endless book, and every day brings new discoveries. Recently, there have been natural disasters and accidents, and many people have nothing to do. When the logistics were being rebuilt, almost everyone made money. Schiller thinks that putting on a show is better than going to a strip club.

Suddenly, there's a loud noise from the stage, and a man in a purple tailcoat hobbles up with a microphone. He introduces himself as Mr. Jack and thanks everyone for coming. He notices Batman in the audience and calls him Gotham's big star, prompting cheers from the crowd.

As the band plays, Joker's antics lead to excitement from the audience, while Batman remains silent.

"You should stand up and bow, nod your head in acknowledgment," Schiller said to him. "This is a necessary interaction between the host and special guests."

Batman turned his head left and right and found that it seemed like everyone was looking at him expectantly. But just as he hesitated, the Joker on stage shouted, "Okay, who else? My God! The Godfather of Gotham has also arrived!"

The Godfather didn't stand up, but he extended a hand and waved it left and right.

"And..."

The Joker was suddenly choked up. He said, "How do I pronounce this word again? Wait, uh..."

He fumbled in his pocket, took out a small note, and looked at it. "Professor Rodriguez!"

Schiller stood up, nodded left and right, and then waved his hand.

"I hate that name. It's so tongue-twisting," muttered the Joker under his breath.

Then he regained his enthusiasm and said, "Welcome to the opening performance of the great comedian Jack!"

"What did I say before? What did I call this plan? 'The Owl's Misfortune'? No, no, no! I changed my mind. That name is too common and doesn't suit me! Now I'm going to call it - The Death of the Owl!"

With his high-pitched tone, the orchestra started playing an opening song. Suddenly, the backdrop behind him "whooshed" open, and several lights focused on the center of the stage.

There were several ropes hanging from the ceiling, and people bound from head to toe were hanging from the ends of the ropes. They were men and women, young and old, but they all had one common feature, which was wearing a white bird-shaped mask.

The Joker brought out a piece of cloth, tied the microphone to himself, and this made his suit wrinkled, making him look a bit funny, but he didn't care.

He rushed to the orchestra with excitement, took a triangle, and hit it hard. Then he said loudly, "Ding ding ding ding! The actors are on stage! Our protagonist is here!!!"

"Hey, camera over there, are you ready? You must ensure that all Gotham viewers can see it clearly!"

The bearded man made an OK gesture.

The Joker turned around and faced the group of victims who were tied up and hanging in mid-air with ropes. He said, "I guess you must be wondering how I found you?"

"Do you remember a few days ago, when you held a charity dinner on Elizabeth Street? The ingredients that day were delivered by me..."

"What about another day? Oh...it should be more than ten days ago, I don't remember, which restaurant was it? That was also me. I'm a hardworking driver. I often go to the places you frequent!"

"Do you think you hid well?" The Joker laughed and said, "A featherless owl is ugly like a newly born duck, ha ha ha ha ha ha, you can't hide anymore. Your feathers have all been plucked, and you are as ugly as a duckling. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

One of the bound people, who didn't have tape on his mouth, shouted loudly, "It's impossible, our disguise is obvious..."

"You are in pain!" The Joker interrupted him and said, "You put on a careless attitude and thought you were no different from ordinary people, but your heart is bleeding, and I can smell the scent of blood."

"What did you lose? What makes you panic and feel pain? Could it be...?" The Joker sneered, "Could it be money? Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha, sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but I really can't help it. You actually...you actually!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha, actually did it for money!!!"

The Joker laughed until he was out of breath, and he bent over and covered his stomach, as if he would suffocate from laughing the next second.

Laughter also came from the audience. Batman looked at Schiller, and Schiller, as if suddenly reacting, covered his mouth and said, "Oh, it's okay. I just couldn't help it because it was really funny, especially..."

Schiller looked left and right and whispered to Batman, "...especially when I think about how all that money is now in my pocket."

The Joker gradually recovered from his manic laughter and found that the members of the Owl he had tied up were silent. His smile had not disappeared, and he asked, "Why are you so serious?"

"Isn't this funny enough?" He asked the audience after speaking. "An organization that calls themselves the rulers of Gotham! Exposed just because they lost money... hahahaha! A secret society that claims to be a great dark entity, exposed just because of money. Is this not hilarious... hahahaha!!!"

Many people in the audience laughed and it gradually turned into a roar of laughter. The only ones remaining silent were Batman and the members of the Court of Owls on stage.

Now the members of the Court of Owls felt the same way as Batman, wondering if they were crazy or if the world was crazy.

"Why can't we... you bunch of poor, bumpkin hicks! Do you know how much money that was? It was a trap, we were extorted, we..."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" The Joker rushed up and frantically struck the member's head with the small iron rod used for hitting the triangle. He said, "Explaining a joke is the downfall of a perfect joke! Shut up already!"

After a while, the Joker walked to the front of the stage, panting, and said, "Alright, the opening ceremony is over, we're officially starting the show!"

After speaking, he walked to the group of people hanging upside down, tore off the duct tape covering their mouths, and said to them, "You should have seen it, you are hanging at different heights..."

"And now..." The Joker stepped on the floor and said, "There is a big surprise waiting under the floor, just like the one I gave you before."

"From now on, the ropes that bind you will slowly descend, and if someone touches the ground, then... Boom! Hahahaha!"

"Of course, you also have a way to save yourself. When someone dies, their rope will no longer fall."

"You should have felt it already, each of you has a button in the hands tied behind your back. When you press the button, someone in your group will randomly die."

"And my audience!" The Joker turned around and raised his hands, saying, "Take out your tickets, there are clues on them!"

He then said to the tied-up people, "Each of you can choose an audience member to ask and guess whose button corresponds to whom, or whose button corresponds to you."

"Then!" The Joker raised his voice and said, "Consider whether or not to press the button in your hand..."

He turned around and bowed, standing in the center of the stage, his scattered hair projecting dark shadows under the spotlight. His smile became somewhat terrifying, and his voice echoed in the empty theater, becoming rising and falling:

"When I heard that Gotham had a savior named Batman, I almost thought I was crazy."

"But I'm not crazy, so he certainly isn't a savior."

"But this damn lunatic disguised as a bat, he refused me, ignored me, and even insulted me as a mass-produced killer..."

"Now, I have proven that I am not crazy, so it's your turn... Batman."