The Joker's current level of influence was barely enough.

  As long as the goal of setting an example and intimidating others succeeded, causing the Wayerprises executives to no longer dare to pursue their pns iy, that would be enough. They wouldn't have the ce to take on the Joker's threats or retaliate against him or the Wayne family in Gotham.

  But there was one problem.

  Money.

  It may seem simple and mundane, but it was incredibly important.

  Reid didn't intend for the Jang to be a oime affair. He wao build it up, expand it.

  sidering he didn't know when he'd get his hands on Batman's card, Reid he Jang to help him establish trol otham City.

  So money became a critical issue.

  Currently, the funds used to attrabsp;followers to the Jang came from Alfred's identity, built up over decades of wages paid by the Wayne family.

  Although Alfred had long been as close to the Wayne's as if they were his own family, on the surface, he was still employed as a butler, and his sary was still being paid—and generously at that.

  But even so, the funds avaible were still insuffit to support a criminal anization capable of subtly influeng Gotham City.

  So Reid o take it a step further—trample on the Maroni family's head and rise to a higher position, all while openly allowing the Jang to take trol of part of the Gotham underworld's businesses.

  'But making the Maroni family boon't be easy...'

  Staring at the map and the dots on hand, Reid furrowed his brows, deep in thought.

  Rather thaing them to bow, it was more about f the Maroni family to aowledge the Jang's position.

  And to push the Maroni family, who would soon csh with the Jang, into iations, Reid needed leverage.

  "Starting a direct war... not an option. As a criminal family, aside from the Maroni family's key fighters, their underlings are basically worthless. A full-on war would drain Alfred's little savings. Even if we win, the cost would be too high and the time wasted too long."

  Rejeg the simplest and most violent approach, Reid shifted his gaze to the warehouse at the port on the map.

  This was a Maroni family warehouse. But Reid knew all too well.

  Because the Wayne family was in a state of flux, the Gotham Bank's money-undering operations had been impacted. After all, Gotham Bank was also owned by the Wayne family.

  Naturally, the Maroni family's illicit money, earhrough illegal enterprises, couldn't be uhrough the bank anymore.

  And sihe Maroni family had been overly reliant on Gotham Bank for money undering, they hadn't developed many other methods. As a result, this warehouse held a rge amount of cash.

  'If these things are lost, even the Maroni family will be in a tough spot. After all, it's not 1992 yet, and wages in America aren't that high.'

  With that thought, Reid already had a pn in mind. If things went smoothly, not only would the Jang gain reition and expand its operations in Gotham, but the Joker's infamous reputation would also be further established.

  ......

  At the Maroni family building, in Sal Maroni's office.

  Maroni frowned as he reviewed the dots in his hand, instinctively sensing something was wrong.

  Looking at his subordinate, Maroni asked, "Has the information been firmed? That bastard Joker is pnning to make a move on our money-undering warehouse?"

  "Yes, the information is solid!"

  The Maroni family underling was visibly excited, quickly responding.

  "Joker may indeed be a tough guy, and the two monsters he has with him are formidable, but the people he recruits for the Jang are just ordinary. Our Maroni family's men only had to make a small disguise to successfully infiltrate the Jang. From their adva, we got this information. Joker pns to lead the Jang to raid our warehouse and seize the dirty money we've got stored there."

  However, Maroni clearly wasn't vinced by this information and tio question.

  "Does stealing our dirty money even make sehe situation in Gotham is unstable right now, and the dirty money 't be undered. As long as I keep holding firm, they'll be stuck with that money, uo u and will end up starving. Uhey have some other money-underihod?"

  "Well, we're not sure about that, boss." his subordinate replied.

  Maroni didn't expect his underling to have all the answers; after all, that's why he was still an underling.

  "How trustworthy is the member who infiltrated the Jang? Could he have been recruited by the Joker and be feeding us false information?"

  Maroni couldn't help but worry. After all, the warehouse where he kept his dirty money wasn't the only one he had. If this was a feint, he'd be in for a major loss.

  "You rest assured about that, boss." the underling said, patting his chest fidently.

  "When that guy told me the news, he was grinnio ear, and there were other brothers around to witness it. I re he's just waiting for the Jang to fall apart so he collect his reward from the boss."

  "Good, that's reassuring."

  Hearing that firmation, Maroni's expression softened. Upon further thought, he realized he had been too worried. After all, the Joker was just a madman. How could such a person possibly manage a pranization? What an anization needed was order, not chaos.

  It was pletely normal for mistakes to happen and information to leak. Maroni believed that in a short time, he would hear news of the Jang being wiped out.

  "Sihat's the case, I'll assign you the task of ambushing the Jang. I expect you t me good news when we meet . Wells, right? I'll remember you."

  "Uood, boss!!"

  The hen named Wells eagerly accepted the mission. This was his ce, an opportunity to rise to the top.

  If he succeeded, money would be just the beginning. He could even marry one of the Maroni family's women and bee a ember of the family. With that, power ah would be within easy reach.

  In fact, Maroni thought the same way. Watg his hen leave, he khat if the man was capable, he wouldn't mind using one of the Maroni family's womens to secure his loyalty.

  Though he was still young and didn't have a suitable daughter, the Maroni family had many, and even some from outside the family could be brought in, as long as he was willing.

  "Now, all that's left is to wait. Joker, you will definitely pay the price."

  He would never fet that night, drenched i, that hideous image.

  ......

  Meanwhile, at the Jang's base, a brutal underground fighting arena.

  With severed limbs scattered around, Killer Croc held up the lifeless body of a Jang member, using both hands to tear the body in half at the waist.

  In front of him, the spy who had passed the information to Maroni was tightly bound to a chair, watg in horror as Killer Croc devoured the body piece by piece.

  And Reid, holding a bottle of newly created ughing gas, slowly and eerily approached.

  The same dazzling smile was still on his face.

  "My friend, thank you for delivering the message. So, I've decided to reward you."

  With that, Reid sprayed the ughing gas directly at the man.

  The moment the gas hit, Killer Croc felt the meat in his hands lose its appeal and hurriedly stepped back.

  He didn't know what the Joker had doo create this gas, but he knew he o stay far away from such a disgusting substance.

  "I've prepared some... mental substances just for you. I'm sure someone like you, who enjoys drugs, will love them." Reid said with a grin.

  **

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  Hey folks, I've done some more editing. Regarding some minor issues that I found and main problem of MC's and other people's ihoughts and dialogues, hope you guys have a better reading experienbsp;

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