Chapter 444: Batman Can't Save Gotham
Arthur and his mother live a very impoverished life. At this point, he doesn't know the specifics of what his mother wrote in the letter to Thomas Wayne, but he can guess. It's probably a plea for help from this wealthy tycoon to improve their lives.
Arthur thinks his mother is wasting her time. Wealthy people don't care about the lives of those at the bottom. However, his mother sees it differently, earnestly telling him, 'Only influential figures like Thomas Wayne can change this city.'
Watching this, Arthur couldn't help but chuckle. He didn't have an episode this time, just found the video amusing.
Commissioner Gordon glanced at him, furrowing his brow. "Thomas can indeed change Gotham. He has the ability and the vision. Even if he can't do it, his son can!"
Arthur shrugged. "Perhaps, but whether it's him, you, or Batman, what kind of Gotham do you hope to create? A Gotham full of light, justice, and hope, or a fair and just one where everyone can live happily without worrying about livelihood every day?"
"What do you mean?"
Gordon shook his head. "Thomas can create a Gotham with both light and hope, naturally fair and just, making everyone happy."
"Haha... sorry, I should have noted down that statement. It's a fantastic punchline. Wait, where's my notebook?" Arthur laughed, searching all over himself but couldn't find the notebook where he recorded his thoughts, jokes, and punchlines every day.
His slightly eccentric behavior made Commissioner Gordon frown. "Are you mocking us for only building a seemingly prosperous and bright Gotham, which is, in reality, dark and corrupt?"
Bruce Wayne and Peter Parker also looked over.
"Hmm..." Arthur suppressed his laughter, looking at them seriously. "We all understand one thing. Different people see hope and brightness differently. Take Wayne Enterprises, for example. These wealthy people naturally hope to earn more wealth and benefits. A fair and just Gotham without impoverished people, is that what they hope for? Don't deceive yourselves! The conscience of the wealthy is always self-serving. They might organize fancy charity banquets, but would they give more benefits to those striking sanitation workers or provide better job conditions for the unemployed poor? If they did, how would they make money? So, the fact is already clear. What poor people demand as fairness, justice, and brightness is fundamentally different from what the rich hope for as 'fairness and justice.'"
Gordon's eyes widened upon hearing this. He realized that, despite the eccentricity of Arther's words, there was a certain logic to them. He could only shake his head and respond, "Your ideas are quite radical. Why not focus on making money through fair transactions? Companies like Wayne Group provide jobs and contribute to people's happiness."
Arthur smiled and replied, " Gordon, you could run for mayor with your eloquence. However, convincing those on strike or the wealthy to share profits with the less fortunate is a challenging task. I doubt even you, Harvey Dent, Batman, and his father can achieve it. Do you really believe apprehending gangsters will bring light and hope to Gotham? You might be a bit too optimistic!"
Gordon was momentarily speechless, not because he was convinced by Arthur but because he felt he shouldn't argue about these issues with a mentally unstable patient.
However, Bruce Wayne asked seriously, "So, according to your idea, what should be done to bring the fairness and justice you want to Gotham?"
"A social experiment?"
Arthur grinned, seeing both Spider-Man and Commissioner Gordon wide-eyed. He waved it off, saying, "Just kidding. I actually don't know what to do. I just want to be happier and change the whole city. I don't have that many aspirations."
The original Arthur couldn't have thought of these things, but after joining the Quiz game, seeing the actions of another Gotham Joker and some future videos of himself, he gained some insights.
Madness on the left, genius on the right. Sometimes, madmen and geniuses do share some commonalities and frequently come up with brilliant and whimsical ideas.
Meanwhile, in the video, after chatting with his mother, Arthur watched a sitcom – The Murray Franklin Show.
Murray was an outstanding stand-up comedian and Arthur's idol. In the video, Arthur watched the show attentively, and suddenly, the camera cut to the recording of The Murray Franklin Show.
With joyful music playing, Murray slowly walked onto the stage. The audience below gave him enthusiastic applause, and Arthur was among them. However, unlike his previous appearance in a red outfit, Arthur now wore a blue one.
He applauded vigorously, and after Murray delivered his opening remarks, Arthur even stood up and shouted, "I like you, Murray! "
Murray noticed him. "Hey, was that you shouting just now? Stand up, let's chat. What's your name?"
"Arthur, I'm Arthur." Arthur stood up, wearing a shy smile.
Mori asked where he was from, and Arthur said he currently lived in Gotham with his mother, causing laughter from the surrounding audience. After all, Arthur was already quite old, yet he still lived with his mother – clearly a case of living off his parents.
But Murray stopped the audience's laughter and defended Arthur, saying, "There's nothing funny about this. Before making it big, I also lived with my mother. Arthur, there's something special about you, I can see it. I'm that kind of kid. When my dad said he was going out to buy cigarettes, he never came back."
Upon hearing this, Arthur empathized and said, "I understand that feeling, Murray. Since I can remember, I've been the backbone of the family, taking good care of my mother!"
At this point, Arthur looked somewhat proud. It was probably the only thing he could take pride in as a loser from the lower class – a life with very few moments of pride.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone