When Jin returned to the bloodstained first floor, the Gotham police had finally arrived. The red and blue lights from their patrol cars illuminated the entire mall.
Although they had arrived late, only a small number of officers—Gordon among them—truly mourned those who had lost their lives.
Most of the Gotham police were secretly relieved that they had arrived late.
After all, none of them wanted to confront Gotham's terrifying villains head-on.
Jin soon spotted Harleen.
She was sitting on the ground with her knees pulled to her chest, still clutching the wooden hammer Jin had given her.
With his sharp eyes, Jin quickly noticed the bloodstains on the hammer.
He already understood what had happened.
"Harleen…"
Jin walked over and knelt down in front of her, unsure how to comfort her.
When Harleen heard Jin's voice, the dull look on her face immediately brightened. She raised her head and threw herself into his arms.
"Jin!"
"I was so scared… Can you please not leave me again?"
Harleen clung to him like a frightened little girl, hiding in the arms she believed were the safest place in the world.
Jin didn't fully understand the deeper meaning behind her words. He simply patted her back and comforted her.
"It's okay now. I won't leave you again."
"Mm…"
What Jin didn't notice was that the corners of Harleen's lips were slowly curling into a smile as she hid in his arms, secretly delighted.
"jin?"
Suddenly, a somewhat aged voice sounded from behind Jin.
Jin immediately knew who had called him.
It was the famous Gotham police chief—the father of Jin's college classmate Barbara Gordon—James Gordon.
"Why are you here?"
"Uncle Gordon," Jin replied calmly, "my friend and I were both victims of this incident. We were lucky to survive, but my friend is still very frightened."
Jin helped the "frightened" Harleen stand up and briefly explained the situation.
Gordon nodded.
He naturally believed Jin's words. As one of his daughter's close friends, Jin had visited their house many times, and Gordon knew him quite well.
Although Gordon had noticed that his daughter might have some special feelings toward Jin, that was a matter for young people. As an elder, he didn't want to interfere.
At most, he could offer advice.
"Well… that's a blessing in disguise," Gordon said.
"jin, take your friend outside first. We still need to handle things here. Later, we'll notify you both to come to the station and give a statement."
"Yes, Uncle Gordon."
Gordon watched as Jin helped Harleen walk out of the mall.
For a moment, he hesitated.
But thinking about his daughter, he took out his phone and sent her a message.
"If you don't act, love won't wait forever."
What Gordon didn't know was that Jin had already been taken first.
After leaving the mall, Jin was about to say something to Harleen, who still appeared frightened.
But suddenly his phone rang.
Ring… ring…
Jin took it out and saw that it was Zatanna calling.
Of course, he couldn't ignore a call from his girlfriend.
"Harleen, wait here for a moment. I need to answer this."
After saying that, Jin stepped aside and picked up the call.
Meanwhile, Harleen's expression subtly changed.
The smile on her lips slowly faded.
She had clearly heard Jin call the person on the phone Zatanna.
That name obviously belonged to a girl, and the way he said it sounded very intimate.
A woman in love could notice such details easily.
Even from a distance, Harleen could roughly tell what Jin was talking about.
A small flame of jealousy began to burn inside her heart.
Without realizing it, she tightened her grip on the wooden hammer Jin had given her.
For a brief moment, a ridiculous thought flashed through her mind.
Maybe I should knock him out right now…
Then take him home and lock him up.
That way he would belong to me alone.
But the thought quickly faded.
Harleen loved Jin far too much.
How could she ever hurt him?
"Well… bye."
Jin finally ended the call with Zatanna and turned around.
When he did, he saw Harleen smiling at him again.
Jin felt puzzled.
Just a moment ago, she had looked like a frightened rabbit.
Now she looked like a blooming flower.
Was I on the phone for that long? he wondered.
"Harleen, how are you feeling now?"
"Much better," she replied with a gentle smile. "Thank you, Jin."
Jin felt relieved hearing that.
After all, he truly considered Harleen a friend.
"Alright. Do you want me to walk you home?"
"No, it's okay. I can go back by myself."
Harleen didn't plan to cling to Jin too much.
Although she wanted to stay with him, she understood that pushing too far might only make him uncomfortable.
"Okay. Then be careful."
"Um… before you go… can you give me a hug?"
Jin shook his head helplessly.
"As long as you don't mind—"
Thump.
Before he finished speaking, Harleen stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
"Well…"
Jin sighed softly.
He simply patted her back and returned the hug.
At that moment, a voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
[Check-in successful: Harley Quinn]
[Reward obtained: Roaming Shooter – Special Gift: Ebony & Ivory]
In an instant, a huge amount of knowledge about firearms and shooting techniques flooded into Jin's mind.
At the same time, two pistols—Ebony and Ivory—were automatically stored inside his system inventory.
Jin was shocked.
He never expected to trigger another check-in reward at this moment.
And the person he had just checked in with was—
Harley Quinn?!
Jin gently pushed Harleen away and looked at her carefully.
But she still looked like the same quiet and gentle girl.
Did the system make a mistake?
How could she already be considered Harley Quinn before even meeting the Joker?
That shouldn't be possible.
Could it be some kind of butterfly effect?
Harleen noticed Jin staring at her.
Her cheeks turned slightly red with embarrassment.
But instead of avoiding his gaze, she secretly straightened her posture, proudly showing her beauty to him.