Laughing American comics, I am becoming more and more like a clown

William remained silent and did not answer.

How did he know he was infertile?

He had many lovers over the past thirty years, but none of them conceived a child, so he went to the hospital for a check-up and found that his sperm was weak... making it difficult for him to have a child.

……

The birth rate is Gotham’s biggest problem right now… In a city with a population of ten million, there have been fewer than one hundred thousand newborns in the past thirty years. If this trend continues, it will be a deserted city in one hundred and fifty years.

As for why the fertility rate is so low, there are two theories. One is that all the people in Gotham were poisoned, and their fertility gradually declined over time until they became infertile... This is a bit outrageous.

Another theory is widely accepted... The Gotham governed by Paul was a poor place to live and conflicts arose frequently, so he refused to have children.

The compulsory childbirth currently being implemented is a good way to solve the problem... Unfortunately, there is a saying that "governing a country is like cooking a small fish" and another proverb that goes "boiling a frog in warm water."

Radical action will unsettle the flock.

There was some commotion among the people.

Unfortunately, without the black goat to lead the way, as time went by, they gradually got used to it and calmed down.

……

"Do you know what's most important for a city, especially a self-sufficient city?"

"food?"

“It’s a water source.”

"Unopened bottled water has a shelf life of up to 24 months, but after opening it is no more than three days. Barreled water has a shelf life of one to three months, but after opening it is seven days. Boiled water will start to stink after one day... Do you understand what this means?"

"It means that if something is put into the water supply, the whole city will be affected, but if the amount is small enough and the period is long enough... then no one will notice."

"Is this your plan?"

"This was my original plan. I wanted to pollute the water source, stir up conflict, and take it a step too far. I wanted to poison some people and put the blame on the rebels... This was the original plan."

……

A city that relies on self-sufficiency has little ability to resist risks. Once one of its industrial chains breaks, it will either fall into chaos or restore contact with the outside world... This is Lucian's purpose.

The most important industrial chain, the easiest to access, and often overlooked is the water source.

Gotham is a coastal city. Part of its fresh water comes from seawater desalination, part comes from groundwater, and part comes from secondary utilization of sewage treatment.

……

“But I really didn’t expect it.”

"Long-term, common, trace, and difficult to have children." He smiled.

Lucien found the old clown's chemical laboratory and saw the extremely detailed experimental records, chemical equations, drug ratios and sample data. He put them in front of Arthur and said, "Don't tell me you don't know this."

"..."

Arthur knew about this, and even helped the old clown do this because his health was declining year by year.

"I'm not innocent," he said.

……

Arthur's attitude is very strange. He rebels against the Joker, but obeys him at the same time. He says he wants to be a normal person, but he always does things that normal people would not do.

……

"This is great."

But it had nothing to do with Lucien. He had no psychological burden at all: "You have to help me."

"what?"

"Increase the dose."

……

When Lilith lamented to him that Jenny was carrying the child Gotham had been hoping for in many years, Lucien was a little confused... Why didn't people in Gotham have children?

Because they disobeyed Paul's rule? Was it a form of rebellion?

Or maybe, this is the Dark Multiverse, so the leftovers don't deserve offspring?

...There is a missing logical chain.

Now the logical chain is completed here with the old clown.

Lucian opened the earliest experimental records... It started from twenty-eight years ago, which means that he had been planning this since the old clown disappeared.

This can no longer be called a plan or inference, it can be called a prophecy.

"I kind of regret burning him. He should come back to life and explain himself."

Chapter 137 Opportunity

What happens if you increase the dose of fertility suppressants?

This will render "forced childbirth" completely ineffective.

The first month.

"...I'm not pregnant." The wife put the pregnancy test stick in front of William, feeling a little relieved and timid.

"..."

So at night, another group of people came to the house. William stood behind the door, listening to the increasingly desperate cries for help from inside, and slowly squatted down.

After dawn, his wife slapped him again.

Second month.

The wife looked at the pregnancy test stick that didn't show any results, and took out another fake pregnancy test stick that did show any results. (Strawberries can cause some pregnancy test sticks to show two lines.)

She knew it was useless and that she couldn't keep it a secret for long, so she planned her escape.

William took the pregnancy test stick without saying a word... He often behaved like a cowardly husband in an H-movie.

That night, when William got up to go to the bathroom, his wife jumped out of the window.

The fourth floor was not very high, but she sprained her ankle. Fortunately, she managed to escape. William noticed the noise and stood at the window looking down, but did not chase her.

The next morning, there was a knock on the door, and a man dressed in government army uniform and his wife, who looked extremely embarrassed, appeared at the door.

Census and registration… William said nothing and welcomed her in.

"You knew it a long time ago?" The wife collapsed to the ground after closing the door.

William didn't explain. He picked her up and carried her into the shower room to clean the traces on her body. His wife nestled in his arms and sobbed.

"Intuition..." He said, "It's best to listen to the reporter's intuition."

"Can we run? You take me with you."

"We can't get away." He kissed her.

Third month.

Still not pregnant.

"I think." The wife opened her pale lips, a little numb: "I have a problem too... Can we go to the hospital? Check my body?"

Fourth month.

She was artificially inseminated.

Fifth month.

No conception occurred.

At this time, William and his wife realized that not only them, but the entire Gotham, under such a strong force, within these five months... no more than ten people became pregnant.

"Maybe there's something wrong with all of our bodies." William took a sip of wine. The spicy liquid stimulated his brain. He sat on the ground while his wife lay beside him, looking at the ceiling with confused and empty eyes.

"...I don't know, William." Her voice was very soft.

"Feel sorry."

"I don't blame you..." Still very softly.

William drank it mouthful by mouthful without saying anything, but he was thinking about what he had just said.

If they were an exception, they would just be unlucky, but the whole city is like this.

William has been responsible for flattering Paul for 28 years, and he has almost no bottom line. As a result, he is valued and has access to some data.

Some news that he had deliberately ignored.

The fertility rate is declining year by year and the number of newborns is decreasing.

He originally thought it was a protest... William was too far away from them. He was surrounded by wealthy people and had never heard of anyone having no descendants.

William's eyes fell on the wine, and a hint of reporter's acumen flashed through him.

Air? Land? Water?

……

"The smuggling boat was sunk again, what the hell." Oswald still didn't give up on drugs... The market was too big, but Damian's methods were much more rigorous and cruel than Paul's, forcing him to rethink, regain his sanity, and analyze the pros and cons.

But when he opened the study door, he saw a turning point.

"Cobert, long time no see." Lucian put down the cigar in his hand.

"...How did you become like this?"

The exposed skin was covered with burn marks, and there were scattered, fuzzy hairs sticking out from under the hat.

"A new skin! Participate in the 'Bat Backstab' event to get it for free. Do you want it too?" Lucian lamented, "Too bad the event is over. We'll have to wait for it to return."

OSWALD: ...

He closed the door behind him and said, "What do you want to see me for?"

"I need some ammunition."

Lucian pushed a piece of paper to him. Oswald squinted at the contents on it. There were a large number of basic firearms and bullets, which were indeed quite a lot in terms of TNT content.

"Okay, but you have to bring me benefits."