After nearly three months of construction, both phases one and two of the renovation project were nearing completion. The three overpasses connecting the two phases required only the final safety tests before they could be opened to traffic.
Both phases of the construction and the roadwork employed Batcave technology, aning that residents had to undergo fingerprint and iris recognition, as well as genetic sampling, all uploaded to the Batcave system. Inside the buildings, access was restricted strictly based on authorization, preventing entry for anyone not authenticated.
The more critical issue was transportation. These three overpasses implented the sa authentication system, which applied not only to people but also to vehicles. Unregistered or fake-plated cars were denied access. Any drivers attempting to force their way through were t with formidable defenses erging from the road surface, thwarting their progress.
The residents here had grown accustod to information collection. A re thirty seconds with their hand inside the system ensured seamless passage for their vehicles. Most people complied when they discovered that bypassing the system was futile.
However, soon enough, both the Big Gang and the Twelve Families noticed sothing was amiss. Granting the residential area the power to deny entry to unauthorized individuals ant that the Gang could no longer control the residents as they once had.
If they misbehaved, the Gang had no ans of punishing them. As long as the residents could make it back ho, no one could breach the premises. This was sothing the Gang couldn't tolerate.
In response, the leader of the Twelve Families reached out to Bruce again, but this ti the eting appeared far less amicable. It resembled more of a confrontation than a discussion. As soon as Bruce walked in, he noticed that the mob bosses below didn't have happy faces.
"Ahem," Bruce cleared his throat. "The Wayne Building's telephone has been ringing incessantly from last night until this morning. What urgent matters do you have that necessitate bothering during my busy days?"
"Wayne, don't beat around the bush. What's the deal with the authorization system you've implented? Are my n unable to access their own territory?" Lawrence demanded.
"They can access it, but they need authorization," Bruce shrugged. "Have you made them go through the authentication process?"
"How could we not? After they were authenticated, your system claid they weren't residents and denied them entry. They wanted to collect Protection Fees inside, but ended up being thrown out. Wayne! Are you out of your mind? Do you want to oppose all the Gangs?" Lawrence slamd the table, glaring at Bruce.
"Protection Fees? Of course, they can pay," Bruce replied unexpectedly. "Did the building staff not inform you? Every 3rd of the month, Protection Fees are collected by the staff, transferred to a unified account, and then into your bank accounts. Haven't you received them?"
Several leaders of the Twelve Families in the front row were montarily puzzled. One of them walked out, made a phone call in the adjacent living room, and returned with a somber expression. "Indeed, there's an unaccounted deposit in our account, but the amount doesn't match the Protection Fees we used to receive."
"That's because I've been skimming the difference," Bruce said, folding his arms. "Don't tell you thought I was doing charity work? Do you know how much money I invested in Phases One and Two of this project? I'm a businessman. Besides recouping my costs, I need profits."
"But you can't take our Protection Fees!" Lawrence shouted. "You should demand it from those who pay! What's our relationship with them?"
"How do you know I haven't asked them for more?" Bruce raised an eyebrow. "I not only increased the rent, but I also demanded an extra 20% of the Protection Fees from them while deducting 20% from yours. It's all about cost recovery."
"Rember, the defense system I designed doesn't just deter ill-intentioned individuals. It also prevents theft, explosive incidents, and even prostitution, alcoholism, and drug addiction."
"In the Wayne Group's constructed buildings, there won't be drunkards, prostitutes, or drug addicts in the corridors. We have robots to incapacitate troublemakers, and ard staff to break up fights."
"Do you not think that maintaining this secure and stable way of life cos at a cost?" Bruce asked.
"But we didn't ask you to…"
"And you didn't object either!" Bruce banged on the table. "You were the ones who said that curbing excessive drinking would be good. At least the hired muscle they brought in would be healthier and less likely to die from excessive drinking."
"You also said that eliminating prostitution would be a good idea. It would prevent them from getting diseases and spreading them to others. You were worried about who these people might infect if they were questioned."
"You also ntioned that reducing drug use would be beneficial. It would prevent them from stumbling around, unable to hold a gun steady during a shootout, wasting bullets."
"Or was it you who said that preventing fights would be a good idea? So that if one gang fought with another and it spilled into your territory today, and tomorrow the other gang maid soone, it wouldn't reach your doorstep?"
Bruce spread his hands and said, "I've perfectly delivered on all those promises. In the future, these residential buildings won't have drunks, prostitutes, or addicts. Everyone will live safely and securely, with perfectly trained backup Gang muscle."
"You…" Lawrence was montarily silenced, feeling a bit guilty, as what Bruce had just said were the points they had discussed and agreed upon in their previous etings.
When Bruce had outlined his plan to them initially, he had emphasized what the situation inside these high-rises would be like in the future. At that ti, the leaders of the Twelve Families had nothing but praise for these security asures.
In reality, the advantage of the Gang society was its rapid turnover, but the drawback was also its quick turnover. Everyone was passionate and often caused one ss after another. For smaller Gangs, it was manageable, but when a major Gang clashed, only the Twelve Families could step in to diate. If things weren't resolved well, it would lead to disputes.
Take the Spencer Family, for example. It not only required considerable effort to appease them, but it also easily stirred up internal conflicts within the family. Over ti, even the leaders of the Twelve Families grew tired of these ssy cases and hoped that their people would stay put and not create trouble.
Humans were inherently greedy. They hoped to have soone who provided them with interests, acting like hungry wolves when they went out to strive, taking a chunk of flesh from others. But at the sa ti, they wished these individuals were obedient like pet dogs, staying in their cages without causing trouble.
Ideally, they wanted sothing like an ATM machine that would dispense money when needed and behave when not in use.
So, when Wayne raised these issues, they didn't take it lightly. Instead, they praised Wayne, thinking that he could help them deal with many troubles, resulting in fewer cases to diate and more ti for their own indulgence.
Lawrence clenched his fists, pounded the table, and said, "Listen, Wayne, no matter what, you cannot interfere with where we want to go. Our territory is ours, and on our turf, only we call the shots!"
Bruce nodded and said, "Yes, your territory is yours, and I haven't contested that. But my private assets are off-limits to you. Otherwise, I have the right to defend myself."
"Alright, Lawrence," one of the elder leaders of the Twelve Families interjected. "And Mr. Wayne, don't be angry. We're not here to pick a fight. I think we should sit down and have a proper talk."
Lawrence turned his head away, and Bruce nodded. "Back then, I asked if you wanted to invest, and you said no, that I could handle it myself. Well, I did, and now this is my own asset, isn't it?"
"You can't expect to enjoy the privileges without spending any money. If such a good deal existed in the world, wouldn't Wayne Enterprises have ruled the world long ago?"
"So, you want money?" the elder leader asked Bruce.
"It's not that I want money," Bruce repeated. "It's that you want privileges, and the only way to obtain those privileges is by investing in ."
"Otherwise, you can try using violence, but I must remind you that the defense system is automated, not under my control. Although it won't kill, it will use forceful ans to subdue dangerous individuals."
"As for energy and ammunition, don't worry. All the weapons in the defense system use energy, not physical bullets. Energy is provided by the Reactor I've newly developed, and it's almost infinite."
"Bruce Wayne! You've gone too far!" Lawrence raised his voice.
"I've already said that there's room for negotiation. This is just Phases One and Two of the project. There are dozens, even hundreds of phases to co. If you insist on getting involved, then invest."
Bruce shrugged, recalling Schiller's instructions. He then put on a very typical capitalist expression, saying, "I've said it before: I'm a businessman, and I have only one goal, which is to make money."
"I want to reshape Gotham City to make more money. For that, I need to control them first to make them help earn money. So, I'm willing to invest without counting the cost, to improve the buildings and transportation."
"If you also want to make this money, you can't expect to contribute nothing. Why should I share the money I've earned with you?"
"What kind of investnt would you accept?" the elder leader asked, clearly recognizing the astounding profit behind Bruce's transformation plan.
To put it plainly, the others couldn't possibly know that Bruce genuinely wanted to benefit humanity, and they wouldn't imagine that this playboy was such a great figure. They would only think that with such a massive investnt, Wayne would surely reap trendous returns. And when they analyzed his plan...
It beca clear that Wayne intended to take control of the entire city's population. As long as everyone lived in his buildings, used his roads, they would be at his rcy, paying whatever he demanded.
How much money could be squeezed out of the entire population of Gotham? Even the Twelve Families mbers, who weren't exactly short on cash, felt a burning desire.
Gotham was much richer than so small countries, and the wealth one could extract by becoming the de facto leader of such a small country was unimaginable.
If they considered it rely as an investnt, did they really have a choice?
All the leaders of the families exchanged glances, and Bruce scanned the room before tily adding, "You may consider that Wayne Enterprises is always ready to welco your visit."
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