However, his later wife insisted that their son attend the best university. This perturbed Old Spencer, who sent his son away to high school in a different city. He was gone for seven or eight years, and by the time he returned, Gotham had changed so much that no one recognized him.
Old Spencer did not favor his eldest daughter, and thus did not mentor her. But Miss Spencer was highly talented, beautiful, and socially intelligent. She was well-known amongst the young ladies of Gotham and had strong social connections.
This resulted in a problem. When Old Spencer's favored younger son returned, he was at a distinct disadvantage in comparison to his sister.
However, the younger son had a solid grounding in economic management which proved useful in running the family business. Many were drawn to his leadership. The eldest daughter, because of her strong foundation and wide network, also had many followers.
If one side was dominant and the other weak, there would be no issue. But, since both siblings were evenly matched, it created a power struggle. One day, someone would pressure the other to give up their shares, and the next day, someone would cut off the other's production line. This tore the Spencer Family's industries apart.
Old Spencer was not close to his daughter due to their strained relationship, nor was he close to his son, whom he had not seen for multiple years.
The eldest daughter accused her father of purposely causing her mother's death, while the younger son felt his father had not adequately protected their mother over the years. Old Spencer was trapped in a situation where he could do no right.
Lacking authority with his children, he would have retained control if he had the power. Unfortunately, Old Spencer was not as gifted as his two children. As soon as the battle began, he lost control.
Alberto sighed and said: "Old Spencer's younger son, a bumpkin who returned from the countryside, did not understand the rules of Gotham. At a banquet, he could not help himself and tried to hit his sister."
"Miss Spencer is no pushover. As soon as she finished her manicure, she retaliated, injuring her brother's eye, and turning him into a 'one-eyed dragon' at a young age…"
"This caused a significant problem. The entire Spencer Family became a laughing stock among the Twelve Families. The younger son tried to hit his sister at their father's birthday party, only to end up being injured himself. Blood was spilled mere minutes into the party. Once the news spread, it was a major blow to the family's reputation."
"If this had happened in the past, the Godfather might have intervened. But now, the Falcone Family is too busy making money to meddle in these trivialities."
"They don't want to be among the Twelve Families anymore, there are plenty of others who want that spot. I mentioned the other day that the Spense Family's decline provides an opportunity for the Oswald family to rise. I have high hopes for Cobblepot…"
Shiller and Bruce exchanged looks. They found that the topic they wanted to discuss was the same. Finally, Shiller was the first to speak:
"Among the Twelve Families, how common are situations like this?"
Alberto frowned and replied: "From what Evans and I recall, such cases have been increasing in recent years."
"The Twelve Families are never short of money, especially the families of the bosses. They go on vacation every year, have home theaters, and lack nothing. Many children raised in such families are not content to stay in Gotham and prefer to venture outside."
"With such a fast turnover of mob members, if you have a few years of blank space where you were not in Gotham, you may not recognize the people when you return. If there are other children in the family, you would find it difficult to compete with them."
Alberto shook his head and continued: "Many of these second-generation mob members who like to wander outside are nimble-minded and ambitious. They are determined to bring about reform. However, most of the current mob bosses are of the Godfather's generation and they dislike these greenhorns who don't abide by the rules."
"They want to maintain the existing order, so they suppress these people by promoting other successors in the family. However, the suppressed side will not take this lying down. In recent years, family conflicts have increased, the Godfather cannot resolve every issue, and many can only be settled by the parties involved."
Alberto revealed a somber expression, saying:" This is why I am under such great pressure. After I took over, many of the new generation expect me to abolish these rules and provide them with freedom, but most of the older generation thinks that I should maintain the order on their behalf…"
"So, what do you intend to do?" Bruce asked.
Alberto nodded and said: "If you were in my position, you would see clearly that these brash youngsters who break the rules can cause a lot of trouble. They are impulsive and don't think about the consequences. Yet, those children brought up under strict rules are too inflexible and narrow-minded."
"If I must state my inclinations, actually, I lean towards the wise…" Alberto massaged his brow with a hint of helplessness: "There are many uneducated people, and I really don't know how to communicate with them. It's like we don't even speak the same language. Their comprehension is truly problematic."
"Take the logistic industry, for example, those who are uneducated and only live by the rules don't understand why the road construction must pass through their territory. Why their business has to be affected? They can't take a long-term view of things and are only concerned with immediate gains and losses..."