Alberto and Bruce both nodded. Shiller continued, "So now, let's look at what the difficulties are. I think there are two points, first, if we use excessively violent methods to completely overthrow the mob-dominated system, this will plunge the city into chaos for a long period."
"The second point is, once we start reforming, the manpower and resources that need to be invested are enormous, and once we set forth, there is no turning back. If we want to stop halfway, the sunk costs definitely can't be recovered."
"I think there is another point." Alberto spoke up, "Though the State Council has never had any control over us, and we do not care about the State Council, but when we start making big moves here, will they really have no objections?"
Upon hearing this, Bruce thought that Alberto had a change of heart, but then he heard Alberto say, "So, before we reform, should we create some council seats for the State Council, and then bribe them to vote?"
"There's no rush for this; we'll talk about it after we have our main strategy down." Shiller said, stroking his chin.
Bruce felt out of place. He had a bad feeling because on the moral front, he had become the minority. If it came to voting, he was not at an advantage.
"There is another difficulty." Bruce began, "We say it's for the good of the Gothamites, but they may not necessarily think so. Whether it's the lower class or the mob, if we really touch their piece of cake, I fear we will face strong resistance."
Shiller nodded and noted this point as well. The three of them discussed for a while longer and eventually categorized all the problems into these three types.
"Firstly, if we want to reform, it's bound to be like stabbing the mob. They will inevitably retaliate. What methods do you think would be better?" Shiller posed a question.
Alberto thought for a while, "I think, we should avoid using excessively violent methods. Although I am also more inclined towards swift, accurate and fatal actions, if we provoke them and cause a strong counterattack, not only will the mob base be affected, but the common people might also get harmed. Once the roots are damaged, it will be very difficult to recover."
Bruce paused and said, "I know, my views may be considered radical, but I believe, violence might be the only means."
"And you haven't considered, under such rules, the vast majority of people have connections to the mob, if the methods are too radical, it will inevitably cause a strong backlash..."
Bruce paused as if hesitating whether he should say what's next, but after a while, he still said, "To fundamentally resolve this issue, we must overthrow this system by violent means from the bottom layer."
"To eradicate class differences…" Bruce paused again, seemingly feeling that his words were a bit too blunt. He paused for a long time, but continued anyway, "If we want to eradicate class differences, we can't rely on top-down reforms. Those who possess resources will not give up their resources willingly. Only violence can succeed."
Surprisingly to Bruce, Shiller reacted calmly. Shiller looked at Bruce and said, "In some sense, this is correct, but the problem is who you are. Are you a proletariat?"
"I…" Bruce paused again. The word "proletariat" was irrelevant to him his entire life. Shiller continued, "The reason class conflicts can only be resolved through violence is because capitalists will never awaken. Do you think you are awake? Does the Wayne Family need to be torn apart to nourish everyone with their bodies?"
"Or do you think that the people who tear apart the Wayne Family and distribute their bodies can be fairer and more capable than you?"
Bruce fell silent in thought. He suddenly realized that he had read the book from the wrong perspective, forgetting the biggest issue - that he was a big capitalist, or perhaps the world's only capitalist who wanted to save the world.
If he consistently put himself in the shoes of the lower class, violence indeed seemed to be the only means. The flow of capital is always ruthless and its greed is its essential nature. No capital could ever awaken, and the class that it represents will never wake up either.
But Batman is indeed special, he is a person with a Savior's heart, and furthermore, he is willing to pay unimaginable prices for this cause.
Last night, Bruce Wayne stayed up late reading, absorbing part of the contents of all Marxist works as his own thoughts after finishing them.
What's even more miraculous is that while reading these books, he was actually examining things from the perspective of the lower-class citizens, which might be inseparable from his past experiences in the slums.
No matter what, Batman always remains a hero with compassion in his heart. His obsessive behavior, during his unenlightened times, when he hasn't found the right path, appears very much like a form of psychosis.
But when he plans on paving his own path, it becomes a great driving force and support, allowing him to firmly implement his will.
Bruce was silent for a long time, then said, "I hope that the one who changes Gotham City is me, not just because I want to control this city, but also because I do not trust other people."
Bruce took a deep breath. No one heard it, but his voice was slightly trembling. He said, "Alfred often tells me that people change. I can't wait for a savior to emerge from the lower class, nor can I hope that he will remain the same."
"Of course, you can do this by yourself." Shiller concluded, "And also, you see yourself as too weak, so as to overestimate the difficulty of this task."
"First of all, you are not a Gotham's lower-class citizen, nor are you a mob boss. These two experiences are just steps for you to understand the structure of Gotham, not the entirety."
"If you truly belong to these two classes, you first need to break free from your own class chains, then unite with your fellow class citizens to break the rules, strive for ruling status and only then can a full-scale reform take place."
"But from the beginning to the very end, you are both Bruce Wayne and Batman. When these two identities come together, you can completely bypass this process."
"Bypass?" Bruce furrowed his brows.
Shiller, however, suddenly changed the topic, saying, "Gotham has almost played all its cards at hand, except, it still has an unplayed trump card."