After nearly three months of the renovation project, the first and second phase were nearing completion. The three interchange bridges between the two phases only needed one final safety test before they could be opened for use.
The construction of the first and second phase and the associated roads utilized the Batcave's technology. This meant that residents had to register their fingerprints and iris scans, as well as having their genes collected and uploaded to the Batcave's system. Upon doing so, access within the buildings would be restricted based on authorization. Those who had not been registered could not enter the buildings under any circumstances.
Even more concerning was the transportation. The same authentication system was in place for the three interchange bridges. Unauthorized individuals and vehicles, including those without license plates or using counterfeit plates, were denied access. Any attempts at forced entry would be met with formidable defence measures that were just short of the Gundam's capabilities.
The residents here didn't have any particular feelings about the information obtained. Extending their hand for 30 seconds would let their cars move unimpeded. The majority of people accepted this measure upon discovering that disobedience was futile.
However, The Big Gang and the Twelve Families soon realized the problem. Once a residential area had the right to refuse entry to unauthorized individuals, that meant the gang would no longer be able to control the residents there.
If those residents did not comply with the rules, there would be no way for the gang to punish them. They could flourish as long as they stayed home, a situation that the gang definitely could not accept.
As a result, the leaders of the Twelve Families came to Bruce again. This meeting looked far from friendly; it seemed more like a crusade. As soon as Bruce entered, he discovered that the faces of the mob bosses were far from pleasant.
"Ahem." Bruce coughed, "The Wayne Building's phone has been ringing non-stop since last night. What's the urgent matter that you need to find me during my busiest days?"
"Wayne, don't beat around the bush with us. What's the deal with this Authority Recognition system you've implemented? Are you saying that my people can't even get into their own turf anymo
"They can, but they need to be registered." Bruce shrugged, "Have you had them certified?"
"Of course we have! After the certification, your damned system claimed that he wasn't a resident here and wouldn't let him in. He wanted to collect protection money, but he was thrown out, Wayne! Have you lost your mind? Do you want to antagonize all the gangs?!" Lawrence slammed the table and glared at Bruce.
"Protection money? Of course, they pay that," Bruce replied unexpectedly. "No one said they can't pay protection money. The building staff hasn't told you? On the 3rd of every month, the protection money is collected by the employees. After being deposited into a unified account, it's transferred to your bank cards. Haven't you received it?"
The few heads of the Twelve Families at the forefront hesitated for a moment. Then one of them left to call from the next room. After a few words with the person on the other end of the phone, he returned with a grim face, saying, "Indeed, there was an unexplained deposit in the account, but the amount does not align with the protection money we used to collect."
"That's because I took a cut." Bruce crossed his arms, "You don't actually think that I was doing charity work, do you? Do you know how much money I put into the first and second phase of construction? I'm a businessman. I need to not only recover my costs but also make a profit."
"But you can't take our protection money!" Lawrence shouted, "You should ask them more! Ask those who pay protection money for more, what does it have to do with us?!"
"How do you know I haven't asked them for more?" Bruce raised his eyebrows, "Not only did I increase the rent, but I also asked them to pay 20% more for protection money, while also deducting 20% of yours. This is my way of recouping the costs."
"Don't forget, the defensive system I designed, not only stops malicious people from getting in, it also prevents theft, explosions, prostitution, drunkenness, and drug abuse…"
"In the buildings under Wayne Enterprises' purview, any troublemakers, drunkards, and dopers are rendered unconscious by robots if they dare to cause havoc in the hallways. If anyone tries to fight, armed staff will intervene."
"Don't you think maintaining this peaceful and stable living environment comes at a price?" Bruce retorted
"But we never asked you to..."
"But you never objected either!" Bruce interrupted, knocking the table, "You were the ones who said that preventing excessive drinking is a good thing. At least, the young goons you recruit are healthier and won't drop dead in a bar after receiving money…"
"You also agreed it would be a good thing to put an end to prostitution, so no one will contract diseases unknowing of whom they might spread it to, making even interrogations nerve-wracking…"
"Similarly, you also agreed that reducing drug use was a good thing. It saves the trouble of stumbling around and not being able to aim properly during a shootout, wasting bullets…"
"You also agreed that preventing fights is a good thing so as to avoid the trouble when one gang harms someone from another gang, creating a mess that you need to clean…"
Bruce spread his hands saying, "I have accomplished all of these, there will be no drunkards, no prostitutes, and no dopers in these residences. Everyone lives in peace and security, and your criminal reserves are in perfect shape."
"You…" Lawrence was caught off guard, then a bit embarrassed because everything that Bruce had mentioned was indeed previously discussed and agreed upon by them.
When the construction plans were first proposed, Bruce had emphasized what the circumstances would be like in these buildings in the future. Back then, the heads of the Twelve Families had praised these defensive measures.
The advantage of mob society was rapid rejuvenation, but that was also its downside. Frequent violent conflicts were inevitable given everybody's temper, which led to constant chaos. Minor gangs could manage, but large gang conflicts invariably involved the intervention of the Twelve Families. If they could not mediate effectively, they would inevitably invite criticism.
Just like the original Spense Family, not only was their labor unappreciated, but it could also easily cause internal family conflicts. In the long run, the heads of the Twelve Families began to despise these messy cases, hoping their subordinates could stay out of trouble.
Human beings are always conscious of their greed. They hope their benefactors would be aggressive like hungry wolves when out there, fiercely earning profits, yet when they're home, they want them to be obedient pet dogs, staying in their cages and not causing any problems.
The best prospect is for them to be like ATM machines, at all times ready to dispense money, and staying put when not doing so.
Therefore, they didn't care about the problems raised by Wayne. On the contrary, they praised his ability to solve many of their troubles for them. The fewer the cases he had to mediate, the more time they could spend in their hedonistic pursuits.
Lawrence clenched his fist and hammered the table saying, "Listen, Wayne, no matter what, you cannot interfere with where we want to gallivant. Our turf is ours, and on our turf, only we have a say!"
Bruce nodded, "Yes, your turf is yours, I never said otherwise. However, you cannot infringe on my personal assets, otherwise, I have the right to defend them."
"Okay now, Lawrence." One of the elder heads of the Twelve Families burst out, "And Mr. Wayne, don't be upset. We didn't come here to quarrel. I think we should sit down and talk."
Lawrence turned his head aside; Bruce nodded and said, "At that time, I asked if you wanted to invest, but you declined. I did it alone which makes it my own asset, right?"
"You cannot want authority without investing money. If that was possible, wouldn't Wayne Enterprises already be ruling the world?"
"So, you want the money?" the elder head asked Bruce.
"It's not me who wants the money." Bruce repeated, "You want authority so you can only obtain it by investing in me."
"Otherwise, you can try using force. As long as you can demolish the building, this won't be a problem. But I have to remind you that the defense system is automated, not controlled by me. It won't kill, but it will use aggressive means to subdue threats."
"Don't worry about energy and ammunition. All weapons in the defense system use energy, not physical bullets, and energy is provided by the new reactor I developed, which is virtually infinite."
"Bruce Wayne! You've overstepped your bounds!" Lawrence raised his voice.
"As I have already stated, there is room for negotiation. These are only stages one and two of the project. There are dozens, even hundreds of stages to go. If you really want to meddle, then invest."
Bruce just shrugged, recalling Shiller's previous instructions to him, and then he put on a typical capitalist face, saying, "As I've mentioned, I'm a businessman. My goal is only one, and that is to make money."
"I have chosen to remodel Gotham City, to better make money. For this reason alone, I have to get them under control first, so they can help me make money. That's why I'm willing to invest at any cost to improve the buildings and transportation."
"If you want to make this money as well, you can't possibly expect to do so without investing at all. Then why should I share the money I earn with you?"
"In what form do you accept investment?" asked an elder head, evidently spotting the enormous profits behind Bruce's remodel.
To put it bluntly, other people could not possibly know that Bruce actually wanted to serve humanity. They wouldn't consider that this playboy is such a noble character.
They would only think that with Bruce's massive investment, he is definitely going to reap huge returns, and considering his plan.....
It's not hard to realize that Wayne intends to take control of the entire city. Everyone will live in his apartments, use his roads, and they'll have to pay him whatever he demands.
How much money could they milk from the entire Gotham City's population? Just the thought of it made the heart of every member of the Twelve Families, flush with cash, burn with desire.
Gotham is richer than many small countries, and just the wealth that can be exploited by being a real leader in a small country would be unimaginable.
If this were viewed as an investment opportunity, should it be seized or not?
All heads of the families exchanged glances, and Bruce, scanning the room, spoke at the right moment:
"You can consider it. Wayne Enterprises is always ready to welcome you."