The election worker reviewing candidates almost threw away the documents upon seeing the name on the first page of Gotham's submission.
Was Gotham's godfather seriously contemplating politics?
Of course, after calming down, it wasn't impossible. Falcone's age might seem rather old for a mob boss, considering the rapid turnover rate in the underworld, but his ability to maintain this status for so many years made him a standout.
In terms of politics, there were plenty of men Falcone's age. The average age in Congress was over 50, with no lack of elderly politicians, so if Falcone decided to enter politics now, it wouldn't be too late, given he was starting from an advantageous point.
At very minimum, if he wished to become the mayor of Gotham, then become a state senator for New Jersey, certainly no one could obstruct him.
Once a state senator, if Wayne Enterprises was willing to continue supporting his election campaigns, then entering Congress or even moving upwards wouldn't be impossible.
However, this mayoral election was originally meant to clean up Roy's mob-style commentary. If Falcone ran and was elected as Gotham's mayor, it would feel like they'd aimed to catch an eel but caught a great white shark instead.
State government members believed Falcone wouldn't express arrogant remarks like his godson. But the problem was that they'd prefer he did!
The verbally strong could be annoying, but the first-class could take you out!
If Falcone truly became mayor, then he would have the entire world of Gotham, both above and below ground, in his palm.
Just how hard the godfather was to deal with had been tested by countless individuals, each paying with their lives.
The state government had no choice but to hurriedly call Falcone's mansion, only to feel a sense of relief upon learning that the godfather was only supporting his godson and had no real intention of running for office.
The godfather's biological son, young Falcone, told them that his father was already old and was planning his retirement, with no interest in entering politics.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at this news. After all, Roy being mayor might be a minor annoyance. But if Falcone entered politics, it could lead to an unanticipated path.
After this fiasco, state government members had no choice but to intensify their scrutiny of Gotham City's mayoral candidates.
They then discovered that finding a decent candidate from this pool was as difficult as finding gold in shit.
Anyone with half a brain knew that being the mayor of Gotham was a death sentence, so the kinds of people applying almost went without saying.
Out of a total of 23 applications, 19 were famous mob bosses in Gotham. Of the remaining four, three were underage, the youngest being only six years old. The last one was submitted by a cat owned by Gotham's Gold Cup Bar.
What's even more ridiculous was that of all the applications, the only one that had been fully completed was the cat's. The rest appeared to depend on the quantity of Vodka consumed before the applicants could write anything substantial.
To truly find a suitable candidate for mayor in these applications gave state government members a headache.
First, even if they could select one, it remained uncertain whether they could even grasp the voting regulations.
Second, the big concern was whether their criticism, if elected, would be even worse than that of Roy's.
The vital issue was, should they choose someone, and the remaining applicants felt the election was biased, they might end up being shot down in cold blood.
It was now proven that Gotham was an absolute mess. Having any association with the city was undoubtedly bad luck. State government members now found themselves in a terrible predicament.
Those who could be selected didn't want to, and those who wanted couldn't be selected. What could possibly be done?
The government members pondered hard, only to conclude that letting Roy continue might be the best option.
Consider this, Roy used fewer than ten swear words throughout his entire speech, but the applications from the other candidates packed more than a hundred dirty words into just 300 words. If any of these applicants ended up as mayor, Congress would most probably be devastated.
Out of desperation, the election became a mere formality, and in less than a week, from the moment his campaign's suspension was lifted, Roy became an official candidate once again, his re-election as mayor publicized.
This had a profound impact.
The mob bosses of these cities had been stewing. They were fed up with the uninvolved journalists and critics. In their minds, if it was about spewing insults, the mob bosses who had seen it all in the streets wouldn't be afraid of anyone.
But who got the ball rolling wasn't one of the nearby coastal cities; it was Detroit.
When talking about the most tragic city in recent industrial history, one must mention Detroit.
Approximately from 1960 to 1970, the oil crisis caused tremendous losses to the automotive industry. Detroit, once the thriving 'Motor City', practically turned to ruins overnight as people were displaced and mobs fiercely ruled the streets.
Because the economic decline of Detroit happened so rapidly, it didn't even exceed a generation. The people living there now watched helplessly as this once prosperous city journeyed towards its doom. They were living proof of Roy's theory.
When Detroit fell, there was no savior. The ordinary citizens lost order overnight, almost instantly plunged into a hellish state with racial conflicts, riots, and shootings. The gunshots that erupt from countless Detroit nights shine as brightly as the lights of its once thriving factories, never ceasing.
In short, official department staff members, mob bosses, and civilian representatives among them all stepped forward to condemn each other, then banded together to criticize those armchair critics, pointing the blaming finger directly at the Congress.
The intensity of the reaction slightly surprised Shiller. In the manuscript he gave to Roy, he had already deleted some radical arguments and avoided certain sensitive topics.
The real purpose of this speech was to pave the way for upcoming city collaborations and industrial transition upgrades. Simply put, to wage a war, first raise a flag.
The aim was to provide these culturally similar cities, all mired in crime, with a legitimate excuse to unite.
If our downfall isn't our fault, then what's wrong with us coming together to make money?
But what Shiller didn't anticipate was that this actually pointed out the biggest dilemma of the economic development of Eastern America during this era.
The fundamental conflicts brought about by the system leading to cyclical economic crises, will cause wave upon wave of unemployment. Unemployed people without proper control and management, will spontaneously form groups, which then evolve into an organization like the mob.
The existence of the mob severely threatens local security. This in turn obstructs investors who can't develop in a safe environment. This leads to capital withdrawal, and new investors hesitate to come forward due to the city's notorious reputation. This results in further economic decline, more unemployed people, and more rampant mobs.
The flourishing sea trade on the East Coast naturally provides a breeding ground for the development of illegal industries. Once the mob blossoms, so do various illegal enterprises.
The success of the illegal industry will instinctively repel regular industries, further hindering their development, thus propelling the city into an endless cycle of darkness.
Most cities don't have someone as ruthlessly competent as Falcone, who can find a path in the worsening vicious cycle through extreme violent rule to restore a semblance of order. This order in turn profits and nourishes the social structure itself.
Therefore, most cities, unlike Gotham, can't be evil yet rich. Most of them are disorderly and impoverished, frantically probing at the edge of bankruptcy.
The citizens of these cities definitely harbor more resentment than Gothamites. After all, in terms of infrastructure, population density, and living conditions, Gotham is one of the best in all of America. Despite its bizarre weather and ecosystem, it is still a modern and prosperous metropolis.
However, Detroit and other post-industrial era cities are not the same. The rapid development of the automobile industry has led to industrial imbalance, hindering the improvement of other basic city infrastructures and human environments.
People soon discovered that when they had money, these were non-issues. But now that they're broke, such imbalances bring all sorts of trouble, making their lives worse.
The speech written by Shiller from the perspective of Gotham and Chicago still seemed a bit like bragging.
Chicago and Gotham are already considered the cream of the crop among cities of this type. Even Detroit ranks fairly well. At least it once thrived, and most people still have some sort of nest egg. Smaller cities are even more hard-pressed.
Almost overnight, the situation in major East Coast cities became somewhat agitated. They thought this mob-affiliated mayor made sense. If no one is coming to save us, we should find ways to save ourselves.
What Shiller didn't expect was that Emperor City's mob had already approached them before they started their next step, which was to communicate with Miami, as part of their grand scheme to integrate Gotham, Chicago and Miami.
Emperor City is another unique city in DC Comics, the hometown of the superhero Hunter Paul, and also a major city on the East Coast.
Of course, the situation in Emperor City is certainly much better than Gotham. There is still a basic order here. The mob is a part of the city, but not the whole.
But just like all other East Coast Cities, the black economy is the major source of income here, and the city is most renowned for its tourism and casinos.
Emperor City is a city with beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate. Its long-standing gambling industry, with its numerous large and small casinos, has become a part of the tourism industry. Recently, its economic development has been quite good, and despite most cities experiencing difficulties, it's still progressing steadily.
The mayor of Emperor City and the city's biggest mob have an ambiguous relationship. After all, it's almost impossible for the gambling industry not to have any relationship with the mob.
On the second day of his reappointment, Roy received a call from the Mayor of Emperor City.
They exchanged views on the friendly exchanges between Gotham and Chicago during the call, proposed their own ideas about the future development of each city, and initially reached a consensus.
While reflecting on the painful history of the East Coast port cities, the two mayors, who both care deeply about their citizens, also envisaged a vision of future prosperity. Both expressed their wishes for the bright future of win-win cooperation.
Roy will also visit Emperor City the following month to study and see if there is anything Gotham can learn from.
After hearing this news, the Twelve Families expressed that everyone has a responsibility to develop Gotham and that they are willing to support Roy's visit in any way they can.
The potential of the gambling industry is vast, and it also has the basis for the development of the tourism industry. Once completely illegal industries are out of question, gambling and tourism industries would be the best directions for city transformation.