Shiller heard from Cobblepot all about his rise to a small gang leader in the North District.
Admittedly, Cobblepot was a genius, especially in the art of power and manipulation. His plans were detailed, his mind clear, and his execution powerful. His acting skills were excellent, always able to present the right image at the right time, and then deceive everyone.
When he was with Fish, he acted as if he was at war with the invading mob bosses, like a native defender of his own territory.
But when he switched to Kevin, he started talking about Fish's inhumanities, claiming the mob bosses' turf war was supremely justified and aimed to rescue the citizens of Living Hell from extreme hardship.
Fish, of course, was very angry when she learned of his betrayal, but Cobblepot provided these mob bosses with a justifiable excuse for their looting. These bosses had to protect him and even make him a model, promoting him as much as possible. This showed that under their rule, even a weak cigarette peddler could obtain status and power, showing Fish's rule over Living Hell left no room for change.
Cobblepot made himself the exemplar these mob bosses needed to establish, not only getting his chance to step forward but also aggravating the tension between Fish and these bosses, bringing them nearly to the brink of war.
"Then what? What did you do to make Kevin start to fear you?" Shiller asked Cobblepot. Before Cobblepot could answer, Shiller added, "In your previous story, you said that Kevin was worried that you might take his place, but there is a plot hole…"
"These single-minded mob bosses rarely fret over a civilian staff. Most of them think that only a man with a gun can pose a threat, and you? Physically weak and unarmed, how could a traditional fist size-respecting mob boss like Kevin fear you for no reason?"
Cobblepot opened his mouth, but instead of answering Shiller's question, he inquired, "Why do you understand them so well?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you…" Shiller turned around, picked up a notebook from the desk behind him as he said, "Let me see..."
"Among the current mob bosses in Living Hell, only one has no hospital records. The other five have all been patients here, including that Kevin. I saw him in the hallway…"
"Isn't this a mental hospital?" Cobblepot exclaimed.
"Do you think they don't have mental illnesses?"
Cobblepot took a deep breath; he was speechless. What Shiller said made sense. In Gotham, how could you be a mob boss without a touch of madness?
"Alright, let me keep going…"
"My goal from the beginning was to accumulate capital because even if I escaped the Godfather's control, I couldn't return to vagrancy. I can't build a mob from scratch, so I have to steal an existing one..."
"I started to win people's hearts in Kevin's gang. I used my computing ability to collect more water fee than other places without being noticed. I bought off the lower-level staff with small benefits, getting convenience, earning more money, and then bribed quite a few middle and high tiers with larger sums..."
"I didn't expect to make a move so soon, but an idiot was careless when reporting to Kevin and accidentally revealed that I had pocketed a lot of extra water fee."
"Just like you said, these mob bosses don't care about a man without a gun, but they care about money."
"Learning that I had embezzled the water fee, Kevin was very angry. He threatened to kill me. It was just due to the diversion by several high-rank members that I had bribed, that he didn't explode right away."
"But I knew I had to take action ahead of time. Kevin wouldn't tolerate me for long."
"It seems like your experience isn't rich enough." Shiller concluded, "In Gotham, don't rely on others. They can't get anything done and only bring trouble."
"I realize that now." Cobblepot responded with a cold snort.
"Still, there's no need for you to return to Fish. Couldn't you have killed Kevin yourself? You should have had plenty of chances."
"But that doesn't solve the problem."
Cobblepot's tone became slightly helpless, he said, "It's a quagmire there. Once I kill Kevin and take his place, the massive change will destabilize the gang."
"There are several other wolves waiting around. The moment there is a problem within the gang, they will swarm in and divide the turf."
"I can kill one Kevin with my wit, but I can't kill everyone. If I want to take over and stabilize the gang while intimidating them, I need external power."
"So, you went back to Fish?"
"Yes, at that time Fish was still communicable, she hadn't gone mad yet. I apologized to her and offered that I could help her liaise outside."
"At this point, Fish was still very aggressive, but her brain was clear enough. She was moved by the potential benefits. So, we started to collaborate."
The initial light in this scene came from the mirror, reflecting Cobblepot putting on a brand new suit, tying the tie, looking more and more like the mob bosses in Gotham.
His figure moved back and forth between the Munni Gang and other mobs, one moment he was passionately presenting various advice and plans to Fish, and the next, he was being friendly with Kevin.