Bruce deeply contemplated. If he had made any notable progress during this period, it was that he understood Shiller's modus operandi much better.
In terms of arrogance, Shiller was a very meticulous person, especially in academics. If this test was indeed to assess Bruce's survival abilities in the underbelly of Gotham, Shiller would not set him a worse starting point like turning him into a child.
On one hand, if the starting point was different, the evaluation criteria for progress would change accordingly. On the other hand, in reality, Bruce was not a child, and it was improbable for him to become a child again. Conducting a test based on such hypothetical assumptions was meaningless.
"What do you think is the most important aspect of escaping a certain environment?"
At this question, Bruce squinted his eyes, and Jack continued, "The answer is: the desire to escape from a certain environment."
"And the premise of wanting to escape a certain environment is to first recognize the abnormality of the environment in which you are situated."
"Listen, Batman, Gotham is not normal! Which other city requires a child to devote so much energy to maintaining their safety and filling their stomach? Choose any other city, and you could direct that wasted energy towards stimulating your wisdom."
"But I fail to see the point." Bruce caressed his cup as he spoke, "Is this just a tricky riddle?"
"The subsequent part is bonus questions." Jack ran a hand through his hair and added, "Well, it's not a complete veiling of the question, how do you view the mob?"
"It has its pros and cons."
"What are its cons?"
Jack had just asked this question when he clucked his tongue and said, "I'm still not used to Shiller's tone, so I'll just tell you directly."
"Neither you nor the majority of people in Gotham realize that the true harm of the mob isn't their law-breaking."
Bruce listened attentively while Jack paused for a moment before continuing, "The significance of the law is relative. If it doesn't protect us, it's natural for us not to abide by it. That's my viewpoint."
"From Gotham's perspective, the mob breaking the law isn't a big deal, and it's utterly unrelated to justice. The problem is that industries that maintain interests through violence obliterate the necessity of labor. This can completely shatter a person's value system."
"Let's say, I worked hard in a factory all day and earned twenty U.S. Dollars, while my neighbor old Joey earned a thousand U.S. Dollars from a single round of poker. Does my labor still hold any meaning?"
"No one in this world works out of a sheer love for labor. People cherish the rewards that come after labor. And if they can skip the process and gather the rewards directly, who wouldn't take up that opportunity?"
Jack tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, and Bruce could tell he was aping Shiller's move.
"The presence of the mob can bypass the process of labor through violence or at least exempts the mob members from laboring. This leads those who gain benefits from violence to establish a notion. When they are short of money, they think not of working for money but of acquiring it through violence."
"If this is just a fraction of society, then other producers can cater to their plunder. But if everyone in society is like this, or if people's mentality is fixated on mastering violent means to gain benefits, a vicious cycle is bound to occur."
"When all individuals in a society view the non-productive plundering industry as their ultimate goal, it generates a significant problem - the plunderers don't value their ill-gotten gains, as they haven't invested any effort into it. This reduces their risk-aversion level during decision-making, and eventually, they may end up losing everything due to underestimating the risk."
"I labored hard all day, and the twenty U.S. Dollars earnings would be allocated to necessary survival resources such as food, water, and housing. And if there's extra, considering the risk of future unavailabilities, I would save it. Since work is hard, I have to spend every penny prudently."
"Old Joey got a windfall of a thousand U.S. Dollars. Compared to the meager earnings of others who work hard, all he thinks about is how to ensure that he continues to earn a thousand or more every day."
"I've seen many individuals whose perceptions of money were distorted." Bruce admitted, "Some rode the winds of their era, while others were simply luckier. But these individuals have one thing in common - they mistake luck for their own ability, recklessly squander money, increase their investment, and then lose everything overnight."
"In short, money that comes too quickly loses its actual concept, and they don't mind spending it either. But this isn't a healthy way of growth, and that's why Shiller constantly weakens the mob." Jack curled his lips to say.
"Gotham is not normal. The mob isn't good. The positive meaning they provided during a certain era wasn't that beautiful. If the system was truly solid, it wouldn't collapse at the death of a single significant individual."
"Conversely, a system that crumbles at the death of a spiritual leader is destined to crumble. There's no difference between whether it happens sooner or later. Or it's better to say, if they don't transform, the consequences of their stagnation might be worse than collapsing."
Bruce ran a hand through his forehead, exhaled a sigh and said, "I understand now. This contest isn't about who flourishes in the mob system but who can break free from it - even shatter it."
"And also, how to establish a new order after breaking the system." Jack added.
Suddenly Bruce had an epiphany, his genius wisdom kicked in again. He looked at Jack and asked, "Does the Gotham you constructed in the dream get affected by the mysterious dark power?"
For the first time, Jack let a smile spread across his face. He snapped his fingers and said, "Good job, you've hit the nail on the head. I can only tell you that the domain of the dreamworld is much higher than you can imagine. It can even make an archangel enter undiscovered."
"The dark power can't invade this place…" Bruce stood up from the couch and looked towards the door, saying, "It means that Gotham has a chance to be completely saved."
Jack also stood up, looked at Bruce, and said, "At the same time, it also means that how you save it, who saves it, and what happens after the rescue is the key."
Bruce suddenly stood still.
Jack showed him a brilliant smile and said, "You got zero for your essay, but you still have a chance to get full marks from your professor. You know how, don't you?"