The staff responsible for vetting the election candidates almost throw away the documents when they see the name on the first page of the materials submitted by Gotham.
The godfather of Gotham plans to enter politics???
Of course, calm down first. It's not entirely impossible. Considering Falcone's age, although he is a bit old for a mob boss, it is because the mob has new generation quickly. Rarely can a mob boss hold onto their position for so many years, so Falcone is different.
But if talk about entering politics, there are plenty of people Falcone's age. The average age in Congress is over 50, and there are even elderly politicians in their seventies and eighties. If Falcone intends to enter politics now, it's not too late. He already has a much higher starting point than others.
At the very least, if he wants to become Mayor of Gotham City and then a state legislator in New Jersey, no one can stop him.
Once he becomes a state legislator, if Wayne Enterprises continues to support him, it won't be impossible for him to enter Congress and ascend even higher.
But this mayoral election is originally meant to deal with Roy's mob-style speech. If Falcone runs and wins, becoming mayor , it will be like releasing a small fish and catching a great white shark.
The state government legislators trust Falcone won't make the same arrogant statements as his godson. But the problem is, it would be better if he does make arrogant statements!
A person with a big mouth may be annoying, but he can do what he says is a matter of life and death!
If Falcone really becomes the mayor, he will have control over both the surface and underground worlds of Gotham City.
How difficult it is to deal with the old godfather has already been tested by countless people with their lives.
The state government legislators have to hurriedly call Falcone's mansion, and fortunately, they are relieved to hear that the old godfather seems to only express support for his godson and not actually intend to do it.
The godfather's biological son, young Falcone, tells them his father is getting old and is already planning his retirement, with no intention of entering politics.
The news undoubtedly relieves everyone. After all, Roy as the mayor might cause some minor trouble, but if Falcone is mayor, it will be an unforeseen path.
With this turn of events, the state government legislators have to strengthen their scrutiny of the mayoral candidates.
Then they discover that it is almost as difficult as finding gold in a pile of shit to find a candidate among these applicants who can truly be the mayor.
Any sane person knows , the mayor in Gotham has a short life expectancy. Therefore, it goes without saying who would sign up for it.
Among the 23 applications submitted, 19 are from notorious mob bosses in Gotham. Of the remaining 4, 3 are underage, with the youngest being 6 years old. The last one is a cat raised in the Gotham Gold Cup Bar.
What is even more farcical is ,out of all the information provided, only the cat has filled in all the details completely. As for the majority of the others, well, they can't write after skipping a few vodka bottles.
The state government legislators have a headache trying to find a candidate who can actually become the mayor among these applications.
First, even if they can find someone suitable, there is a question of whether this guy understands the rules of voting.
Second, if they are indeed elected, whether this person will hurl even more offensive insults than Roy is a bigger concern.
Most importantly, if they choose one of these candidates, the other rival mafia families who hold grudges against them will consider the election rigged, and their fate will undoubtedly involve being shot in the back eight times and committing suicide.
The fact proves,Gotham is nothing but a marsh. Anyone who is associated with this city will not have a good outcome. State legislators are now at a complete impasse.
The candidates who are willing to are not the ones they want. And the ones people want are unable to. Is there any way?
After much consideration, state legislators realize it's better to continue supporting Roy.
You see, Roy doesn't use more than ten curse words in his entire speech. But those candidates, in their short 300-word application statements, use over a hundred curse words. If any of them were to become the mayor, not a single congressman's mother would be very happy.
Reluctantly, the election turns into a formality again. From the halt of the review to Roy becoming a candidate again, to the announcement of the voting results and his re-election as mayor, the entire process takes no more than a week.
It has a significant impact.
The heads of the criminal underworld in this city are fed up. They have long been tired of those journalists and critics who say without knowing the real situation. When it comes to cursing, these gang leaders who grew up in the streets aren't afraid of anyone.
However, the first city to speak up is not the ones closest to Gotham, but Detroit.
When it comes to the most tragic city in modern industrial development history, no one can ignore Detroit.
Around the 1960s to 1970s, the oil crisis results in severe losses for the automobile industry. The Motor City, Detroit, overnight turns from a prosperous industrial metropolis into a mess ruled by vagrants and gangs.
Because of the rapid decline in Detroit's economy, which doesn't even take a generation, the people who are still alive witness how this prosperous city is heading towards extinction. They are living proof of Roy's theory.
When Detroit falls, no savior. The city who loses order overnight falls into hell. Racial conflicts, riots, gunfights. Countless Detroit nights are illuminated by gunfire, just as bright as the once-thriving factory lights, shining all night long.
In short, officials, gang leaders, and civilian representatives all stand up to scold each other and unite in criticizing those critics who talk without knowing the real situation, ultimately pointing their fingers at Congress.
The intensity of the reaction surprises Schiller to some extent. He has done his best to remove some radical points and sensitive topics in the speech he gives to Roy.
The purpose of this speech is actually to pave the way for future city alliances and industrial transformation and upgrading. Simply put, to win wars, we must unite first.
It is to provide a reasonable excuse for these crime cities to unite.
If our city is not our fault, then what's wrong with uniting to make money?
But Schiller doesn't anticipate, he will clearly point out the biggest dilemma of economic development on the East Coast of the United States in this era.
The economic crisis cycle caused by fundamental system problem leads to wave after wave of unemployment. When unemployed people cannot be effectively controlled and managed, they will spontaneously form organizations, which eventually evolve into gangs.
The existence of gangs seriously threatens local security, which in turn prevents investors from developing in a safe environment. It leads to divestment, and new investors also refuse to come due to the city's bad reputation, further worsening the economy. With more unemployed people, the gangs become more rampant.
The thriving seaborne trade on the East Coast naturally provides a fertile ground for illegal industries. Once the gangs prosper, various illegal industries flourish.
The growth of illegal industries instinctively sidelines legal industries, making it even more difficult for them to develop. Consequently, the city falls into an endless cycle of darkness.
Most cities don't have justice of heaven like Falcone who can find a path in the increasingly vicious cycle, ruling with extreme violence to create an evil order, and then using the order to bring profits back to the social structure itself.
Therefore, most of these cities cannot be like Gotham, evil but wealthy. Most of them are chaotic and poor, constantly teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
The resentment among people in these cities is much greater than Gotham's. In terms of infrastructure, population density, and living conditions, Gotham is considered one of the top cities in the United States. Except for the slightly peculiar weather and ecosystem, it is a highly modern and prosperous metropolis.
However, the post-industrial cities like Detroit are not the same. The rapid development of the automobile industry brings about an imbalance in industries and lags behind in other basic infrastructure and human environments.
People realize, when they were rich, these problems didn't matter. But now that they are poor, these lags bring various troubles, making their lives worse.
The saying goes, "Compared to those above, we are inadequate, but compared to those below, we are more than enough." Schiller's speech, written from the perspective of Gotham and Chicago, still has a hint of arrogance.
Chicago and Gotham are already considered outstanding in this type of city. Even Detroit, can be considered relatively good, at least it once had glory, and most people still have some money. The smaller ones are even worse off.
Almost overnight, the situation in major cities on the East Coast becomes tumultuous. They feel this mafia mayor's words make a lot of sense. If no one is coming to save us, then we have to find a way to save ourselves.
What surprises Schiller is, the initial cooperation between Gotham and Chicago in the three-part system of Gotham, Chicago, and Miami has proven to be effective. But before they can move on to the next step of connecting with Miami, the gang from another city has already made their move, and that city is Empire City.
Empire City is also a unique city in DC Comics, the hometown of the superhero Manhunter Paul and a major city on the East Coast.
Of course, Empire City's situation is definitely better than Gotham. There is still basic order here, and the gang is just a part of the city, not the entirety.
However, like all other cities on the East Coast, the black industry is also a major source of income here. But what Empire City is most famous for is its tourism industry and casinos.
It is a beautiful and pleasant city with a long history in the gambling industry. Casinos of all sizes have become part of the tourism industry. In recent years, the economy has been thriving and steadily advancing, even when most cities are experiencing setbacks.
The mayor of Empire City has an implicit relationship with the city's largest gang. Honestly, it's almost impossible to have no connection between the gang and the casinos.
On the second day of his reappointment, Roy receives a call from the mayor of Empire City.
They exchange opinions on the friendly exchanges between Gotham and Chicago during the call. Both sides express their views on the future development of their respective cities and reach a preliminary agreement.
The two mayors, who have a deep affection for their citizens, reflect on the painful history of East Coast port cities while envisioning a prosperous future. Both sides express their wishes for a mutually beneficial cooperation.
Roy will also visit Empire City next month for research and visits to see if there is anything Gotham can learn from.
After hearing this news, the Twelve Families express their willingness to contribute to the development of Gotham. They want to do their part during this visit.
The potential of the gambling industry is limitless, and there is also a foundation for developing the tourism industry. Once it becomes evident that the black industry is not viable, gambling and tourism would be the best direction for the city's transformation.