Rome wasn't built in a day, and Falcone's criminal empire wasn't established overnight. It endured many hardships unknown to outsiders. These experiences taught Falcone two essential things: law and politics.
Law is the rule, and politics is power.
Possess the rule and the power, and you will be fearless.
Understanding this, Falcone began using his illicit earnings to buy off every police chief, chief judge, and prosecutor. As for the stubborn individuals, he used his gun to silence them. After years of operation, nearly half of the judiciary fell under his control.
Next, he set his sights on the political arena. For Falcone, who commanded numerous subordinates, the democratic voting system was a machine riddled with loopholes that offered too many ways to manipulate. As several top-ranking candidates withdrew for unknown reasons, and after a few rounds of voting, the previously obscure Martin Jessie successfully won the election as the new Mayor of Gotham City. Few people knew that just a few months prior, Martin Jessie was a recently fired bank teller.
With the law and politics as his shield, Falcone had no rivals. In just one year, he swallowed up dozens of gangs, both large and small, in Gotham City. His ruthless expansion mirrored the Roman Empire of old. Gradually, people began to refer to him as "The Roman," a title he proudly accepted. In his view, he was the Caesar of Gotham City.
Unfortunately, all the good times came to an abrupt halt the moment Batman appeared.
Falcone realized for the first time that law and politics were not omnipotent. Everything he possessed seemed as fragile as a paper tiger in the face of Batman.
Batman was nameless, ghostly, and elusive.
No one knew who he was, and no one knew which skyscraper he would appear on tomorrow night.
The power and guns in Falcone's hand could only deal with flesh and blood creatures with names and identities; they couldn't deal with a specter lurking in the night.
After several failed ambushes, Falcone had to accept the damage to his reputation. At the same time, he calmed down and began to wonder: Why did things turn out this way?
Seeing his boss remain silent for a long time, the butler couldn't help but offer comfort.
"Sir, I don't think you need to worry about Batman too much. He is only one man. Sooner or later, he will slip up. As long as we seize the opportunity, we can certainly take care of him."
Batman?
Hearing the name, Falcone subconsciously frowned. "What Batman?"
"Just the incident a moment ago! They..."
Falcone chuckled twice.
"Who told you that was Batman?"
The butler was stunned and puzzled. "But when you spoke to Victor earlier, didn't you say Batman was in that car?"
"I said that, so you automatically assume the person in the car is Batman?"
The butler was completely confused. He didn't understand his boss's words at all. Could it be that the person who captured Adousan wasn't Batman?
Falcone smiled faintly. "Fine, let's just say it was Batman!"
Butler: "..."
Are you messing with me, Sir?
Falcone extinguished his cigar on the windowsill and said coldly,
"Brant, tell me, why do so many police officers in Gotham City tacitly approve of Batman's actions?"
The butler hesitated for a long time before replying, "Perhaps the money you give them isn't enough?"
"The truth!"
The butler looked up and squeaked in a voice barely above a whisper, "Perhaps it's because Batman is helping them maintain order."
Falcone shook his head helplessly.
"That's close, but you missed the most important point: He doesn't kill."
"Brant, have you ever killed anyone?"
The butler shook his head repeatedly.
"It's better that you haven't," Falcone said, settling into his armchair. "The feeling of killing is unpleasant, especially the first time. An unrestrained sense of fear emerges—fear from the police, fear from the law, fear from society as a whole. But different people react differently to fear. Weak people become nervous, hysterical, and think about running away. Strong people are different. They savor the feeling, finding a strange delight in it. When they seek out the source of that pleasure, the second kill is not far behind. And after the second, there are countless more."
"Death is the most terrifying thing in the world. Whether man or animal, when death approaches, it generates the instinct for destruction."
"Batman doesn't kill, so he can only bring dread, not terror. Those high-ranking individuals know clearly that even if they are caught for corruption and stripped naked and delivered to the police station door, it won't be a huge problem. Because the police are my men, the prosecutor is my man, and the chief judge is my man. I will rescue them."
"However, once Batman begins to kill through vigilantism, things take a different turn. His elusive presence will become the Sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of all criminals. No one will know when that sword will fall and cut off their head."
"Batman should kill. Only killing can bring terror to Gotham City. This pervasive terror will torment those who harbor false hope, making them fearful, hysterical, and giving them ideas they shouldn't have: like taking down Batman."
The butler understood and whispered,
"I'll contact the newspapers right away."
"Not just the newspapers—the TV stations and radio stations, too. Tell them: Batman is a murderer. Also, call Sidney. I want to see him."
The butler nodded slightly.
"Understood, Sir. I will go now."
When Falcone lifts his foot, the whole of Gotham trembles.
In just half a day, the Batman killing incident became the front-page headline of every major newspaper. Everyone debated the issue, and while people held different opinions, seeing the headline still caused a moment of shock.
[WHAT HAPPENS TO GOTHAM CITY WHEN THE BATMAN STARTS KILLING?]
Beneath the bloody headline were photos of the twenty-eight charred bodies.
Simultaneously, police precinct chiefs, city councilors, and party members all stepped forward to condemn Batman's actions. They stood on the moral high ground and thoroughly denounced Batman's past actions, arguing that in a country without the death penalty, murder was a desecration of the Constitution.
They argued that if Batman truly wanted to fight crime, he should step forward and courageously admit his crime. Only then could he be worthy of being the city's vigilante.
As numerous "successful people" voiced their opinions, public sentiment quickly developed into a one-sided trend.
The internet was also affected. On the ShowMe website's Batman special section, the comments insulting Batman multiplied tens of times. Although many were Superman fans with old grudges against Bat-fans, there were plenty of new voices joining the fray.
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