Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics

Bruce now understood why those people had been unsteady on their feet, pale-faced, and sweating profusely when they left.

Gordon and Nightwing had looked much the same when they went out.

He came out of the lounge, and Shiller was at his desk writing something. Seeing him approach, Shiller looked up, then said, "Aren't you going to deal with the situation in Zone X15?"

"Do I have to?" Bruce felt like he was asking for trouble. Shiller was so busy he seemed like he wished he could split in two. The Pale Knight was probably not idle either, but here he was, watching the excitement.

Unexpectedly, Shiller shook his head and said, "If you don't want to go, forget it."

"Do you have another solution?"

"I suppose." Shiller looked up and shouted towards the door, "Ms. Weiss, please come in, I have added two appointments, please arrange for someone to receive them…"

Ms. Weiss came in, took the appointment list, and went out again, Bruce curiously asked: "Who is it?"

"Two reporters." Shiller took out two files from the cabinet next to him, put them in front of Bruce, and then said, "One from Gotham TV Station, the other from Gotham Daily."

"What are they visiting you for?"

"They're not visiting me, they're here to see the mayor, but as he is unwell, I'm conveying his sentiments in his stead."

"...What are you conveying?"

"An apology, mainly for the matter concerning Zone X15." Without Bruce asking further, Shiller explained: "Television and newspapers are the most accessible channels of public opinion, even for the poor, and it is imperative to express the right attitude here."

"But if you apologize, doesn't that mean admitting it was your fault?"

"Any incident in this city is the mayor's fault." Shiller said, "You must demonstrate a responsible attitude to gain the trust of the citizens."

"But they will exploit this."

"That's why we need to apologize quickly, start pollution cleanup and rescue operations immediately, and compensate the citizens for their losses as soon as possible."

"But we don't have that much money, not to mention compensation, it's not even possible to clean up the pollution in the forest."

"No, we can't clean up the pollution not because of a lack of money, but because the government is shutting down tomorrow."

Bruce was stunned.

"Because the government is shutting down tomorrow, we have the best plan to save the city today, but unfortunately, the government shuts down tomorrow."

"Isn't this bad?" Bruce said: "Isn't this deceiving people?"

Shiller leaned back, resting in the mayor's chair, and said: "Do you think sitting in this chair is about anything other than deceiving people?"

The door was knocked, Ms. Weiss entered with a male reporter, Shiller went over to shake hands and exchanged pleasantries, then he brought him to the reception area.

They started discussing pollution management issues, Shiller was precise, even specifying when to start work, which company's team to hire, what equipment to use, and what compensation measures would be taken for a few households on nearby streets...

It did not sound like nonsense at all.

Afterward came a female reporter, Shiller repeated the same words, details also perfectly aligned, it didn't seem like he was making it up on the spot.

After the reporters left, Bruce asked: "If we had the money, you would implement this plan, right?... You would, right?"

Shiller smiled without answering.

"If you're not willing to solve the pollution issue, then I will give you some lighter tasks," Shiller said: "Help me find some moving companies, and call a few renovation teams, we need nimble hands."

"What are you planning to do?"

"Don't ask so much, just go."

Bruce actually wanted to stay, but thought everyone else was busy, and it wouldn't look good for him to idle around, hiring a moving company wasn't that hard anyway.

"Alright, when do you want them to come?"

"After work today, after everyone has left. Oh, and have them bring a few large trucks, arrange more people, but don't make too much noise."

Bruce felt this was all bizarre, but he still went.

When he arranged everything and returned, the entire municipal building was in uproar, Bruce found out after inquiring—just then, the mayor had announced a 50% pay cut for all civil servants in the municipal system.

Not only that, but also the cancellation of snacks and coffee supply, coming to work an hour earlier every morning, no reimbursements for public transportation or fuel, and voluntary unpaid overtime.

Even the cats previously kept inside the building were no more, those several French sycamore trees were to be chopped down, replaced by trees easier to manage, not to mention any holiday benefits, and the elevators were to be stopped five hours a day to save electricity.

The whole building was in an uproar. Bruce even felt that even if Shiller did not arrange insiders, a strike was inevitable, considering the extent of pay and benefits cuts, it was purely working at your own expense.

But no matter how much people complained, there was no solution; the majority couldn't even see the mayor until it was nearly time to close the office. By then, the atmosphere inside the building had already taken an ominous turn, clearly indicating that an insider had taken action.

Everyone remained tacitly silent, exchanging glances now and then, some even harboring a sense of schadenfreude.

Before the reporters left, many employees had asked them what the mayor had said, and since the reporters saw no need for secrecy, they disclosed that the mayor had a foolproof plan to address the pollution crisis.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, the mayor announced a cut in civil servant benefits. Without people to get things done, the best policies could not be implemented; who would liaise with the pollution control companies? Who would select and arrange for transport equipment? Who would tally the affected households? Who would calculate the exact compensation amounts?

This was simply self-destructive, digging one's own grave.

For some reason, employees no longer dawdled when leaving work; they cleared out clean as soon as it was time.

By the time it was getting dark, one van after another slowly entered the parking lot of the building.

Amid Bruce's shocked expression, Shiller expertly directed the workers, saying "Come on, cart away all the furniture. Don't forget these paintings here, and have someone unscrew the light bulbs and load them into the truck."

"Carry this coffee machine away for me, be careful. If a single coffee bean spills out, I won't pay, and also those two water cups... What? A corner chipped off? Still take it, someone on the second-hand market will definitely want it."

"Those few guys go to the bathroom, remove the toilets, they are all expensive smart toilets from Germany. Detach the sink intact too, don't throw away the pipes, careful not to break the mirror..."

"Clean out the storage room more thoroughly, make sure to take all the disposable shoe covers, not a single pair left behind. Unmount anything removable from the window sills, and take down the balcony railings too."

"The mayor's office's floorboards have been pried up, be careful not to leave scratch marks, otherwise, it wont sell. Strip off the decorative wall panels and peel off the wallpaper too."

Shiller clapped his hands in the middle of the lobby and said: "Listen up! If a single room is not reverted to a bare room, don't expect to receive any bonus! Hurry up! Manage your time!"

Bruce slowly turned his head and said to Shiller, "Let's not talk about anything else for now, what are you going to use to pay their bonuses? Do you have money?"

"No, but I am not the one paying. You'll know who when the time comes."

"You have looted the municipal office building, what will the government do when doors open again??" Bruce asked.

"I don't mind working in a bare room." Shiller said: "I can just sit directly on the floor, and with Gray mist around, I can survive without eating, drinking or using the bathroom."

"Then..."

Bruce suddenly realized who the biggest victim was in Shiller's plan.

Who else could it be? Of course, the employees working here. Without even a toilet, how could they relieve themselves? It's fine without modern equipment like printers, but without even a table or a chair, could they really just sit on the floor to work?

"If they find it uncomfortable, they can redecorate themselves," Shiller nodded and said.

"Who would spend money to redecorate a company?!" Bruce exclaimed.

"Then they'll just endure it, or they'll resign," Shiller shrugged. "But I don't think the latter is likely, after all, their backers are still relying on them to undermine."

Bruce then realized the ruthlessness of Shiller's strategy.

The governmental system in Gotham had been infiltrated by 99%, meaning currently, the employees working here were serving masters other than the mayor.

Their purpose of working here wasn't to earn the meager salary but to drain Gotham's municipal funds for their masters, and then get bonuses from their masters.

Therefore, nearly none of them could resign. Despite the absence of civil service exams in America, stable government jobs were still highly coveted, and it took some effort to secure a position for someone.

Now that Shiller had emptied the municipal office building, their working conditions here were worse than in Iraq, yet they couldn't resign, and still had to come to work. They would just have to endure.

But not everyone could endure, so they would have to approach the mayor, demanding refurbishment. But the mayor was currently at Wayne Manor, and no matter how powerful they were, they couldn't break into Batman's home.

So they would have to turn to their immediate superiors, since their bosses required them to work there, the bosses should be responsible for improving their working conditions.

But their backers had gone mad if they thought of renovating the municipal office building; the lavish previous decorations were because the previous mayors were their puppets.

Yet now the Pale Knight hadn't yielded to them. How could they possibly rush over to make a comfortable and safe working environment for the Pale Knight? Who would then be serving whom?

Backers unwilling, the employees would just have to endure. But they were humans, not robots, not real dogs; they had their own needs and would instinctively abhor those who ignored their needs.

Though Shiller stripped the office building, it was actually their ultimate masters who were directly ignoring their needs, creating an almost irreconcilable conflict.

Expecting horses to run without grass; history has proven countless times that this will not work.

When that time comes, even if there are still some people loyal to their masters, most ordinary people would still prefer to seek benefits and avoid harm, swaying towards what is more beneficial for their survival.

Even if they are unwilling to give their lives, but even just loosening their grip, turning a blind eye, Bruce believes with Shiller's capabilities, there would be a great deal of maneuvering space.

After bustling for most of the night, they finally dismantled most of the soft furnishings of the municipal building.

Bruce and Shiller boarded the first vehicle of the convoy, and as the door closed, Bruce asked, "Where are we taking all this stuff?"

Shiller smiled faintly.

"Wayne Manor."