America 1919

Nucky was feeling a headache, even though the people of Atlantic City had already agreed to his suggestion, to let the Prohibition be cast into the sea in Atlantic City, but he still had a headache.

Because up until now, Bill Cody and Ralph Rivers had not been found, and without finding these two, he could not officially clear his own suspicions, and the Commodore, like a mad dog, was tearing at his power in Atlantic City.

"What is the Commodore doing now?"

Rubbing his bald head, Nucky asked Louis.

Louis, who had unswervingly stood by Nucky's side as always, spoke softly, "The Commodore has been meeting with people from all walks of life in Atlantic City; he met with LeBron from the North District just this morning."

Hearing the name LeBron James, Nucky frowned slightly and asked, "Has he come to seek us out?"

Louis shook his head and said, "No!"

"Damn it, has he forgotten who it was that made him the boss of the North District of Atlantic City?"

Even when Nucky was angry, he never lost his composure, it was just that his face was no longer smiling.

Louis said, "Boss, you once told me that in this world there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests!"

Nucky said, "Tell LeBron, I will only let one person bring whiskey and rum into the entirety of Atlantic City!"

Although there were already signs of LeBron James betraying Nucky, Nucky did not wish to give up on LeBron James, especially not at this time.

Although the Civil War in the United States had ended a long time ago, the discrimination against African Americans was still very severe on American soil, and even more so in the South, which was ruled by slave owners. Therefore, after the Civil War, most African Americans relocated to the North, with New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago being the major destinations.

Even so, these African Americans could still only belong to the lower strata, and in the cities and the State of New Jersey, there was a deep divide between blacks and whites.

Most African Americans were relegated to barren areas, living along railway lines, by small streams, next to garbage dumps, or behind hills.

And these African Americans mostly engaged in unskilled labor or menial jobs.

If there was a city that was relatively friendly to African Americans, then it had to be Atlantic City.

A significant portion of the black residents in Atlantic City belonged to the middle and upper classes compared to African Americans from other regions.

In Atlantic City, the social structure of African American workers could roughly be divided into three tiers: the upper-class—owners or landlords of hotels and boarding apartments, headwaiters, managers, chefs, bell captain, wheelchair managers; this was unimaginable in other places.

The middle-class—waiters, maids responsible for cleaning rooms, elevator operators, security guards, performers, musicians, entertainers, and showmen.

Even for such positions, the proportion of African Americans in other places was not high.

The lower-class—bellboys, restaurant utility workers, doormen, dishwashers, kitchen assistants, and laborers who pushed wheelchairs.

Even though these African Americans saw a class elevation in their eyes in Atlantic City, their status in Atlantic City was still not enough.

This could be seen from the area where they lived—the North District!

Even those African Americans who had achieved class elevation and possessed decent financial means could still only live in the North District.

Among all the African Americans in the North District of Atlantic City, there was one person with a stature akin to Nucky's in Atlantic City, and this person was LeBron James!

On the surface, he was the owner of a hotel, but in reality, he also ran a bootlegging business with a significant distillery.

Nucky and the Commodore valued him not only because of his distillery but more importantly because by holding LeBron James, they held the votes of all African Americans in Atlantic City.

In the United States, to have votes was to have everything!

Louis said, "If that's the case, I believe LeBron will certainly come to grovel and lick your shoes!"

Nucky sneered, "Well then, make sure you won't be polishing my shoes then!"

After a laugh, Nucky finally thought of Donnie and asked, "Has Donnie come to us?"

"No," Louis said with a smile, shaking his head, then added, "Donnie had been negotiating with his neighbor Scott to buy his tavern during this period, and the two had almost reached an agreement. But I think with your decision spreading through Atlantic City, Scott won't be selling his tavern to Donnie!"

Nucky nodded in satisfaction and said, "Now Eli is injured, and we lack some capable people by our side. When Donnie comes to us, we'll have an extra brain to help out!"

Louis nodded first, then reminded, "From his past behavior, this man is not easy to control!"

Nucky confidently said, "A capable person always has some personality traits, but don't worry, I'll keep him close by to observe him for a while. Remember, I stayed by the Commodore's side for a full ten years!"

Louis flattered, "How could he compare to you!"

Nucky's bad mood finally improved somewhat, and he instructed Louis, "Don't worry too much about Donnie's matter; he will naturally bow to us when the time comes. Right now, the most important thing is to keep an eye on the Commodore. Also, the whiskey and rum we're bringing over from Canada needs to be stored properly.

These goods will not only make us a tidy profit but will also show those restless people in Atlantic City who can truly bring them more wealth!"

Louis nodded and said, "I've already had Joe take people to guard the warehouse day and night, there won't be any problems!"

"Very good!"

.

Atlantic City did not need the Prohibition, and naturally, this news also reached the ears of tavern owners across the city.

When they heard this news, a radiant smile appeared on each of their faces, and some even cheered in front of their own tavern's door!

"I always said Atlantic City couldn't be without fine wine, to hell with Prohibition!"

Scott stood in front of his own tavern, pointing to the heavens with both hands, the excitement clear on his face.

At this moment, it wasn't just him; nearby tavern owners—and in fact, even those running boarding houses and inns…were all doing similar things.

After cheering, Scott's gaze turned to the side and into Block Tavern, now renamed, his eyes reflecting a hint of mockery.

After thinking for a moment, Scott still entered Block Tavern. In the dim hall, Scott saw Donnie chatting with his bartender, Paul Burt.

"Haha, Donnie, did you hear the great news today?"

Scott sat down next to Donnie, clearly pleased with himself.

With an unruffled expression, Donnie said, "If you're talking about Atlantic City telling Prohibition to take a hike, I've heard about it!"

Scott, excited, said, "This time we might really see Atlantic City's golden age!"

Donnie did not object to that view. In fact, it was exactly so. Atlantic City, although already a well-known tourist city before, was always a step away from becoming a top-tier tourist destination.

Now, however, it was different. Prohibition ruled the United States, but Atlantic City was the exception. When those booze hounds from Philadelphia and New York couldn't find a drink in their own cities, they would think of Atlantic City. And with the city's supporting tourism facilities, the flow of visitors here was set to climb once more.

And this would increase the income for businesses across the entire city.

"So, you're not planning on selling your tavern to me anymore?"

After taking a sip of beer, Donnie looked at Scott with interest.

"As long as you can offer a fair price, I would still consider selling!" said Scott, noncommittally.

Donnie chuckled and said, "I suppose this 'fair price' is going to be a lot higher than the one we'd previously agreed upon, right?"

Scott nodded and replied, "Of course, starting from today, the price of drinks in Atlantic City will not only hold but are sure to rise, and naturally, the price of this tavern would increase as well!"

Shaking his head, Donnie remarked, "In that case, I'll have to say goodbye to your tavern!"

Scott showed not a trace of regret over the uncompleted deal and laughed, "You're actually quite unlucky. If this news had come just a few days later, my tavern would have been yours by now. But as it stands, not only have you lost the chance to get my tavern, but you've also missed out on over a month's worth of business."

After listening to this, Donnie nodded, "Indeed, that is rather unfortunate news!"

Scott, with a sly grin, said, "Of course, if you're willing, I could acquire your tavern at a fair price!"

At this point, Scott believed he had completed a role reversal. Atlantic City didn't need Prohibition, so business at the taverns was surely going to only get better.

Since Donnie had appeared in Atlantic City, he had been showing everyone just how foolish he was.

To have his tavern closed during the best business period for Atlantic City's taverns was an unthinkable choice.

"Honestly, Donnie, your idea wasn't bad—to sell off your entire stock before Prohibition started. I believe by this time, the inventory of all taverns in Atlantic City would have been nearly sold out. Then, you could acquire some taverns, and who knows, you might have become the price setter for Atlantic City's liquor. With that advantage, you could have made a good profit.

Too bad, your scheme ultimately failed!"

Scott was pleased with himself for being able to see through Donnie's little schemes.

Unmoved by Scott's mocking, Donnie simply smiled and said, "If, Scott, you still want to sell your tavern, I'll offer you a fair price when the time comes!"

Hearing this, Scott laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, "I think I'll leave that line for you to use!"

Donnie just smiled indifferently.

The situation now was such that Scott and others were still grappling with the first layer of understanding regarding Atlantic City's abandonment of Prohibition. Nucky and his group were on the second layer, and at this moment, he was waiting for them on the third layer!

"I believe the accurate answer will be revealed very soon!"

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