America 1919

Facing Nucky and facing Ponzi invokes two completely different mindsets.

When facing Ponzi, Donnie is in the position of being deceived, all he has to do is maintain his own state.

But facing Nucky is different, Donnie needs to be fully alert.

"Who in the whole Atlantic City doesn't know that you, Nucky, have the final say in becoming the owner of The Fuli Tavern!"

Donnie didn't take Nucky's sarcasm to heart.

Nucky laughed out loud, "Is that so? How come I don't know about this?"

Although Nucky was mocking Donnie, he understood that Donnie's presence here at this moment surely meant he had something to discuss with him alone.

Actually, Nucky himself had something to discuss with Donnie in private; his previous delays in meeting with Donnie were merely to make Donnie more anxious.

So, soon, Donnie and Nucky found themselves in a secluded corner within Ponzi's estate.

"Let me guess, has David Jabbar already become fertilizer on a farm in Elwood Village?"

When it was just Donnie and Nucky, Nucky no longer hid anything and directly asked the question.

"Of course not!" Donnie immediately denied this, which was in fact the reason he had spared David Jabbar's life; if David were dead at this moment, it would mean that Donnie's actions had exceeded what Nucky could tolerate, no matter how much control Donnie had over the alcohol supply of Atlantic City.

Nucky wouldn't keep Donnie around.

Simply put: Nucky could kill David Jabbar, but Donnie couldn't!

"David Jabbar is already on a ship heading to Canada, and I think he'll be found in a Canadian city in a few days!"

Nucky nodded slightly, not saying another word about David Jabbar, instead he said, "Let's see what kind of chips you hold in your hands right now.

The largest bootlegging supplier in Atlantic City, at least half the votes in the West District should be in your hands after that stacking boy's job, the Mobley from the Ku Klux Klan, Elena from the WCTU, the armed forces in Elwood Village, and your reputation in Atlantic City.

These are your ace in the hole for your crazy expansion, aren't they?"

Donnie shook his head, "Mr. Nucky, you are mistaken!"

Nucky frowned; he didn't like Donnie saying he was wrong at this moment.

"The ace in the hole for my crazy expansion, actually all comes from Mr. Nucky's power. You appointed me as the alcohol supplier of Atlantic City and gave me half of the city's share.

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As for the stacking boy's job, I guess with just a word from Mr. Nucky, none of the casinos in Atlantic City would allow those people in.

Mobley from the KKK, Elena from the WCTU, they actually value my relationship with you more, so they maintain a close relationship with me.

If the news of a fall-out between me and Mr. Nucky spreads in Atlantic City one day, they will definitely leave me too.

The only thing I truly have in my grasp is probably the armed forces in Elwood Village, but even that force was built because of the support of Mr. Nucky for my business in Atlantic City!"

Nucky's furrowed brow slowly smoothed out.

"So, you are prepared to pledge allegiance to me?"

If Donnie was willing to pledge loyalty to him, Nucky thought he could forgive everything Donnie had done in Atlantic City.

"If that's the case, then, Mr. Nucky, you will lose a lot!"

Although Donnie didn't directly answer Nucky's question, his meaning was clear.

Nucky said coldly, "So, you're prepared to give up everything you have in Atlantic City?"

"Of course not!" Donnie shook his head directly: "If someone tries to smash everything I have in Atlantic City, then I will mobilize all the power I can, and if it comes to it, everyone will go down together!"

Nucky's expression completely chilled; he hadn't expected that even now Donnie would remain so stubborn.

"You can't believe I am actually afraid of those people from Elwood Village, can you?"

By this point, the armed forces of Elwood Village were what Nucky truly feared about Donnie.

"Of course not, I'm not that naive!" Donnie said. "I believe that if Mr. Nucky needs, you can mobilize the National Guard to take care of Elwood Village at any time!"

Having said this, Donnie knew it was time to reveal his real trump card.

"Mr. Nucky, actually, I have a better proposal, and if you agree, it will definitely be the best solution for both of us."

Nucky, noncommittal, said, "Go ahead!"

Donnie said, "Now everyone thinks that Mr. Nucky's biggest problem comes from Atlantic City, from the Brigadier."

"Isn't it?" Nucky responded.

Donnie shook his head, "Of course not. The real concern for you, Mr. Nucky, is actually the highway from Atlantic City to Philadelphia!"

Nucky's eyes lit up immediately.

"At best, the Brigadier is just causing you some trouble, Mr. Nucky, but he has never been your match!" Donnie continued.

Appreciation filled Nucky's eyes; he had never expected Donnie to understand him so well.

Yes, although the Brigadier caused some trouble in Atlantic City, Nucky really viewed these issues as solvable.

What truly concerned Nucky during this period was the highway construction between Atlantic City and Philadelphia!

Although Philadelphia is less than a hundred kilometers from Atlantic City, Philadelphia belongs to the state of Pennsylvania, and the construction of a highway between the two states requires the support of the National Government.

Moreover, an important point is that a lot of the land where this highway is to be built belongs to Nucky; should the construction go ahead, the value of Nucky's land would at the very least quadruple.

Added to that, Nucky also had control over Atlantic City's municipal engineering.

It could be said that if this highway were approved for construction, Nucky's wealth could increase several times over instantly!

But it was precisely because Donnie was able to guess what was on his mind so accurately that Nucky became even more wary of him.

"Nobody in Atlantic City knows about this yet; how did you figure it out?" Nucky did not hide his thoughts from Donnie.

Donnie smiled and said, "Although no one in Atlantic City is aware, some people in Washington already know!"

Nucky's expression became more serious. The people in Washington who knew this were influential figures; how could Donnie possibly be in contact with them, and why would they tell Donnie?

Of course, no one had told Donnie, but who let Donnie be so familiar with the history of Atlantic City.

"You have connections in Washington?" Nucky inquired.

Donnie, neither confirming nor denying, said, "Mr. Nucky, you know I came from the battlefield. Perhaps I met some important figures there, who knows?"

Nucky shook his head, "That's impossible. If you had met influential people on the battlefield, George wouldn't have treated you like that!"

Donnie gave a wry smile, "Though I'm reluctant to say it, it's the truth. When a person has no utility, it doesn't matter who they know. But when a person is of value, then anyone might want to make their acquaintance!"

Nucky still found it hard to believe what Donnie was saying, but then Donnie did know about the matter, which puzzled Nucky.

"Are you planning to use this information as a bargaining chip in negotiations with me?" Nucky asked.

"Of course not!" Donnie shook his head. "The real condition is, I can help you, Mr. Nucky, with your plans. The next President of the United States will sign their name to this project!"

"Ha!"

Nucky almost thought he'd heard an utterly ridiculous joke, "You say you can influence the President's decisions, and don't forget, as of now, no one knows who the next President will be!"

Donnie said with a smile, "This isn't hard to guess. The Democratic Party is already a mess. Wilson has been seriously ill since his return from France, and his reputation at home is dwindling. Clearly, the American public has abandoned Wilson.

The other Democratic candidates, General Leonard Wood, is too headstrong and difficult to control. The Democratic bigwigs, having suffered with Wilson, won't make themselves uncomfortable again.

Herbert Hoover, who served as head of the Food Administration during the war, though famous for solving the Belgian crisis, is a novice in elections. Moreover, he's yet to make it clear if he belongs to the Democratic Party or Republican Party. Unless the Democratic bigwigs' heads were blown by German cannons, they wouldn't nominate him.

Then there's Senator Hiram Johnson—stubborn as a mule; he's unlikely to be the Democratic nominee.

So, eliminating these individuals leaves only one man, Governor James Cox of Ohio, the choice of the Democratic Party.

But how much chance does such a figure have in this race? Probably only God knows.

On the other hand, right from the start, the Republicans have been set on their candidate for the election—Warren Gamaliel Harding.

I believe the ultimate victor of this American election will definitely be him!"

As Nucky watched Donnie speak so confidently before him, he couldn't help but wonder to himself: Is this really just the owner of a tavern in Atlantic City?

Shouldn't he be an aide to a presidential candidate?

"Even if Harding becomes the new President of the United States, he might not agree to the construction of this railroad; after all, other Republicans might want to build highways in their own cities!"

Donnie smiled and said, "That's just the bargaining chip I mentioned for cooperating with you, Mr. Nucky. As luck would have it, a friend in Washington told me something about Harding!"