In the West District, under the soft yellow light of Margaret's living room, Donnie was also soothing LeBron Jas.
"Jas, I really appreciate what you did this ti. With the two of us joining forces, the alcohol supply at The Fuli Tavern is completely cut off!"
At that mont, a faint smile graced Donnie's face.
But on LeBron Jas' face was a wry smile of helplessness, "Donnie, this whole thing is too risky, you know, even without the two of us supplying The Fuli Tavern, David Jabbar can still get smuggled liquor from Nucky!"
"Dear LeBron, it seems your information is a bit outdated. As far as I know, The Fuli Tavern hasn't received any alcohol supply from Nucky for three straight days.
Have you forgotten what I told you before?
There's no way Nucky would get involved in this!"
LeBron Jas hadn't forgotten, or else he wouldn't have refused Nate earlier that day.
"So, is Nucky really planning to make a move on David Jabbar?" LeBron Jas asked excitedly.
Donnie said with a smile, "Nucky would never dirty his hands with such matters, but isn't his attitude of non-involvent enough?"
LeBron Jas nodded. Despite harboring various resentnts towards Nucky, at the end of the day, LeBron Jas relied on Nucky for his livelihood, so he was more inclined to show support for Donnie through Nucky's attitude.
Previously, he thought about breaking free from Nucky's control and siding with Colonel, but that had clearly not ended well.
"If that's the case, then I have no problem!" LeBron Jas revealed a relieved smile.
Donnie reminded, "Jas, there's sothing you might need to endure!"
"What kind of ordeal?" LeBron Jas, who had just relaxed, beca anxious again, "Don't tell the Klan is up to sothing again?"
What LeBron Jas feared most now was another attack from the Klan.
"You can relax about that. I've already spoken to Mobley; he respects very much and won't lay a hand on you!" Donnie reassured, "What I'm talking about is this incident. If my estimation isn't wrong, by tomorrow Eli Johnson will co looking for you, and might even take you into police custody!"
"What?"
LeBron Jas stood up in shock, shouting, "Didn't you just say that Nucky wouldn't interfere with this matter?"
"Sit down!" Donnie's face lost its smile, because he knew that with people like LeBron Jas, you can't always back down, and sotis you need to show so toughness!
"When has what I said ever been unreliable?"
LeBron Jas saw the seriousness on Donnie's face, and his thoughts flashed back to the gunfight outside Atlantic City that night. He sulkily sat down.
"I'm sorry, I got a little carried away just now!"
Only then did Donnie show a satisfied smile, "That's more like it. Now, let's continue with what we were discussing. Eli Johnson is stepping in because of his joint venture with David Jabbar; he can't just watch his business suffer. But this doesn't an Nucky will directly intervene in this matter.
Moreover, I can tell you that according to the intelligence I've received, a deep rift has erged between the brothers Nucky and Eli."
LeBron Jas stared at Donnie in amazent, his mouth hanging open slightly. There was a problem between the brothers Nucky and Eli?
What was more, Donnie could know such a secret fact!
"I assure you, even if Eli locks you up, at most in three days, I'll be able to get you out. Now the most crucial thing is, you need to make sure your n understand that in these three days, no one is permitted to supply alcohol to The Fuli Tavern!"
Donnie reiterated.
LeBron Jas pondered for a mont and said, "Donnie, I need a guarantee from you. After all, it's who's going in, not you!"
Donnie leaned back in his chair, smiling, "My guarantee is your safety sitting here chatting with . If I didn't see you as my partner, do you think you'd be sitting across from unhard right now?"
Facing Donnie's scornful words, LeBron Jas' mind, much like a squirrel's, was once again filled with anger.
"I have the North District backing !"
Out of fear of Donnie, even an enraged LeBron Jas only replied a bit more assertively to Donnie.
"Nucky cares about you because behind you is the North District, and you can sway most of the district's votes, but I don't need votes; I only need my business. So your North District has no bearing on !"
With calm eyes, Donnie looked at LeBron Jas, but to LeBron, they were like tumultuous waves.
Votes are a high-level item, needed only by those at the very top.
LeBron Jas admitted that Donnie had indeed beco a big shot in Atlantic City, but he hadn't reached the point of playing with votes.
At least that's how LeBron Jas understood it!
If he no longer had this amulet, did he have any other cards to play with Donnie?
"Dear Jas, I'm very disappointed that you're making say this, and I'm even more disappointed that you actually think what I'm saying is true!"
At this mont, Donnie suddenly dropped his calm facade, replaced by a sorrowful anger at not being fought for.
"We've been through so much together, I thought we were friends by now, brothers even. I value you not because you are the leader of the North District, nor for anything else, but because we've been through so much together, we are friends, we are brothers!"
In the negotiation process, there's a little trick, which is to never let yourself be drawn into the opponent's pace, but instead to pull them into yours.
Facing LeBron Jas, whose brain was as small as a squirrel's, Donnie found such negotiations all too easy!
Indeed, LeBron Jas, inwardly extrely insecure about his skin color, showed a frustrated expression on his face upon hearing what he believed to be a heartfelt declaration from Donnie.
"Dear Donnie, I was wrong, don't worry, I'll listen to you in everything, it's just three days inside, right? I've been there before!"
Donnie gave a smile full of satisfaction, offering a sweet date, "That's my brother. I appreciate everything you've done for my business, and I won't shortchange you in the future, you know I've already started connecting with the speakeasies in Philadelphia.
The size of Philadelphia, its population, it's not sothing Atlantic City can compare to. Eventually, we brothers can join forces and break into Philly's liquor market.
I can assure you, in five years you will have white servants in your house, and you could even hire a white driver!"
Donnie's words clearly struck a chord with LeBron Jas, who now wore not a worry but a sincere smile on his face.
"Thank you, Donnie, my brother, I completely understand you now, rest assured, from now on, we are in this business together as brothers!"
Donnie also smiled, saying, "Right, brothers in business, that's quite a nice term!"
"Haha!" LeBron Jas laughed loudly, saying, "Of course, I am an educated man after all!"
.
The following morning after ten o'clock, Donnie received news from Robert.
Everything turned out just as Donnie had expected; this morning Eli Johnson personally led a team to LeBron Jas and took both him and his newly sworn loyalist Irving to be locked up in the Public Security Bureau.
"It seems Eli has truly betrayed his brother, locking up LeBron Jas at such a ti!"
Robert couldn't help asking in the end.
"Doesn't he worry at all that Nucky will be unhappy with this?"
Donnie glanced at his watch, it was not yet ti, and laughed, "You've forgotten what I've told you, the favored always have a sense of security. I think at this mont, Eli's thought must be, 'what if I betrayed you, we're blood brothers, could you actually harm your own brother?
Besides, I'm still the sheriff of Atlantic City, you need my abilities, so even if you're angry, you will appease !'"
Robert exhibited an expression of realization, "I see, but will Nucky really react as Eli expects?"
Donnie shook his head, saying, "Impossible. If Nucky really did that, he could never command such a position in Atlantic City. If I were Nucky, I'd definitely watch the tigers fight from the mountain. After all, only when both parties are injured can he reap the benefits of the fisherman!"
Robert: "Both parties injured?"
"Exactly, I think at this mont, Nucky must have already heard about our move against The Fuli Tavern, so he wants to observe a big clash between us and the Brigadier."
Donnie explained to him.
Robert then had a new puzzle, "But haven't you said that Nucky doesn't want to see us rise up?"
Donnie smiled and said, "But I also said that at the current stage Nucky's biggest opponent is the Brigadier, not us. We might one day have the strength to challenge Nucky, but the Brigadier already fully possesses the power to challenge him now."
Of two harms, choose the lesser!
The present stage was actually just like how Donnie initially leveraged the conflict between the Brigadier and Nucky to build his own power.
The bystander reaps the rewards of the clam's and the crane's squabble!
Since David Jabbar and Eli Johnson had already betrayed Nucky, he most certainly hoped to see their downfall, and preferably one that would not affect his own power.
So Donnie speculated that on this matter, Nucky would not only stand by but might even provide assistance when the ti was right!
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