America 1919

Lucy still left Atlantic City, her departure clean without dragging her feet.

Nucky fell into a brief silence after reading the letter Lucy left for him before his departure, and then he burned the letter with a match without saying anything.

As for Donnie, he wasn't in Atlantic City either at that time, but had come to Philadelphia!

To deal with Coshek Kevin, it was necessary to have someone who could replace Kevin as the director of the IRS, and Donnie had already picked the candidate, Michael Ribeiro!

As for whether Michael Ribeiro himself wanted to be the director, it basically had no significance anymore!

That's because Donnie's maneuvers would make Michael Ribeiro take the role whether he wanted to or not, directly dragging him onto his own battleship was the simplest method!

"This here is Ramos Tavern, Eric Ribeiro frequents this place for a drink!"

Steve Cotting said, pointing to the stairs leading to the basement.

Since the start of Prohibition, though it had no impact on Atlantic City, it was a devastating blow to the entire bar industry in the United States.

They had to move from the bright streets to more secretive places, which is why establishments known as underground speakeasies came to exist – the bar industry has always been part of a grey market, requiring connections, not only in the underworld but also with the officials when the law prohibits it.

"Ramos Tavern is owned by Harry Rosenthal, but in the past two years, he's been suppressed by Salvatore Bella and already lost his past clout; he now can only curl up inside his own territory, guarding himself against Salvatore Bella as best he can," said Steve Cotting as he continued to brief Donnie on the local situation.

Joining the Family Alliance in the US, cooperating with Donnie in running Philadelphia's bootlegging business, along with Miss America, UFC, and other peripheral events, allowed Salvatore Bella's business to flourish while Harry's plummeted.

This has already deviated greatly from history. After all, in history, it was Harry Rosenthal who represented Philadelphia in the meeting of the Seven Gangsters convened by Lucky Boy Charlie Luciano in Atlantic City, while Bella's business was suppressed by Harry.

But now everything has changed. The Seven Gangsters meeting transformed into the National Family Alliance under Donnie's leadership, and Harry failed to join, so naturally, he could no longer become the future mob boss of Philadelphia.

However, the fact that Harry Rosenthal could still hold on under the suppression of Salvatore Bella showed that his abilities were indeed formidable.

"Boss, should we call for more people to come over?" Steve Cotting asked somewhat worriedly.

Salvatore Bella's rise was with Donnie's support, which naturally also led Harry Rosenthal to harbor resentment towards Donnie.

Steve Cotting was concerned that Donnie might encounter danger here!

Donnie, however, laughed confidently, "Don't worry, as long as Harry isn't braindead, he won't lay a finger on me. Besides, I have you guys by my side, right?"

This time Donnie didn't come alone - not only did he have Steve Cotting, but also a five-person squad specifically in charge of his safety.

"Let's go, it's time for us to meet Mr. Eric Ribeiro!"

If Donnie wanted to keep his relationship with the IRS under wraps, he had no choice but to meet Eric Ribeiro for the first time under such circumstances.

The tavern was dimly lit, clearly one of the more luxurious underground speakeasies owned by Harry Rosenthal, so it was evident that the men here were dressed in suits and the women were glamorous.

Indeed, as women's suffrage came into effect, more and more women began to step out of their homes and into underground speakeasies.

Clad in a neat bob cut, donning a flashy sequined short skirt, and holding a slim Cigarette holder, these were pretty much the hallmarks of the fashionable women of that era.

As Donnie stood at the entrance of the tavern and looked around, Steve Cotting, who had conducted reconnaissance in advance, had already pointed out where Eric Ribeiro was sitting.

Eric Ribeiro was there alone, but he wasn't lonely, as a fashionable lady sat opposite him. The handsome and eloquent Eric seemed to be doing quite well, occasionally making the lady laugh.

If things went as usual, she might go home with Eric Ribeiro tonight! Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

So, when Donnie unhesitatingly took the seat next to Eric Ribeiro, the fashionable woman showed a puzzled expression - Eric hadn't told her he was expecting friends, had he?

Eric Ribeiro first looked at Donnie with confusion, then revealed a surprised expression.

"Eric, is this friend of yours?" the woman asked curiously.

"Not yet, but I believe he will be soon!" Donnie replied for Eric Ribeiro directly.

The woman's expression grew even more curious!

Donnie didn't start the conversation with Eric Ribeiro right away but instead said to the woman, "Beautiful lady, may we have a moment alone to chat?"

Looking suspiciously at Eric Ribeiro and seeing no objection from him, she stood up with some disappointment and said, "Of course, I hope you two have a pleasant evening!"