America 1919

"Boss, your decisions are never wrong!" Louis said seriously. Nucky let out a bitter chuckle, "But I can't determine whether my next decision will be the right one or the wrong one!" Louis didn't speak; without Nucky stating what his decision was, he wouldn't ask proactively because if Nucky wanted him to know, he would definitely tell him! Indeed, Nucky didn't tell Louis his decision, but instead picked up the phone, dialed a number, and asked the person on the other end to come to his study. Soon, Eli Johnson, Nucky's brother, arrived in Nucky's study. Eli Johnson, as always, was dressed in his brown uniform, a pistol strapped at his waist. "Did you see Donnie's report?" Nucky asked as Eli Johnson sat down. "I did!" Eli Johnson said excitedly, "I knew Donnie was good at business, but I never thought he'd be so good at writing articles. It seems that the IRS is going to be in trouble this time." Seeing Eli Johnson's excited demeanor, Nucky suddenly felt his own concerns might be superfluous, "Although the matter isn't over yet, and the IRS might retaliate wildly, I think Donnie must have anticipated this when writing the article. According to Donnie's personality, he must have a plan, so I analyze that in this instance, Donnie will be the ultimate winner!" "Haha, that's great! If that's the case, I'd like to see who would still call us in Atlantic City nouveau riche!" Eli Johnson said happily, not considering Nucky's worries at all. As the Surf Hotel's business conditions improved, the lives of Atlantic City residents dependant on it also got better. Although more tourists visited Atlantic City for pleasure, there would still be many who spitefully said that Atlantic City folks were all new money! Eli Johnson was very dissatisfied with such a label. Nucky said indifferently, "Have you ever considered that with the Surf Hotel under Donnie's management, plus this article, and Donnie's anticipated victory over the IRS, all these factors combined will make Donnie Block represent Atlantic City in the hearts of its people. Before this, the person who held such a status was your brother, wasn't it?" The smile disappeared from Eli Johnson's face. Although he had thought of betraying Nucky before and had even taken some actions toward that end, he now understood that only with Nucky could he ensure his status in Atlantic City. If Nucky's status in Atlantic City vanished, what would he have left? Before this, he had even cooperated with Donnie, but time allows a person to understand many things. At this moment, when Nucky spoke these words, Eli Johnson suddenly realized that his fate was tightly linked to Nucky's! "So, what do we do? Do we just watch Donnie continue like this? Right, didn't you just say the IRS might fight back? How about we align ourselves with the IRS then?" At this point, Eli Johnson truly began to panic! Looking at Eli Johnson's state, Nucky felt a mix of satisfaction and disappointment and said, "While your suggestion is extremely foolish, your concern is valid!" "So, are we really going to cozy up to the IRS?" Eli Johnson still couldn't grasp Nucky's meaning. Nucky chose to lay out his thoughts plainly, because conversing with someone whose thoughts couldn't keep up with his own was just too exhausting if he tried to speak cryptically! "We have no way of getting close to the IRS because Donnie and we are part of the same interest group. Within this community of interest, there are many, many people potent enough to grind us to dust." Having said this, Nucky fell silent for a moment, his face showing some reluctance, then continued. "I'll find some time these next few days to have a good talk with Donnie. From now on, Atlantic City will no longer be our Atlantic City but Donnie's Atlantic City!" After uttering these words, Nucky slumped onto the couch, looking more exhausted than if he had stayed up all night surrounded by countless women! "What?" Eli Johnson looked at Nucky in disbelief. Was this the Nucky he knew, who once valued the rights to Atlantic City so highly? Once, Atlantic City was Nucky's forbidden fruit; anyone who tried to touch the rights to Atlantic City would be destroyed by Nucky. Now, without any show of resistance, Nucky was ready to voluntarily relinquish the rights to Atlantic City? He suspected his brother had been possessed! Eli Johnson, who had such thoughts, clearly still misunderstood Nucky. Nucky did indeed view the rights to Atlantic City as more significant than anything else, but he overlooked one thing—Nucky valued his wealth and reputation even more. In another timeline, Nucky was later prosecuted by the IRS and went to jail, but when he emerged from prison and returned to Atlantic City, The situation was just as it had been when the Commodore returned to Atlantic City after his own imprisonment. Nucky had been under the Commodore's command, and at that time, Atlantic City's underground emperor had also been under Nucky's thumb.