Chapter 73: 69. Cooperation with Eli (Please follow, please favorite~)
It was nearing midday, Nate watched as the tavern\'s servers listlessly went about their tasks, then with a forceful clap of his hands, he waited until he had caught everyone\'s attention before he exclaimed loudly.
"Everyone, The Fuli Tavern is indeed facing some troubles at this stage, but you must believe me, problems can always be solved. Don\'t believe the rumors spreading outside. Being taken away by Federal Agents isn\'t such a big issue, David would never give up on The Fuli Tavern!"
Nate\'s words brought hope to some of the servers\' faces, but there were still those who cautiously asked.
"Nate, many people are now saying that to lessen his own imprisonment, David has decided to reveal the charges against Nucky and make them public. Is that true?"
"Of course not!" Nate immediately denied: "Didn\'t I just tell you? David won\'t give up on Atlantic City, and we all know the relationship David has with Nucky. After David was taken away, Nucky had already made a call to Washington. I believe David will be back soon, and all the rumors will be quashed!
What we need to do now is to do our jobs well and wait for David\'s return!"
Although it was still uncertain whether Nate\'s words could be trusted, at least his speech had brought some stability to the scene.
"Well said, my tavern needs such a manager to take charge!"
Just as everyone was preparing to get to work, Donnie walked in with applause, followed by John, Robert, and others.
If it had been before, upon seeing Donnie come over with such a show of force, Nate would have sternly questioned what he intended to do.
But with the loss of David Jabbar, Nate had lost his greatest reliance, and now, seeing Donnie, his aura had already diminished by a third!
"Mr. Block, what brings you here, would you like a drink?"
"Would the variety of drinks at The Fuli Tavern even match that of Block Tavern?" John directly taunted.
Donnie gave John a glare, "Nate will be our colleague soon; speak nicely!"
John spread his hands.
Only then did Nate remember Donnie\'s words; he thought Donnie had come to recruit him: "I\'m very sorry, Mr. Block, but I won\'t be leaving The Fuli Tavern!"
"That\'s for the best!" Donnie nodded with satisfaction: "From today on, I am the owner of The Fuli Tavern, and you can continue to do your job as the manager with peace of mind!"
Nate\'s expression changed suddenly: "Mr. Block, that joke is not funny at all!"
Donnie didn\'t waste words. He directly produced David Jabbar\'s share transfer document, laughing: "You see, I often tell jokes, but this time it\'s no joke. I\'ve already negotiated with David, and we\'ve both settled on a satisfactory price for this share transfer!"
Nate\'s eyes were filled with disbelief, but upon scrutinizing the content closely, he had to believe it. There were David Jabbar\'s signature and thumbprint, along with the lawyer\'s attestation.
All the content indicated that this was a legally valid share transfer document.
"No, no, David Jabbar would never give up The Fuli Tavern!" Nate couldn\'t believe this was true.
Donnie laughed: "This shows that you still don\'t understand David Jabbar. Alright, dear Mr. Manager, now you can manage this tavern properly. Soon there will be liquor delivered, gamblers arriving, and girls doing business. This place will once again become the most luxurious tavern in Atlantic City."
After finishing, Donnie\'s tone changed as he continued, "Of course, before doing all that, I need to review the financial status of the tavern, including the cash reserves. So now, please come with me to David Jabbar\'s office!"
David Jabbar\'s arrest had been so sudden, his cash reserves naturally couldn\'t have been taken with him. Following the situation Nate recalled David Jabbar telling him about in Elwood Village, there should still be twenty thousand US dollars in cash in his office!
For that cash, Donnie was naturally unashamedly eager.
Nate was in a daze as he followed Donnie to the third floor... David Jabbar\'s office was on the third floor.
Meanwhile, at this time, a server in the tavern took advantage of everyone\'s lack of attention to sneak out and head straight for the police station.
Half an hour later, Eli Johnson, in uniform, with a group of subordinates, arrived at The Fuli Tavern, full of formidable momentum.
At this moment, having already retrieved the cash and stowed it safely, Donnie was waiting for Eli Johnson on the first floor of the tavern.
"There must be illegal operations involved in this matter. I don\'t believe David Jabbar would transfer the shares of The Fuli Tavern to you. If you can\'t give me a reasonable explanation today, even if Brad Dorn is here, I will take you away!"
Eli Johnson was nearly mad with rage, as everything had gone beyond his control. This feeling mixed with panic and extraordinary anger!
"Are you suggesting, Mr. Johnson, that you want to challenge the Federal constitution? And don\'t forget, The Fuli Tavern is now my ... our private property, protected by law. If you make such unfounded conclusions without evidence, let me think about how many charges I could accuse you of?
Ah, trespassing on someone else\'s property and infringing on personal assets should be a charge, but I forgot the specific name.
Also, there\'s slander, yes, slander, I can sue you for slander!
Donnie\'s eyes were clear, and it was precisely because of this clarity that Eli Johnson could see the disdain within them.
"So you\'re saying you want to arrest me?" As Eli Johnson\'s words fell, his subordinates raised their pistols.
Having learned from the previous visit to Block Tavern, Eli Johnson had, by the time he led his men over, already successfully brainwashed them.
But Donnie wasn\'t about to coddle them. Represented by John and others, they had also taken out their own weapons at this moment, and they were rifles, far more sophisticated than what Eli Johnson\'s men had brought.
Looking at the situation at the scene, Donnie was very happy; he absolutely loved the United States\' laws, tailor-made for people like him.
"Mr. Johnson, in such a situation, do you think you have the ability to take me away? But if you can\'t take me, the onlookers outside will talk, and then your prestige is likely to suffer even more!"
Donnie once again launched into ridicule.
Eli Johnson panted heavily, as his squirrel-sized brain didn\'t quite know what to do about the situation in front of him.
"Eli, if you don\'t mind, I think we could have a private man-to-man conversation!"
At this point, Donnie suddenly eased the atmosphere on the spot, speaking to Eli in a relaxed manner.
Eli coldly asked, "What do you want to say?"
Donnie looked around and then suggested, "How about we talk in my office?"
"Hmph!" Eli huffed, but did not refuse.
As Donnie got up and walked up the stairs with a smile, Eli followed behind Donnie without saying a word.
When the two reached the office and were left alone, Donnie began to speak.
"Eli, I really just want to be a businessman!"
"Are you trying to soften up to me?" Eli misunderstood Donnie\'s intention.
"No, no, no, I\'m just telling you my thoughts. If you hadn\'t been so aggressive towards me, I wouldn\'t have reached this point. I would just expand my business step by step following the business development rules."
"Haha!" Eli laughed as if he had heard some great joke.
Donnie continued, unconcerned about Eli Johnson\'s attitude, "I invited you up here actually just to tell you that you\'re on the edge of an abyss. If you can\'t pull back from the brink in time, the next step for you is a bottomless pit!"
Eli Johnson said coldly, "I understand my own situation well enough, no need for you to make alarmist statements here!"
Donnie let out a scornful laugh and said, "Is that so? Although everyone outside says you are a fool, I don\'t think so, because a fool couldn\'t possibly manage Atlantic City this well.
So you should understand, does the general really value you as a person? No, he\'s interested in the power in your hands. But when the general sees that you\'ll no longer be able to control the power in your hands, do you think he will continue to trust you?"
Eli Johnson replied coldly, "Don\'t worry, I have my own ways!"
Exclusive content from m,v lem|p,yr
Donnie shook his head and said, "Honesty is a basic virtue, how can the old folks in Atlantic City trust you to manage the city when you\'re someone who can betray his own brother?
"Don\'t rush to contradict me; after speaking about the general, let\'s talk about your brother Nucky. You probably understand your brother better than I do. Why hasn\'t Nucky taken action against you until now?
Is it really because of the brotherly affection between you?
No, it\'s because of the position you currently hold, just like the general. If you can\'t wield your power in that position, do you think your brother will continue to be indifferent to your actions?"
Eli Johnson fell into silence at Donnie\'s words.
Seeing this, Donnie continued, "Alright, now we can talk about our matter. If you can lead your men out of here, I will ensure you keep your authority intact in front of the people of Atlantic City. In addition, I will fully accept the conditions previously set for cooperation with David Jabbar.
The most important thing is, with my current influence in Atlantic City, combined with the power you hold, we already have a perfect partnership.
And don\'t forget, even though I have influence, I don\'t have my own faction in politics, so you have an advantage with me that belongs only to you!"