America 1919

```

Donnie and Nucky were highly efficient in their dealings.

By the next day, an introduction to the beauty pageant had already appeared in the local newspapers of Atlantic City.

The news immediately sparked widespread discussion in Atlantic City.

The girls of Atlantic City began preparing for the event.

"Are you going to co-host a Miss America pageant with Nucky?"

While Donnie was having breakfast, Margaret looked at the "Atlantic Forum" in her hands with a surprised expression on her face, and the milk she was about to drink was placed back on the table!

Donnie cut a sandwich and nodded, "That's right, such an event can make Atlantic City attract more attention from other cities across the United States!"

Margaret nodded slightly and cautiously asked Donnie, "The announcement says girls from 18 to 24 years old can participate?"

Seeing Margaret's expression, Donnie laughed and said, "If you want to participate, I can relax the entry requirements a bit for you!"

"No, no, no!" Margaret hurriedly shook her head, for she could never engage in something like flaunting herself in a swimsuit in front of a large audience.

As mentioned before, Atlantic City had organized a beauty contest last year, but that was an internal affair of Atlantic City and did not involve cities outside of Atlantic City.

There was a swimsuit display segment in last year's beauty contest.

"I'm just worried that a national pageant like this might arouse some organizations' dissatisfaction?"

Margaret voiced her concerns.

American society was not as open back then, and even on the beaches of Atlantic City, women wearing one-piece swimsuits would receive protests from moralists if they were without the cover of a skirt.

It was entirely different from later times where the swimsuit was barely visible between protrusions of flesh.

Even last year when Atlantic City held the beauty contest, there were groups protesting and marching!

Donnie pondered for a moment and said, "That is indeed a problem, but it's not without a solution!"

"Oh!" Hearing that Donnie had a solution, Margaret didn't say anything further.

After breakfast, Donnie went to Isaiah's tavern, which had now stopped serving the public and had become John's base in the West District.

When Donnie arrived, John had not yet risen.

"Should I go wake him?" Magichi asked Donnie.

To help John better control the West District, Donnie had assigned Magichi to John's side.

"What do you think?"

Donnie glared at Magichi.

Magichi chuckled and went to wake up John, who was still sleeping.

Soon after, John emerged with his hair in a disheveled mess, yawning profusely.

"Why have you come so early?"

Donnie sat there and said, "Any later, and I could have joined you for lunch!"

"Now that's a normal time!" John grabbed a bottle of beer from the bar, took a few big gulps, and considered it his breakfast.

"How's the situation with the chip handlers in the West District?"

This was the reason Donnie had come to see John; chip handlers were an important means for Donnie to control the West District and needed constant attention.

"We've come to an agreement with a few other casinos that our people can enter their premises. However, these are the smaller casinos in the West District; the larger ones manage their own affairs, and for now, we haven't found a very good way in yet!"

There were over three hundred establishments involved in the gaming industry in Atlantic City, and integrating them all in a short period was nearly impossible!

Donnie didn't have such expectations; as long as John could integrate the casinos of the West District properly, that would suffice.

"You don't need to rush about the casinos outside of the West District. If you can complete the integration of the West District's casinos by the end of the year, that would be enough."

That is what Donnie thought and said.

Just as John was about to reply to Donnie, a woman in pajamas with a voluptuous figure and barely concealed assets walked out in a daze.

Seeing her, John didn't care and pulled out a US dollar from his pocket and handed it to her. She then indifferently left the tavern to return to the neighboring boarding house.

In Atlantic City, it had almost become the norm for a tavern to have a boarding house next door.

"Don't worry about that, I have ways of dealing with people who don't listen!"

Donnie warned, "These casinos all pay Nucky, and strictly speaking, they are under Nucky's protection. Our relationship with Nucky has just eased, so we don't want this issue to cause any friction with Nucky!"

John nodded and said, "Since you already have a plan, I will follow it as instructed!"

```

Donnie chuckled and said, "Don't worry, this won't last very long!"

As his words fell, the tavern door was pushed open, and Eli Johnson walked in, dressed in a brown uniform.

"Donnie, so this is your stronghold in the West District?"

Eli sat down next to Donnie without any pretense and asked Magichi to get him a bottle of beer.

"Donnie, you're really stingy, inviting me out like this. We should have gone to The Fuli Tavern. What's so good about this place? No, the entire West District doesn't have anything interesting to me."

Eli complained about the West District. As the second poorest area in Atlantic City, coupled with its diverse population, it indeed couldn't offer many benefits for Eli.

"My dear Eli, what if I told you that this place is going to become a huge treasure, what would you think?"

Donnie asked Eli.

Eli exaggeratedly said, "Then I'd definitely think you've gone mad!"

Donnie laughed heartily and suggested, "If you don't mind, change into some other clothes and come take a walk with me. I'll show you the immense wealth that lies hidden here!"

Then Eli seriously sized up Donnie. Quite significantly, with David Jabbar's departure, the relationship between Eli Johnson and Donnie had transformed from initial adversaries to now the closest partners.

This indeed confirmed the saying: There are no eternal enemies in the world, only eternal interests!

As his now closest partner, Eli couldn't take lightly what Donnie had said, especially since this morning he found out that his brother had already entered into a partnership with Donnie, which surprised Eli even more.

Before this, Eli was even planning to use Donnie's relationship with Nucky to mediate, and then to reassert his own importance!

"Changing clothes is no problem, but you have to tell me what's going on, alright?"

Eli asked curiously.

Donnie smiled and said, "Come out with me, and you'll know."

Seeing that Donnie didn't want to divulge more, Eli had no choice but to take off his uniform right there and then, following Donnie out of the tavern.

In Atlantic City, both Donnie and Eli could be considered well-known figures, but this didn't mean everyone recognized them—it wasn't the age of the internet, after all.

So when the two men walked on the streets, nobody paid attention to them.

The residents of the West District also mistook them for ordinary tourists.

Walking down the street, Donnie spoke to a curious-faced Eli Johnson, "You could look around this main street and count how many taverns there are, how many lodging apartments, how many gambling dens, and just how good their businesses are!"

Though curious, Eli proceeded to survey the street as Donnie had suggested.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"On Pennsylvania Avenue alone, there are more than twenty lodging apartments, a dozen taverns, and gambling dens. Do they even have that many customers?"

When they had finished walking down the main street of the West District, Pennsylvania Avenue, Eli couldn't help exclaiming in surprise.

Donnie replied casually with a smile, "The show isn't over yet. What you've seen is just one street; there's the whole West District to consider. As for the state of their business?

Look, isn't that being displayed right now?"

At that moment, they saw two rival taverns on the corner erupt in conflict, with four or five men from each side, under the watchful eyes of street bystanders, beginning to beat each other.

The fight came on suddenly, but also ended just as abruptly.

With individuals from both sides lying injured and bleeding, the battle drew to a close.

Donnie asked Eli, "What do you think?"

"Think about what?" Eli, indifferent to such scenes, said, "Isn't this kind of thing normal in Atlantic City, especially in the West District?"

Donnie laughed out loud and said, "That's the problem. When you think it's normal, then it's already not normal!"

Eli shook his head, not understanding Donnie's point, "Donnie, just tell me straight what you're thinking. This guesswork is really quite troublesome!"

Donnie had long been prepared for Eli's foolishness, but even with such apparent hints, he still didn't understand, which was truly exasperating!

"Eli, haven't you always wanted to prove yourself, to show that even without Nucky's help, you can still make something of yourself? Don't you want people in Atlantic City to talk about Eli Johnson, not just as Nucky's brother?

If you want to achieve all that, then the West District is the chip you can use to make it all happen!"

"This wretched place?"

Eli looked around and said, "How can this place compare to the Boardwalk?"

Donnie, speechless, said, "The Boardwalk is certainly a good place. But do you really think Nucky would let you have your way there?"

This time, Eli was silent.

Donnie said to him, "Let's go for another walk. I'll explain everything to you today, as starting tomorrow, I'll be busy with the Miss America event!"

Controlling the West District firmly in his hands, Eli, the fool, was indeed a very good option!