America 1919

Nucky, dressed in a purple suit with a red carnation pinned to his lapel, walked into the hospital followed by his loyal companion, Louis.

"How's the situation? Is everyone alright?"

Nucky, seeing Embiid's men wrapped in bandages, anxiously asked.

"Embiid is currently undergoing surgery inside, the doctors say it's a through-and-through wound, it shouldn't be life-threatening!"

"What about the liquor?"

Nucky was more concerned about the load of whiskey and rum.

"It's already been transported to my warehouse, it's very safe now!" Although LeBron James received the call later, he arrived at the hospital before Nucky.

Relieved that the liquor was safe, Nucky truly relaxed. As Donnie had told him before, even though Nucky could get the support of alcohol from Chicago, the cost of transportation from there was even higher than smuggling it from the United Kingdom.

"Who was so bold as to rob our goods?"

Nucky was extremely angry now; someone dared to rob his goods in Atlantic City, and this was something he couldn't forgive.

LeBron James' goods were Nucky's goods.

"It was Pierce's doing!" one of Embiid's men replied.

"That's impossible!" Nucky immediately objected, "Pierce doesn't have the guts, and he wouldn't even know about this!"

Saying this, Nucky sharply turned to look at LeBron James, angrily saying, "Was it you?"

LeBron James immediately gestured with his hands, speaking somewhat fearfully, "Respected Nucky, how could it be me? You know about my relationship with Pierce, it's impossible for us to collaborate!"

Embiid's underling continued, "It indeed was Pierce's men, his body is still lying there where we fought!"

Nucky glanced at Louis, who immediately understood and went to make a phone call, ordering his men to investigate.

"Even if it was Pierce, how did he come to know about this?" Nucky said angrily.

At this moment, James spoke, "Nucky, in Atlantic City, there is only one person who has the ability to know about this and the power to make Pierce betray you, and the one who would most like to see us without liquor is also the same person!"

Nucky paused, then asked, "Are you talking about the Brigadier?"

LeBron James nodded, "Besides him, I can't think of anyone else in Atlantic City with the ability and reason to do this!"

After a moment of contemplation, Nucky still didn't give any answers there but instead told one of Embiid's men, "Tell the doctor to take good care of Embiid. I'll express my gratitude for it. Also, when Embiid wakes up, tell him I'll come to see him tomorrow!"

"Yes!"

Soon after, Nucky left the hospital with James. At the hospital entrance, the anger at James that was visible on Nucky's face vanished and was even replaced by an apologetic expression.

"James, I'm very sorry, you know I was shocked by this event!"

LeBron James quickly bowed and said, "Respected Nucky, please don't say such things. If it wasn't for my foolish behavior earlier, you wouldn't have suspicions about me. It's me who should apologize for my previous foolish actions!"

Nucky was pleased with James's attitude, gave him a light pat on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, no one can replace your position in the North District!"

James bowed and said, "In the North District, no one dares to question Mr. Nucky's decisions!"

Satisfied, Nucky left the hospital and once he got into his car, the smile on Nucky's face instantly disappeared. He turned to Louis to ask,

"Louis, do you really think this matter has nothing to do with James?"

Driving towards Ritz Hotel, Louis focused earnestly on the road. "As James just said, he has no reason to do it, and we know James, he wouldn't possibly collaborate with Pierce.

Moreover, even if it really were him, this batch of liquor coming to Atlantic City would still have been discovered by us.

I can't think of any reason to suspect him!"

Nucky nodded, saying, "I think so too, but something about this incident seems off. How could the Brigadier have known?"

"Perhaps Pierce truly wanted to play both sides or maybe there are other reasons we don't know about. But boss, we must take action now; otherwise, all of Atlantic City will think we fear the Brigadier!"

In the world of the gangsters, one can't control their fate!

This described Nucky's current situation: everyone in Atlantic City knew that the Brigadier's return was a challenge to take back his throne.

Even if there might be other hidden aspects to this affair or possibly that others were involved,

Now, Nucky had to frame the Brigadier for this incident, as the people of Atlantic City saw it as his doing!

At least for now, the most critical thing for Nucky was to maintain the liquor supply in Atlantic City.

The Brigadier had touched Nucky's core interests. If Nucky did not retaliate now, then everyone in Atlantic City would think Nucky was afraid of the Brigadier.

At that point, Nucky's political allies would begin to doubt his control over Atlantic City, and under such doubts, these allies might slowly lean toward the Brigadier.

And the ordinary citizens of Atlantic City would question whether Nucky could bring them various benefits, as the Brigadier had also offered them such benefits before.

Nucky wouldn't allow such a scenario to occur!

"Once back at the hotel, have Eli come to my study!"

Nucky knew he had to take action!

.

In fact, Nucky's actions were very swift. By the next day, an oblivious Vince arrived at the Public Security Office prepared to head to his office, only to be stopped by the police at the entrance.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. McGrady, but you are no longer permitted to enter this building!"

Vince felt like he was hearing some colossal joke, "I am a police officer, why can't I enter?"

"Because from now on, you are no longer a police officer." Eli Johnson, dressed in a brown uniform, walked out from inside the Public Security Office. As he stood in front of Vince, he pulled out a subpoena and thrust it in front of Vince's eyes.

"We now suspect you are involved in a case of abuse of power that occurred three months ago in Atlantic City. You are formally under arrest. You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say can and will be used against you in court!"

"Bullshit, I'm a police officer, you don't have the right to dismiss me!"

Vince was furious. He couldn't understand what had gotten into Eli Johnson, daring to arrest him. Didn't he know that he was the son of a brigadier?

"Are you trying to provoke a direct confrontation between the brigadier and Nucky?"

"This is a dismissal order from the municipal court. Take a good look, there's a judge's signature on it!"

As Vince looked at the dismissal order, his vision began to blur. He couldn't understand how all of this was happening to him.

In the end, no matter how much Vince struggled, he was eventually taken to the police station's detention center.

Nucky's retaliation was far from over. That same morning, the street-corner hotel that once symbolized the brigadier's prestige was also greeted by a troop of police officers, who proceeded to shut it down for operating a gambling industry!

Who didn't know that all the famous hotels in Atlantic City had gambling halls!

But now, it was the brigadier's pride that was being sealed off!

The two incidents that happened that morning quickly spread throughout Atlantic City, leaving everyone in shock.

Although they all knew the reason for the brigadier's return to Atlantic City, Nucky had, at the very least, maintained a basic level of respect for the brigadier publicly.

But when they woke up, Nucky had taken action against the brigadier!

Was Atlantic City about to witness a storm of blood and violence?

Just as everyone was wondering why Nucky would do such a thing, the afternoon's events involving Embiid and his associates also spread throughout Atlantic City.

When everyone pieced the two incidents together, they understood why Nucky had taken such actions!

Nucky was demonstrating his power in Atlantic City.

At this time, people supported Nucky's actions.

Because Atlantic City could not be without liquor!

.

"Bang!!!!!!"

An eighteenth-century British royal teacup was fiercely smashed onto the ground, its coffee splattering onto a wool blanket worth one hundred US Dollars.

The raging brigadier didn't care about it at all.

"Since when was Pierce my man? Who is Pierce?"

At this point, the brigadier was also aware of the whole situation.

Being caught unawares by troubles falling from the sky, that was the state the brigadier was in right now.

He admitted he very much wanted to disrupt Nucky's liquor operation, but he would never do something as foolish as sending a black man with a group of black men to commit a robbery.

But, it was too late to say anything now, Nucky had already responded to the incident, and it was time to see how he would react.

The brigadier knew that if he did not handle it well, then all his efforts in Atlantic City would have been for nothing.

"Nucky, you're forcing my hand!"

.

"You guessed this would happen as well?" Robert was sitting across from Donnie, his eyes showing surprise.

"Weren't we just trying to help LeBron James regain control of North District? How has it now turned into a struggle between Nucky and the brigadier?"

Robert had a thousand questions in his mind about the day's events in Atlantic City.

"Whether or not I guessed it isn't important!" said Donnie with a constant smile on his face, stating, "What's important is that right now, we can't let the brigadier fall so easily!"

The brigadier was getting old, and his methods could not match Nucky's anymore, but as long as the brigadier was around, Nucky wouldn't be able to focus all his attention on us.

So Donnie didn't want the brigadier to fall at this time!

"Is this something we can get involved in?" asked a surprised Robert.