Chapter 255: Chapter 255 No Permanent Friends, Only Permanent Interests

He picked up the phone and called the old godfather, Vito Corleone.

"Vito, it's Tilly." Tilly greeted with a smile.

"I recognized your voice, Tilly. It's been a while since you called. You used to invite me for drinks often," the old godfather replied with a laugh.

"Are you free this weekend? Let's go hunting at my estate," Tilly invited.

"Sure, it's been a while since I went out," the old godfather agreed readily.

"Vito, I heard Hardy plans to build a new large casino in Las Vegas with a $100 million investment. What do you think? Are you investing?" Tilly asked.

The old godfather chuckled. "Of course, we'll invest. I believe it'll be a profitable venture. Since we know it will be profitable, why not invest? You know I have shares in Hardy's Grand Hotel, which now brings me a legal income of 10 million dollars annually."

The old godfather emphasized "legal." Sёarch* The nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Legal income and illegal income were vastly different, especially in a country with strict financial regulations.

"How much do you plan to invest?" Tilly asked.

"That depends on Hardy. I'd like to invest more, but Hardy might not allow it. This business could involve dozens of shareholders, and if you take too many shares, others won't have any."

A $100 million investment.

Few families could put up 10 million, putting up 5 million would be impressive, but that would only be a 5% stake.

Tilly paused and said, "Vito, Barzini just called me." He then relayed Barzini's words to the old godfather.

"We have no eternal allies, and we have no eternal enemies. Only Our interests are eternal and those interests it is our duty to follow."

This was a famous quote by 19th-century British Prime Minister Palmerston, the foundation of British diplomacy.

After finishing his call with Cuneo, Barzini realized that the situation was worse than he had imagined. Hardy's proposed investment could benefit others, and if he tried to stop it, he would find himself in the same position as the Corleone family once was.

The conversation with Cuneo hinted at deeper issues, making it clear how the other families would react. They had no political stance, their sole interest was making money. Whoever helped them make money was a friend. The past issues with drugs were likely forgotten. No one could resist such a large profit dangled in front of them.

Barzini suddenly realized that Hardy's scheme wasn't a conspiracy but a transparent strategy. Even knowing Hardy's intentions, it was hard to stop him. This realization brought Barzini distress. He had to find a way out.

He picked up the phone again and called Philip and Stracci, members of the Mafia's 24 member committee. Many had affiliations or interests connected to the Five Families, and they could use their influence to try to stop Hardy.

In Las Vegas, Hardy received several calls from Mafia family heads. The first call came from the Lucchese family head, who controlled Miami. Hardy had previously sought their help in dealing with the scammer, Victor.

The Lucchese family had good relations with the Corleone family. "Mr. Hardy, my manager told me that you want to invest in building a bigger casino with a budget of $100 million." Lucchese asked.

"Yes, I plan to build a new casino with a $100 million investment," Hardy confirmed.

Though he heard Hardy's response, Lucchese was still shocked. "Can you tell me where this $100 million will be used and how long it will take to recoup it?"

Hardy thought to himself that since Lucchese was asking, he wouldn't hold back his persuasive pitch. "Strictly speaking, it's not just a casino but a complex. This complex includes a casino, two luxury hotels, a themed shopping street, several large malls, high end restaurants, a performance center, a sports arena, and a conference exhibition center."

"We're also planning to build a hospital and invest in a university. Of course, the hospital and university won't be within the casino, the hospital will be closer to the city center, and the university will be closer to the mountains for better scenery. However, the assets will belong to this casino."

"My plan includes two hotels with 2,000 rooms, a casino that can accommodate over 5,000 people, and other facilities capable of hosting over 50,000 people."

"The performance center can host various shows and competitions. I've designed several world class events to be organized by MGM and HD Films, including the 'Victoria's Secret Angel Show' and the 'Miss World Beauty Pageant'."

"There will also be 'fashion competitions,' 'boxing matches,' 'electronic technology contests,' and more."

"I intend to make these competitions international events held in Las Vegas. This will attract countless tourists. Last year, Las Vegas had 130,000 tourists, and this year it's expected to exceed 500,000, largely driven by the Hardy Hotel."

"I estimate that within ten years, we can increase the number of tourists to 5 million annually. Do you know what that means?"

"What does it mean?" Lucchese responded instinctively.

"It means that even if each tourist spends just $100, the revenue will reach $500 million."

"Now, do you still think investing $100 million is too much?" Hardy asked.

Lucchese envisioned the scene Hardy painted and felt excited. Previously, he thought 100 million was too much, but now he sees the potential of earning 500 million annually.

"Are you sure you can attract 5 million tourists?" Lucchese asked, confident that visitors would spend at least $100 each.

"Even more," Hardy said firmly.

Hardy knew he had Lucchese hooked. "I'm in Las Vegas, and you can see the daily revenue and traffic at the Hardy Hotel. You should come and see it for yourself. It's more convincing than a phone call."

"In addition to the casino business, when the new casino is built, I plan to include television betting segments, which will earn money nationwide," Hardy added, throwing out a massive lure.

Lucchese had heard of the success of TV betting. His manager reported that TV betting was even more profitable than the casino itself. If Hardy included this in the new casino, the earnings were guaranteed.