The Tyrant Billionaire

The conflict between the four families and the Corleones had nearly destroyed the Corleones, but Hardy played a significant role in their survival.

Later, during the chaotic conflict, while they fought the Corleones and conspired to kill Sigel, aiming to seize his assets, Hardy ended up reaping the greatest benefits.

He eliminated Raymond's men and the Irish North Shore gang, uniting Los Angeles under his control and becoming the city's dominant underworld force.

He also took the Flamingo Casino.

Reflecting on the Flamingo,

Originally, Barzini had 13% of the shares, which he traded for the Corleones support of the drug trade.

Damn it, In retrospect, that deal was a huge loss for him.

Ignoring the investment company, the Grand Hotel's annual revenue alone was visible, with a $30 million profit.

With 13% of the shares, that would have been an annual income of $4 million.

Currently, Barzini's drug operations yield only two to three million annually, requiring significant effort and constant vigilance.

Meanwhile, the Corleones,

With 39% of the casino shares, Did nothing and still earned over $10 million in legitimate income annually.

Legal income was far more valuable than mafia money, which needed laundering and faced operational risks that could halt income at any moment, whereas casino profits could continually grow.

Even if the family faced issues, this income would remain.

Thinking about this made Barzini insanely jealous.

He had plotted for so long, forcing the Corleones to surrender, only to give the best spoils to others and leave himself with scraps.

Of course, Barzini wouldn't consider that Hardy's Grand Hotel was so profitable because of good management, Hardy's effort, dedication, and the future extra ordinary ideas of great geniuses in the business field.

Sometimes, the same casino under different management might not succeed.

Regarding Hardy's invitation to mafia families to invest in the new casino, Barzini, being a cunning old fox, sensed a hint of conspiracy.

If these people became Hardy's business partners, his influence would significantly diminish.

He knew, Mafia families prioritized making money. They would do anything for profit, but anyone blocking their path to wealth would quickly become an enemy.

Previously, when attacking the Corleones, these smaller families acted as hunting dogs. Though they didn't directly attack, their support was crucial, driven by the drug trade's profits.

Now Hardy dangled a juicy bait.

Those greedy and foolish bastards might fall for it.

Once they became partners, eliminating Hardy would be impossible, and his influence in the Mafia Commission would be greatly reduced.

No way. He had to stop it!

Barzini picked up the phone and called Philip, the head of the Tattaglia family, explaining the stakes.

"I absolutely won't invest in Hardy's ventures. I heard the Grand Hotel earns two to three million a year easily. If we hadn't traded the Flamingo shares to the Corleones, we could've earned a fortune."

Barzini detected a hint of complaint in Philip's tone. After all, it was Barzini who had advocated trading the shares for Corleone's support in the drug business.

"Are we just going to watch Hardy make a fortune in Las Vegas?" Philip asked.

"I have an idea. We can rally some people and invest in building a large casino in Las Vegas ourselves. We can still make money," Barzini suggested.

Philip showed interest.

"That's a good idea, but it might require significant investment."

"Then let's involve more people."

After hanging up, Barzini called Carlo, the head of the Stracci family. They discussed for half an hour, and Carlo agreed to the new casino plan.

These three families originally bought shares in the Flamingo Casino and formed a close alliance with Barzini.

Finally, Barzini called Tilly, head of the Cuneo family, and explained his idea. Tilly replied, "I heard about the casino project from the manager. Have you watched the Las Vegas TV station?"

"I have," Barzini replied.

He had watched Las Vegas TV out of curiosity and to monitor his rival's activities.

"I believe Hardy's casino's success largely stems from the Las Vegas TV station's promotion and the lottery event. Without the TV station, even another casino couldn't succeed."

Barzini furrowed his brows.

Thinking about it, it seemed true. The TV station was crucial to Hardy's casino's success.

Without TV support, the new casino couldn't thrive and might even lose money.

Hardy could succeed because he owned the nation's largest ABC TV network. Others couldn't just create a nationwide TV station.

Of course, they could cooperate with other TV stations to break into Las Vegas and compete with Hardy.

But that would mean tearing down the facade.

Hardy wasn't a gentleman or a passive person. Your TV station might get bombed the day after it was built, collapsing your building.

They couldn't outfight Hardy.

The Los Angeles mafia under his control was stronger than any of the five families individually.

HD Security had expanded rapidly in a year, now boasting 2,500 personnel, essentially Hardy's private army, controlling Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas.

HD Security had opened a branch in New York with a small scale of 200 personnel, handling some bank contracts. Barzini had seen HD Security armored cars during his trips.

Although 200 personnel are by no means threatening, But Hardy could always send more troops to New York.

After considering all this, Barzini realized that even if they invested in a new casino, it might not succeed.

To make money in Las Vegas, they could only cooperate with Hardy.

This realization made Barzini very uncomfortable.

Frustrated, Barzini said, "Tilly, this isn't about making money. If the mafia families invest in Hardy's new casino, do you think they'll still go against him? Don't forget, Hardy is allied with the Corleones."

The other end was silent for a few seconds. Tilly said, "I'll think it over. Let's talk later."

After hanging up, Tilly looked at a painting on the wall. It was an 1827 piece by French artist Théodore Gudin, depicting a shipwreck with people escaping on lifeboats amidst stormy seas.

He and the Corleones had no deep grudges. Their previous alliance to attack the Corleones was driven by the drug trade and profit.

Since Barzini couldn't offer benefits now, and there were substantial profits to be made in Las Vegas, Tilly had no difficulty making a choice.