America 1919

So it was that as Donnie walked and chatted with everyone, he arrived at the boardwalk.

There he met Nucky, who, as always, sat on the bench by the beach, talking to everyone who came to him for help, and offering solutions to their problems.

Seeing Donnie arrive, these people parted to make a way for him to pass through.

The person currently talking to Nucky was not a resident of Atlantic City, but a businessman from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Upon seeing Donnie approach, Nucky smiled and said, "Good timing, Donnie is here. You can speak to Donnie about this matter; I'm certain Donnie would be willing to help you!"

Donnie asked with a smile, "Is there something worrying you?"

The man quickly explained his situation...

It turned out that this man had been a liquor wholesaler before the prohibition started, but with its commencement, his business had become increasingly difficult. Moreover, with Donnie and his bootlegging empire monopolizing the bootlegging business in recent years, this man had no source for illicit liquor.

Thus, his trip to Atlantic City was actually to seek Nucky's assistance, hoping to get help from this old friend.

"Ah, that's the case!" After hearing him out, Donnie nodded, thought for a moment, and said with a smile, "Since you're a friend of Nucky's, of course I should offer my help. Later, I will have my people call a friend in Michigan. You can get in touch with them afterward!"

"Thank you, Mr. Block, thank you, Mr. Block!"

The man hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

Donnie, somewhat dissatisfied, said, "You shouldn't thank me; you should thank Mr. Nucky. If it hadn't been for Mr. Nucky speaking on your behalf, I wouldn't have paid any attention to this matter!"

The man seemed a bit embarrassed but still promptly expressed his thanks to Nucky.

Nucky just smiled and made a gesture for the man to leave.

"The afternoons in Atlantic City are just so captivating!"

Nucky leaned back on the bench, with the sound of the Atlantic waves never ceasing.

You seem to have stayed in New York a bit too long this time?" Donnie casually conversed with Nucky who sat beside him.

Nucky laughed heartily and said, "With you in Atlantic City, I have nothing to worry about, and naturally, I spent more time in New York!"

Donnie replied with a laugh, "Well, you do like to take it easy!"

Each spring, if there was no urgent business, Nucky would spend his time in New York, transforming into the gentleman with irresistible charm at various balls... a man who freely spent money, and every year the gossip weeklies in New York would go to great lengths to interview Nucky.

Nucky said, "As it happens, I have something I'd like to discuss with you!"

Donnie inquired, "What's the matter?"

Nucky said, "Life in Atlantic City is getting better, and I think we should bring more benefits to the people of Atlantic City!"

Donnie understood Nucky's underlying message, which was essentially to control the hearts of the people of Atlantic City more effectively by offering these benefits.

"How do you propose we do that?"

Donnie asked.

Nucky said, "I want to build new elementary schools and hospitals in all four districts of Atlantic City, free of charge!"

Nucky emphasized the word "free" heavily!

"Including the North District?" Donnie asked with a slight frown.

Even though the living conditions for the black population in Atlantic City were among the best in the North, due to broader societal factors, discrimination was still prevalent there, such as in schools!

Before, there were no schools in the North District; in fact, there weren't any schools, and Atlantic City had even prohibited black children from attending school in previous years.

When Nucky had just taken over Atlantic City from the Commodore, he had attempted to allow children from the North District to attend a school in the South District, causing all the white parents there to protest in unison, declaring that if there was a single black child in the school, they would immediately withdraw their children.

This protest made Nucky realize changing deeply entrenched ideas in people's minds was not so easy, and he urgently had the few black children removed from the school.

But Nucky hadn't given up on this issue, and over the subsequent decade and a half, he was still making efforts, first arranging for black teachers to enter the school, after placating the students and their parents, he began to try to reintegrate black children into the school.

A seemingly simple sentence, yet it took Nucky over a decade of effort. Still, even so, in Atlantic City.

If a school had black teachers and students, then that was certainly the worst school in town.

Now that Nucky wanted to establish a proper school in the North District, it meant that he intended to give the black residents there, at least nominally, equal status with the white residents of Atlantic City!

Nucky nodded, "Yes, including the North District."

Then Nucky explained the real reason behind it to Donnie. With the growth and development of Atlantic City, there were naturally more jobs available, leading many black individuals to secure decent employment, which increased their incomes. As a result, Atlantic City naturally attracted more black people to settle there.

Of course, many white people did as well.

In simple terms, with an increase in the black population, better measures were needed to keep them appeased, to prevent them from causing trouble, and also to garner more votes for one's own cause!