Chương 19: The True Masters of New York

The gate to the central garden closed behind the three of them, shutting out the suffocating jazz music and the smell of money from the hall.

The cool night air quickly entered Arthur's nostrils, giving his tense nerves a brief respite.

Arthur Kennedy stopped in his tracks, standing on the high steps of the garden, his right hand pressing against the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

There, besides the pen, was a metal whistle hidden.

This is a talisman he prepared in advance.

Arthur suddenly pulled out his whistle and blew it, then shouted into the darkness across the street:

"Uncle Patrick, come out."

The heavy sound of leather boots clattering on stone bricks echoed from the shadows.

In an instant, more than thirty burly men emerged from the shadows around the street corner.

They wore overalls, baseball caps, and carried heavy wrenches, crowbars, and even steel hooks.

The leader was an old man in his fifties. Although he looked old, his arm muscles were bulging, making him appear exceptionally strong and powerful.

His name was Patrick O'Reilly, and he was a distant relative on Arthur's mother's side of the family.

A few days ago, Arthur was sent by Jason to the docks for an interview and happened to run into Patrick. This time, he was worried about the danger of attending the banquet, so he notified Patrick in advance and asked him to bring some friends.

Patrick proved to be a force to be reckoned with, bringing a huge group of men, almost the standard setup for a dockside gang fight.

"Arthur, if you don't come out soon, I'll really think something bad is going to happen to you."

He glared fiercely at the two security guards at the entrance of the central garden, as if he wanted to tear them apart with his eyes, and said in a gruff voice.

"Those bastards in Tammany, they took our votes and let a playboy like Jimmy Walker get to power, it's outrageous."

"I listened to you and waited outside until now. But just now I saw Jimmy Walker's entourage calling for help, and I almost rushed in."

"Thank you, Uncle Patrick."

Arthur walked down the steps and patted the old man on the shoulder.

"Have the brothers spread out and go back to Brooklyn in two groups. Jimmy Walker has lost face, and he'll definitely have patrolmen setting up roadblocks at the intersections tonight. As long as you don't stick together with weapons, they can't do anything to you."

Elizabeth looked at the group of Irish workers, then turned to Arthur, a hint of admiration in her eyes.

"It seems you're not a fool. I originally thought your only weapon was Isabella, but it seems you've prepared another one."

Arthur had no intention of hiding anything; he looked directly into Elizabeth's eyes and said:

"Walker is the kind of guy who only knows two languages: money and violence. If Jimmy Walker really wants to mess with me, I can make him taste the power of physical superiority."

"I will not place Isabella's and my own safety entirely in the mercy of others."

"It's always necessary to have a backup plan; never put yourself in danger lightly."

Elizabeth nodded approvingly.

She gestured for Patrick and the others to leave first, then led Arthur and Isabella to a black Cadillac parked on the side of the road.

"Violence is a last resort, but not the best one. Arthur, you must understand, Jimmy Walker isn't scary; what's scary is the Tammony Society behind him. Even we won't easily clash with them."

"Your remarks at the banquet tonight are tantamount to a declaration of war to these people."

The three of them got into the car, where the windows shut out the noise from the outside world.

Elizabeth sat in the back row, holding Isabella in her arms and gently stroking her niece's long hair.

Her expression turned cold again, and she analyzed the situation seriously:

"Walker won't give up."

"I suspect he'll threaten Hearst first thing tomorrow morning, or even late tonight, and maybe even find someone to accuse you of theft or possession of contraband."

"I just said I would be your legal advisor, but the law can protect you from going to jail, but it can't protect you from being hit by stones in the dark."

You need to be very careful.

Arthur leaned back in his chair, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted.

After a while, he asked, "Since he has so many tricks up his sleeve, why were you able to make him back down in the hall just now?"

"Because Harrison is a Republican surname. To date, the New York State legislature is still dominated by Republicans, and my presence would make Jimmy think that the Republicans are unhappy with him."

"Besides, you don't need to be too anxious, Albany's eyes are on this place too."

Elizabeth suddenly lowered her voice, and her words instantly made the atmosphere in the carriage subtle.

Arthur's heart skipped a beat.

Albany is the capital of New York State, the governor's territory. At that moment, Arthur recalled his rudimentary understanding of American history, and he vaguely realized what Elizabeth was referring to.

"Jimmy Walker always felt like he was the king of New York."

Elizabeth looked at Arthur, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.

"But he forgot that New York City is just one piece of the puzzle in New York State. The Tammany Association is like a crooked tree; its roots, though deep, block too much sunlight. This has made some people in higher positions unhappy."

"Those people were tired of Walker's greed, tired of him treating all of New York like his personal ATM. Among them were both Republicans and Democrats."

"The most crucial one of them is currently sitting in Albany's office, observing all of this."

Elizabeth continued.

"He needs a knife. A scalpel that can cut through the disguised shell of the Tammoni Society and let the pus and blood flow out. Originally, such a knife was hard to find. But now, the 'honest man' has appeared."

Arthur was somewhat surprised. Had he inadvertently stumbled into the game of a powerful figure?

He looked at Elizabeth and asked:

"So, does this important figure intend for me to continue writing, or does he plan to recruit me when the time is right?"

Elizabeth smiled without saying a word, and reached out to tidy her sideburns.

"He doesn't need to recruit you. He just needs you to continue being an honest man, someone who infuriates Walker but leaves him helpless. As for your specific identity, Arthur, you're smart enough to guess."

"He is the true ruler of this state. Even though he has difficulty walking, the view he can see is farther than that of someone standing on the top floor of the Manhattan Bank Tower."

Arthur remained silent. The implication was clear enough.

In New York State in 1929, the only person who could be so highly regarded by Elizabeth, and who was on the rise and ready to take action against the Tammony Society, was that man.

The future savior of the American people, the top tamer of capitalism.

Franklin D. Roosevelt.