Chapter 199: Chapter 199 The True Underground Emperor Of Los Angeles
This time, he made it clear to everyone, deliberately showing them who did it on purpose.
The goal was to intimidate.
Intimidate all forces in Las Vegas.
The effect was obvious.
Those who mocked HD Security yesterday were silent today, hiding indoors.
Hardy had considered other strategies but ultimately chose this aggressive approach due to Las Vegas complexity. Every casino represented a gang family.
A slow approach would waste too much energy.
In the underworld, sometimes ruthlessness is necessary.
Respect is hard to earn; Hardy chose to instill fear first. Only when they are afraid will they hesitate.
He wrapped this ruthlessness in legality.
In America, as long as the process is legal, you are legal no matter what you did.
That night.
The casinos opened, but were far from their usual hustle and bustle. Many were too scared to go out, fearing another attack.
The next day.
Las Vegas newspapers announced that Jon Hardy would hold a funeral for Sigel and Fred the following day at noon, at the Las Vegas public cemetery.
Many casino managers immediately notified their families.
Many family heads instructed their representatives in Las Vegas to attend the funeral.
Hardy walked into the Flamingo Casino. Bill, Alan Payne, Lancer, Henry, and the others were all visiting for the first time, marveling at the casino\'s opulence.
"No wonder Mr. Sigel spent 8 million dollars. This place is so luxurious, much more than any casino in Los Angeles," Bill exclaimed.
The casino, housing dozens of gambling tables, a hotel with three to four hundred rooms, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, a tourist area, an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness club, tennis courts, and sauna massage rooms, was extraordinarily well equipped. It was undoubtedly the best vacation destination of its time.
After looking around, Bill asked in surprise, "With such a great place, why isn\'t it doing well? Boss, now that you\'ve taken over, how do you plan to manage it? You won\'t lose money, will you?"
Hardy sighed. "The Flamingo\'s problems are complex. To summarize, there are several reasons: first inadequate promotion, second poor management and the most crucial reason."
"And what is the most crucial reason?"
"Bad luck."
On Sigel\'s opening day, Las Vegas experienced an unprecedented storm that occur only once in ten years, disrupting all plans.
Following the storm, the new facilities faced a severe test: a lightning strike burned the transformer and the next day the hotel\'s air conditioning broke down.
Sigel used only the best equipment, which usually wouldn\'t fail. But the storm on the opening day was so severe that it affected the equipment\'s normal operation.
"What are you going to do about it?" Bill asked.
"Once we know the problems we can solve them. Before the casino reopens all the facilities must be thoroughly prepared including the casino and all its affiliated facilities, making it a true vacation destination.
"Increase promotion efforts, advertise in newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and even television. Hire people to take photos and videos to make it as attractive as possible. The theme must be clear: \'Come here to enjoy life.\'
"Currently, there is only two flight daily from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, which is too few. Our airline will be ready soon, so we need to increase the number of flights to attract people to our casino.
"Introduce regular draws, such as a 1 dollar bet every two hours, with all the prize money going to the winner. This will keep people in the casino, and as long as we keep them, we will make money.
"We\'ve bought the land around the casino and plan to build a horse racing track, a dog racing track, and a boxing and wrestling center. Only by forming a scale can we attract more people. We should also introduce various types of gambling and other facilities, and hold open events and regular prize draws."
Bill, Henry, and the others listened with their mouths open, surprised by the boss\'s ideas.
"Boss, have you thought of so much in such a short time?" Bill asked in amazement.
Hardy shrugged, "Time is short, so I\'ll just say this for now. There are many ways to attract people. Ultimately, it\'s about stirring up people\'s desires. As long as we operate in this direction, it will naturally be effective, regardless of the form."
"Boss, when do you plan to open the casino?" Bill asked.
At this point, Hardy\'s expression became more solemn. "It will open in the future, but not now. Everything has to wait until the five families matters are resolved."
...
The next noon.
Las Vegas Public Cemetery.
Today was possibly the most crowded day in the history of the Las Vegas Public Cemetery. Bill and his brothers, numbering 200, stood on the left. HD Security\'s 150 men stood in the middle, while guests from various Las Vegas casinos, over a hundred in number, stood on the right.
The members of the Los Angeles gang wore black clothes and had solemn expressions.
HD Security personnel wore black combat uniforms, exuding an air of authority.
Casino guests from different families were immediately overshadowed by the presence of these two groups. They occasionally glanced at Bill, guessing he was Bill Pitt, now the largest gang leader in Los Angeles.
Then they looked at the handsome man in the center of the funeral, knowing he must be the famous Jon Hardy.
Hardy had become quite famous lately.
He now had several titles: the owner of the largest security company in the United States, a Hollywood giant, and the owner of four publicly listed companies.
These were just his official identities. Many in the underworld knew Jon Hardy was also the true underground emperor of Los Angeles.
Not long ago, he wiped out the Irish North Shore gang, even killing Raymond\'s strategist, David.
It\'s said that Raymond was furious afterward, but even after half a month, the Irish had not taken any substantial retaliatory action.