I was acting crazy in North America, and all the crazy people there took it seriously.

Chapter 97 We Swore an Alliance Based on the Bounty List
Washington, D.C., Prohibition Bureau headquarters.

The newly appointed Prohibition Commissioner, Robert Wallace, had barely had time to catch his breath after firing a group of incompetent officials with deep ties to the mob when the congressional hearings began as scheduled.

This hearing is crucial as it will directly determine whether the Prohibition Bureau will receive a significant increase in funding in the next fiscal year.

Robert convened his think tank to discuss countermeasures.

"Gentlemen, we must show the men of Congress our value, otherwise, let alone increase funding, our existing budget may be cut! Is there any way to make them look at us with new respect during the hearings?"

A hot-blooded young assistant blurted out, "Didn't we just issue a high reward for information about a major bootlegging dealer?"

Robert shook his head and sighed: "The bounty only shows that we will never give up on prohibition, but it is not an achievement in itself."

"Am I supposed to say at the hearing, 'We've spent a lot of taxpayer money on the bounty, but we still haven't caught him'? I'm even worried that those congressmen will retort, 'If bounties were effective, what would be the point of the Prohibition Bureau?'"

At this point, a more experienced assistant offered a relatively reliable suggestion: "Mr. Specialist, perhaps we can create stars."

“Star creation?” Robert frowned.

"Yes. Establish a role model, a heroic Prohibition agent. Use his tangible achievements and media coverage to demonstrate to Congress our frontline combat effectiveness and results."

He spoke eloquently, “I noticed recently in the Mississippi media that an agent named Prince has taken down several large bootlegging dens, achieving remarkable results.”

Robert immediately became interested: "Prince? Are his grades really true?"

"We have preliminarily verified that the den he destroyed, the equipment he seized, and the large quantity of bootlegging liquor are all authentic," another assistant in charge of intelligence confirmed.

"Good! Good! Good!" Robert said three times, finally smiling. "This is it! Immediately activate all our publicity resources, contact friendly media outlets, and give Agent Prince a prominent push!"

"We need to show the gentlemen of Congress that the Prohibition Bureau can fight tough battles and achieve results!"

Someone else cautiously added, "Mr. Commissioner, if we're talking about creating stars, actually, if we could collaborate with the Chicago Sun-Times..."

Robert's face darkened instantly at the mention of The Sun.

He hadn't forgotten that his predecessor had been ousted by this crazy newspaper along with all the filth in Chicago.

Working with such unscrupulous media? He instinctively felt resistance and disgust.

He wanted to refuse firmly, but he swallowed the words back.

What his subordinates said was right; when it comes to "star-making," The Sun is really good at it!

He even heard Congressmen talking about the "King of Escape" with great enthusiasm.

If the Prohibition Board wants to regain its reputation, it needs more funding; otherwise, its resentment will be in vain!
After weighing the pros and cons, he finally reluctantly sent his subordinates, with a sour face, to contact The Sun and sound out their intentions!
……

Meanwhile, in the ballroom of a luxury hotel in New York, Al Capone was secretly hosting a meeting of the Eastern Moonshine League, which he had high hopes for.

His anticipated "triumphant return home" turned out to be full of twists and turns, leaving him seething with anger.

He was first hunted down relentlessly by the Prohibition Bureau, fleeing back to Chicago in a sorry state. When he regrouped and returned to New York with enough men, he still did not receive the respect he had imagined.

Giuseppe "Boss Joe" Masseria, the most powerful gangster in New York, and Enoch "Nookie" Louis Johnson, the uncrowned king of Atlantic City, New Jersey, acknowledged that Al Capone was a man who dared to challenge the U.S. military, but that was all.

What infuriated Capone the most was that Johnny Torrio, the former Chicago Mafia boss whom he had usurped and driven out, had become an advisor to the "Sicilian Union" thanks to his seniority and connections!

This old man constantly slandered Al Capone behind his back, calling him "a brute who only knows violence and has no loyalty or wisdom," which resulted in Al Capone having a very bad reputation among the Eastern Mafia bosses.

Therefore, when he ambitiously proposed to form a bootlegging alliance covering the East Coast under his leadership, with unified pricing and shared distribution channels, "Boss Joe" and "Nookie" and others dismissed it with disdain.

Like Enoch Louis Johnson, who controlled Atlantic City, a vital transportation hub on the East Coast of the United States, he had intricate connections with numerous gangs. He provided them with smuggling routes and was responsible for security along these routes.

They have their own established channels and territory, so why should they listen to a junior from Chicago with a bad reputation telling them what to do?

Al Capone was furious; he felt that these old guys were simply being shameless!
The fact that the "chosen ones" are willing to play with you is a favor to you, yet you don't appreciate it.
Then don't blame him for being unethical!
After some secret networking, he gathered a group of equally ambitious young men, such as Charlie Luciano, whom he called "Cousin," and Meyer Lansky.

These younger Dengs still largely depend on the older Dengs for their livelihood, because the aftermath of the Anglo-American confrontation lingers and the supply of imported bootlegging remains tight. The older Dengs prioritize supplying themselves, leaving the younger Dengs in a difficult position.

They both envied and admired Al Capone, who was also young but had already made a name for himself in Chicago and even dared to challenge the federal government.

Upon hearing that Capone was going to lead a "revolution" and replace the old Dengs, everyone eagerly...secretly responded.

At the meeting, someone proposed swearing a blood oath to demonstrate loyalty to Al Capone, the core figure.

Al Capone was dressed in a well-tailored handmade outfit, wore an extravagant diamond ring, and had a cigar in his mouth.

Upon hearing the blood oath, he waved his hand, pulled out a stack of Prohibition Bureau bounty posters, and slammed them on the table. The top one featured a large photo of himself and the amount of the bounty.

“Blood? That stuff is so old-fashioned!” Al Capone pointed at the bounty poster, his face displaying a mixture of mockery and arrogance. “Let’s do something new! Let’s swear an oath by the bounty poster!”

He looked at the somewhat bewildered Xiao Deng below and announced his rules: "See? I'm the most valuable now! From now on, whoever's name appears on this bounty list, and the closer they are to me, the more I'll support them!"

"As much wine as you want, we'll give you! The best wine! Unlimited supply!"

—Al Capone could have a million ways to deal with the Prohibition Bureau's bounty, but after suffering a huge loss, he said this was not the end of it!
He was determined to turn the Prohibition Bureau's bounty into a "ranking of honors" within the Mafia and even the entire American underworld!
I'll have Nima put a bounty on it!

The younger players were dumbfounded.

This is too crazy!

The unwritten rule of the Mafia is not to go head-to-head with the authorities, lest it invite a major crackdown. Al Capone is completely going against the grain!

The young players don't know why Al Capone dares to be so tough, but he's still alive and kicking, and doing better than any of them!

So, has the era changed?
So, how the hell is this supposed to get on the list?

……

　Prohibition Bureau: Don't come any closer!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)