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Despite the long flight, Hardy didn\'t feel too tired. He hailed a taxi and decided to explore places like Wall Street.

New York in the 1940s was filled with towering skyscrapers, showcasing the allure of a modern metropolis.

Tomorrow was Don Vito Corleone\'s birthday, and Hardy thought It would be more polite to prepare a gift.

What should he give him?

After wandering the streets without finding anything suitable, Hardy passed by an antique shop. Through the window facing the street, he spotted European antiques and some beautiful Oil paintings.

Hardy entered.

Inside the shop were various antiques: European, American, even Egyptian.

After looking around, Hardy found the most beautiful was a vase decorated with moon flasks, probably something made by the ottomans.

Hardy didn\'t know much about antiques, but these items looked quite nice to him. "Sir, how much are these vases?" he asked the elderly shop owner.

"Which one are you interested in?" the foreign gentleman inquired.

Hardy randomly pointed at a cyan colored vase.

"This vase is priced at $80," the owner replied.

Hardy shook his head.

"What about the red one?"

"That\'s $55."

Hardy shook his head again.

He recalled that last time, he acquired around 40 to 50 pieces for free.

Hardy wasn\'t too interested in the antique vase itself, he found it beautiful, but that was it. It\'s just that antiques and paintings are a good way to launder money, so he was quite curious about the current prices.

Satisfied with his tour around the shop, Hardy casually picked up an exquisite Victorian era carved silver plate from the table. "Sir, please pack this nicely, I\'ll use it as a gift."

"No problem," the delighted owner agreed.

Carrying the gift out of the antique shop, Hardy thought about the countless European antique artworks scattered abroad

Now that world war II has just ended people are more concerned about their food and health rather than artwork so the prices are not so high, it is a good time to buy them.

Once the US government start cracking down on gangs and illegal money, these artworks will become a hard commodity. This was an unimaginable wealth, more valuable than simply hoarding cash.

Of course, he could also collect some famous ones for himself.

Almost all wealthy families dabbled in antique art collections, which was essentially an investment.

However, Hardy didn\'t understand much about these and knew that the artwork business was deep waters. He needed to find someone knowledgeable and trustworthy to handle this.

The next day, Sigel arrived on time to pick up Hardy. The driver took them both to the Corleone family estate. When they arrived, the road outside the Corleone estate was already filled with cars.

The two got out of the car and headed inside.

Hardy immediately recognized the scene—it resembled the Corleone family\'s home from the movie, giving him a familiar feeling.

It was a wonderful feeling, indescribable in words.

Familiar yet strange.

It reminded him of many things from his past life.

Entering the yard, it was bustling with activity. Men, women, young, old—probably over a hundred people were there. As people spotted Sigel, they greeted him warmly, and Sigel exchanged a few words with familiar faces.

As for Hardy. He looked young and unfamiliar, so everyone mistook him for Sigel\'s companion, a negligible figure.

Sigel led Hardy into the living room filled with men, many smoking and chatting. When Sigel entered, all eyes turned to him.

Some of the gazes were clearly unfriendly.

Hardy followed and glanced around the room, finally locking eyes on the man in the main seat a portrayal reminiscent of Marlon Brando\'s character from "The Godfather," displaying a calm demeanor, always with a hint of wisdom in his eyes.

Hardy knew this was Vito Corleone, the head of the Corleone family, one of New York\'s five major families.

Sensing the tension, Vito Corleone stood up. "Alright, let\'s have some food outside in the yard. Sigel, let\'s talk inside."

Everyone went outside, leaving Vito Corleone and Sigel to head into the study, while Hardy remained in the living room.

Inside the room.

Vito Corleone sat in his chair, looking at Sigel beside him, his voice slightly hoarse. "Have you seen Tommy and Carlo? They came to me complaining that you\'re running a gambling operation and swindled them out of a lot of money."

"Jamie, there are many ways to make money. I don\'t want conflicts. The Mafia is currently unstable, with many differing opinions".

Sigel shrugged."I didn\'t lie to them, They all are too impatient and seek quick success. If they follow my plan, I can guarantee that it will be developed well."

"And it will not only be a casino, but also a tourist attraction site. Las Vegas is now the only place in the United States where gambling is open, which is its biggest advantage."

Vito knew Sigel was a stubborn guy since he was a child.

"Alright, I know you have your own ideas. I just hope you can resolve this matter satisfactorily, don\'t let it get out of hand. I\'ll talk to them and ask them to be more patient."

In fact, Sigel\'s visit was not just to wish Vito Corleone a happy birthday, it was also to mediate this conflict. With Vito\'s wisdom he naturally sensed Sigel\'s intentions.

Sigel smiled and said, "By the way, I brought a young man to introduce to you."

"Oh, is it the young man with you? You brought him to my birthday party, it seems you have high hopes for him?"

"Yes, he\'s quite capable. Have you heard about the Los Angeles bank heist?"

"I\'ve seen it in the newspapers and watched the documentary film."

"HD Security, the company he owns, is behind that. When he learned that a group of robbers had hit the Los Angeles bank, he began planning. He negotiated a $200,000 promotional fee with Bank of America and pitched his security business to them, eventually partnering with the Los Angeles Police Department."

"His HD security is now famous with that documentary that was shown all over the US. He made a fortune from it. More importantly, it will make HD security more famous. With the current reputation of HD security, there will be no shortage of business."

"Now he has become friends with Los Angeles government officials, the police chief, and the president of Bank of America."

Vito Corleone is a wise, smart, and reasonable man, and he never lets his men touch drugs. He has a very good relationship with the political and police circles, and he\'s good at fostering relationships with government officials, judges, police, and union leaders.

He is a wise man and likes to interact with intelligent people.

After hearing Sigel\'s introduction of Hardy, Vito became interested in the young man. "Sigel, call him in."

Sigel opened the door and called Hardy. Hardy quickly approached.

Walking into the study, Hardy found it strikingly similar to the movie.

"Mr. Corleone, my name is Jon Hardy. This is a gift for you, happy birthday."

"Thank you for the gift, young man."

Seeing that the young man was not nervous upon meeting him, something even many top family bosses and advisers struggled with, Vito found this young man intriguing.

"Jamie said HD Security is yours. Do you also have other profitable companies?" Vito asked.

"Yes, I prefer legitimate businesses."

Vito was surprised to hear this explanation. Mob members like them loved underworld businesses.

Why? Simply put, they made money quickly and directly.

It was incredibly difficult to make money through legitimate means—that was the domain of society\'s elite. For people from their backgrounds to succeed was nearly impossible. Yet, this young man, with a mafia background, preferred legitimate businesses—an oddity.

...

The birthday party began.

Friends and family offered their blessings.

The yard was lively, with the Mafia placing a strong emphasis on family. Everyone joyously danced, sang, and enjoyed barbecue. Sigel caught up with old friends and chatted with them.

In this yard, anyone pulled out randomly was a figure of great importance.

To these people, Hardy, with his unfamiliar face, was insignificant.

No one paid him any mind.

Hardy recognized a few familiar faces: Don\'s eldest son, Sonny, second son, Freddie; Don\'s trusted subordinates Luca Brasi, Clemenza and Tessio...

Finally, he spotted a somewhat lonely figure in a corner.

Hardy immediately recognized who it was,

Michael Corleone.

He lacked the ecstatic joy seen on everyone else\'s faces, standing with a wine glass under a grapevine, looking out of place.

After some thought, Hardy approached with his own wine glass.

"Hello, I\'m Jon Hardy," he introduced himself.

"I\'m Michael."

"Did you serve in the military?" Hardy asked.

Michael was surprised. "How could you tell?"

"It\'s your demeanor. I see a military presence in you," Hardy said.

Hardy was completely making this up, having seen the movie and knowing Michael\'s circumstances.

He simply wanted a conversation starter.

"Did you also serve?" Michael asked.

"Yes, I served in the Marines, fought in Japan last year, then retired due to severe injuries. What about you, where did you serve?"

Upon hearing that Hardy had recently retired as well, Michael became interested. "I served in the 4th Infantry Division, participated in the Normandy landings, then a few minor campaigns, retiring due to injuries."

Their situations were very similar.

Both had military backgrounds, which immediately brought them closer together.