Chapter 167 - 168 The Probing Phase Before The Escalation

Words : 1016 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Chapter 167: Chapter 168 The Probing Phase Before The Escalation Then drugs emerged. Drugs were a new industry with incredibly high profit margins, high enough to tempt everyone. Several other families in New York, or rather, almost all American gangs, wanted to get into the drug business because it was so profitable and attractive. But the old Godfather steadfastly refused to compromise his principles and get involved, becoming a major obstacle for them. Hardy had met Bruno before. The last time the Flamingo Casino opened, Bruno was there and had a minor conflict with Hardy. He didn’t expect Bruno to become the first casualty in the conflict between the five families. Hardy received the news much earlier than Michael. Henry and his team’s wiretapping and surveillance had already started to pay off. When Sonny sent people to kill Bruno, Hardy’s men noticed it in advance and quickly reported it to Henry, who then informed Hardy and asked whether to intervene. Hardy considered it for 2 seconds and decided to just watch. That night, Bruno was staying at a rising starlet’s house. The starlet was a new talent Bruno had been promoting, beautiful, and had a good voice. She was now his plaything. He never expected that the Corleone family would dare to kill him. Two hit men burst into the room, firing 12 shots at Bruno with revolvers. When the old godfather was killed, the gunmen also fired 12 shots. However, Bruno wasn’t as lucky as the old Godfather, none of the 12 bullets missed. Bruno died a gruesome death on the spot, while the starlet beside him could only scream. By the time the police arrived, she was scared out of her wits. The next day. Major New York newspapers reported the assassination that occurred the previous night. Coupled with the previous assassination of the old Godfather and the recent movements of several New York families, the newspapers speculated that a full scale war among the Mafia families might be imminent. After getting up and reading the newspaper, Michael pondered whether to return to the Corleone home first or go see Hardy for his opinion. He decided to consult Hardy. The weather was cold and gloomy, with rain mixed with snow in the morning. Michael put on his coat and hat and drove to the hotel where Hardy was having breakfast. Seeing Michael, Hardy greeted him with a smile, inviting him to join. Noticing the newspaper beside Hardy, Michael asked, "Hardy, do you think the Corleone family will go to war with the other families?" Hardy thought for a moment. "Michael, the war has already begun. It just hasn’t reached the most intense stage yet, we’re in the probing phase before the big battle." "Do you think the Corleone family has a chance to win?" Michael asked. Hardy pondered carefully before replying: "The Corleone family is indeed the strongest among New York’s five Mafia families. But if they face the other four families alone, I don’t think they stand a chance. Most likely, the other families will overwhelm them." "Why do you say that?" "Let me analyze it for you. I guess you have the answer in your mind. The Corleone Family has several forces. The Tessio Legion and the Clemenza Legion are the two main pillars of the Corleone Family, with a total of more than 300 people." "Your brother Sonny and Tom also have some people, about 60 and 40 people, respectively. 400 people are all the strength of the Corleone Family." "But what about the other families? Each of them has 200 to 300 people. One family may not be the Corleone’s opponent, but several families joining forces are definitely not something the Corleone Family can resist." "Economically, the Corleone Family can come up with a lot of money, and the other families also have a lot of money." "The reason why the Corleone Family has become the head of the five major families is not because of its large number of people and wealth, but because of Mr. Vito Corleone. His connections are the Corleone Family’s biggest capital." "Other families can actually do drug business on their own. Why do they have to pull in Mr. Vito Corleone? The biggest reason is that they value his political capital and his relationship with politicians and the legal community." "And your father refused to do this business because he was worried that drugs would affect his relationships with politicians and judges. This is also the biggest contradiction between the two sides." "Mr. Vito is the pillar of the Corleone family. As long as he falls, even if other families do not take action against the Corleone family, the influence of the Corleone family will be reduced by several levels, and it will definitely not be ranked first among the five major families." "This is also the biggest reason why they tried to kill Mr. Vito." Michael felt a sense of clarity, as if the fog in front of him had lifted. He looked up at Hardy, who was about his age but had a much sharper perspective. "If you see the Corleone family in such danger, why are you helping me?" Michael asked, looking at Hardy. Hardy laughed and patted Michael’s shoulder. "I told you, we’re friends. True friends help each other in times of crisis, not just during good times. Drinking, having fun, and chasing women together isn’t true friendship." "Hardy, what do you think the Corleone family should do next to get out of this crisis?" Michael asked. "Kill Sollozzo!" Hardy replied bluntly. "Why?" Michael asked curiously. "Although Sollozzo is just a drug dealer, he has become the link between the other four families. Their desire for the drug business is all because of him. If you kill him, their temporary alliance will dissolve. It’s that simple." "As for the remaining issues, you can have the family spread the word that everything can be discussed once the old godfather recovers. This will give the other families hope, and they won’t fight the Corleone family to the death." Michael nodded repeatedly.

Chapter 167 - 168 The Probing Phase Before The Escalation

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