The former naval attaché of the Japanese Embassy to the United States, Isoroku Yamamoto, had been dispatched to participate in the Second London Naval Limitation Conference. At this moment, he was rushing back to Japan to understand the specific intentions of his superior.
It was impossible for a plane to fly directly from Washington to Tokyo at that time. If such a capability existed, the United States wouldn't have been able to stay neutral in World War II. Therefore, Yamamoto had two options: either take a ship from New York and cross nearly the entire globe back to Japan, or, as he did now, take a four-to-five-day train ride to the West Coast, then catch a flight from San Francisco to Tokyo.
The reason he got off the train in Carson City was, naturally, the media frenzy in the U.S. regarding the recent development in Nevada. The legalization of gambling had become a massive sensation.
As someone skilled in gambling, Yamamoto immediately realized this was an opportunity. If the Japanese could control a casino that was raking in money every day, this could bring in millions, even tens of millions of dollars in foreign currency to Japan every year.
For Japan, which had been relying on exploiting farmers and barely scraping by with $400 million in foreign exchange from exporting 10,000 tons of raw silk annually, this was not just a small supplement—it was a huge boon.
Previously, the U.S. had raised import tariffs, causing Japan's silk exports to the U.S. to plummet. This resulted in many silk spinning factories closing down, and a large number of textile workers and silkworm farmers lost their jobs. Social instability and unrest in Japan were inevitable.
If nothing unusual happened, Japan's rapidly collapsing domestic situation would likely prompt them to shift focus by launching invasions in China to distract the public and overcome the economic crisis. The September 18th and January 28th incidents would be used as pretexts for local military aggression against China.
Yamamoto's focus on the casino venture was to use the dollars earned to directly purchase the necessary materials for Japan, such as steel, copper, oil, and machinery, which were vital for the navy. Although this wouldn't solve Japan's domestic issues entirely, it would ensure that the military wouldn't be hindered by financial or material shortages.
The $3 million he had was not his personal money. It had been transferred from the navy's small treasury after he filed a report. Although the Japanese navy was wealthy, coming up with $3 million in foreign currency was still a difficult task, and yet, things hadn't gone as planned.
For Yamamoto, this was truly disappointing! The dollars that could have been used to purchase vital materials for the navy—such as scrap metal, copper, and machinery—had just slipped away. This was a serious setback for him.
But it wasn't over. Yamamoto still had to try. The two licenses Charlie Luciano wanted were nothing more than a formality; the last license would certainly be distributed to another gang. Even if he couldn't get the license outright, he could still buy shares. Even if the share was small, as long as dollars kept flowing into Japan every year, it would be worthwhile.
If he invested $3 million now and could bring in $2 million annually, it would be a highly profitable deal. If it were $3-5 million, Yamamoto would gain enormous leverage within the navy. This could even help Japan to build several destroyers, which would be crucial since the domestic budget was already strained.
...
Nyle, having lost his appetite, was itching to share the news about his first encounter with a famous person in this era. But he realized he had no one to share it with.
If he told anyone right now, no one would believe him. This old man would later go on to sink dozens of U.S. warships, destroy hundreds of American planes, and kill thousands of American soldiers. It was almost impossible to believe, as Japan was so far from the U.S., separated by the vast Pacific Ocean.
The only logical conclusion was that this person was connected to the recent license auction.
Nyle stood up to go upstairs. The meeting with Charlie Luciano was still ongoing, and Mario was guarding the door. Nyle didn't dare to interrupt, as the other mafia bosses might shoot him just to shut him up.
It seemed that Mario noticed Nyle had something to say and whispered that once the meeting ended, he would notify Nyle. After all, it was just a minor issue, and waiting for half an hour wouldn't matter much.
Nyle had no choice but to pace restlessly in his room for over an hour before Mario finally knocked on the door, signaling that the meeting was over. At least the first round was done.
Nyle was about to approach Charlie Luciano and warn him about the Japanese potentially having more tricks up their sleeves, but at that moment, one of Luciano's men led the Japanese bidder into the room.
Great, it wouldn't be appropriate to badmouth the Japanese in front of them. Nyle sat down beside Meyer Lansky and waited to see what the Japanese would do.
The Japanese man who had the chance to meet Charlie Luciano introduced himself as Jinshan Dao Wu, a Japanese-American businessman from San Francisco. He dealt in exporting Japanese goods to the U.S. and purchasing materials to send back to Japan. According to him, his business was quite large, and he hoped to establish a friendship with Luciano.
While the relationship would mostly be based on mutual benefit, Charlie Luciano didn't refuse. He figured that, after all, he had no direct conflict with the Japanese. The license issue was just a matter of mutual interest, not personal enmity.
After a simple exchange of pleasantries, Jinshan revealed his intentions. He offered $3 million for half of the license's shares. The deal would allow them to open a casino. Whether it won or lost, they would split the profits equally. The remaining shares could be given to anyone, and the Japanese wouldn't interfere with the management. The Italians could choose the management team, while the Japanese would only send two accountants and a manager for the casino.
The conditions were incredibly favorable. Even Meyer Lansky was tempted. With $3 million in cash, the Italian mafia could recover and immediately start building the casino. Although giving the license to the Japanese wasn't the best option, it was still an option.
Nyle, anxious but unable to speak up, desperately gestured at Charlie Luciano.