Hearing Russell's words, Mike had a rather complicated heart.

Ever since he met Russell, he has felt that life has been full of difficulties.

Whenever his father sat alone in his study and pondered, he could always feel his father's melancholy, and Vito had told his children that if the family wanted to prosper for a hundred years, there must be a person like Russell.

Vito looked at Sonny, Connie, Freddie, and finally nailed his eyes to his face.

He knew that his father had high expectations of him and had hoped that he would be able to sit in the seat of the councilor, but after Sonny's death, the family was no longer at the helm, and he had to make a decision.

That's why he chose to take over the family business and move towards the goal that his father expected.

Regarded Russell as a fierce rival, he thought that if Russell could start from scratch and lay a huge foundation, why couldn't he?

】

But he didn't want to follow Russell's development route, and ended up taking a few detours, and then still developed in the direction of Russell's industry, abandoning his career in New York......

Mike really wanted Tessio to trouble him, which is why he kept Stesio, but before he could think of it, Tessio didn't hold on to a single shot in Russell's hands, and was decisively killed.

He had to call Russell to apologize because Mike's role here was nothing more than a pump in a well.

"Yes, so I apologize to you."

Mike knew very well that Russell's questioning had clarified the truth, so he couldn't hide it.

"Mike Corleone, you've disappointed Vito. He handed over the family to you because he wanted you to lead the family to grow and develop, but you went further and further away. ”

Mike frowned slightly, he didn't want to listen to such words, let alone Russell to educate him in this tone.

"You shouldn't give up on New York, how did Vito get started? You have abandoned the foundation of your family, and you will inevitably collapse eventually! If you want your house to be strong, you have to rebuild the solid foundations. ”

Mike said, "Russell, are you teaching me a lesson?" ”

"No, I'm teaching you how to do things."

“…… Okay, I'm listening to you teach me how to do things, but how to do it is up to me. ”

Russell smiled: "You are very stubborn, is it really that important to wash white?" ”

"You don't understand!"

Mike let out a low roar, he could feel that no one supported him, and the people in the family were forced to listen to him, especially the old people in New York, who all thought that the mafia was the mafia, and that it should be a gray industry.

Russell heard his voice breaking the defense, lit a cigarette and said with a smile: "Mike, you don't understand." When you get to my status, you'll understand. ”

"What do you mean?" Mike asked, frowning.

"Grab a telescope and look at the night sky. Mike, I forgive you for your recklessness this time, but next time it won't be that simple. ”

After speaking, he put down the phone.

Mike slowly put the phone on the shelf, took out a telescope from the bookcase, pushed the door open and walked out of the courtyard, first looking at the night sky with the naked eye, only a few twinkling stars, and nothing else.

Put the binoculars in front of your eyes and look up at the night sky.

All he could see was darkness, deeper and darker than the surroundings of his house......

At this time, Mike still didn't understand what Russell meant, but thought he was a psychopath, and it was better to look at the night sky with a telescope than at night with a microscope.

In fact, Russell wanted to warn him that the higher you climb, the more you will find that there is no scenery on it, only darkness where you can't see the light!

After Russell hung up the phone, he came to the table with a smile on his face and was ready to eat breakfast.

He didn't pay attention to the content of the phone call just now, and Mike's stubbornness determined that he had only one fate.

Two months later, Russell learned of Mike's determination, and he still did not give up his whitewashing, successfully seized the handle of Councillor Gray, and obtained a casino license.

Soon Mike opened a large casino in Las Vegas, just two kilometers from Caesars Palace.

Within two weeks, Felisto's subordinates were in conflict with Mike's manager.

Although the two sides did not use their guns, they crashed into three vehicles, resulting in the death of three people......

The police characterized the incident as a traffic accident rather than a law and order issue, ensuring that the crime rate in Las Vegas did not rise.

Felistto thought that this was a trivial matter and that he didn't need to report it to his godfather, so he ordered someone to be sent to kill Mike's manager.

When Mike learns that his manager has been killed, he slaps the table and is furious.

He is very sensitive to think that this is Russell deliberately finding fault!

As everyone knows, Russell didn't know anything about this, and Russell didn't take Mike too seriously, if it wasn't for the good relationship with Vito, he wouldn't have bothered to deal with Mike.

"What happened?"

Lan Po said: "Manager Nock and the other party fell in love with a third-rate star from Hollywood, and that star arranged them to a hotel in order not to offend anyone. Maybe it was a coincidence, the two met, and the woman couldn't explain it, and then they fought jealously......"

"Who's going to do it first?"

"The person at the scene said it was Nok, and the bridge of his nose was broken. Then there was a car collision in the street, and Nock took the initiative to ...... He drank a lot. ”

Mike rubbed his face speechlessly and said, "Is the other party dead?" ”

"Dead ......"

"What about the star?"

"It's back to the dock."

Mike frowned at Lan Po, a little anxious in his heart.

Didi muttered: "How can she come back to the dock...... How dare she? ”

Hearing this, Lan Po bowed down and whispered, "Godfather, do you want to ...... her?"

Mike looked up and said, "She's a woman." ”

"Women are enemies too."

Mike remained silent for a moment before saying, "I'm going to contact Felisto and ask him to talk." ”

Lan Po nodded and walked out of the study.

He dialed a number, and the person who answered the phone was a servant from the Felisto family, and he waited a while before he could connect.

"I'm Felisto."

"Mike Corleone."

"What's the matter?" Felisto's tone is not good, how can he be happy when his subordinates are dead.

"About the death of my manager Nock......"

"Oh, is he dead? Very good, thank you for informing me of this good news. ”

Mike held back his anger and said, "You killed it!" ”

"Slander! Please show evidence, the United States is not a paradise of sin, let alone a paradise for casually slandering others, this is a country of the rule of law! ”

Hearing this, Mike was not angry, he smiled and said: "Your subordinates are dead, my manager is also dead, and as for the cause of their deaths, they are dreaming of stars in Hollywood." ”

Felisto also smiled: "She will live better than die." ”

Mike fell silent when he heard this, and he realized that Russell and his subordinates were doing things in the same way.

"Your business in America is taxed, and you're going down the wrong path to do so."

Felisto scoffed: "We will not forget that we are from Sicily, and we will forget our roots, just as we have forgotten our parents!" The godfather once said that as long as the business is paying taxes, it is reasonable, legal and regular, understand? ”

Mike shook his head, "Does Russell know about this?" ”

"Why bother the Godfather with this little thing? I would like to remind you to keep your brother Freddie away from Caesar's Palace, otherwise it will be difficult for me to guarantee his safety! ”

"Is this a warning?"

"Whatever you understand."

After the phone call, Mike knew that this was the end of the matter, that Felistto would not retaliate against the others, and that there was no compensation for the dead Nock, because Nock was the main cause of the incident.

It would be nice that Felisto didn't ask Mike to compensate for this.

During this time, Freddie often took the woman to enjoy the Caesar's Palace, rather than to his own hotel, because Michael had warned him not to act recklessly on his own turf.

As for Felisto's reminder, Mike took it to heart and asked Freddie to investigate.

In 1957, Freddie married Diana Dunn, a third-rate star from Hollywood, who was very strong, didn't listen to Freddie at all, and called him around as a cow and horse.

Once at a family dinner, Diana directly slapped Freddie's face at the dinner table and got up and left, which was very embarrassing.

Freddie was embarrassed to say that I couldn't control her, she wouldn't listen to me.

Mike was disappointed that a man who couldn't even control his wife was wasted.

Now Freddie and Diana's lives are not peaceful, they go to the hospital every three or five days, because Diana is a little gonorrhea, think about the third-rate star of Hollywood, what kind of good goods can it be?

Freddie's own body is good, and these two are a good match.

When Mike learned that he was going to Caesar's Palace, he had Ranpo warn him again, suggesting that he would corrode it with sulfuric acid if he couldn't control the thing below, so he wouldn't have to fiddle with it all day.

In the future, Freddy did not go to Caesar's Palace again, but found a house outside.

June 1958.

Russell received a message from Richard White, the head of MI6.

Fidel, who had been supported by his material and wealth, had returned to Cuba with his men and waged a guerrilla war against the Cuban dictator Batista.

On March 13, 1957, another revolutionary group, the Radical Student Regiment, attempted to launch a decapitation of Batista, and they stormed the presidential palace, but they were all killed.

Then the committees of student radical groups, in the area of the Sierra de Escambre, in central Cuba, fought a guerrilla war against the Anyway Province.

Later, Batista, who had been supported by American capital and gained the right to rule, was weakened by the arms embargo imposed by the United States government on Cuba and the recall of the Cuban ambassador.

Then the Cuban socialists, who had supported Batista, also broke with him at this time.

After the United States imposed an arms embargo, another problem was exposed, that is, the air force did not have parts from the United States to repair, and it gradually deteriorated.

At this point, air supremacy was lost.

"Cuba is going to change, it's going to be good at what it promises."

That's the news White wants to tell him.

"Godfather, here's a telegram from White's private person."

Russell took it and looked at it.

White said that in a week, a group of businessmen from the United States will go to Cuba to discuss how to divide the profits of various industries.

In fact, it is raising war supplies for the government army, and the United States has not embargoed weapons, so can I smuggle it? Can I use the cake of Cuba and change my life?

The idea is good, but the reality is cruel.

When revolutionaries kill soldiers who are working for Batista, it means that the people want to do it, and it is a sign of victory.

"What do you mean by White?"

"I suspect he wants to borrow our hands to get rid of these American businessmen who support Batista," Nelly said. ”

"Well, your suspicions are correct. But we can't do that, because there's hardly anything to benefit. ”

"Yes, now American businessmen are expanding overseas......"

Hearing this, Russell remembered something, he looked up at Nelly and said, "Do you remember Morglin?" ”

"Remember, his body was hung from the watchtower of the construction site."

Nelly did it herself.

"Ask Felisto, will Mike go to Cuba?"

If Mike goes to Cuba, then the organizer is Hermen Rose!

Russell was only unsure of the time of the meeting between Mack and Haimen in Cuba in the plot of "The Godfather", and only remembered when he heard Nelly say that American businessmen were expanding overseas.

Merchant? No, they are wolves in sheep's clothing.

Two days later, Felisto received news that Mike was going to Cuba to discuss business.

Russell understood, but did not act.

Because it's time to test Mike!

When Mike and Haimen met in Cuba, they parted unhappily, because Mike also saw the determination of the Cuban revolutionaries, and he believed that the defeat of the Zhengfu army was an inevitable result.

The Batista army launched its final offensive in July, committing 12,000 soldiers, half of whom were poorly trained, into the mountains to fight the guerrilla revolutionaries.

In a series of skirmishes, the Zhengfu army was repulsed again and again by the guerrillas led by Fidel.

Originally, in the Battle of Las Mercedes, the Zhengfu army almost destroyed Fidel's small group of guerrillas, and when they were besieged, Fideldel asked for a temporary ceasefire, but he didn't expect the Zhengfu army to really agree!

Negotiations followed, but the treaty was not agreed upon......

Fidel then took advantage of the opportunity to break out of the encirclement and flee back into the mountains.

This meant that the summer offensive of the government forces ended in failure.

"Batista has lost ground."

Russell said as he knocked on the table.

At this time, the phone in front of me rang.

He grabbed the phone and answered.

"Speak."

"Godfather, last night Mike was shot at home and his wife, Apollonia, died," Felistto said. There was also movement outside the Peninsula Manor, but it was chased away by the gunfire of my subordinates. ”

"You've been attacked too?"

"Yes, the other party came with two yachts, and my subordinates found footprints in the woods on the country road during the day, and someone should have squatted here."

Russell frowned and said, "What's going on in Las Vegas?" ”

"There's been no movement, everything is normal except for the attack."

This is the person Felisto is staring at, and they don't make any moves.

"Mike's wife is dead...... You contact Oryatu and ask him to go to Las Vegas immediately and move. ”

"Moving? But he's going to keep an eye on New York......"

"Do you hear me?"

"Yes, Godfather. I'll let him know. ”

Russell glanced at the time and said, "I'll be going to Las Vegas at the end of August." ”

"Understood."