Chapter 2254 - 6: A Pause

Chapter 2254: Chapter 6: A Pause

The opening ceremony for the second Gan’s Restaurant was grand, with celebrities flocking in, yet it didn’t make much of a splash in the news media.

The news focus was all on Michael Jackson, covering his dozens of concerts to come and the various predicaments he was facing.

The segments about Gan Guoyang only included a short clip of him in a black chef’s uniform, directing the cooking in the kitchen. Other details about the restaurant’s scale, revenue, and Gan Guoyang’s expansion in Las Vegas didn’t attract broad media attention.

The media on the West Coast were tacitly silent on these issues, which also aligned with Gan Guoyang’s own wishes; he didn’t want too much public attention.

As a certain elder once said, in the current situation, getting rich quietly is best.

Though Gan Guoyang was already quite powerful on the West Coast, even in Las Vegas, he didn’t rule over everything.

As a foreigner not holding American citizenship, Gan Guoyang knew the limits of his power. While Old Tang might pursue the presidency, Gan Guoyang had no political opportunities, nor did he want his descendants involved in politics.

Thus, he valued the depth and breadth of his power more, weaving them into the capillaries of the social body, firmly rooting himself as a protective giant tree for many.

The ceremony continued until the afternoon, gradually coming to an end. The fences, dining tables, and carpets were dismantled, and Gan’s Restaurant returned to its usual appearance.

Changing back into casual wear, Gan Guoyang sat in the bulletproof car, sighed a long breath, and asked Gan Guohui, "Is there anything else today?"

Gan Guohui usually acted as an adviser and secretary to Gan Guoyang. In the entire group, Gan Guohui held the highest official position, while Gan Guoyang was nothing, just a chef.

But everyone knew Gan Guoyang was the core of the power, the true decision-maker, with Gan Guohui serving as a protective firewall around him.

"Not today, but Patrick Dumont has once again invited you for a talk about the Macau casinos."

"Adelson’s son-in-law, right? Can’t get it done with the father-in-law, so he sends in the son-in-law as a lobbyist."

"You don’t have to meet with him; he’s really not qualified."

"Forget it, you know I meet with everyone and never differentiate by identity or status. Adelson banked on this, hence sending his son-in-law. Issues on betting, casinos, all need a resolution eventually, can’t drag on indefinitely. Take this opportunity to sort it out. Arrange the schedule."

"Okay." Gan Guohui nodded, making notes in his notebook.

In today’s Las Vegas, Gan Guoyang’s expansion has been swift. Unlike the past where the Glory Team drove the whole Vegas economy and everyone shared the bounty, now, mutual conflicts of interest have begun to arise, which is inevitable.

On the surface, the casino city maintains the facade of peace, but in secret, undercurrents have long been roiling, stirring up disputes.

Among them, Adelson family’s Golden Sands Group and Gan Guoyang have long had conflicts, refusing to yield on investments in Macau’s casinos.

Since the 1990s, the Mafia forces once entrenched in Las Vegas, the four large families, have started to exit gradually. They were heavily purged by the FBI and police, either being imprisoned or forced to quit, leaving a considerable power vacuum in the casino city.

Latin American gangs, Eastern European criminal organizations, and Asian gangs have gradually filled the gray underground space in Las Vegas. However, these forces are just small-time troublemakers, unable to form a climate.

Currently, the real power in the casino city resides with a few large casino capital groups and the opposing hotel and restaurant union. Both sides are openly split into two camps, balancing each other out, forming a labor-capital cooperation and confrontation, similar to the opposition and cooperation between the NBA owners and Players Union.

Secretly, the major casino groups are also openly struggling and using unions for various commercial battles.

Overall, a balanced state has reached—until the expansion and growth of Gan Guoyang’s influence.

Now, several casino capital groups vaguely perceive that Gan Guoyang and his group resemble a colossal beast, gradually breaking this balance.

This guy is likely to eliminate or weaken other casino capital forces, integrate the hotel and restaurant union, and unify the entire business of Las Vegas.

Under such a threat, several casino capital groups are secretly banding together, with the Adelson family as the vanguard among them.

The negotiation with Dumont is just a trivial aspect of this contest.

Therefore, as Gan Guohui arranged the meeting, he thought to himself, this hardly seems like resolving the matter, but perhaps it’s just a beginning.

Gan Guohui then asked, "How do you plan to resolve the issue with Michael?"

Gan Guoyang sat in his seat, closed his eyes for a moment, and said, "For Michael’s matter, you should handle it personally. You’re familiar with Europe. Talk to those AEG people first, give them sufficiently generous terms. If that doesn’t work, then use some special measures. We have quite a few friends in London, don’t we?"

"Alright, I’ll make a trip to London next week."

"By the way, take Ah Jiang along, let him gain some experience."

Mentioning Gan Wenjiang, Gan Guohui closed his notebook and said, "Big brother, do you really plan for Ah Jiang to take over the family matters in the future?"

"What, are you dissatisfied? Do you want to take over yourself?"

"Oh, come on, what are you saying."

"What, are you afraid Wenshan will object? Hmph, he’s now influenced by all sorts of messy ideas in America, not interested in family affairs at all. He doesn’t even realize how much more conservative the real power holders in America are than us."

"Wenshan is still young, who knows what the future holds? Besides, you’re younger too, and can still work for at least another thirty years."

"Thirty years, it’s merely a snap of the fingers. Some things, especially the grooming of a successor, need early preparation."

"Wenjiang is more suited to being an adviser, like me. Making him the boss might not be something he can handle."

Gan Guohui voiced his worries, knowing well his own son’s capabilities. As an adviser or strategist, Gan Wenjiang was more than capable, just as Gan Guohui was.

However, to be the boss, the final decision-maker, requires facing pressure that ordinary people can’t imagine. Anyway, Gan Guohui was certain he couldn’t do his brother’s job, and Gan Wenjiang would probably fall short too.

Moreover, the tremendous prestige accumulated by Gan Guoyang in the basketball business was unmatched, a huge credit power. No matter who the successor might be, they couldn’t match up, though maybe Gan Wenshan could achieve something in the NBA and replicate some of his father’s glory.

"By your account, then who should it be? Let it be Weny?"

"Not out of the question, she’s a lot like her mom."

"Oh, come on, a woman like her mom won’t exist in this era."

The topic of succession halted temporarily, but this issue was bound to keep recurring in future work and life, troubling Gan Guoyang for many years to come.

As for the matter with Tao Jingwen, Gan Guoyang didn’t say much, as it was a minor issue for him. He instructed, "Don’t find any congressmen too close to us. Go roundabout, spend more money, and settle it beautifully."

"Does it require such elaborate efforts?" Gan Guohui asked.

"He’s into chemistry, might be useful. We must respect scientific talent."

The car stopped, and Gan Guoyang was home, finally wrapping up his day’s work.