It was a twenty-five minute drive for him. He passed a sign leading to Las Venturas and knew he was getting closer. By the time CJ finally excited the freeway, he was there. He looked around the city to see all the bright lights around the streets. The palm trees stood on the center in long, vertical rows. There were bright, neon billboards posted in certain buildings, as well as bright, neon lights around the casino buildings. It was a great pleasure to be back in the city after spending a full month in the desert. CJ couldn't wait to make progess in Venturas.
As CJ drove straight down The Strip to find the casino Woozie mentioned to him earlier this morning, he had finally pulled over in front of a large building with a familiar dragon design. He had made it! It was the Four Dragons Casino. That means that Woozie was there. So CJ hopped out of his vehicle and entered the building.
As he walked inside, he looked around. There were a plethora of slot machines, and many patrons were playing card games. There was "Real Love" by Mary J. Blige playing in the background. Everyone was having a great time tonight. CJ looked around the casino in search for Woozie. He finally came across a room on the left side of the building, where he saw the Triads and Woozie inside. Woozie was speaking on the phone. He appeared to be talking to a dealer about business.
"Idiot!" Woozie growled over the phone. "Do you realize how much those machines cost? We're supposed to be opening in..." Just then, he heard a loud sound of a piece of wood ripping off the floor.
"What the fuck was that?!" Woozie asked vociferously looking around the room. He got back to the phone call and realized the dealer had hang up. "Hello?" he answered. "HELLO?" He then hung up furiously and turned to the other workers in disgust. "What the fuck is wrong with you people?" he scolded them.
"Boss," Guppy told him. "CJ's here."
Woozie then turned to see CJ walk in.
"Carl," Woozie sighed in relief giving CJ a handshake. "Glad you could make it."
"So this is what you've been doing," CJ said looking around.
"Yeah," Woozie replied. "It's been a complete nightmare. You want a stomach ulcer, try opening a Triad casino in a Mafia-run town!"
"The Mob trying to squeeze you?" CJ asked.
"Yeah," Woozie replied. "The corporations are moving in and everybody's feeling the squeeze. I've got slot machines busted up, workmen being scared off..."
"So who's behind this?" CJ asked.
"Well," Woozie explained, "there are these three mob families operating here, and each of them has a stake in Caligula's Casino, and some whacked-out lawyer's running it for them. It could be any one of them, or all of 'em."
"Can't you just give them a little something?" CJ asked.
"No," Woozie told him. "In addition to the usual authorities that need bribing, each one would want a slice, and I'm not about to hand over all of our profits to some wiseguy Italians!"
"Our profit?" CJ asked.
"That's right, you heard me," Woozie responded as he poured a drink in two cups and handed one of them to CJ. "I want to offer you a share in our casino in exchange for some help setting it up. How does that sound, partner?"
"Sounds like we got a deal then!" CJ agreed as he and Woozie had cheers.
Just then, one of the Triads arrived, panting hard. "Boss!" he said trying to catch his breath. "The boys found some thugs trying to smash one of the deliveries. We caught one of them!"
"Get rid of him," Woozie ordered calmly. The Triad was about to dart to the exit until CJ stopped him.
"Hey, wait!" CJ told him. "Hold up, hold up, come here. Whoever's behind this, we need to let them know that they're dealing with fully-fledged psychos. Tie him to the front of the car, let him sweat it out a little, and I'll be out there in a little while.
The Triad member then left quickly, and CJ turned to Woozie. "See if we can make this guy squeal," CJ told him setting his drink onto the table.
"That's my Carl!" Woozie stated taking a sip of his drink.
Across the Four Dragon's Casino garage, a Feltzer had the thug tied to the front of the car. Just as CJ arrived, the thug started losing control.
"Hey, hey, who the fuck - who are you?" Johnny asked. "Untie me, huh?"
"You know what?" CJ told the thug. "I think were gonna take a little drive."
"What are you, fucking stupid?" the thug asked. "I'm not joking here - untie me, motherfucker.
"No," CJ asked chuckling as he hopped inside the vehicle. "I think I'm gonna leave you right where you are."
As the garage opened, CJ drove the vehicle out and onto the road of Las Venturas.
"You got any idea in that pea brain head of yours who the fuck I am?" the thug asked furiously.
"No," CJ answered, but I think I'm going to find out."
He began driving through the busy streets of Las Venturas at an attempt to scare the thug. CJ narrowly avoided crashing into the cars and zoomed passed the buildings.
"Ah man, this is too fast!" the thug shrieked apprehensively.
CJ's plan was working. He decided to scare him some more by dashing through the fog and making very sharp turns around the street of Camel's Toe.
"Oh, slow down!" the thug pleaded. "Slow down for God's sake!"
CJ then decided to drive on the wrong side of the road. He made a sharp U-turn and returned to The Strip, where he drove on the other side of the street, speeding in the process.
"Oh, this is too fast!" the thug cried out in terror. "TOO FAAAAAAAAST!"
CJ just continued driving, the fog in the air brushing through. CJ made another sharp U-turn and drove on the other side of the road, driving the opposite direction of the other cars, scaring the thug tied on front.
"I just shit myself!" the thug cried out. CJ took a quick whiff and twisted his face to keep from smelling the stench.
"No shit!" he told the thug. "I cam smell it from this car!"
This didn't stop CJ from driving though. He just continued speeding through the streets, scaring the life out of the thug. After another thirty seconds of speeding through The Strip, the thug finally gave in.
"My family will make you pay for this!" the thug cried out.
"Which family?" CJ asked.
"The Sindacco family, you idiot!" the thug replied.
"That's all I wanted to hear," CJ said grinning.
"What the-?" the thug muttered. "Oh shit..."
So CJ returned to the Four Dragons Casino and to the garage. He hopped out of the vehicle and let one of the Triad members take the car inside the garage.
CJ just continued walking down the street until he heard his cellphone ring. He pulled it out of his pocket to answer it.
"Hello?" CJ answered.
"CJ, it's Cesar," he heard Cesar say over the phone.
"What's up, Ceez?" CJ greeted. "Good to hear from you again."
"You too, ese," Cesar responded. "Where you at now?"
"I'm at Las Venturas," CJ replied. "Woozie here hooked us up with a casino here at the Strip. It's called The Four Dragons."
"Cool, holmes," Cesar said. "Looks like you're moving on up, eh."
"Yep," CJ said. "We gonna be millionaires by the time we're finished. So how things going back there in San Fierro?"
"Amazing, holmes," Cesar told him. "Our business back here is a success! We got a huge collection of vehicles in Wang Cars, and we've fixed them up here at the garage."
"That's cool, Ceez," CJ replied.
"Si, holmes," Cesar said. "I tell you, getting Lisa to help out with the business was a great idea."
"Yeah," CJ agreed. "It's great she helped move us on top."
"Speaking of which, I hear you and Lisa got together," Cesar replied in a teasing tone.
"What the...how you know about me and Lisa?" CJ asked shocked.
"Ryder told me all about it," Cesar said. "I knew it, holmes! I knew you were into her!"
This caused CJ to blush. That damn shermhead! he thought with a grin on his face.
"Yeah," he said smiling modestly. "Well, we're not quite a couple just yet. I decided to just let my feelings out and we sort of went out on a date."
"I think you two should really hook up together, holmes," Cesar told him. "She seems like your type."
"I guess," CJ said. "Look, it's getting late, and I'm tired right now. So I'll talk to you later."
"Sure thing, holmes," Cesar said. "Have fun out there in Venturas."
As CJ hung up, he decided to search for a place to stay at. So after he finally approached The Strip, He hopped onto a parked vehicle and drove around the city. The bright lights flashed around the roads. The fog blew through the rolling vehicle.
CJ continued driving around until he finally came across a hotel suite at The Strip. He used the money to purchase the hotel suite and stepped inside. He walked through the hallways and finally came across a hotel room. It had a king-size mattress, a spotless, white nightstand, a lamp on top, and a television with a VCR on the dresser right against the wall in front of the bed. CJ was now living the good life. He couldn't wait to build a new empire in Las Venturas, especially since he had Woozie and the Triads as his partner this time. So CJ removed his shoes, plopped down onto the bed, and quickly fell asleep.