American variety show: The Godfather, the Peace Ambassador, what the heck?

Chapter 46 New Skills Unlocked

"Put the gun down! Don't point it at our friends!"

David walked over from a group of armed police officers, waved for them to put down their guns, and looked back at Luca with a rather complicated expression.

The last meeting was not a particularly pleasant experience for either of them, as they made different choices due to their different identities and positions.

They both understood why the other did what they did.

Luca knew what kind of person David was, and David hadn't forgotten Luca's repeated help to the police, including this time.
“Pigeon, my intuition tells me that your presence here is no coincidence.”

"You don't think you police officers can hide from me by staking out and monitoring this place every day, do you?"

Luca said, half-jokingly, "I just wanted to see what you were up to. I hoped you wouldn't disrupt the peace here, which is not what I wanted to see. But it seems you've made too much of a commotion. I'm sure I'll receive a lot of complaints from residents tomorrow."

David: "."

Dude, why are residents' complaints being directed to your mafia?

"Is it over now?" Luca asked knowingly. "Do you need my help?"

“Thank you, but no need.” David looked at Black Sonny, who had already been helped up, and shook his head, saying, “You’ve already helped us.”

Just then, another argument broke out not far away. The police were seen pinning Black Sonny and Old Zuo to the ground and giving them a good scolding in a typical American-style iaido.

Richie had already recognized Black Sonny and Old Left—he had collected a lot of intelligence on New York criminals during this period, so he naturally knew Black Sonny and Old Left, as well as several other members, and was not unfamiliar with them.

However, Downey next to him didn't recognize him.

The newly joined Mafia?
In no time, the group was handcuffed and taken to a police car.

Old Zuo glanced anxiously out the car window, then told Downey beside him, "Don't say anything! Downey! Just stay at the police station for 24 hours and you'll be fine! Remember, don't say anything! Don't be afraid, kid! I'll protect you!"

Faced with Lao Zuo's concerned gaze, Downey couldn't suppress the throbbing in his heart. His identity was all fake, even the name Downey was fake. Where exactly did Lao Zuo invest his feelings?
He nodded with a complicated expression. "I know, I won't say anything."

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Downey saw a familiar figure walking towards him through the car window.

Pigeon?

ten minutes later.

As the police removed his handcuffs, Downey still found it somewhat unbelievable. They didn't even need to take him to the police station? They just released him?

Nearby, Richie chatted with Luca, "You helped me get my money back last time, so I'll help you this time, but there won't be a next time!"

He knew that arresting Lao Zuo and his gang of mafia members wouldn't do much good; it would be difficult to convict them of robbery or illegal possession of firearms. These charges wouldn't hold them in custody; they could be released quickly after paying some bail.

But he added, "This is the last time. If I catch them again..."

Luca interrupted him: "They were just trying to help the police catch drug dealers, and they were shot by the drug dealers and almost died. I think the police should give these helpful citizens flowers, not handcuffs."

“If I write my case report like this, not many people will believe it.”

Richie stared coldly at Luca. If what Luca said was true, those mafia members were not only innocent, but they actually deserved credit. Perhaps their lawyers would use this argument to get them released in the blink of an eye.

Seeing Richie's apparent intention to repay the favor and cut ties, Luca smiled faintly. Why the rush to distance yourself? All the intelligence you have was written by me; you owe me a huge favor.

The gifts that fate bestows always come with a price tag.

And this time too.

“Rich, do you know how many people in New York have been driven bankrupt since Frank brought the Blue Magic? The streets of New York have been flooded with it, and many old families have been driven to desperation. This thing is not selling goods, but destroying them. Its appearance has seriously disrupted the market order in New York.”

Luca's sudden change of tone made Richie's expression turn puzzled and serious. "Order? The order that you old families established with guns and bribes? Stop with your high-sounding rhetoric. In my opinion, your family is no different from Frank's."

“I have no interest in the drug business.” Luca shook his head calmly. “I just wanted to tell you that there are many people who are unhappy with Frank, including the Mafia.”

Richie paused for a moment, "Your family is clearly cooperating with Frank."

"Not all families."

Luca looked at Lao Zuo and the others. "See these Mafia guys? They hate Frank to death. In their eyes, black businessmen like Frank represent progress, and this kind of progress is a disruption of the existing order, which will cause them heavy losses! Only when Frank disappears will everything return to normal."

What you're saying isn't the same as what I know.

Richie asked, puzzled, "Your family."

Luca smiled. "Let's talk about Black Sonny and the others. Don't keep bringing up my family. Black Sonny and Old Zuo are from the Bonano family, and they deeply hate Frank. These are the things I can tell you."

At this point, Luca waved to Old Zuo and the others not far away, indicating that he could handle the police immediately, and said to Richie:
"Taking down Frank is not an easy task."

Frank has associated with many entertainment and sports stars, and he has the entire Harlem district backing him. Many residents there will support him and speak out for him. You know what that means? Many candidates seeking votes will choose to help Frank, this drug lord, escape punishment.

However, compared to these factors, the Bonano family's control over labor unions and popular support was far stronger than Frank's. A century of Italian experience and management was something Frank couldn't surpass in just a few years!

Upon hearing this, a thought flashed through Richie's mind, and he immediately realized what Luca was trying to say.

He realized he had gone astray, misunderstanding the connection between the Mafia and Frank.

Luca: "David approached me for a collaboration, but I turned him down for some reasons. But Lao Zuo and his team won't turn you down."

Richie was invigorated.

This choice is no longer about turning Mafi's witness against his side, but about joining forces with the Mafia.

However, it wasn't the Lucchese family, but the Bonanno family.

With Bonano's help, dealing with Frank would be much easier.
Richie suppressed his surprise and excitement. "So, you want me to..."

“No, no, no, I’m just teaching you how to write tonight’s case report.” Luca smiled meaningfully. “Old Zuo and the others are my friends. I’m telling you all this only because I want to get them out of the police’s hands for certain reasons, understand? This matter originally had nothing to do with me. Get it straight, I’m helping Old Zuo, not you.”

Upon hearing this, Richie's gaze towards Luca gradually became complicated. He understood what Luca meant—the case report was just the surface, and Old Zuo and his group were merely the prelude; the real purpose was a collaboration with the Bonanno family.

"Will Lao Zuo and the others really cooperate in giving statements?" Richie probed uncertainly. Would the Bonano family really cooperate?
Luca nodded: "If anyone wants Frank to disappear, it's definitely the old left. They'll cooperate and give statements if you want!"

Richie's expression became more complicated. "Pigeon, I don't understand why you're telling me this. If Frank falls, what about your family?"

"Pigeons eat feed, have you ever seen a pigeon eat drugs?"

"..." Richie suddenly remembered that pigeons don't deal drugs. Does that represent the other party's stance?

"I've said it before, I'm just here to bail out Lao Zuo and get you to cooperate in writing a statement and closing report. What you think about other things is none of my business, and I won't admit what we talked about."

Richie chuckled to himself.

Pigeon, you say one thing and do another. What kind of person are you really?

Richie sighed. How did his connection with Luca become so deep?
Sometimes he really wished he were an ungrateful scoundrel, rather than someone willingly bearing certain invisible shackles out of moral principles, professional and social responsibility.

Richie thought he would still do the same thing if he returned lost money and turned it in for 100 million.

Richie sighed, then smiled helplessly: "Pigeon, I know how to write tonight's case report."

"Old Zuo and his fellow citizens are kind-hearted citizens who acted bravely and righteously, right?"

"You too."

Richie smiled and shook Luca's hand. "Old Pigeon, let's keep the peace."

[Bond: Friends]

The new skill [Defection] has been unlocked.

[Would you like to spend 50 skill fragments to exchange for "Defection"?]

【whether】

Yes!
[Redeem successful, skill added]

[Turning Criminals: You are more likely to persuade criminals, and their trust level increases by 10%; if you are a government official, your trust level increases by an additional 20% when you turn criminals.]

[Remaining Skill Fragments: 53]

"Shet!"

Black Sonny, cursing and swearing, completed his statement to the police. "I've never been praised by the police before! This makes me feel so uncomfortable! I committed robbery, not an act of heroism!"

Old Zuo was also a bit numb. He turned to Luca next to him and said, "Pigeon, how did you talk to the police? Why were the police so generous to us? Even I think the transcript I wrote is ridiculous."

Downey, standing to the side, was also quite puzzled.

One was robbing drugs, the other was illegally possessing a gun, and given their Mafia affiliation, the police would definitely not mind taking them to the police station to collect bail. Why would they let them go so easily?
Not to mention acts of heroism!

Downey almost choked on his words while writing the statement. He had never done anything heroic when he was an FBI agent, but he was praised by the police as Mafia!
Luca shrugged. "Didn't your statement clearly state that I was just chatting casually with the police, buddy? I just made up some excuse to let you off the hook. And now it's all good, isn't it?"

The group felt something was off, but they didn't want to argue. They had a strange feeling that what Luca said seemed to be true.

Luca glanced at the [Defection] skill. This wasn't defection; it was deception.

"Alright, alright." Old Zuo patted Luca on the shoulder and sighed, "You've got some connections, kid! You've got really strong backing! Even with an absurd excuse like 'acting as a hero,' the police are going to cooperate with you!"

“I’m a peace ambassador, after all. In the Bronx, the police have to give me some face,” Luca retorted. “Didn’t you do a good deed tonight? Wasn’t this upholding peace? You helped the police stop a vicious drug dealer!”

Everyone was embarrassed: "."

You, the peace ambassador, aren't you ashamed to say these things?

Old Zuo hugged Luca and patted him on the back: "Anyway, Pigeon, thanks to you tonight, I really didn't want to go to the police station."

“Old Zuo, you’re my uncle, a good friend my dad talked about until his dying breath!” Luca put his arm around Old Zuo’s shoulder. “If you need anything in New York, come find me anytime.”

Old Zuo laughed and said, "I really regret not baptizing you now. Come to my house another day and try my cooking. Your father longed to taste my cooking for so many years but never got to. I don't want you to miss out too."

"Hahaha, that's great! A cooking skill that my dad still remembers fondly on his deathbed must be amazing! Lao Zuo, why don't you come work as a chef at my club from now on?"

"You're even greedier than your dad!"

[Bond: Close Friend]

Luca then looked at Black Sonny's bond; they were still friends, while Donny's bond was merely one of familiarity.

Old Zuo, you're still the most straightforward one!

Another skill has been unlocked—[Emotional Corruption].

Luca thought to himself, "Tonight is truly a day of great success. With this skill, I've taken a big step towards becoming the Godfather."

Sonny suddenly interrupted the uncle and nephew, "Can you take me to the hospital first? I still have a damn bullet stuck in my thigh!"

"You should have said so earlier! You're such a tough guy! You've been so strong by not saying a word." Only then did the group realize what was happening and quickly put Sonny in the car, heading straight for the hospital.

As Luca drove across a bridge, he raised his chin at the vast city stretching out before him, its dazzling lights and towering skyscrapers making him imagine a colorful dove perched on the head of a bald eagle.

Some want to move forward, some want to stay put; this city has never lacked idealists who want to write their own stories.

(End of this chapter)