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

Chapter 53 I will also ask you to repay me.
boom!
Luca drove his heavily modified GTR, while Brian drove his heavily modified Mitsubishi through the streets of New York.

While waiting at a traffic light, Luca rolled down his window and looked at Brian in the car next to him. Brian, with his sparse blond hair, gave a slightly awkward smile.

Luca nodded slightly: "Brian, see you again."

Brian was stunned for a moment. Why did he feel like he didn't have time to shake hands when he said goodbye? This farewell felt like a final goodbye.

See you tomorrow, Old Pigeon!

Brian chuckled. With such an overly straightforward boss, this undercover mission would probably be over soon.

I miss the beaches of the West Coast!
The two vehicles separated at the fork in the road.

noon the next day.

Brian met with his superiors and reported his latest achievements.

“I already know about what happened last night,” the superior said speechlessly. “How did you two get involved in the police’s drug bust operation out of nowhere? And our FBI is also investigating Aoki’s money laundering case. It seems like we all agreed to go and arrest him together.”

What left him speechless was that the person who was finally caught was actually his own undercover agent!
He had no idea how Aoki was going to escape from the overwhelming pursuit.

“I really didn’t know who the Japanese guy was at the time,” Brian shrugged. “Pigeon told me to stop that GTR, so I went. That car was the bet I had won with great difficulty.”

Superior: "."

Brian then talked about some information he had gleaned from observing Luca, "To be honest, I don't quite understand how the nicknames 'Butcher' and 'Pigeon' could come from the same person. I haven't seen anything about the Butcher side of him during this time."

The superior sighed, "FBI psychological experts have analyzed this and they are more inclined to believe that this is a godfather complex. The pigeon's identity represents protection, mainly due to the lack of government functions. When the government cannot protect the property rights of civilians, the pigeon will become a butcher, establishing an alternative order through violence, which is the so-called pigeon peace rule."

"This allows organized crime to sell protection to people where law and police are ineffective."

The superior added, "We suspect that Pigeon experienced some kind of severe psychological trauma during his childhood, which may be related to his early joining the Mafia."

Brian stroked his blond hair, lost in thought.

After letting him process the information for a while, the superior continued:

"Pigeon vouches for you now, right? Well done. To be honest, I didn't expect you to gain Pigeon's approval in such a short time. Since you got his approval through your driving skills, continue to leverage your strengths. Find a way to get involved in some Mafia criminal activities, preferably with Pigeon taking you along."

Brian listened attentively to his superior's words, his mind racing with thoughts of what would happen if Pigeon really took him on some criminal mission.
This is the Mafia, not some petty biker gang.

Every official member has a life on their hands!

To become a full member, one must participate in murder and exchange blood for a place in the family!
Brian has never killed anyone so far.

"What if the Mafia orders me to kill someone?"

"Report this to us promptly."

The superior said helplessly, "I sent you undercover, not to make you a bloodthirsty mafia member. If that happened, it wouldn't be good for you or our authorities. I won't let you lose your principles, and I won't let that happen. Brian, you are more important than anything else!"

Brian nodded solemnly.

Hopefully, that won't happen.

As an undercover agent himself, Downey faces a more dangerous situation than Brian.

The Bonanno family showed no mercy to Frank, their adversary, while another member of the family, known as "Red Sonny," sabotaged the Blue Magic deal.

Downey was relieved that Black Sonny was still in the hospital recovering from his gunshot wound, so he and Old Zuo didn't have to go around robbing people for the time being.

He was grateful for this relatively stable period, even if it meant he couldn't gather relevant evidence of the crime.

But without robbing, there's no money. Black Sonny spends his days lying in his hospital bed, discussing with everyone how to make money in the future.

Downey suggested going to Florida, where he knew some friends in Miami, and opening a bar like Pigeon's, with a casino inside.

Stay away from violence and do small business.

Everyone agreed that the suggestion was pretty good, and then decided that once Black Sonny recovered, they would go to Miami to enjoy the beach and sunbathe.

"Old Pigeon's club is opening soon, let's go check it out first."

three days later.

FBI New York office.

With Aoki's money laundering case coming to a close, faced with so much evidence, the Japanese no longer resisted and honestly confessed their crimes.

The police also had a lot of evidence against him for drug trafficking, which made things even worse.

Denham finished speaking and came out of the meeting room to a burst of applause in the hall. Many of his colleagues looked at him with admiration and respect.

Denham played a crucial role in capturing Aoki this time.

Even his investigation team received praise and their contributions were recorded.

Facing the admiring gazes and flattering applause, Denham smiled somewhat wearily. He did not cheer loudly, but walked through the crowd with a humble smile.

He always had a sour face, as if he had a grudge against the world.

He took a cup of coffee from a colleague, took a sip, and found it bittersweet, much better than the Italian coffee Pigeon had treated him to last time.

Back in his office, Denham took the pigeon feather from his pen holder.

Then he remained silent in his seat for over an hour.

I grabbed my suit, got up, took the subway, and headed to the Bronx.

Inside the bar at the SSR Club, he saw Jordan playing cards with Jimmy and the others. Jordan had a cigar in his mouth, and when he saw the FBI arrive, he surprisingly didn't make any sarcastic remarks, but instead gave a cryptic smile.

Jordan beckoned: "Sir, wanna play a couple of rounds? You can use my chips; if you lose, it's on me; if you win, it's yours!"

"Where are the pigeons?" Denham asked Jimmy, his expression blank.

"The office is upstairs." Jimmy waved his hand. "Remember to knock before you go in."

Denham nodded, took the elevator up to the top floor.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, a flushed-faced, sexy Chinese-American girl emerged from the office, carrying her high heels. Nancy was slightly taken aback when she saw Denham. She remembered him being there that night at the abandoned airport; was he a policeman or a secret agent?

They're not coming here to arrest Luka, are they?
She turned around and knocked on the door. "Luca, the police are here!"

"Please let him in!" Luca's voice was steady and powerful.

The police officer who can walk here openly and honestly must have given prior notice.

Denham walked past Nancy and into the spacious, bright office, which was much larger than any FBI officer's office he had ever seen. But what caught his eye most was a potted silver queen on the desk.

He had seen quite a few of them downstairs before.

"Besides the Silver Queen, do you not have any other green plants here?"

As Denham walked to his desk, he suddenly realized that some of the unease and anxiety in his heart had dissipated, and his mindset had become much more peaceful.

“Silver Queen can purify the air and also make people feel happy. Sit down, Pat.” Luca noticed that the other man’s tense shoulders slumped a bit.

Luca thought to himself that the Silver Queen skill was really useful.

He worked overtime these past few days to collect a lot of fragments, and finally managed to gather 50 pieces to learn the skill.

In the future, it will be troublesome to pack when going out. If others carry guns, will peace ambassadors have to carry potted plants?
"You seem to really enjoy racing?" Denham thought of Brian, and then of Nancy he had just met. "So many bikers around you."

"Do you like it too?" Luca asked enthusiastically. "Let's set a time sometime and go for a stroll together?"

“I don’t own a sports car.” Denham shook his head. He didn’t even own a car himself. He usually got to work in either an FBI car or a colleague’s car.

Jordan mocked himself for only deserving to ride the subway his whole life, and Denham at the time thought that might not be entirely untrue.

Luca raised his eyebrows slightly. Not having a sports car and not having time to race together are two different things.

He laughed and said, "Won't your colleagues be envious and jealous that you suddenly own a luxury car?"

"If it were a GTR, they'd be insanely envious and suspect I'd taken bribes from Jordan."

Denham wasn't keen on the topic, so he changed the subject and asked, "Pigeon, the reason I'm talking to you today is still to discuss Jordan."

How would you like to talk?

“There’s no point in continuing this charade.” Denham shook his head. “You’re not going to let me catch Jordan, are you?”

"Dude, a few packets of Blue Magic can incite crime. With so much money flowing through Wall Street every day, you could throw a brick off the roof and hit a financial fraudster. You can't catch them all unless you throw a bomb at Wall Street."

Luca shook his head: "People call Jordan a wolf, but in front of those big investment banks, he's just a dog. Jordan is on my leash now. Shouldn't you consider the owner before beating a dog?"

Denham sighed inwardly, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness, unsure whether it was because of the case or whether he had the courage to throw a brick from the rooftop of a building on Broadway toward Wall Street.

“Pigeon, I’ve said before that I won’t stop investigating; it’s my responsibility.” Denham slowly clenched his fists and looked up at Luca.

"I understand you and respect your choice."

Luca looked completely unfazed. "I've seen police officers return a million dollars' worth of lost money, let alone you."
He never even considered bribing Richie; it would have been a waste of time.

“Fighting for principles is always right, but it can make people despicable and foolish. Many people live under the cowardly protection of principles,” Luca said casually. “Denham, we are friends. Friends will not ask you to give up your principles. Friendship can make us braver.”

In his pursuit of the killer, David first kicked down the door, then fabricated evidence and obtained a search warrant.

In order to fight drugs, Richie collaborates with a Mafia family.

Luca's words softened Denham's voice. Having prepared beforehand, he gave his answer:
“I know your rules, and I’m willing to follow them this time, but there needs to be an explanation for Jordan’s case. Pigeon, let’s make peace. Give me a reason to stop, and I’ll close this case.”

"Peace is precious, that's great! This is the most heartening news I've heard today."

Luca sighed, pulled out a document and handed it to him, "This is one of the money laundering charges against Stratton Corporation. Use this to close the case; at least there will be some closure."

Denham glanced at it and found it was just a minor charge, and it wasn't about Jordan, the "Wolf King," but about one of Jordan's business partners.

These people had already decided who would take the blame and get stabbed.

Before arriving here, Denham had prepared himself mentally, and was even a little nervous, worried that the other party would not cooperate.

But the pigeon, the "mediator," had already prepared everything.

This relieved him, as if he had been emptied out, or as if he had been freed.

"Old Pigeon".

As he breathed a sigh of relief, Denham stood up, reached out, and bent over.

"Thank you for your help. After I finish this case, please come to my house for dinner when you have time. I will cook for you myself."

"Okay, remember to put less chili, Matilda can't handle spicy food."

Seeing Luca's smile and feeling the warmth of his hand, Denham gripped it tightly.

This is the top floor of the club; he has already climbed up here.

You resolved the conflict between the Denham investigation team and the Stratton Corporation, safeguarding the peace of the Stratton Corporation.

[Gain Skill Points +10]

[Gain Skill Fragment +5]

[Remaining Skill Fragments: 13]

Luca took out a membership card and handed it to Denham. "This is a gift between friends. Take it. You can bring it to me for help in the future. Maybe one day, or maybe that day will never come, I will ask you to repay me."

"Thank you, I'll remember that."

Denham gripped the membership card tightly.

[Bond: Close Friend]

(End of this chapter)