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

Chapter 80 Invitation
Intimidation, threats, explosions, murder and dismemberment—the Mafia operates this business more skillfully than any other gang in New York.

In the following days, several cars, blown beyond recognition, appeared at the Luches family's junkyard.

A body, frozen solid, was found inside the cargo compartment of a refrigerated truck.

In a parking lot, a gang member and his lover were secretly meeting when they were both shot dead inside their car.

Next to a small cabin in the suburbs, Jimmy ordered his men to throw several corpses into a wood shredder. The sprayed red debris fell into the soil of the forest and turned into nutrients.

Holding a cigar, Jimmy slowly exhaled a thick puff of smoke, then took out his phone and called Luca. "Old Pigeon, it was a gang called the Metal Gang that made the move. Hmm, they've taken care of Mr. Wick. He's very efficient; I've never seen anyone kill faster than him. Okay, I got it. I'll be back as soon as I'm done here."

After he hung up the phone, John, who was next to him, asked coldly, "Are there any other targets?"

"That's all for now. If someone doesn't listen, there will be some extra. Who knows?"

Jimmy shook his head. "Thank you for your hard work. Let's go back to the club."

SSR Club.

The meeting room was so quiet that you could hear each other's heavy breathing.

This time, in addition to a group of gas station owners, there were also Kairi and several Russians.

Carey waited anxiously for the club owner to arrive.

Waiters would occasionally bring over coffee and snacks, thoughtfully asking if they would like anything else to drink, such as tea or alcohol, but no one was in the mood to savor these delicacies.

Apart from a few Russians and Tim, these people had the most relaxed expressions.

Because they knew that today the pigeons were going to put an end to this matter.

But the pigeons didn't appear, and the gas station owner, unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere any longer, stared at the Russians and said in a deep voice:
"I hope we can reach a solution that everyone agrees on; oil prices must have a fair and just standard!"

Once someone spoke up, other gas station owners followed suit:

"I suggest we all adopt a unified standard! Otherwise, in the end, only the customers will benefit from the discounts, and none of us will make any money!"

Several Russians were happily drinking vodka, seemingly oblivious to the voices of the others.

As scapegoats, they don't understand the specifics of business; they just do whatever they're told.

Just then, the door opened, and Luca arrived late, his face expressionless.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone."

Luca sat down at the head of the table, glancing around. Several drug addicts shrank back in alarm, and the expressions of the others became solemn. The Russian even put down his glass.

"A while ago, an extremely serious vandalism incident occurred in the Bronx!"

Luca said with a serious expression, "Tim is my good friend, and I am heartbroken that his gas station has been threatened and intimidated! Those bastards are recklessly vandalizing shops and injuring employees and delivery drivers—these beasts are disrupting market order!"
They dared to sabotage the gas station while it was doing business normally!
I can assure you that no one will vandalize your gas stations again. You can do business with peace of mind. Those who harass you will never appear in front of you again.

This is my promise, Pigeon! No one is allowed to cause trouble here!

Upon hearing this, the business owners exchanged glances, their hearts sinking.

We can no longer contact the Metal Gang.
That's the outcome.

A look of horror flashed in Kerry's eyes as he recalled the explosion that morning. Not only him, but several other company executives had also been threatened.

Without any evidence, the police had no way to proceed.

Carey didn't know who did it, but he knew that if he didn't compromise, he would be sitting in his car when the next explosion happened.

One boss, suppressing his fear, chimed in, "Pigeon, we believe in you. As long as you're in the Bronx, nothing like this will ever happen again. But I have a question about gas prices... could everyone..."

“I’ve said it before, Tim is my friend,” Luca laughed. “He competes fairly to gain market share, and so many customers are willing to patronize his gas stations. His high-quality, low-priced gasoline has won over customers, which I think is a good thing.”

"But then we'd have no way to survive."

"That's why you're all sitting here today."

Luka pointed to several Russians and said, “I’ve found you suppliers. Tim bought his goods from them, and you can also get yours from them. We can all set a price standard for selling gasoline together.”

Several gas station owners were speechless. Who wouldn't want cheap gasoline? If we wanted to cooperate, we would have done so already. Do you think Mobil is a pushover?

They're still sitting there!

Carey, who had been ignored from beginning to end, finally spoke up: "I agree with Pigeon's proposal. You are free to choose to source from Mobil or other channels. We can amend the previously signed agreement."

The bosses: "???"

How come you can slide on your knees faster than us?

Carey glanced at Luca meaningfully, his heart filled with helplessness, and emphasized again, "I'm not joking, I've already prepared the agreement."

He presented the new agreement to everyone. After reading it and discussing it with Carey, everyone finally confirmed that ExxonMobil was not lying; they had actually compromised!

Damn, you knelt down so quickly? Then why did you go to all that trouble to smash other people's shops before?

What happened next was only natural. Even wholesalers like Mobil compromised, so what were gas station owners still insisting on? They would go whichever way was profitable.

Finally, Luca proposed that everyone work together to set a price slightly below the market price, and that everyone present implement it together so that everyone can make money and target other brands of gas stations and wholesalers in the market.

This is the most beneficial solution for everyone present.

No one objected; peace was the priority.

You commissioned John and Jimmy to kill 21 notorious gang members and mediate a conflict between gas stations and suppliers. You defended the peace of gas prices.

[Gain Skill Points +20]

[Gain Skill Fragment +10]

Hearing skills +5%

[Current Skill Fragment: 194]

After a lively discussion, the other gas station owners left one after another, leaving only Tim in the meeting room. He took out an agreement and handed it to Luca, saying with emotion, "Pigeon, thank you for upholding justice for me this time. According to the agreement, this includes a total of 3 gas stations, with a 20% share."

This was the condition for Luca to become his protector.

Luca smiled and accepted the gasoline. "Believe me, this is the wisest choice you've made. The gasoline you bought from the Russians will be cheaper than from everyone else. You got the lowest price!"

That's exactly what Tim wanted to hear.

"Haha, Old Pigeon! Thank you, it's been such a pleasure doing business with you!"

"Let's value harmony and make money together."

After seeing Tim off, Luca leisurely made his way upstairs to his office.

Pushing open the door, I saw Kerry sitting inside, who had been waiting for a long time.

Luca stepped forward: "Mr. Carey, we can talk about our next collaboration. There are so many gasoline suppliers in New York State, but I only have faith in you. I believe that our cooperation will make the entire market submit to us!"

Carey looked at the young face and sighed softly.

Cooperating with Luca is undoubtedly like seeking a tiger's skin.

But he knew he didn't have many or better options, because no one could beat the Russians in a price war.

Cooperation is always better than being eaten by a tiger.

With Mobil joining the company, Luca's gasoline tax business grew even larger.

Late September to early October.

The weekly profit has reached 230 million and is still growing.

This exaggerated speed of wealth plundering was bound to cause conflicts with other gas stations and suppliers. However, having learned from the first experience, Luca no longer needed to personally intervene, as Jimmy and the others had become quite adept at handling the situation.

They either become allies by prioritizing harmony and complying with the new rules, or they are driven bankrupt by a price war.

If their opponents dare to use violence, Jimmy and John will show them what's truly bloodier!
The dispute at the gas station has come to a temporary end.

On October 7th, Luca left New York alone and went to a cancer center hospital in Boston.
In a hospital room, he saw Helen, who looked somewhat pale.

John is not here.

Because Helen didn't want to tell him.

In mid-September, Helen frequently came to the club to shoot advertising materials and had become quite familiar with Luca. Luca then took the opportunity to kindly remind her that she didn't look well and that she could go to the hospital for a check-up.

The investigation actually uncovered a problem.
cancer.

Stage III breast cancer.

Luca was very serious when he heard the news. Stage III was already in the middle and late stages, and the cure rate had dropped significantly, especially in the 90s when medical technology was not yet advanced enough.

In the original storyline, Helen died of illness five years after her marriage. Luca doesn't know how long John and Helen knew each other before getting married, but it certainly wasn't a whirlwind romance.

Before getting married, John worked as an assassin for a period of time, until he decided to retire to be with Helen and complete a retirement mission before getting married.

During this period, were the two of them dating?

Standing at the ward window, Luca sighed, thinking to himself, "When did you two finally discover this disease?"

Thank goodness you met me, otherwise you would have repeated the same mistake.
There's still some hope in the middle stage, but if it drags on any longer and reaches the late stage, in this era, there might not be much hope left.

"Luca."

Seeing Luca walk in carrying fruit, Helen straightened up and forced a pale smile.

In just a few days, Helen's illness did not worsen much, but her condition was far from what it used to be.

Luca stared at the pristine white bed, thinking to himself that this thing was truly "magical." Just by lying on it, he could turn a vibrant person into a haggard one.

Sitting down by the bed, Luca asked a few questions about his well-being before making up a story: "John came to the club looking for me before, asking where you were. Helen, haven't you decided to tell him yet?"

Helen was a little nervous. "You didn't already tell, did you?"

“I respect your choice, but he will find out sooner or later, Helen. You can’t stop a passionate heart from coming toward you.”

"I haven't figured out how to face him yet."

The blanket was wrinkled from being gripped by fingers. Helen sighed, "I don't want him to see me like this."

Helen's forlorn expression caught Luca's eye. He opened the panel and glanced at it; his bond with John was still at "Following."—John had done a lot of dirty work for him lately, and the bond was really hard to raise.

However, Luca is not in a hurry; he has Helen as his trump card.

Perhaps, in that time, one wave could raise you several levels directly, allowing you to reach the "Close Friend" rank.

"Who told me to be so nosy?" Luca comforted her, "I can help you explain to him that you still have some work to do and what you need to do now is cooperate with the treatment, okay? I will help you contact the best doctors in the world and use the best medicine. Believe me, your illness will gradually get better, and you still have a wonderful life ahead of you to spend with John."

“Luca, I…” Helen’s voice trembled, “Thank you so much. You’ve helped me so much. I really don’t know how to thank you.”

“You and John are both my friends, and I don’t want to see either of you crying in front of me.”

"Why."

“I do have requirements; I’m not someone who doesn’t ask for anything in return.”

Helen was slightly taken aback. So, there really is no such thing as selfless kindness in this world?
Luca smiled. "I only need an invitation to your wedding."

Helen's eyes stung, but she smiled.

"it is good."

(End of this chapter)