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

Chapter 122 Advanced Title Skills

December 24th, Christmas Eve.

While the FBI and the courts were busy with their legal battles, the SSR Club held a special holiday party, inviting members from all walks of life to attend. Apart from Denham and David, who were still busy with their cases, almost all of Luca's friends who could come came, and even Old Zuo and his friends came back to New York from Miami to celebrate the holiday.

—Old Zuo, Black Sonny, and Downey, the undercover agent, have been running a bar in Miami lately and even set up a casino there. They've made a lot of money in the last few months.

The group entered the club with smiles on their faces, and Luca, seeing Doni following behind, couldn't help but smile as well.

The FBI has a ton of undercover agents and informants.
Scarpa was the first Mafia member to be recruited as an informant, while Downey was the first FBI agent to infiltrate the Mafia.

This time it's the Colombo family's turn to face their tribulation, next time it will be the Bonano family's, and the time after that...
"Old Pigeon!" Two sports cars rumbled to a stop at the entrance. One was Brian's little green car, and the other was a red Ferrari that Jordan had recently bought.

Brian and Jordan started hanging out together.

During this time, Brian was working for the truck drivers' union under Jimmy's wing. In the gas tax service, Jordan's shell company was involved. Sometimes when Jimmy was contacting Jordan, Brian would drive him around, and over time he became familiar with Jordan.

After witnessing the culture of the "wolf-like company," Brian was amazed. In a place like Wall Street where every inch of land is precious, there was actually such a joyful paradise.

Jordan enjoyed getting into brawls with his employees, from the company to yachts, and from yachts to airplanes. Because of his frequent contact with Luca, he even lost interest in drugs and became increasingly obsessed with studying human body art.

After meeting Brian, he became obsessed with racing. The brain's nerves, which have an excessively high threshold, need something particularly stimulating to be awakened. The adrenaline boost from racing made Jordan intoxicated and unable to extricate himself.

The two men came up and hugged Luca. Jordan asked with a curious look, "Old Pigeon, I heard you have a modified GTR? How about you take it for a spin and see who's faster than my Ferrari?"

Luca said calmly, "You'd better beat Brian first, then come and challenge me to a match."

Jordan was astonished: "You're faster than Brian?"

Brian bowed his head modestly: "Old Pigeon is indeed faster than me."

Luca emphasized, "He drives faster than Brian."

Jordan, with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, dragged Brian inside, thinking to himself that he would ask Brian for driving tips another day, then spend money to modify the car, and then compete with the old man in a straight-line acceleration race, welding the accelerator to the floor to see who was faster.

After that, Oren Ishii, Zero, and El also arrived at the scene.

Zero, true to his ninja nature, was greeting Ishii Oren when he turned around and Zero was already standing behind him, his gaze fervent: "Old Pigeon, I heard Mr. Wick will be attending the party tonight?"

Luca wanted to roll his eyes, but he smiled and said, "What's the first thing you want to do after seeing John? You need to give me some time to prepare, otherwise if you want to have a sword fight, I'll have to find you a place in advance so you don't ruin my party dance floor."

Zero's expression suddenly became awkward, and Luca actually saw a strange shyness on the bald man's face.

"Let's not fight on Christmas Eve." Zero touched his shiny bald head. "I just want to sit down and have a couple of drinks with Mr. Wick."

Hopefully you just want to drink. Luca glanced at his watch. "You guys go in first, Wick will be here soon."

Luca didn't have to wait long.

John Wick and Helen arrived at the club together.

Compared to when Helen first received treatment a few months ago, she is now much better in terms of complexion and spirit, almost indistinguishable from a normal person. She no longer needs to stay in the hospital for long periods; she only needs to go for treatment regularly, allowing her to spend more time with her boyfriend.

The only downside is that Luca sometimes can't get John to come running. And lately, with the civil war going on, who knows where John and Helen were off playing?
The couple came up to greet Luca. Helen was very enthusiastic, and even John, who usually had a stoic expression, smiled. They shared photos of their trip to San Francisco with Luca. Before they could exchange more than a few words, Zero suddenly rushed over and started pestering John, rattling off a string of Japanese and English to express her excitement at meeting her idol.

While John was holding a fan meeting, Luca pulled Helen aside and asked, "Haven't you told John yet?"

Helen smiled gently: "My illness has improved a lot. I plan to tell him after I'm completely stable. He's quite busy with work sometimes, and I don't want to distract him. I want to share the good news with him. We should hold our wedding after I'm fully recovered."

Luca: "John is so lucky to have such an understanding girlfriend like you."

Helen gently hugged Luca: "Luca, it's John and I'm so lucky to have a friend like you."

Then, Uncle Biao and his wife arrived.

"Luca! The wedding date has been set, it's the first day of the Lunar New Year, February 7th!" Uncle Biao looked up at the club's luxurious decor, "Your club is really impressive and classy. Holding the wedding banquet here will definitely make you look good."

Luca was also very happy.

You two, uncle and nephew, are really good at stalling for time. Your nephew still hasn't come to New York. Can't you wait until the New Year to come?
"Qiang plans to come over next month," Uncle Biao revealed. "You know, the closer it gets to the end of the year, the busier we get at work. Qiang wants to drive a few more trips to earn some money."

It's finally coming!
Luca said quietly, "Qiang wants to drive a truck to New York? I'm the president of the Jersey City Truck Drivers Union. I can offer him the highest salary, which will definitely be more than he earns in Hong Kong."

Uncle Biao: "???"

No, how did you, a Sicilian, become the president of a trade union?
Sister-in-law Biao also looked surprised: "Luca, you've become the president! That's amazing!"

As she spoke, Sister Biao came over and gave Luca a big bear hug—Sister Biao's size was even bigger than Harry's, that muscle man, and it almost made Luca suffocate.

Uncle Biao is so old, how come he can still hold his own?

After sending Uncle Biao to the party, Marigio also brought his family to the club to attend the party.

"Luca, it's so lively here on Christmas Eve. Of all the clubs I've been to, only yours makes me feel truly at peace."

Marigio sighed, then suddenly remembered something and furtively pulled Luca aside. "I recently received a business deal, but there's a bit of risk involved."

"what?"

“You remember the jewelry business we took over from White Tiger? It’s been almost half a year since we took it over, and we haven’t closed many deals. Recently, a black gang in Harlem contacted us. They plan to take advantage of the Christmas season when New York jewelry stores are having promotions to make a killing.”

“Then let’s do it.” Luca nodded. “Anyway, they’re the ones who take the risks when they go to rob it. We just need to be responsible for receiving the goods.”

"Recently, the Colombo family is facing a collective prosecution, and the police and FBI have been quite active. This period is a bit sensitive."

"It's precisely because the police's attention has been diverted by the Colombo family that it's easier for them to carry out their plans. Which jewelry store are they planning to rob?"

"I don't know either. Anyway, they said that once they got their hands on the diamonds, they would find a chance to give them to us."

"."

Uncle Luca was a little confused. "You mean, diamonds??"

"Yeah, they'll definitely be scrambling for diamonds; even a tiny one can buy a whole yard."

"."

Luca was getting a little frantic. Seriously? Of all times to rob someone, why did he have to do it when his nephew was coming to New York? Is this some kind of divine retribution, karma? The plot had already gone way off track, how come you managed to turn it back on track with your intervention, Uncle?
No, Uncle! I don't want to be a villain!

I don't want to fight with my nephew!
Seeing his uncle's slightly excited expression, Luca felt increasingly annoyed. Shouldn't, perhaps, there wouldn't be any more accidents this time?

At worst, I can just keep a close eye on my nephew and make sure he doesn't accidentally wander in. That should be enough, right?

Moreover, Nancy has already returned to her original form, so she won't have any ill-fated relationship with her nephew.

“Uncle, I’ll go and make the deal with those black gangs.” Luca said solemnly, “I don’t trust anyone else to do this; I have to do it myself.”

Marigio was overjoyed. "Hahaha, Luca, I knew you'd make a move!"

Luca: "."

The fun and harmonious party lasted until midnight.

But tonight's main character isn't Luca, but Matilda, because tomorrow is her birthday.

Matilda, who had already taken a long vacation, wore a black princess dress with a touch of Gothic Lolita style and became the focus of the party as soon as she appeared.

Everyone knows that this is Old Pigeon's sister, nicknamed "Lucky Matilda," "Little Gambler," "Queen of Spencer High School," and "The Mastermind Behind the Bike Gang."
Luca had no idea where she had gotten so many titles, made so many new friends, and built up so many rare cards in the club. Matilda was doing it even faster than Luca.

Take El, for example.
He pulled out a delicately crafted dagger and gave it to Matilda as a birthday gift. Brian, Jimmy, Mike, the two gambling addicts, and Ishii Oren, among others, all gave their own birthday gifts.

Luca pushed the cart carrying the birthday cake into the party hall and walked up to Matilda.

And his birthday present.
All that could be seen was Luca drawing a silver-white revolver from his waist—the M29, a well-performing, compact, and lightweight 9mm women's pistol.

Many guests at the party were shocked to see Luca give a child a real gun. Someone had given a knife before, and now a gun—was he trying to turn the child into an assassin? Was it meant to symbolize invulnerability?
Matilda looked at Luca with sparkling eyes, her joy undisguised.

As always, Luca knelt down in front of Matilda, placed the gun in her palm, and said with a smile, "Life is the most dangerous fairy tale, and I hope you become the brightest character in this story. Matilda, may you hold the gun firmly, aim clearly, and may your heart always remain as soft as ever. Our kindness and sharpness will never be at odds."

Now, blow out the candles, my little warrior.

Maddie smiled sweetly and threw herself into Luca's arms. "Thank you, Luca. I will take this gun and defend the peace you want to defend, and protect everything you want to protect."

The clock struck midnight. Matilda was 13 years old.

The following day was Christmas Day.

The FBI and police crackdown on the Colombo family continues, with more and more members being arrested and Mafia members lining up for trial.

What followed was predictable: not only Persico, but also other Mafia members, all confessed their crimes under Richie's influence.

What awaits them is a trial and a long prison sentence.

For the next month or so, until mid-to-late January, the major courts in New York were extremely busy, trying one case after another and sending Mafia members to prison one after another.

In these trials, all the members of the Colombo family were relatively obedient, standing at attention and being beaten as Persico instructed, while the other major families remained hidden in the shadows, silently watching the Colombo family's decline.

With so many members infiltrating, the impact far exceeded that of a family civil war. It could be said that the Colombo family had become a second-rate family, reduced to a mere appendage of the Mafia Committee, barely surviving in New York.

Persico was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Many of the charges against him were not substantiated; if they had all been, a 500-year sentence would not have been enough.

Another point is about Scarpa, the informant whom Persico hated so much, who has disappeared without a trace, and no one knows where he went under FBI protection.

You resolved the conflict between Persico and the committee, and obtained confessions from Persico and over 100 Colombo members. You assisted the FBI and the NYPD in wiping out a Mafia family. You defended the peace of New York.

[Gain Skill Points x300]

[Gained 150 Skill Fragments]

[Theoretical lifespan + 1 year]

[Remaining Skill Fragments: 206]

[Unlock exclusive advanced title skill: Peace Ambassador]

Peace Ambassador (Tier 1): Peacemaker

[Peacemaker: When you engage in nonviolent negotiation, the other party's hostility level decreases by 10%, and they are more willing to listen to your mediation suggestions;]

When you defend peace, your combat power temporarily increases by 10%.
With you at the center, the tense atmosphere in a small area is eased, and the probability of conflict breaking out is forcibly reduced by 10% (maximum diameter: 1 kilometer)

Peace Ambassador (Tier 2): Watcher

[Advanced Requirements: Requires 300 Skill Fragments; Successfully mediates 3 medium/large-scale conflict events]

They actually unlocked a unique title skill?

Can it be upgraded and advanced?

Luca was stunned. This wasn't a nickname given to him by someone else; it was recognition from the system itself.

Taking down a mafia family has yielded such a generous reward.

If you can force a reduction in the probability of conflict, wouldn't the crime rate drop wherever you go?

This skill's effect is simply too overpowered.

“A peacemaker, huh?” Luca smiled. “At level one, it already has a range of 1 kilometer. I wonder how far it will cover when I reach the maximum level.”

Luca couldn't help but feel excited, thinking that he would really want the whole world to be filled with Silver Queen flowers.

1997, December 1.

At a port in New York, a ship is docked, bound for Seattle. A former Mafia member named Scarpa will board it, traveling from the East Coast to the West Coast of the United States.

He will now live under a different identity and spend the rest of his life in Seattle, under the government's witness protection program.

Before dawn, Denham escorted Scarpa to the port to say his final goodbye.

“Scapa, you’ve kept your promise. You did a great job. Now the FBI will keep its promise too.”

Denham remarked, "Seattle is far from New York. Over there, no one will know you're a harvester, no one will know you were once an executioner. You can find an ordinary job and start a new life."

The boat stopped in front of the two men. Scarpa listened to Denham's words and stared blankly at the gray fishing boat. Near the waterline, its rusty hull was exposed as the water rose and fell.

“Denham,” Scarpa said, pointing to the hull of the ship, “the rust will be washed away by the sea, again and again. In the end, this ship will rot away, won’t it?”

"Of course, this isn't a ghost ship; it'll be sent to the junkyard sooner or later."

"Is no ship destined to escape this fate?"

"You can perform regular maintenance and replace old parts and equipment, which may extend its lifespan."

"This way, it won't be the original ship anymore."

"New things will always replace old things."

Scarpa remained silent.

The two arrived at the ship's side. Before boarding, Scarpa said quietly, "Will I ever have the chance to see my child again? My granddaughter doesn't even know who her maternal grandfather is."

Denham shook his head: "If your daughter is willing to see you, there might still be a chance."

Scarpa knew that he would probably never have another chance in his lifetime.

I wonder if, when I grow old and die, and am buried on the hillside outside the wheat field, I will still have the chance to hear my daughter stand before my grave and call out "Father" one last time.

Scarpa only felt the impermanence of life.
The fishing boat sailed away on the high seas, and Denham waved: "Have a safe journey."

Meanwhile, Harry also finished his work in New York and prepared to go home—his home is in Miami, Florida.

On his last night, he went to the SSR club, intending to have one last shot of tequila. But Harry couldn't deny that, besides drinking and lingering in the club's wonderful atmosphere, he also wanted to see Luca, this special Mafia member, one last time.

"Old Pigeon, when did you find out I was an FBI agent?"

At the dinner table, facing Harry's curious gaze, Luca smiled and asked in return, "You're not still trying to get information out of me, are you?"

Harry paused slightly, "Oh, so you noticed it back then, which is why you sent me to do things to defend peace."

Luca smiled and said, "So? Which do you prefer: capturing Scarpa or defending peace?"

Harry took a sip of his drink and smacked his lips.

Being a spy is a job; it can be lucrative, and it allows you to demonstrate your abilities and value. But having to conceal your identity while defending peace also seems to offer opportunities for financial gain, showcase your skills, and even earn you the gratitude and friendship of those you help.
Harry suddenly thought of his wife, whom he had kept in the dark for over a decade. She still didn't know his true identity or what he had done.

"Old Pigeon, do those people you've protected and helped know you're part of the Mafia?"

“Most people know that being a member of the Mafia is just an identity; people know who I am and they can see what I’ve done.”

Luca raised his glass. “Some people fear me, and some love me; some call me the butcher, and some call me the pigeon. Those who are willing to be my friends will not stay away from me because of my Mafia identity; and those who approach me wearing masks, no matter how kind or approachable I appear, will eventually leave me.”

"You're not talking about me, are you?" Harry joked. For some reason, sitting next to Old Pigeon today felt more peaceful, as if he were in a church.

“Then you probably won’t see me tonight.” Luca clinked glasses with Harry and said with a smile, “I always believe that true bonds cannot be severed by different identities. For example, the two of us can sit together and have a drink in peace.”

Harry shook his head and chuckled. This Mafia member was indeed different. He believed that Luca had committed many crimes, perhaps even more than Persico, but he had also done a lot to defend peace.

He wouldn't mind getting to know Luca better, or even becoming friends with him on the surface. As a spy who had assumed too many identities, he never judged a person by their labels, but rather by their value.

Just like when he was conducting infiltration abroad, he also made many "criminals" as friends, even if it was for mission purposes.

"Old Pigeon, I always feel that we will meet again in the future, and perhaps I can continue to be your peace envoy then."

"I believe that day will come soon."

The two toasted again.

[Bond: Friends]

[Tango in Passion], [Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow], and [Mr. Universe] are unlocked.

(End of this chapter)