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

Chapter 136 Samoan War Dance

New York City is located in the southeast of New York State. Although it is not the state capital, it is the state's largest city. Leaving New York City and heading northwest across the entire state of New York will lead you to the border between the United States and Canada—the Northern Border.

Simon and his group successfully left New York and drove their truck north.

"Pigeon, after I deliver the goods, I'll have someone bring the trucks back to you." Simon said on his phone to Luca, "All 14 trucks, not a single one missing. If I'd known you were such a local bigwig in New York, I would have come looking for you sooner."

Simon was just spouting nonsense.

Why would I possibly seek cooperation with others? With so much gold, wouldn't it be better to keep it all for myself?

Simon never intended to collaborate with outsiders; he even killed the explosives expert, Targo, without hesitation. If Targo hadn't had those insane ideas about blowing gold to smithereens and sending it to the bottom of the ocean, Simon thought he might have spared his life.

Ultimately, it's because of differing philosophies that we can't work together.

But at that moment, Simon inexplicably found that the old pigeon's voice on the phone sounded quite friendly and trustworthy, and he could almost picture Luca speaking with a kind smile on his face.

Looking back on the two brief encounters with Luca, aside from using violence to get the truck back and demand compensation, the other party did not do anything else that would harm his interests, and even helped him deal with the customs police.

In a sense, the other party actually seems like a decent collaborator? Pigeon is a powerful assassin and a high-ranking member of a powerful criminal organization like the Mafia; perhaps there really will be opportunities for cooperation in the future.
This inexplicable thought, once it appeared, took deep root in his mind and left a profound impression on Simon.

After finishing his conversation with Luca, Simon hung up the phone, his gaze fixed intently on the road ahead, pondering how to handle the gold once he arrived in Canada, and what kind of turmoil might occur in the international situation.
"Let's leave America first and hide the gold safely."

Half past four in the afternoon.

Luca met Matilda at the SSR Club. The little brat skipped over, took his hand, and shared what had happened at school, including how he had organized the evacuation of his classmates with a gun.

After hearing this, Luca couldn't help but smile. So this was how Matilda dispersed the students.

A moment later, Luca met Brian again—he hadn't yet told the FBI what he knew. In his view, although Old Pigeon was trying to get his truck back, he had still instigated the killer to kill quite a few people.

Brian did not lift a finger during this process; he was only responsible for driving the people there.

At this moment, Brian stood at the bar counter, holding a glass of juice, a hint of struggle flashing in his eyes. Compared to his previous life in the Los Angeles underworld, Brian couldn't deny that he was happier here at the SSR Club over the past six months. He also really liked the club's atmosphere, and felt at peace whenever he saw the Silver Queens.

He turned to look at Luca beside him, who was patiently tutoring Matilda with her textbooks. This scene made it hard for Brian to connect the man who controlled life and death with the executioner.

“Old Pigeon, this afternoon,” Brian asked hesitantly, “since you decided to cooperate with that Lubb and took so much money from him, and so many people have died, it won’t be easy to clean up the mess, will it?”

Luca turned and stared at Brian for two seconds. Those people were mercenaries, terrorists who carried out the bombing. Even if you killed them all, the FBI behind you would just applaud.

He asked curiously, "Brian, have you ever killed anyone before?"

Brian shook his head. So far, he had arrested people, but he had never actually killed anyone.

"No, this is my first time participating in such a firefight and seeing so many people die."

After a pause, Brian shrugged. "Having followed you for so long, this is the first time you've let me get involved in something like this."

Luca's eyes were unreadable.

So far, he has indeed not involved Brian in the family's core shady businesses, nor has he allowed Brian to rob or extort like other gangsters' Mafia. Even in the gasoline tax business, Brian has only played the role of an ordinary truck driver, unaware of the truth behind it.

In the past, Luca had Brian participate in operations that assisted the police in solving cases, including this sewer "counter-terrorism" operation—the police and the FBI will later find out the identities of those mercenaries and their relationship with Simon.

“Brian.” Luca poured himself a glass of juice. “You’ve been with me for so long, you know a lot about the Mafia, and you know quite a few members of our family. You should know what kind of lives other people lead. In the Mafia, you’re never truly in control of your own destiny.”
Another key figure in the family, Anthony Cassel, and his soldiers and associates, were constantly following Cassel's orders. They had no choice but to obey his commands and could not disobey them.

I won't let my people do things that put them in a difficult position; everything is negotiable.

Luca picked up his glass and smiled, "If this is too much of a hassle for you, you can do other things you enjoy more in the future."

"Brother!" Matilda suddenly called out, "You said you wouldn't make things difficult for me, but you let me go to school, and now you won't let me go. This is making things difficult for me."

Luca: "."

Luca choked for a moment, his train of thought interrupted. He silently turned Matilda's head away and continued speaking to Brian, "Brian, you're an adult, unlike Matilda. You can tell me what you're thinking. Remember when you told me you wanted to come to New York to make big money? You could get some lucrative business opportunities from me."

Brian forced a smile, picked up his cup, and drank his beverage, trying to hide his complicated feelings.

Matilda leaned closer and chuckled, "Brother, I know you're doing this for my own good. Studying will give me more opportunities and choices in the future."

Brian's gaze towards Matilda was also filled with affection for the little girl. Having driven Matilda around for so long, he knew what kind of girl she was. Being around so many Mafia members hadn't made her lose herself; on the contrary, it had helped her forge a stronger and more optimistic heart.

“Old Pigeon, everyone knows about your deeds in Little Italy. Sometimes I can see what you did, but sometimes I don’t know why you did it.”

"For example?"

"A collaboration with Luber?"

"Then let's see how it goes."

Luca smiled faintly, "Thinking about these things all the time will only cause you unnecessary trouble."

When dealing with exceptional individuals, Luca has always been ruthless, as seen in his previous feigned cooperation with Gallo and his current strategy of playing hard to get with Simon. He has already meticulously planned everything.

Luca could also increase Brian's strength, create a series of troubles for the blond guy, and then help him out to gain more of Brian's favor and trust.

However, Luca didn't do that. He treated everyone around him—Matilda, Jimmy, Leon, Daredevil, O-Ren Ishii, and others—with a relaxed attitude. He'd lend a hand when needed, help solve problems, and otherwise treat them as normal friends. His deliberate and ruthless pursuit of Simon this time, besides the gold, was also because that skill was so unique. Once acquired, it was foreseeable that the crime rate would further decrease in Luca's territory, in the places where he established rules. Combined with the aura of a peace ambassador, the effect would be even better.

Even if only a few people change their minds each day and choose to follow the rules instead of doing anything against them, there will be fewer bloodshed incidents. Over time, this will add up to a considerable number.

Just like the inviolable law of peace inside a mainland hotel.

After he rises to power and becomes the head of the family, or even the chairman of the committee, the rules he establishes will be followed by more people. Or, if he sits at the high table and becomes an elder, the rules he establishes in the underworld will be ironclad and absolute.

Now Luca is patiently waiting for that day to come—a few years after Gambino's death, the New York Mafia will face a major federal crackdown, with prosecutors, the FBI, and the police working together, using every means at their disposal: undercover agents, infiltration, wiretapping, and subversion.

The big bosses of the five major families were either arrested or assassinated, none of them had a good ending; the Mafia underwent a major reshuffle, and their power shrank significantly, and they never recovered.

Since then, the American Mafia has been on a downward spiral year by year.
That was a foreseeable catastrophe targeting the Mafia, and other forces might also try to interfere and remove the New York Mafia from the list.

Before it happens, Luca must make full preparations to "rise from the ashes" of that disaster—at which point he will become the new spokesperson for the New York Mafia, the new Godfather, and the new rules he establishes will become his spear and shield in the future.

Luca's deep eyes flickered, and as he pulled himself back to his senses, Brian beside him sighed, "Old Pigeon, I'm curious, what kind of result do you really want?"

"Let the Silver Queen bloom in more places."

"Eh?"

"From the club to Little Italy, then to all of New York, and eventually to the whole world."

"Haha, you can't grow Silver Queen in the desert."

"As long as I am here, there is no place where it cannot survive."

Luca spoke with absolute certainty, but Brian was slightly taken aback, sensing a strong sense of confidence in the old man's words.

Perhaps, one day, Old Pigeon will actually be able to do all of this.

Brian thought for a moment and decided to continue observing before telling the FBI about these things.

He also wanted to see the result.
At that moment, Luca received a phone call from David, saying that the diplomatic security officers wanted to know about the missing truck.

Luca didn't linger. Before leaving, he reminded Matilda, "Remember to do your homework well. If I don't come back tonight, have Uncle Jimmy leave me a message."

Matilda waved her hand: "Don't worry, I know how to take care of myself."

Twenty minutes later, Luca discreetly arrived at the New York Police Department.

When he met this so-called Diplomatic Security Service agent, he was taken aback. He subconsciously thought of the blond-haired guy, thinking that the two of them were going to be good brothers who had raced cars together and risked their lives together.

“Luke Hobbs, Commander of the Federal Diplomatic Security Service! Hello, Mr. Greco!”

Luke Hobbs's tall, imposing, and intimidating body, like that of a Vajra, stood in front of Luca, and Luca felt the light around him dim slightly.

[Rare Card Discovered: Luke Hobbs]

Hobbes: S

[Source: The Fast and Furious series]

[Skills: Absolute Strength; Samoan War Dance]

[Bond: Strangers]

Hobbes's hometown was not in the United States, but in an island nation called Samoa, where some traditional local cultures are still preserved—such as some passionate war dances, primitive and full of wildness.

He even brought his hometown culture to the United States, teaching a group of little girls to use war dances to boost morale on the soccer field, scaring the opponents into trembling, and attracting the attention of a group of hot moms.

This is indeed a man brimming with primal male hormones.

As Luca grasped Hobbs's outstretched hand, he felt a rough, solid strength; the man's power was simply overwhelming.
"I asked you to come here because of those 14 stolen trucks!" Hobbs began succinctly, then confirmed with Luca in detail the time when the trucks went missing, their models, loads, and the last place they were last seen.

Luca was very open and honest, and even added at the end: "My people saw these trucks at the gas station. They were refueling, and judging from the direction they were heading, they were going in northwestern New York State."

Hobbes immediately took out the map and studied it with David, McLean, and others, and finally came to a conclusion.

“The northern border!” Hobbs pointed to the border line. “They want to leave the United States from here and go to Canada. It’s the fastest route out of the United States!”

This conclusion was accepted by many. David clenched his fist, his eyes shining as he stared at Old Pigeon. "Old Pigeon! You're truly my lucky star! Your intelligence is so useful!"

Luca smiled and said, "I'm glad I could help you."

McLean joked, "Old Pigeon, from now on I'll only fill up at your gas station! I'll patronize your business every day!"

Seeing Luca laughing and joking with a group of policemen, Hobbs gave Luca a meaningful look, then without any hesitation, grabbed his equipment and directed the interception—including the border defenses and mobilizing police from various police stations along the way.

Those trucks aren't going very fast; we can catch up with them in time.

(End of this chapter)