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

Chapter 145 Guild Wars
On the phone, Fitz's tone wasn't particularly tense or fearful. When he mentioned his former boss who had mentored him, he felt more of a headache and trouble than anything else.

Fitz: "He gave an interview when he was released from prison and made it clear that he wanted to take back control of the truck drivers' union. Pigeon, I don't think this is the situation you want to see, nor is it the situation I want to see. Hoffa's return to power is not good for any of us."

Reporter: What are your plans after you are released from prison?
—Hoffa: The first thing I'll do is register at the federal bail office, and then go to Florida with my wife to soak up the sun. After that, I'll consider taking the reins of the union again.

—Reporter: How will you manage the union? Do you see Fitz as a formidable competitor?

Hoffa raised his fists: I don't think so!
During the interview, Hoffa's attitude was decisive and tough, showing a strong determination to regain control of the union.

Fitz and Luca both knew that this guy wasn't joking.

That's why Luca is having some trouble.

If Hoffa were to return to power, his gasoline tax business would definitely be affected, and even the interests of the entire Mafia would be harmed—Jimmy Hoffa has a fiery temper and is a man of his own mind. He used to cooperate with the Mafia, but that was just cooperation; he would never be treated like a dog by the Mafia like Fitz did.

In other words, with Hoffa in power, the Mafia's control over the truck drivers' union will be severely weakened.

No one can predict what sweeping changes Hoffa will make after taking office. Will he cut the union fund's interest-free loans to the Mafia? Or will he end Fitz's cooperation with the Mafia?

After all, Fitz has been incredibly obedient these past few years, practically letting the Mafia do whatever they want, almost to the point of being completely subservient.

The Mafia would definitely prefer Fitz to Hoffa, who has such a foul temper and is like a rock in a latrine.

Listening to Fitz's complaints, Luca comforted him: "Fitz, no one can ruin our partnership, not even Jimmy Hoffa."

From a financial perspective, Luca also prefers Fitz; from a rarity card perspective, Hoffa is definitely a higher-level card, as that guy had too much screen time in the original storyline.

Luca needs to figure out how to handle this.

If he didn't intervene, a war broke out within the truck drivers' union, with Hoffa and Fitz fighting each other, involving explosions, threats, and murders. This led to a series of conflicts until the Mafia could no longer tolerate it and took action.

Hoffa's fate was to be deliberately "disappeared" by the Mafia, thus creating a sensational and infamous disappearance case that shocked the nation. As a result, the Mafia in various places would be targeted by the federal government, subjected to endless investigations, and a large number of members would be arrested.

Hoffa's personal influence is simply too exaggerated. A powerful figure who once controlled countless votes and could influence presidential elections, let alone disappearing, even getting sick or injured would attract a lot of attention.

Moreover, Hoffa possessed far too much evidence of his collaboration with the Mafia.
Fitz: "Luca, our cooperation has been so pleasant. You know who I am. I unconditionally support your gasoline business and even arranged for you to be the president of the union. In the past six months, I believe we have gotten to know each other very well."

Of course I know you, Luca Wan'er. Fitz, that fat guy, is all about "being a dog." The Mafia can be his underground protector and make him a lot of money. All Fitz needs to do is play golf every day and travel all over the country to enjoy life.

Luca: "We will try to discuss Hoffa's matter with him."

He couldn't ignore this matter; it concerned his own interests as well as the fate of the Mafia. If Hoffa were allowed to "disappear," the Mafia would face an endless federal investigation until they found out whether Hoffa was alive or dead and where his body was. At that point, a large number of Mafia members involved would be imprisoned.

In this matter, the lawless Mafia underestimated the impact of Hoffa's death.

Luca asked, "Where is Hoffa now?"

Fitz: "Detroit."

Jimmy Hoffa's home is in Detroit.

On the way to Uncle Biao's house.

After Luca hung up the phone, he remained silent in the driver's seat for a long time. The unusually quiet atmosphere made Matilda, who was sitting next to him, keenly aware that something had happened again.

When an old pigeon is particularly quiet, it's definitely thinking about something.

"Luca, you're not thinking about my grades again, are you? I've been working really hard this semester, and I've already gotten a B!" Matilda joked.

"No, I was thinking about something else."

"What? Uncle Marigio has introduced you to another girlfriend?"

"."

Luca smiled and said, "I was thinking about Peggy. Have you been helping your sister at school?"

The painter sent his daughter to school in New York last year, and Luca casually sent Peggy to Matilda's high school. The two girls go to school together and get along quite well.

Peggy is a well-behaved girl, completely different from her killer father. She has a strong aversion to violence—this stems from the "violent" protection she received from a painter when she was young, which left her with severe psychological trauma.

When Peggy was a child, she messed up the owner's things at the grocery store. When the owner tried to stop her, she pushed him. When the painter found out, he stormed into the store and beat the owner bloody in the street, right in front of his daughter.

Paige felt a sense of dread, especially as the painter killed more and more people. Whenever she saw her father watching the news reports of the murders on TV, Paige knew that he was most likely responsible. Fearing her father's violence, she grew increasingly distant from him.

A child's childhood experiences often determine the rest of their life. Peggy was "protected by violence," but instead resisted it all; Matilda was subjected to domestic violence, which fostered a precocious, rebellious, and resilient personality. She did not reject violence in the first place, and even admired it.

Peggy, who didn't experience "fatherly love" in her childhood, found a sense of belonging in Jimmy Hoffa, the grumpy older brother—because Hoffa was genuinely kind to those around him, not only arranging for the painter to become the chairman but also treating his daughter as his own.

Now that Hoffa is out of prison, the Mafia is generally rejecting him, but Paige is one of the happiest people.

Luca thought to himself that he had helped the painter, helped Peggy, and gotten rid of Pro, a guy that Hoffa disliked. He figured that the grumpy old man would at least give him a better look.
Matilda: "Patty and I are like sisters. We often go to the movies together, and we've even been to a Guns N' Roses concert."

At this point, Matilda squinted and teased, "But Peggy's favorite person at the club isn't you." "Huh?"

"She likes Uncle Jimmy the most."

"."

Luca was speechless. Did Paige prefer the name "Jimmy"? There were far too many people in the world named Jimmy.

Uncle Biao's house.

The arrival of Luca and Matilda added to the lively atmosphere.

Besides Uncle Biao's family, A-Qiang, and some of Uncle Biao's relatives, Nancy and her brother from next door also came to join the New Year's Eve reunion. Apart from Luca and his sister-in-law and Aunt Biao, almost everyone else present was of Chinese descent.

Naturally, the New Year's Eve dinner is also Chinese cuisine.

Everyone enjoyed the meal together in a harmonious atmosphere. Some of the Chinese community even turned on the TV to watch the Spring Festival Gala, and it was a rare treat for Luca to see some skits and crosstalk performances.

Uncle Biao also gave Matilda a red envelope containing 100 yuan and explained the relevant customs to her.

Luca also generously handed out a bunch of red envelopes to some of the children and younger relatives present. The amounts weren't large, but it was all for the sake of creating a lively atmosphere.

At midnight, the sound of firecrackers rang out in the alley downstairs.

Out with the old, in with the new.

The following day, the first day of the lunar new year, the double celebration of the wedding was held as scheduled at the SSR Club.

As juniors to Uncle Biao, Luca and Aqiang were dressed as groomsmen, standing by and watching the older couple walk into the wedding hall.

“Old Pigeon,” A-Qiang said softly, “I’ve been thinking about it for a while and decided to stay in New York to see how things develop. McLean is going to help me apply for a green card. He said I did a great job for the police department this time, and the federal government will not only give me a green card, but also a bonus.”

"Staying in New York is a good thing!" Luca said with relief. "Congratulations, Qiang! You've done New York a huge favor this time. Forget about a green card, even if you wanted to open a furniture store, the federal government would help you."

Ah Qiang felt ashamed, as he had just been bombed inside the department store. However, when it came to future development, Ah Qiang couldn't help but think of Uncle Biao's advice: "You can't drive a truck for the rest of your life. Now the opportunity is in front of you. Work for a big shot like Pigeon, and you will definitely rise to prominence in the future."

He was moved.

Living in cramped conditions in Hong Kong, driving a truck, he didn't earn much money and was sometimes bullied and extorted for protection by gangsters. But with Luca, no one dared to bully him in New York. Even though he was just driving a tanker truck, he could earn more money and have a better life. The cops in New York treated him well, and he also had relatives in the United States, as did his father's last wish.
Ah-Qiang has been thinking about this for a long time these days and has come to realize that staying in the United States is better no matter how you look at it.

He just didn't know what he could do by following the pigeons.

When he raised his question, Luca put his arm around his shoulder and said with a smile, "You're on my turf, so help me teach those rule-breakers a lesson, just like you protected Uncle Biao's supermarket from being vandalized by those thugs and thieves. Little Italy needs more peace, Ah Qiang, you will become the guardian here."

“Old Ge, I know your rules.” A-Qiang grinned. “Don’t worry, I can definitely handle this. I’m clumsy and mess things up a lot, but I can definitely deal with thugs. I also can’t stand those who bully the weak.”

"If you do things for me, I will not treat you unfairly."

Luca smiled and pulled out an SSR series membership card, number 007.

"With this card, all your spending at the club will be free from now on. I'll also give you extra money every month. You can have the same title as Lyon: head of security."

"This is too expensive," Ah Qiang politely declined.

Luca: "Ah Qiang, we are family sitting at the same table having our New Year's Eve dinner. This is just your family taking care of you."

Ah-Qiang, whose family hadn't heard the word in Hong Kong for a long time, couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. He turned to look at the groom, Uncle Biao, on the stage, a broad smile spreading across his face. He hugged Old Pigeon's shoulder and said, "From now on, the club will be my home."

[Bond: Close Friend]

[“Death-Defying Stunts” Unlocked]

Once he unlocked this skill, Luca thought to himself that he could jump off buildings without fear of dying.

After the wedding, Uncle Biao and his wife went on their honeymoon, leaving the supermarket to A-Qiang to manage. A-Qiang hired a group of employees to help, and then spent his free time wandering around Little Italy, helping Luca farm skill points and fragments.

Meanwhile, Luca was planning to open a furniture store in Little Italy and wanted to put A-Qiang in as manager. A-Qiang wasn't too keen on it at first, but when he heard that a martial arts school would also be opened in the mall to promote martial arts culture, he became interested.

But surely Old Pigeon wouldn't go that far? Making a whole table of dumplings just for a little bit of vinegar?

Ah-Qiang couldn't understand the thoughts of the rich.

Luca sometimes doesn't understand the thoughts of certain people, like Jimmy Hoffa. He could just live a comfortable life on his pension, away from politics and gang warfare, enjoying his retirement and taking care of his grandchildren. Isn't that good?

But Hofba insisted on getting involved.

Hoffa has begun to reorganize his remaining forces and plans to run for the chairmanship again. The Mafia has not yet resorted to extreme measures but has instead sent people to negotiate.

The negotiator was Frank, a painter and Hoffa's good friend—he was on good terms with both Hoffa and the Mafia, making him the perfect candidate.

(End of this chapter)