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

Chapter 162 Layoffs, Increasingly Serious Conflicts

That evening, major media outlets across the country received new anonymous emails, also containing videotapes and videos related to the apartment murder case, but this time they included a beginning and an end, as well as more perspectives.

The video featured a large number of underage children, as well as drugs and guns.

The identities of those Black people are obvious.

—Drug trafficking group.

Many journalists felt a chill run down their spines as they watched black drug dealers hand large bags of white ice to children, and even give them guns.

The topic of this case is already quite sensitive, and now that children have been brought into it, it undoubtedly adds another highly sensitive point of discussion.

In addition, the police also disclosed more relevant information, revealing the identity and crimes of the drug traffickers, including drug trafficking, murder, pimping, and instigating children to traffic drugs, and stated that the police's raid and arrest of the drug traffickers was compliant and legal.

The incident caused another uproar.

Many people's views have been reversed, and they now believe that these damned black drug dealers deserved it and that the police did nothing wrong.

However, many people still questioned the "violent law enforcement" aspect, and anti-death penalty organizations such as "death row inmates' guardians" argued that the police had no right to shoot drug dealers who had already surrendered. These various viewpoints have sparked numerous discussions across all sectors of society.

Does a life of heinous crime deserve "respect"?
This issue wasn't worth discussing in Bobby's eyes. In his view, enemies didn't discriminate based on skin color. If anyone dared to mess with my mother, I'd kill their whole family.

With Leon's help, the group successfully assassinated Vic Sweet, the leader of the Sweet gang, and dumped his body in the river.

This guy was supposedly the main villain in the original storyline, a rare card with skills. Luca hadn't even met him offline yet, and his body was already cold. He contributed a few skill fragments to Luca.

When Bobby came back to pick up his mother, he talked to Luca about the situation. "Sweet said they didn't rob the tanker truck. I even put the barrel of a gun in his mouth, but he still wouldn't admit it."

Luca: "."

If that guy admits it and actually sends back a tanker truck, I don't know how I'll handle it.

"Then it seems it wasn't them who did it."

Luca gave a perfunctory reply; the focus was no longer on the tanker truck. However, Bobby was quite loyal, offering to help Luca retrieve the gasoline, perhaps also with a tinge of helping his union brothers. Solving the robbery would likely give those truck drivers some confidence and a sense of security, which would benefit Uncle Hoffa's votes.

His little scheme didn't escape Luca's notice, so he kept quiet and instead asked, "How's Jerry's redevelopment plan going? Has the city council changed their minds?"

Bobby's expression wasn't good, and he shook his head: "Not yet."

Luca thought to himself that the senator was also black, and Jerry and the Sweet gang were also black. Why should black people make things difficult for other black people? The white people hadn't even thought about extorting Jerry yet, and the black people had already taken action.

"I'll ask around for you two," Luca said with a smile, offering to help the two brothers. "If all goes well, Jerry's renovation project should start in a few days. Which house are you planning to renovate?"

Before Bobby could even agree, Luca went on to offer more suggestions, such as Jerry being able to convert a gas station into a business, with Luca willing to cooperate and guaranteeing him the cheapest fuel in Detroit.

The two brothers, who seemed to want to say something but hesitated, finally said thank you respectfully and left with their mother.

After getting into the car, Bobby frowned slightly and asked his mother, "Mom, did you ask Pigeon for help?"

Bobby helped the pigeon find the tanker truck and tried his best to repay the pigeon for saving his mother, but now it's clear that the two sides are getting more and more entangled. Bobby is a little troubled because Uncle Hoffa and the pigeon seem to have a very strained relationship, and they haven't had a good time because of some things.

I can't just be a fence-sitter, can I?
Mrs. Marcel shook her head: "I didn't talk to him about the redevelopment; he talked to me about other things. Bobby, you know, Luca is also an orphan. Poor child, his mother abandoned him when he was four, and then his father died. By the time he was ten, he had to face society alone."

After a pause, Mrs. Marcel recalled Luca's words: "If I had met a mother like Mrs. Marcel when I was younger, perhaps my life would have taken a completely different path."

She couldn't describe Luca's gaze at that moment in detail; it was very complex.

Bobby and Jerry were both taken aback. They hadn't expected Luca to have such a background. The always smiling and warm young man didn't seem like a resentful person who had lost his parents.

Perhaps because of their similar backgrounds, Bobby felt less alienated and his impression of Luca improved somewhat. If he hadn't been adopted by his mother, he might have become even more deeply involved in the underworld, and wouldn't just be a street thug, like those kids who transported drugs for the YBI. That night, at a restaurant called "Red Fox" in the northern suburbs.

Luca met with Zerelli again here and they talked about Jerry's renovation project and the union business.

While chatting, Luca was also observing and looking at the restaurant—the same restaurant where Hoffa suffered in the original storyline. He ate there, got into Frank's car, and then "vanished into thin air."

Similarly, there was a restaurant in Little Italy, New York, where Joe Gallo was killed in the original storyline. He was celebrating his birthday with his family when Frank walked in with a gun, pretended to go to the bathroom, then turned around, pulled out two guns, and riddled Gallo with bullets in front of his family.

A simple and unpretentious way of killing.

Turning his gaze away, Luca took out a document and handed it to Zerelli. "You have quite a few people in the Detroit truck drivers' union, right? This is a layoff list. I'm asking you to cut some of the Black positions."

Layoffs? Zerelli was extremely puzzled: "Why? This will cause a lot of dissatisfaction among Black people within the union."

Luca said calmly, “The jobs need to be transferred to white communities. Right now, white business owners in Detroit are very dissatisfied with black people. You need to find out who our partners are and see what those black people have done. Just because Philip killed a few black drug dealers, they think their human rights have been violated and are boycotting white business owners on a large scale.”

Recently, there have been several incidents of robbery and theft by Black people in white-owned shops on the East and West sides. They vent their anger without restraint or limits, as if they can obtain human rights from the United States by causing destruction.

Many white business owners are unhappy; they've spontaneously canceled many Black driver contracts. "Zerelli, this will affect our business, and we'll have to hire more white drivers."

The smell of gunpowder was already permeating Detroit, and Zerelli could certainly smell it. He sighed, "Layoffs will only make things worse."

Luca smiled. "The list you have isn't a weapon; it's a bargaining chip. I don't want to get too involved in Detroit's union affairs, but for the sake of our business, I'm making this suggestion. Perhaps you can discuss it with Hoffa, or you can take it to those Black council members in the city council."

"If white people can't punish black people, then let black people do it. If they can't even stop their fellow black people from causing chaos, then there's no point in doing business in Detroit."

Zerelli flipped through the list; there were over a hundred members, all Black. He looked up and asked, "You support Philip?"

Luca ate an Oreo:

“I only support eliminating the black gangs and thugs in Detroit. It will also benefit your family. Without those black gangs, your rule in Detroit will be stronger, and our business will be more successful, won’t it?”

Zerelli felt the list in his hand was a hot potato; releasing it would only incite more public outrage among Black people. But white business owners were already boycotting Black drivers delivering goods, and he felt he needed to reconsider keeping these drivers around.

Luca is only in Detroit to do business and won't stay here permanently, but his family still needs to operate here.

Luca: "You can decide what to do, but I can consider giving up some more profits to your family. I can't control Detroit, only your local mafia can. I hope you'll put in the effort; it's what you deserve."

Zerelli glanced at the Oreo wrapper on the table—the pigeon would occasionally have one whenever he chatted with it.

He didn't understand why the pigeon liked Oreos so much, but he did figure out the guy's purpose: it was all about money. The layoffs were just a way of giving white business owners an explanation and a show of respect. Cracking down on local unruly black gangs was also a way to pave the way for business.

Is he really just a pure businessman?

Zerelli gave a wry smile: "It seems these black drivers are going to suffer an undeserved fate. Their fellow vandals have dragged them into this mess. I'll arrange for someone to talk to them."

When Hoffa received the layoff list, she felt that the paper was brimming with malice towards Black people. Perhaps those businessmen weren't being racist; they were just after money, and "sweeping away" Black people would make them even more.

But layoffs could destabilize unions, and would he still be able to win over Black voters?
However, unbeknownst to Hoffa, someone had already taken the layoff list to the city council to negotiate with the relevant Black councilors.

Layoffs? Or should we just tell the Black people in Detroit to behave themselves and create a peaceful business environment for everyone?
Philip's use of excessive force has angered many Black people, but the law will bring them to justice, and this incident is not a reason for the Black community to cause destruction.

While these leaders from both the legitimate and criminal worlds and major business owners were arguing, the conflict in Detroit escalated once again.

—Somewhere in the East Side, a white shop owner shot and killed a minor Black man who was robbing and stealing.

This is the first case of a minor Black man dying in Detroit since Philippe's use of force!
This incident has stirred up a huge wave of conflict, intensifying the racial tensions and making the Black community even more furious!
(End of this chapter)