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

Chapter 178 Oligarchs and Their Protectors
New York, FBI field office.

Joey Ty, always a striking presence in his white suit, possesses a captivating blend of elegant charm and a hidden, almost sinister, masculinity that makes him irresistibly alluring. If he were to play a domineering CEO in China, few women would be able to resist him.

But he is a New York mob boss.

As Joey stepped out the door, he was greeted by several Triad members and got into a car.

This time, the officials were fine; they were picked up by higher-ups from the embassy at the dock that very night. The FBI didn't stop them either, as they had no substantial evidence and weren't even considered suspects. Arresting them would only cause a lot of trouble.

But Joey and his brothers were all high-priority targets on the FBI and police lists, and some of the underlings even had criminal records for robbery and extortion, and some were even wanted criminals.
Left with no other choice, Joey had to cut off his tail to survive.

This is the best-case scenario; it's better than being prosecuted by the Boston FBI for smuggling military chips.

The driver said, "Brother Tai, Mr. Huang said that after picking you up, we'll go straight to the SSR Club. We'll continue negotiating the deal with Pigeon Luca today."

"Are we really still going to talk?" Joey frowned slightly. What was there to talk about with Pigeon? Did his father-in-law really think they were willing to compromise?
"Let's go check it out." Joey was unsure and needed to go to the scene to see what was going on.

"By the way, Brother Tai, Costello has been murdered."

"When?" Joey asked, puzzled.

“He died at home on the very night of the deal,” the underling explained. “The South Side of Boston is in complete chaos now. The various factions within the Winter Mountain Gang are vying for the leadership position, while the Killing Gang and the Mullin Gang are also taking the opportunity to seize the Winter Mountain Gang’s territory. The Boston Triads are also interested in getting involved. The Winter Mountain Gang played us for a fool; how can we not seek revenge?”

Joey looked surprised. He had been discussing how to get out of trouble with the FBI and his lawyers these past two days, and had overlooked the situation in the underworld.

How did things develop to this point in just a few days?

For a moment, Joey fell into deep thought.

To eliminate the leader and seize the top position.
His mind began to race; did he also have a chance to become the leader?
These foreigners, whether Italians or Irish, are extremely skilled at plotting to seize power. However, within the Triads, the various leaders restrict the power of some of the leaders and even have the right to elect and remove the boss.

My father-in-law is still firmly in power; the entire Chinatown of New York is convinced of his authority. Moreover, he has many connections in Hong Kong, so it's unrealistic to try to remove him from office. Even if he were to step down, it wouldn't be my turn as a young man, unless...
The gang leader's mismanagement prevented his men from making money, which aroused public resentment.

Joey gradually calmed down. He knew he couldn't reveal his thoughts and ideas for the time being. He would wait until his foundation was more stable before looking for an opportunity.

I'm still young, I have many opportunities.
Soon, the car arrived at the SSR Club.

Joey got out of the car, straightened his suit, and stared blankly at the huge sign.

There's another, younger, but more powerful, mafia boss in New York.
At the gate, Joey met Ah-Qiang.

"Old Pigeon sent me to pick you up."

"Thank you for your hard work, Qiang."

Joey warmly put his arm around Qiang's shoulder, asking him about his and Uncle Biao's lives in a casual, everyday way.

Such a strong henchman, with legitimate blood and connections from the older generation, could easily have become a double-flowered red stick in the Triads, but unfortunately he stayed with the Mafia as an outer henchman.

Why bother?
Those Italians would never accept a Chinese person into their family.

Ah Qiang instinctively didn't want to bully the weak. He was content with the peace under Little Italy's protection. He explained with a smile, "Uncle Biao and I are doing well here. Old Pigeon takes good care of us and even invested in my furniture store."

Joey: “.”

No wonder the Triads would never be willing to invest so much money in a furniture mall.

Upon entering the hall, Joey's body suddenly relaxed. The random thoughts that had been running through his mind on the way now seemed uninteresting, and he didn't really want to do them anymore.

It's strange.
Upon arriving at the conference room upstairs, Joey met his father-in-law, Mr. Wei, and several other hall masters.

On the table, he saw a box of "lost and found" chips.

How did the chip end up here?

It wasn't until he overheard the explanation that he realized Costello had not only tricked him, but had also used a box of fake chips to make the deal.

No wonder the FBI didn't investigate this matter.

"Now can we amicably negotiate a smuggling cooperation?" Luca said with a smile. "These chips are my token of sincerity."

The people present had very mixed feelings. The chip they had been longing for for so long had appeared before them in such an easy way.

This is indeed a sincere offer, and a very sincere one at that. Mr. Huang has no reason to refuse Luca's conditions. Even if the cooperation only yields a small profit, the value of these chips cannot be measured in terms of money.

In the hands of gangsters, this thing might only be worth a few million, because it's completely useless; but in the hands of certain institutions, these chips also have to take into account the research and development value behind them.
The rather rigid terms that were previously discussed in Chinatown were now happily agreed upon.

Finally, Joey asked curiously, "Pigeon, are you aware of Costello's death?"

Luca smiled and said, "He was alive and well when I made the deal with him. I never imagined that he would die at home just a few days later. Life is unpredictable. If I had known that he was connected with the Boston FBI, I would never have asked him to buy chips."

Joey was speechless. If Luca didn't buy it, would Costello really sell it to him? If he had the real chip when he was arrested, would the FBI let him go?

For a moment, everyone present felt that this was a bit of a coincidence, as if it were preordained.

But the result looks good.

As for Costello's death, it's no longer important whether Luca was responsible. Mr. Huang and the others knew very well that even if Luca was involved, he wouldn't admit it.

The deal was successfully completed, and the fastest batch of new and used cars in recent times will soon be transported from the Americas to Asia via Triad smuggling routes. The profit from smuggling a single batch of cars is over eight figures.

Before leaving, Joey stayed behind and shook hands with Luca warmly, saying, "Pigeon, if you have any other business opportunities in the future, feel free to come and cooperate with our Triads. I really appreciate your 'harmony brings wealth' approach."

[Bond: Familiarity]

[Joey: S]

【Elegant Mask: Maintain a man's demeanor and elegance. When you negotiate non-violently with a refined image, your charm increases by 1%~20% (based on your elegant image), and enemy targets' hostility decreases by 10%】

[Learning Requirements: Affinity level of Friends or higher; Requires 60 Skill Fragments]

[Hongmen Chief: Triad member trust +10%, deterrent power +20% (for any Chinese Triad organization worldwide); subordinate member loyalty +20%;]

[Learning Requirements: Must be a Triad leader; have a bond level of Close Friend or higher; require 150 Skill Fragments]

Of these two skills, Luca automatically ruled out the second one. Although it looked pretty good, he figured he probably wouldn't be able to learn it.

How did someone who works for the Mafia become the head of the Triads?

The first skill is pretty good; it's rare to find a skill that can increase charm, appealing to both men and women, and essential for boosting favorability.

Joey Ty is a guy worth talking to. He has management and leadership skills, and he's ambitious, provided he doesn't get too involved with drugs. Otherwise, Luca won't want to deal with him.

In the original storyline, after killing his father-in-law, this guy became the leader by promising to open up the drug market. Then he actually went to Southeast Asia to confront warlords and drug lords, eliminate his competitors, and negotiate deals with their heads. He was truly domineering.

They eventually obtained a large quantity of drugs, which led to them being closely monitored by the New York Police Department until their eventual "destruction".

Joey wanted to improve relations with the police, but they were too stubborn.

However, judging from the current plot, that stubborn policeman didn't even show up in New York. David and McLean's aura is too dazzling, and their abilities are undoubtedly stronger. Who knows if Joey can withstand the joint investigation of these guys?

If possible, Luca would rather not see drugs in Chinatown.

This can be considered as making up for Uncle Biao's "regret" from back then.

After the smuggling issue was settled, the matter of gasoline tax was also resolved.

Abram talked to the Russians for a long time and finally arranged an opportunity to meet with Luca. The negotiations with Fat Tony were also going smoothly, and the Patriaca family decided to sit down and have a good talk with the Lucches family.

Both meetings were arranged at the SSR Club.

Before meeting with the Russians, Abrams first met with Luca at the club to give him a heads-up.

“Slavy is Mr. Pushkin’s man; you can treat him as Mr. Pushkin’s representative when you meet,” Abram explained.

"Pushkin can't come to New York?"

“His identity is rather sensitive, unless you go to Russia to see him,” Abram shook his head.

Luca vaguely remembered that Pushkin was not a high-ranking member of the Russian mafia in the traditional sense, but rather a Russian political oligarch with particularly deep ties to the Russian mafia.

He can be considered a top-level Mafia collaborator.

This is like Yuri's general relative.

Luca thought to himself that his connections in this area were not very strong, and he couldn't get involved with those oligarchs like David and Denham. At most, he was a middle manager.

Where can I make connections with those top oligarchs?

Only when this protective umbrella is open and held above one's head can the family be better protected.

Abram continued, “Slavy is closer to Mr. Pushkin than our Tarasov family. He is Pushkin’s lackey, while we are Pushkin’s collaborators on the East Coast. For his own benefit, Mr. Pushkin is willing to let Slavy, this lackey, suffer, but only if we satisfy him.”

Satisfied? Luca was secretly pleased. Who would be satisfied was still uncertain. It was just that the petitioner hadn't unleashed his full potential yet. Once that guy went on a killing spree, even if Pushkin knelt down and begged for mercy, it wouldn't be of any use.

Luca felt that even sending Nightmare wouldn't have been as efficient or effective, and Nightmare's identity was also inconvenient. Pushkin was, after all, a top collaborator of the Russian Mafia, and Nightmare was subject to the High Table's control because the Russian Mafia had a seat at the High Table.

However, those who are former special agents seeking justice are not bound by these rules. If they don't like someone or their thoughts are not clear, they can just kill them.

Luca remembered that the Equalizers had gone to Italy in the future and wiped out the Mafia there all by themselves.

It's really terrifying.

Why do individuals possess such exaggeratedly powerful combat capabilities?
Luca had secretly prepared himself; if the negotiations failed, he could simply sit back and watch the show, and the petitioners would clear out the Russians in Boston for him.

But if an agreement can be reached...
"What conditions did Pushkin propose?" Luca asked.

“That depends on your meeting,” Abram advised. “They will definitely have conditions. If you don’t think it’s acceptable, we can always give up our territory in Boston and stop doing business there.”

Luca knew what was going on.

I have many choices, and I cannot compromise. I will not accept any unreasonable conditions.

(End of this chapter)