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

Chapter 182 Follow Your Heart
That night, Colin tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

I thought I had cut the black rope around my waist and that I could now be free to climb the ladder all the way up without worrying about being dragged down by those gangsters. Those damned guys who were holding me back could not stand in my way!

I want to get into City Hall, I want to enter Boston's high society, I want to make a name for myself!
Dreams are beautiful, but reality is cruel. Although the rope around his waist is gone, new ropes have appeared on his limbs and neck, seemingly trying to control his every move.

Colin didn't even know when the ropes were tied up.

Is it all over? Will I never be able to wash away that dirty identity for the rest of my life?
How many layers of clothing would I need to wear to cover my tattoos? A police uniform? A superintendent? A police chief? Or even a city councilor?
With a sigh, Colin looked out the window at the city hall not far away—he had bought the house here because he wanted to be closer to the center of power in Boston, as if living here made him an upper-class person.

Now he sees the city hall building receding further and further into the distance.
With a sigh, Colin recalled an address in his mind; the mysterious man had asked him to come here to see him the next day.

Colin felt only exhaustion.

The next day, July 12st.

There are only two weeks left until Christmas.

During the day, Colin went to work at the police station as usual and communicated with his colleagues, but everyone noticed that he was not in a good state today and looked particularly haggard.

"Colin!" Dickman's mom stormed into Colin's office, cursing. Seeing him drinking coffee to stay awake, she launched into her usual sarcastic mode, "Which chick drained you dry last night? I sent you to investigate the Killing Gang, not to infiltrate their brothels to find out which prostitute is the most cost-effective!"

In the past, Colin would have definitely argued with the other party. Although they were both on the same joint investigation team, they came from different departments, and the other party's authority was not much greater than his own.

Colin didn't want to argue with him today.

Tired.

He took another sip of coffee and said dismissively, "I'm still investigating. I'll get the information to you as soon as possible."

"Hurry up!"

Dickman sneered, "Do you know what you look like right now? An incompetent athlete, forcing himself to take performance-enhancing drugs and run on the track. Rich people go to sleep when they're tired, but a wage slave like you needs coffee to stay awake."

Colin: "."

This guy is so damn annoying!

Too lazy to argue with the other party, Colin simply ignored them and buried himself in organizing intelligence and analyzing clues.

However, in this mental state, Colin was in a daze all day and didn't produce anything useful.

After getting off work, I glanced at the time and realized it was almost time to meet the mysterious person.

Colin packed his things, called his girlfriend, went home first, disguised himself, and then secretly went to the meeting place—under the bridge on the Niponsit River.

This place is far from downtown Boston, sparsely populated, and has pretty good scenery, making it suitable for a secret rendezvous.

When Colin arrived at the scene, he saw three people sitting by the river fishing.

Luca, Night Demon, Brian.

A thin layer of ice had formed on the river, but this did not stop the group from drilling holes in it to fish.

The three were having a great time, but Colin stood frozen in place. He had considered many possibilities regarding the identity of the mysterious man, such as "the Frenchman" or someone else within the Winter Mountain Gang, but he never imagined it was Pigeon Luca.

"Officer Sullivan."

Luca greeted him and waved him over.

“Luca, I didn’t expect it to be you.”

“I never expected you to be Costello’s mole planted in the police station.” Luca patted the folding chair next to him, gesturing for the other to sit down. “Sit down, think things through before you speak, and come fish with us for a while first.”

Colin hesitated, then sat quietly to the side, pondering Luca's purpose in inviting him to meet.

Beside him, Brian's body also stiffened a bit. This was definitely not because the weather was too cold, but because... how did he run into a fellow traveler?
Or is he a colleague who was caught by Lao Ge?

Although the other party is a mob infiltrator and I am an FBI infiltrator, we are essentially the same, and the consequences would be quite serious if we were discovered.

Just then, the fishing rod in his hand twitched. Brian was startled, then exclaimed with delight, "It's on the hook!"

Who cares, fishing is the most important thing right now.

After some maneuvering, Brian finally fished out a pair of tattered boots.

Luca smiled and said, "Did you fish with your socks?"

Brian: "."

Luca casually cast his line and caught a fish weighing seven or eight pounds. "When fishing, you have to bait the area first. You have to put in the effort first, let the fish taste the sweetness and see the benefits, and then throw in a more attractive bait to get it to bite."

Brian looked at his empty box, then at Old Pigeon's box full of fish, and couldn't help but feel the difference. Then, looking at Night Demon's empty box, Brian smiled again.

Hehe, I'm not the only one in the Air Force.

Brian: "Old Pigeon, did you used to go fishing often? Your skills are amazing!"

"correct."

Luca chuckled. "You're just a big fish, aren't you?"

Colin listened absentmindedly to their conversation, which revolved entirely around fishing; nothing else of substance. Then Luca's casual voice came from the side: "Colin, when Costello made you a policeman, was it voluntary, or did he force you?"

"I..." Colin suddenly couldn't answer. It must have been Costello's request, but he didn't object. He had been adopted by Costello as a child. Unlike the other members of the gang, he took a different path. He went to school, entered the police academy, and even his adoptive father didn't allow him to have contact with the other members of the gang. No one else knew that Costello had also sponsored a poor child and raised him.

However, his status as an adopted son of a gangster is an objective fact that has already occurred and will not be changed by any other factors.

“It was Costello’s request,” Colin said truthfully. “He made me study law and go to the police academy.”

"what about now?"

Luca, like an elder caring for a younger man, asked, "Do you want to be a policeman, or do you want to return to the Winter Mountain Gang and inherit your adoptive father's position?"

Colin paused slightly, staring at Luca with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, while the latter simply held his fishing rod, his gaze calmly fixed on the frozen lake surface. Fishing spots had already been created beneath the ice, and countless oxygen-deprived fish were surging towards the entrance.

"Do I have a choice?" Colin questioned. "You have evidence of my crimes and know my background. Once you report me to the police, I will be immediately arrested and thrown into jail."

He couldn't even imagine what Dickman would do if he found out he was an undercover agent. Would he pull out a gun on the spot and shoot himself in the police station, and maybe even swear at the corpse afterward?

Luca said, "Costro and I are friends, and you are his adopted son, so you can gain my approval. Whether you want to stay in the police force or go back to the gang, I can help you."

"help me?"

"It's up to you."

Luca looked at Colin.

If this guy wants to give up his undercover identity and escape this hellish place, then the tape in his hand is useless, and reporting Colin won't do Luca any good; if the other party wants to continue struggling in this hellish place and playing a dual role, then Luca might consider giving him a hand.

This is a rather idealistic choice.

[Bond: Follow]

[Colin: A]

[Double Agent: When you are a gang member infiltrating government forces, your trust level with the authorities increases by 10%, and the probability of your identity being exposed decreases by 20%; after becoming an undercover agent, your trust level with the gang decreases by 20%]

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

[Avici Hell: Those who suffer in Avici Hell never die; their long lifespan is the greatest calamity in Avici Hell;]
Timeless, Spaceless, Karmic Suffering Uninterrupted: When you are in the Avici Hell, the karmic entanglement of your choices between good and evil will protect your life (you will only die of old age), but your mental confusion will continuously increase (you will be able to escape the Avici Hell upon regaining your identity, achieving inner enlightenment/death, at which point your skills will become ineffective)].

[Learning Requirements: Become a double agent; Achieve a bond level of Close Friend or higher; Require 200 Skill Fragments]

The first skill is self-explanatory; it's an essential skill for undercover agents.

The second skill is a bit more complicated—an immortal aura, but it's somewhat superstitious and has a serious debuff that can easily cause mental instability.

Neither Colin nor Billy are typical undercover agents. Few undercover agents actually "want to be good guys" after a while.
This is even more evident in the case of the undercover agent in Hong Kong. He became a police officer, rose through the ranks and made a fortune, and became a "good guy" in the eyes of others, but he himself was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Luca thought to himself that he didn't have that many moral dilemmas in his heart, and he wouldn't put himself under moral and mental pressure because of such things, making himself suspicious.

If you can't fall into the inner hell of your heart, you won't be able to enjoy the skill effect bonus.

This skill is too idealistic.

It's quite selective in who you choose to work with.

Luca closed the panel and looked at Colin, waiting for his reply. If he still wanted to be a policeman, he would undoubtedly continue to suffer in the deepest hell—so Luca gave him the freedom to choose according to his heart; this thing couldn't be forced.

“Follow your heart,” Luca said. “Tell me your answer.”

"I"

Colin's gaze was somewhat complicated. Returning to the mob would bring him inner peace, freeing him from the torment of his dual identity, but it would also mean the loss of his dreams. If he continued as a policeman, he would become a double agent, a puppet controlled by others.
"There's a Chinese saying: 'If you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear.'" Luca said calmly.

"I think I'll stay at the police station."

Colin smiled wryly. "I don't want to be a gangster, I want to be a cop."

I want to live a glamorous life, even if it's just on the surface.

Luca wasn't too surprised by the answer. The skill [Hell of Inferno] was designed for someone like Colin, who was neither entirely black nor entirely white, with a complex identity and a constant inner turmoil and hesitation.

Living like this is so damn tiring.

But Luca gave them a chance; this was the path they chose.
“I understand.” Luca extended his hand. “I hope we can work well together from now on. I will help you reach the pinnacle of power in the police department, and you will help me take over the Boston underworld.”

Colin grasped Luca's hand, only then realizing Luca's true intentions: "You want to get involved in the Boston gang wars?"

Luca grinned. "Let me put it another way: I'm here to bring peace to Boston's underworld."

Colin: "."

He remembered Luca's nickname and said helplessly, "What do you need me to do?"

“Just do what you’re supposed to do,” Luca said. “Start with the South Side of Boston. I’ll provide you with some intelligence and even manpower. Go and wipe out all the smaller gangs outside of the three major gangs.”

Colin's breathing quickened slightly, which was a significant achievement for him.
"What about the three major gangs of the Winter Mountain Gang?"

“I have other plans,” Luca said. “These big gangs have too many people. You can’t wipe them out completely. Even if you get rid of them, new young people will quickly take their place. Gangs are a never-ending cycle. Don’t expect Boston’s winters to be all sunshine and no shadows. What we need to do is establish a stable underground order.”

Colin stared blankly at Luca, suddenly realizing that this mob boss seemed different from the other ruthless gang leaders he had encountered before.

Brian, who was standing nearby, sighed inwardly upon hearing Luca's words.

Old Pigeon's way of maintaining peace is unique. Otherwise, why would I willingly stay by his side, or even conceal information from the FBI?
(End of this chapter)