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

Chapter 189 Corruption Symbiosis
The next afternoon.

A bizarre scene unfolded on the streets of the South District: several corrupt police officers went door-to-door returning the protection money they had extorted to the businesses. And it wasn't just the two officers from last night; other corrupt officers who hadn't appeared the previous night also secretly showed up in plainclothes today to return the money.

This surprised many shop owners, and many of them wept with joy as they held the money.

As Robert walked down the street, watching these scenes unfold, his brows unconsciously relaxed, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He enjoyed this peaceful and beautiful atmosphere, where everyone lived and worked in peace and contentment, and people helped each other in a friendly manner. There was no scheming or backstabbing in the dark, and no killing.

That's fine.

But something is still missing.
There are too many gangs in this city, and the police are too corrupt. He knows these phenomena are difficult to eradicate, but he hopes that those gangs will stay in the shadows and collude with those in the shadows, so as not to harm these innocent people who yearn for the light.

After leaving, Robert drove home and received a call from his former boss—one of the few people in the world who knew he was still alive, a high-ranking CIA official.

"I found the information you requested. Luca is indeed a formidable figure," the boss said on the phone. "Do you have any conflicts with him?"

“I have no conflict with him at the moment,” Robert shook his head. “It’s just that he’s very skilled; he’s clearly not an ordinary person. What’s his relationship with those restaurant owners?”

Strictly speaking, no.

The boss then recounted Luca's background: "Luca's grandfather was the head of a Mafia family in Sicily, Italy. Later, due to an internal conflict, his grandfather was defeated and immigrated to the United States with his family. However, his grandfather died a few years later, before Luca was even born."

His father later joined the Luches family of New York but died in prison more than a decade ago.
Luca is now one of the core leaders of the Lucchese family, with numerous businesses including clubs, gas stations, weapons, smuggling, casinos, and securities. He is also the chapter president of the truck drivers' union, and his influence extends throughout New York and New Jersey, from Wall Street to Detroit.
He established a complex and extremely robust network on the East Coast, while also having connections with several out-of-town mafia families.
Given his assets and connections, few people dare to touch him now. Even if they did, they would pay a considerable price. It would be difficult to bring him down through the formal legal system. On the surface, he is just a legitimate businessman.

And in the underground channels, few people could rival him.

Your observation is good; he is very skilled. Luca used to work for the Continental Hotel and is proficient in assassination and infiltration. According to the intelligence we have gathered so far, Luca suspended the Continental Hotel's business three years ago and has been working for his family and developing his own power in the past few years.

It was from that time on that his nickname changed from "The Butcher" to "The Pigeon."

Information about Luca is quite extensive, covering many aspects, but it remains superficial and difficult to delve deeper.

After listening, Robert had a general understanding of the situation; the other party was of pure Mafia lineage. However, he noticed a few unusual points in the information.

"Didn't Luca get involved in the drug trade?"

"It seems not at the moment, but I'm more inclined to believe that the Mafia can no longer compete with drug traffickers in South America and Southeast Asia. The New York Mafia's drug channels used to come from European countries like Italy and France, with France being one of the core channels. However, these channels are now regulated by the CIA, making it difficult for the Mafia to get involved."

This dates back to World War II. The CIA's predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), collaborated with numerous criminals in Europe during the war. The Italian Mafia even cooperated with the Allied landings, and criminals in France also "actively cooperated." However, this unexpectedly gave rise to the infamous "French drug trafficking network"—a large-scale drug transportation route.

Then it was used by the American Mafia to smuggle drugs.

These drug trafficking channels, which were cultivated and perfected by the Mafia, are now in the hands of the CIA. It can be said that they have never left the CIA's sight. They were originally formed through cooperation between the CIA and drug traffickers, and now the CIA is just gradually taking them back.

How much the CIA made was unknown.

Boss: "Since the last New York drug bust, the drug business of the five New York families hasn't been doing so well. They seem to have lost interest and turned to other industries. However, the New Orleans Mafia has been working along the Gulf Coast, seeking partnerships with drug dealers in Mexico and South America."
As for Luca, no connection has been found to the drug trade so far; not a single piece of information linking him to it has been found in the past few years. Frankly, this is quite unbelievable, and it only proves that he is indeed not involved in drug trafficking.

The CIA is primarily responsible for intelligence and espionage, not drug enforcement, and mainly operates overseas. However, they have unique connections with major drug cartels worldwide. The CIA itself operates multiple drug trafficking routes, and who knows how much drug is smuggled into the United States by the CIA?

The CIA has certainly studied every drug dealer in the world whose name is known.

—Authoritative certification from the CIA.

But Luca was indeed not in these drug networks. Robert believed in the organization's intelligence capabilities, since the CIA had been inextricably linked to drugs since before its inception, and was particularly knowledgeable about the Mafia's drug distribution channels, as if they were visiting their own factory assembly line.

"Then his nickname, 'Pigeon,' or 'Ambassador of Peace,'" Robert asked, looking puzzled. Could that be a title applied to the Mafia? It didn't sound like the kind of mockery or banter that gangsters would use to tease Luca.

"It's like a joke, right?"

The boss joked, "What kind of universal peace can these gangsters have? Gangsters value peace above all else; it's either a handshake or a gun. Their order is built on fear, and their peace is rooted in corpses. The peace in the gray area depends on whether the bullets used to kill have been taxed."

"Isn't the CIA the same?"

"There's no real difference, except that we're legal."

Robert had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

What kind of peace has he longed for in his life since his retirement? He has not obeyed the law, but instead used vigilante justice to judge those who have violated justice—he does not pursue legal procedural justice, but only seeks to act in accordance with his conscience and to help those in need.

Where the law cannot protect, he can seek justice for those people.

The best outcome is to prioritize peace. You will give the enemy a chance to negotiate, but if the enemy does not agree, then you should eliminate the root of the problem.

Robert would feel much more at ease this way. He had committed too many killings in the past, many of which were not his own intention but were required by the mission. True killing should be used to defend and protect, that is the final judgment, not the business card handed out from the beginning.

“Robert, you two have some similarities. You both have a lot of shady dealings. The difference is that Luca is a gangster with considerable power and connections, while you are all alone.”

Robert's boss treated him as a close friend and patiently advised him, "You all pursue 'peace,' but don't forget that where pigeons gather, there will inevitably be predatory birds of prey circling."

In the coming period, undercurrents will flow in the southern part of Boston.

The Winter Mountain gang, led by the Frenchman, is in a dominant position, forming factions within the alliance to prepare for the upcoming election.

But all of this was soon shattered by the white-haired man.

The latter, through some unknown means, rallied a large number of members within the alliance and even won over a leader within the Winter Mountain Gang. The number of votes he controlled was approaching that of the Frenchman, and there was even a faint trend of him overtaking him.

This infuriated the French!
"That white-haired guy wants to run for chairman too? That bastard didn't act like this when he betrayed the leader of the Jilin Gang and defected to the Winter Mountain Gang! That damned white-haired guy!"

Inside a bar owned by the Winter Mountain Gang, the Frenchman smashed a bottle and, hands on his hips, erupted in fury. Billy and the other henchmen remained silent, too terrified to utter a sound, unsure of what to say to comfort their boss.

White Hair's back-and-forth is truly disgusting. He feigned allegiance to the Winter Mountain Gang, then conspired to kill the leader of the Jilin Gang. Now, with the alliance formed, he's poached the Winter Mountain Gang's resources to expand his own power.

The Frenchman was furious and even considered killing the white man, but Luca, the referee, stood by the league with a knife and didn't want to see anything that violated the peace.

—Unless White Hair violates some of the rules set by the alliance, then everyone can unite to attack him and destroy him openly. At that time, no one will dare to support White Hair's rise to power.

The rules are meant to protect these bigwigs and maintain peace, but they are also a double-edged sword, threatening everyone to act within the rules.

Rules are one of the most important factors in the evolution from "savagery" to "civilization".

The Frenchman didn't want to go against the rules either, especially when he thought of Luca's serious and cold expression when he set them up. A chill ran down his spine. Unless absolutely necessary, he decided not to break the new "rules of the game."

I need to think of other ways to get to the top.
Meanwhile, at another clubhouse, the Bulger brothers met Luca and they discussed the "black-white mutual aid" program.

Luca's political donation has arrived, with the first installment of 3000 million. In return, William Bulger, uniting his majority allies in both houses of Congress, is pushing for new truck freight safety regulations and port cargo ship regulations.

There are many details involved. While it may seem reasonable, legal, and compliant, and it may appear to strengthen the regulation of freight in Massachusetts, in reality, Williams left a "backdoor" for Luca's company, allowing Luca to exploit some inconspicuous "bugs" to carry out smuggling and transportation.

Whether it's the land truck driver channel or the sea transport channel, companies in Luca can exploit loopholes.

However, William does this kind of thing rather discreetly. His methods are all in accordance with the law. As for how Luca breaks the law and takes advantage of loopholes, that's Luca's business. William won't let his "golden body" get too tainted.

William was quite adept at these shady dealings; he seemed born to do politics and thrived in the local political scene. Moreover, he was skilled at dealing with gangsters and had connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds.

Luca thought to himself that if it weren't for his older brother, White Hair, who was sometimes a little crazy and held his younger brother back, William might have been able to climb to an even higher position.

From the state legislature to the federal congress?

After a few rounds of drinks, William, holding his glass, said, "The new bill has been drafted and amended, but it still needs to be submitted to the House of Representatives for review and voting. It won't take long, and it will be promulgated and implemented soon."

Luca smiled and raised his glass: "After the Southern District Alliance Chairman is elected, all the votes here will be yours. In a few years, I will call you Speaker Balger."

The two looked at each other, smiled, and clinked glasses.

After saying that, Luca looked at the white-haired man next to him, "I heard you've been getting close to the leader of the Mullin gang lately? Is that guy not holding it against you for stabbing him in the back?"

Bai Mao said calmly, "Compared to the Winter Mountain Gang's dominance, he prefers a more diversified internal situation. Since we can't directly take action now, let's see whose business has greater potential and who has more investment value. Dead men tell no tales, so why care so much about the past?"

He smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant smile. "This is all thanks to your gas station business. Many gangs have tasted the sweetness of huge profits, so they naturally know who to vote for."

White Hair couldn't help but sigh that the gasoline business was far too profitable, exceeding the imagination of many gangs. No one had ever thought that the profits of a business could be more exaggerated than those of drugs. It all depends on the market. How could the audience of drugs compare to that of gas stations?
At least refueling is legal, but drug use isn't.

"Then I wish you success in ascending to the chairman's throne!"

Luca smiled and drank a glass with him. He had changed the trajectory of White Hair's fate, preventing him from fully joining the Winter Mountain Gang to seize power, but he couldn't change White Hair's wolfish ambition. No matter the environment, this guy could always find a shortcut to quickly rise to power.

The two brothers, Bulger and Bulger, really were born of the same mother, but they both climbed higher and higher by taking different paths.

[Bond: Familiarity] (William)
[Bond: Familiarity]

[White Hair: SR]

Corruption symbiosis: Each time a law enforcement officer is "corrupted," a layer of "protective umbrella" buff is gained;

Protective umbrella: Forcefully reduces the probability of being pursued by the law by 3% (stackable, maximum 10 layers)

[Learning Requirements: Affinity level of Friends or higher; Requires 80 Skill Fragments]

[Global Arrest: Reduces exposure probability by 50% when you are wanted by a national government]

[Learning Requirements: Bond level must be close friend or higher; 100 skill fragments required]

【血色弥撒：地区掌控力度+10%~30%（根据你的威望、事迹和势力判定），下属忠诚度+20%、区域内固定居民对你的尊重和精神信仰+20%；敌对势力渗透成功率-30%】

[Learning Requirements: Bond level must be at least Partner level; Requires 250 Skill Fragments]

Aside from the second skill, Global Wanted, which is rather lackluster, the other two skills are quite good.

Coexistence with corruption can reduce the probability of being "targeted" by the judiciary.

The skill "Blood Spreads" is related to faith. Mass is a religious ceremony in Catholicism, such as "Holy Communion" and other commemorative events for Jesus. These activities provide spiritual support to believers and convey their faith.

This skill is indeed quite good, but the requirements are that if a partner has the opportunity to learn it, Luca wouldn't mind developing a good bond with the white-haired guy, provided that he doesn't have any ulterior motives.

Now the white-haired guy can jump around repeatedly, but Luca doesn't want that to happen to him.

What he wanted was loyalty and friendship, as well as absolute control over the South District, but this white-haired guy?

This guy is essentially like Joe Gallo—violent, eccentric, and capricious. He sees everyone except his family as people he can discard at any time, and he'll kill any subordinate who displeases him without hesitation.
Luca isn't hoping to get a partner, so he'll try to get the "Corruption Symbiosis" skill, which is just a superficial friendship.

(End of this chapter)