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

Chapter 232 Abandoning Bonds
The tense atmosphere at the scene became unpredictable and uncertain because of Luca's words.

Vincent thought Luca was on his side, but it turns out this guy actually wants to protect these robbers? This was something Vincent never expected; he had misjudged Luca's stance from the very beginning.
"Luca, what exactly do you mean? Didn't you want to catch the robbers who stole your truck? These people are standing right in front of you, and you're trying to protect them?"

I don't need to explain what I do to you.

Luca glanced at Brian and the others beside him, who looked tense. A few truckloads of supplies were nothing compared to the bonds they formed.

“Luca! I have ample evidence of Toretto and his gang’s crimes!” Vincent walked up to Luca, pointing righteously at Toretto and his group. “No matter what excuse you have, it can’t cover up the fact that they robbed us!”

“Oh,” Luca said nonchalantly, “what does it matter? I won’t sue them, and my truck driver won’t hold them responsible either.”

Vincent: "."

The cooked duck just flew away like that?

He was known for his straightforward temper, and in his anger, he burst into a tirade, "You may not file a lawsuit, but the Los Angeles Police Department reserves the right to do so, I said it! Torreto and his gang will definitely be punished by law!"

“Officer Vincent, you don’t need to confront me. I’m more interested in catching those truck robbers than you are,” Luca said, shaking his head. “Toreto and his gang aren’t the main culprits in the robbery, I think you should know that.”

Vincent was getting increasingly annoyed. What exactly was this guy trying to do?

The murderer is right in front of you, aren't you going to arrest him?

"It's just a misunderstanding," Luca said calmly. "I originally wanted to lure the other robbers into a fight so I could catch the real culprit, but I didn't expect it to be one of our own. According to my plan, today..."

Luca explained his fabricated plan in detail, glancing at Jack beside him as he spoke. After hearing Luca's explanation, Jack finally understood Luca's intention.

Jack suddenly realized, so that's why they provided him with the clues? They wanted to use the police to catch the robbers?
It's a pity they caught one of their own?

Luca: "Toreto and the others didn't know it was my truck beforehand. Weren't you watching the whole thing? They found out it was my truck halfway through and abandoned the robbery. If you really want to convict them, at most it's just attempted robbery, and no truck driver will provide evidence for you."

This is what makes Luca quite gratified. From the perspective of law and social order, can Toretto and his gang of robbers be considered good people for committing robbery on the road?

But from the perspective of friends and family, this group of people are loyal and willing to risk their lives for their friends. If they need help, their family and friends will immediately rush to their side to help.

As a fellow crime boss, Luca naturally side with his own people regardless of right or wrong.

Vincent, however, thought differently. Putting aside Torreto's gang, Luca alone was a criminal tycoon. If given the chance, he would want to send both gangs to jail.

Unfortunately, Vincent had no evidence of Luca's crimes, and even with Toretto's group, the evidence he had was insufficient.

If Luca insists on obstructing things and colludes with the driver to withhold evidence, he really can't do anything about Toreto and his ilk.

"Luca, you're obstructing justice, do you know that?"

"I was just protecting my friend."

Luca continued, "Officer Vincent, you know there are other robbers. Let's leave it at that. I can cooperate with you to catch the other robbers later. We might as well work together."

Vincent observed the situation and thought that things would definitely not go as he expected today, but Luca had offered new terms for cooperation, which he could consider.

After all, both sides had the same ultimate goal: to capture the group of robbers.

Vincent said quietly, "Luca, Torreto and the others are repeat offenders. You can protect them this time, but what about next time? As long as they continue in this line of work, I will catch them sooner or later."

And you're there too.
Vincent didn't say this to Luca's face. Capturing Luca was just a dream. If the East Coast couldn't do it, could the West Coast?

Vincent had to consider his own capabilities—whether a detective could shake Luca's position. Given the murky atmosphere within the LAPD, who knew how many high-ranking officials had close ties to the Mafia and Russians?

In addition, Vincent did take some of what McLean said to heart.

The dove, a symbol of peace.
Luca was able to help New York and Boston curb the fangs of organized crime, so could he also improve the situation in Los Angeles?

Vincent hoped that this was not just wishful thinking on his part, but that Luca truly had the ability and the intention to do so.

"Don't let me catch you again." Vincent finally gave in. Perhaps it was McClain's words that had an effect, or perhaps it was the strong sense of trust in Luca's words that made him subconsciously choose to believe the other party.

"Also, remember what you said, if you still want to catch those robbers."

“Officer Vincent, thank you for your cooperation.” Luca smiled and extended his hand. “Los Angeles is lucky to have a wise cop like you. I hope we have a pleasant working relationship.”

Vincent grasped Luca's hand and said sternly, "I just trust McLean more."

[Bond: Familiarity]

Vincent: A

[Heat: To survive in the underworld/police, you need to be free of ties and constraints, and not allow anything in your life that you can't leave within 30 seconds, especially when you encounter danger or trouble.]

When you encounter danger or trouble, you can abandon a person's bond (a bond with a close friend or higher), and you will be forced to gain 30 seconds of escape time; after abandoning the bond, the bond with that character will be forcibly reset to zero, and there is a chance that you will become hostile and hateful.

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

The other skill, "Fireline Pursuit," is related to police crime-solving, enhancing their crime-solving abilities, but Luca isn't particularly interested in it.

As for "Heat," it's the original English name for Fire.

The original plot appears to be a police thriller, but it actually tells a story about the bonds between people.

Vincent always leaves his family behind when he goes to work, just like the gang leader in the original storyline always abandons the people he cares about when he runs away.

But in the end, all their efforts were in vain. The "bond" thing exposed the villain's weakness and flaws, which Vincent seized upon and ultimately killed.

Luca stared at the skill, his expression calm, but a slight ripple stirred within him.

I have so many ties and entanglements right now. Will there really come a time when I have to give up these ties in order to get a chance to escape?

You resolved the conflict between the police and the biker gang; you upheld the peace of the biker gang.

[Gain Skill Points x20]

[Gained 10 Skill Fragments]

Vincent and his group of police officers gradually left the scene, leaving Luca and a gang of bikers behind.

Looking at Luca in front of them, Toretto and the others looked somewhat embarrassed. They had robbed a truck right into the hands of their former benefactor. Fortunately, they stopped in time, otherwise they would have been doomed today.

"Dom, you must have heard what I was saying to the police, right?"

Luca's gaze shifted from Toretto to Brian's face. "This time I can overlook the fact that you stole my truck, and I can overlook how many times you've stolen mine before. This isn't because I'm generous, but because of Brian."

He's my brother, and now he has a good relationship with your sister and considers you both friends, so I'm willing to give him this face.

But there was no next time.

Torreto was conflicted. He glanced at Mia beside him, who stepped forward first and assured Luca, "Thank you, old pigeon. I can assure you there won't be a next time."

Luca simply looked at Toretto. "Our cooperation has been quite pleasant before. I'm very satisfied with that GTR, and I don't want it to be the last time we work together. The other robbers who stole my truck haven't been caught yet. Dom, would you be willing to help me catch them?"

Mia frantically winked at Toretto, who, recalling the whole incident, had to admit that Luca had indeed given him a lot of face today.

I don't want to be their enemy.

Toreto nodded: "What do you want me to do?"

[Bond: Familiarity]

(End of this chapter)