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

Chapter 67: The Harvest Begins

After the discussion ended, everyone said their goodbyes and left.

At the main entrance, Luca stepped forward, approached Pauli, and handed him a membership card. "Pauli, you left in such a hurry when the club opened last time that I forgot to give you a gift. Come visit the SSR Club sometime."

Poly accepted the gift and calmly said thank you, seemingly just to give her face, with whether he would actually participate later.

Luca smiled and said, "Pauli, I can guarantee you won't see any drugs at the SSR Club. Maybe we can call up Marigio, have a nice drink, and play a few rounds of cards."

Poly's gaze flickered slightly.

He turned to look at Marício not far away, who simply smiled faintly.

Want to join forces?

[Bond: Familiarity]

"Old Pigeon".

Outside the interrogation room, a group of police officers, including Richie, David, and McLean, stood scattered about, striking poses. When Luca arrived, they all looked up.

“Where’s Frank?” Luca asked.

"inside."

“Rich, I’d like to talk to you first.” Luca gave Richie a look.

It's rare to be able to openly and legitimately interact with the police.

The two reached the stairwell. Richie frowned, unsure how to face Pigeon—he was one of Dominic's men, and the deceased Dominic was an ally of Frank. Which side was Pigeon on this time? Should he try to get Frank out of trouble? Or should he try to smooth things over and maintain peace?
“Pigeon, we have sufficient evidence. I have witnesses who saw him commit murder, his overseas bank accounts, his drug trafficking business, and we have found his drug factory. We have no evidence whatsoever. This time, he will not be able to escape the punishment of the law!”

Richie spoke first, giving Luca a heads-up and making his stance clear: "You know how much I've sacrificed for this. This is serious! It's important to me! If you want to get him out of here, I advise you not to ask me. I don't want us to lose even our friendship."

"Silly child, why would I rescue him?" Luca said with a smile. "After knowing me for so long, don't you understand me? I won't force a friend to do something they don't want to do."

Richie secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“So,” Luca changed the subject, “I hope you can also consider my perspective as a friend. I don’t just represent myself, but also those behind me whose appetites are not being satisfied.”

Luca bared his fangs: "How about we think of a way to get Frank to meet both of our demands at the same time? What do you think?"

A chill ran down Richie's spine. This group of Mafia didn't care about Frank, this black man; they only cared about how much money Frank could bring them.

When Frank fell from power, these people were quicker to fleece him than anyone else, and even tried to squeeze more money out of him.

“What do you want?” Richie took a deep breath.

“That depends on what you want.” Luca gave a friendly smile. “Once you’ve made your choice, we’ll take everything else!”

"You're behaving terribly, kid!" Richie frowned.
“Pigeon, whether you interfere or not, Frank won’t escape this time! I’ll make him plead guilty sooner or later! When you asked me to ask the Bonanno family for help, did you ever think this day would come? With the Bonanno family’s help, Frank is no match for me in court!”

"But I have five powerful families behind me."

"."

Richie's eyes widened in surprise. Pigeon, are you kidding me?
You gave me so much advice back then, just waiting for this day?
“But!” Luca smiled slightly and extended his hand: “Rich! You can always trust me, because I consider you a true friend, and I am the only one who has always stood firmly on your side!”

Richie suddenly felt a sense of dread. "How can I still consider you a friend? You used to say that pigeons don't eat drugs, but now you represent the five great families."

"I am me, and the five great families are the five great families."

“Pigeon.” Richie’s expression was complicated. “You did help me a lot before, but this time…”

Luca interrupted him: "Rich, have you ever thought about who knows so much about Frank's shipping channels and distributors, who knows so much about Frank's family situation, and who knew that there were drugs hidden in that GTR? The key question is, who would write all this down?"

His words struck Richie like a hammer blow, each one stunning him. His heart seemed to race a hundred times faster, his breathing drowned out the whistle, his eyelids felt incredibly heavy, and the sunlight streaming into the corridor only illuminated half of Luca's body, obscuring his entire appearance.

So it was so long ago.
"Pigeon, was it you who contacted the FBI?"

"It doesn't matter who this person is anymore. Who cares who he is? It's a done deal now, there are no surprises! Frank only has one path left to take, and that is to plead guilty and go to jail. Richie, the five families I represent now are on your side."

Luca shrugged. "But I'd rather say we're good friends, and I'd be happy to help you."

Richie was completely numb.

How exactly did the pigeon transmit intelligence through the FBI? He didn't know anything about the FBI; some things were classified, and he didn't even know about undercover work. He was completely clueless.

But compared to this issue, Richie is more concerned about what's happening in the present.

How can I ever repay such a huge favor?
Without that intelligence, there would be no victory today.

Just because the pigeon doesn't admit it, does that mean Richie can simply ignore it?

No wonder.
Richie recalled the events of the past few months, noting that pigeons had appeared at almost every crucial moment, and this time was no exception.

From beginning to end, it was the pigeons who helped him.

This pigeon really doesn't eat drugs.

“Pigeon, you really are the strangest mafia member I’ve ever met.” Richie sighed, his smile both helpless and wistful.

“Many people in the major families are getting old, and their established traditions and rules inevitably clash with the progress of the times, so people like Frank have become victims.”

The second boss wants to improve, and so do I. Luca said with a smile, “Friend, it’s not that I’m strange, it’s just that I really like peace.”

"Your nickname is really well-deserved."

Richie shook his head, both amused and exasperated, and grasped Luca's hand. "Friend, if the peace you yearn for is the downfall of drug lords like Frank, then I'm willing to help you."

“Not only that,” Luca stared into Richie’s eyes, “if the peace you desire is for all those drug-dealing cops in the NYPD to be punished, then I’m willing to help you!”

Richie paused for a moment.

Luca: "If I ever find money and have to hand it in, I'll only give it to you, not to a bastard like Truber."

Richie's eyes lit up as he stared at Luca for a long time, speechless.

He felt Luca was more charming today, and his words carried a sense of warmth and trustworthiness. Letting out a heavy sigh, Richie patted Luca on the shoulder, turned around, and said, "Let's go, buddy, let's go divide up Frank!"

[Bond: Close Friend]

[Honesty in Returning Lost Property] Unlocked!
From then on, nothing could stop Luca and Richie from joining forces openly.

When Frank saw that the Mafia had sided with the police and were going to send him to jail, he felt utterly hopeless.

Damn Mafia!

These bastards are ruthless and heartless!
I helped them make so much money and even handed over so many goods for distribution, and now they want to kill me!

It’s over! All is lost!

“Pigeon, my wife says you went to my estate to protect them.”

Frank had only a sliver of hope left, which was why he wanted to see the pigeon. "But why can't you protect me now?"

Luca smiled.

I went there to pick up money.

Protect you?
It's important to me even without you.

“Frank, I’m sorry,” Luca sighed. “I really wanted to help you, and I tried my best to persuade my people. But I couldn’t convince them. They even refused to let me get involved in these things because I don’t deal drugs. Now I can only try my best to mediate the conflict between us.”

Frank looked dejected; he knew he was powerless against the five great families.

The political and business resources he managed were completely insignificant compared to the five major families. If the Mafia hadn't intervened, he might have had a chance to fight the police. But the Mafia got involved and was determined to put him in jail, so he had no way to resist.

The drug market in New York is about to return to the rule of the Mafia.

Now that he was no longer of any use, Frank knew what he should do to his own advantage.

Just not willing to give in.

They built such a large empire in just a few years, and now it's all gone.

Luca: "Is there anything else you wish for? I can do my best to help you fulfill it."

Frank lowered his head: "I don't want my mother and wife to be disturbed. Leave them some money so they can live out their lives in peace. If possible, I hope my brothers can also be safe."

I have a younger brother who is very good at baseball. His biggest dream is to become a baseball star, but because of me, I haven't been a good role model. Can I give him another chance?

Richie interjected, "If you plead guilty, I can promise on Pigeon's behalf that your brother will be released sooner."

Frank looked at the black and white figures before him and chuckled, "Thank you."

"But I have one more condition."

Frank stared at Richie, recalling the grievances his wife had suffered. His gaze darkened. Was he spending so much money on bribes every year just to let these corrupt cops take advantage of his misfortune and destroy his family?

"I want you to catch those cops! Richie, you have to catch them!"

"I promise you!"

Richie nodded emphatically; he had joined the anti-drug squad precisely for this day!
With the past vivid in their minds, and witnessed by the peace ambassador, the former drug lord and the police shook hands and made peace.

He confessed his guilt and pleaded guilty, emphasizing the importance of reconciliation.

You resolved the conflict between Frank and the police and the Mafia, leading to Frank's confession and prosecution. You upheld justice and the peace of New York.

[Gain Skill Points x30]

[Gained 20 Skill Fragments]

Hearing +5%

[Remaining Skill Fragments: 30]

The reward is great, but that's not all!
This is just the beginning of the reward harvest; next, it will be time for hundreds or thousands of corrupt cops to be convicted!

There will be a continuous stream of rewards to come!
Richie wasted no time and immediately brought out all the evidence and photos of corrupt cops he had collected, which Frank readily identified one by one.

The police were extremely busy.

When Luca came out of the interrogation room, a group of police officers surrounded him, greeting him with smiles.

"Old Pigeon! I knew we'd have to rely on you for this!" David came up and gave Luca a warm hug.

The other police officers were also very happy; the case was finally closed!

Luca patted David on the back. "Thank you for your hard work, officers."

Among the crowd, McLean, with a band-aid on his face, watched the police officers celebrating around a Mafia member with a strange expression.

He still had less contact with the peace ambassador, but the latter wouldn't let this opportunity pass him by.

Luca came over and greeted him, "Hey buddy, remember you were going to buy me drinks? Now that we've won big, aren't we going to have something to celebrate?"

McLean laughed and said, "I'm not the kind of person who forgets his promises."

[Bond: Familiarity]

David chimed in, "You're treating, aren't you? Want to join us?"

A swarm of police officers gathered around.

McLean: "."

I'm willing to treat you to a meal, but I'm not a cursed man!

(End of this chapter)