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

Chapter 89 Those who are barefoot are not afraid of wearing shoes
Cigar room.

Luca and Marigio together hosted the two guests who had come from afar.

“Fitz, Sheeran, this is my nephew, a member of our family. Everyone calls him Pigeon Luca.”

The two middle-aged men were quite friendly and shook hands with Luca, their "junior."

"Hello, Luca the Pigeon."

"I've heard so much about you, I've heard so much about you."

Fitz’s friendliness was evident in his smile; he was quite tactful and diplomatic. As the chairman, he frequently interacted with people from all walks of life and knew many gang members.

Frank, the old assassin, had a rather serious expression on his face, rarely smiled, and even had a slight stutter.

But Luca knew that Frank wasn't aloof; rather, he had experienced war and suffered from psychological trauma, which made his expression habitually more formal.

A soldier in war and a hotel killer. Both are executioners, both are ruthless killers, but their psychological states are different.

As everyone took their seats, the waiter brought out the club's finest cigars, cigarettes, and drinks.

They were still talking about business.

Fitz controlled the truckers' union's retirement fund, which amounted to tens of billions of dollars—an astounding figure in those days. When the Mafia needed money or had projects, they would go to Fitz to "borrow" money for investments, infrastructure projects, and loan sharking.

Fitz is much more generous than the previous chairman. This guy is rather timid. When he first took office, he blocked the Mafia's project loans. But after his car was shot at and bombed once, he didn't dare to block them anymore.

In a sense, Fitz is a rich dog, so much so that even as the chairman, he treats Marigio, a powerful New York gangster, with utmost respect and dares not act arrogantly!
The previous chairman, Jimmy Hoffa, that rare card with a rather fiery temper, is still in prison. If Luca remembers correctly, Hoffa was released after the public assembly, and after his release, he stirred up trouble, vowing to take back the truckers' union, and was eventually killed by the Mafia.

They're too much of a nuisance; none of them are as obedient as Fitz.

Disobeying will result in death.

The executioner was Hoffa's best friend, Frank Sheeran, nicknamed "The Irishman," who was indeed Irish.

Luca will have to think about whether or not to stop this shocking "disappearance case" that has gripped the entire United States.

"Mr. Sheeran."

Luca laughed and said, "Thanks to your union for supporting the truck drivers. Without these experienced drivers, those heavy tanker trucks would just be stuck in the factory collecting dust. How could they possibly transport that black blood to all parts of the United States?"

Frank replied politely, even with a touch of respect, "You're welcome. Feel free to contact me anytime if you need anything; I'd be happy to help."

A city union president was as polite to the New York Mafia as he would to the mayor.

But Luca is not surprised.

Because Frank was not a formal member of the Mafia, he had not undergone a blood oath. He only had a special status as an assassin, obeying the big boss of the Bufalino family. Through a subtle emotional bond, he became a legendary gangster.

The Bufalino family was a small, out-of-town family and no match for the Lucches family.

The group then discussed their business in Philadelphia, mentioning that they would need the help of these unions to implement the gasoline tax there.

Both men, who are in their fifties, said it was no problem and they were ready to cooperate anytime.

Fitz even suggested he could lend money – his fund has plenty of cash, why leave it sitting there gathering dust? He'd take it out and invest it, making money work for him!

It seems they were terrified of the Mafia.
They chatted until after 8 p.m. before Luca and Marigio got up to see the two off.

[Bond: Follow]

Frank: SR

Painter: I heard you painted a house?

When personally carrying out Mafia executions, your combat effectiveness and stealth are increased by 30%, making it harder for the executed to discover your identity as an assassin and your murderous intent; when cleaning up crime scenes, it is also harder for you to leave clues and evidence.

[Learning Requirements: Bond level must be close friend or higher; 80 skill fragments required]

[Union President: Member of the National Truck Drivers Union, your trust level increases by 15%]

[Learning Requirements: Must be the president (branch president/chairman) of the Truck Drivers' Union; have a bond level of close friend or higher; require 80 skill fragments]

[The Irishman: Although you are not from Sicily, you have faithfully carried out family tasks, adhered to the law of silence, and followed family rules. You have spent half your life serving the Mafia, and your loyalty has earned the Mafia's recognition.]
Trust from all members of the American Mafia (former/partner) increases by 15%; if you have Sicilian blood, trust increases by an additional 10%.

[Learning Requirements: Bond level must be close friend or higher: Requires 80 skill fragments]

Three skills at the "Close Friend" level, and not a single skill at the "Friend" level. This is the first time Luca has ever seen such a rare card.

Painters, in other words, are killers, because when someone commits murder, blood easily stains the walls and carpets, requiring the house to be repainted.

The last two are both trust-based skills. The second skill is quite good; it increases the trust level of guild drivers. By the way, is Brian a member of the guild? That kid has a pretty high driver's license level.

Even if he isn't, we should still get him into the union.

For all rare cards, it's best to get a truck driver's license and join a guild.

The third skill is even better. Luca must be obtained. It will greatly help him to control the family in the future and even dominate the Mafia. Then, he can let the rare cards join the Mafia as partners and have the Peace Ambassador vouch for them.

To increase your bond with Frank, it's not difficult to become his friend, but if you want to take it a step further...
At the entrance, Luca shook hands with Frank to say goodbye. "You've been in New York on business these past few days, haven't you? Come visit the club sometime."

"Thank you for the hospitality." Frank's expression remained solemn.

Watching the other person's departing figure, Luca sighed softly.

Another rare card with a troubled family relationship.

The only problem wasn't with his wife, but with his daughter.

"It seems I'll have to become a professional family dispute mediator in the future."

The peace ambassador's smile looked somewhat weary.

This is what the family godfather is like.

Back at the club, the party wasn't over yet.

After searching for a long time, McLean finally found the peace ambassador and said anxiously, "Old Pigeon, please help me quickly. Those two membership cards you gave me aren't very useful. Holly doesn't want to accept them and wants me to return them to you. She still doesn't want me to get too close to the children."

Luca took the two cards and asked calmly, "Tell me first, do you want a child, or do you want both a wife and a child?"

"This isn't a multiple-choice question! I want them all!"

"Okay, I got it. I'll go see your wife."

Luca had barely taken two steps when he stopped McClain again, "Don't follow me. I need to talk to your wife alone." McClain: "."

Brother! My happiness depends on you!

Luca: "Listen."

At the ball, Luca found Holly sitting by the dance floor, drinking juice with her son. The mother and son chatted and laughed, pointing to the little girl being led by Matilda as they danced on the dance floor.

Luca's sudden appearance immediately caught Holly's eye. She had never seen such a handsome and charming man before. Compared to her ex-husband, who was almost balding, the difference was simply too great.

"Matilda~~"

Luca called out, and the little brat skipped over, leading his little sister by the hand, and gave Luca a smug look: Did I do a good job? I managed to keep those two little brats under control.

Only a child can deal with a child. Luca smiled and pulled out a handful of candy and Oreos, handing them to them. "Snow White has stepped out of the fairy tale book! A handsome knight brings candy and gifts to greet Her Highness."

The two little girls were overjoyed and reached out to grab the candy from Luca's hand.

Matilda: "Knight, quickly dance with the princess!"

Luca bowed and extended his hand: "Your Highness, please."

The two, one big and one small, slipped into the dance floor. Luca held Matilda's hand, and the black-clad assassin danced gracefully and elegantly around the little girl in the white princess dress, as if he had truly become a guardian knight.

Holly's daughter returned to the table and pointed to Luca on the dance floor, saying, "Mommy, that's the uncle who gave me the little gift."

Holly: "."

That's the owner of the SSR club? So young?

How did Old Mike get to know such a young, handsome, rich, and generous friend?
When the dance ended and Holly saw Luca walking over, her expression suddenly became a little nervous.

Luca greeted the two children with a smile before speaking to Holly, “McLean often told me that he had a beautiful and generous wife. Before meeting him, I thought he was lying, but after meeting him, I found that he was too conservative. Hello, Luca Greco, a man who once received help from McLean.”

Holly: "Hello, Mr. Greco. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Luca then introduced Matilda to her, "This is my sister, Matilda. I met McLean because of Matilda. She was kidnapped by a gang, and McLean helped me rescue her."

Holly covered her mouth in surprise, not expecting this part of the story. Although Old Mike's life was unreliable, he was still very capable at work.

Matilda: "???"

Dude, what are you talking about?

She looked terrified. "I really owe Uncle McLean that time. If it weren't for him," she said, clutching Luca's arm tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, "I might never have seen my brother again. Uncle McLean is my savior."

"The little girl's acting is quite good." Luca hugged Matilda's little head and said with relief, "McLean risked his life to save my sister, and I can never repay him enough. He gave Matilda a new life, and I am willing to give his child a gift in return."

He took out the two cards again and handed them to the two children. Holly looked troubled. "Mr. Greco, these are too valuable."

Luca: "Isn't my sister's life worth two membership cards?"

Matilda: "."

Luca smiled and asked the two children, "Do you like the club? Do you like this gift?"

Younger brother: "I love it! The club has lots of delicious food and fun things to do! I'm very happy here."

Sister: "Thank you, Uncle Greco."

Luca laughed heartily. He suddenly remembered that Frank's daughter seemed to be only a few years older than Matilda.

Looking at Luca's friendly smile and the children's excited expressions, Holly gave a wry smile and said helplessly, "Mr. Greco..."

She hesitated, then Luca poured her two glasses of wine and listened as she rambled on about her family. It was all about McLean, who had neglected his family because of work, and perhaps partly due to bad luck; Holly wanted to keep the children away from danger.

In short, McLean's previous performance showed that he failed to balance his family and work. The high-risk job of a police officer, coupled with McLean's reputation, led to a constant stream of minor incidents and major incidents that frequently caused chaos in New York, which even gave the peace ambassador a headache.

But McLean is a cheat code; a cheat code wouldn't actually let his family get into trouble.

“Compared to two membership cards, I think the child needs his father more,” Luca said softly. “I can’t imagine anything that a child craves more than a father’s protection.”

Holly glanced at the Silver Queen on the table, took a sip of her drink with a complicated expression, and thought to herself that McLean was quite competent in some ways, at least he had always been protecting his family.

When Holly left, she took the children and two cards with her. They met McLean, who had been waiting for them at the door.

Luca saw them to the door, and then added to McKlain, "The first thing a father can do for his child is to love the child's mother. Old McKlain, you'll be a great father, won't you?"

McLean nodded, while Holly's gaze became even more complicated.

Luca smiled and said goodbye, "Welcome to visit again next time."

“McLean, please come and visit the children often from now on.”

On the way home, Holly thought for a long time before giving an answer, teasingly saying, "At least you've done a really good job protecting others."

McLean was overjoyed. "Yay! We've finally taken this step!"

Old Pigeon really got things done! He's really capable!!
"Holly, I promise I'll spend more time with you, and I promise I'll never let you get hurt again! I swear!"

"You should keep your promises first."

Holly, I love you.

[Bond: Close Friend]

You initially resolved the conflict within your friend's family; you upheld peace within their family.

[Gain Skill Points +5]

[Gain Skill Fragment +1]

[Remaining fragments: 18]

[Barefoot Warrior] unlocked.

Luca looked down at his leather shoes. These strange buffs were piling up. He couldn't possibly walk barefoot from now on, could he?

Are barefoot people not afraid of those wearing shoes?

(End of this chapter)