Although the search operation conducted by Richie and David was full of obstacles and interference from the military, the final result turned out quite well.
McClane followed the coffins carrying the drugs from the airport to a warehouse, then to a truck with a cleaning company logo, and finally to an office building in New York City.
"Fuck! These drug dealers actually hid the drugs here?!"
McClane's face turned green.
Why is it another one of these damn lonely building?!
The memories of Los Angeles are still fresh in my mind.
I never want to see another 1 vs 200 fight again!
Teammates! I have teammates this time!
McClane immediately called out:
"Richie! I found their hideout! Caught them red-handed! Get backup immediately!"
Richie laughed.
"Hahaha! McClane, you could probably take their whole base by yourself, right?"
David joined in.
"Dude! By the time we get there, you'll already have won, right?"
McClane snapped back:
"Damn it! I shouldn't have come here alone!"
Richie replied,
"That was just a joke. Wait for us—we'll be there soon!"
What followed unfolded naturally.
Richie and his team reported the situation to their superiors, who mobilized police forces and dispatched a fully armed tactical squad.
Soon after, the drug-filled building was successfully raided.
McClane was not alone this time.
He was once again covered in blood—but still lively and energetic.
When he walked out of the building carrying a shotgun, he saw the nurse again.
"It really doesn't hurt this time."
The nurse smiled.
McClane thought it looked like the devil's smile.
After the drug den was raided, Frank and his family members were all arrested by the police according to the law.
The final step would be conviction.
Another battle was about to begin—this time in court.
Frank refused to cooperate with police questioning until his wife arrived.
The couple met in a dim interrogation room.
Eva told Frank what had happened at home, and she also mentioned the Dove of Peace.
"The Dove?"
Frank looked confused.
"What does he want from us?"
The two sides had only met a handful of times and barely exchanged a few words.
But Frank knew that the Dove of Peace used to stand on Dominic's side.
"He protected me and your mother," Eva said sadly.
"He was the only one who stood up for us when we needed help."
"Frank… you have a good friend."
Frank: "…"
A good friend?
Something didn't feel right.
Why was the Dove of Peace interfering everywhere—even in New Jersey?
Or was Luca continuing to protect him according to Dominic's orders before his death?
Frank felt that there were still many things he didn't fully understand.
And the Mafia's current attitude made him uneasy.
He immediately summoned Richie and made his demand.
"I want to see the Dove of Peace."
"???"
Richie looked confused.
"Damn it. We couldn't convince you, so now you want the peace ambassador to smooth things over?"
Richie said coldly,
"Don't expect the Dove of Peace to get you out of this."
"This situation cannot be solved peacefully. You must confess and plead guilty."
Frank remained unmoved.
"I want to see the Dove of Peace."
"I won't say a word until I see him."
Richie: "…"
Victory was already within reach.
The progress bar had reached 99%.
And then this final 1%…
Damn it!
Why are there Doves everywhere?!
Looks like I'll have to deal with this damn Dove of Peace again.
---
When the peace ambassador received the call from the police, he was watering the Silver Queen plants at the club.
He personally took care of every pot each day.
The club employees were already used to this routine.
Some had even tried to help the boss.
But he always refused.
The boss insisted on doing it himself.
No one could persuade him otherwise.
"Frank? Yeah, I got it."
Luca thought for a moment before replying on the phone.
"Alright. Let's set the time tomorrow. I'll talk to him."
After hanging up, Luca walked to the front desk and handed the watering nozzle to William.
"How are you adjusting to the job these past few days?"
"Pretty well," William said with a sincere smile.
"The guests here are more refined than I expected."
Luca glanced at the Silver Queen plant on the counter.
It was a must-have.
The club was a sanctuary of peace, protected by the peace ambassador.
Who the hell would come here looking for trouble?
Less conflict.
More peace.
"However," William said tactfully,
"There are still conflicts that happen at the casino. Some gamblers lose so much they can't leave peacefully."
Even the Silver Queen struggled to purify that situation.
Luca shook his head.
"Jimmy knows what to do."
"William, your job is simple. Greet the guests, answer their questions, and hand them their room keys."
"Thank you for understanding."
"Hopefully this job won't bore you."
Luca waved and left.
"When Matilda comes back, tell her I have to go out tonight. I might be home late."
[Bond: Friends]
Ding! You Got Skill Unlocked — [Criminal Reconstruction]
---
After leaving the house, Luca went directly to Mariggio's bar, and then followed Mariggio to another location.
"These past few days have been pretty eventful," Mariggio said from the passenger seat.
"Dominic's only been dead for a few days, and Frank has already been arrested."
"How did that guy manage to mess up so badly and get caught like that?"
If Frank fell, New York's Blue Magic would cool down as well.
And Mariggio's business would suffer.
"Of course I pushed things along," Luca said while driving.
"What's the family's attitude?"
"Protect Frank, or cut ties?"
Mariggio replied:
"After discussing it, we realized Dominic had always controlled the family's drug business."
"Now that he's dead, everything is being reshuffled."
"The White Tiger won't let this opportunity slip away."
"And the Boss attitude is ambiguous. He neither supports nor opposes drug trafficking."
The same was true for the other families.
Some were involved in drugs.
Others focused on different businesses.
Not everyone would side with Frank.
Now that Frank was in police custody, the situation had changed again.
Many people needed to reconsider their positions.
Luca said quietly,
"Frank may have been arrested, but the court hasn't delivered a verdict yet."
"It'll take a lot of effort for the police to convict him—if the Commission is willing to bail him out."
"If Dominic were still alive, maybe," Mariggio said, shaking his head.
"But the Bonanno family also has internal issues."
"At the meeting a few days ago, the Commission seemed to reach a new agreement."
"Anyway… let's go see Bartolo first."
"Alright."
Mariggio suddenly asked,
"I'm curious—why did Frank insist on seeing you?"
"Maybe because I'm the Dove of Peace."
Luca shrugged.
"A situation like this always needs an authoritative mediator to resolve conflicts between the parties."
Mariggio: "…"
Luca smiled.
This was a super jackpot.
After waiting so long…
It was finally time to open the box.
--
Bartolo Giordano, an Consigliere to the Lucchese family, was someone Luca had met before during his initiation ceremony.
That man had stood like a shadow behind the Boss.
Inside a villa, Luca and Mariggio met Bartolo, along with White Tiger and Paulie Cicero.
Bartolo Giordano warmly welcomed everyone.
They chatted about everyday matters for quite some time.
He even asked about the business of the SSR Club.
Eventually, the topic turned to Frank.
White Tiger spoke tactfully:
"Frank is a fat sheep. Many people are watching him—the FBI, the IRS, the NSA."
"Many people don't want drugs completely banned."
"Too many people benefit from it."
"Judges. Lawyers. Police officers. Politicians. Prison guards. Parole officers…"
"If drugs disappeared overnight, thousands of jobs in New York would vanish."
"And our family businesses would take a heavy hit."
Luca raised an eyebrow.
"Damn it, White Tiger."
"Even now, with Dominic dead, you're still thinking about protecting Frank?"
"Frank is finished."
Paulie spoke calmly.
"This time it's Washington targeting New York. Can't you see that?"
"Frank is beyond saving."
"His entire hideout was wiped out by police."
"And he's already on Washington's target list."
"Even if we got him out, the police and FBI would monitor him constantly."
"We can't afford to tie ourselves to a walking disaster surrounded by law enforcement."
"And the family doesn't need to waste resources protecting a useless non-italian man."
Paulie was a cautious gangster who avoided drugs.
His businesses had never matched the profits of White Tiger and Mariggio.
Now that the Underboss was gone and the position was vacant, he knew one thing:
Only by crushing White Tiger and Mariggio could he hope to rise.
White Tiger sneered.
"Which drug lord doesn't have cops watching him?"
"Paulie, do you think everyone is as cowardly as you?"
"Your men haven't made any real money following you."
"Do you expect them to get rich selling sausages?"
Paulie laughed helplessly.
He did, in fact, own a restaurant.
And he genuinely enjoyed grilling sausages by hand.
"I'd rather sell sausages than drugs."
The two men began arguing.
"Gentlemen, calm down."
Bartolo crossed his legs and glanced at them.
Then he turned to Mariggio.
"Mariggio… what's your position?"
Mariggio thought for a moment.
"Frank's supply chain is finished."
"The police caught him red-handed."
"At this critical moment, will Washington tolerate the military continuing to smuggle drugs?"
Everyone fell silent.
Then Mariggio continued.
"Frank is drowning in trouble."
"The police have overwhelming evidence."
"I'm not sure he can survive this case."
"And even if we intervene…"
"Can we actually win?"
White Tiger frowned.
Even Mariggio didn't want to protect Frank?
That was surprising.
If Frank collapsed, White Tiger would need new suppliers.
Perhaps the Japanese group at the Benihana Restaurant, or the Chinese Group at Chinatown.
Their Asian product had high purity.
But the quantity might be limited.
Bartolo nodded.
"I have another piece of news."
"The Bonanno family has accepted the terms."
"They're willing to share their channels."
White Tiger was stunned.
"That stingy Galante agreed?"
Bartolo simply said,
"Not Galante."
Then he stopped talking.
Everyone understood immediately.
After Galante's death order by the commission, the remaining Bonanno members had shared the channels.
Bartolo's voice turned cold.
"No one can save Frank this time."
"Frank isn't even italian."
"And he tried to use his Blue Magic to overturn our Mafia traditions."
"The Commission will never tolerate that."
"The New York drug market does not need a non-italian monopoly."
"Consumers may love Blue Magic."
"But they're nothing more than addicts."
"No matter the purity, they'll drink whatever we produce."
"Dominic protected Frank."
"He brought wealth and maintained balance."
"But now…"
Snap.
"Dominic is dead."
"Frank is arrested."
"The Bonanno family has compromised."
"The balance has tipped."
Bartolo picked up a cigar and cut it.
"No matter how fat Frank is…"
"It's time to slaughter him."
"Nobody is milking that cow anymore."
Snap.
The cigar was lit.
Crimson sparks flickered.
Everyone understood.
The decision had already been made.
This was the Commission's will.
Frank had to die.
Even if he had once been Dominic's ally.
In the corner, Luca's lips curled slightly.
In just a few days…
Countless people had begun re-evaluating their positions.
Relationships built on profit looked unbreakable on the surface—
but inside, they were fragile.
Oh, Poor Dominic…
While everyone feared you,
they had already sharpened their knives.
At your funeral…
How many people were truly grieving?
================================================================================
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