Only Luca and Persico remained on the rooftop.
Persico sat down in a chair and glanced at Luca, who was standing beside him casually playing with the pigeons. His mind raced as he calculated what kind of terms he could offer and how much influence Luca currently held within the Commission. Was Luca acting alone? Was he representing the interests of the Lucchese family? Or were the Gambino family and the other families involved as well?
While Persico was still thinking, Luca—holding a dove in his hand—spoke first.
"Yacovelli has been arrested, and many of your faction's key members were also taken in by the police. For now, they can sit in the station drinking tea without worrying about their lives, but they won't be able to participate in this civil war anytime soon."
Persico felt his anger surge just thinking about it. His fingers tightened around the armrest.
"I want to ask you something. Why didn't you let Yacovelli escape with us earlier?"
"The police are already watching him."
Luca calmly pulled out an Oreo and took a bite.
"And not just the police. The FBI is watching him too. Gallo is watching him as well. Today's attack happened precisely because of Yacovelli. Right now, half of New York knows that Yacovelli and Gallo are locked in a family feud. The chaos you created—murders everywhere—has turned the city into a complete mess."
He paused and shrugged.
"Mercenaries were even involved. Let's get one thing straight—we're a criminal organization, not terrorists. You should understand how differently the government treats those two categories."
Persico's expression darkened.
"Think about why Joe Colombo died. The attention on the family has become too intense. That attention needs to be reduced. Right now, your family needs to provide the authorities with a target—a way for them to vent their anger. That way, once you take power, the Colombo family won't be constantly harassed by law enforcement."
Luca tilted his head slightly.
"Yacovelli happens to be a very suitable candidate for that role, don't you think?"
Those few casual sentences landed like heavy stones in Persico's chest.
Yes—the authorities would have their scapegoat.
But the cost was enormous damage to Persico's own faction.
"Then why didn't Gallo take the police bullets instead?" Persico asked.
"Gallo?" Luca shrugged. "He'll die soon enough. Isn't that reason enough?"
Silence filled the rooftop.
Persico inhaled deeply. The helplessness in his heart turned into a long sigh.
"You knew from the beginning that I was the one behind Yacovelli, didn't you?"
Luca laughed lightly.
"Of course I knew. I also know that you're destined to become the boss for the next ten or twenty years."
In the original timeline, Persico ultimately won the Colombo civil war, rose to power with the Commission's support, and became the official boss of the Colombo family. He ruled the family for decades—even continuing to control it remotely from prison in his later years.
Throughout his life, nearly every civil conflict inside the Colombo family had his shadow somewhere behind it.
"That doesn't matter anymore."
Luca shook his head slightly.
"What matters is what happens next. The Commission will support you and appoint you as the new boss of the Colombo family. Anyone who dares to obstruct you—whether neutral factions or Gallo supporters—will be removed by the Commission."
"For example, Gallo. The Commission will soon issue a formal execution order for him. If he dares to show his face, death will be the only outcome waiting for him."
Luca leaned forward slightly.
"And you will finally sit on the throne you've dreamed about for years."
His eyes locked onto Persico's.
"Of course, all of this depends on you honoring our agreement."
He deliberately used "we" instead of "I."
Persico lowered his gaze. His eyelids drooped as if he had suddenly aged several years.
The conditions themselves were simple—but brutal.
After taking power, Persico would have to surrender part of the Colombo family's industries: labor unions, construction contractors, drugs, casinos, loan sharks, tobacco smuggling, jewelry smuggling, and even the garment factory that had just been attacked.
For example:
The construction industry had once been a joint operation between the Colombo and Lucchese families. Under the new terms, however, that partnership would become exclusively controlled by the Lucchese family.
The labor unions previously shared with the Gambino family would now fall entirely under Gambino control.
Aside from the Bonanno family—who received relatively little—the other families had opened their mouths like hungry wolves.
They were profiting from the chaos of war.
Persico suddenly realized something with a sinking heart.
He had no bargaining power at all.
Back at the garment factory, if he had refused Luca's offer, he would probably already be sitting in a police interrogation room.
A trace of fear appeared in Persico's eyes as he looked at Luca.
It felt as if invisible strings had wrapped around his arms and were slowly guiding him forward.
Was this young man—barely in his early twenties—the one pulling those strings?
Or merely the one holding them?
"Luca… Gambino made you do this, didn't he?"
Persico let out a bitter laugh.
"I'm even starting to suspect that Gallo's attack tonight happened because you people leaked the information to him. That idiot Yacovelli kept running around asking Gambino for help. Hahaha… and Gambino betrayed us."
"No one betrayed you."
Luca calmly ate another Oreo.
"The person who wants you dead the most is Gallo himself. Why don't you ask him how he found out about you? I guarantee he'll never say my name—or Gambino's—out loud. He'll just curse us silently in his heart."
His words were a mixture of truth and deception.
Persico had just survived a major battle. Exhaustion clouded his thoughts. His mind tried to interpret Luca's words with suspicion, but the more he thought about it, the more confused he became.
He rubbed his temples.
In the end, he couldn't figure out Luca's real intentions.
Yet strangely enough… Luca's words sounded believable.
After all, Luca had just saved his life and was now offering to support his rise to power—even if the price was harsh.
Luca spoke again.
"Persico, there's an old saying: The price of glory is paid in blood."
"If you want the throne, you have to pay the price."
"As long as you agree to our terms, the civil war can officially end. After that, Gallo's execution countdown will begin."
He spread his hands.
"Otherwise… do you really think you can stand against Gallo right now?"
"He'll devour you without hesitation."
"Look around you. The throne is right there. You could reach out and touch it."
Persico slowly lowered his hand from his forehead.
Above them, doves cooed as they circled in the night sky.
He stared at them and suddenly chuckled.
"Dove… were you truly a symbol of peace, or just a butcher in disguise?"
Luca raised his hand slightly. A single dove swooped down, landing gracefully on his arm.
"It doesn't matter," Luca said calmly. "But tell me, would you be interested in raising these doves? I could teach you. They bring a certain peace to a family."
Persico stood up and looked toward the distant Brooklyn Bridge. The skyscrapers beyond it looked like rows of tombstones under the night sky.
The throne was within reach.
He extended his hand.
"Dove… Gambino was right to choose you as the judge."
"You win."
"I accept your terms."
"Let's keep the peace."
Luca smiled and shook his hand.
"Let's keep the peace."
__________________________________________________________________________
[Ding! The Colombo civil war has been settled. The balance of power has shifted. As the new Don ascends, the dissenters face their execution. You have maintained the fragile peace of the Family.]
[Gain Skill Points x10]
[Gained Skill Fragments x5]
[Remaining Skill Fragments: 104]
__________________________________________________________________________
Outside the Garment Factory
Denham finally met the reinforcements the FBI had sent.
After a brief introduction, Denham asked curiously:
"I heard you successfully infiltrated the organization and even gained the trust of the Dove of Peace. Impressive. No wonder you're Omega's top agent."
Harry smiled modestly.
"You guys did great too. The FBI deserves most of the credit for capturing Yacovelli this time. Without your intelligence support, it wouldn't have been possible."
Denham blinked.
My intelligence… was secretly provided by the Dove of Peace.
He hesitated before asking:
"Did you get any useful intelligence from him? Any evidence of his crimes?"
Harry froze.
"..."
Can we please stop talking about this?
They hadn't obtained any intelligence at all, yet somehow they were now being praised as peace envoys.
It was honestly a little embarrassing.
Harry forced a dry laugh.
"Progress is decent, but I still need to get closer to him. The Dove is extremely cautious. He won't reveal sensitive information easily."
Denham nodded thoughtfully.
Even Omega's best agent can't crack the ole dove…
"Let's keep cooperating," Denham said, shaking Harry's hand. "After all, there's still Gallo."
---
Nearby the Factory
John McClane lay on a stretcher while David Mills stood beside him.
"It's nothing serious," David said reassuringly. "Just superficial wounds. A little medicine and you'll be fine. Seriously though—you got blown up by a car and only walked away with scratches? You're a walking disaster magnet."
McClane replied calmly,
"That's because I dodged fast."
He paused.
"Next time, you're coming with me."
David forced an awkward smile.
"Have you ever seen a police chief charge the front lines?"
McClane clicked his tongue in frustration.
With such a huge achievement tonight, a promotion and a raise were practically guaranteed.
"Let's wrap this up quickly," McClane sighed. "Afterward, we're heading to the Dove's club for drinks."
David laughed.
"Deal. Let's drink until we drop."
---
At the Bowery Street.
Before leaving New York, the mechanics met Luca one last time.
"Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Greco," Arthur Bishop said calmly.
Luca smiled.
"Bishop, I know your mentor—Harry. You're one of his men, so of course I wouldn't just stand by and watch you die."
In the original storyline, the bald assassin had once shared a deep bond with an elderly, mentor . Later, due to betrayal and manipulation within the organization, Arthur accidentally killed that mentor—an event that became the deepest scar in his life. Eventually, he massacred the organization's leadership in revenge.
Since Arthur was still working for the organization now, that tragedy clearly hadn't happened yet.
Of course, Luca had never actually met Harry.
But that didn't stop him from using the name to build rapport.
Arthur's cold expression shifted slightly when he heard his mentor's name.
"I've never heard him mention you."
He remained skeptical, but Luca clearly knew his mentor's name and seemed aware of their relationship.
"That was many years ago," Luca said casually while munching another Oreo. "We crossed paths during an assassination mission. We only met once. Back then I was just an unknown assassin. He did me a small favor."
"Maybe he's forgotten about it… but I never did."
Arthur fell silent for a moment.
His mentor had been in the assassin world for decades and had met countless people. Luca's calm sincerity—combined with the fact that he had genuinely helped them tonight—gradually lowered Arthur's guard.
A faint smile appeared on Arthur's usually cold face.
"If Harry knew he had a friend in New York who cared about him, he might jump out of his bed from excitement."
"He trained a good student."
Luca pulled out a business card and handed it to him.
"Come visit my club sometime. Maybe we can work together."
The card read:
SSR Club
Arthur accepted it and chuckled.
"I would become regular at nightclubs. I hope your place offers a memorable experience."
Luca grinned.
"I guarantee you'll love it."
The two men shook hands.
[Bond: Attention]
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