Angelo was still in custody, and the police had requested an extension on his detention.
The reason was simple.
This wasn't his first time behind bars.
He'd been caught red-handed this time, couldn't afford bail, and definitely couldn't hire a decent lawyer. The court-appointed attorneys weren't exactly known for miracles either, so the police had no choice but to keep him locked up until trial.
Inside the detention center, Angelo sat on a cold metal chair, looking completely defeated as he scratched his head and sighed.
"When I got into trouble, not a single one of them showed up to help me!"
"Those bastards… I even threw them a Christmas party. Food, drinks—everything!"
"That's just cold…"
His face fell even further.
His biker gang buddies had come to the station at first.
But the moment they heard the arrest was made by the Dove of Peace…
They backed off immediately.
Yeah.
Stealing was one thing.
Getting caught by the Dove?
That was basically a death sentence.
Watching his so-called brothers walk away like that…
It crushed him.
"Angelo!"
The guard's voice rang out from outside.
"Get up. Someone wants to see you."
In the adjacent room, David flipped through Angelo's file.
"This guy's a repeat offender. First arrest at fifteen, then six or seven more after that. He's stolen a lot of cars too—honestly, he's practically contributed to the Bronx secondhand car market."
Then he glanced at Luca.
"You know him?"
"Not really," Luca replied casually.
Then he asked,
"How long is he looking at this time?"
David shrugged.
"The stolen goods weren't worth much, but with his record? Probably one to two years."
Normally, David wouldn't even bother with small-time theft cases like this.
But right now—
The bombing case came first.
Compared to that, even a Mafia war looked mild. At least that didn't target civilians.
This?
This was already a terrorist attack.
And for David—this was his first time handling something on this scale.
"Dove," David said, rubbing his temples, "any leads on the bombing?"
"I still don't get it. Is this guy just messing with McClane?"
Luca didn't answer directly.
Because he already knew.
Gold.
That was the real objective.
From the morning explosion to the final resolution, the original sequence had taken less than a day.
Simon had planted suitcase bombs across the city—and left behind informants.
The real problem?
Remote detonation.
That gave them total control.
If their plan failed…
Would they just set everything off out of spite?
Luca couldn't rule it out.
And that wasn't a risk he was willing to take.
For now, they had to let John McClane and Keung play along.
Defuse the bombs first.
Then deal with the rest.
Luca exhaled slowly as a plan began forming in his mind.
"Look at it from another angle," he said.
"The killer has the upper hand, sure—but instead of detonating the bombs, he's dragging us through these elaborate 'games.' That tells you something."
David frowned.
"That the bombs aren't his real goal?"
"Exactly."
Luca nodded.
"If he wanted McClane dead, he could've done it already. No need for all this theatrics. And criminals? They lie. Always. Whatever he's saying—it's not the full picture."
David thought it over.
"So what, he's trying to negotiate? Use the bombs as leverage?"
Luca shook his head.
'You're underestimating him. Aside from the Federal Reserve, no one can come up with $140 billion in cash on the spot. Not even the police are qualified to negotiate that.'
Then he said,
"Let's wait. He won't keep playing forever. We'll see his real objective soon enough."
A moment later, Angelo was brought in.
The moment he saw Luca—
His legs started shaking.
"D-Dove! I've been locked up these past few days, I didn't do anything!"
Luca looked at him calmly.
"Do you know how long you're facing?"
Andrew froze.
"This isn't your first arrest," Luca continued. "You've confessed before. Apologized. Gone through rehabilitation. And then you went right back to stealing."
"The judge isn't going to tolerate that forever."
David stepped in, playing bad cop.
"Five years. Minimum."
Angelo's face went pale.
"Five years?! I only stole a wallet and a phone this time! That's barely a few thousand dollars!"
"A lawyer is a lawyer," David sneered. "The judge is the one with the gavel. And guess who gets to talk to him?"
Angelo's legs gave out as he collapsed into the chair.
"No… no, please… I was wrong! I really was! Give me another chance—I won't do it again!"
"That depends," David said, his tone softening slightly.
"On whether you cooperate."
Then he gestured toward Luca.
"Originally, I was going to push for five years. But Mr. Greco here spoke up for you."
Angelo's eyes widened.
"You… you're here to help me?"
Luca smiled faintly.
"That depends on how you perform."
"If you do well, you might only serve a year or two."
"Angelo … this is your last chance."
Ten minutes later, Angelo was out.
He walked beside Luca, still uneasy.
"What… what do you want me to do?"
Luca asked casually,
"Do you know why I got you out?"
Angelo shook his head.
"Because you still have value."
They stopped by the roadside.
"Recently, a lot of outsiders have been showing up in Little Italy. Breaking rules. I don't like that."
"Your trial's in two weeks. In that time, I want you to find those petty thieves for me."
"Do it right—and I'll make sure your sentence is lighter."
"Yes! Yes, I can do that!"
Andrew nodded frantically.
"I know their tricks better than anyone!"
Luca chuckled.
"I believe you do."
Then he added,
"If you do well… come find me at the SSR Club after you're out."
"You might earn a spot with us."
Andrew's breathing quickened.
A spot with them?
That meant the Mafia.
Compared to a biker gang?
That was a whole different world.
Even a low-level associate outranked a gang leader.
He bent forward instinctively.
"Dove! I'll do anything you ask! I swear—I'm done stealing!"
Luca pulled out a roll of cash—five or six thousand dollars—and handed it over.
"Go back to Little Italy. No one's going to bother you for the next few days."
Then his tone turned colder.
"Don't disappoint me. I only trust my friends."
Angelo stared at the money in his hand.
For the first time in his life—
Cash felt heavy.
Not because of the amount.
But because of what it meant.
"I won't let you down," he said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Character Card: Angelo]
[Rank: C]
[Source: Rumble in the Bronx]
[Skill:
[Take It for Yourself]
Description: A low-level thief's survival instinct—knowing exactly when to grab the prize and when to run for your life.
Effect: Grants a 15% reduction in the probability of being detected or caught while committing a theft.
Status:Passive
Requirements:Bond Level: Friend or above | Skill Fragments: 40]
[Bond: Friend]
[Ding! New Skill Unlocked - Take it Yourself]
"Redeem the skill"
[Skill Fragment -40]
[Skill Redeem Succesfully]
[Remaining Skill Fragments: 178]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Angelo disappeared down the street.
A tall figure stepped out behind Luca.
Leon spoke calmly,
"Luca, everyone's in position."
Luca nodded.
"Let's head to Wall Street. Time to pay Jordan a visit."
---
Meanwhile—
McClane and Keung had arrived at the next game location.
Another puzzle.
McClane already looked like he wanted to die.
Simon's voice came through the phone:
"I was on my way to St. Ives when I met a man with seven wives…"
He continued listing the classic riddle.
Then:
"How many people are going to St. Ives? Thirty seconds."
"There's a bomb in the trash can."
"Run out of time—and boom."
McClane's brain nearly short-circuited.
"What kind of bullshit math problem is this?!"
Keung calculated instantly.
"2401."
McClane blinked.
"…Is this some kind of Asian superpower?"
Keung shook his head.
"That's the total count—but it's the wrong answer."
Then he said calmly,
"The correct answer is one."
"He asked how many people are going to St. Ives. Only the narrator is."
McClane froze.
Then his expression changed completely.
He grabbed Keung and hugged him tight.
"Keung—you're a genius!"
Keung stood there, speechless.
That might've been the first time anyone had ever praised him for being smart.
They quickly gave the answer.
Simon responded with the next instruction.
"There's a bomb on the No. 3 subway line."
"You have thirty minutes to reach Wall Street Station."
"No police."
"No evacuations."
"Use civilian transport only."
"Break the rules—and I blow the whole train."
McClane looked ready to collapse.
"With this traffic? We're not making it in time!"
Wall Street.
Luca stepped out of the car.
He glanced at the subway entrance—
Then at the Federal Reserve building nearby.
The subway tunnels…
Were only a few walls away from the vault.
The plan clicked instantly.
The subway bomb wasn't just a distraction.
It was demolition.
Blow the station.
Disguise as a repair crew.
Drill through the wall.
Steal the gold.
Clean. Efficient. Brutal.
"Leon," Luca said, "take a team down there. Evacuate the station."
Leon hesitated.
"…How?"
Luca raised an eyebrow.
"You brought guns, didn't you?"
"If a wolf walks into a flock of sheep… what happens?"
Leon: "…"
"Extraordinary times," Luca said calmly, "call for extraordinary methods."
Since the robbers banned police involvement—
He'd handle it his way.
As Leon left with his men, Luca turned away.
"I'll clean up your mess this time…"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thx to Kayopa 77 for becoming my P Knight, my cats is eating big tonight.
Y'all could support me on P Site/OrbisTranslate, only three bucks for 15 advance chapter
Each 100 Stones = 2 Bonus Chapters.