Right then, a Cadillac cruised past the window of the coffee shop where Lawson was sitting. An old acquaintance was inside.
"Alberto, did you contact the police department?"
"Mr. Ricci, I've already spoken with the LAPD, but Johnny Tran has a record, so the bail is going to be high!"
"How high? Can't be 250 million bucks, right?"
"No, just a hundred thousand dollars."
"Only a hundred thousand? Just pay those bloodsuckers! What about the FBI?"
"The FBI is denying bail. They want to keep holding Sonny Black."
Francis frowned. The FBI usually allowed bail unless there were deeper complications.
"What's their reason?"
"When Sonny Black and his crew were arrested, they were all heavily armed and had two family members tied up. The FBI considers them extremely dangerous and claims releasing them poses a threat to public safety."
Alberto's explanation left Francis confused.
"Why the hell was Sonny Black tying up our own guys?"
"It's about the Pacific Standard Bank job, Mr. Ricci. Did you forget? It's exactly what you told me to do—leaking the intel to those two guys that Billy the Wild Dog's jewelry was stashed in that bank!"
Realization washed over Francis's face. He indeed ordered Alberto to execute that exact play.
His goal, of course, was to manipulate Old Martin into consolidating the gold.
"So it's them! Those two guys cannot be allowed to live! Dammit, I have zero connections within the FBI!"
Francis's expression soured. Infiltrating the FBI was infinitely harder than buying off the LAPD.
Given Francis's previous status and financial resources, the FBI wouldn't have given him the time of day.
"Mr. Ricci, shouldn't we handle Johnny Tran first?"
"Right! But Alberto, you still need to figure out how to keep those two quiet, so they don't trace this back to you!"
"I will!"
The Cadillac soon pulled up to the LAPD headquarters. Francis, wearing a tailored suit with his hair slicked back, stepped out.
The LAPD had already prepped everything. Johnny Tran had been pulled from holding.
"Johnny Tran, you're a lucky son of a bitch. Someone dropped a hundred grand to bail your ass out."
Johnny Tran glared defiantly at the cop escorting him.
"That's because I'm worth it!"
"Heh. Stupid Korean. Get the hell out of here! I'm sure you'll be back soon enough!"
The white cop sneered at Johnny Tran as he handed him over to Francis Ricci.
Koreans have always had notoriously hard mouths. If Seoul ate a nuke like Nagasaki and the entire city was vaporized, millions of hard mouths would somehow still survive the blast.
By this time, Francis had completed all the bail paperwork and was waiting for Johnny Tran at the end of the hall.
The moment Johnny Tran saw Francis, his defiant attitude instantly vanished, replaced by extreme sycophancy.
He looked exactly like a Jindo dog frantically wagging its tail at its master.
"Mr. Ricci, why did you personally come to bail me out?"
"Tran, the Bonanno family always values its partners, especially partners like you."
Johnny Tran didn't entirely catch Francis's drift. Having been locked up for several days, he had absolutely no idea what had happened on the outside.
Francis didn't elaborate. The LAPD headquarters was not the place for this conversation.
"Come with me, Tran. We'll talk somewhere else."
Francis led Johnny Tran to the Cadillac, and the driver headed toward Malibu.
"Tran, while you were locked up, the Bonanno family underwent some changes."
Once the car was moving, Alberto gave Johnny Tran a rundown of recent events.
Johnny Tran looked completely stunned. He never expected the Bonanno family to undergo such a massive upheaval in just a few days.
After hearing Alberto's summary, Johnny Tran looked at Francis curiously.
"Mr. Ricci, so why exactly did you come looking for me?"
Francis wore a warm, gentle smile—the exact same smile he always wore when working under Old Martin.
"Tran, I believe the Bonanno family needs some changes right now, and I want you working for me."
Johnny Tran stared at Francis in shock. He obviously understood what Francis was implying.
Tran's street name was "Mad Dog," known for being insanely vindictive, which was why most people avoided messing with him.
But Johnny Tran was crazy, not stupid.
Pushing for "changes" meant stepping on people's toes and threatening their money. It was incredibly dangerous.
But it was also a massive opportunity!
"Need time to think about it?"
Francis casually stroked the massive jewel ring on his finger, his tone completely relaxed.
But Johnny Tran knew damn well he couldn't refuse. Honestly, even "thinking about it" was a bad idea. Refusing meant ending up dead in an alley.
To a man like Francis, trust was a highly precious commodity.
After a brief silence, Johnny Tran immediately gave his answer.
"Mr. Ricci, I absolutely want to work for you, but I have one condition!"
Francis's expression shifted slightly. Only Alberto, a veteran subordinate, could tell Francis was annoyed.
"Let's hear it."
"Mr. Ricci, I only got bagged because some asshole wrecked my car during the race. I want to hunt that motherfucker down and destroy him!"
"Ah, just a minor issue! Alberto, handle this for Tran. Make sure he's fully satisfied."
Francis's face instantly relaxed. To him, this was absolutely trivial, making it the perfect opportunity to win Tran's loyalty.
"Yes, Mr. Ricci."
Overjoyed, Johnny Tran immediately bowed to Francis.
"Mr. Ricci, from now on, I am your loyal dog. Whoever you tell me to bite, I will tear apart!"
Johnny Tran and Alberto got out of the car halfway to organize Tran's crew for the revenge hit, leaving Francis alone in the back seat.
Francis pulled a bottle of red wine from the luxury Cadillac's built-in bar, poured himself a glass, and drank it straight without letting it breathe.
The slightly tart, astringent taste didn't bother him. He downed the glass in one gulp.
"Is this what power tastes like? Absolutely intoxicating! Nobody is going to stop me. Nobody!"