Chapter 44: First Battle, First Victory

With the anti-narcotics squad having a clear direction and solid intelligence, the next step was to launch targeted strikes.

Undercover operations, informants, wiretaps, surveillance, turning targets, anti-drug sweeps... Every available method was deployed against Frank’s African-American drug cartel.

Rich and David operated with extraordinary efficiency. As competent police officers armed with precise intelligence, they struck with the unerring accuracy of clairvoyants, each move deadlier than the last.

By late June, Frank’s drug dens across the East Coast had suffered unprecedented, pinpoint strikes, with New York bearing the brunt of the devastation.

Numerous stash houses had already been dismantled by the police, and a slew of distributors caught red-handed during drug transactions.

The drug war had achieved its initial victory with lightning speed!

This made Frank realize that the police had targeted and locked onto him. He noticed a growing number of cops lingering around him; by damn, when he went out for breakfast in the morning, he felt like a whole squad of tailing officers was stationed right beside his table.

He even suspected that the vendors running the mobile food carts in the neighborhood were undercover cops!

Frank simply could not fathom why the police operations were so precise this time. Many of his dens and transportation routes were secrets known only to his family and closest brothers.

How the hell did the cops know?

Was there a mole?

Meanwhile, apart from the police, the Bonanno crime family—having also acquired relevant intelligence—began launching covert attacks from the shadows.

Under this multi-pronged assault, Frank’s life grew increasingly difficult. It felt as though the sky had suddenly collapsed, crushing him into a dazed and disoriented heap.

The only saving grace was that these people dared not meddle with the military, leaving his supply pipeline unaffected for the time being. However, with the police and the Bonanno family watching him around the clock, his business had ground to a near-total halt.

If this continued, destruction was the only outcome awaiting him.

......

Inside a mansion in New York.

"You said you could protect my safety! That was your promise to me when we formed this partnership!"

Frank slammed his fist hard onto the table, flying into a rage at Dominic. "Now the police have busted several of my distributors and disrupted multiple transactions! Cops are sitting right outside my front door with cameras, harassing me day and night! I am not safe at all!"

Dominic inwardly sneered at the dark-skinned man before him.

A nouveau riche upstart!

Trying to mimic our Italian organizational structure? Whatever he copies turns out to be absolute garbage!

His own internal management is a total mess, leading to leaks, and now he has the nerve to blame the Mafia?

"Frank, the one who sold you out might be one of your own men, or perhaps some official you forgot to grease."

Holding a cigar between his fingers, Dominic’s face was obscured by swirling smoke. "Maybe you unknowingly offended someone without realizing it, or perhaps it's those rivals you pushed to the brink of survival. Frank, your success has brought you many enemies."

Dominic stared coldly at the Black man. "Your success is what’s destroying you! What the hell do you expect to do? Wash your hands and quit the game? I told you long ago that if we want to succeed, we are bound to make enemies! That’s why we need to make plenty of friends!"

"But we can't turn everyone into a friend!"

The expression on Frank’s face gradually faded. "Even your Mafia isn't monolithic! Ever since I took Carmine Galante’s business, his family has been constantly plotting against me. I have every reason to suspect that the Bonanno family is pulling strings behind the scenes!"

Galante, that stingy bastard? You squeezed him out until he had no business left; of course the man is going to hold a grudge against you... Dominic let out a cold laugh.

"Don't worry, someone will have a word with him. Your bigger problem right now is the police... This anti-narcotics operation caught me off guard. Most of New York's police force has long since reached an unspoken understanding with us. Where on earth did this batch of cops who insist on going against us suddenly spring from?"

"I'd like to know that myself."

Frank exhaled heavily through his flared nostrils.

Fack! I've bribed the entire police department from top to bottom. Which stubborn bastard of a cop is still coming after me?

I've poured tens of millions into this city—are all these cops just taking money and doing nothing?

Seeing Frank’s furious appearance, Dominic’s mood grew increasingly heavy. He had no desire to see Frank fall. If this Black man went down, his own drug trade would plummet, and the New York market would once again fall under Carmine Galante’s control.

Dominic knew all too well that Galante—who remained at odds with the other four families—wanted to send Frank to prison even more than the police did. If necessary, Galante would likely even join forces with the police to take Frank down.

That guy had always loved hogging the pie and was never willing to share the narcotics business. As the former kingpin of New York's drug trade, Galante would never cooperate with Frank. That prick wouldn't even cooperate with the other Mafia families; how could he possibly share the drug market with a Black man like Frank?

......

At this thought, a flash of murderous intent flickered in Dominic's eyes!

That bastard Galante was getting tired of living; he was drifting further and further away from the other four major families!

If this went on, it would spell trouble for the unity of the Mafia families...

Dominic already had a plan forming in his mind.

Then, another question arose.

Who the hell had leaked the intelligence regarding Frank this time?

......

[You secretly provided intelligence, assisting the police in striking multiple drug dens in New York... You helped the police uphold peace in New York.]

[Received Skill Points +30]

[Received Skill Fragments +20]

[Physical Flexibility +5%]

[Remaining Skill Fragments: 98]

In the top-floor office of the club, Luca looked at the system panel notifications with profound satisfaction.

Frank had not been eliminated yet, but these incidental rewards were already quite decent. He had merely provided some intelligence without lifting a finger himself, yet he was reaping the profits.

A fine harvest!

Once Frank was locked away and the police department underwent a massive reshuffle, he would be able to rake in an even bigger fortune!

By then, once Dominic was neutralized, the opportunity to rise to power would arrive.

Turning around, Luca stared at the photographs on the chalkboard, his gaze settling on a Black man in the corner.

This fellow was Frank’s cousin, also known as "Jimmy."

Luca picked up a marker and drew a large X across Black Jimmy’s face.

In the original storyline, this guy was the pivotal figure turned by the police.

"Let me throw a little more fuel on your fire."

......

Three days later, at night.

A detached villa in the Bronx—this was the home of Frank’s cousin, "Black Jimmy."

Not far down the street near the entrance, David sat in a car, holding a pair of binoculars to observe the front gate of the courtyard. "Whenever I surveil this guy, I'm reminded of that lackey named Jimmy who used to hang around Pigeon."

Rich smiled amusedly. "Is it because they're both named Jimmy?"

David chuckled. "Hahaha, exactly. Heaven knows why there are so many people named Jimmy in this world."

Rich forced a dry laugh in response. Lots of people were named David, too, you know.

He couldn't help recalling the intelligence report, which mentioned that this Black Jimmy harbored some friction with Frank and had once been publicly humiliated by him.

The intelligence was impeccably detailed, mapping out the relationships of every single member of the Frank family.

Rich had instantly realized that Black Jimmy could serve as a new breakthrough. A strained relationship? The probability of flipping Black Jimmy had to be much higher than flipping any other family member. If they could develop Black Jimmy as an informant to secure more evidence and intelligence—even proof of the transportation routes!

Once the evidentiary chain was established, they would have sufficient grounds to apply for a search warrant to raid the military aircraft!

"It would be great if we could just nab Jimmy," David said. "This guy is usually very careful and hasn't shown any flaws. We've staked the place out for days without finding any criminal evidence on him."

"The guy is a junkie," Rich said patiently. "Be patient. The willpower of these addicts is fragile. Sooner or later, they'll fall into our hands."

......

At the street corner on the next block.

Black Sonny, Old Left, Donnie, and several other brothers were also staked out nearby.

"Our target tonight is a guy named Jimmy, Frank's cousin. He's got plenty of product in his house!"

Black Sonny picked up a handgun and said coldly, "We'll storm in later and rip off his stash! I've already given a heads-up to Pigeon, so there's no need to worry about breaking the rules of his turf. This time, we're upholding the peace!"

"......"

Donnie was speechless. Was this whole "upholding the peace" bit for real?

Old Left patted Donnie on the shoulder. "Donnie, you're driving the car tonight as usual! We'll handle the dirty work."

Black Sonny glanced at Donnie and raised no objections.

Donnie nodded. Just as long as I don't have to kill anyone.

......

Half a block behind this crew of mobsters, another car was parked.

Luca and Léon were both dressed in matching black trench coats and signature sunglasses, peeking out from inside the vehicle.

"Tonight should get quite lively."

A smile gradually bloomed at the corners of Luca's mouth.

He glanced at Léon beside him and opened the system panel.

[Bond: Friends]

After spending a long time interacting, the bond between the two had finally reached "Friends." However, the skills of an SSR-tier card were notoriously difficult to learn; at the "Friends" bond level, he could only acquire the skill [Silver Queen].

Looks like he'd have to go raise a pot of Silver Queen pothos plants.

Oh well, from now on, he'd plant Silver Queens all over the club! Fill every corner with them! So that every member who walked in could soothe the negative emotions in their hearts.

Now *that* was a sanctuary of peace!

"Léon, my club is opening next month," Luca said with a smile. "I'm planning to fill the entire club with Silver Queen plants! I'll start planting them tomorrow. What do you think of the idea? I heard you're a master at growing them—you'll have to come and give me some pointers."

"You..."

"Tony told me." Luca shrugged, deflecting the blame onto Teacher Tony. "He said Silver Queens are very important to you—good friends of yours who don't talk."

"Tony seems willing to tell you anything."

"That's not important. What matters is the Silver Queen."

"To raise a Silver Queen, you need care and attention. You have to maintain the right temperature and humidity for her. In winter, she needs more sunlight; in summer, you must avoid direct harsh light... Well, you often have to move her around... and..."

Mentioning this instantly brought out Léon’s enthusiasm. "If you plan to fill a whole club with Silver Queens, you'll need to hire a lot of people to look after them."

"Léon, I've decided to create a brand-new position: Horticulture Manager! That job was made for you. Add that to your role as Head of Security, and I'll double your salary."

"......"

Léon felt a massive headache coming on.

A single pot of good friends required meticulous care; just how agonizingly difficult would it be to raise *that* many good friends?

Right at that moment, out of the corner of their vision, a squad of police officers rounded the street corner and headed straight toward Black Jimmy’s house.

Leading the pack was the corrupt cop Truby.

"The actors are in position."

Luca raised an eyebrow. "Léon, go give them a little extra role to play."