Soon, the officers met Luca, who was dressed in an Italian blue-black suit and had a handsome appearance. The moment Luca appeared, a multitude of reporters and media outlets turned their cameras and microphones toward him. Many reporters assumed Luca was a police officer and wondered how someone as handsome as an elf prince could appear among the monsters and freaks of the New York Police Department.
David recognized Luca; wasn't he the helpful neighbor he had met at the Bronx apartment murder case? Unaware of Luca's Mafia identity, he smiled and shook his hand. "It's you, my kind neighbor. You look very handsome in that suit—I almost didn't recognize you."
Richie said, "Thank you for your cooperation."
McClane said, "Thanks a lot, man. You've done us a huge favor!"
Richie and McClane also politely shook hands with Luca, thanking him for his help.
Luca smiled. "I'm happy to be able to help the police. I just want to assist in solving the case as soon as possible and restore peace to the neighborhood."
The officers all smiled warmly, forming a good impression of Luca.
[Bond: Attention]
Luca was very satisfied with the attention he had received all at once; his role as a helpful citizen had paid off. Only old William frowned almost imperceptibly. A veteran in the NYPD, he knew exactly what kind of man Luca was. Richie, on the other hand, had never met Luca before. McClane, whose marriage was on the rocks and who had recently been transferred back to New York from Los Angeles, also knew nothing about Luca.
"Greco, don't you live in the Bronx? What are you doing here?"
"I moved," Luca explained. "Someone in my neighbor's house died, which is really unlucky. I don't like that kind of environment. Now I've moved to the Central Park area. I thought Manhattan would be safer, but I didn't expect to encounter something like this just a few days after moving here."
Hearing Luca's words, McClane—already feeling uneasy—immediately agreed. "Manhattan isn't much better than the Bronx, and the housing prices here are even higher."
He felt that New York was chaotic everywhere; there was no peaceful place. No—the whole of America was like this. Wherever he went, trouble followed. Yes, the fault was not with them, but with the country.
The other officers also felt Luca's words made sense. They were true, and they instinctively wanted to agree. Even William, the seasoned detective who knew Luca's identity, nearly found himself nodding along.
New York has indeed become quite unequal lately!
Something seems off.
William suddenly paused, realizing he was a police officer. How could he so easily agree with what a Mafia member said? He rubbed his temples and asked again, "So, Greco, you just happened to be passing by on your way home?"
"Of course. I just picked up my sister from school. She's in middle school now, and I still have to pick her up." As he spoke, Luca turned and waved toward the car not far away. "Spencer Middle School—you know it, right? We just came from there."
William noticed Matilda's cute little head sticking out of the car window, her bright eyes looking at him curiously. He smiled at her, then turned back to Luca with a strange expression.
Although the idea of the Mafia helping the police was absurd, perhaps because of Matilda—or perhaps because Luca wasn't lying and had genuinely helped the police—William felt a strange sensation and subconsciously found Luca's words credible.
"Oh, okay." William extended his hand. "Thank you for your cooperation."
Luca smiled and shook his hand.
[Harmless Disguise] + [Shameless]
These two skills together are truly useful. As long as he did not lie or fabricate anything, gaining the trust of the police seemed surprisingly easy.
Luca then bid farewell to everyone, not wanting to delay the police from handling the murderer, and walked back to his car to silently await the outcome.
Let me make an appearance first and leave a good impression on these rare NYPD cards. There will be plenty of opportunities to get to know each other in the future.
Richie's drug war. David's Seven Deadly Sins. McClane with his Die Hard–like tendencies.
They would grow closer over time. A peace ambassador who enjoyed making friends would never stand idly by.
Just then, several reporters and photographers surrounded him.
"Excuse me, sir, are you a local New Yorker? What are your thoughts on this recent incident in Times Square?"
"Times Square? What's so special about this crappy Times Square? Isn't it normal for shootings to happen here? I'm used to the sirens in Manhattan every night—I can't sleep without them. Remember there were two shootings around here just a few days ago? Hmm? Are you going to air this on TV?"
"Correct."
"Oh, wait a minute—just a moment. Cut that part."
Luca smoothed his hair, gathered his thoughts, and spoke with a friendly smile.
"This incident happened so suddenly, and lives have been lost, which I find deeply distressing. But I want to emphasize that even in the darkest times, we can still see the light of hope.
"First of all, I would like to highly commend the NYPD's swift response and professionalism. They evacuated the crowd and cordoned off the scene immediately after the shooting. This efficient action ensured the safety of citizens to the greatest extent possible, fully demonstrating the NYPD's training and sense of responsibility.
"Times Square in New York is not only a bustling landmark, but also a symbol of peace. As John Lennon once said: Give peace a chance. Gunfire should not be the backdrop of our era.
"As a peace-loving and enthusiastic citizen, I firmly believe in the importance of peace. Justice and goodwill will ultimately triumph over fear. Support law enforcement! Let us build a safer home with our belief in peace, and let the neon lights of Times Square forever illuminate the path of hope."
---
"What? Greco is a member of the Mafia? And the hitman at the Continental Hotel?"
Upon hearing Old William's explanation, the other officers exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions growing increasingly astonished.
The Fuck? We just shook hands with the Mafia? And we even thanked him?
William, looking speechless, explained, "Luca Greco is from the Lucchese family, nicknamed Luca the Dove—the Peace Ambassador. You know those Italian families have rigid rules, and Greco's rule is that he can't stand anyone causing trouble on his turf. He hates conflict and prefers peace. As long as you're doing honest business, he's welcoming."
Just kidding. Sometimes he's more involved than we are, and the crime rate in Little Italy on Arthur Avenue has indeed dropped significantly.
Richie: "."
David: "."
McClane: "."
How did the Mafia and peace ambassadors get linked together? It was rare to hear the Mafia speak of valuing peace. And was that claim about the crime rate even true?
William added, "But don't think he's a good person. He's a killer, with so much blood on his hands it can never be washed away. He's just always been careful, and the police have never found evidence against him."
Furthermore, neither the Continental Hotel nor the Lucchese family were entities ordinary police officers could afford to offend. Therefore, William Somerset had no intention of provoking Luca.
I'm about to retire. Better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Richie smiled. "I'm starting to like him. At least he doesn't just talk—he just did us a big favor."
The other officers wore complicated expressions. Their feelings toward Luca were even more conflicted.
I don't really feel much hostility toward that smiling guy.
That's a "good guy"?
At that moment, the SWAT team completed their operation and successfully apprehended the murderer. However, the murderer had slit his own throat beforehand; his corpse was still fresh.
The police carried the body on a stretcher for the victim, Stuard, to confirm.
Stuard said, "I know him. He's a delivery guy who brought me pizza once, but I told him to fuck off."
"People these days are so wicked," someone nearby complained.
It turned out to be merely a quarrel that escalated into deadly conflict. With that, the killer's identity was "confirmed," and the sniping case came to a "perfect end."
Several officers smiled.
_________________________________________________________________________
Ding! You assisted the police in protecting the hostages, calmed the panic in Times Square, and upheld the peace of Times Square.
[Gain Skill Points +5]
[Gain Skill Fragment +2]
__________________________________________________________________________
"That's all the reward?" Luca, having just finished the interview, expressed mild regret.
The reward is lower because the real culprit hasn't been caught yet.
This guy was impressive; he even helped the police confirm the room number beforehand, yet still managed to slip away unnoticed.
Luca looked at a man not far away carrying a suitcase, standing beside the ambulance and talking to Stuard. Stu, sedated by a doctor, lay helplessly on the stretcher, able only to watch the real murderer swagger in front of him.
Luca's lips curled into a cold smile.
That guy is the real murderer.
However, the panel did not provide a character card. Perhaps it was because this man appeared only once in the original story and had no name or identity information—like a ghost.
That no longer mattered.
Luca could still recognize him—not only by his face, but because the bastard insisted on showing off in front of Stuard.
That amused Luca.
Pretending, huh?
Luca would show him exactly why villains die from talking too much and acting pretentious.
"It seems that I, the peace ambassador, will have to take action personally."
Luca touched the gun at his waist.
Where does peace come from without violence?
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