New York City sits in the southeastern part of New York State; although it isn't the state capital, it's the largest city in the state. Head northwest out of the city, cross the entire state, and you'll reach the northern border between the United States and Canada.
Simon Gruber and his group had already left New York, driving their trucks north.
"Dove, once I deliver the goods, I'll have someone return the trucks to you," Simon said over the phone to Luca. "All fourteen—intact. If I'd known you were such a big player in New York, I would've come to you sooner."
Of course, that was complete nonsense.
Why would he ever willingly cooperate with someone else?
With that much gold, keeping it all for himself was the only logical choice. Simon had never planned to work with outsiders—not even for a second—and he had already executed Mathias Targo without hesitation. If Targo hadn't insisted on that insane idea of blowing the gold to pieces and sinking it to the ocean floor, Simon might've considered sparing him.
In the end, their philosophies simply didn't align.
And yet, for some reason, Simon found Luca's voice over the phone… surprisingly pleasant—almost trustworthy; he could practically picture Luca speaking with a calm smile.
Thinking back on their two brief encounters, aside from using force to reclaim the trucks and demand compensation, Luca hadn't done anything to harm his interests—in fact, he had even helped deal with the customs officers.
In a strange way, he actually felt like a decent partner.
Luca was powerful, connected, and clearly influential within an organization like the Mafia; perhaps… there really would be opportunities to work together in the future.
That thought took root quickly—and deeply.
After ending the call, Simon fixed his eyes on the road ahead, already planning his next steps—how to handle the gold once he reached Canada, and what kind of international ripple effects this stunt might cause.
"First, get out of the U.S.," he muttered. "Then stash the gold somewhere safe."
---
4:30 PM.
Luca met Mathilda at the SSR Club.
The girl skipped over, grabbed his hand, and excitedly told him everything that had happened at school—including how she had organized the evacuation at gunpoint.
Luca couldn't help but smile.
So that's how she handled it.
Not long after, Luca ran into Brian again—who still hadn't reported anything to the FBI.
In his view, even though the Dove had only wanted his trucks back, he had still indirectly caused the deaths of quite a few people; Brian himself hadn't pulled the trigger—he had just driven—but that didn't make it sit any easier.
At the bar, Brian held a glass of juice, a conflicted look flashing across his face.
Compared to his old life in the Los Angeles underworld, the past six months at the SSR Club had been… peaceful—he liked the atmosphere, liked the people, especially the Silver Queens.
He glanced at Luca, who was patiently helping Mathilda with her homework.
It was hard to reconcile that calm, almost gentle figure with someone who could casually decide life and death.
"Dove," Brian finally said, hesitating, "about this afternoon… you worked with Simon Gruber, took a huge amount of money from him, and a lot of people died. That's not going to be easy to clean up, is it?"
Luca turned and looked at him for a couple of seconds.
Those people were mercenaries—terrorists involved in bombings; even if they were all killed, the FBI would probably applaud.
"Brian," Luca asked calmly, "have you ever killed anyone?"
Brian shook his head.
"No. I've smash people, sure—but this was my first real firefight… first time seeing this many people die."
He paused, then added with a wry shrug, "I've been with you a while, and this is the first time you've let me get involved in something like this."
Luca's gaze remained unreadable.
So far, he had deliberately kept Brian away from the family's core operations—no robberies, no extortion; even in the gasoline business, Brian was just a driver, completely unaware of what was really going on.
Most of the time, Luca had him assist with operations that aligned with law enforcement—like the sewer "counter-terrorism" incident; sooner or later, the FBI would uncover the identities of those mercenaries and their ties to Simon Gruber anyway.
"Brian," Luca said, pouring himself a drink, "you've been around long enough—you know what life is like for most people in the Mafia. You're never really in control of your own fate."
People like Anthony Cassel and his crew lived under constant orders—they didn't get to choose.
"I don't force my people into things they can't handle," Luca continued with a faint smile. "Everything's negotiable. If this isn't for you, you can do something else—something you actually enjoy."
"Brother!" Mathilda suddenly interrupted. "You said you wouldn't make things hard for me—but you make me go to school and won't let me skip. That's definitely making things hard for me."
Luca: "…"
He paused, momentarily speechless, then gently turned her head away and went back to Brian.
"You're an adult, Brian. You can tell me what you want. Remember when you said you came to New York to make big money? I can give you those opportunities."
Brian forced a smile and took a sip, trying to hide the complicated emotions swirling inside him.
Mathilda leaned in with a grin. "I know you're doing it for my own good. Studying just gives me more choices later."
Brian looked at her, a hint of affection in his eyes.
After spending so much time with her, he knew exactly what kind of girl she was—growing up around Mafia members hadn't twisted her; if anything, it had made her stronger and more optimistic.
"Dove," Brian said quietly, "everyone in Little Italy knows what you've done—but sometimes I understand your actions… and sometimes I don't."
"For example?"
"Working with Simon Gruber."
"Then just wait and see," Luca replied lightly. "Thinking too much about it will only give you a headache."
When it came to exceptional individuals, Luca could be ruthless—his past dealings with Gallo, and now his calculated approach to Simon, were proof of that.
Everything was already part of a larger plan.
He could have manipulated Brian—thrown trouble his way, then played the savior to deepen loyalty—but he chose not to.
With people like Mathilda, Jimmy, Leon, Daredevil, and O-Ren Ishii, he preferred a more relaxed approach—help when needed, otherwise treat them like ordinary friends.
His obsession with Simon this time wasn't just about the gold—it was about the skill.
An aura-type ability like that could significantly reduce crime within his territory; combined with his Peace Ambassador ability, the effect would stack—if even a handful of people each day chose to follow the rules instead of breaking them, the reduction in violence would add up over time.
Like the absolute rules inside certain Continental-style hotels—peace enforced, no exceptions.
In the future, whether he became the head of the family, the chairman, or even an elder at the High Table, the rules he set would carry real weight.
Right now, he was waiting.
---
A few years later in the original storyline, after Carlo Gambino's death, a massive federal crackdown would sweep through New York—prosecutors, FBI, police, all working together with every tool available: infiltration, wiretaps, informants.
The Five Families would be shaken to their core—bosses arrested or killed, power drastically reduced, never fully recovering.
It was a disaster waiting to happen.
And Luca intended to rise from its ashes.
When that day came, he would become the new voice of the New York Mafia—the new Godfather—and his rules would shape the underworld.
Snapping back to the present, Brian sighed.
"So what do you actually want, Dove?"
Luca smiled faintly.
"I want the Silver Queen to bloom everywhere."
"…What?"
"From this club, to Little Italy, to all of New York—and eventually, the whole world."
Brian laughed. "You can't grow flowers in the desert."
"As long as I'm there," Luca said calmly, "there's nowhere they can't grow."
Brian fell silent, slightly shaken by the certainty in his tone.
Maybe… just maybe… he really could do it.
For now, Brian decided to wait—and keep watching.
At that moment, Luca received a call from David; the Diplomatic Security Service wanted information about the missing trucks.
Before leaving, Luca reminded Mathilda, "Finish your homework. If I don't come back tonight, have Uncle Jimmy leave me a message."
She waved him off. "Relax, I can take care of myself."
---
Twenty minutes later, Luca arrived discreetly at the NYPD.
When he saw the Diplomatic Security Service agent, he was briefly stunned—his first thought was of that blond street racer, as if the two of them were destined to be brothers-in-arms.
"Luke Hobbs, Diplomatic Security Service," the man said, extending a hand. "Good to meet you, Mr. Greco."
Hobbs stood like a steel tower—broad, imposing, almost overwhelming; Luca could swear the room got darker just from his presence.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
[Character Card Discovered: Luke Hobbs (Unlocked)]
[Rank: S]
[Source: Fast & Furious]
[Skills: Absolute Strength; Samoan War Dance]
[Bond: Stranger]
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Hobbs wasn't originally from the U.S.—his roots traced back to Samoa, where traditional war dances were still practiced; intense, primal, and full of raw energy.
He had even brought that culture with him—once teaching a group of girls to use a war dance to boost morale during a soccer match, scaring their opponents stiff and catching the attention of more than a few enthusiastic moms.
A walking bundle of raw testosterone.
When Luca shook his hand, he immediately felt the sheer force behind it—solid, unyielding strength.
"I called you in about the fourteen stolen trucks," Hobbs said, getting straight to the point, then proceeded to confirm every detail—the time of disappearance, vehicle models, cargo, last known locations.
Luca answered honestly, even adding, "My people saw them refueling at a gas station—heading northwest."
Hobbs immediately pulled out a map and gathered David, McClane, and the others.
After a brief discussion, he jabbed a finger at the map.
"The northern border," he said. "They're heading into Canada—the fastest way out of the U.S."
Everyone agreed.
David clenched his fist, eyes shining as he looked at Luca. "Dove—you really are our lucky star."
"Glad I could help," Luca replied with a smile.
McClane laughed. "From now on, I'm only filling up at your gas stations—I'll be your most loyal customer."
Watching Luca joke around with the officers, Hobbs gave him a long, thoughtful look—then immediately shifted into action, issuing orders to mobilize units, alert border checkpoints, and coordinate interception teams.
Those trucks weren't moving fast.
They still had time to catch them.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Support me on P Site/OrbisTranslate
And as always, each 100 Stones = 2 Bonus Chapters.