North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws

"Got it. Announce that Diss died of a heart attack. At three o'clock this afternoon, tell those clan members who are currently abroad to return here on time for a family meeting!"

The elder turned around, staring silently at the portrait behind him.

Change is necessary for survival.

His own grandson, Dick, was unable to support the family's current situation. If so, what harm was there in transferring power to a more capable clan member?

As for Dean being of a different surname, it was of no consequence.

What kept people loyal were interests, not surnames.

He had lived for so many years, experiencing all kinds of turmoil, as well as the family's glory and decline. He saw through these things.

「Two o'clock in the afternoon.」

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

There was a knock at the door.

Dean glanced at Niel, who was sleeping like a log. He kissed her forehead, which elicited a mumbled protest. He then couldn't resist pinching her cheek before contentedly getting out of bed to dress.

Actually, he had heard the commotion outside last night.

But for some reason, the Lucchese Family hadn't disturbed him. He didn't know if they intended to downplay Diss's death.

After getting fully armed, Dean slowly opened the door. "What's up, Dick? Is the family meeting starting?"

Dick, still with a trace of sorrow on his face, nodded. "Yes."

"You look like you didn't sleep all night," Dean frowned, his concern convincingly feigned. "You're still young; don't overdo it."

Dick looked at Dean, who had supposedly been busy all night yet still appeared energetic, and was momentarily speechless.

This cousin was an animal.

He awkwardly shook his head. "Last night, something unfortunate happened. My older brother, Diss, died of a sudden heart attack. That's why I've been busy until now and haven't slept."

"Then you should take even more care of yourself, especially since the future burden of the family will likely fall on you," Dean said, feigning sympathy.

When Dick heard this, a smile almost broke through his sorrowful expression, and he nearly couldn't keep up the act.

He quickly tried to cover it up. "Dean, go and wash up. I'll have someone send some food over in a bit. We gather in the meeting room in the main hall at three o'clock sharp."

With that, he yawned, ready to leave.

Dean stopped him. "I heard from my maternal grandfather that the Lucchese Family has called back all the clan members who have scattered. Dick, we're friends now, right? Perhaps you could share some information with me."

Thinking of Dean's potential, Dick hesitated, then lowered his voice and said, "Actually, Grandfather called back all the clan members who were abroad because the Lucchese Family has recently encountered some trouble. We hope to pool our strength to get through this. That's also why my older brother wanted to arrange a marriage with the Buiano Family."

"What trouble?" Dean frowned.

If the trouble was too severe, he would take Niel and leave immediately.

He wasn't one for bad deals.

Dick looked embarrassed. "It's a small, up-and-coming gang. Nothing much, really, but they've gotten too cozy with the local police precinct, and it's making things very frustrating for us."

Dean understood.

This situation was somewhat similar to Los Angeles.

Under the influence of power, members who don't follow the rules inevitably appear, eventually forming an interest group.

This phenomenon exists throughout the United States.

The approach is simple.

If someone is shielding them, they lay low. Then, when an incident blows up, they're offered up as scapegoats to the Internal Affairs Department to cover up the interests of those higher up.

If no one is shielding them, once they grow to a certain point, they're directly taken down by the Internal Affairs Department just to improve their performance metrics.

So... has the Lucchese Family really fallen so far that they're being bullied by gangs involving corrupt cops?

Dick wasn't stupid. Seeing Dean deep in thought, he quickly guessed what Dean was pondering and hastily explained, "Dean, the family's current embarrassing situation is mainly because we assassinated high-ranking police officials during tumultuous times—a very taboo act. As a result, we've been suppressed ever since, right up until that turmoil ended. We managed to survive and maintain our current status mainly by relying on the Mafia alliance. But on the official front, ever since the assassination incident was exposed, we've completely lost any channels to approach them."

The alliance could prevent the Lucchese Family from being actively targeted by the authorities.

But if the Lucchese Family couldn't even handle a small gang and got wiped out, the other Mafia Families would gleefully step in to take over their territory.

After all, across the entire United States, the number of Mafia Families, large and small, has grown to twenty-six. One falling wouldn't be a big deal.

After listening to Dick's explanation, Dean now had a clearer picture of what today's meeting would entail.

So be it...

Time to put on a show.

After finding out the name of the small gang, Dean took out his phone and, right in front of Dick, called Amon to inquire about the gang's background.

Half an hour later, Amon called back, sounding somewhat exasperated. "Dean, that's just a black glove operation for a district councilor to skim money. The target is an old guy about to retire. He's probably trying to extort a final payoff from the Lucchese Family before stepping down. He deliberately collaborated with a few mid-level officials to make a big show of it, hoping to intimidate the Lucchese Family. They wouldn't dare to actually have an open confrontation."

Dean brazenly chose to ignore Amon's complaints.

Power not used goes to waste.

This Amon was actually monitoring him! If Dean didn't take advantage of Amon's current guilt to make him run a few more errands, Dean himself would feel thoroughly unsatisfied!