Hidden Assassin 233

Let’s talk about the Mafia.

Originating from Sicily, Italy, and Corsica, France, this form of illegal organization, by the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, had undoubtedly become the most well-known synonym for organized crime worldwide. As one of the world’s leading criminal organizations, on par with the Japanese Yakuza, the Hong Kong Triads, and Colombian drug cartels, the Mafia, with its family-based system, infiltrated the United States in the early 20th century, subsequently growing to its most powerful scale. Although their influence was partially dismantled by the FBI in the 1970s and 1980s, they have maintained considerable power and influence to this day, operating in a range of businesses including smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking, assassination, and waste recycling.

Today, centered around New York, there are dozens of Mafia branches across the United States, the most famous of which are the Five Families: Gambino, Bonanno, Colombo, Genovese, and Lucchese. Among them, the Gambino family holds the most powerful position. Throughout American Mafia history, whether it’s been striking down others or being struck down themselves, their presence has been undeniable. Take for instance, Joseph “Joe Bananas” Bonanno, originally from one of the oldest Mafia families in Italy, who became the first leader of the American Mafia. He was eventually defeated by Carlo Gambino, who, incidentally, served as the prototype for the protagonist in the film “The Godfather.”

Compared to the Gambinos, the Salieri family is not considered powerful. While both have irreconcilable conflicts arising from various issues, they aren’t considered arch-rivals. As the long-standing first family of the Mafia, the Gambinos have the power to suppress the Salieris, but simultaneously face numerous other challenges. Under the principle of checks and balances, they’ve never been able to fully eradicate the Salieri family. However, as the weaker side, their usual goal is self-preservation. Nevertheless, each time a new Godfather takes over the Gambino family, the Salieris have to scramble and feel anxious for a while.

Following the death of [the previous Gambino boss], the Salieri family began to reach out and forge relationships with various factions, signaling their intentions as a means of preemptively warning the Gambinos: “I still have friends. If you want to move against me, others might not agree. So don’t go crazy.”

Having interacted with each other for so many years, they all understand that John “Domo” D’amico is a smiling tiger. Guided by the principle of self-interest, he favors peace, and at the same time, he’s skilled at using this facade to deceive others, forming alliances and eliminating all rivals.

The party tonight at the Salieri estate is, in fact, held for this very reason.

“I remember… the last time we had a party like this was…” As they walked along the brightly lit path, Marilyn ran her fingers through her long golden hair, reminiscing about events from years ago. Beside her, Jia Ming was the first to provide the answer: “1992, right?”

“Uh…”

“Gotti went to prison that year, and Little Gotti took over his position.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Heidi turned seven that year. Everyone felt relieved. John Gotti was very high-profile. Being his enemy during that time was a terrifying experience, but he was too flamboyant. He constantly gave interviews, humiliated government officials, and then Sammy “The Bull” Gravano’s testimony landed him in prison… Heidi probably doesn’t remember, but before that, we always had a whole group of people following us whenever we went out. I hated going out after a while. I learned Chinese and traveled to China for a month. I stayed in Beijing…” Marilyn spoke as her thoughts drifted, her memory of that period of seclusion being hazy. Upon mentioning Tang Jingyao, she immediately shut her mouth, smiling and saying, “Sorry.”

“You remember?”

“Yes.” Marilyn nodded. “I remember everything, but the feelings are gone. It’s strange, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know.” Jia Ming shook his head. “I don’t understand that sort of thing…”

“Give me your thoughts.”

“Say, whoever in this party you don’t like, I’ll go kill him.” He helplessly shrugged his shoulders. “That’s still relatively simple.”

“You.” Marilyn sighed regretfully, laughing. “You really don’t understand women’s hearts. You’re like a wooden man sometimes…”

Jia Ming smiled without saying anything. He’d been trained in understanding human hearts, but… that was just training, just the skills of killing…

By this time, they had reached the front of the main house. It was already past eight in the evening, and all the guests had arrived. They were mingling throughout the house. Most of them were powerful underworld figures, while the hosts were a smaller group. The number of bodyguards and underlings accompanying these figures was at least three times the number of guests. Jia Ming glanced around, thinking to himself, *If I placed a bomb here, I wonder how much chaos would ensue in the New York underworld*. Bombs… missiles… large-scale weapons of mass destruction rotated in his mind. As they entered the hall, several people who knew Marilyn approached them. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Marilyn effortlessly engaged in conversation with them…

…

…

“Wesley got a modified military Hummer last month. Powerful engine. Gets about one liter of fuel per kilometer…”

“I’m guessing the only purpose of that car is to transport oil tankers…”

“Hals is going to invest in charity. He’s going to start a children’s adoption center.”

“I heard he used to kill without blinking an eye. Child slaughterhouse, huh? Haha…”

The Mafia gatherings of the late 20th century no longer carried the slightly gloomy atmosphere of the black-and-white films in “The Godfather.” With bright lights and smooth music, the people around them were mostly discussing matters related to money. Of course, if you listened closely, you could occasionally hear some underground gossip that ordinary people wouldn’t be privy to. But no one mentioned Gambino, nor John D’amico. After all, this wasn’t a formal Mafia gathering. No one would formally declare their stance on the relationship between Gambino and Salieri. However, everyone agreed that an all-out war between the two families should be avoided.

Standing beside Marilyn for a while, Jia Ming heard her talking about waste recycling businesses. This was considered a relatively legal business for the Mafia. In New York, these things were largely monopolized by the Mafia. There were even cases of people being killed in New York for picking up trash. This was indeed a reality. The usually meek and mild Marilyn, who was always so gentle in front of Jia Ming, now displayed a calm and composed demeanor, maintaining the necessary courtesy and handling the situation with perfect ease. Having listened to them chat for a while, Jia Ming gestured for Heidi and apologized to Marilyn before leaving the conversation to follow her.

“Uh, sorry…”

“Don’t mind me.” Jia Ming smiled. “I mean it.”

“You’re my guest.”

Jia Ming shrugged his shoulders. “I thought I should be the host.”

“You can be, if you like.”

“Stupid woman…”

Marilyn followed behind. Soon, more people came over to greet her. After all, she was technically the host, and, more importantly, while not the best, she was also not the worst. The Salieris might be weaker than the Gambinos, but they were still a successful Mafia branch. A woman like her, who had been living alone for many years, possessing a blend of Eastern tranquility and Western sensuality, would undoubtedly be the ideal candidate for a marriage-based ascension to power, even though she had a daughter.

Since she insisted on accompanying him, Jia Ming had to walk slowly, stopping whenever necessary. He wasn’t interested in the party itself, and the backgrounds of those participating didn’t evoke any particular emotion in him, neither reverence nor disdain. Shortly, Marilyn was busy dealing with a new wave of greeters. Jia Ming sat down on a nearby chair when Joseph approached him with a glass of wine in his hand.

“What do you think of New York?”

“Very noisy.”

“Yes, I feel the same sometimes.” Joseph smiled. “So, I heard you guys ran into some trouble this morning?”

“Yeah.”

“I think that’s normal. Statistics show that a crime occurs in New York every eight seconds… Oh, Charles, long time no see. How’s life on the West Coast?” As he spoke, a long-haired man came over and sat down nearby. Joseph greeted him, and the man smiled. “Business isn’t good in Los Angeles. The Spaniards are getting more and more arrogant. A few days ago, some black guys were shot dead on the street for no reason. They don’t like black people in their territory. The situation is very tense right now. It’s almost Christmas, and with John D’amico’s situation, it seems I came back just in time… Oh, this is…”

“Marilyn and Heidi’s friend, Gu Jia Ming from China. Jia Ming, this is Charles, but we usually call him Prince.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Marilyn’s cousin.” Charles shook hands with Jia Ming and started chatting with Joseph about the Gambino family. After a while, they saw Marilyn’s father, Old Victor, walking through the ballroom towards them. Joseph and Charles were the two most important leaders of the Salieri family, and they seemed to be discussing business. Jia Ming got up and prepared to leave. He had only taken a few steps when a figure rushed over from the side, grabbing his hand. It was Heidi.

“I finally found you! I thought you and Mom weren’t coming.” She waved to Joseph and the others, then pulled Jia Ming towards a side door of the ballroom, whispering excitedly, “I’ll show you something good.”

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