North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws-Chapter 526 - 308: Letter_1

September 7th, evening.

The day after tomorrow was the appointed time to head to the location given by the Lucifer Game Organization.

Dean had a good gathering with his family at his grandfather's farm. Before leaving, his mother Sheila, quite drunk, pulled Dean aside, "Dean, I rarely interfere with your choices, but Niel is a good girl. If possible, Mom hopes you settle down, get married, have children, and preferably let me be a grandmother..."

"Mom, you're drunk."

Dean looked at the increasingly evident crow's feet at the corners of his mother's eyes and gently carried her back to her room.

When he came out, his grandfather, Old Laine, called Dean into the family conference room and tossed a document in front of him. "This is something sent over from the New York Lucchese Family. They were worried you wouldn't want to accept it, so they asked me to pass it on to you."

Dean took it and saw they were transfer agreements for assets such as bars. The agreements were already signed by the Lucchese Family. All he had to do was sign his name and take them to a lawyer for notarization to complete the transfer.

Dean tossed aside the document, took out the pipe Niel had given him, lit it, and puffed clumsily a few times. His tongue tingled from the harsh smoke as he said, "Grandpa, what is this? Protection money from them?"

He wasn't accustomed to smoking a pipe. But Niel liked to see him with a pipe, so Dean always kept it with him.

Old Laine laughed heartily at Dean's naive expression, "You could call it protection money. After all, it's only by using your friend's name that they can maintain their current business. Take it. They are all clean businesses. Blood relations naturally add a layer of trust. In the adult world, reciprocation deepens relationships."

Dean nodded at these words.

The New York Lucchese Family, though not as glorious as before, still had their network and reputation. With that reputation, they could obtain a lot of information and intelligence that outsiders couldn't access. A day would come when it could be useful.

He picked up the document, intending to hand it over to Niel for handling.

As he was leaving, Old Laine leaned back in the main chair, the one symbolizing his position as head of the family, and said softly, "Dean, my grandson, no matter what troubles you find yourself in out there, don't try to bear it all alone. Seek our help in time. We are always family..."

Dean paused.

He had arranged today's gathering using the excuse that he was leaving Los Angeles again for work. But he obviously hadn't fooled his grandfather, the old fox. The old man sensed that Dean was hiding something. Without asking for details, he simply trusted his grandson to handle these matters. His words were meant only to let Dean know that his family was always his last safe haven and retreat!

This was a belief the old Mafioso had held throughout his life.

Dean felt very warm inside.

He turned his head, chuckling lightly, "Grandpa, you should pray for those who mess with me; tell them to fend for themselves!"

Watching Dean's figure disappear into the night, Old Laine slowly stood up. He walked to the portrait of his ancestors, took out a long-unused pipe from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and said with a smile, "What a pity it's not the '40s and '50s. Otherwise, Dean would definitely become a great man in the Italian Mafia. A real pity indeed."

「The next day.」

September 8th.

Dean bade farewell to Niel and drove to Little Mike's place.

When he arrived at Little Mike's estate, the latter was in the garden, basking in the sun while being attended to by a middle-aged Caucasian maid.

Though a teenager, he had the physique of a seven or eight-year-old child but the mind of an adult in their twenties. This was Little Mike—a thin rod topped with a giant balloon.

He looked much weaker than when Dean last saw him.

"You look worse than I imagined."

Looking at Little Mike's condition, Dean felt a rare pang of guilt. Little Mike is in such a state, and yet I still have the audacity to ask him for help. How shameless of me.

Little Mike, however, was unfazed, "What's the difference? I couldn't go far before, and now I just can't move much at all. I actually have more time to look for ways to save myself, and I've found some clues."

Dean shrugged, "Alright then, if there's anything you need my help with, just say the word. Also, this is something I came upon by chance. It might be of some help to you."

With that, Dean placed a USB drive on the tray of Little Mike's wheelchair.

Inside it was a very detailed explanation of the Ancient Yoga Breathing Technique and some practice videos recorded with Niel's help, which could be used as a reference. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Little Mike's bodily functions were very weak. Ordinary exercise would only harm him, not help.

Coincidentally, the Ancient Yoga Breathing Technique could be practiced while lying down and could stimulate precise control over the body. As long as he wasn't reckless, it wouldn't cause any physical harm, making it very suitable for Little Mike and possibly helpful.

Little Mike nodded, tapped on his wheelchair, and a secret compartment popped out. The secret compartment was small and contained some small electronic components that Dean didn't recognize.

Besides that, there was also a very compact walkie-talkie. This wasn't just a simple walkie-talkie but a satellite phone with locating capabilities.

"Here's what you need. Although I haven't yet found out why the Lucifer Organization is organizing this large-scale death game, since it's a multi-person event, there will surely be many surveillance devices. Just plug these into a network cable, and I can launch a counter-intrusion and give you some support."

Little Mike continued, tapping another button on his wheelchair. Another secret compartment sprang open, revealing the chip hidden inside.