Make Our Family Great Again – Chapter 155

The news from the boss of the Russo Family was directed at Elena and me.

It was quite shocking to hear that the Viper Training Facility still existed.

Do I really need to elaborate on how persistent the Five Families were in purging the Vipers when they mobilized the Spider and Wolf?

Yet, to think there’s still a Viper Training Facility out there…

“….”

Elena wore a serious expression in response to Darius’s words and said nothing.

Even the mere remnants of the Vipers posed such a threat… if we’re not careful, we’ll be facing a new generation of Vipers.

“Wait a minute.”

It was a thought that made me shudder at the prospect of a truly dreadful future.

But before falling into despair, I needed to confirm something directly with Darius.

“Who did you hear this from?”

“Connor. That was definitely the name.”

“He’s the one Dwight recruited as a new Viper.”

Darius personally burned to death one of the three Vipers he had tormented so painfully.

“….”

I suspected he might be one of the information brokers from the Russo Family, but the source of the info was too reliable.

“Do you know the location of the Viper Training Facility?”

“As of the latest reports, there are only two fully operational facilities.”

Only two? That’s not exactly a large number, but it’s also not good news.

“Wait, when did those two facilities start training Vipers?”

Sparks flew around Darius’s head. His expression, not engulfed in flames, was almost mocking, as if to say, “That’s a sharp question.”

“One was newly established by him, and the other seems to still be using the old facility.”

“….”

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

Why was he telling this to Elena and me? I’m curious.

“We’ll handle both facilities. We’ll torch anyone connected to them.”

Darius displayed an appropriate hatred for anything related to the Viper Training Facility in front of us.

“Yeah, that’s fine. It’s only natural to deal with those dangerous bastards.”

I shared his sentiment.

Anyway, we already secured the two Vipers under Angela, so we didn’t need anyone else.

After all, they weren’t even fully finished products; they were merely failures in the making.

“….”

However, both Elena and Darius remained silent, as if they already knew what I was about to say next.

“But we do have a process. I think you already know this without me explaining it.”

The Russo Family boss wouldn’t need a detailed explanation.

“A Viper Training Facility shouldn’t even be enough to warrant a committee meeting.”

“Fine, do as you will. The location doesn’t matter.”

“But there must be another condition.”

“Start immediately after my brother’s funeral. It’s going to be a full house anyway; that should be feasible.”

Elena and I nodded almost simultaneously.

Thus, the Godfather and Godmother moved away from the boss of the Russo Family, heading in different directions.

The Godfather towards the Marinelli and Solomon Families, while the Godmother headed to the Carmen Family, regarding the committee meeting to be held right after the funeral.

“Elena, how’s that side looking?”

“Veronica’s in favor.”

“Manfredi and Little Dom, too. Seems like there are no opposing families, so the Russos get what they want.”

“Well, I don’t know. While they can’t oppose the meeting itself, I suspect there will be families against what Darius is planning.”

While Elena and I discussed, Felicita approached us from behind.

“Feli.”

“Luke, Manfredi wants you to pass on just one thing.”

“What is it?”

“He’d prefer the location to be the Dragon Hill Hotel.”

“…What? That’s too far.”

It was just as Elena said.

The cemetery we were at was in the northern part of the city. The Dragon Hill Hotel, being the Marinelli Family’s stronghold, was naturally in the southern part.

A long drive across Hebili.

Expect a backlash from the Russo Family, who wanted a quick and fast meeting.

“Then will the Marinelli boss be attending the meeting in person?”

“Yeah, if I had known this would happen, it would have been easier for my father to come himself.”

Though Felicita was passing on the message, she seemed to realize it was a rather unreasonable request.

“Elena, what do you think?”

“Well, it might not be a big deal for us or other families, but don’t you think Darius won’t just sit still?”

It wasn’t that I particularly feared Darius’s anger. The Godfather shouldn’t appear afraid of a mere boss.

“But it might not be without its advantages.”

“What do you mean?”

Instead of refuting me or opposing my words, Elena chose to listen as I finished my thought.

‘Elena has certainly changed quite a bit.’

“At least we can shake off the annoying ones. If we held a meeting around here, we might run into a situation like that Rat Hole incident.”

Previously, there had been a time when the rats in the Hole snapped photos of us leaving the meeting and returning to our individual territories.

We tried to be careful, but sometimes things like that just happen.

We managed to resolve it through dealings with the rat catchers, but we didn’t need a repeat of such incidents.

“Ugh… that’s a fair point.”

“I’ll convince Veronica.”

Felicita already acted like our decision was made. Elena seemed to want to object but eventually held back.

“Elena, go check on Little Dom.”

“What about you, Luke?”

“Well, what’s left is pretty obvious.”

It was my job to persuade Darius and the Russo Family. On second thought, if we’re having the committee meeting on the request of the Marinelli Family at the bastards’ stronghold… shouldn’t they be the ones handling that?

“….”

However, Felicita and Manfredi’s presence at the funeral was practically a major provocation to the Russo Family.

I decided to intervene before the relations between the two families turned even more dramatically and negatively than they already were.

*

To cut to the chase, I succeeded in persuading the Russo Family.

The most important thing is that our Felini Family and the Marinelli Family reached this result without giving anything to the Russo Family.

I approached Darius first, reminding him of the tears Elena and I displayed earlier.

It was Darius who expressed gratitude for the tears we shed for Vesus and his young child.

“Still, isn’t that a bit far?”

“I think so too. But if it’s far for us, it’s equally far for the others, isn’t it?”

Darius was able to handle it easily.

But to persuade Consigliere Damar, I needed another reason. In the end, I argued that since the Russo Family was the one who arranged the committee meeting anyway, we might as well make it worthwhile.

From the cemetery located in the northern part of the city to the Dragon Hill Hotel, situated in the southern part.

The federal government, the Dragovich Family, as well as the rats and rat catchers.

There were swarms of bugs eager to take an interest in our movements. Oh, and we mustn’t forget the various media and reporters in the city.

In any case, to get rid of those disruptive elements, we needed sufficient distance and time.

If we gathered at Dragon Hill as requested by the Marinelli Family, both distance and time would surely be abundant.

“….”

While Damar pondered, I continued laying out the few benefits of this arrangement.

It was clear that it would take time for a response from the Consigliere. But Darius, who wanted to resolve the Viper Training Facility issue quickly, reluctantly nodded.

“Alright, I’ll take that as an agreement.”

Thus, the persuasion of the Russo Family concluded successfully.

Immediately after, I returned to the armored car where my two wives were waiting.

“Warren. Let’s get going since we have a long way to go.”

“Yes, Brother.”

As Warren quickly started the car, Elena scrutinized the then-moving Russo Family, just like us.

“You did a good job persuading the Russos.”

“I believed Luke would succeed.”

“Felicita, can you not create more trouble before making such statements?”

“What?”

Felicita seemed ready to argue about who was to blame for what came next.

All she did in this was relay her father’s words to us. Technically, that means she was relaying what her father said to Manfredi back to us.

While my two wives were engrossed in their debate, I fixed my gaze out the window.

Other families were setting off towards the same destination without issues.

“Warren. Don’t get too close to the other families; maintain a reasonable distance.”

“Understood.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to take a different route?”

“That would take too long. It’s already a trek from the northern to southern city.”

“Hmm….”

Elena’s expression turned uncertain upon hearing my words.

“Elena, moderation is key in everything.”

To that, Felicita agreed with me for the time being.

By maintaining a reasonable distance during travel, if anyone chasing us appeared, we could disperse in different directions.

“Sure, that wouldn’t be bad.”

As the bosses and staff of the Five Families made their way to the Dragon Hill Hotel.

The situation Elena worried about did come to pass.

While it wasn’t a lethal threat, there were clearly curious individuals watching our every move.

“At this point, it should be fine to disperse. Warren!”

“Yes!”

We were the first to choose a different path.

What happens once tends to happen again. The Carmen Family and Solomon Family veered off after us.

I assumed the Marinelli Family and Russo Family would do the same.

Thus, my two wives and I arrived at our destination before any other family.

“…Elena, are we the first ones here?”

“It seems like it.”

Thanks to their special modifications and the machine guns placed at the back, our armored car was heavier and slower than other vehicles.

For us to have arrived first was hard to believe.

“I’ll take the lead from here.”

“….”

As soon as we exited the car, Felicita volunteered to lead us.

Having the boss’s eldest daughter personally guide us was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

The hotel staff and the members of the Marinelli Family seemed more surprised by Felicita’s appearance than by Elena and me.

“Where’s your father?”

“He’s waiting in the conference room on the 8th floor, Miss.”

Elena and I boarded the elevator, following Felicita.

At least in this situation, it felt like we weren’t the protagonists of our lives; instead, we played a supporting role to highlight another protagonist.

That just underscored how absolute Felicita’s influence was within the Marinelli Family.

“Okay, here’s the conference room.”

“That door’s bigger than I expected.”

“The inside of the conference room is much bigger and more extravagant.”

Felicita pushed both sides of the door strongly with her arms.

Before I could step in to help, Elena moved first. With Elena’s help, the door opened much quicker.

I barely needed to help at all.

The moment the conference room door opened, we saw several enormous chairs set up inside. Not just any chairs, but ones that resembled thrones fit for royalty.

“Looks like you finally made it. Waiting was quite the trial.”

In one of the occupied chairs sat Vito Marinelli, the boss of the Marinelli Family, hunched over slightly.

Even seated, he supported himself with a cane, which seemed to reflect the years he had endured.

Likewise, his face was full of wrinkles bearing the marks of time, with the most prominent feature being… his still striking blue eyes.

It seems the impact of addiction to Blue Eyes hasn’t diminished.

“Godfather, Godmother. I’ve prepared seats for both of you.”

Regardless of anything else, he pointed with the tip of his cane towards the seats meant for Elena and me.

As I followed his indication, I noticed there were two huge chairs uncomfortably close to each other.

“It seems we were indeed the first to arrive.”

In this situation, all I could do was… wait alongside my wives for the bosses of the other families to show up.

While waiting for their arrival, naturally, Vito Marinelli began to converse with us first.