29: Chapter 29: Establishing Authority with Force and Completely Slapping Faces in the Face

Just as Marcus's fingers were about to touch the cash, Lin Chen's hand clamped onto the other man's wrist like a steel vice, his grip precise and ruthless.

"Argh—!" Caught off guard, the intense pain instantly contorted Marcus's features. Veins bulged on his forehead as his arrogance was snuffed out, leaving only a scream of agony. "Let... let go!"

"Did I say you could take it?" Lin Chen's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough to silence the surrounding noise. His gaze was cold, and the strength in his hand didn't diminish in the slightest.

"Fuck! Are you bastards blind? Get him!" Marcus hissed, gasping from the pain as he roared at the dazed lackeys behind him.

The five thugs snapped out of it, brandishing their clubs and lunging forward with murderous looks.

"Brother Chen, leave them to me!"

Li Wei, unable to hold back any longer, moved the moment he heard the command. Instead of retreating, he charged toward the first yellow-haired thug to reach him. He twisted his waist and dodged the wooden club swinging at his head, his fist striking the man's nose like a cannonball.

"Bang!"

A dull thud was accompanied by the clear sound of bone cracking. The yellow-haired thug didn't even grunt before falling backward, blood spraying from his nose.

Li Wei didn't stop. His footwork was swift. The moment a second, tall and thin thug raised an iron bar, Li Wei delivered a fierce low kick to the back of his knee.

"Crack!"

"Ah—!" The tall thug screamed as he collapsed to his knees, the iron bar slipping from his hand. He rolled on the ground, clutching his twisted knee.

In a flash, two men were down. The remaining three thugs stopped dead in their tracks. Holding their clubs, they looked at the demonic Li Wei and then at their boss, who was held by Lin Chen and dripping with cold sweat. Their ferocity vanished, replaced by suspicion and fear, and they began to back away involuntarily.

Lin Chen seemed completely indifferent to the fight behind him, his gaze locked onto Marcus's face, which had turned the color of pig liver from pain and anger. He leaned in slightly, whispering into Marcus's ear with a voice as cold as an icicle:

"Try anything again, and I'll snap this hand off. Do you understand?"

Marcus shuddered. The sharp pain in his wrist and the soulless chill in Lin Chen's eyes left him with no doubt about the truth of those words. Arrogance and greed quickly faded in the face of absolute suppression and pain, leaving only the most primal fear.

"I... I understand..." He squeezed the words out through gritted teeth, no longer daring to struggle.

Only then did Lin Chen slowly release his grip, but almost simultaneously, his other hand shot out like lightning, shoving Marcus in the chest.

Marcus stumbled back several steps and fell onto his backside. Clutching his wrist, which felt as if it were broken, he gasped for air and glared at Lin Chen with shock and rage, yet he didn't dare utter another word.

By now, Li Wei had moved to stand in front of Lin Chen, coldly scanning the three thugs who didn't dare step forward. He cracked his knuckles with a light "pop." Under his gaze, the three of them took another step back in unison.

Silence fell over the area. All the Chinese onlookers went from initial terror and worry to being dumbstruck. Then, as they realized what had happened, someone led the way, and a thunderous burst of cheers and applause erupted!

"Great hit!"

"That felt good! Someone should have taught these scumbags a lesson long ago!"

"Well done! You've done our Chinatown proud!"

The long-suppressed frustration was completely released at this moment. The crowd was excited, their eyes filled with admiration and gratitude as they looked at Lin Chen and Li Wei.

Lin Chen gave a slight nod to the surrounding cheers as a response. He no longer looked at Marcus, who was slumped on the ground with a venomous but fearful gaze. Lin Chen walked to the stone pillar, calmly picked up the stack of $10,000, counted out $5,000, and with a flick of his wrist, the crisp bills fanned out before snapping shut.

He walked up to Marcus and threw the $5,000 at the man's feet.

"This is what Li Wei owed you, principal and interest. We're even."

Then, his gaze swept over the three terrified thugs before landing back on Marcus's face. His voice reached everyone's ears clearly:

"Take your money and your people, and get out of here. From now on, if you ever dare to step foot in Chinatown again, or touch anyone here..."

He paused, not finishing the sentence, but the chill that suddenly gathered in his eyes carried more weight than any threat.

Marcus's cheek muscles twitched violently, a mix of shame, anger, and fear. But in the end, he gritted his teeth and used his uninjured hand to tremblingly pick up the cash, clutching it tightly. He struggled to his feet, not even daring to look at Lin Chen again. He only let out a muffled, hateful growl and waved a frantic hand at his men: "Let's go!"

The three thugs looked as if they had been granted a grand pardon. They quickly helped up their two wailing companions and followed the unsteady Marcus. Amidst the disdainful and relieved glares and faint spit of the Chinatown residents, they pushed through the crowd in disgrace and fled in a panic.

The cheers rose again, and many people gathered around to thank Lin Chen and Li Wei. Lin Chen exchanged a few words and then signaled Li Wei to take the remaining $5,000 as they prepared to leave.

Just as he turned, out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to spot a figure in a dark hoodie standing still for a moment at the edge of the crowd. The gaze from under the hood seemed to linger on him for an instant before the figure quietly retreated into the shadows of an alley and vanished.

Lin Chen's footsteps paused imperceptibly, a hint of suspicion crossing his mind, but he didn't dwell on it. For now, there were more pressing matters to handle.

He and Li Wei squeezed through the enthusiastic crowd. They had only walked a few steps when the phone in his pocket vibrated.

He pulled out his phone, and the screen lit up automatically. A concise AI notification lay quietly on the lock screen, forming a cold and efficient contrast to the intense conflict on the street just now:

"[Market Alert: A short-term Arbitrage Window has appeared in the international market. There is a Swing Trading opportunity of approximately 2.7% in Crude Oil Futures. The timing is brief; it is recommended to pay attention.]"