54: Chapter 54 Determined to Fight Back, Exposing Marcus's True Colors

Lin Chen's eyes sharpened. He immediately commanded Doubao AI in his mind, "Search for all of Marcus's weaknesses. The more detailed, the better."

As soon as the words fell, a pale blue virtual screen quietly unfolded before his eyes. Data streams scrolled rapidly across the screen, and within two seconds, core information about Marcus was clearly listed.

The two stood beside the burned-down bungalow. The smell of charred remains in the alley had not yet dissipated. Occasionally, a breeze would blow, kicking up black ash from the ground. Lin Chen lowered his eyes to look at the content on the screen, his fingertips unconsciously tapping against his palm. The timidity hidden in his eyes had completely vanished, leaving only a cold, chilling resolve.

Li Wei, standing right beside him, clearly saw the change in his eyes. He felt a sudden surge of joy, leaned in, and asked in a low voice, "Brother Chen, are you planning to take him on?"

"He dared to burn down my house and ride roughshod over the Chinese people; I must strike back." Lin Chen lifted his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the ruined property. His tone held not a shred of hesitation. This was the first time since his rebirth that he had truly made up his mind to actively throw a punch at those who bullied him.

Li Wei slapped his thigh, an excited expression appearing on his face. He clenched his fist and smashed it heavily into his palm. "It should have been this way long ago! That piece of trash has been asking for it. Brother Chen, just tell me how to do it. I'll listen to you—I'm ready for anything, even if it means going through fire and water!" He came from the Slum District and had practiced martial arts for a few years, so he feared nothing more than a direct confrontation. Having watched Lin Chen endure everything before, he had been feeling stifled. Now that Lin Chen had agreed to fight back, he was brimming with energy.

Lin Chen raised a hand to signal him to calm down. His gaze returned to the virtual screen, and he pointed at the information for Li Wei. "The AI found it. This guy has three fatal weaknesses: greed, lust, and the biggest one—a gambling addiction. Not only does he owe gambling debts, but he also secretly embezzled the turnover funds of his gang. The gang is already quite dissatisfied with him."

This information precisely hit Marcus's Achilles' heel. Lin Chen's programming mindset made him subconsciously organize the flow of information. He already had a preliminary plan for counterattack: start with the gambling weakness, dismantle it layer by layer, and leave Marcus isolated and abandoned by all.

"A gambling addiction?" Li Wei's eyes lit up, and he immediately grasped the point. "That makes it easy. Gamblers can't handle being messed with. As long as we get a grip on his gambling debts, he won't be able to turn things around!"

"Exactly." Lin Chen nodded and withdrew his gaze. He arranged the task in a steady tone, "Go and find out where the casino he frequents is. Is it a fixed location, or does he switch around? Also, find out when he usually goes and how many people are with him. The more detailed, the better."

"Got it, I'm going to find out about the casino right now!" Li Wei agreed without a second thought, his execution at full capacity. He turned to leave, but was called back by Lin Chen.

"Don't rush." Lin Chen raised his hand to stop him, his eyes filled with careful consideration. "The Slum District is full of eyes from the Mexican gangs. Be careful when you're asking around. Don't expose yourself. Try to ask our fellow Chinese people; it'll be safer."

"Don't worry, Brother Chen, I know what I'm doing." Li Wei grinned and patted his chest. Suddenly remembering something, he added, "Oh, right, Brother Chen. There's an underground casino on 7th Street that Marcus's gang often hangs around. There's a Chinese fellow countryman working there, surnamed Wang, who acts as a bouncer. He's on good terms with me and is reliable. I'll go ask him; I'll definitely get the most accurate information."

This sentence was the hidden foreshadowing. The existence of a Chinese fellow countryman would make their information gathering smoother and lay a convenient fuse for subsequent operations.

Lin Chen nodded upon hearing this, his concerns lessening a bit. "Alright, go find him. Remember, only gather information; don't get into any conflicts. Come back as soon as you get the news. I'll be waiting for you at the Grocery Store at the end of the street."

"Understood!" Li Wei replied, grabbed the washed-out denim jacket draped over his arm, and quickly darted into the alley. His figure soon disappeared around the corner, his movements swift and without any delay.

Watching the direction Li Wei left in, Lin Chen turned and walked toward the Grocery Store at the end of the street. This Grocery Store was run by a Chinese person and had been open in the Slum District for many years; it served as a small foothold for the Chinese community. The light inside the shop came from a dim, yellowish incandescent bulb hanging in the center of the ceiling. Because of years of disrepair, the bulb would flicker from time to time. Inside the shop sat an old, paint-chipped solid wood table, accompanied by a few plastic stools. The corners of the table were stained with tea marks that wouldn't wash off. The shelves were cluttered with daily necessities like canned goods, instant noodles, and cigarettes. The walls were yellowed by smoke, everywhere revealing the destitution of life at the bottom of society.

The owner was a middle-aged Chinese man named Uncle Zhou, whom Lin Chen knew. Seeing Lin Chen enter, he raised his eyelids and handed over a bottle of mineral water. "Xiao Lin, I saw that fire earlier. It was that piece of trash Marcus who did it, right? That's too much bullying."

"Uncle Zhou, it's fine. I'll handle it." Lin Chen took the mineral water, unscrewed it, took a sip, and walked over to sit at the dilapidated table. He thanked him, "Thanks, Uncle Zhou."

"We're all Chinese, no need to be polite." Uncle Zhou sighed, shook his head, and continued organizing the shelves. "It's just that life in this Slum District is too hard. That gang of Mexican thugs is lawless, and the police don't care. We just have to rely on ourselves to be tough."

Lin Chen didn't say anything more, just nodded in agreement. Sitting at the table, he once again woke up Doubao AI in his mind: "Deduce the specific amount of Marcus's gambling debts, the punishment rules for members embezzling funds in his Mexican gang, and the current level of tolerance from the gang's top leadership toward him."

He had always been meticulous in his work. Even with the help of the AI, he would thoroughly understand every detail. He would not fight a battle without preparation; this was a programmer's trait etched into his bones—always preparing contingency plans for everything.

The virtual screen unfolded again, and data streams scrolled once more. This deduction was more detailed than the previous one. A few minutes later, the results were out: The exact amount of Marcus's gambling debt could not be precisely determined, but it was preliminarily estimated to be between 50,000 and 150,000 USD. His gang, "Los Gang," strictly prohibited members from embezzling gang funds. Minor offenses resulted in heavy punishment, while major ones led to expulsion from the gang or even the loss of limbs. Currently, because the gang's top brass had no suitable candidate to take over Marcus's control of the Slum District, they were temporarily turning a blind eye to his embezzlement. However, they had already issued a warning: if Marcus could not fill the funding gap within a month, he would be dealt with according to gang rules.

Looking at this information, a cold arc curled at the corners of Lin Chen's mouth. Marcus's Achilles' heel was even more fatal than he had imagined. As long as he pinched that funding gap point and added a little fuel to the fire, Marcus would surely fall.

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping on the tabletop. He began to refine his counterattack plan in his mind: first, confirm Marcus's specific gambling debts and the gang's funding gap; then, start with the casino to amplify his gambling addiction, making him sink deeper and deeper; finally, completely expose his embezzlement of gang funds to the high-level members of Los Gang, using their hands to kill him and letting him suffer the consequences.

The outline of the entire plan became clear in his mind, without the slightest confusion. The meticulous thinking brought about by programming logic allowed him to consider all possible situations when formulating the plan and to make preparations in advance.

The Grocery Store was quiet, with only the slight rustling of Uncle Zhou organizing the shelves. The incandescent bulb flickered occasionally, casting swaying shadows on the floor. Lin Chen sat at the table, his eyes steady. There was no longer any trace of the previous timidity and hesitation. At this moment, he had completely taken the first step toward an active counterattack; the ruthlessness in his bones was slowly being ignited.

Time passed second by second. About two hours later, the door of the Grocery Store was pushed open violently. Li Wei ran in, panting heavily. His forehead was covered in sweat, and his hair was dampened by sweat, sticking to his forehead. He was clutching a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. As soon as he entered, he shouted in the direction of Lin Chen, "Brother Chen, I have news! I've found everything out!"

Lin Chen raised his eyes, put down the mineral water bottle in his hand, and leaned forward slightly. "Speak."

Li Wei walked quickly to the table and sat down. He took the mineral water handed over by Lin Chen, drank a few gulps, wiped the water stains from the corner of his mouth, and leaned in front of Lin Chen. He lowered his voice, his tone carrying a trace of urgency and certainty: "Brother Chen, it's confirmed. Marcus owes Los Gang 100,000!"