55: Chapter 55 Using a borrowed knife to kill, secretly setting up a chess game

Upon learning that Marcus owed Los Gang one hundred thousand, Lin Chen tapped his fingers lightly on the worn edge of the table in the Grocery Store, his eyes heavy with thought, and he immediately came up with a plan to use their own strength against them.

He looked up at Li Wei, his fingertips pausing, his tone firm and filled with unquestionable decisiveness: "Contact that fellow townsman of yours at the casino right now and have him pass a message to the people of Los Gang for us."

Li Wei had just sat down to catch his breath, but upon hearing this, he immediately straightened up, leaning forward with his hands on the table: "Brother Chen, what message? Should I just say he owes the gang one hundred thousand and won't pay it back?"

"That's right." Lin Chen nodded, a cold arc forming at the corner of his mouth, "Just say that Marcus embezzled gang funds to pay off gambling debts, and now he's welching on the debt and has no intention of filling the hole."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Doubao AI in his mind popped up a pale blue prompt box, and a clear line of text appeared: Los Gang has strict rules; members are strictly prohibited from embezzling gang funds. For those who fail to repay on time and engage in debt evasion, the gang's top brass has zero tolerance. At best, they are severely punished and crippled; at worst, they are expelled from the gang and all debts are pursued.

Lin Chen scanned the prompt box, feeling more confident, and added: "Don't add too much embellishment, just tell the truth. Los Gang's rules are more effective than anything; they wouldn't tolerate such a person themselves."

Li Wei rubbed the back of his head, a flash of confusion in his eyes, and raised his hand to scratch his face: "Brother Chen, I'm just wondering, will the gang really deal with him? After all, Marcus is their leader in the Slum District; he must be of some use, right?"

"Useful?" Lin Chen sneered, leaning back slightly against the mottled wooden chair back, "He embezzled funds and owes one hundred thousand; it's been nearly a month and he still hasn't repaid it. The gang's top brass has long been turning a blind eye, but now that we're exposing this and telling them he's welching on the debt, do you think the gang would keep a piece of trash who dares to touch their money?"

He paused, looking at Li Wei as he continued: "They already had issues with Marcus, they were just missing an excuse. Now we're handing that excuse to them on a silver platter. It's perfect—borrowing a knife to kill. We don't have to lift a finger; let him reap what he sows."

Li Wei's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he slapped his thigh hard: "Brilliant, Brother Chen! This way, we not only avenge the burning of the house, but we also don't have to confront Los Gang directly. It's perfect!" He completely admired Lin Chen's mind; although he seemed young, he thought things through more meticulously than anyone, knowing how to leverage power rather than acting on impulse.

"Don't just stand there praising me, go contact him quickly." Lin Chen waved his hand, urging him, "Remember, tell your fellow townsman to be careful when passing the message. Don't expose us. Just make it seem like someone at the casino couldn't stand Marcus not paying back his debts and mentioned it to the Los Gang people in passing. The more natural, the better."

"Rest assured, Brother Chen, I understand!" Li Wei grinned and patted his chest, guaranteeing, "My fellow townsman has been hanging around the casino for so many years, he's very tight-lipped. This will definitely be done flawlessly."

After speaking, Li Wei stood up and walked out, his steps light, showing none of his previous fatigue. Lin Chen watched his back disappear at the entrance of the Grocery Store and once again woke up the Doubao AI: "Check Marcus's recent cash flow, see if there are any signs of him raising money, and also check his whereabouts tonight."

In just two seconds, the AI's feedback came through, clearly displayed on the pale blue light screen: Marcus has been borrowing money from his underlings everywhere today, but only managed to borrow two thousand dollars; the funding gap is huge. It predicts that he will head to the Seventh Street underground casino tonight at 19:00, attempting to win money through gambling to fill the gang's funding gap.

This prompt became a key piece of foreshadowing hidden in the plot. Lin Chen looked at the information on the light screen, his eyes growing colder. Marcus was digging his own grave; tonight's casino trip would be the beginning of his downfall.

Lin Chen got up, walked out of the Grocery Store, and headed towards Chinatown, preparing to find a hidden spot to wait for Li Wei's news. At this moment, the alleys of Chinatown had large patches of peeling wall paint, revealing the mottled red bricks underneath, with a few withered weeds growing in the cracks. An old Chinese man at the entrance of the alley sat on a small stool, smoking a dry pipe; the smell of the smoke mixed with the greasy scent of the braised meat stall on the street, drifting over and swirling in the air. There were few pedestrians in the alley, mostly lower-class Chinese walking in a hurry. Occasionally, a few Mexicans passed by, all expressionless, exuding the unique oppression of the Slum District.

Lin Chen leaned against a mottled wall, his hands in his pants pockets, his gaze sweeping over the activity at the alley entrance. His demeanor had become much more composed; there was no longer any trace of his previous timidity, only calmness and decisiveness. He looked down at the old watch he had picked up on his wrist; it was only 4:00 PM. There were still three hours until Marcus went to the casino, enough time for them to pass the message and give the Los Gang people time to react.

About half an hour later, Li Wei's figure appeared at the entrance of the alley. He walked quickly to Lin Chen, a look of joy on his face, and lowered his voice: "Brother Chen, it's done! My fellow townsman agreed. He said there are Los Gang people watching the floor at the casino. He'll pretend to chat with that guy later and leak the fact that Marcus owes the gang one hundred thousand and is welching on the debt. I guarantee no one will suspect anything."

"He also said that this guy Marcus has a terrible reputation in the casino. He owes a lot of gambling debts. Usually, when he wins money, he stuffs it in his pocket, and when he loses, he acts like a rascal. People in the casino can't stand him. Passing this message is completely reasonable." Li Wei finished explaining the situation in one breath, his face full of relief.

Lin Chen nodded, his concerns completely dissipating: "Well done. Tell your fellow townsman not to say too much. After passing the message, act like nothing happened and don't get involved in the follow-up."

"I've already told him, he knows what to do." Li Wei replied, paused, and then asked, "Brother Chen, what should we do next? Just wait here and watch Marcus get unlucky?"

"No rush." Lin Chen looked up towards Seventh Street, his tone calm, "The Los Gang people won't act immediately upon receiving the news; they will definitely verify it first. And Marcus going to the casino tonight to raise money is the best evidence. If he can't come up with the money, the gang will naturally settle the score with him."

He paused and continued to arrange: "Find a few reliable Chinese brothers later and go watch the area near the Seventh Street casino. See if the Los Gang people are making any moves. After Marcus goes in, let me know. No need to get close, just watch from afar. Stay safe."

"Alright, I'll go arrange it right now." Li Wei didn't hesitate at all and turned to contact the Chinese brothers he knew well. Having spent so many years in the Slum District, he knew many reliable people who had all been bullied by Mexican thugs and had long hated Marcus to the bone, so they were willing to help with this favor.

Lin Chen remained leaning against the wall, watching Li Wei's figure disappear again. The AI in his mind popped up another prompt: Los Gang has already arranged for personnel to head to the Seventh Street casino to verify the situation, expected to arrive at 20:00 tonight, creating a time difference with Marcus's arrival at the casino, which will facilitate the observation of his money-raising behavior.

Lin Chen looked at this prompt, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepening. Everything was under control; Marcus would not be able to escape tonight. He raised his hand and rubbed his brow. In his previous life, he never dared to plan like this, only retreating when encountering trouble. But now, relying on the AI's assistance and his own meticulous thinking, he could easily grasp his opponent's weaknesses and strike back by leveraging power. This feeling of controlling everything made him feel much more confident.

Time passed bit by bit. The old Chinese man at the alley entrance had long since left, and the smell of the braised meat stall had faded. The sky gradually darkened, and the streetlights in the Slum District flickered, exuding a touch of eeriness. Li Wei's message came through again, saying that he had already arranged for people to watch near the casino. Indeed, the Los Gang people had already sent men over; they were sitting in a small pub opposite the casino, pretending to drink while actually observing.

Lin Chen glanced at his watch; it was 6:50 PM, only ten minutes left until Marcus went to the casino. He straightened his body from the wall, brushed the dust off his body, and walked slowly towards Seventh Street. He wanted to see with his own eyes what Marcus looked like as he stepped step by step into the trap he had laid.

The streets of Seventh Street were more chaotic than Chinatown. The neon lights on the street flickered, and all kinds of graffiti covered the walls. Occasionally, the sound of broken wine bottles came from somewhere, mixed with the cursing of Mexicans. The underground casino was hidden behind a dilapidated bar, with two tall, burly Mexicans standing at the entrance, staring fiercely at passersby.

Lin Chen hid around the corner not far away, his eyes fixed on the entrance of the casino. Not long after, a familiar figure appeared in his line of sight.

Marcus was wearing a gaudy shirt with an open collar, revealing a gold chain around his neck. His expression was gloomy, and he clutched a stack of crumpled dollars in his hand. His steps were hurried. He looked left and right, and after confirming that no one was following him, he lowered his head and walked into that underground casino.