64: Chapter 64 Exploiting Weaknesses, the Plan Exposed

Li Wei sent the photos to Lin Chen, and Lin Chen immediately had an idea.

He held the three developed photos, his fingertips brushing over the disheveled appearance of Marcus being pressed against the wall by the gang lackeys. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he turned and leaned against the wooden table in the Grocery Store, silently chanting to call up the Doubao AI to accurately query all information about that mistress of Marcus.

A pale blue virtual pop-up window instantly expanded, and lines of clear text jumped out. Lin Chen glanced over them, and a confident smile curled the corners of his mouth.

"Brother Chen, how is it? Can these photos be used?" Li Wei leaned in, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He was still clutching the old, tattered pager in his hand, having run all the way back, his breath still not steady.

"They can be used, and I've found his Achilles' heel." Lin Chen slapped the photos onto the table, looked up at Li Wei, and tapped the virtual text of the AI pop-up window with his finger. "His mistress is named Lily; she lives in the Red Maple Old Apartment in the West Slum District. She owes twenty-three hundred dollars in usury. The repayment date is the day after tomorrow. If she can't pay it back, her legs will be broken. This is our breakthrough point."

Li Wei's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood: "Brother Chen, do you want me to go find this Lily and have her testify against Marcus?"

"That's right." Lin Chen pulled a stack of US dollars from his pocket, counted out five hundred, and handed it over. He tapped the tabletop with his finger, his tone crisp. "This is the deposit. Go find her and talk terms straight away. Help her pay off all her external debts and give her an extra five hundred dollars. The condition is that she comes forward to testify, identifying Marcus for embezzling Wild Scorpion Gang gambling funds and misappropriating protection fees, and she must also reveal where Marcus hides his money."

"Don't worry, I'm tight-lipped and won't beat around the bush. I guarantee I'll get it done!" Li Wei grabbed the US dollars and stuffed them into his inner pocket, patting his chest in assurance. Having spent so many years in the Slum District, he understood the mindset of these debtors better than anyone; as long as the benefits were sufficient, there was nothing that couldn't be negotiated.

"Remember, don't waste words with her. If she hesitates, tell her that Marcus can't even protect himself, let alone her." Lin Chen added. The Doubao AI in his mind suddenly popped up a new notification. He looked up and informed Li Wei, "Also, Doubao just found out that Julio is summoning Marcus to Warehouse No. 3 at The Pier tonight at eight o'clock to audit the accounts. Leak this news to her so she knows Marcus won't last much longer."

"Understood!" Li Wei made an OK gesture, turned, lifted the blue cloth curtain, and left. His steps were light and swift, without any hesitation. When working with him, Lin Chen never had to worry about execution.

Lin Chen watched Li Wei's figure disappear into the alley entrance and sat back down at the table, his fingers rubbing over the photos as he quickly simulated the subsequent steps in his mind. Marcus was now beset by internal and external troubles; the gang wanted to audit the accounts, and his mistress had external debts. As long as Lily came forward to testify and they found evidence of where he hid his money, and passed it to Julio, Marcus would be completely finished. This step was a guaranteed win.

On the other side, Li Wei followed the address given by Doubao and walked quickly to the Red Maple Old Apartment in the West Slum District. This apartment building had been in disrepair for years; the wall plaster was peeling off in chunks. The light bulbs in the hallway were all broken, so he could only walk by the faint light from outside the windows. The stair railings were rusted, leaving his hands covered in dust upon touch. The air was a mix of mold and cooking fumes, choking and uncomfortable.

He found Room 302 on the third floor and raised his hand to knock. He knocked three times, and a woman's guarded voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

"Looking for Lily. I have something to discuss, regarding Marcus." Li Wei's tone was flat and straightforward, without unnecessary pleasantries.

The door paused for a moment before being pulled open a crack. A Mexican woman with yellow hair poked her head out. Her eye sockets were sunken, and her face carried weariness; it was indeed Lily. She looked Li Wei up and down, her eyes guarded: "Who are you? Where is Marcus?"

"Never mind who I am. It's about Marcus. If you want to solve your external debt problem, open the door and let me in to talk." As Li Wei said this, he deliberately raised his pocket, revealing a corner of the US dollars.

Lily's eyes instantly darted toward that splash of green. She hesitated for two seconds before immediately pulling the door open to let Li Wei in, locking it behind her. The room was extremely small, only about ten square meters. A peeling single sofa was placed in the middle, and next to it was a tattered wooden bed. The table was piled with leftover instant noodle boxes and empty mineral water bottles. The walls were covered with various bills, with repayment dates circled densely in red pen. The most conspicuous one was the usury bill, written with twenty-three hundred dollars, with the repayment date marked as the day after tomorrow. The words had been crossed out several times, showing just how anxious she was.

This was the environment Lin Chen wanted, precisely hitting Lily's weakness. Li Wei scanned the room, feeling even more confident.

He sat directly on the single sofa and pulled out the five hundred US dollars, slapping them onto the table. The green US dollars were exceptionally conspicuous in the dim room. "Help us testify that Marcus embezzled Wild Scorpion Gang gambling funds and misappropriated the gang's protection fees. Not only will we help you pay off your twenty-three hundred in external debts, but this five hundred is a deposit. After the matter is done, we'll give you another five hundred, totaling thirty-three hundred. That's enough for you to pay off all your debts and still have some left over."

Lily's gaze was glued tightly to the US dollars, and she swallowed her saliva, but she still didn't dare to agree easily. She reached out and pinched the corner of her clothes, hesitating: "Really? You won't lie to me, right? If Marcus finds out, he'll definitely kill me."

"He can't protect himself, let alone you." Li Wei leaned back on the sofa, his tone confident, directly throwing out the information Lin Chen had provided. "Julio is summoning him to Warehouse No. 3 at The Pier tonight at eight o'clock to audit the accounts. He embezzled nearly three thousand dollars; if that's found out, the lightest punishment will be having his legs broken. He can't even ensure his own safety, so how would he have the time to cause you trouble?"

Lily's expression changed instantly. She was only with Marcus for the money he could give her. Now that she heard Marcus was about to be in big trouble, more than half of her concerns vanished immediately. However, she was still a bit hesitant, her fingers rubbing the US dollars on the table, her eyes full of greed but also fear of getting into trouble.

Li Wei saw her look and knew she was tempted, so he added another sentence: "We definitely won't lie to you. We'll pay you immediately once the matter is done, and we can ensure you won't be harassed by the gang. If you don't agree, when the loan sharks come the day after tomorrow, it's hard to say whether you'll be able to keep your legs."

These words hit Lily's Achilles' heel. She suddenly looked up, staring at the US dollars on the table, biting her lip. The balance in her heart tipped completely toward the benefits. The usury she owed was notoriously ruthless; those who couldn't pay back the money were either had their legs broken or were sold elsewhere. She simply couldn't afford to wait.

And Marcus had never truly thought about her. Even if she didn't testify, after Marcus fell, the loan sharks would still come looking for her. It was better to take this opportunity to get the money, pay off her external debts, and get away.

Lily reached out and grabbed the US dollars on the table, clutching them tightly in her hand. She looked up at Li Wei, her eyes firm: "Okay, I'll help you! I can testify about Marcus hiding money and misappropriating the gang's money. He usually drinks with me, and when he's drunk, he tells me everything. I remember it all."

Li Wei was secretly delighted, but his expression remained flat. He nodded: "Fine, as long as you tell the truth, there will be plenty of benefits for you."

Seeing Li Wei agree so readily, Lily seemed to remember something. She turned and walked to the wooden bed, bent down, and pulled a crumpled note from under the bed. She handed it to Li Wei, a fawning smile on her face: "I also know where he hides his money. I'll give you the address!"