77: Chapter 77: Finding Out Their Hands! Waiting for the Right Moment to Save Sophia

Sophia looked up, but she didn't see anyone.

The moment her gaze swept over, Li Wei immediately pulled his head back, pressing himself tightly against the corner of the wall, not daring to even breathe.

His heart skipped a beat; he hadn't expected Sophia's alertness to be so high—she could detect someone spying on her from such a distance.

He didn't dare linger for even half a second. Crouching low, he quickly made his way to the alley behind the building, weaving through twists and turns, and only after repeatedly confirming he wasn't being followed did he hurry back to the Grocery Store.

By the time Li Wei arrived back at the Grocery Store, it had already grown dark.

Lin Chen raised his hand and pressed the switch on the wall. The incandescent light flickered on, its dim yellow glow dispelling the darkness in the shop. The entire space instantly brightened, yet the atmosphere felt exceptionally heavy.

Li Wei walked quickly to the counter and wiped the sweat from his forehead. His tone was hurried but clear: "Brother Chen, I'm back, and I've figured out the situation!"

Lin Chen looked up at him, his fingertips tapping lightly on the counter: "Tell me slowly, explain it from beginning to end."

"After I shook off the people following me, I rushed to the private club in the west of the city. Thorne's men had surrounded it completely, at least thirty of them. There were quite a few thugs from the Black Bear Gang inside too, all of them armed. The security was extremely tight," Li Wei reported, speaking rapidly.

Lin Chen nodded slightly: "What's the situation with Sophia?"

"She is trapped on the second floor with very few trusted confidants around her. She looks isolated and helpless, but I noticed her expression is still calm; she hasn't lost her composure." Li Wei paused, lowered his voice, and revealed the most crucial piece of information: "Brother Chen, I saw with my own eyes that she is clutching a black leather notebook tightly. The way she's holding it, she treats it like a treasure. That must be the core ledger of the Sophia Family!"

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, instantly grasping the key point: "The core ledger?"

"That's right!" Li Wei affirmed. "Holding power in the family relies on connections, funds, and accounts. This ledger must record all the inside information of their family. Whoever controls the ledger has the final say."

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair, remaining silent for a moment as he already had a plan in mind.

Sophia currently appears to be in a dead end, but holding the ledger is her greatest trump card.

Even if Thorne succeeds in seizing power, without the ledger, he cannot control the entire family. Instead, he will only provoke dissatisfaction within the family for colluding with the Black Bear Gang.

Although he and Sophia don't have a deep relationship, she had previously protected the Chinese neighborhood. Now that Thorne is colluding with an external enemy, if he ascends to power, he will inevitably reach into the Slum District, and the situation they have just stabilized will be shattered.

Keeping Sophia is far more beneficial than letting someone like the mad dog Thorne take power.

"Brother Chen, are we going to help her or not?" Li Wei couldn't help but ask.

Lin Chen looked up, his tone resolute: "We will help, but not now."

Li Wei was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

"If we act now, it will be us proactively doing her a favor. Sophia would just be grateful, but she wouldn't yield to us." Lin Chen's voice was calm, revealing the composure of someone in control of the situation. "If we are to help, we wait for the most critical moment. By pulling her out of the dead end, she will truly accept us as her backer."

Li Wei instantly understood: "Brother Chen, you mean waiting for when Thorne makes his move?"

"Exactly." Lin Chen raised his hand to his earpiece: "AI, simulate Thorne's action time and analyze his specific plan to seize power."

An electronic voice immediately came through the earpiece: "Simulation complete. Thorne has assembled all his men and plans to storm the club at 8:00 PM tonight to forcibly seize power and eliminate Sophia."

Li Wei's expression changed: "So soon?!"

"This is our opportunity." Lin Chen's lips curled slightly. "When Thorne makes his move and everything inside is in chaos, we will act. We can easily save Sophia, seize the ledger, and take the opportunity to deal with Thorne—three birds with one stone."

Li Wei suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly: "Brother Chen is brilliant! So, what should we prepare now?"

"First, get our gear ready; don't bring anything conspicuous, and focus on a swift victory. Second, keep a close watch on the club's movements and report at any time," Lin Chen instructed. "The most important point: AI, immediately retrieve all evidence of Thorne colluding with the Black Bear Gang, including personnel interactions and financial records. The more detailed, the better."

"Command received, retrieving evidence... Retrieval complete, stored in the local database," the AI responded quickly.

Lin Chen nodded with satisfaction. With this evidence, even after dealing with Thorne, he would have the moral high ground and wouldn't face any subsequent trouble.

"Brother Chen, when are we heading out?" Li Wei rubbed his hands together, already prepared.

"We leave at 7:30, and we'll lie in wait near the club beforehand. Once the fighting starts inside, we make our move," Lin Chen said in a deep voice. "Remember, this operation is only to save Sophia, secure the ledger, and eliminate Thorne's core men. Don't cause any unnecessary trouble."

"Understood! I guarantee the mission will be accomplished!" Li Wei straightened his back, his tone firm.

Lin Chen stood up and walked to the shop entrance, watching the sky gradually turn completely dark, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

The internal strife of the Sophia Family, starting tonight, would be decided by him.

Time slipped away bit by bit, and the night completely enveloped the entire city, the darkness as thick as ink.

Outside the private club in the west of the city, Thorne's men reinforced their numbers again, surrounding the entire building so tightly that not even a fly could fly out.