New Gods of North America.

Chapter 673 Offense and Defense
"At least nineteen incidents occurred overnight. A total of eleven shops, warehouses, and residences were clearly set on fire or vandalized. The known number of casualties alone exceeds 70, not counting those who escaped."

As dawn broke, even Lina, who had initially put on a "make a scene, I want to see bloodshed" attitude, was starting to feel tired. "I initially thought Wayne was being a bit overly cautious, but I didn't expect that even with so many people we arranged, they would all have to run around all night..."

On the third floor of the temporary base, the detective agency's partners were having a meeting with Doug, Connor, "Slingshot," and several other key agents.
The rabbits, who had stayed up all night watching the show, were now lying in a room on the second floor, fully clothed. Some of the detectives were also taking turns resting in other rooms.

The Rabbit Gang's men were helping to guard the prisoners on the first floor. As for the police officers who had stayed behind, two of them had already gone to the police station to report the situation. It was unclear what the results would be.

Wayne glanced at Lina and couldn't help but tease, "If we're going to use an analogy, last night was probably just the 'appetizer,' the real 'main course' hasn't even been served yet."

Current statistics also prove this point.
Of all the incidents that occurred last night, nearly half were initiated by the Erlan riot gang. They attacked gang strongholds or business premises in batches, and several gang leaders were also targeted.

As for the rest, those were caused by other gangs. Although they accounted for a higher percentage of the total number of incidents, most gangs didn't send out too many people; it was simply a matter of "many hands make light work."

Some of them specifically targeted the businesses or members of the Erlan rioters, while others harassed innocent Erlan people in bars and other places. Their firepower was scattered, and the intensity of their attacks varied. Some of them were simply looking for trouble and didn't even use melee weapons.

This means the Erlan yakuza have essentially completed their mobilization and entered a state of war. While other gangs appear formidable, few are truly intent on killing someone. Their indiscriminate attacks, a classic case of the prepared attacking the unprepared, have actually backfired, with some gangs finding themselves without their leaders.

Especially their attacks in the community last night caused an uproar among the residents of Erland. Men and women took to the streets with brooms, and almost everyone attacked any complete strangers first. If the detective agency members hadn't been wearing conspicuous red armbands, they might have been ganged up on by the Erlanders as well. A few members of the Rabbit Gang who were helping out were indeed caught in the crossfire, at least they were innocent last night.

However, if we disregard the power of the community and only consider the gangs' nominal strength, the total number of members in the Erlan yakuza group is less than 30% of the combined strength of all the other gangs involved in the operation.
Some gangs already shed blood last night, and when they retaliate again, they probably won't just "fight and scuffle" anymore. The Erlan gangs might hide in the community and not come out, but that would probably turn into a situation that Wayne doesn't want to see—some gangs might regard all Erlan people as "accomplices," and it might become a case of "it doesn't matter who they beat."

What Inessa was concerned about at the moment was the issue of what to do with the existing prisoners.

She thought for a moment and asked, "Based on my understanding of American law, undocumented immigrants are not considered city residents, and may not even be considered 'free citizens.' Would the police simply ignore any incidents that occur between them?"

Wayne estimated for a moment: "This time it probably won't. Many cases are ignored because they are troublesome to investigate, and the victims are not legal residents of the area. But the prisoners we caught this time are all caught in the act, the facts are clear, and there are three witnesses. It's like a performance opportunity delivered to our door. Even if it's just for personal honor, the police and prosecutors probably won't miss it."

After saying that, he paused for a moment and added, "Just in case, I can talk to someone else later, and I can also try to persuade Willie to work on the prosecutor. Let's try to make sure they are all punished."

Most of the prisoners captured by the detective agency so far came from the "main force" that Inessa supervised last night.
Her logic in this regard is easy to understand: the party who initiates trouble and causes harm should, in principle, be punished, unless there is a direct grudge between the two parties, in which case the punishment might be reduced. Even if the law forbids it, she doesn't believe the other party needs to be hunted. It's roughly the kind of "blood feuds can be avenged, but the harm should not extend to others" mentality.

It's very orderly, very hunter-like, and actually quite like a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and

Wayne and Lina's small team, however, captured very few prisoners.
Aside from arresting people at two scenes where innocent people were clearly harmed, Wayne mostly just observed at other scenes.

Oh, so this is two gangs fighting each other?
Sorry to bother you.
You may continue.

—That's his style, and I guess it's similar on Lina's side.

However, doing good deeds doesn't go unrewarded. After Wayne returned a young boy from Ireland to his home last night, the red armband on his arm gained recognition within a small circle. Several neighboring families, filled with righteous indignation, quickly grabbed their weapons and went out to beat up the bad guys.
Fortunately, Wayne had taken precautions beforehand and didn't bring the prisoners along. Otherwise, he probably would have had to have them carried out, or worse, he might have had to "pick them up" from the wreckage.

Later, when other residents of Ellan surrounded Wayne and his group as outsiders, word spread and the red armband members gradually found their passage through the community unimpeded. Wayne and his group were even given way to pass on their own initiative.

Wayne tried to summarize: "On the bright side, last night's incidents spread across the territories of many gangs in the dock area. If they want to retaliate, the incidents will likely focus on the communities where the Erland people live, or at least the scope will gradually shrink. The Erland gangs will certainly continue to retaliate, but I think the overall trend will be to gradually shrink."

"But for us, the crucial part is just beginning. The intensity of subsequent cases is likely to continue to escalate, and while the community is still relatively accepting of our presence, we must guide them in a timely manner. When they believe that someone can harm them at will without paying any price, they may take matters into their own hands. We cannot allow them to be incited by the Erlan gang."

Last night's attack was spearheaded by the Erlan thugs. Regardless of whether they ultimately gained or lost, their losses were all within their own gang.
However, when they take charge of the defense, they may need to mobilize the entire community.

What the detective agency needs to do is tell the community that "the dock area is not a lawless zone," and that the "red armband" volunteers are a force for maintaining order.

As for the fights between gangs, let them settle their own business in the underworld, and let no one involve outsiders.

(End of this chapter)