What the hell is the "kill line" when you're in America?

Li Ang walked out of the club, having already taken off his waiter's uniform.

He didn't turn around.

A black sedan pulled up in front of him.

"Beep...beep..."

The rear window rolled down, revealing Victor's gloomy face.

"Get in the car."

Li Ang opened the car door and got in.

The driver was a burly man with a blank expression, and another man was sitting in the passenger seat.

[Kill threshold: Medium]

Both were henchmen of the Golden Rust Gang.

"You're very smart," Victor said first, "and very brave too."

Li Ang looked at the receding street scene outside the window and didn't reply.

"I don't like smart people," Victor continued, "especially smart people who are too bold."

"Because they usually die very quickly."

"Whether they die quickly or slowly depends on their value," Li Ang replied simply.

Victor stared at him, as if trying to find some flaw in his face.

But he saw nothing.

"Your phone." Victor held out his hand.

Li Ang took out his newly bought cheap mobile phone.

Victor glanced at it, but he didn't say anything.

He took out his phone and exchanged numbers with Li Ang.

Victor said, "My men will deliver something useful to where you mentioned."

"it is good."

"Contact me immediately once you find the key."

"certainly."

The car stopped at an intersection.

"Get out of the car," Victor ordered, dismissing him.

Li Ang pushed open the door and got out of the car without uttering a single unnecessary word.

The black sedan quickly merged into the traffic and disappeared from sight.

Li Ang stood on the street and glanced at the new contact "V" on his phone.

He turned and walked towards his apartment.

The first step of the "dealing with a tiger for its skin" strategy has been completed.

Back in his apartment, Li Ang locked the door.

I turned on the room light, walked to the window, and drew the curtains.

Leon poured all the money he had taken from Buck, along with what he had left over, onto the bed.

He didn't count.

He doesn't lack money now, at least not this small amount.

He picked up the key he had found at the cannery.

The key gleamed dimly under the light.

The number "42" is clearly visible above.

Li Ang lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.

The skill "Photographic Memory" is activated.

The simple map Jerome had drawn instantly flashed into his mind.

Every stroke and every mark on the map is incredibly clear.

How much is it worth?

Li Ang needed to scout the location to ensure everything went perfectly.

The next day, Li Ang left home very early.

He did not use any means of transportation, but chose to walk.

He needs to walk the city to its fullest extent, etching every street and every corner into his mind.

He went to the west side of the city first.

The buildings here are even more dilapidated, and the walls are covered with graffiti.

He found the pawnshop marked on Jerome's map.

The pawnshop's signboard had faded, and a few unwanted secondhand items were displayed in the window.

A man with a thick beard sat behind the counter, yawning boredly.

[Cutoff threshold: Low (declining influence, nearing extinction)]

Li Ang did not go in.

He found a seat in a coffee shop across the street and ordered an iced Americano from the waiter.

He observed every detail here.

An old padlock hung by the door, and the window bars were long since rusted.

We sat there for over an hour.

Very few customers came and went from the pawnshop.

This doesn't seem like a place hiding any earth-shattering secrets.

Li Ang finished the last sip of his coffee, got up, and left.

He's going to the next place.

An abandoned logistics warehouse in the east of the city.

We walked for almost two and a half hours.

The environment here is even more dilapidated.

The houses had long been sealed with wooden strips, but many of them showed signs of damage to the strips.

Walking along the railway tracks, all around was quiet.

I haven't even seen many homeless people.

Soon, a large building came into view.

The warehouse's outer walls were covered in moss, and a wire fence taller than a person was strung around it.

A warning sign reading "Private property, no entry" is hung on the barbed wire fence.

Li Ang did not approach.

He walked around the warehouse, memorizing the surrounding terrain.

To the east of the warehouse was an abandoned railway dispatch yard, to the west was a dried-up canal, and to the north was another abandoned factory.

To the south lies the only highway connecting it to the outside world.

A black sedan was parked on the highway.

He hid behind a pile of abandoned shipping containers, observing the vehicle.

There was no one in the car.

But the ruts were very new.

There were also a few fresh cigarette butts nearby.

Someone is keeping watch here.

Li Ang did not linger.

He noted down every detail of the place, then left quietly.

It was already evening when I got back to the apartment.

He sat at the table and closed his eyes.

In my mind, high-definition 3D models of the two locations were quickly constructed.

The Golden Rust Gang is also waiting.

Waiting for someone who knows the secret to walk right into the trap.

Li Ang opened his eyes.

He needs more time to prepare.

He picked up his phone and dialed Jerome's number.

"Hello, Li?"

"it's me."

"Any new developments at the warehouse?" Li Ang asked.

"Yes!" Jerome's voice was excited. "I had a kid hang around there all day, and he said the Rust Gang left!"

"They withdrew?"

"Yes, a few cars came in the afternoon and picked everyone up," Jerome said. "I heard there was some trouble in the Ninth Street area, and they needed manpower."

Li Ang frowned.

Ninth Street.

Blue Parrot Club.

Did Victor transfer the men back?

Thinking of this, Li Ang replied, "Understood."

He then hung up the phone.

He placed his phone on the table, and the Jinxiu gang members left.

Nine Blocks, Blue Parrot Club.

Did Victor transfer people away because something really went wrong within the gang?

Li Ang did not believe in coincidences.

Trying to negotiate with a tiger for its skin is like trying to get yourself torn to shreds with the slightest carelessness.

He needs to be better prepared.

......

Six o'clock in the evening.

He changed into his sportswear and left the apartment.

He's going to the gym.

The gym was still bustling with activity.

Li Ang spotted Mike sweating profusely in front of the squat rack at a glance.

"Hey! Lee!" Mike saw him too and greeted him with a smile.

What are we practicing today?

"Just taking a walk."

Li Ang walked onto the treadmill, set the speed, and started jogging.

He needs to keep his body in an active state.

"Have you heard?" Mike leaned closer and whispered.

"There was another fire in the Ninth Block last night."

"Several people died."

Li Ang's running motion remained unchanged.

"Whom does the Rust Gang align itself with?"

"I don't know." Mike shook his head. "The world is too chaotic these days."

For the first time, a worry worthy of his age appeared on Mike's face.

Li Ang glanced at the light screen above his head.

[Kill threshold: Low (In this turbid world, excessive clarity is itself a sin)]

The words seemed a little dimmer than when we last met.