America: Starting from collecting corpses, leveling up to godhood

Chapter 143 It's time to use superpowers!

"Ms. Evelyn, thank you for your kind reminder."

Chen Ming forced a perfect fake smile and reached out to block the door frame.

"I guarantee the front lawn will be smoother than a golf course by sunset tomorrow—and my car will be driven away today."

"That's for the best. I'll be watching you from behind the window!"

Evelyn snorted and turned away haughtily in her yoga shoes.

"Bang."

Chen Ming closed the door, and the smile on his face vanished instantly.

"Did you hear that?"

Chen Ming turned to look at Sophia, who was still tearing apart toast.

"Get ready to get to work. There's a used lawnmower left by the previous landlord in the garage, and half a gallon of gasoline in the fuel can—"

'

"Are you crazy? You want me to push that noisy, broken machine that's like a tractor?" Sophia stared wide-eyed, pointing to her face after she had just put on a face mask.

"I'm your partner and CFO, not some Mexican gardener you hired for fifteen dollars an hour!"

"Since you live here, it's your duty to maintain the community environment." Chen Ming walked to the sink to wash his cup.

"If you can mow the lawn and sweep up the fallen leaves in the backyard, I'll deduct three hundred dollars from your rent every month."

The air was quiet for a second.

"Deal. Actually, doing some aerobic exercise like mowing the lawn occasionally is very helpful for my hip shape —"

Sofia's expression changed faster than flipping through a book; she stuffed the rest of the toast into her mouth and turned to get her phone and calculator.

She started ranting and raving as she pressed the calculator buttons.

"God, you should be grateful you have such a great roommate. Do you know how much it would cost if we hired a reputable landscaping company to do it according to the community's standards?"

Sofia shoved the screen right in front of Chen Ming.

"Lawn mowing and edging maintenance twice a month, $200. Fall leaf removal, $150. Pest control, $80. And if you don't move that food truck, you'll have to rent a compliant commercial parking space, another $500 a month —"

"Plus our rent, utilities, internet, garbage collection fees—" Sofia slammed her hand on the table through gritted teeth.

"Do you know what the median monthly income is for a family in Los Angeles? Just over seven thousand dollars! After deducting those dreaded federal and state taxes, a normal middle-class family, after paying all those miscellaneous fees, can only afford to rely on expiring welfare food from the supermarket—"

This country is simply not fit for human habitation!

"The core of capitalism is ensuring that every penny you earn flows back into their system through various bills." Chen Ming was already used to this.

"But the problem isn't on the lawn at all."

Sofia tossed the calculator aside.

"That woman is clearly a menopausal victim who likes to cause trouble for no reason—believe it or not, even if I mow the lawn like a carpet today, tomorrow she'll come and complain that our trash cans are placed at the wrong angle, and the day after tomorrow she'll complain that the light bulb on our porch is too bright and is affecting her dog's sleep."

"As long as she's targeting us, this harassment will never end. We need to find another way to shut her up once and for all."

"That makes sense—I have to do something." Chen Ming stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Dealing with a "Karen" who treats the homeowners' association like her own independent kingdom and spends her days finding fault with her neighbors with a magnifying glass, simply giving in will only embolden her—you have to find something even more amusement for her, or directly exploit her weaknesses.

"What do you want to do—pour two gallons of bleach into her swimming pool in the middle of the night, or fill her garage door lock with super glue?"

Sofia's eyes lit up instantly, her gossip-loving spirit burning brightly.

"We're decent people now, we don't need those lousy street gang tricks."

Chen Ming leaned against the bar counter and quietly brought up the system panel.

[Today's tasks have been refreshed]

Your neighbor, Ms. Evelyn, appears to be a fervent defender of community rules, but behind the scenes, she's been using her position as a homeowners' association officer to collect cash kickbacks from the landscaping and garbage collection companies for an extended period, without ever declaring it to the IRS. These damning ledgers and evidence of tax evasion are hidden in a fake bottom drawer in her first-floor study—get them and teach this "Karen" a lesson in silencing her. (Attribute points +1 upon completion)

After reading the task, Chen Ming's lips curled into a smile.

"Stop pushing the lawnmower." Chen Ming tapped the table.

"It's giving me a headache. I'm going to take a shower and change my clothes. We'll talk about the lawn tomorrow."

"Are you sure? That old witch will definitely be knocking on the door tomorrow with a parking ticket and the police!"

"I guarantee she won't bring a ticket tomorrow, and she'll even help us push the trash can back into the garage," Chen Ming said with a mysterious smile.

Two o'clock in the morning.

The affluent neighborhood of Pasadena was so quiet that only the chirping of crickets could be heard. Every lawn had an "ADT Security" sign, but to Chen Ming, with his 30 points of agility, it was like a leaky sieve—

Dressed in all black, Chen Ming vaulted over the white wooden fence in Evelyn's backyard like a ghost.

In American-style detached villas, the sliding glass windows on the first floor are usually only secured with a simple lock for ventilation. Chen Ming took out a wire and pulled the window open with a slight twist.

Stepping onto the carpeted solid wood floor, Chen Ming slipped silently into the study on the first floor.

He walked up to the oak desk, pulled out the bottom drawer, and tapped the bottom panel. The sound was dull, indicating that there was indeed a hidden compartment.

Chen Ming fumbled around for a moment, then frowned slightly.

Hidden beneath the baseboard was a concealed electronic combination lock, connected to an alarm.

Cracking this electronic lock requires cutting the alarm line and shorting the motherboard, as well as an extremely precise Phillips screwdriver, and takes at least ten minutes.

Fortunately, Chen Ming's extraordinary wisdom told him that the wooden table was made of spliced ​​boards.

He has 30 points of strength.

Chen Ming, expressionless, stretched out two fingers and pinched the connection of the drawer slide, suddenly unleashing his strength.

A soft sound.

He crushed the wooden base of the drawer, along with the latch, with his bare hands.

Lifting the cracked wooden board, two thick handwritten ledgers lay quietly inside, along with several stacks of hundred-yuan bills tied with rubber bands and a pile of kickback receipts from the landscaping company.

"He made nearly $10,000 in kickbacks in just one month—he really knows how to make money."

Chen Ming took out his phone and took a high-definition, unedited photo of all the ledgers and receipts. Then he forcibly put the wooden boards back together and, like a ghost, climbed back out the window and disappeared into the night.

The next morning.

"Mr. Chen! Your food truck hasn't left yet, and your lawn—"

Evelyn, dressed in tight-fitting sportswear, arrived right on time by Chen Ming's driveway, her brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.

"Ah, good morning, Ms. Evelyn."

Chen Ming pushed open the door, interrupting her with a warm smile, and casually handed her a manila envelope.

"When I was sorting through my mailbox last night, I discovered that the postman seems to have mistakenly delivered your mail to my address. I think you should check it immediately."

"What?"

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