I was acting crazy in North America, and all the crazy people there took it seriously.

Chapter 14 The Chaos in Chicago (1)

Back at the newspaper office, Logan asked Richard to arrange for a reporter to go to the barbecue restaurant to take photos and conduct interviews, while he made an excuse to go home.

Standing in front of the mirror, a thought crossed my mind, and the image of the man transformed into a bald man with a cold and aloof demeanor.

Guo Da (not), Jason Statham.

[Anonymous (Mechanic): Armed America! You are a mechanic, go and deliver the Chicago typewriter of freedom to the insecure Americans.]

The new vest can share a backpack with the bootlegger vest.

The goal was clear: to ensure that "everyone in America has a gun so that there is no chaos"—and the "Chicago typewriter" in the story is not limited to the Thompson submachine gun.

Logan felt that if this system had a physical form, it would definitely be staring at a pair of demonic horns.

But this did not surprise Logan.

The new vest, besides offering a "skin change," doesn't provide any additional items, but it replicates all of Jason Statham's skills from "The Mechanic."

Killer instinct: The ability to sense approaching danger in advance;

Proficient in firearms: This needs no further explanation; they can even design and manufacture their own firearms.
Formidable combat prowess: He can take on ten opponents single-handedly;

Accidental Engineering Design and Manufacturing: Transforming Murder into an Elegant Accident...

Logan's lips twitched.

Even the dead should thank you for your elegance.

If the first vest was a shield, then this vest is a spear, and the sharpest spear at that.

It's no exaggeration to say that Logan, well, let's call him "Guo Da Statham," is now the top assassin on Earth.

This excellence is not reflected in violence, but rather in their near-inhuman professional competence, which is embodied in their mastery of knowledge in multiple fields such as medicine, psychology, and engineering.

There's only one small problem—who's so bored as to become some kind of killer? Wouldn't it be more fun to just watch the endless stream of entertainment from the Americans?
……

Americans say they are not happy at all.

The following day, almost every newspaper in Chicago had its front page dominated by the brutal and bloody gunfight at the barbecue restaurant.

"Four dead, eighteen injured! Bloody massacre at a barbecue restaurant!"

The large black-and-white photograph shows overturned tables and chairs, broken grills and roasted meat, and a burly man whose eyes were wide open in fury until his death!

Various speculations about the identities of the murderer and the victim are rampant, but one thing is the same:
The reports were all filled with shock, anger, and strong condemnation of the loss of control over public order, denouncing the police's incompetence and questioning why taxpayers' money should be used to support a bunch of useless people!
Unsurprisingly, many reporters rushed to the scene after the bloodshed, and the Chicago police arrived late.

Chicagoans joined the newspapers in cursing the gunman, the incompetent cops, and the rubbish tabloids.

That's right, this tabloid is The Sun.

The Sun's report was actually the most detailed, since someone had experienced it firsthand; however, Richard also infused his report with the fear and anger he felt from his own experience.

He boldly revealed that the victim was a "high-ranking gangster" and predicted that "no matter who did it, it means Chicago is about to descend into chaos, a bigger storm is brewing, and no one can stay out of it!"

Many Chicagoans scoffed at this nonsense, their spittle practically flying across Richard's face through the newspaper.

"The news section of The Sun is garbage!"

"Exactly, they're really writing news like it's fiction, and they even have premonitions!"

"But I must say, the second edition of the novel is indeed very well written..."

It must be said that Richard's on-site observation was worthwhile, although he said afterward that his "worldview was completely shattered".

In this installment, he wrote the sadomasochistic game between the two protagonists with exceptional cinematic flair. Needless to say, tomorrow newspapers big and small will again devote considerable space to criticizing The Sun for its indecent behavior.

However, The Sun remained unmoved because its readers loved it.

"We'd love more content like this. Why are we only getting sensational news articles?"

When night falls.

“Rumble——!!!”

A muffled explosion rang out, causing the windows of some residents in the city to rattle violently.

People on the high-rise buildings first saw the direction of the South City factory district, where several incredibly thick pillars of fire, like the vents of a hellish furnace being forcibly pried open, violently tore apart the Chicago night sky!
Suddenly, flames also appeared from several other directions, and the raging flames danced wildly in the deep night, dyeing half the sky a breathtaking dark red!

"God! Fire! Fire!"

"Where? Where's the fire?!"

"It's a factory area! There are fires in more than one place!"

"Is the whole city going to burn down again?!"

In short, like a plague, it spread wildly from high places to low places, from the southern district to the city center.

1871! That terrifying year, deeply etched into the collective memory of Chicagoans!
Also at night, a fire turned the entire city to ashes!
The piercing, ear-piercing sirens of fire trucks wailed from all directions of the city, shattering the sleep of countless Chicagoans who had just settled down.

People jumped out of bed, rushed barefoot to the window, and stared in terror at the distant firelight.

People near the fire zone panicked and rushed out of their homes, flooding the streets, screaming and crying as they tried to get away from the fire.

Some people uncontrollably recalled the comments they had scoffed at during the day from The Sun: "Chaos is brewing, and no one can escape it..."

Ridiculous? Ridiculous are they themselves!

……

Logan only noticed the flames rising in the distance after the sirens sounded.

He inexplicably felt that this was related to Al Capone again.

After thinking about a new alias, he silently called out in his heart, and "Guo Da Statham" instantly went online.

He took an unmarked camera from his home, slung it across his chest, pushed open the door, and stepped into the chaotic Chicago night, heading upstream towards the direction where the flames were rising.

Chaos is a breeding ground for evil.

The fire terrified some, but secretly delighted others, who took advantage of the chaos to launch this long-standing program in the country—zero-dollar shopping!

Along the way, "Guo Da Statham" saw more than one group of thugs smashing shop windows in the chaos and frantically stuffing the goods inside into their pockets or sacks.

"Guo Da Statham" didn't even linger on these looters for a second longer.

Just past a street corner, a black man, even better at hiding himself in the dark than him, rudely bumped into an old woman carrying a bundle, snatched the bundle, and ran in the direction of "Jason Statham".

Without pausing for a moment, "Guo Da Statham" used his left foot as a pivot, twisting his body like a taut spring, and his right leg transformed into a swift whip.

With a muffled thud, the hard heel of the boot struck the black man's knee with perfect precision.

The black man's face was contorted, and his body slammed into the ground with a thud, rolling heavily to the ground and howling in pain.

The old woman, who had fallen to the ground, was so frightened that she forgot to cry. She stared in disbelief as the stranger who had suddenly appeared and instantly solved her problem caught the bundle that had been thrown at her, tossed it back to her, and left without looking back.

As they passed a small alleyway near the fire zone, two more menacing-looking guys rushed out with guns, their eyes greedily fixed on the camera slung over "Jason Statham's" shoulder.
"Give me the camera, and the pockets..." Before he could finish speaking, "Guo Da Statham" suddenly ducked, lunged forward, and slid to the side. His elbow, like a cannonball, shot upwards with explosive momentum, slamming into the lower edge of his soft ribs.

"Ugh..." Before he could even scream, his eyes bulged out, his face instantly turned from red to purple and then to white. The gun slipped from his hand, and he collapsed, clutching his ribs, only painful convulsions remaining.

His companion was stunned by the ruthlessness that happened in the blink of an eye. Before he could react, "Jason Statham" pounced on him and gave him the same treatment.

"Jason Statham" didn't even glance at them, who were powerless to resist, and continued forward.

Once they avoided the chaotic crowd and could see the fire zone from afar, "Guo Da Statham" confirmed one thing: the fire was definitely related to Al Capone.

The factory that caught fire was clearly the illegal brewery that someone had been following him!

Poor thing, look what it's burned to now.

"Guo Da Statham" looked around and found a high vantage point for easy observation.

He came to the back of a nearby small building, looked up and estimated the distance, grabbed the rough brick seams with both hands, swung his body lightly upwards, and precisely wedged his feet into the iron hoops of the drainpipe.

Without ropes or tools, he gripped the cracks in the bricks with his fingers and used the tiny protrusions on his toes for leverage, climbing upwards like a giant gecko.

A moment later, he landed silently on the flat rooftop.

Not far away, several huge winery buildings were being completely engulfed by flames, and waves of heat, carrying the acrid smell of sparks and ashes, swept over the area.

Fire trucks outside the factory tried to extinguish the fire, but it's unclear whether the alcohol inside turned into fuel, as the fire intensified.

Looking down from above, the massive stills were glowing red and deformed, emitting a sickening groan, before finally exploding with a deafening roar, spewing out burning liquor and scalding metal fragments like a flowing river of lava.

"Guo Da Statham" quickly found a perfect spot on the edge of the rooftop, slightly bent his knees, and steadily raised the camera.

What is presented on camera is a breathtaking picture of destruction:

Nearby, there were burning, collapsed, and billowing industrial ruins, resembling hell;
The medium shot shows the chaotic, fleeing figures as tiny as ants and the flashing lights of fire trucks;

In the distance, the dazzling lights and towering buildings of downtown Chicago, illuminated by the firelight, appeared both vibrant and surreal.

"Crack!"

Thanks to the "mechanic" for his aesthetic sense, the front page photo is ready for tomorrow!
……

Richard is going crazy!

On this chaotic night, newspapers large and small throughout Chicago sprang into action.

Some mobilized people to find materials, others used their imaginations to make things up, and at the very least, they revisited the history of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871...

Just then, Logan ran in with a camera, saying he had gotten firsthand footage.

After the photos were developed, almost everyone in the newspaper office held the boss in the highest esteem!

This was clearly taken at a fire scene!
Putting aside the artistic merit, the fact that they rushed to the fire scene to film in the dark of night, when no one knew what might happen, shows incredible professionalism!
That's why they're able to be bosses!
Except for Richard!
Richard now sees Logan as a brat courting disaster and wants to give him a good beating on the spot.

Richard didn't even dare to think about how dangerous it was outside—robberies, madmen… Even professional reporters wouldn't dare to plunge headlong into the area near the fire scene.

You're a boss, why are you risking your life like this?!
Logan naturally saw Richard's eyes practically spitting fire, and couldn't very well say that he just wanted to try out the new disguise.

Danger? Not at all. The only danger is to others.

However, if he said that, Richard would probably think he was getting arrogant and would be even angrier.

Fortunately, the information that could be verified along the way could be mentioned, which would also help to divert Richard's attention.

Logan pulled Richard into his office and whispered, "The biggest fire started at the Italians' bootlegging facility."

Richard glared at Logan resentfully and said irritably, "How did you know?"

“I saw Johnny Torrio at the scene. You know, I saw him at my grandfather’s funeral.”

Johnny wasn't actually there, but Richard wouldn't know that.

"If the other fires also started at the Italians' wineries, and considering the Italians who died at the barbecue restaurant earlier, what conclusions can we draw?" Logan cautioned.

Richard, having calmed down, quickly concluded, following Logan's suggestion, that "the Italians are fighting amongst themselves!"

In Chicago, the only people capable of such a brutal attack on the Mafia, besides the Irish gang, are the Mafia itself.

As soon as Richard realized this, he immediately said, "You're coming with me to find Tang!"

The O'Connor family's villa is located to the north, near Lake Michigan, and is largely unaffected by tonight's fire.

But Donald didn't rest. Instead, he kept mobilizing people to gather information and maintain order in his territory.

Upon hearing the news Logan brought, he confirmed, "That's right, it must be the Italians fighting amongst themselves. I know those small fires all started at their distilleries."

"It would be impossible to achieve such a neat and orderly result if it weren't done by our own people!"

Richard, unaware of Logan's repeated attempts to sow discord with Al Capone's ambitions, asked in bewilderment, "So why are the Italians fighting amongst themselves?"

Donald was also in a state of information asymmetry, but he was too lazy to think about it too much. "Who cares! What can I do now?"

Logan sensed the ambiguity in his words and asked, "What are you planning to do?"

Donald must have thought about it for a while, because he said directly, "I want to carry out a major purge of the Irish gang!"

"Cough cough..." Richard choked.

No, why are you thinking about "civil war" too?

Chicago's two biggest gangs have started a civil war at the same time. This is insane!

His premonition actually came true? Chicago is about to descend into even greater chaos!
Logan, on the contrary, nodded in agreement, saying, "You should have done this a long time ago!"

The Chicago Irish Gang is somewhat similar to the Mafia, having also split off from New York's gang factions.

The O'Connor family were among the earliest members of the New York Irish gang to develop in Chicago. They started by forming a small gang and then gradually absorbed gangs in the North Side, becoming a relatively large force.

During this process, members of the New York Irish Gang continued to break away and come to Chicago to build their own forces.

Later, facing pressure from the equally growing Mafia, the members had no choice but to unite, making the O'Connor family the boss, thus forming the current Irish gang.

Because it was an initiative to unite, the other families also had their own spheres of influence and would not obey the O'Connor family on many matters.

Donald, young and ambitious, had long wanted to change this situation, and now that his arch-rivals were fighting amongst themselves, it was a godsend.

He asked his two most trusted advisors, "What do you think I should do? Should I just learn from the Italians and wipe them out?"

Richard waved his hands frantically, "No, please! We're not like the Italians. Several families have intermarried. We can't go too far!"

Logan thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up and he chuckled, "Let me tell you an ancient Chinese story called 'Releasing Military Power Over a Cup of Wine'..."

……

(End of this chapter)