America: The neighbor's wife is so incredibly hospitable!

I don't know if it's just Chen An's imagination.

Under the table, Sarah's knee, clad in yoga pants, seemed to "accidentally" brush against his calf.

one more time.

They did not move them immediately.

Chen An put down his fork and looked up.

Sarah was looking at him, her chin resting on her hand.

Those azure eyes shimmered like Flathead Lake in Montana on a summer's day.

She didn't speak, but simply licked the little bit of sauce that had gotten on the corner of her mouth with the tip of her tongue.

This is an extremely dangerous sign.

In this restaurant filled with the aroma of food, next door sits an alcoholic husband watching a rugby game.

Before me is a still charming and affectionate married woman.

This kind of immoral thrill.

It's like minced meat with too much black pepper, so spicy it makes your heart race.

Chen An did not dodge.

He slightly adjusted his posture but did not pull his legs back.

Instead, it stretched forward slightly and gently pressed against the outside of Sarah's calf.

The heat is transmitted through the fabric.

Sarah's body stiffened, and her breathing became noticeably more rapid.

But she didn't back down; instead, her eyes became even more unfocused.

Just then.

"Bang!"

A heavy thud was heard coming from the living room.

"Damn it! What lousy beer!"

Tom's cursing shattered the pleasant atmosphere in the restaurant.

Sarah recoiled as if she'd been electrocuted, the blush on her face fading instantly.

Instead, there was a deep sense of disgust and embarrassment.

She took a deep breath and gave Chen An a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Sorry, Anne. I... I need to get ready."

Watching her hurried walk towards the living room, her voluptuous figure appeared even more tense due to nervousness.

Chen An picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth.

He knew the time was right.

The despair of having a husband but being unable to rely on him, contrasted with the gentle and considerate handsome neighbor, was brewing in Sarah's heart.

A few minutes later, Sarah returned to the restaurant looking exhausted.

"He drank too much and spilled wine all over the floor," Sarah said in a low voice, avoiding Chen An's eyes.

"Ann, it might not be convenient for you to stay long tonight. I don't want him to get drunk and cause trouble for you."

This was a way of asking him to leave, but it was also a compromise to protect Chen An.

Chen An stood up, behaving with great poise.

"It's okay, I'm full too." He walked up to Sarah and looked at her eyes, which were even a little red.

Sarah, don't overwork yourself.

"If you need any help...whether it's fixing a pipe or anything else, just call me anytime."

Sarah looked up at him with a complicated expression, nodded, and whispered:

"Thank you... I really like that hand cream. I tried it in the kitchen just now, and it smells wonderful."

"That's just the beginning," Chen An said softly.

He didn't linger any longer and turned to walk towards the door.

As I passed through the living room, Tom, who was lying on the sofa, was already snoring.

The jacket he was holding, bulging with unidentified items, was still tightly clutched in his arms.

Chen An's gaze lingered on the jacket for a second, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

That's where the detonator that the hardware store lost is located.

This was not just stolen goods, but also a "gun" given to Chen An.

A gun that can send this useless husband to jail at any time, thus making this white house completely "ownerless".

………………

He returned to his dilapidated wooden hut.

Night had fallen, and the wind howled across the wasteland, battering against the windows.

The room was as cold as an icebox, but Chen An's heart was burning with warmth.

He sat on the old sofa and turned on the dim table lamp.

I took out an old notebook and started to take stock of what I had accomplished that day.

assets:

Cash: $460 (after deducting shopping expenses).

Food: Enough for two weeks.

Weapons: A double-barreled shotgun and a rusty machete.

Connections:

Katie: Stable sales channels, but requires continuous supply.

Sarah: The initial emotional groundwork has been laid, and she has a very high level of affection for Sarah. She is on the eve of a passionate romance.

threaten:

The IRS: There is less than a year left to raise $20,000.

Sheriff Reynolds: This old fox has his eye on this area; we can't afford to do anything under his nose.

Tom Miller: Although he's a useless piece of trash, the detonators he has are an unstable factor.

If it explodes, it will not only injure people, but the FBI may also turn the surrounding area upside down, affecting Chen An's money-making plans.

"So, we need to think of a way."

Chen An twirled the ballpoint pen in his hand and drew a circle on the paper, encircling the name "Tom".

If it's one of those mindless, wish-fulfillment novels, we should report it and send the author to jail right now.

But Chen An didn't think so.

Sending Tom to prison would be easy, but would that maximize your own interests?

Not necessarily.

If Tom goes to jail, Sarah might face financial crisis because she needs to raise money for bail or clean up the mess, and might even have to sell the ranch next door and move.

That's not what Chen An wanted.

What he wanted was to turn the neighboring ranch, cattle, sheep, and the woman next door into "accessories" of his farm.

"He needs to make a mistake, and a big one at that."

"We need to make him lose control of the family, but we can't let the family fall apart..."

Chen An made a heavy tap on the paper with the tip of his pen.

Suddenly, he thought of something.

He pulled out a copy of the Montana Outdoor Hunting Guide that he had casually picked up when he bought raw material tape at the hardware store earlier that day.

Turn to one of the pages.

[Bounty: In recent years, the number of wolves and coyotes in this area has surged, seriously threatening livestock safety. The state government has issued a hunting bounty, with a reward for each wolf pelt or tail caught. Additionally, a reward of up to $5000 can be given for reporting poaching or activities that disrupt the ecological balance (such as illegal use of explosives for fishing/blasting).]

Chen An's eyes lit up.

$5000.

That's a quarter of the property tax.

Moreover, if arrested for "possession of prohibited explosives," it is a felony under Montana law, and such offenses are not eligible for bail.

At that time, Sarah will be a helpless housewife with a child.

Faced with hefty fines and lengthy litigation, who is her only support?

Of course, it was her handsome, wealthy, and warm-hearted Chinese neighbor.

"Tom, you're such a good neighbor, you even prepared this start-up capital for me."

Chen An closed his notebook, feeling pleased.

Just then, his old cell phone, which hadn't rung since he came to America, suddenly vibrated.

The screen lights up.

It was a short message.

It came from an unfamiliar local number.

[Content: Hello? This is Sarah. I'm so sorry I couldn't properly entertain you tonight. Tom's finally fast asleep... If you're still awake, the milking machine behind my barn seems to be broken. I'm over there, but I can't get the valve right. Could you... come take a look?]

Chen An looked at the text on the screen.

Granary.

late at night.

A broken machine.

A valve that can't be moved.

This isn't repairing a machine; it's clearly an invitation for him to "commit a crime."

Chen An stood up and glanced at the pitch-black night outside the window.

The lights in the main house next door were off, but a dim yellow light shone from the large red barn at the back.

He did not reply immediately.

Instead, she went to the restroom, carefully washed her face with cold water, and brushed her teeth.

Then she changed into a more streamlined-looking black windbreaker.

He even gave himself a gentle and harmless smile in the mirror before leaving the house.

"Mario the plumber has been dispatched."

Chen An gently opened the door, like a nimble leopard, and disappeared into the wild night winds of Montana.

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.