America's Greatest Villain: I Defeat Magic with Magic

Chapter 1: In America, the Starting Line of Kills

Chen Yuan sat blankly on the sofa. Across the street from the window, the flashing lights of an LAPD patrol car made his expression flicker.

Several envelopes lay on the table in front of him. They looked ordinary, but in Chen Yuan's hands, they felt incredibly heavy.

Property tax overdue notice: $8000.

Property management fee IOU: US$1200.

And the tuition bill for the next semester at USC: $45000.

"Am I... at the point of no return?"

Chen Yuan gave a wry smile, and the phrase that had recently become a viral sensation on the Chinese internet involuntarily came to mind.

As a second-generation Chinese American, although he has never set foot on his homeland, he has been influenced by his parents since childhood and not only speaks fluent Mandarin, but also has a name that is authentically Chinese.

The two-bedroom apartment where Chen Yuan lives was built in the 1970s. Although the facilities are old, it was the first home his parents earned through their hard work day and night when they first arrived in America.

Chen Yuan was born and raised here.

This place was once the warmest harbor, but now it has become a noose around his neck.

Since a mysterious car accident a few months ago took the lives of his parents, Chen Yuan's life has been completely thrown into chaos.

The biotechnology company that the parents worked so hard to build was forcibly acquired by a giant company, and their bank accounts were frozen.

In addition, the company's previous high-value performance-based agreement failed, resulting in the complete dilution of its equity and leaving Chen Yuan with not a single penny of inheritance.

Although the apartment has been fully paid for, in the magical land of America, even if you own the property certificate, you are still just a tenant in this country.

The annual property tax of 1% to 1.5% is fixed and must be paid without fail.

If the payment is overdue, even for a mere dollar, the tax officer will immediately initiate foreclosure proceedings.

Not to mention the high property management fees and maintenance fund for this old apartment building.

If these two sums of money cannot be paid by the end of the month, this old apartment where I have lived for more than 20 years will change hands.

Is selling the house the only option?

But this was the only memento his parents left him, and also his last foothold in America.

If he sells the house, he will truly become a homeless vagrant, completely losing any chance to turn his life around.

But if he didn't sell, as a poor student, he simply couldn't afford the bills in front of him.

He glanced at the balance in his mobile banking account; there was only $32.5 left, a mix of small and large amounts.

This amount of money isn't even enough for tomorrow's lunch.

Just as Chen Yuan was falling into despair, a cry of surprise suddenly came from outside the door.

Judging from the voice, it must be Amir, who lives next door and is one of his few friends in this neighborhood.

"It's that group of people again?"

Chen Yuan's eyes sharpened, and he instantly reached out to touch the gap between the sofas. Only after grasping the cold grip of a gun did he feel a little more at ease.

That was a Glock 17 left by my father, with a few bullets still inside.

In free America, this is the last resort for the poor to maintain their dignity.

Chen Yuan rushed to the door in three strides and flung it open.

In the dimly lit stairwell, three black men dressed in black hoodies were pinning the skinny Amir against the wall.

One of them was grinning as he searched his pockets, while Amir's already dark face had turned liver-colored from suffocation.

"stop!"

Without any hesitation, Chen Yuan raised his gun with both hands and pointed it directly at the black man in front of him.

"Don't touch him! Get out of here, now!"

Although his voice was not loud, the power of the truth was immediately apparent.

The black men froze, then slowly released their grip on Amir.

The black man Chen Yuan pointed at turned around, revealing a set of white teeth adorned with gold ones. His gaze fixed on the Glock 17 in Chen Yuan's hand, he said with some apprehension:

"This kid owes Mad Dog Johnny three hundred dollars, we're just here to collect the debt."

I don't care who he owes money to.

The muzzle of the gun in Chen Yuan's hand did not waver at all, and his eyes were unwavering.

Although he was panicking inside, he was very clear:

If you show the slightest weakness in front of this group of thugs, they will take advantage of you.

The other party must understand that if they make any rash moves, he really will shoot!

"This is private property. Your actions constitute trespassing and robbery, and I have the right to defend myself."

He paused, then slightly wiggled the muzzle of his gun.

"Get out."

The smile on the gold-toothed man's face froze.

He stared intently at Chen Yuan, seemingly trying to guess whether this seemingly weak young man had the courage to fire a gun.

However, in the chaotic neighborhoods of Los Angeles, risking your life for three hundred dollars is clearly not worth it.

"Fine, you've got guts."

The man with the gold teeth spat and pointed at Chen Yuan.

"I hope you sleep with this gun, kid. Johnny Mad Dog's debts aren't so easy to renege on."

After saying that, he turned and left with his two men, cursing and swearing, quickly disappearing around the corner of the stairs.

Only after the footsteps completely disappeared did Amir slide down the wall and sit on the ground, panting heavily, then a wan smile appeared on his face:

"You saved me again, Chen."

Chen Yuan put away his gun and looked at his neighbor whom he had known for many years, feeling a mix of emotions.

"I can't save you every time."

He sighed and reached out to help Amir up.

"If you really owe those people money, you'd better find a way to pay it back. Johnny is a real mad dog; they're capable of anything."

"I know...but..."

Amir clutched his head in anguish, his voice choked with sobs.

"But my dad was arrested by immigration officials, and my mom went to work illegally and has disappeared... Now the landlord wants to collect the rent again, and I really don't know what to do!"

Looking at this peer who was on the verge of collapse, Chen Yuan felt as if he were seeing himself in the near future.

They were both facing imminent elimination and had no other options.

However, in this jungle where the strong prey on the weak, the tears of the weak are the cheapest thing.

Just then.

【Ding--】

A crisp electronic sound suddenly exploded in the depths of Chen Yuan's mind.

[Congratulations, host, on binding with the American Villain System.]

[The system detected that the host recently threatened three "innocent passersby" with a gun, demonstrating initial villainous potential.]

[Bonus Villain Value: 30 points.]

Chen Yuan was stunned.

He rubbed his temples, wondering if he was hallucinating because of the stress he had been under lately.

Villain System?

Threatening innocent passersby with a gun?

They were clearly three loan sharks, so how did they become innocent bystanders?

Does this so-called system see them as just law-abiding citizens who came to collect debts, but they become villains when the system drives them away with guns?

That's true. After all, paying back debts is the basic principle in America, and nobody cares how the debt was incurred.

Before he could react, the mechanical voice in his mind rang out again:

[Uses of Villain Points: They can be used to exchange for real-world currency, enhance physical attributes, or purchase special skills.]

[Current exchange rate: 1 Villain Point = 100 USD.]

[Would you like to make an exchange?]

The system's voice made Chen Yuan freeze in place.

One villain point can be exchanged for $100?

So, the 30 villain points he just gained could be exchanged for $3000?!

With a try-it-and-see attitude, he subconsciously recited in his mind:

"Exchange for 10 villain points."

The next second, a distinct bloating sensation suddenly came from the pocket of his pants.

He reached into his pocket and immediately pulled out a brand new banknote.