I work as a sorcerer in the US, and my side hustle is building Gundams.

"What the hell are you talking about—"

Derek was startled, then roared in a show of bravado but inwardly weak voice.

"You learned how to extract thallium in your high school chemistry class, and then you bought the raw materials from the dark web."

Lynn continued, speaking as if reciting a menu.

"Your new girlfriend, who works at the same company as you and Elena, found Elena's insurance information in the company system. Three hundred and thirty thousand US dollars, right?"

"You plan to poison her first, then forge a will and get your hands on the money."

Derek's face turned completely white!

How did this guy know about my plans?

He suddenly reached under the coffee table and grabbed a drawer—there must be something hidden inside.

But Lynn reacted even faster!

He pointed at Derek and muttered a word to himself.

[Curse of Weakness]!

An unseen force shot out from Lynn's fingertips, striking Derek squarely in the chest.

Derek's body stiffened abruptly, as if something had drained him of his strength; his legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees.

He tried to stand up, but his whole body felt like it was filled with lead, and he couldn't muster any strength. Even breathing became difficult!

Mike stood to the side. He had been following Lynn for a while and knew that his boss had some "special methods," but he still found it unbelievable every time he saw them.

"You—what did you do—"

Derek's voice was now as weak as the buzzing of a mosquito.

Lynn ignored him and walked to the coffee table, opening the drawer.

Inside was a small bottle of white powder, a syringe, several forged draft wills, and an old cell phone.

He took a spare pair of rubber gloves out of his pocket, then picked up the old cell phone and scrolled through the text message history.

It contains conversations between Derek and a woman named Megan, detailing their poisoning plan, the source of the poison, and the steps involved in forging a will.

"We have the evidence," Lynn handed the phone to Mike. "Let's call the police."

Mike, now wearing gloves, took the phone and glanced at the text message. His face immediately turned ashen.

He used to be a high school chemistry teacher and had seen many bad students, but this was truly the first time he had ever seen one this bad.

He immediately took out his phone and dialed Geller's number.

Lynn turned around and looked at Derek, who was kneeling on the ground, trembling all over.

Derek's lips were trembling, and his eyes were filled with fear.

He probably thought Lynn was some kind of demon or gangster killer.

Lynn crouched down and looked him in the eye.

"Do you know what the 'kill line' is?" Lynn's voice was very soft.

"It's the line where a person can't survive in America anymore. The line where they're in debt for medical care, lose their job, go bankrupt, get evicted by their landlord, sleep on the streets, and are forgotten."

Elena was already on that side; you've pushed her even closer.

He paused.

"But guess what? You'll soon find out where that line is."

Lynn stood up and gave Derek one last look.

Then he raised his hand and pointed to Derek's right leg, silently repeating the second word in his mind.

Corrosion Technique.

Derek felt a sudden, intense burning sensation beneath the skin of his right knee, as if sulfuric acid were flowing through his veins. He screamed, curled up on the ground, and rolled around frantically, clutching his knee.

That wasn't permanent damage—Lynn controlled his strength; the Corruption spell would only cause him excruciating pain for a short time, but it wouldn't actually burn his leg.

This wasn't Elena's request; it was his own decision to punish this disgusting villain.

That should be enough to teach him a lesson.

"Let's go, Mike."

Lynn dusted off her clothes, turned around, and walked out of the apartment.

Derek's heart-wrenching screams came from behind.

Mike followed behind, and by the time they walked out of the apartment building, the rain had subsided, and the streetlights cast a dim, yellowish glow on the wet pavement.

"That curse...it won't kill anyone, will it?"

"No, it's just worse than death."

Mike paused for a moment, then said:

"If we call the police, those text message evidence should be enough to convict him, right? Attempted murder, illegal possession of drugs, forgery—enough to put him in jail for more than ten years."

"That's enough. Did you mention Megan's name when you made the call? Have Geller and Vincent arrest her too, so they can get some credit as well."

"Heh, how could I forget? I hate these heartless scoundrels the most."

……

Two hours later, Lynn and Mike returned to Elena's apartment.

DeShawn was leaning against the window scrolling through his phone, while Daniel was dozing off on the armrest of the sofa.

Elena was still sitting in the same spot, but her complexion had improved significantly—her lips were less purple, and her eyes had regained some vitality.

"Boss, you're back? Is everything settled?"

DeShawn looked up.

"nailed it."

Lynn took off his soaking wet coat and draped it over the back of the chair.

"Derek and that woman named Megan will be taken away by the police soon. Text messages, poison, a forged will—the evidence is all in their house. They're not getting away."

Elena stared at him blankly, her lips trembling a few times, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Thank you... I really don't know how to thank you..."

"You're welcome," Lynn pulled up a chair and sat down, her tone calm. "Did DeShawn tell you about the fees?"

Elena nodded, her voice very soft:

"I said, eight hundred dollars, three hundred for antidote, and five hundred to get rid of this trouble."

"right."

Lynn nodded.

"I don't want checks, I want cash."

Elena lowered her head, twisted her hands together, and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then she stood up, went into the bedroom, pulled an envelope from under the mattress, counted out eight hundred dollars in twenty-dollar bills, and shakily handed it to Lynn.

Her hands were trembling, but she didn't hesitate.

Lynn took the money, counted it on the spot, and put it in his pocket only after confirming that it was enough.

"call……"

He breathed a sigh of relief; at least a small portion of the ten thousand yuan hole had been filled.

"What are you going to do about those debts?"

The group was about to leave, but Mike still casually asked a question.

Elena gave a wry smile:

"I don't know. I'll find a job first, and then pay it back slowly. Over the years, I've made some friends who might be able to lend me a little money..."

Lynn stood up, picked up her soaking wet coat, and put it back on.

"After Derek is arrested, the police might take your statement. Just tell the truth—that your health got worse and worse after eating the things your ex-boyfriend gave you, and you suspect he poisoned you. Don't mention me, and don't mention that bottle of green potion. If anyone asks, just say that you drank the vitamins and tonics you bought yourself and somehow you got better."

Elena paused for a moment:

"Why? Your antidote is so effective, shouldn't you promote it more?"

"It's necessary, but not for the police. I don't want them asking me all sorts of questions."

Elena hesitated for two seconds, then nodded.

Lynn turned and walked out, and DeShawn and Daniel quickly followed.

Mike walked last, glancing back at Elena as he left.

"Take care of yourself."

Mike said, then reached out and closed the door.

Elena stood at the door, her eyes red, and nodded to him.

The four people walked down the stairs, their footsteps echoing in the empty stairwell.

The rain outside had completely stopped, and a few faint stars appeared in the Seattle night sky.

As he walked down the street, Daniel chuckled twice.

"The boss is really amazing. She not only helped her get treatment but also dealt with that damn scumbag ex-boyfriend. If it were us, we wouldn't have been able to earn that $800 so easily."

"I need to be extra careful in the future. If someone asks for my help, I'll call them if I can help."

Lynn nodded, quite satisfied with what he had accomplished that day.

His mind was elsewhere—on Derek's lead. For an ordinary employee of a financial company to be able to obtain thallium salts on the dark web indicated a sophisticated supply chain behind it. Who was at the source of that chain? Who was involved in this kind of business?

But he can't worry about that right now.

He owed Carlos's gang $10,000, and now he has $4600 left.

There are still 8 days left, and it seems that if things continue at this pace, we will definitely make it in time.

Lynn pulled his coat tighter around himself and quickened his pace.

Elena closed the door in the apartment building behind her.

She leaned against the door, looking down at the empty glass bottle in her hand, then suddenly squatted down, buried her face in her knees, and cried silently.

It's not because I'm afraid.

It was because, for the first time in two months, someone had actually saved her.