America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 165 Suburban Fire

Zhang Ailun followed closely behind into the apartment.

He glanced at Old Black, who was lying on the ground clutching his chest. This kick had the feel of the Grand Master. It was worth all the hard work Sig put into training in private.

He also consulted the sect leader on various mixed martial arts power generation techniques and how to engage in close-quarters combat. Although his fighting skills were still quite rough, dealing with one or two ordinary people was no problem, let alone this old black man who had smoked too much tobacco!

Upon entering the apartment, I found the living room to be a complete mess. Cans and glass bottles were scattered everywhere, and there were leaves and white powder on the table. The color was about four stars, and there was a strong smell of leaves and seafood. The stereo was blasting loudly in my ears.

There were men and women, white and black people, a total of more than a dozen people.

It's confirmed: this is a legitimate party on the West Coast.

"WTF!! What are you doing?"

The people inside the house instantly became enraged. Looking at the group that had barged in and injured them, they angrily accused them, "You entered my home without my permission! I can charge you with robbery! I'm calling the police if you don't leave!"

"What did you say?"

The speakers were deafening, making it impossible to hear what he was saying. All I could see was this bespectacled, blond-haired old man spewing profanities.

Sieg slapped him across the face, knocking him to the ground with a loud crack. "Huh? What did you say! I can't hear you!"

Sitting on the sofa with a Black woman in his arms, Ye Zi was a little tipsy from smoking. The burly white man, who was dizzy and disoriented, glanced at them, instantly sobered up, and recognized them. "WTF! It's you guys!"

Zhang Ailun had no recollection of him. The Beggar Clan disciples beside him immediately pulled out guns and pointed them at their faces, subduing everyone present.

"Ah!! Sarilang!!!" The girls, dressed in disheveled and scantily clad clothes, covered their heads and screamed.

"Shut up!!"

Zhang Ailun turned down the volume on the speakers, and the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat quiet. Looking at the dozen or so people present, he said, "We're not here to rob or kill anyone; we're mainly here to find someone. Let our employer talk to you! Tommy, it's your turn to come out."

"Hahahaha!!" Tommy strode in from outside, making a grand entrance, and looked at everyone present, especially the burly white man. "Hey! This is a surprise from the party! You fucking didn't expect me to show up, did you, Mash!"

The burly white man looked rather grim. "When did you get out?"

"I was only in there for a few days. Are you surprised that I got out? Or do you think I should be sentenced to at least ten years? I don't want to waste any more time talking to you. You're not qualified. I'll just ask you one question: where are my goods?" Tommy asked angrily, holding a bottle of liquor, looking like he was ready to blow Tommy's head off at the slightest provocation.

"That shipment is at filming location number 6 in the suburbs," the burly white man said helplessly. "You didn't have to make things so awkward for everyone. It's just a small financial dispute. You've scared my friends! This has nothing to do with them; they're all good people!"

"Hahaha, a good guy? How many good guys are there in this industry! I only know that ordinary good guys can't afford such pure cocoa. If you say another word of nonsense, I'll make sure they have nightmares tonight!" Tommy threatened. "Take us to find that shipment, and I'll settle accounts with you slowly."

"Okay." Mashu nodded helplessly, being dragged out of the apartment like a duck being herded. Before leaving, she reassured everyone present, "This is my personal matter, and I need to take care of it. It has nothing to do with you. I'll be back soon."

"Are you convinced that I wouldn't dare take your life?" Tommy was a little annoyed by his composure.

"If you take my life, you'll get nothing but more jail time. Right now, you're probably focused on making money and becoming rich again," Mashu said. "I have some funds on hand. If you let me go, I can use that money to help you, and then we'll be even!"

Tommy thought about it for a moment and realized that what he said made sense. He had come here to take back the assets, but it wouldn't be so easy for him to let him go.

Turning to Zhang Ailun and the others, he said, "We still need to go to the suburbs. The goods are there! But I don't know if they've changed the password, so we need this guy to guide us."

"Okay." Zhang Ailun readily agreed and cooperated with his actions, leading the people into the car and heading to the suburbs under the other party's navigation.

Half an hour later, we arrived at a factory and parked on the roadside. We found that there were security personnel on duty there. There was a combination lock on the door of the factory, and there was also a surveillance camera at the entrance.

Tommy told Mash to get out of the car and make contact with the other party, otherwise it would trigger a gunfight. Mash had no choice but to do so, dispersing the security personnel at the door and turning off the surveillance cameras.

Under Tommy's watchful eye, Mashu obediently entered the password, opened the factory door, and said, "Everything you need is inside."

Zhang Ailun got out of the car, and for safety reasons, they all put on bulletproof vests. The suburbs at night can harbor all sorts of animals, so it's always best to be careful.

The group entered the factory, which contained various furniture, beds, and all sorts of erotic toys, like a miniature apartment. This was the first time the leader had come to a film set on the West Coast, although the film set was a bit unprofessional!

"When your record company was raided, wasn't this place taken away?" Zhang Ailun asked.

"No, because this factory is worthless. Our record company has several filming locations, and this is just one of them. This guy even secretly took it away beforehand. My assets have been seized, but theirs haven't," Tommy said, somewhat annoyed.

Zhang Ailun asked Xige to inspect the goods, and sure enough, they found the pirated records packed in a cardboard box. There was a player next to it, so they tried playing the records, and it immediately started playing energetic music. The content was undoubtedly Ye Zi, Ke Ke, and erotic rap.

His gaze turned strange. "No wonder anyone would be willing to buy this thing."

"Not everyone can become a big star. The content of these things that are popular on the black market is actually just so-so. Apart from being a bit erotic, violent, and gory, it's all garbage! But the price is very cheap. If someone buys it, someone else will sell it."

"Our cost price for goods is not high, but the selling price is also cheap. We just make a small profit. More often, it involves money laundering projects in cooperation with other gangs. They spend money to buy our records, and we then go to the bars and nightclubs they own to spend money, thus cleaning up that money for them."

Tommy revealed the inside story of the industry: on the West Coast, any profitable business is inseparable from gambling, prostitution, and drugs.

Those involved in the industry are generally interconnected and cooperate with each other. The world of martial arts isn't just about fighting and killing; it's about human relationships and social dynamics.

The little karaomis below are free to shoot; it doesn't stop the big shots above from profiting from human suffering.

"If you're comfortable with this, you can leave it to me. I guarantee I can sell it for you within two weeks, at least $5!"

Zhang Ailun understood that it was impossible to resell all of these things at once, and that it would take some time to process them, so he readily agreed.

They also gave him a bank account, saying, "Remember to transfer all the money to this bank account later."

Tommy checked the card number, his expression strange. "A charity?"

"That's right. Besides working in can recycling, I also work for a charity. Haven't you donated money before?" Zhang Ailun asked.

"Of course! But I was betrayed by my own people. Those police officers still investigated me on the grounds of tax evasion, and in the end they only charged me with smuggling and illegal sales." Tommy sighed.

"Your business is done. Don't forget to transfer the money to me later, or you'll know the consequences of breaking your promise." After saying that, Zhang Ailun prepared to leave with his men, leaving the rest to the other party to handle.

"So easy to get a reward of $50,000? Something feels off." As they left the factory and were about to get into the car, the usually taciturn Bailey suddenly spoke up.

The people next to him smiled and were about to tell him not to be so nervous, that this wasn't a battlefield.

The next second, lights came on in the distance, and two Toyota Highlanders sped towards us from the end of the road. Someone in the driver's seat pulled out a handgun.

Judging from his skin color, he should be black!

"Take cover!!" Sig shouted immediately upon seeing this.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ailun immediately rolled over and hid behind the factory building, concealing his figure. He took out a submachine gun from his tactical chest pack and chambered a bullet with two clicks.

*Clap clap clap clap!*

Gunfire erupted, flames spitting out, and the Black man in the car opened fire on the group. Bullets clanged and clattered against the steel plates, shattering the overhead factory security cameras.

"It's that black guy from the apartment! The one I kicked. Fxxk!! They actually dared to chase after us? They even tried to kill us?" Sieg recognized the black men in the Highlander and couldn't help but curse.

Zhang Ailun's first thought upon hearing this was, "Sigurd, your foot isn't heavy enough!!"

If the Grand Master had kicked him, he would have been bedridden for at least three days, and his life would have been in serious trouble. How could he possibly have any thoughts of revenge?

The Grand Master went up and slapped him three times, crushing his pride and shattering his unruly nature.

That's not how it works. They backed down when they saw you had a gun, but then immediately turned on you and came after you for revenge!

"It's all my fault." Sig was a little annoyed. He should have let the Grand Master handle this kind of thing.

His slap was too light; it only humiliated the enemy and lacked the intimidating power to instill a sense of purpose.

"Fuck you! My car!!"

Zhang Ailun was furious when he saw the Wrangler's taillights were broken, sparks flying everywhere. How much would it cost to repair this car?

"You have to pay this money for me, Sig!"

Zhang Ailun cursed, then stepped to the side, extended his Victor submachine gun, pulled the trigger, and gave the order, "Shoot him hard!!!"

After catching their breath, the Beggars' Sect disciples also drew their weapons, enraged and humiliated.

Are you trying to show off your skills in front of them? Coming all the way to the suburbs to just throw your stuff away, huh?

Alright, alright! I'll beat you to death today, only if you're dark-skinned and the Dark Cloak comes in handy.

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!!!

Gunfire erupted instantly. The firepower of the two sides was completely outmatched; the Toyota Highlander carrying the black men was riddled with bullets, the windows shattering instantly. The tires also went flat.

He turned the steering wheel around and plunged into the grove of trees, bringing the car to a slam with a loud crash; the bumper even buckled.

"Don't worry about saving bullets, keep firing!!" Zhang Ailun finished firing a magazine. He then changed magazines and pulled the trigger, firing wildly at the two Toyota Highlanders.

The concentrated fire lasted for over a minute. The car was wrecked, and the trees in the bushes were broken.

Sig grasped the Grand Master's hand, begging him to stop firing.

If we try to hail a taxi again, it'll explode! That little black guy took so many bullets, he's already dead.

Zhang Ailun then gave up, grumbling as he got up and sent someone over to check.

"Boss, the man has passed away." The Beggar Clan disciple checked him over and was relieved.

"Let's just settle this here. It's really careless of you to cause a car accident while driving at night, hitting someone and getting shot."

Zhang Ailun waved his hand, not wanting to see their miserable state. In the suburbs at night, it was normal to have a few extra pounds of bullets in one's body.

Sig and his men immediately began to deal with the crime scene, dragging the vehicles out and setting them on fire in an open area. Thick smoke billowed out, and then they exploded with a bang. Soon, the two Highlanders were burned to empty shells, and the air was filled with the smell of barbecue and engine oil.

Tommy and Mash, who had heard the gunshots long ago, hid in the warehouse, trembling with fear, until the fighting outside ended before daring to come out.

Looking at the cleaned-up scene, Tommy couldn't help but gasp. "Who was it? An assassin? Who did you offend?"

"You should ask the guy next to you, his good friends! Those guys actually came all the way to the suburbs to shoot at us! Luckily, we're all professionals," Zhang Ailun said irritably.

Looking at Mashu, whose face had turned pale, he said fiercely, "Buddy, you need to compensate us for our losses!!"

"I will make it up to you," Matthew answered honestly, not expecting those black men to be so bold. "But I can only come up with $2000 right now."

"What do you take us for? Beggars? This can't be resolved without $10000! You'd better not talk about this outside. Is your friend very familiar with these black guys?" Zhang Ailun questioned.

"Don't worry, they're all orphans living on the streets. Their parents died a long time ago, so they wouldn't have any friends," Mashu said honestly. "I only befriended them because I thought they could help me. Don't worry! I'll definitely raise the money as soon as possible and transfer it to your account."

Zhang Ailun received his promise, took the two thousand dollars in cash, and then left the factory site in the suburbs with his men.

They drove back to the bridge camp, and it was already late at night. Zhang Ailun said goodbye to the Beggars' Sect disciples, giving them $2000 in cash as escape money. He got out of the car and glanced at the Wrangler; everything else was fine, except for bullet holes in the fenders and taillights.

I quickly mended it, put on a label to cover up the marks, and planned to have Sigra take the car to be repaired another day.

Back in the RV, Dominic and Jennifer were already asleep.

Zhang Ailun quickly washed up, scrolled through short videos on his phone for a while, and then peacefully fell asleep.

The next day.

When Zhang Ailun woke up, he felt a warm sensation. He opened his eyes, lifted the blanket, and saw Jennifer secretly eating.

"Hiss... What are you doing, Jennifer?"

To my surprise, I turned around and found that there were only the two of them in the RV. The campsite was quiet. I glanced out the window and realized that the sun was already high in the sky.

He took out his phone and checked the time. He had been watching short videos until around 2 a.m. last night, so he had gone to bed a little late and had slept in, which was unusual for him.

Jennifer smiled. "Honey, you missed breakfast. I saw you were sleeping soundly, so I didn't wake you. Are you satisfied with my wake-up call?"

"You look like you haven't had breakfast either," Zhang Ailun said, his lips twitching.

Jennifer immediately took her place as the female knight, took off her clothes, pulled out a carton of milk, and said with a mischievous smile, "It's okay. I even prepared milk for you! Do you want to drink it straight away, or experience the fun of your childhood?"

Hmm... If you're going to play like this, then I might actually be feeling a bit hungry.

An hour later, the leader was still not satisfied; the milk was really delicious.

(End of this chapter)