Chapter 17: Everyone Just Wants to Live

An apartment, located in the central area of the city.

There are actually only two places in New Jincheng that are the most prosperous. The first is the commercial street area in the city center, where New Jincheng's most interesting money-burning dens are gathered.

From the highest-end hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and clubs to the most famous adult industries, strip clubs, and casinos, almost all are here.

"An inch of land is worth an inch of gold" is what describes the city center of New Jincheng.

Another place is the port and the surrounding areas of the port. This area is more inclined toward the "working class."

If you open a private room in a strip club in the city center and find a dancer to dance for you alone for 30 minutes, it costs at least 50 dollars.

Then in those cheap and lively bars at the port, you only need 10 dollars to enjoy these, and for an extra 5 dollars, you can enjoy an excellent service—

This is not illegal, because according to federal law, illegal pornography refers to the occurrence of specific acts, but this doesn't count.

Sailors spend the money they earned through hard work without caring, and the girls are also busy earning through labor, which is nothing shameful.

Except for these two places, other areas cannot be considered lively.

As long as it's not lively, housing prices won't be too high.

Looking at this apartment with a price that is neither high nor low, Lansi hadn't gotten off the car yet and began to assign work.

"Aierwen, you and... (Companion A), stay downstairs. Pay attention to people coming out from inside. If you find that idiot running out, stop him. There is a crowbar in the trunk."

"Yisen, you and... (Companion B) go up with me. Your main job is to help guard the main door. If anyone comes to watch, you are responsible for dispersing them."

"Remember, you must look fierce."

Lansi exhorted emphatically. "If this work is completed smoothly, I will mention it to Mr. Cotti to give us some commission. This kind of work is not illegal, and the money comes faster than working."

He patted Aierwen on the shoulder. "Guard the door well; your work is not easy."

Aierwen couldn't laugh or cry. "No need to comfort me like this; I know what I should do."

Lansi smiled and punched him, then pushed open the car door and took out the baseball bat from the trunk.

The three walked toward the apartment. There was a service desk at the entrance of the apartment. A security guard who looked about forty years old was stunned when he saw the three enter.

He was somewhat hesitant, seemingly thinking about whether he should fulfill his work duties, but fortunately, Lansi helped him make a choice—

He raised the baseball bat toward the apartment security guard, and the apartment security guard immediately raised his hands and sat there. "I don't know anything, sir."

Lansi let Yisen press the elevator and explained. "We are looking for someone. We won't destroy the apartment's things. If anything is damaged because of us, leave a bill, and I will handle it."

"But, don't do any stupid things other than what I tell you to do."

"Thirty dollars a month, no need to sell your life for the capitalists."

After hearing this, the security guard showed a look of serious thought on his face. "You are right, sir."

Lansi took back the baseball bat, the three entered the elevator, and then pressed the "4" floor button.

The old-fashioned elevator always made Lansi feel somewhat unsafe. Yisen's hands were somewhat trembling, not knowing if it was because of excitement or fear.

Companion A showed more excitement. "Do I need to make a move later?"

"Should I hit his cheek, or kick his balls?"

"If I break his head, will there be trouble?"

Lansi rolled his eyes. "This time you just need to watch me do it. Don't make a move before my order."

After arriving at the fourth floor, they came to the door of an apartment. Lansi knocked on the door hard. "Is anyone inside?"

After knocking for a long time, no one answered, but Lansi heard footsteps inside. Clearly, this gentleman didn't intend to open the door.

He immediately adjusted his strategy and continued to knock on the door hard. "You fucking didn't pay the hygiene fee this month. If you don't open the door, I'll lock the door and starve you to death, you son of a bitch!"

In the surprised eyes of Yisen and Companion A, footsteps sounded in the room. "Damn it, I just paid the hygiene fee!"

Immediately after, the door was pulled open vigorously, but the person greeting this debtor, Mr. White, was not the face of the security guard or the apartment manager that was asking for a beating.

Mr. White immediately realized something, and his hands tried hard to close the door that had already been opened, but Lansi was clearly faster!

He bumped inward hard. The moment the door was bumped open, Mr. White picked up the fish tank with green mold on it at hand and smashed it toward Lansi.

Then it was a vase, some books, and whatever else.

No matter what he got, he smashed it toward Lansi. After dodging seven or eight times, Lansi finally approached him.

The moment he tried to run into the inner room, a baseball bat whipped onto his back.

With a "thud" sound, Lansi twisted his shoulders and walked toward Mr. White, who was lying on the ground screaming.

At this time, his screams had already alarmed some residents around. He looked back at Yisen and Companion A. "Let them roll back to their rooms. If there are other problems, call me. I want to have a good chat with Mr. White."

Then he closed the door, and the screams in the room became much smaller in an instant.

Those people who poked their heads out seemingly intending to watch the fun now saw Yisen grinning, and almost in the next second, these people closed their doors.

Living in such a place, who the fuck cares if the neighbor is in trouble?

As long as the trouble doesn't involve themselves.

In the room, Mr. White was still lying on the ground howling. Lansi took out a cigarette, pulled one out, and lit it.

He looked at himself; he was covered in the smell of the stinking fish tank, a pungent stench.

There was also a blood welt on his arm, which was smashed by the fish tank. With an unkind look in his eyes, he walked to Mr. White.

Mr. White, who had already reacted from the shock and pain, crawled away from Lansi for four or five meters. "I don't know you!"

Lansi took out the contract and showed it to him. "3,500 dollars, remember?"

Undoubtedly, Mr. White clearly remembered this money. His eyes dodged. "That was signed under duress; I can't afford this money at all."

Lansi picked up the contract and looked at it. "But when you took this 1,000 dollars, you didn't look so difficult."

"Mr. White, honestly, I have no direct relationship with the finance company. He pays me, I solve the debt. If you have any dissatisfaction with this contract, you can find a lawyer to sue them."

"But you can't let me lose my job and let me and my brothers go hungry because of your dispute with them."

"Now I give you a chance. Don't make it difficult for me, and I won't make it difficult for you. I just want to take away 3,500 dollars to finish the job, instead of taking your money and leaving here with you."

"Before Mr. Cotti let me come, he already told me that the money can be not collected, but the person must be brought to him..."

"You know, these big shots sometimes would rather let some money not be collected than to vent their anger."

"After you get to that side, whether you can survive, whether you will be disabled, I have no way to predict at all."

"If you think 3,500 dollars is more important than your life and health, nod now, and I will immediately stop asking you for money, and we will leave immediately!"

"Tell me your choice, Mr. White."

Mr. White's expression was extremely fearful. This money had actually been owed for two years, and the interest had stopped being calculated a year ago.

Alberto knew very well that for people who didn't intend to pay back the money, even if you told him the interest was already ten times the principal, they would express indifference. Anyway, they never intended to pay it back from the beginning.

These people who borrow usury are actually the same in their bones. When they are short of money, let alone huge interest, even if it is 100 times the interest, they will sign their names without even frowning.

As for whether they can pay it back, who the fuck cares about this?

If they really cared about this, would they still go to borrow usury?

Some people are just like this, harboring some fluke mentality, feeling that these people won't do anything to you for a little money.

Mr. White didn't speak. Lansi had a cigarette in his mouth, grabbed the handle of the baseball bat with both hands, and raised it high.

He immediately showed a look of surprise, and even his voice broke. "I don't have money!"

"You're lying!" With a "whoosh," the baseball bat smashed hard onto White's thigh bone. His thigh bone was still quite hard, but there should be a hairline fracture. It sounded somewhat scattered, not so solid.

He rolled on the ground holding his thigh. The pain of the bone being cracked was unbearable. Even his snot came out!

Lansi looked at Mr. White, glanced at the kitchen, walked over, and took a table knife.

This made Mr. White even more afraid!

Lansi wiped the knife. "I am an Imperial person, an illegal immigrant. God knows when I will be caught by the Immigration Bureau and sent back."

"As long as I can survive here, Mr. White, I am willing to take the risk of murder, but are you also prepared to be killed?"

Watching Lansi walk into the bedroom and take out the bed sheet to start spreading it on the ground, Mr. White trembled all over. Even the hairline fracture of his thigh bone didn't seem to be that painful anymore.

His expression was extremely ferocious and struggling, and finally, he seemed to cry out, "It's in the flower pot on the balcony!"

"Damn it, fuck!"

"Take the money and get out of my apartment; I will sue you!"

Lansi grinned and smiled. "That's your business, Mr. White!"

He walked to the balcony, threw several flower pots to the ground, and found two packs of chips wrapped in kraft paper from two flower pots, totaling 5,000 dollars. ===== CHAPTER 18 =====