US police: outlaws

Chapter 54: Deterring the Gangs, Planning for the Future

"Let's go."

The gangsters arrived quickly and left just as fast.

Fiona, who had just come out of the kitchen, was stunned. She hadn't expected that the man who hadn't appeared since the restaurant opened would show up.

"Hi, what brings you here?"

"Come and eat, don't worry about me, go do your own thing."

"Um,"

In public, the two couldn't appear too familiar with each other. After the two police officers left, Max Dennings approached the boss and asked him a question.

"Fiona, do you know that policeman?"

"He is our real boss."

"Boss!"

Upon hearing this, Max became very curious and pressed the boss for information, casually gossiping about the inside story of the two.

.

At the Black Crow Gang's stronghold on the street, the junior leader was talking to the real boss about being threatened when a police car suddenly appeared in their field of vision. It was Li Yisen's police car, number 9A55.

"From the passenger seat," Evelyn asked curiously.

"Do we really want to cause them trouble?"

"Actually, I own the shop that was just there."

Evelyn's beautiful eyes widened upon hearing this.

"Senior, aren't you broke? I heard from Kaiya that you have negative assets and tens of thousands of student loans."

Lee Ethan was immediately dumbfounded. What? Sister Kaia?

"When did you two become so close that you started calling each other 'sister'?"

"I only assisted them with their case, met them at a party, and later went to Beverly Hills Shopping Center a few times."

"..."

Beverly Hills Shopping Center is arguably the most upscale shopping center in Los Angeles, selling international brands and featuring high-end restaurants.

Although Li Yisen didn't want to admit it, he really hadn't gone into these stores to buy anything since his rebirth.

Yes, they are all related by connections. One is the daughter of a police officer, and the other is the daughter of a wealthy family. If they hadn't become police officers, the three of them would never have crossed paths.

"Stop listening to Kaia's bad things about me."

"Yes, I'll look into it."

Li Yisen instantly pinched the policewoman's cheeks.

"What did you say?"

"I understand. Even if I find out, I won't tell you."

Lee Esen released the policewoman and opened the car door.

"Wait here for me. I need to take care of some personal matters before work hours start."

"Are you sure you don't need my help? I can take on three."

Li Yisen rolled his eyes at the other person.

Soon the two sides faced each other, and the other side's leader spoke first.

"Officer Ethan, what brings you here?"

"Let's talk about protection money. Your underlings should have already discussed it with you, right? Do you agree or not?"

The gang leader, in his thirties, frowned.

"You're putting me in a difficult position."

Li Yisen said calmly upon seeing this.

"How about we have a fistfight? You can take turns fighting. If I win, you can do as I say. If you win, I'll pay double the protection money."

The Latino man named Luther frowned, but finally agreed, since Lee Ethan's name did indeed have a deterrent effect on the gangsters.

"Okay, who wants to go first?"

"I'll do it."

A fat man, 1.87 meters tall, rushed out and tried to overpower the policeman with his weight and strength.

The two men grappled with each other, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, Li Yisen gradually overpowered the fat man until he collapsed to the ground.

"Next."

"I'll challenge you to a boxing match."

A burly Black man stepped out; his posture suggested he had boxing experience.

The next second, their fists collided, and the black man clutched his fist, cold sweat pouring down his face; it hurt terribly.

In contrast, Lee Esen's expression remained unchanged, highlighting the significant difference in their bone structure.

"Next."

"I'll have a leg-to-leg competition with you."

Their shinbones collided, and then without hesitation, Lee Ethan kicked the man away.

One by one, in just over ten minutes, 16 gang members were taken down. One gang member, who refused to admit defeat, even tried to draw his gun, but Li Yisen, who had arrived later, drew his gun and aimed it at him, scaring the other man so much that he dropped his gun.

Luther had no choice but to back down.

"We lost. From now on, we won't collect protection money anymore, and we'll even patronize Officer Ethan's shop."

Lee Esen smiled upon hearing this.

"Let's talk about it privately."

In a secluded spot, Li Yisen looked at the small gang leader and spoke calmly.

"Luther, are you interested in cooperating?"

Luther was taken aback.

"What kind of cooperation?"

"I usually patrol this area. You can be my undercover informant, and I'll do my best to take care of you, okay?"

"ha?"

Since learning that he would not be promoted in the short term, Li Yisen had a new plan: to build a network of contacts in the area he frequently patrolled and turn it into his own base.

Of course, he couldn't do it if he didn't have the money, but now that he has the financial support from supermarkets and milk tea shops, it's no problem for him to come up with 30,000 yuan a month.

In addition, he had already investigated Luther's Black Crow Gang, a small gang with a relatively mild reputation, making them a potential partner.

Under duress and enticement, Luther finally agreed.

After all, given Lee Ethan's strength, he had a gut feeling that if they used guns, their entire gang would die at the hands of the other side, and their entire gang only had 6 handguns.

The two then argued about the details, and the final agreement was as follows: Luther would learn useful information on the road and inform Lee Ethan.

If Luther finds clues about a rival gang's crimes, he can hand them over to Ethan Lee, who will then help take down the rival gang.

.

Soon, Li Yisen and his companion drove away. He had other things to do next, such as finding some homeless people he had been keeping an eye on. He hadn't planned to contact them before, but now things were different.

The police car stopped, and a homeless man sleeping in a tent glanced at the police car but didn't pay any attention until Ethan Li came up to him.

"Sir, you're not thinking of kicking me out, are you?"

Li Yisen gestured for the other man to go to a corner to talk. This homeless man was named Rudy. He used to be the top salesman at a tire company and later started his own business, which is now thriving.

However, a serious illness not only emptied the company but also left him with debts, forcing him to file for bankruptcy. In order not to burden his wife and daughters, he had to divorce.

Now, without a house or home and burdened with debt, there is no hope of making a comeback.

(America's bankruptcy does not mean that all debts are forgiven. Some debts can be forgiven, such as ordinary credit card debts and medical bills, which are unsecured.)

(Other non-exempt debts include legally mandated debts such as student loans, tax debts, alimony, and child support.)

Lee Esen approached the other party because he believed the other party was capable and did not use drugs, and he got straight to the point from the start.

"Do you want to make a comeback?"

Rudy looked up with concern.

"I...I don't want to die."

"Who wants you dead? Be my informant and you can register with the police station. As long as you give me information, you can get money. Most importantly, after a year, I can provide you with a normal job with the same salary. You won't need a house or bank card. You can even get my guarantee to rent a house."

Rudy's eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course it's true, but you know the risks involved. You need at least three pieces of useful intelligence every month, and I'll offer you a job after a year."

Without a house, you can't get a bank card; without a bank card, it's hard to find a legitimate job; without a job, you can't find a place to rent—a vicious cycle.

These types of people can at most find low-paying jobs in the food service industry or temporary work (such as cleaning, housekeeping, etc.), and these jobs are more inclined towards women. Therefore, male homeless people have fewer opportunities to get back on their feet than women. (This does not include those involved in gangs.)

Rudy Guy eventually agreed, hoping for a chance to see his wife and children again in the future, even though his wife had already remarried.

I promise you.

Even after get off work, Li Yisen and others continued to gather informants. In just three days, they found two gangs and more than 20 homeless people scattered across half of Clermont.

Even if these gangs may not last long, the turnover rate of the lower-level gangs is very fast, and the homeless may not last a year. The average lifespan of an ordinary homeless person is 3 years, while that of a police informant is only about a year.

At night in Los Angeles, Ethan Lee sits on a hill in a park overlooking the city.

No matter who is targeting him, he will prove to them that it was a wrong decision.