23 Snipping Information

In the tenement where Lorenzo rents his apartment, he strolled along the corridor, lost in thought.

As Lorenzo walked, his mind was a whirlpool of speculation. He mused, "If the Kaplan gang operates out of this building, their headquarters could be hidden anywhere—from a basement or a specific apartment to the rooftop. They might even have a presence in the back alley, or at least wield some influence there. From what I've observed, they prefer to keep a low profile and avoid the rear entrance..."

Lorenzo's past life had steeped him in the nuances of the criminal underworld, particularly the small-time gangs like the one he was now confronting.

Regardless of the actual location of the Kalpan base within the tenement, it really doesn't matter to Lorenzo for the time being. After all, it's too risky—even though Lorenzo has enhanced his physical attributes, becoming stronger and more agile, this doesn't mean he's equipped to infiltrate a rival gang's stronghold. Moreover, pinpointing the gang's exact headquarters isn't straightforward, as they need to shield themselves from other gangs and any law enforcement that might be in league with their rivals.

For now, Lorenzo's focus should be on observation—gathering intelligence by surveilling the tenement at various times to discern patterns in the gang's activities, such as the comings and goings of its members and their common gathering spots.

Additionally, Lorenzo could pose as a buyer interested in their smuggled wares. However, he's aware that the places where these goods are sold are not the gang's main base. It's likely that these transactions occur in specific alleys or are discreetly handled by street vendors.

Lorenzo continued walking up the stairs to observe the other floors. As he ascended, some children ran past him, descending quickly; he merely glanced at them and proceeded upward to the upper floors.

When he reached the third floor, which was directly above his own second-floor apartment, he noticed it was relatively quiet with only a few people around. Deciding to explore further, he climbed up to the fourth floor.

This floor was bustling with activity. Groups of young men and women stood chatting, some smoking cigarettes.

Maintaining a calm demeanor, Lorenzo walked through the crowd. The scene was familiar; similar groups often gathered on the second floor. Just as he was passing a group, a tall young man stepped forward, blocking his path with a knife in hand.

Lorenzo met his gaze calmly and asked, "Do you need something?"

"Kid, I haven't seen you around here before..." the tall young man said, his posture threatening.

"Albert, he's from around here—I've seen him before," another young man interjected, addressing the one blocking Lorenzo's way.

Albert, unfazed, pointed his knife at Lorenzo. "I don't care if he's from around here—give me your money."

Before Lorenzo could reply, another young man interjected, "Albert, he looks much younger than us—do you think he's got anything worth taking?"

"Randall isn't wrong, Albert," another voice chimed in.

"Shut up, Norman, Randall... Maybe he has at least a few cents on him," Albert retorted, then turned to Lorenzo. "Do you have any?"

"Stop it, Albert. Don't rob the poor guy. If Kaplan finds out you're robbing a kid around here, he'll be furious," Randall warned.

Albert hesitated, then backed off with a dismissive "Tsk."

Lorenzo surveyed the young men before him, all in their twenties. He couldn't help but think, "Kaplan? These must be Kaplan's gang members... These guys are lucky they haven't been caught yet—if they were, they'd surely be sent to war to atone for their crimes..." Meanwhile, he realized that the fourth floor must be near Kaplan's base. The information from Max had described Kaplan's gang members as tall and strong, and Albert, Randall, and Norman fit that description perfectly.

Then Lorenzo noticed Randall eyeing him curiously. "Hey, kid. I know you're from around here, but from what I've seen before, your apartment isn't on this floor. Shouldn't you be on one of the lower floors? What are you doing up here?"

Lorenzo fixed his gaze on Randall, whom he had seen a few times outside the tenement.

However, Lorenzo picked up on something significant from Randall's words. Randall seemed confident that Lorenzo's apartment was not on the fourth floor, and even more certain that it was on a lower level. Despite having seen Lorenzo outside the building a few times, it seemed unlikely that Randall would actually know where Lorenzo's apartment was.

It occurred to Lorenzo that if Randall lived on the fourth floor, that might explain his certainty about Lorenzo not belonging there. Yet, that didn't guarantee Randall knew whether Lorenzo might be living on the fifth floor or higher. This suggested to Lorenzo that he wasn't supposed to be on the fourth floor or any floor above it.

From this quick observation, Lorenzo began to suspect that the gang's base might be on the fourth floor, the fifth floor, or perhaps even occupy the entire floor or the rooftop.

With these thoughts flashing through his mind in mere seconds, Lorenzo replied to Randall's inquiry with a casual, "I'm just walking around."

Hearing this, Randall eyed Lorenzo warily. "You better be careful around here, kid. This isn't a place for you to be wandering."

Norman chimed in, "Go back to your apartment downstairs; this place isn't for kids like you."

Lorenzo nodded in agreement, "Yeah." As he walked past them, he planned to head downstairs. After all, the brief exchange had already provided him with valuable information.

Then Albert abruptly kicked Lorenzo in the back, pushing him forward. "Go on, brat. Don't let me see you around here again!"

Staggered by the force, Lorenzo turned to see Albert glaring at him menacingly. "What are you looking at, huh?"

At that moment, Lorenzo could have taken on the three men, despite their imposing stature, if not for his desire to avoid alerting Kaplan and the uncertainty about whether they were armed. While Lorenzo felt confident in his enhanced abilities to handle a confrontation, even against firearms, the risk of an unpredictable gunshot was something he preferred to avoid.

So, Lorenzo chose to walk away, hearing Albert and the others jeer behind him. "That's right, brat! Don't let me see you here again, or I'll beat you."

"Haha, you're such a bully," a young woman's voice chimed in.

"Albert, you're the complete opposite of Kaplan," Norman added.

"Stop showing off to these ladies, Albert," Randall remarked.

Lorenzo continued walking until their voices faded into the background.

[Locate the rival gang's base: 1/3]

[You've successfully identified the Kaplan Group's exact location! Just 2 more to complete the task!]

Upon hearing this, Lorenzo couldn't help but smile.

"It seems I've overestimated the sophistication of Kaplan's gang operations," Lorenzo muttered to himself. He had expected a more complicated setup to shield the gang's base, but it was turning out to be more straightforward than he anticipated.

From this interaction, Lorenzo felt confident in identifying Albert, Randall, and Norman as key members of Kaplan's gang.

Until Lorenzo was fully prepared to confront them, he wouldn't engage in a fight. He knew continued surveillance was essential, particularly to catch the gang's late-night or early-morning meetings with suppliers off-guard. He planned to thoroughly strategize with Max and the others...

As he walked the corridors, Lorenzo tuned into the conversations around him—tenants chatting nearby, young men discussing as they passed by him. He also listened intently to exchanges within the apartments, picking up useful snippets of information, especially when he overheard two young men talking to his neighbor about buying smuggled items. They spoke openly and confidently, seemingly unconcerned about being overheard.

After gathering enough information, Lorenzo decided it was time to meet with Deborah, since he still had a [Daily Task] involving a dance with her.

Lorenzo could handle the Kaplan gang in various ways—he could exploit their weaknesses, and he had already identified several. The gang was careless and overconfident, which could lead to operational inefficiencies. Additionally, personal vices, like Albert's manipulable personality, presented opportunities for Lorenzo to turn the situation to his advantage.

It was still only 4 PM, so Lorenzo had plenty of time left in the day. He left the tenement and walked the streets until he came across Max and the others in an alley near Gelly's deli.

As he approached, Max asked, "Lorenzo, did you find out anything?"

Patrick and Philip also looked at Lorenzo curiously.

"I managed to pick up quite a bit," Lorenzo replied with a smile.

Max and the others were visibly surprised. After all, only half an hour had passed, yet Lorenzo seemed confident that he had gathered a substantial amount of information.

Lorenzo patted Max on the back. "I'll fill you in later. For now, I'm off to meet with Deborah." With that, he headed for the deli's back door.

As Lorenzo entered, Patrick remarked to Max, "I think that guy is just showing off. How could he have gathered enough info on the Kaplan gang so quickly?"

"Well, he did seem quite confident," Max responded, then added, "Besides, Lorenzo lives there, so he's familiar with the area. It's not surprising he could gather information so quickly."

Patrick conceded that this was reasonable.

---

In the deli, Lorenzo was on the lookout for Deborah when Fat Moe spotted him and asked, "Lorenzo, are you here to order something?"

Lorenzo returned the smile, "Just a sandwich, please."

"Alright," Fat Moe replied with a smile.

Before Fat Moe could turn away, Lorenzo asked, "Is Deborah around?"

Fat Moe paused, sensing that Lorenzo was becoming a good friend to his sister. "She's in the back room, dancing."

Lorenzo nodded, and without any hesitation, made his way to the backroom to see Deborah.