Unexpected counterattack

In the alleyway, the skirmish between Lorenzo and Max, along with his friends, came to a brief halt when Deborah intervened.

"Wasn't this the same guy who was acting all tough earlier? Now he's hiding behind a girl? Haha!" Max mocked Lorenzo, sharing knowing looks with his buddies, Patrick and Philip.

"He's nothing but a chicken!" Patrick added, laughing.

At that time, calling someone a "chicken" was a common way to brand them as cowardly.

Deborah, tears brimming in her eyes, yelled at the trio, "If you're so brave, why don't you fight him one-on-one instead of ganging up on him?"

Her challenge only made Max and his friends snicker.

Max retorted, "Deborah, better stay out of this. It's none of your business—"

Deborah cut him off, asserting, "Lorenzo is my friend! That makes it my business!"

Philip sneered at her, "Friend? Are you sure it's just that?"

Max and his friends suspected that Deborah meant more to Lorenzo than just friendship.

Patrick and Philip believed they were confronting Lorenzo out of loyalty to their friend Noodles. What they didn't realize was that Max also harbored feelings for Deborah. Drawn to her charm and the ambition he saw sparkling in her eyes—ambition that mirrored his own—Max kept his feelings to himself.

He refrained from revealing his emotions, knowing that Noodles, despite currently being in prison, also had feelings for her. Max saw potential in Noodles, envisioning him as his future right-hand man. The moment he had witnessed Noodles' ruthlessness when he killed and stabbed a man named Bugsy, Max recognized a kindred spirit, someone who could rise with him in the criminal underworld...

That's why Max held back his feelings for Deborah, planning to reveal them only once he had achieved his ambitions. He knew Deborah admired ambitious men. When Noodles was still free, Max subtly thwarted any advances Noodles made towards Deborah, hoping to claim her affection in the future.

However, everything changed when Lorenzo entered the picture. Seeing Lorenzo make advances toward Deborah enraged Max. This led to his first confrontation with Lorenzo, which he lost, and now, to a second confrontation with his friends' support. But this time, the woman he admired was defending Lorenzo.

Max watched with a steely gaze as Deborah shielded Lorenzo with her embrace, convinced that he was the only man truly worthy of her.

He signaled his friends with a sharp gesture. "Separate them."

Patrick and Philip nodded, moving in to pull Deborah away from Lorenzo despite her protests. "Don't touch me! Get away from me!"

"Stop protecting a man like him, Deborah!" Patrick urged as he and Philip finally managed to pry her away from Lorenzo.

While monitoring his system panel and interface, which showed his attributes increasing by one level, Lorenzo caught sight of Patrick and Philip manhandling Deborah. "Don't touch my woman!" he shouted at them.

Max's face twisted with rage at Lorenzo's declaration. "What did you say? Your woman? Did we beat you too hard, Lorenzo?"

Lorenzo met Max's gaze with icy resolve. "You heard me right, Max. She is my woman." He turned sternly to Patrick and Philip. "I'm warning you both, stop touching her."

Patrick and Philip scoffed at Lorenzo's boldness, given his obvious injuries. Patrick laughed derisively, "What are you going to do?"

Philip, still gripping Deborah who was struggling to free herself, joined in the mockery. "You can't do anything, Lorenzo."

Deborah, overhearing Lorenzo's claim and called his woman, felt a blush spread across her cheeks, but she chose not to challenge his words at such a critical moment.

Lorenzo's expression remained steely; the leveling up had rejuvenated him slightly. His strength had increased from a 2 to a 3, and all his other attributes had risen from 1 to 2. Seizing the moment, he allocated his newly earned attribute points to boost his agility from 2 to 5.

Unlike before, when Lorenzo increased his "Strength" status and barely noticed any change in his body, boosting his "Agility" made a clear difference. His body felt lighter and more responsive.

As Lorenzo moved, he realized it was much easier than before; his movements were less constrained and quicker.

Ignoring Max for the moment, Lorenzo fixed his gaze on Patrick and Philip. "Since you guys won't listen..." he trailed off, his tone a warning.

To the surprise of Max, Patrick, and Philip, Lorenzo suddenly sprang into action, sprinting toward them with the swiftness of a professional runner.

Max barely had time to react as Lorenzo closed the distance rapidly.

With agility and precision, Lorenzo reached Patrick and Philip, who were still holding Deborah. Under their incredulous stares, he swiftly freed Deborah from their grasp. Before they could even respond, with Patrick starting to say, "You still have the power to move—", Lorenzo kicked them both in rapid succession.

His movements were fluid and efficient, allowing him to strike both Patrick and Philip in quick succession.

Deborah watched in awe as Lorenzo moved with a fluidity and grace that reminded her of a professional dancer, yet none she had seen could match his speed.

After being kicked, Patrick and Philip landed on their buttocks, shocked by the force behind Lorenzo's attack. Despite knowing he should be injured and slower, Lorenzo moved with unexpected swiftness and power.

Max, also a witness to this display, was amazed yet somber, realizing that Lorenzo still had some fight left in him despite the beating he and his friends had administered.

Without uttering a word, Max charged at Lorenzo, intent on attacking him.

Deborah, seeing this, called out anxiously, "Lorenzo, behind you—"

Her warning came as Lorenzo was focused on Patrick and Philip, who were still recovering on the ground.

Max, sensing an opportunity to land a decisive blow, felt confident as he approached Lorenzo, who appeared momentarily distracted.

Before Max could land his blow, Lorenzo swiftly dodged. Under Max's astonished gaze, Lorenzo maneuvered around him and delivered a hard, heavy punch to his stomach.

"Gah!"

Max felt the impact deep in his core, causing him to groan involuntarily, saliva escaping his mouth as he doubled over in pain.

Before Max could regain his composure, Lorenzo struck again, this time landing a punch squarely on Max's face. The force pushed Max backwards, and before he could steady himself, Lorenzo followed up with another punch to the gut.

Seeing their friend faltering, Patrick and Philip exchanged quick looks and sprang into action to aid Max.

However, Lorenzo was ready for them. He evaded their attacks with ease and countered with a powerful force that halted their advances. Patrick clutched his stomach in agony, while Philip covered his right eye, which had just taken a hit from Lorenzo.

In that moment, Max, Patrick, and Philip were overwhelmed by a mix of incredulity and shock. They struggled to comprehend how Lorenzo could still fight back so effectively despite his apparent injuries.

Gasping and sitting on the ground, Max stared up at Lorenzo in disbelief. "This... This is impossible! How do you still have such strength!?"

Patrick and Philip were equally baffled, struggling to understand how someone so visibly beaten could still stand and fight so fiercely.

Deborah, who had seen Lorenzo injured just moments earlier, felt a surge of relief to see him fighting back. Yet, she was also stunned by his flexibility and fluidity, his ability to attack despite his injuries.

With a cold expression, Lorenzo responded to Max, "You don't need to know how I manage to fight back." He paused, placing his foot on Max's face and pinning his head to the ground. "Just know that I beat you and your friends."

With his head pressed against the ground by Lorenzo's foot, Max felt the sting of humiliation. He spat at Lorenzo's shoe in defiance. "You... You bastard... Get your dirty shoes off me!"

Patrick and Philip could only watch helplessly, unable to aid their friend. They considered resorting to knives and attack but remembered their friend Noodles, who had done the same and ended up in prison.

Moreover, it seemed that Lorenzo had no intention of doing anything more than beating them down.

Lorenzo couldn't help but smile, feeling a certain satisfaction in humiliating Max. He knew Max from the movie and was well aware of the manipulative streak in the man now subdued beneath his foot.

"Lo-Lorenzo, I think that's enough. You should let them go," Deborah said as she approached. Her eyes were filled with concern as she noticed the blood on Lorenzo's head. "Besides, we should get your head looked at."

Lorenzo gave her a warm smile and nodded. "Thanks for the concern, Deborah." He then glanced back down at Max and, to make his point, applied just a bit more pressure with his polished shoe, eliciting a muffled groan from the thug.

He realized he might be laying it on a bit thick; his "Strength" had increased since the last time he'd been in a scuffle, and what felt like a light squeeze to him was probably agony for Max.

He addressed the three goons, Max, Patrick, and Philip, who were still writhing on the sidewalk. "You boys are lucky the dame's here, or I'd have given you a proper thrashing." He paused, then lifted his foot off Max's head, leaned in close, and growled in his ear, "This ain't over, see? Next time we meet, I expect you'll be more… forthcoming about your little operation. I'm interested to learn about the little operation you and your friends are running."

Max's eyes widened in shock as he processed Lorenzo's words.

Deborah, curious about the exchange, watched closely as Lorenzo stood up and said, "Let's go."

She nodded and followed him into the deli, clinging to his arm. She suspected that the strength Lorenzo had shown was his last reserve, his energy depleted by his injuries.

As Lorenzo and Deborah entered the deli, Patrick and Philip turned to Max, both curious and anxious about what Lorenzo had whispered to him...