Robbery!

San Francisco's slums.

Chen Mo stood on the somewhat old and dilapidated street, looking at a shop across the street.

The clean glass shop windows contrasted sharply with the dirty and messy street, and several kinds of vegetables were neatly arranged on the wooden slanted shelves on both sides of the entrance.

"Chen's Store, this should be it."

Chen Mo glanced at the homeless woman sitting in the corner next to the shop and became even more certain of this.

Just as Chen Mo was about to cross the road to take a look, he noticed Eddie Block walking towards him from a short distance away.

Chen Mo stopped in his tracks, watched as Eddie Block greeted the homeless woman at the store entrance, and then pushed open the door and went inside.

"What a coincidence."

Chen Mo couldn't help but smile, and then walked over.

"Hi, Mrs. Chen!"

Pushing open the glass door of the shop, Eddie Block greeted the shop owner familiarly.

Eddie Block's apartment was nearby, and the Chen's Store had everything—snacks, drinks, breakfast, you name it. He came there at least once a day and was quite familiar with the store owner, Mrs. Mrs. Chen.

"How have you been lately, Eddie?"

Mrs. Chen asked as she tidied up behind the counter.

"Same as before."

Eddie Block spoke as he walked toward the shelves inside.

"Yeah?"

Mrs. Chen looked at Eddie Block and felt that the young man seemed a little different from before; he seemed more composed.

Eddie Block turned to Mrs. Chen, shrugged, and then walked to the shelf to pick out food.

He had seen all the recent changes at the Life Foundation and had completely given up the idea of causing trouble, focusing his energy on work and spending time with his girlfriend.

Under Chen Mo's reminder and lesson, Eddie Block changed his previous reckless style and began to delve deeper into news targets and events. His reports in the past few days have received a very good response, and his boss is very satisfied. He will definitely get a bonus this month.

Mrs. Chen shook her head helplessly. Just as she turned her gaze away from Eddie Block, she heard the bell hanging at the store entrance ring again, and a tall, strong figure pushed open the door and walked in.

Mrs. Chen's heart skipped a beat, thinking that the gangsters who often came to extort and rob her had returned again.

This is a slum, a chaotic area with rampant gangs. Even though she pays a considerable amount of protection money on time, these greedy guys still come to extort and rob her from time to time. Most of her meager income is taken by these gangsters, and she can barely make ends meet.

Mrs. Chen couldn't help but sigh in her heart. It seemed that she had been busy for nothing for the past few days. When would this kind of life ever end?

However, when she saw the person's face clearly, she was taken aback. It turned out that the person who came in was not the gangster she had thought, but a handsome Asian young man in a suit.

"Hello, what would you like to order?"

Mrs. Chen asked in English.

Chen Mo looked at Mrs. Chen, who had a kind face and a slender figure, behind the counter, and said with a smile in Chinese.

"Just browsing."

When Mrs. Chen heard Chen Mo speak Chinese, a look of warmth appeared on her face. The area where she lived was not very safe, and there were not many Chinese people living there, so she rarely encountered him.

Mrs. Chen was very happy to meet a fellow countrywoman. The lingering sadness in her heart was instantly forgotten, and she smiled and spoke to Chen Mo in Chinese.

"I've never seen you before. Did you just move here?"

This is a slum area with few outsiders. Most of the people who buy things from her are people who live in nearby apartments, which is why she asked that question.

Chen Mo nodded in agreement.

"I've only been here a few days."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Chen kindly offered a reminder.

"Then you must be careful at night. Try not to go out after midnight, as the neighborhood is not very safe."

"Thanks."

Chen Mo smiled and nodded, then walked into the store and browsed around casually.

Eddie Block also saw Chen Mo, but Chen Mo had already returned to his original appearance, so Eddie Block did not recognize him. He just glanced at Chen Mo and then looked away.

Just as Chen Mo was looking at the neatly arranged shelves, intending to buy something casually, the sound of the door opening came from the doorway again, followed by a fierce male voice.

"One bottle of whiskey! And don't forget your change!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo and Eddie Block both turned to look at the counter. There stood a burly man with a thick beard and a fierce expression. Although he was saying he was giving change, he didn't pay at all. Instead, he stared fiercely at Mrs. Chen behind the counter. Clearly, he wasn't there to buy anything.

Eddie Block, who lived there, immediately recognized the man's identity and purpose: he was a gangster who was clearly extorting Mrs. Chen.

Chen Mo was also very clear about the man's identity, because he had come to extort money from Mrs. Chen several times in the movie, which was why Chen Mo had come this time.

In the movie, Venom swallowed the thug who came to extort money again in the end. But now, Venom and the other Symbiote are all in Chen Mo's hands. There will be no more Venom in this world, and Eddie Brock will naturally be unable to stand up for Mrs. Chen.

Chen Mo didn't want his fellow countryman to continue to be oppressed because of his own reasons, so he originally planned to come and see what was going on, find the gangster, and take care of him. But now the gangster has delivered himself to his doorstep, saving Chen Mo a lot of trouble.

At the counter, Mrs. Chen's expression changed the moment she saw the man, and upon hearing his words, she pleaded with him.

"Please, this is just a small business."

She couldn't stand the endless extortion by these thugs any longer; if this continued, she wouldn't be able to continue her business.

However, it was clear that this thug didn't care whether Mrs. Chen lived or died; even if this shop closed, another one would open, allowing him to continue extorting money.

"Smack!"

The burly man slammed his left hand heavily on the counter, making a loud noise that startled Mrs. Chen, causing her to shrink back in fright.

"Stop talking nonsense!"

As the man spoke, he reached to his waist with his right hand, pulled out a pistol, and pointed it at Mrs. Chen, who looked terrified behind the counter.

"Hurry up! Otherwise, the protection fee will go up!"

Eddie Block, hiding behind the shelves, peered at the robbery unfolding at the counter, his face filled with conflict. He wanted to help, but he knew that rushing out now would only make things worse, adding another victim to the robbery, which made him lower his head in dejection.