#1 Hi your bike is advertised as 18 speed so i am guessing 3 x 6? So a replacement chain would be 6-8 speed kind as these are the correct thickness for your speed/drivetrain. Usually for low end bikes they dun have quicklink on the chain so you would need a chain breaker tool to remove it. Then size chain correctly and install with a quicklink for easy removal in future to wash/replace ^^
#2 Vandalism is my best guess - gear shifter cable not very ex and they charge by the meter?
Tbh by the time you get the replacement parts + shop service charges if anywhere close to $100 i would also consider moving on to a better bike made by Decathlon (Rockrider/Riverside) Or entry level MTBs from LeRun, Polygon, etc...
Thank you batuchka, very informative, so clear and concise, Thank you!!