Chapter 4. Desperate People.

The next day.

Every New York media channel was covering the news of how the NYPD was fooled by Phantom Thief Kid's April Fool's prank in Times Square yesterday.

"Happy April Fool's Day! NYPD!" --The New York Times.

"NYPD: The Fools of April!" --The Daily Bugle.

"Times Square farce!" -- New York Daily.

"Bold Phantom Thief; Foolish Police." -- Manhattan Tribune.

　　...

Conan: "Kate, if I were you, I wouldn't call the police station."

Kate: "Why?"

Conan: "Because they're still in Times Square …"

Audience: "Hahaha."

-- Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

　　...

[Reputation point from New York Citizen +0.01]

[Reputation point from New York Citizen +0.02]

[Reputation points from George Stacy +3]

[Reputation point from an NYPD Officer +0.03]

[Reputation points from George Stacy +2]

[Reputation point from ... New York ...]

In the antique shop, Ryan looked at the system prompts that kept flashing in front of him.

Even through the system, the anger of the NYPD could still be felt. After all, this time, they were really humiliated.

Coupled with the media reports, the NYPD became the laughingstock of the entire city of New York, and at the same time, it also gave Ryan a steady stream of points.

"If only I could get more reputation points."

In this case, if there was anything that made Ryan feel dissatisfied, it was the system itself.

The way the system's reputation points were counted was rather inhospitable; the average New York citizen, at best, was able to add around 0.01 to 0.05 to his reputation, and what came from indirect media or television coverage was even less, or in some cases simply none. Perhaps because it wasn't seen in person, it couldn't leave much of an impression. Simply put, Ryan hadn't made nearly as much of an impression on the thousands of New Yorkers as he did on the NYPD's Commissioner George Stacy alone.

The system's stats were a thinly veiled way of forcing Ryan to seek out characters like NYPD's Commissioner George Stacy, who could bring in high rewards and earn reputation points for him.

For example, the Kingpin's sphere.

Having said that, Ryan won't give up the possibility of collecting reputation points from New Yorkers if he could. After all, the reputation points collected from known Marvel characters were high, but not everyone was as 'harmless' as Commissioner Stacy. The vast majority of superheroes or supervillains are extremely dangerous, both directly and indirectly.

At least Ryan couldn't touch them right now.

In addition, even if the reputation points he gained from the New Yorkers were low, it was a large base.

Moreover, the repeated collection gave Ryan over a hundred reputation points. With the 800 reputation points he already had, he only needed a little more effort, and a new treasure chest would be in his hands.

'I can't relax. I can't look at Kingpin like he's a New Yorker or an NYPD officer.'

Ryan told himself in his heart. Then, he pressed down the thoughts that were stirring in his heart and refocused his attention back on his antique shop.

　　...

Ding ding --

The sound of a bell rang at the entrance to the antique shop.

Opening the door, a middle-aged man in shabby clothes came in.

The man's distinctly Asian appearance made Ryan look at him a little more, but then he turned his eyes away and opened his mouth to welcome him.

"Welcome, what can I do for you?"

As the largest immigrant city in the United States, although there weren't many Asians living in New York, they definitely weren't a small community.

The man's eyes swept through everything in the antique shop. The various antique goods in the shop made him feel a little restrained. He tentatively asked, "Sir, do you collect antiques here?"

"Of course."

From the other man's embarrassed attitude, Ryan had actually sensed something, so he didn't say much and nodded in response.

He also felt the same thing from Phantom Thief Kid's appraisal skills.

Relieved by the reply, the man then pulled a tightly wrapped bracelet from his pocket and carefully handed it to Ryan.

"This bracelet is a family heirloom handed down from my wife's ancestors. Can you help me appraise how much it's worth?"

It was a fake jade.

Thanks to the Phantom Thief's superior appraisal skills, Ryan had identified the jade bracelet in the man's hand at first glance.

It was simply a crudely done imitation.

"How much is this bracelet worth?"

Ryan's gaze withdrew from the man's hopeful eyes, and he looked down at the crudely crafted bracelet in front of him for a long moment of silence before saying, "Fifty."

"Fifty?!"

Obviously, there was a big gap between Ryan's offer and the man's expectations. He couldn't help but say, "Sir, can you go a bit higher? I really need this money."

"Fifty, is the highest price."

In fact, this man's bracelet couldn't even fetch five bucks in other stores, let alone fifty.

"Fifty? Fifty! Fifty ..."

In the antique shop, the man mumbled and struggled for a long time before finally nodding through clenched teeth, "Fifty, just fifty!"

He stretched out his hand and took Ryan's 50 dollars. The man carefully hid it in his body before finally walking out of the shop with a distraught look on his face.

"Yet another, desperate man from Hell's Kitchen ..."

In the laundry shop, Jack couldn't help sighing as he looked at the back of the man leaving.

As a lifelong resident of Manhattan, Jack was used to seeing down-and-out, desperate people like that man.

"And who isn't desperate in Hell's Kitchen? "

As the most chaotic, dangerous and poor area in New York, living in peace as ordinary people was a luxury here.

Even Ryan himself spent a lot of effort to get a foothold here.

After chatting with Jack in the laundry shop, Ryan returned to the shop. His eyes swept over the jade bracelet still left on the table.

Taking it, he threw it onto the grocery pile to the side.

　　...

"Mom, Mom! Dad came back!"

In Hell's Kitchen, a damp and narrow slum.

The little girl, with two pigtails and a somewhat thin appearance, called out to her mother, who was lying in bed.

"How did it go? Did the bracelet sell?" On the bed, the withered-faced woman asked.

Forcing up a smile and stroking his daughter's head, the man looked at his wife lying on the sickbed, "It was sold, but the money wasn't as much as I thought it would be."

"Cough cough, how much?"

"Only fifty."

"..."

A long silence fell.

The woman spoke with difficulty, "Maybe we shouldn't go for treatment ..."

"No!" The man's loud voice interrupted his wife's next words, and he couldn't help but fluster, "I'll never give up on you."

"But we don't have that much money."

"I'll find a way to get the money. If it doesn't work, I'll go to Madame Gao ..."

"You're crazy! All those who work for Madame Gao are ..."

"No matter what, it's better than watching you die!"

"Dad, Mom. "

...

-:Binge:-

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