The explosive news about billionaire Stark and Stark Industries
was finally pushed off the front page by an even more sensational report,
temporarily dying down.
Explosive news about a New York gang kidnapping eleven children
swept across the entire country through newspapers, television media, and the internet.
Countless onlookers were shocked.
The everyday old news of murder and robbery, homicide and drug trafficking, gang shootouts,
was no longer enough to stir the numbed nerves of most ordinary people.
But children were one of their few remaining bottom lines.
After all, children were the future and hope of countless people.
For a time, the phones at the NYPD and precinct stations across the city were flooded with calls from enraged citizens.
And after a whole morning of brewing outrage,
even the nation's central nerve center—the White House—
had no choice but to step forward quickly and hold a press conference,
trying to calm the large numbers of ordinary people who had taken to the streets and joined the protests.
One o'clock in the afternoon.
Countless men, women, young and old, some with their families, shouted protest slogans beneath the gradually weakening rain.
Like mindless zombies wandering about, they completely surrounded police headquarters on Packer Avenue.
The furious protesters, moving swiftly,
did not even spare City Hall across the street.
In one push, they surrounded it as well.
No one was allowed in, and no one was allowed out.
Meanwhile, inside police headquarters, in the commissioner's office,
the brown-haired white mayor was beside himself with rage.
He waved his arms around as he let out furious roars.
His voice was so loud that even officers passing through the hallway outside seemed able to hear every word clearly.
"I ignored the fierce objections of other departments and allocated you so much funding every year... and this is how you repay my goodwill as police commissioner?"
"John! Eight billion! Your police department's annual budget is eight billion! And it goes up every year!"
The Mayor of New York City, once impeccably dressed and carefully groomed, now had a flushed red face.
Like some redneck from rural Kansas, spittle sprayed from the corners of his mouth.
"Listen carefully! The White House! Even the White House called me! Mr. President asked me what the hell was happening in New York!"
"I didn't know... I didn't fucking know anything at all!"
"Mr. President personally had to tell me that New York City's gangs had grown so brazen that they were kidnapping children everywhere!"
"John! What the fuck have you been doing all these years? What accomplishments have you achieved as commissioner of the NYPD? Sleepwalking at work?"
"Most importantly... my reelection as mayor next year is completely ruined! Ruined! Do you understand?"
At that moment, the Mayor of New York City stood there trembling, his eyes wide with fury.
His endless rage surged toward the grim-faced Black Police Commissioner like the tides of the Hudson River.
Unable to get a word in, the Black Police Commissioner could only stand behind his desk and endure the other man's frantic abuse.
"Ah, I'm exhausted..."
Finally, as though he had run out of strength, the Mayor of New York City stopped roaring.
He reached up and tugged at his expensive luxury tie.
Staring with bloodshot eyes, he said coldly:
"Now, I can hear your explanation... but John, keep it brief... there are still large crowds outside waiting for me to calm them down."
The expressionless Black Police Commissioner fell silent for a moment before suddenly speaking.
"I have nothing to defend. Such a heinous child kidnapping case occurring in New York City is undoubtedly the primary responsibility of the New York police and of me, the police commissioner. There is no escaping it..."
"However, I want to reiterate a few points..."
"The expansion of gangs and rising crime rates are not problems that can be solved simply by police working harder... This may be an economic problem, perhaps even an issue of racial culture, or possibly a systemic issue worthy of discussion by the White House..."
The Black Police Commissioner changed tack.
"But this alone is not some simple multiple-choice question of cops catching thieves!"
"John! You fucking..."
The Mayor of New York City's face suddenly reddened as he instinctively cursed.
But then, the brown-haired mayor
seemed to regain that proud, calculating composure.
His gaze turned cold as he said indifferently:
"For the sake of our many years working together... John, prepare your resignation letter! I'll give you a respectable pension and outward respect... John, you have truly disappointed me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the cold-faced Mayor of New York City turned around directly.
Without looking back, he left the office.
Meanwhile, the Black Police Commissioner, who had remained expressionless the entire time, suddenly reached out to brace himself against the desk.
He slowly sat back down in the chair that still temporarily belonged to him.
He sank into silence.
As commissioner of the NYPD,
Black John knew many things, even more than the Mayor of New York City did.
He knew why people murdered and robbed.
He also understood why people committed homicide and trafficked drugs.
He had even accidentally discovered that New York gangs kidnapping children had never been some earth-shattering national scandal.
Kidnapping children was merely a mature, stable criminal industry chain.
Even one link in it could yield extremely considerable profits.
Officer John had tried to solve similar problems through legal means.
But even after Officer John became police commissioner,
the entire industry chain had never disappeared. Instead, it had become even more prosperous.
Every year, hundreds or even thousands of children went missing in New York City alone.
If the entire country, or even all of the Americas, were counted, the number would be astronomical...
At that thought, the Black Police Commissioner suddenly closed his eyes in pain.
There was nothing he could do about it.
Knock knock knock—
Just then, a knock on the door interrupted the Black Police Commissioner's low spirits.
He took a deep breath and said:
"Come in."
A moment later, a Middle-aged Police Officer hurriedly pushed open the door.
He had a thick stack of case reports tucked beneath his arm.
"Commissioner, the preliminary details of the murder case and child kidnapping case have been compiled."
The Middle-aged Police Officer stepped forward and spread the case reports out before the Black Police Commissioner.
"How are the children?"
The Black Police Commissioner glanced at the reports and asked casually.
"Uh... they're doing fairly well. None of them were hurt. They should be eating chocolate cake right now, I think?"
The Middle-aged Police Officer forced a smile and said:
"However, because the children need to provide testimony to help establish the evidence for the murder and kidnapping cases, the FBI has been preventing their parents from taking them home..."
"Go tell the FBI to get the hell out of here!"
The Black Police Commissioner frowned deeply as he lowered his head to scan the reports.
"As long as there are no orders from above, investigative jurisdiction over these cases belongs solely to the NYPD!"
Before his words had even faded, the Black Police Commissioner suddenly tossed aside the thick case reports and looked up to ask:
"Red Bandana Uncle? Green Face? Chocolate Cake Brother? That's the testimony the children gave?"
"What about their age? Appearance? Race? You've been busy for half the day, and you still haven't figured out the basic details?"
"We investigated! And the report contains a detailed explanation!"
The Middle-aged Police Officer quickly bent forward, flipped through the report, and pointed to one of the pages as he explained:
"Based on brief interviews between psychological experts and the children, as well as the forensic team's examination of the scene, we have compiled several traits that match the suspect's profile."
"Twenty to forty years old, Caucasian or Asian, with a military training background, a mercenary or retired soldier, skilled in Melee Weapon combat, and possessing an extremely strong awareness of counter-surveillance. The scene yielded almost no useful clues..."
"Gasp... Frank Castle?"
The Black Police Commissioner's eyes suddenly widened as he drew in a sharp breath.
"He's back?"
"Uh, maybe it wasn't him..."
The Middle-aged Police Officer gave a wry smile, clearly sharing the feeling.
"According to information disclosed by the FBI, Frank has been active near the border recently and has exchanged fire with quite a few Mexican gangs. Apparently, the fighting there has been fairly brutal..."
"Then... what about Hell's Kitchen's 'Short-Horned Devil'?"
The Black Police Commissioner raised another possibility, only to shake his head and reject it moments later.
"The 'Short-Horned Devil' usually only operates in Hell's Kitchen, and his methods aren't that cruel. Most importantly, he doesn't kill!"
In an instant, the Black Police Commissioner and the Middle-aged Police Officer exchanged a knowing look.
Yet both their eyes were filled with shock!
"Perhaps New York City has gained a new..."
"Ruthless figure!"
Please bookmark and vote!