Helping the Police Catch a Thief

Queens' autumn nights always carried a damp chill. The sycamore leaves rustled in the wind, casting swaying shadows beneath the streetlights like a group of sneaking thieves. Lin Mo pulled his coat tighter, gripping a flashlight issued by the community police station. They had recently been recruiting volunteer patrol officers, and Carlos had practically shoved him into it, saying, "You're capable. More reliable than those retired old men."

"Building 12 is clear. Building 13..." he reported his location into the walkie-talkie, his voice scattered slightly by the wind. Dynamic Vision allowed him to clearly see movements in the darkness: the window of Apartment 302 had not been fully shut, and a shirt on the clothesline flapped in the wind; the air-conditioning unit on the fifth floor was dripping, forming a small puddle on the ground; and an orange cat sat atop a trash can, staring at rats darting around by the wall.

When he reached Building 15, Lin Mo paused. This building was notoriously old and rundown in the neighborhood. Most of the hallway lights were broken, and the peeling walls looked like crumbling bread. Three days ago, Apartment 401 had been robbed. Its resident was an elderly woman living alone, and a thief had climbed in through the window and taken the retirement savings she had accumulated for half a year. She had cried so hard she nearly passed out.

"Creak—"

A faint sound came from the fourth floor, like a rusty hinge turning. Lin Mo immediately switched off his flashlight, crouched behind a trash can, and slowed his breathing at once with Physical Enhancement, suppressing even his heartbeat to its lowest level. Dynamic Vision caught a shadow crouched on the windowsill of Apartment 402. Moving like an agile gecko, the figure dug fingers into the cracks in the wall and flipped inside, as silently as a falling leaf.

It was him. Lin Mo's eyes lit up. The "flying thief" everyone in the neighborhood had been talking about these past few days was said to be able to run across vertical walls as easily as level ground and move faster than a motorcycle. The police had chased him three times, but he had escaped every time. Last time, he had even leaped onto a rooftop and run across half a block over the tiles, confusing the police dogs.

Lin Mo quietly pulled out his walkie-talkie, but just as he was about to call the station, he stopped. If he waited for the police, the thief would definitely be long gone. Gritting his teeth, Lin Mo decided to try first. With Physical Enhancement, his speed and reactions might not lose to this flying thief—and besides, he had a secret weapon.

He circled around behind the building, where there were no streetlights, only mottled moonlight filtering through the branches. Lin Mo activated his Phasing Ability, lightly brushing his fingertips over the wall. He "saw" the thief rummaging through the room, moving with unbelievable efficiency. The sound of drawers opening was softer than a cat's paws touching the ground. His backpack was already bulging, probably filled with the cash and jewelry he had just stolen.

"Almost time." Lin Mo retreated to a spot three meters from the window. There was a patch of shadow there, perfect for hiding himself. He flexed his ankles as the power of Physical Enhancement surged through his muscles like a coiled spring. Based on what he had observed, the thief habitually turned left after climbing out the window. There was a drainpipe there, and he would definitely slide down it.

Sure enough, less than two minutes later, the window was gently pushed open. The thief stuck his head out, looked around, and after confirming that no one was there, grabbed the frame like a monkey and slid down the drainpipe. He moved with incredible agility, lightly tapping the pipe with his feet a few times before landing on the ground. He did not even make a sound as he landed, then headed for the alley with his stuffed backpack.

Now!

Lin Mo shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. Physical Enhancement instantly pushed his speed to its limit, and the wind in his ears became a shrill howl. He did not pounce directly on the man—afraid he might fail to control his strength and cripple him. Instead, he calculated the thief's landing point and lashed out his right leg like a whip, his toes hooking neatly around the other man's ankle.

"Ow!"

The thief did not react in time. He lost his balance and pitched forward like a sack of rags, hitting the ground with a smack. The contents of his backpack spilled everywhere, and the sound of coins rolling was especially piercing in the silent night. He tried to get up, but Lin Mo was already there, one foot pressing on his back. The force was not heavy, yet it kept him completely still.

"Who are you?" The thief's voice carried a hint of terror, mixed with pain that made it tremble. He wore a black hoodie, and his hood had fallen off, revealing a young face. He was probably in his early twenties, with wide, round eyes like a startled rabbit.

Lin Mo said nothing. He simply bent down and picked up the wallet and jewelry box from the ground. Inside was a pearl necklace, the kind an elderly woman might wear. He suddenly remembered that the resident of Apartment 402 was an auntie living alone. The last time he delivered a package there, she had complained to him, "My son hasn't come to see me in a year."

"Don't move." Lin Mo kept his voice low, carrying the steadiness brought by Physical Enhancement. He pulled out his shoelace—he was wearing sneakers today, and the laces were thick and long. He quickly tied a slipknot and bound the thief's wrists to the nearby streetlight pole. The knot was a little loose, but enough to keep him from breaking free anytime soon. It was like the "fake knots" Ted used when tying up magic props: they looked tight but came apart with one tug. But in this situation, the thief would not notice so easily.

"Hey! Let me go! I know the police chief in your district!" The thief was still putting on a tough front, twisting his body in an attempt to break free.

Lin Mo could not be bothered with him. He picked up the stolen goods and stuffed them into the backpack, then called the police station on his walkie-talkie. "This is the alley behind Building 15. I caught the flying thief. Get here fast."

After ending the call, he leaned against the streetlight pole and watched the thief struggle uselessly, suddenly finding it a little funny. This was the flying thief who had given the police headaches for half a month? Lin Mo had tripped him with one leg, and now he was like a bound grasshopper. The synchronization rate of Physical Enhancement had unknowingly risen to 55%. His sprint and reactions just now had both been smoother than usual. Actual combat really was a good way to improve his abilities.

"Just wait until I get out..." The thief was still making threats, his face red from struggling.

Lin Mo kicked him once. It was not hard, but it instantly shut him up. "Behave yourself. Wait for the police." He checked his watch. From discovering the thief to subduing him, it had taken less than five minutes—faster than helping Gretchen's grandmother pick up medicine.

A police siren sounded in the distance, growing closer before finally stopping at the mouth of the alley. Two officers ran over with flashlights. When they saw the thief tied to the streetlight pole, both froze. "My God, isn't that the flying thief?" the younger officer exclaimed. Last time, he had chased the thief through three streets, only to watch helplessly as he jumped onto a roof. "You caught him?"

"I was passing by and happened to see him fall." Lin Mo handed over the backpack, keeping his tone as casual as possible. "All the stolen goods are inside."

The older officer—the veteran police chief from the community station, whose walkie-talkie Lin Mo had helped repair before—walked over and patted Lin Mo on the shoulder. "Thanks, kid. This guy runs faster than a rabbit, and you actually caught him." He crouched to inspect the rope binding the thief, then shook his head with a smile. "You tied this knot pretty skillfully. It looks loose, but the more he struggles, the tighter it gets."

Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "I just tied it randomly. Didn't expect it to work."

"Either way, you've done a great service." The old police chief took out his handcuffs and cuffed the thief's wrists, then gave him another kick. "Try running again! Let's see how you jump onto rooftops this time!"

The thief hung his head, all his earlier arrogance gone. As the officers escorted him toward the police car, he turned back and glared viciously at Lin Mo, his eyes full of resentment. Lin Mo did not care. A petty thug like this would behave after spending a few days inside.

"Come back to the station with us to make a statement?" the younger officer asked.

"No, I still have to patrol." Lin Mo pointed at his walkie-talkie. "Carlos is still waiting for me to report that I'm safe."

The old police chief laughed. "Fine. We'll have the station give you an award for bravery later. Oh, and next week's community safety lecture—how about you come teach everyone how to catch thieves?"

"Better not." Lin Mo hurriedly waved his hands. "I just got lucky."

After the police left, silence returned to the alley. Lin Mo picked up his shoelace from the ground. It had gotten a little dusty, so he brushed it off and tied it back onto his shoe. At the moment he had tripped the thief, he had actually felt a little afraid afterward. What if he had failed to control his strength and broken the thief's leg? Physical Enhancement was growing stronger and stronger. He would have to be more careful in the future.

On his way back, he passed Ted's basement, where the lights were still on. Lin Mo knocked on the door, and Ted poked his head out. His hair was a mess, and he held a magician's hat in one hand. "You're back? I heard sirens just now. What happened?"

"I caught a thief." Lin Mo walked inside. The basement smelled of glue and fabric, and Ted was altering his magician's cape. "The flying thief."

"No way! Seriously?" Ted's eyes lit up, and the needle and thread in his hand fell to the floor. "How did you catch him? With your Wall-Crossing Technique? Or your super strength?"

"I just stuck out my leg and tripped him." Lin Mo picked up the half-altered cape. It had sequins sewn onto it that dazzled the eyes when they moved. "Are you going to a Bal Masqué?"

"This is an 'Invisibility Cloak'!" Ted snatched it back and said proudly, "I sewed reflective pieces into the lining. Under light, they can refract it and make it look like I'm invisible. Peter said the principle works, but I don't have enough materials."

Lin Mo smiled. Watching Ted excitedly gesture, he suddenly felt that catching a thief was not much different from Ted altering a magic cape or Peter studying his Mechanical Spider. They were all using their own methods to make this neighborhood a little better.

"Oh, right." Ted suddenly remembered something and pulled out a cookie from his pocket. "Peter asked me to give this to you. He said thanks for teaching him that geometry problem yesterday. It helped him solve the balance issue with the Mechanical Spider."

Lin Mo took the cookie. It was an oatmeal cookie baked by Aunt May, still faintly warm. He took a bite, and sweetness melted across his tongue, warming his heart. The tension from catching the thief seemed to be soothed away by that bite.

Back in his own basement, Lin Mo sat at his desk and looked at the synchronization rate on his wristband: 56%. A new notification appeared below:

[Detected that the host reasonably used Physical Enhancement to subdue a target without causing excessive injury. Skill unlocked: Precision Control (can control force output error within 5%).]

Precision Control? Lin Mo's eyes lit up. This skill had come at exactly the right time. He would no longer have to worry about using too much force. He tried clenching his fist and could clearly feel power flowing through his fingertips, allowing him to precisely control how much force he exerted—whether to lightly crush a cookie or smash open a walnut with full strength was entirely up to him.

Moonlight shone through the transom window and fell upon the community map on his desk. Lin Mo used a red pen to circle Building 15 and wrote beside it, "Flying thief captured." There were already many circles on the map: "Fire rescue," "Helped an old lady grab eggs," "Street magic," "Volunteer delivery"... Every circle represented a time he had used his abilities to help someone.

He suddenly recalled the old police chief mentioning an award for bravery. Whether he received an award was not important. What mattered was being able to use these unexpectedly acquired abilities to do something real—not save the world, not fight aliens, but simply catch a thief who stole an old woman's retirement money on an autumn night in Queens, so an auntie living alone could sleep peacefully.

Lin Mo closed his notebook. The faint glow from his wristband flickered in the darkness like a gentle star. He knew he would encounter more trouble in the future: the awkwardness of his abilities "fighting," S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance, and perhaps even supervillains. But as long as he had Ted's magic cape, Peter's Mechanical Spider, Aunt May's cookies, and this community map covered in red circles, he would have the courage to keep moving forward.