Good times

"Criminals think they're warriors, fighters who can take on ten men at once. But the truth is, we can bash their heads bloody with nothing but flowerpots and chairs!"

The big screen showed the Black guy with dreadlocks getting his head battered bloody. He looked furious and terrified, like a frightened dog.

There was also a watermark in the lower-left corner: Technical support provided by Bloom Security Consulting.

Yes, this Bloom was the consulting company Lier had just registered, primarily offering installation services for complete security surveillance systems.

Lier had actually wanted to register the company as "Cybertek," but unfortunately, a Cybertek already existed in this world, and he had no desire to get involved with them at this stage.

The name Bloom came from the game Watchdogs. It was also a company engaged in advanced smart technology development, and its signature ctOS system could bring an entire city under its oversight-cutting-edge technology in smart-city cybernetics.

Lier hoped he could reach that level someday, too.

Right now, Anthony was shouting himself hoarse on the street, promoting the clash that had taken place at the apartment building.

He had to admit, this Latino man's voice was something else. He had been talking for days without even going hoarse.

The footage placed the dreadlocked Black guy's swagger on the street beside the sight of him getting beaten bloody inside the apartment building.

Thunderous applause immediately broke out.

In later years, this editing technique would have been thoroughly market-tested-people loved watching arrogant assholes get their comeuppance, like a driver who deliberately brake-checked someone on the highway being taken into police custody.

Encouraged by the audience's approval, Anthony grew even more animated. "And at the NYPD, he thought he was a tough guy!"

The television showed the dreadlocked Black guy at the NYPD, swaggering and swaying instead of walking normally.

He kept saying things like "boss" and "get me out," making everyone feel increasingly uneasy.

Then the footage changed. Captain George Stacy produced an arrest warrant, the Black guy's expression changed abruptly, and he tried to flee. Then George emptied his magazine.

"Hell yeah!"

"Good job!"

"Now that's America!"

"Give him a little taste of American shock and awe!"

The crowd loved it even more. Emptying the magazine was exactly what they wanted!

Living in Hell's Kitchen, who hadn't been robbed, stolen from, or mugged?

For all sorts of reasons, fighting back was a luxury ordinary people couldn't afford. But now, someone had done it!

Anthony continued, "But he's nothing more than a dog! He thinks he's a person, but he's just a stray dog imagining he has an owner!

"And us? We stand together and support one another. The courage and strength we unleash far exceed those of these beasts pretending to be people!

"Join us! Join the Clinton District Homeowners Association and make our lives better! Fight our enemies!"

The television by the roadside kept playing footage of John beating up the thugs, and everyone cheered with satisfaction.

Any normal person enjoyed seeing vicious criminals get a good beating.

After finishing his speech, Anthony stepped off the platform to get some water.

In those few minutes alone, several more property owners had approached the nearby registration desk to join the Homeowners Association.

Attorney Matt was handling registration and explaining the details, primarily the owners' rights and obligations.

Two vans were parked by the roadside. One was a cargo van used to carry their presentation equipment.

The other was a communications van. Skye was hunkered down inside, building support online, while Lier adjusted a newly replaced camera beside her.

After a few days, their little group had started looking like a proper operation.

That was because the company had completed its registration and successfully won the NYPD contract.

To win the bid, Lier had set his price very low-after all, aside from some labor and camera costs, research and development cost him absolutely nothing.

Besides, electrical problems that gave even veteran electricians headaches and made them steer clear merely took Lier a little extra time.

At this rate, New York's power authority would soon be considering offering him a high-paying job.

After winning the bid, although payments for the project were tied to progress, securing the contract meant he could get a loan. It was a very important factor in credit assessments.

The loan paid for promotional equipment, allowing Lier's Homeowners Association to build a little name recognition.

Property owners paid the Homeowners Association's representatives to carry out the relevant work, and Bloom would lower its service fees as an incentive for homeowners to join.

That gave people both emotional and financial reasons to join the Association.

As more people joined, Lier naturally had to charge membership dues-and that got the cash flowing.

It still wasn't particularly healthy, but starting a business was a process. This modest cash flow would allow the bank to approve more loans.

Things had entered a virtuous cycle. As long as they kept it up, the future would be better.

"Boss, how did I do just now?" Anthony walked over.

Lier gave him a thumbs-up. "As good as the last few days-no, you're getting better and better. I still remember how nervous you were on the first day.

"You might have a real talent for this. Your voice is steady and carries well, and the way you move when you speak really draws people in."

"Haha-stop it." Anthony grinned happily. "I've loved singing since I was little. My mom even said I could become a singer when I grew up.

"I never thought my talent could be useful here, too."

As he spoke, Anthony grew reflective and said solemnly, "And I'm very happy to put that talent to use here. Boss, seriously, the last time I felt alive like this was when my daughter was born.

"I held Emmaline in my arms and felt like she was a treasure heaven had given me. I was willing to do anything to let her experience the beauty of the world.

"Now I feel like I'm making the world a better place. That's a lot more fulfilling than moving stuff around.

"I believe John feels the same way."

Nearby, John carried a television into the van and said with a laugh, "The way you're talking, you'd think I was carrying a gold brick!"

"Haha, give me a break. I saw you signing autographs just now. Anyone who didn't know better would've thought you were an NBA star."

Watching them, Lier felt deeply moved, too.

Memories surfaced at moments like this. When he had been young in his previous life, he had often taken to the streets, too-

He and his like-minded friends had gone out hoping to do something for the world, feeling that everything was so wonderful.

"Fuck you..."

Just then, an incongruous curse reached his ears. Lier looked toward it and found Skye muttering under her breath.

Noticing his gaze, Skye scratched her head. "Everyone online supports what we're doing, but the sites keep deleting our posts. I'm using zombie computers to post the videos en masse.

"Do you think I should hack their backend?"

A zombie computer was a computer infected with a hacker's Trojan horse and controllable remotely. Hackers used them as cover or even as weapons of computing power when carrying out attacks. They were also known as puppet machines.

Lier said nothing and leaned over to look at the computer-

He immediately saw a long string of profanity Skye had typed and was about to post.

"Uh... I couldn't help it. This guy's pretending to be all rational and impartial online. He says nobody in Hell's Kitchen is any good, especially John. He even called what John did a civil war between niggers..."

Lier turned back. "Then curse him out properly-but don't hack their backend. Let's see whether their moderators can hold up against this automated posting machine."

"You got it."

Soon, everything had been loaded into the vans and the equipment had been adjusted. Lier planned to go to the next location to install surveillance.

In just these few days, the Trojan horse at the substation had spread, bringing more than seventy percent of Manhattan's power grid under Lier's monitoring.

This made installing surveillance much easier. Public and private surveillance could now link seamlessly within a circle five kilometers in diameter.

Over the past few days, some petty thieves had still tried helping themselves to free goods. The unluckiest had run into someone who wouldn't be pushed around: relying on his surveillance footage, the homeowner had shot the thief's leg and broken it.

With conclusive evidence, nothing came of it.

A subtle change had taken place in Hell's Kitchen. People might still fear the gangs lurking in the shadows, who killed without blinking.

But they were no longer afraid of petty thugs who stole whatever they wanted.

In fact, given time, cutting off the petty thugs' income would also affect the higher levels of the criminal underworld-

After all, decent people didn't smoke weed for no reason.

Lies were one of the root causes of Hell's Kitchen's current condition. Now Lier was trying to spread some of the truth and expose it to the sunlight.

Bang, bang. Lier slapped the van, signaling Matt to get in. "Next site-the last one today. Once we're done there, we can call it a day."

Matt got into the vehicle and said to Lier, "These past few days have been pretty... fulfilling."

He meant that from the bottom of his heart.

Matt's childhood had been dark and difficult. After losing his sight, he had spent every day miserable, each one dragging on like a year.

His father had helped him through it, only to die in an underground boxing ring.

He could safely say he had spent most of his life feeling lost.

Sometimes he wanted to take revenge as Daredevil, simply to vent. Sometimes he wanted to bring people hope as a lawyer. Sometimes... he merely imagined things.

He imagined what his life would have been like without all those terrible things happening, never thinking about the present or the future.

"As long as you're doing something meaningful with your life, every day will feel fulfilling."

Matt wholeheartedly agreed. He was starting to imagine the future now-the changes he could bring to the world and the good life that lay ahead.

Thinking of that, he asked, "What do you plan to do once this is settled?"

Lier shrugged. "I want to study at Empire State University. I hear they have a very famous professor who researches cell biology.

"You know, because of my health problems."

Matt wanted to say something else, but suddenly sensed something-

A hundred meters ahead, someone raised a hand.

The thing in that person's hand was... a steel toothpick?

Matt's expression changed drastically, and he shoved Lier aside!

Crack!

The glass shattered, scattering like a splash of water!

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