C4: Desperate
The next day.
The entire New York media exploded with coverage of how the NYPD had been thoroughly fooled by the elusive Phantom Thief Kidd's elaborate April Fool's Day prank in Times Square.
> "Happy April Fool's Day, NYPD!" – The New York Times
"NYPD: Fools in Uniform!" – Daily Bugle
"Times Square Caper Embarrasses Police!" – City Daily News
"Daring Thieves, Clueless Cops!" – Manhattan Post
…
Conan Edogawa (via late-night guest spot on the Jimmy Kimmel Live-style show):
"Kate, if I were you, I wouldn't call the police."
Kate Bishop (Hawkeye):
"Why?"
Conan:
"Because they're still in Times Square… looking for the getaway balloons."
Audience: "Haha~"
— The Conan Show, broadcast on Channel 5
…
[Famousness from New York citizens +0.1]
[Famousness from New York citizens +0.2]
[From George Stacy's reputation +3]
[The Legend from the NYPD +0.3]
[From George Stacy's reputation +2]
[From New York...Legend...]
Inside his quiet antique shop tucked away near Clinton Street, Li Ran watched the system prompts cascade across his vision like falling dominoes.
Even through the system interface, he could sense the simmering frustration of the NYPD. After all, their authority had been mocked in front of thousands and broadcast on national TV. With media outlets like The Daily Bugle and The Times spinning the incident as a comedy of errors, the NYPD had become the punchline of late-night satire, inadvertently feeding Li Ran a growing stream of notoriety.
"It'd be perfect if this damn system granted more fame per citizen."
If there was one thing Li Ran resented, it was the system's stingy reputation metrics. Ordinary New Yorkers could only add between 0.1 to 0.5 points per person to his notoriety. By contrast, one interaction with Commissioner George Stacy the respected former head of Midtown Precinct granted multiple points at once.
The algorithm was clearly rigged to reward encounters with prominent figures in the Marvel and DC universes like George Stacy or, theoretically, Kingpin, a.k.a. Wilson Fisk.
Still, while elite figures like Stacy were more lucrative in reputation gains, they also came with danger. Not everyone was a righteous officer like Stacy. Most influential figures superheroes and villains alike were unpredictable. Individuals like Daredevil, Luke Cage, or even someone like Frank Castle (The Punisher), posed major risks.
For now, Li Ran wasn't in a position to get involved with high-risk targets.
And yet, the common people of New York had numbers on their side. Just this morning, the steady trickle of citizen-based reputation gains had pushed him past 900 total points. One more push and he'd unlock a new treasure chest from the system.
Still, he reminded himself: Fisk is not a common citizen. He's not a beat cop either.
He forced himself to stay grounded and focused on the present, returning to the slow rhythm of life in the antique shop.
…
Ding bell—
The front door jingled as a middle-aged man stepped inside. His clothes were worn, his eyes dull with exhaustion.
"Welcome. Looking for something in particular?" Li Ran asked politely.
The man had distinctly Asian features, which drew a brief glance from Li Ran. But in New York, a melting pot of the world, it was hardly unusual. He returned his attention to dusting a shelf.
The man surveyed the room cautiously. After a moment, he asked, "Boss, do you buy antiques here?"
"Of course."
From the man's hesitant demeanor, Li Ran could already guess his situation. He nodded calmly and waited. His keen perception enhanced by Kaitou Kidd's innate thief intuition had already begun to assess the man's motives.
The man sighed and retrieved a small cloth bundle from his jacket. "This bracelet is a family heirloom, passed down from my wife's side. Could you take a look and see what it's worth?"
A cheap fake.
Li Ran recognized it immediately. A crude jade imitation, no real value.
"How much do you think it's worth?" the man asked again.
Li Ran hesitated, then replied, "Fifty."
"Fifty? That's it?"
The man's face twisted with disbelief. "Come on, boss, can't you go a little higher? I really need the money…"
"Fifty is already generous," Li Ran said, firm. "Honestly, another shop might offer five if that."
The man's shoulders slumped. His hands trembled slightly as he took the bills. He tucked them carefully into his coat, muttering under his breath as he shuffled out of the shop.
Outside, an old man stood at the adjacent laundromat, shaking his head.
"Another one, huh? Another desperate soul from Hell's Kitchen…" sighed Old Jack, a lifelong resident of the neighborhood.
In this part of the city, the real city beneath the gleaming towers of Stark Industries and the shadow of Oscorp despair was routine. Here in Hell's Kitchen, you were more likely to find vigilantes than heroes. Matt Murdock could only do so much. Jessica Jones had vanished again. And even Spider-Man rarely swung this far west.
Surviving here took grit. Even Li Ran had struggled to gain a foothold.
After exchanging a few words with Jack, Li Ran returned to the shop. He glanced at the fake jade bracelet and tossed it onto a cluttered shelf beside worn chess pieces and a half-broken statuette of Ra's al Ghul.
…
"Mom, Mom—Dad's back!"
In a damp, decaying apartment near 43rd Street, a little girl with pigtails called out joyfully.
Her mother lay pale and weak on a sagging mattress, coughing softly.
"Well?" she asked faintly.
The father—still clutching the bills—forced a smile. "I sold it. But… not for as much as I hoped."
"How much?"
"Only fifty dollars."
Silence.
The woman finally whispered, "Maybe we should stop the treatments…"
"No!" he shouted, startled by his own volume. "I won't give up on you. Never."
"But we can't afford it…"
"I'll figure something out. If I have to… I'll go see Madam Gao."
She gasped. "You're insane! Everyone who works for Madam Gao ends up"
"I know. But watching you die… is worse."
Their daughter clutched her father's hand, eyes wide and frightened.
"…Dad. Mom."
---