Although he had decided to take out Kingpin so Melvin would be grateful enough to build him a suit, problems kept piling up.
Gao Ming faced a new dilemma: where could he find Melvin?
The city was vast, and finding a single person in a metropolis like New York was no easy feat.
Even narrowing the search to Hell’s Kitchen wouldn’t guarantee success, especially for someone as obscure as Melvin.
“Aaaaargh… Why don’t I have a Jarvis?!” Gao Ming’s eyes burned with envy as he thought of Iron Man’s AI butler.
With Jarvis, searching for someone globally would be a matter of minutes.
*Alright, it’s settled,* he vowed.
*The next chance I get, I’ll do whatever it takes to poach an AI from Tony Stark.*
Gao Ming racked his brain, trying to recall every detail of the *Daredevil* plot for any useful clue.
He only remembered that Matt—Daredevil himself—had found Melvin’s location by interrogating one of Kingpin’s henchmen.
But the show had never mentioned a specific address.
*Damn it, would it have killed the screenwriters to add a few more lines of dialogue?
At least tell me where Melvin lives!*
*Although Gao Ming was omnipotent and all-powerful, he wasn’t truly omniscient.
None of the Twelve Talismans could help him locate a person.*
“This is a pain… What should I do?” Gao Ming’s mind was a chaotic mess.
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
“Maybe… I could ask Daredevil for help?”
*But the current Daredevil has only just started his career as a hero, right?
His outfit is probably still just all-black clothes with a black cloth covering the upper half of his face—hardly any different from a common thief’s night-raider gear, except for where the mask is placed.*
*So tacky…*
*As expected, even when you’re a hero, image is still very important…*
*Matt doesn’t even deserve the title “Daredevil” yet.
He’s just a vigilante who comes out at night to beat up petty thieves.
He probably hasn’t even crossed paths with a big shot like Kingpin.*
*Daredevil is useless.
The guy doesn’t even know Kingpin is the one who controls the underworld.
He should just keep playing with those petty thieves.*
After thinking it over from all angles, he still couldn’t figure it out.
Suddenly, Gao Ming slapped his own forehead, his face filled with frustration.
“I’m so stupid! I can’t find Melvin, but Kingpin is easy to find. Why not just torture the information out of Kingpin, then drag him in front of Melvin and finish him off? Problem solved!”
It was no surprise.
Gao Ming had only just discovered his newfound superpowers, and his mindset was still stuck at the level of an ordinary person.
It would take him a while to adjust.
*Since I have such immense power, why overthink things?*
Gao Ming began rummaging through his clothes.
Fortunately, his double hadn’t been so frugal as to not even buy a cell phone.
He turned on the ancient flip phone and, with a sigh of resignation, began navigating its menus to search for the locations of Hell’s Kitchen and Kingpin’s company.
After a series of clumsy taps and an excruciatingly slow internet connection, Gao Ming finally found the information he needed.
He tossed the phone onto the bed.
*Alright, decision made.
I’ll also extort some money from Kingpin while I’m at it.
Once I have the cash, the first thing I’m doing is buying a new phone.
And this time, definitely not a Sanxin…*
About to embark on his first act of righteousness—and against a major villain like Kingpin, no less—Gao Ming felt a surge of excitement.
However, he refused to let his enthusiasm cloud his judgment.
Though he was going to excise the cancerous tumor that was Kingpin and benefit society, it was still best to keep a low profile.
At the very least, he needed to change his clothes as a disguise.
He searched his wardrobe, only to find a dozen or so sets of faded casual wear and a couple of thick winter coats.
Gao Ming was utterly speechless at his double’s taste—not a single decent thing to wear.
Resignedly closing the wardrobe, he walked over to the bookshelf packed with books.
Following his memory, he moved a book aside and found the money and bankbook his double had hidden.
This was the cash his double had left at home, just over two thousand dollars, which converted to more than ten thousand yuan.
The rest of the money was deposited in the bank.
Remembering that prices in the U.S. were different from those back home, Gao Ming took 200 dollars from the stash, then put the money back and slid the book back into place to hide it.
*Hmm, why is the book my double used for cover titled “Harra Potter”?
It looks like a knock-off of Harry Potter, but the name seems familiar…*
(This is a reference to a scene from the movie *Scary Movie 2*)
***
Although Gao Ming knew that shopping in the U.S. wasn’t much different from doing so back home—after all, there was only the currency exchange rate to consider—he still couldn’t help but sigh when he spent less than $150 on a black hoodie, black pants, a black face mask, black gloves, and black running shoes.
“If only I could get this whole outfit for so little money back home,” he thought.
Of course, he knew this was just an illusion.
$150 converted to nearly a thousand yuan, so there really wasn’t much of a difference between the two.
If he wanted to buy this entire outfit for 150 yuan back home, he’d have to settle for street stall merchandise or hunt for deals on Taobao.
As for why he’d bought an all-black outfit, the reason was simple: Gao Ming had been heavily influenced by TV shows.
If you’re doing something you can’t be seen doing at night, you definitely need to wear a “night-traveling outfit”!
(Daredevil: I wonder who just criticized my “night-traveling outfit”…)
Gao Ming had left his apartment around 4:00 PM.
He went to buy his clothes and took a stroll around.
By the time he returned, it was already dark, and he also had to take a call from the pizza shop owner.
Facing the furious tirade from the other end of the line, Gao Ming simply shot back, “Damn it, fuck you!” before hanging up while the man was still shouting, “You’re fired!”
After bringing his new “combat uniform” home and changing into it, Gao Ming went up to the roof of his apartment building.
He stood at the edge for a moment, taking in the bustling city lights below.
Then, pulling his hood up, he soared into the sky, streaking toward Hell’s Kitchen like a bolt of lightning.
“Flight and super speed—the Rooster and Rabbit Talismans really are the ultimate travel combo,” he cheered aloud, savoring the thrill of the extreme velocity.
Fortunately, he was flying so high that he remained unnoticed, his black outfit blending into the night.
Of course, he had completely forgotten he also possessed the power of invisibility…
It’s worth noting that Hell’s Kitchen is in Manhattan, while Gao Ming lived in Queens—yes, the same borough where the future “Underdog Hero” would reside.
Though the two locations were quite far apart, Gao Ming’s combined powers allowed him to cover the distance in less than ten minutes.
The Rabbit Talisman’s super speed could easily reach supersonic levels in its normal state.
Supersonic is greater than 340 meters per second.
If Gao Ming hadn’t consciously controlled his speed, the time spent would have been even shorter.
However, on the way, Gao Ming discovered that although he was flying at supersonic speed, he was not affected by air friction at all.
In other words, the situation where the speed was too fast and caused fire would not happen.
It seemed that unreasonable phenomena such as “invisibility also makes the clothes invisible” and “becoming an animal makes the clothes disappear” had also appeared along with the Talisman’s other world.
Indeed, how could such a magical thing as the Talisman be explained by science…
Since the clothes would not catch fire due to air friction, he actually didn’t need to find Melvin to make a battle suit anymore, but Gao Ming was unwilling to give up halfway, anyway he had already come.
After officially entering the area of Hell’s Kitchen, Gao Ming stood in place and observed the scenery of Hell’s Kitchen for a while, it seemed to be no different from other places, there were many pedestrians coming and going on the street, and occasionally a few taxis drove by, most of the people were going to places like bars, dance halls and nightclubs, reveling and partying wildly.
But the moment he stepped into the dark back alleys, he witnessed the city’s most hideous sights: robberies, drug deals, gang wars… all kinds of chaotic scenes were unfolding.
This city was like Gotham from DC Comics, filled with darkness and crime.
The only saving grace was that it also had a superhero, just like Batman, who worked tirelessly to fight crime and maintain order.
As he walked, Gao Ming remained invisible, witnessing one vile scene after another.
His original resolve to act heroically and eradicate evil began to waver.
Desire is always boundless, and its expansion brings endless crime.
What use was a hero?
Desire has no end, and crime can never be finished.
Gao Ming couldn’t help but feel lost.
Was there any point in being a superhero?
It wouldn’t even solve these problems at their root.
He wandered the streets in a daze.
In his invisible state, no one could see him, and he felt completely isolated from the rest of the world, walking aimlessly.
“Help! Somebody help! Is anyone there?!” Suddenly, a woman’s desperate plea for help jolted Gao Ming awake.
Instinctively, he rushed toward the source of the voice.
“Shut up, bitch! Just hand over the money!”
Before Gao Ming could even get close, a fierce male voice snarled.
Hearing this, Gao Ming knew he had stumbled upon a robbery and immediately sprinted toward the sound.
In a narrow alleyway, a Caucasian girl around eighteen or nineteen years old leaned helplessly against a wall, her face pale as she stared at the burly, bald man before her.
His back was as broad as a tiger’s, and his face was a mass of scar tissue and muscle.
After screaming for help with all her might, the girl’s cries had gone unanswered.
No one appeared.
The bald man, brandishing a sharp knife, grinned savagely as he closed in step by step, plunging her deeper into despair.
Though she clung to her backpack with all her strength, it was futile.
The bald man’s powerful arms were far stronger, and he snatched the bag from her with barely any effort.
“Tch… only this much?” He ripped the bag open, rummaged through it, and stuffed the few bills he found into his pocket.
Then, he carelessly tossed the backpack, now empty of its valuables, to the side.
Looking at the terrified girl, the bald man grinned lewdly.
“Hey, little sister… why don’t you play a fun game with me?”
“No, please don’t…”
Aware of what the Bald Man was about to do, the girl could no longer control her tears.
She wept and pleaded.
How could the Bald Man let such easy prey escape?
His burning gaze seemed to strip her bare.
He casually stowed his knife and, unable to wait any longer, lunged at her, his hands tearing at her clothes.
*Rrip…*
Her shirt and jacket were violently torn open by the robber, revealing a vast expanse of snowy white skin.
Her ample breasts were half-covered by a pure white bra.
The Bald Man’s breathing grew heavy, his face twisting with even greater lust, the heat in his eyes seeming to erupt.
Just as he was about to pounce, a cool, detached voice came from behind him: “Let her go…”
The fire in the Bald Man’s heart was instantly extinguished.
He spun around, whipping out his knife and pointing it at the newcomer, his eyes filled with wariness.
Like a shadow in the night, a figure slowly emerged from the darkened corner…