Chapter 17: Clocking Out on Time, Officer George's Distress
Chapter 17: Clocking Out on Time, Officer George's Distress
After gaining experience from his first hunt, Jiang Feng had become much more proficient. He roamed through Hell's Kitchen with ease, moving silently like a phantom.
He had mastered the advanced cybernetic prosthetics technology from 2077.
Strictly speaking, in that world, cyber-enhanced humans were considered fully integrated with their machines.
Replacing organic flesh with cybernetic implants installed directly into the body—
These were far more compatible with human physiology than simply donning external Iron Suits. Otherwise, prosthetic technology would never have become so widespread.
For that reason—
Jiang Feng's Iron Suit design incorporated certain improvements based on prosthetic technology, making it far more compatible with the human body.
The armor moved fluidly, without the slightest hint of mechanical stiffness.
It also connected to every nerve in the human body, enhancing the user's motor skills and physical aptitude.
Even a tech geek—
Slightly chubby and in suboptimal health—
could temporarily outperform professional athletes while wearing Jiang Feng's custom Iron Suit, executing difficult movements with agility.
Just like in Cyberpunk 2077—
Where a sex worker, after installing a tiny combat chip, could instantly become a melee expert.
Under Jiang Feng's precise control—
Even while wearing an externally bulky Iron Suit nearly two meters tall—
He made not a single sound in his movements, his ghostlike silhouette nearly undetectable.
Adding to this, Jiang Feng used custom-made needle-type armor-piercing rounds—
Miniaturized yet retaining powerful penetration, while also drastically reducing gunshot noise.
Silent movements, paired with silent weapons—
Transformed Jiang Feng into a deadly assassin in heavy armor.
The criminals were "fortunate"—
Most of them were gunned down without ever realizing they were dying.
Jiang Feng's eerily silent assassination style left these men no time to feel pain—they were executed swiftly and cleanly.
The faint pop of his weapon was nothing more than the whisper of death.
The dull thud of bullets piercing flesh was the death knell marking the end of evil.
Before long—
Bodies lay scattered across the ground.
Blood flowed outward, winding along the uneven pavement, seeping into the cracks between bricks, dyeing the streets and alleys crimson.
Adding yet another horrifying splash of red to Hell's Kitchen.
By 3 a.m.,
Jiang Feng had wreaked havoc throughout Hell's Kitchen, eliminating dozens of humanoid targets with ease, like grinding mobs in a game.
With the dual rewards of the Infinite Class System and the Reincarnation Space,
He not only gained valuable experience points but also earned a few Reincarnation Points.
After completing his daily check-in mission, Jiang Feng returned to his apartment right on time.
The Iron Suit's power supply issue had been resolved for now.
With the help of the blue-grade fuel cell, even after hours of battle, the armor still remained fully operational and imposing.
However—
Jiang Feng's physical body had yet to improve.
After an intense night of combat, he was thoroughly exhausted and needed plenty of rest to recover his strength and energy.
In the stillness of the night—
Queens was far safer than Hell's Kitchen. There weren't as many gang members or thugs on the streets.
You'd still spot a few here and there, but overall—
The crime rate was much lower.
After all, this was a wealthy district.
Police presence here was stronger than in other areas, offering ample protection for the rich and powerful.
Even in the dead of night, patrol officers still guarded the streets.
In a high-end residential community in central Queens, everything was silent, immersed in tranquility.
Only a few windows still had lights on.
For example—George Stacy's bedroom.
Even though it was already late, the upright and dutiful Officer George was still working overnight to protect the city's peace.
He dared not make too much noise—
his daughter Gwen was asleep in the room next door.
She had school in the morning, and he didn't want to disturb her rest.
"Just who could've done this... It's definitely not just another gang war. The killer must've been acting alone."
The murders that occurred last night in Hell's Kitchen were too brutal.
As a front-line officer at the NYPD, George Stacy had been assigned to lead the investigation.
Earlier that day—
The moment the report came in, Officer George rushed to Hell's Kitchen with a large team.
But after an extensive search and questioning of local residents,
The police found no evidence of a gang conflict, leaving George and the others completely baffled.
Historically—
Large-scale casualties in Hell's Kitchen were almost always linked to gang warfare.
But this incident felt different from past cases.
As for those so-called street vigilantes who fought for justice but abused their power—
Most were soft-hearted and rarely killed. None of them had ever racked up a body count this brutal.
At first—
George strongly suspected the killer to be the Punisher, who had recently been gaining notoriety.
A brutal monster with a kill count in the dozens—
Even veteran cops who were ex-military and had seen blood on the battlefield felt a chill when facing the Punisher.
But George's suspicion lacked solid evidence.
The police had recovered bullet fragments at the scene.
The rounds were unusually small—thinner even than .22 bullets—and didn't match any produced by known military manufacturers.
They appeared to be homemade.
This differed significantly from the Punisher's usual methods.
While he was adept in military techniques and capable of modifying firearms to some extent—
The idea of him mass-producing custom ammo and building a full Iron Suit for silent assassinations—
Was simply impossible.
One elderly woman in Hell's Kitchen had witnessed the event—
And several rescued Latina girls, victims of the Snake Gang's human trafficking operation, also testified.
They all claimed the nighttime vigilante hero was none other than—
The globally famous, household-name Iron Man—Tony Stark!
With all other gangs and street heroes ruled out,
The only remaining suspect seemed to be this rich playboy.
After all—
If anyone could mass-produce specialty bullets and kill dozens with ease, Tony Stark certainly could.
But the allegations pointing to Iron Man were purely verbal.
The police couldn't just launch a search based on a few eyewitness accounts—
even the NYPD Commissioner wouldn't dare touch that case.
Stark Industries was the pinnacle of the military-industrial complex.
Even the government tread carefully around them, let alone a handful of beat cops.
Besides—
Neither George nor the rest of the police force really wanted to believe it.
That flamboyant playboy—
Would wear his high-tech armor in the dead of night to slaughter criminals in Hell's Kitchen?
No way.
For now, with Tony Stark temporarily ruled out—
George had no other suspects.
Who else in the world could be linked to "Iron Man"?
With his brows tightly furrowed, George sat under the lamp, his face weary and anxious, struggling like a headless fly to form a coherent lead.
What he didn't know—
Was that the killer he'd been racking his brain to find, desperately trying to trace—
Actually lived just a few blocks away.
Click!
A crisp sound shattered the silence.
The ornate brass lock of the nearby apartment clicked open.
Dragging his exhausted body, Jiang Feng quietly entered his expensive rental.
Inside, the lavishly decorated space lit up as warm yellow lights turned on, casting a gentle glow throughout the room.
The spacious 100+ square meter unit was fully furnished.
But Jiang Feng didn't stop to admire it.
He headed straight to the bedroom.
As he came home—
Rustling noises came from the adjacent room. Clearly, the midnight return had startled the still-awake neighbors.
Everyone was curious—
Just what kind of person was this mysterious new neighbor returning so late at night?