He pushed open the creaking door, and a cold wind mixed with dust and mildew rushed in, making him shiver.
The nights in New York are a bit chilly.
William touched his empty pockets. Those few pitiful dollars would not last for a few days.
"The most urgent thing is to make money and...find my first 'client'." He muttered to himself, his eyes wandering around the dilapidated streets.
The system's cold notification tone was still buzzing in my head, repeating the same thing over and over again - if I want to open a business, I need to find those 'superheroes' first.
Just because Iron Man is nowhere to be seen right now doesn't mean there are no other heroes in town.
William thought that these guys were probably patrolling in some corner, or hiding in some secret base to plan how to save the world.
How could he, an ordinary person with no money, get in touch with them?
"We can only start from the bottom and look for those less famous or newly debuted 'greenhorn' heroes." William quickly determined the direction.
The activity range of this type of hero is relatively fixed, just like a novice salesperson who has just entered the industry, and they only cover a few areas.
And... hey, the probability of an "accident" happening to a "greenhorn" is much higher than that of an experienced person. He is simply a walking insurance policy!
He wandered aimlessly in the streets, hunger gnawing at him like a maggot, but he forced himself to remain calm and observe everything around him carefully.
His intuition from his insurance sales job in his previous life reminded him that real opportunities are often hidden in those inconspicuous corners.
Unconsciously, he walked to a relatively remote neighborhood. The buildings here were older, the walls were covered with graffiti, and there was a hint of danger in the air.
Suddenly, a short and fierce sound of fighting came from the alley not far away, mixed with a few suppressed groans and the harsh sound of metal colliding.
William's heart moved, and he instinctively slowed down his pace and approached quietly.
Deep in the alley, a sturdy black figure wrapped in a washed-out hoodie was fighting with three armed gangsters.
The black shadow leaped like a cheetah, fists whistling, and each kick was so fierce that it could break people's bones. It was obvious that he was a martial artist, and he was the kind of person who would kill.
But the bandits were not pushovers either. The guns in their hands spewed out flames from time to time, and bullets whizzed past the walls, splashing up pieces of gravel.
William held his breath, hid behind a pile of discarded cardboard boxes, and watched the battle nervously.
Aren't these ready-made "potential customers"?
During the fierce battle, a stray bullet hit a device on the waist of the shadow vigilante with a "puff" sound.
The vigilante groaned, his movements slightly delayed, but he quickly adjusted himself and knocked all the remaining bandits to the ground in no time.
The battle was over and the vigilante was obviously relieved. He leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, and reached for the communicator on his waist, only to find that the screen was shattered and sparking, completely scrapped.
"Damn it!" the vigilante growled and slammed his fist against the wall. Looking at the broken communicator in his palm, his face was full of pain and regret.
William's eyes lit up instantly.
The opportunity has come!
He did not rush forward, but waited until the volunteer police inspected the scene, confirmed that the criminals were unable to move, and were about to turn around and leave before he acted quietly.
William took out a flyer made of hard cardboard from the original owner's worn backpack.
This is a 'Hero Risk Protection' flyer that was stuffed into the newbie gift pack when the system was first activated. It looks quite shabby, but it contains all the necessary information.
On the flyer, the four big words "Free Trial" are as eye-catching as a dog-skin plaster, and below it is a line of small characters that say "Accidental Communication Equipment Damage Insurance", with a clear QR code next to it.
He didn't hand the flyer directly to the vigilante, as that would be too deliberate and too likely to arouse suspicion.
He looked around and took advantage of the moment when the vigilante turned around to quickly stuff the flyer into the gap in the wall that the vigilante had just leaned against, leaving only a corner exposed, as if it had been casually thrown there.
After doing all this, William immediately turned around and quickly left the alley, his heart pounding with nervousness and anticipation.
He didn't know whether the vigilante would notice, let alone whether he would actually scan the QR code.
William had a torturous time in the next few hours.
He found a relatively safe corner and sat down. While enduring hunger, he kept replaying the previous scene and the system's instructions in his mind.
Just when he was about to give up hope and was about to find another way, the cold mechanical voice in his mind rang again.
[Ding! Detected that potential customer "Dark Alley Lone Walker" has signed the "Free Communication Equipment Damage Insurance (Trial Version)" electronic contract via QR code.]
William suddenly opened his eyes wide and his breathing became faster.
Done!
[Customer "Dark Alley Lone Walker" submitted a claim: communication equipment was accidentally damaged.]
[System evaluation in progress... Ding ding... Communicator model 'Modified Military-Grade Encrypted Walkie-Talkie'—wow, it's a high-end product! Damage level 78%, well, it's pretty shattered, fully meeting the claim criteria for the 'Free Communications Equipment Damage Insurance (Trial Version)', no problem!]
Is the claim approved?
"Approve! Approve immediately!" William said to himself without hesitation.
[Processing... Deduct 5 points from the host's "Initial Claim Points."]
[Claim Successfully Settled! ]
The next second, a faint but clear strange feeling flooded into William's brain, as if countless tiny electric currents were flowing in his mind, constructing some new perception.
[Ding Dong! First claim successfully settled! Congratulations to the host for getting a bargain from client 'Dark Alley Lone Walker'... No, I randomly obtained a fragment of his ability: Mechanical Sensing (Elementary)!] William felt his head buzz, as if it were filled with blueprints and gears.
[Mechanical Sensing (Basic): Within a five-meter radius, any electronic or mechanical device will appear like a translucent sketch to you, allowing you to vaguely "touch" its internal structure, even areas of concern where contact is about to fail.]
William subconsciously looked at the street light control box next to him, and a strange feeling emerged in his heart. He seemed to be able to "see" the complicated circuits inside and a node with poor contact.
At the same time, the system prompt sounded again.
The 'Communications Equipment Repair Allowance' has been deposited into the bank card of customer 'Dark Alley Lone Walker' (please check, no refunds until you spend it all!). Friendly reminder: Want luxury service? 'Stark Industries Certified Repair Channel' – the price is justified! Looking for a bargain? 'Hell's Kitchen Reliable Used Electronics Market' – bad luck if you find something explosive!
William breathed a long sigh of relief, and his face showed the first heartfelt smile since he traveled through time.
Although it was only a basic ability, as weak as a cat's scratch, William felt full of strength.
This is the first lever he uses to move the world, a perfect start for him to transform from an "insurance boy" to a "capable boss"!
"The Hero Claims System...it truly lives up to its reputation!"
It's a bit abstract...
He clenched his fists, feeling the new perception in his mind, his eyes full of anticipation for the future.
At least he now has a trivial "superpower" and a clear path to becoming stronger.
I wonder if that 'lone ranger in the dark alley' would be shocked and filled with questions when he sees the repair fee that suddenly appears in his account and the 'thoughtful' repair guide?
What he has to do now is to quickly find the next "unlucky" client, let the claims roll in, and the power will come in like a snowball!
"So, who is the next target?" William stood up, dusted himself off, and cast his eyes towards the streets of New York, where prosperity and chaos were intertwined.