Hawk and Gwen turned their heads to look.
What they saw.
Outside the alley, two officers, a man and a woman, were gathering the bodies of four masked robbers with twisted necks on the ground. They hurriedly drew their guns, looking tense as they aimed at Hawk and Gwen standing there.
Gwen quickly spoke up.
"My dad is the chief of the Nineteen District."
"..."
George, who was working in the precinct, rushed to the scene as soon as he received the message from the Queens precinct.
The site had already been cordoned off.
When George got out of the police car, the first thing he saw was Gwen and Hawk standing not far away, answering questions from the Queens detective.
"Gwen!"
"Dad."
Gwen heard the voice and her eyes lit up when she saw George in a white shirt.
Officers and detectives nearby noticed George approaching and hastened to greet him formally, saluting as they did.
George, without distraction, came up to Gwen, his tone both tense and concerned.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Gwen smiled and shook her head, then turned to George while glancing at Hawk beside her, "Hawk arrived just in time."
George heard this, looked at Hawk, and nodded slightly without speaking.
Hawk gave a slight smile in return.
At this moment.
The chief of Queens, who was inside the police line, turned to George after hearing a report and called out, "George!"
George followed the direction of the voice and saw his friend serving as the chief in Queens. After speaking to Gwen, he walked toward the police line.
"Allen, what's going on?"
"Preliminary judgment suggests it was a kidnapping."
"Kidnapping?"
"Yes."
Allen, who served as chief in Queens and was also George's friend, pointed to the restraints and tape found in the Toyota car as George approached, then seemed to remember something and looked at George, "Gwen's boyfriend is impressive."
George was slightly taken aback.
"What is it?"
"Look."
Allen gestured to the ground at the four bodies with heads twisted 180 degrees, their masks removed, and said, "The coroner just checked, no gunshot wounds, all were manually broken."
George, looking at the sight of the four corpses, first showed a surprised expression, then instinctively turned to glance at Hawk standing outside.
Gwen caught George's glance, nudged Hawk with her elbow, and lowered her voice.
"Dad's curious about you."
"It's fine."
Hawk was unconcerned.
The strength he possessed today was all thanks to his relentless effort and perseverance for a thousand days.
The hack...
It merely provided an opportunity, and Hawk just seized that opportunity firmly.
Throwing ten thousand punches every day for a thousand days.
It sounds easy, but how many could actually keep it up?
So!
The strength gained with skill, why hide it?
When he first went to Quantico, he only wore a mask, without much else to conceal himself.
Afterwards with Dr. Lizard, Hulk, and again with Quantico, he had no intention of hiding anymore.
In short.
Prosperity should be shown, glory in front of others.
Do not walk silently in brocade, revel in the great song of the wind.
Playing dumb to bait the tiger?
No!
He embraced the path of showing his prowess in front of others!
Hawk thought, smiling remotely as he exchanged a glance with George, who was looking back from within the police line.
Their eyes met.
George was the first to avert his gaze, looking at the detective running to report in front of Allen.
"Abu Rumble."
"From the Demon Gang."
"Bailed out half a month ago, the other three are also from the Demon Gang, the middle-aged woman sent to the hospital for emergency is Abu Rumble's wife."
"Demon Gang."
Allen, the chief of Queens, listening to the report, instinctively looked at his friend George, "Coming for you?"
Because the Demon Gang wasn't a Queens gang, but a Manhattan one, and their main area of operation was the Nineteen District.
George heard this, looked at Allen, "I'm in charge of major crimes, organized crime isn't under my purview."
Cases involving gangs were managed by the Organized Crime Investigation Division.
He was mainly responsible for homicides in his jurisdiction.
Allen frowned slightly.
"Then who is it for? Surely not Gwen herself?"
"What's the situation with the one sent to the hospital?"
"Still unknown."
Allen glanced at the time on his watch and said to George, "Want to check it out at the hospital together?"
George nodded.
He didn't ask Allen to hand the case over to him.
Because even if Allen did, he couldn't accept it, as it involved gangs, and even if Allen handed it over to the Nineteen District, the investigation would still be taken over by the precinct's gang chief.
Besides...
This case happened within the Queens precinct's jurisdiction. Allen might not hand it over.
But it didn't matter, this situation worked too, as he was involved regardless.
"Gwen."
"Uncle Allen."
Gwen, who was discussing the case with Hawk, saw Chief Allen walking over with her dad and sweetly greeted him once she snapped back.
Allen smiled and said, "Were you frightened?"
Gwen noticed her dad's gaze linger on Hawk and smiled, holding Hawk's arm and said to Allen, "Uncle Allen, you've asked me twice already. I'm fine, Hawk protected me well, really."
George watched as his little cabbage held onto the wild boar's arm, his eye twitching uncontrollably.
Next to him, Sheriff Allen laughed heartily, then seemed to remember something and looked at George: "Gwen is eighteen this year, right? She's got three more years until she graduates from college. By the way, George, how much have you saved for Gwen's wedding fund?"
It's widely known.
In the Federation, generally speaking, the girl's parents prepare a sum of money to cover the wedding expenses when their daughter gets married. If they are affluent enough, the costs of the honeymoon are also paid by the girl's parents.
George didn't say a word, just looked expressionlessly at his mischievous friend, then pulled out the keys to his freshly parked police car and tossed them to Hawk.
Hawk opened his right hand and caught the keys steadily.
"Take Gwen home first."
"Okay."
Hawk nodded, taking Gwen toward the police car George had just parked nearby.
As for his Audi A8 and Gwen's Corolla, the car keys had been handed over to the insurance agent from Glory Insurance who had arrived just before George.
They will deliver the cars to the repair company once the sheriff lifts the site lockdown and will deliver them to the door once they're repaired.
Soon.
Hawk hit the gas, openly driving the police car away from the scene.
Sheriff Allen from the Queens District watched the police car leave, then turned back, walking with George toward the nearby vehicles, asking curiously: "Your future son-in-law looks pretty good. Is he also from Berlic?"
George shook his head: "No, from New York University School of Law."
Sheriff Allen heard this, looked at George, and his expression became solemn: "Studying law, that's good."
He can become a wealthy lawyer.
Or an influential congressman.
Studying law, you have to study law.
But...
"Have you looked into his background?"
"Checked. He's an orphan."
"Gasp!"
Sitting in the car, Sheriff Allen looked at George in the passenger seat, his expression involuntarily drawing a sharp breath.
He instinctively glanced at the black Audi A8, gleaming in the sun a short distance away.
"An orphan, Audi A8, are you sure?"
"He moved a few days ago."
"What?"
"Previously at Daqiao Apartments, now living on Palm Street in East Village."
"..."
Daqiao Apartments, known for low-income housing in Queens.
Palm Street in East Village, equally famous for being a wealthy community in Manhattan.
"Gasp!"
Allen couldn't help but draw another sharp breath.
"He..."
"Unbelievable, right."
"What's going on?"
"Don't know."
George shook his head at Allen's serious face: "The only thing I'm sure of is that the source of the money he used to buy the house is really clear."
Allen furrowed his brows.
George seemed to guess what Allen wanted to say, smiled faintly, and said quietly: "Because the IRS hasn't bothered him."
Allen instantly fell silent.
This reason is flawless.
Why do criminals need to launder some money first?
Is it to let the money see daylight?
No.
Launder it, no matter how you launder it, you have to pay taxes. It's only when taxes are paid that the tax bureau won't trouble you.
In a word.
Money that doesn't get bothered by the tax bureau is money that can see daylight.
By evening.
When George arrived home, Hawk and Gwen were in the living room, watching a new episode of Desperate Housewives with Helen.
Seeing George return home, Gwen hurriedly asked: "Dad, how was it?"
George took off his jacket, heading toward the bar: "Rescue failed."
Gwen was stunned: "Dead?"
Hawk, hearing this, let a slight flicker pass in his eyes.
Fair enough.
No need for a follow-up.
Helen, already aware of what had happened, looked worriedly at George: "Out of the blue, why would someone want to kidnap Gwen? Is it targeting you?"
"Allen is still investigating.
George poured himself a glass of whiskey, stood behind the bar, took a sip, and then said to Helen: "Don't go out alone these days; I've arranged for two officers downstairs. If anything happens, have them follow you, safety first."
Helen and Gwen nodded simultaneously upon hearing this.
Brazen criminals retaliating against police families.
It's quite normal.
Helen and Gwen are familiar with the following steps.
Seeing George back, Hawk also got up from the sofa: "Mr. Stacy, I'll be heading out then."
George looked at Hawk and responded with a nod: "Thanks."
"No thanks necessary; it's my duty to protect Gwen."
Hawk smiled.
Gwen escorted Hawk to the apartment entrance.
A police car across the road gave a reassuring presence.
"You be careful too."
"Don't worry."
Hawk smiled, bid farewell to Gwen, and headed toward the subway.
Soon.
Turning and disappearing from Gwen's sight, Hawk stopped, taking a deep breath.
The next second.
All senses on alert!
...