The rain in Sunset Park had stopped. Water dripped steadily from the supermarket's awning, forming a thin curtain.
Inside Fuwang Fresh Supermarket, the air was a mix of the reek of seafood and the scent of spices. Wang Haoran stood with his hands up, his legs trembling uncontrollably, his youthful face etched with terror.
"Trick or treat!"
The leader, a burly man in a black skull mask, roared as he pressed the heavy barrel of a Glock 17 hard against Wang Haoran's forehead. "Don't try anything funny, kid. Get the money out!"
Wang Haoran's illusions about the United States of America had been completely shattered, and he was filled with an indescribable regret.
Before, with his father, Wang Qiang, handling the work, their family of three had lived in a Chinese community in Flushing. The crime and robbery rates in the area weren't low, but as long as they didn't go out at night, they were generally fine.
