December in New York is already very cold, with the temperature this year dropping to the lowest point in meteorological history.
But the prosperity of the metropolis will not fade because of the cold winter.
Because Christmas, the most important holiday in the West, is approaching.
Therefore, whether it is major supermarkets or various stores in commercial centers, they have all launched various discount promotion activities.
This is the most important business season of the year, a time when even the less well-off families try to squeeze out a little money.
Buy some Christmas decorations for your home.
Or find a way to buy your child some new clothes or a new toy.
Life in New York is not easy; it is the most expensive place in the world.
The heavy pressure of life often overwhelms those who are not satisfied with their lives.
Especially for some special groups, their life here will be more difficult.
For example, the man who appears in front of us now is called Hale.
He was dressed a little oddly, even though it was freezing outside in New York.
However, in large shopping malls, because of the central air conditioning, the heating temperature is set very high.
So the temperature inside the mall is actually very high.
People who are wearing thick winter clothes outside will take them off when they come here.
But Hale was strange, he was wearing a high-necked winter suit that covered his neck.
Jeans paired with rubber-soled shoes, to be honest, this outfit is very old-fashioned.
Not to mention he was wearing a pair of cheap-looking gloves.
The gloves look like they are made of nylon or some other petrochemical byproduct.
These gloves look more like a pair of work gloves than something you'd wear on holiday.
New York is one of the fashion capitals of the world, and it is named after Paris and Milan.
Hale's strange appearance made people passing by him keep a distance from him.
What's more, Hale's hair looked like it hadn't been trimmed in a long time.
It looked messy, though it looked as if he had tried to smooth it out before going out.
But it seemed to make it worse, now he looked like a dirty hippie.
The looks from people around him made Hale feel very uncomfortable.
But he couldn't blame others for their views on him, because he knew that the way he looked now was not pleasing.
All he wanted now was to finish his work quickly and leave the building as soon as possible.
This commercial building in Queens is home to a variety of shops and brand outlets.
There are also many cafes and restaurants, where nearby residents come to relax and shop during holidays.
There is also the largest Toys "R" Us in Queens.
The toys here are almost the most complete in Queens, but the prices of the toys in the store are almost never cheap.
However, before Christmas every year, even though the toys here are not cheap, countless parents come here to shop.
To give your child a Christmas surprise, maybe a box of building blocks, or a Barbie doll.
Whatever it is, at least on this day children can receive gifts, which can make them happy for the whole month.
Hale didn't seem to care about the surprised looks from others, but his steps revealed his lack of confidence.
He finally stepped into the toy store with some timid steps.
"It's possible. It's just a gift. I can afford it." Hale whispered to himself.
His hands were in his pockets, holding two crumpled dollar bills.
This was all the cash he had, and it was not easy for Hale to find a job.
Because he always makes things so bad, now the only thing he can get is food from the relief station.
He has no cash income.
The banknotes in his pocket now were given to him by a kind gentleman yesterday.
He said he was a devout believer who delivered meager cash to poor families before Christmas.
This is for the children in the family, giving them a gift they will love at Christmas.
Although the money was small, only twenty-five dollars, Hale was grateful.
It had been a long time since Hale had bought a toy for his son.
Ever since he couldn't work and his wife left him.
The family's situation has become increasingly difficult, and now he has no money to pay the property tax.
Maybe next year the house will be reclaimed by the government or the bank.
This might be the last time he would spend Christmas at home, and he didn't want to see his son looking at other children's toys with envy.
That longing look always broke his heart.
He couldn't afford the toys that were too expensive, so he lingered on the shelves for a long time.
It was not until the salesperson looked at him with a defensive look that he picked up a Captain America soldier doll after hesitating for a long time.
The workmanship of this soldier is not exquisite and the price is relatively cheap.
But this also costs thirty dollars, but because it is Christmas and there is a 20% discount, it is only twenty-four dollars.
This way there would be one dollar left, and Hale decided that the remaining dollar would be just enough to buy a KFC hamburger for his son.
Thinking of the children's happy faces after seeing the gifts, Hale's heart softened a little.
The checkout line was long, and behind Hale there appeared to be a couple with their little daughter shopping for toys.
The family seemed to be getting along very well, chatting and laughing there. Hale felt a little envious because he had a similar family a few years ago.
But now everything has been blown away by the wind. Thinking of this, Hale couldn't help but feel sad.
"Sir, the total is thirty dollars." It was Hale's turn to check out. The cashier skillfully took the goods and scanned the code for payment.
But the numbers she revealed surprised Hale, who asked in confusion.
"Isn't today the Christmas sale? Aren't all the items 20% off?" Hale only had twenty-five dollars in his pocket, and he didn't have an extra five dollars to pay the bill.
"I'm sorry, sir. Hasbro's products are not eligible for this promotion." The cashier said sorry.
But her tone was full of impatience. She was already very busy today and didn't want to mess around with a weirdo.
"Please, this is all I have. I'm having financial difficulties lately. Can I pay it in installments?" Hale begged after taking out all the twenty-five dollars.
"I'm sorry, sir. We cannot use installment payment for items below two hundred dollars." The cashier's tone was still cold.
"You may be able to choose other items."
That being said, Hale didn't have a choice.
This Captain America soldier is almost the cheapest Captain America doll you can find.
Hale's children have always admired Captain America, who is their role model and idol.
Hale hopes that his child will be as strong as the captain and will not be easily defeated in future life.
The cashier looked at Hale with an emotionless gaze, which embarrassed him.
He hesitated for a moment, then fumbled around in his clothes and took out a silver necklace.
This is a souvenir his father left him. It was made from pure silver tableware seized when the Nazi secret base in Sweden was captured during World War II.
It had always meant something to Hale, but he took it out now, and he said with a shaky face as he placed the necklace on the cash register.
"This is a necklace of pure silver, weighing fifteen grams, which is worth seven dollars in silver. I would like to ask you to lend me five dollars."
Hale's plea was sincere and humble.
But the cashier still shook his head coldly. "If you don't have enough money, you can choose other products." This was as cold and indifferent as a robot.
Hale gave up hope and perhaps he would disappoint his children today.
He picked up the toys and prepared to return them to their original place, perhaps choosing only some other toys.
Just as he was about to leave, the couple who had been queuing behind him stopped him.
"Sir, if you don't mind, I can lend you five dollars first." The lady stopped him, took out five dollars from her wallet and wanted to hand it to him.
It was said to be a loan, but in fact it was a gift, and Hale knew very well what the other party meant.
"Thank you, ma'am, but I'm afraid I can't take the money." Hale was touched, but he had decided to change to a cheaper toy.
He has already received charity from too many people and he owes too much.
"This is Mr. Christmas. The grace of the Lord should spread everywhere and everyone should be happy on this day. If this can help you, it will be our honor."
It seems that this family is still devout believers.
"My mother said that helping others is the source of happiness. If your children can feel happy at Christmas because of our help, then we will feel happy too."
The couple's little daughter is still a little young, and her voice is a little childish and babyish, but very cute.
"So, don't refuse my kindness, sir." The lady handed the dollars to Hale again.
"Thank...thank you." Hale's voice was a little choked, and he was ready to accept this kindness.
And at the end of the queue of nearly a hundred people, Jason also selected gifts to give out on Christmas.
Including the one for Mindy, Jason has always wanted to correct her thinking.
There are also some prepared for Zack and Peter. They are both big kids and have no resistance to toys.
However, due to his perspective, he did not notice what was happening at the front of the team.
He was still thinking about asking Peter out in the afternoon to talk about the issue of the Supreme Sorcerer.
Just as he was thinking about the question about the mage, there was a commotion in the team ahead.
Hale was about to take the money the lady handed him. The moment he received the money, his already worn-out gloves seemed to be cut by a sharp knife.
The part that was supposed to cover the finger was exposed.
When Hale found out, it was too late. "No." Hale cried desperately.
A blue-white arc of electricity surged out from his fingers, and due to the voltage difference, the arc was instantly directed to the person closest to Hale.
The lady never dreamed that such a thing would happen.
The powerful electric current instantly ran through her body, and just a moment of contact took her life.
Her warm smile was still on her face, but she had already lost her life.
At this moment, the crowd suddenly became panicked, screams broke out, and the whole team was in chaos.
"What have you done! What did you do to my wife!" the man asked in disbelief while holding his wife's body.
The little girl was so frightened that she started crying loudly.
"My wife was helping you! And you, you actually killed her!" The man's blood burst out, and his blood continued to surge due to the stimulation of adrenaline.
Anger had made him lose his rationality. "You are a mutant! You are a mutant! So you want to kill my wife?"
The man said this and quickly approached Hale.
"Don't come over here, my gloves are torn. Don't come over here, I need to release the voltage first." Hale kept backing away, he wanted to find something to release the voltage in his body.
While Jason was still thinking about things, he found that the team began to become chaotic. Many people dropped the items in their hands and wanted to leave.
At this time, the originally blocked vision could see clearly what was happening in front.
A female body was lying on the ground, and next to her was a crying little girl.
A man who appeared to be the woman's husband was approaching another man aggressively.
Hale was constantly retreating and dodging. He couldn't control his own strength.
He became a mutant in the last two years, and he didn't want to be a mutant at all.
Because he cannot control this power, there is always an electric charge accumulated in his body.
The voltage must be released at regular intervals, and it is impossible to release the charge wantonly in public, which will hurt innocent people.
Because of this ability, he lost his car repair job, which was his livelihood, and his wife ran away, leaving him and his child alone.
Hale doesn't want to hurt anyone, but power that cannot be controlled is so dangerous.
Even though he didn't want to, he still killed a person today, a kind mother and a gentle wife.
And now her husband has gone mad and wants to kill him.
But Hale knew that she would hurt him again, so she kept backing away.
But the man was too close, and the electricity leaking from Hale's body was ready to move.
At this moment, blue-white arcs gushed out from his fingers, and Hale shouted desperately, "No!"
The blue electric current hit the man, and Jason already understood what was happening here at the moment the electric current concentrated on the man's body.
Jason had already arrived next to the man. He couldn't move fast in the crowd, but fortunately he arrived in time.
Jason threw over a metal railing used to maintain order.
The metal column, which is more conductive, attracted a lot of current. The strong current hit the metal column and made a crackling sound.
Moreover, the splashing current disrupted the voltage of the entire store. Air switches kept tripping and cutting off the power.
The entire floor was plunged into darkness.
When Hale released all the electric charge, he collapsed to the ground helplessly, still muttering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Jason didn't have time to take care of him now. He was checking the vital signs of the man who had been electrocuted.
The pupils began to dilate, the breathing and pulse became weak, there was slight subcutaneous bleeding, and the tongue coating also had some bleeding symptoms.
Jason began to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the man, which were some of the first aid methods he learned from Frank.
"Can anyone of you calm down enough to call a doctor?" Jason performed CPR on the man and roared at the chaotic crowd.
When the patrolling police arrived here, someone finally helped Jason call a doctor.
At this time, Jason had been performing CPR on the man for five minutes.
If he stopped, the man's heart would stop immediately.
The police who came to help were unable to do anything and could only protect the little girl from getting hurt in the crowd.
Hale was also controlled by the police, and he now seems to have regained some strength.
Not as weak as when he first finished discharging the electricity.
He looked at what he had caused, and his mother who had died with a smile on her face.
The little girl who was crying loudly.
There is also a man who is not sure whether he is dead or alive because of the harm he did to others, and he feels extremely regretful in his heart.
He hated everything he had caused, and he hated the difficult life that followed after losing his job.
At this moment, the despair in his heart continued to grow.
There was a small amount of electricity accumulated in his body, and he shocked the policeman who was controlling him, making him somewhat paralyzed.
Then he snatched the pistol from his waist and made the last declaration of his life. "I hate mutants!!"
Bang! The M1911 bullet pierced through his brain, and red blood and grayish-white brain matter flew everywhere.
The toy he was going to bring to the child was also stained, and the bright red blood dyed the American flag behind Captain America red.
When the gunshots rang out, Jason realized what was happening not far behind him, but he couldn't stop now.
Because he has another life in his hands.
When the doctor finally arrived and took over from Jason, Jason looked a little numb. Along with the doctor came a group of paparazzi, or so-called free media people.
They are not staff members of regular TV stations. They usually collect news themselves and then sell it to TV stations.
The two who came today were the same. They were very happy to see the bloody scene.
They don't care that there are two families' tragedies behind this incident. To them, it's just greenbacks.
"Wow, we're really lucky today. This is the nth mutant attack today." A paparazzi asked his companion.
"The third or fourth case." The companion replied. "This news is all in US dollars."
The two were very excited to take photos and videos of the scene.
In short, the bloodier the better and the more eye-catching the better. As for intensifying conflicts, that is none of their business.
Just as they were taking pictures excitedly, a big hand grabbed the paparazzi's collar.
"You said that several similar attacks happened today!" Jason's voice was angry and cold.
The fierce look in his eyes made the paparazzi swallow his saliva involuntarily.
"Calm down man, I can tell you if you want to know, but please don't do anything to me, okay."
- - - - - - - - -
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