"Phew~ Finally done…"
Sitting at his desk, Colin let out a long sigh as he looked at the densely packed words on the manuscript paper.
He casually gathered the manuscript, placed it in a drawer, and only then did he feel the weight that had been pressing on his heart lift, though it was mixed with a sense of bewilderment and loss.
"I've done all I can. The rest is up to time. I hope everything goes smoothly."
He recited this silently in his heart.
Colin switched off the desk lamp that had been on the whole time, then casually picked up his hat and coat from the stand.
Standing at the door, he glanced back at everything behind him.
Finally, with a silent sigh, he turned and shut the door of the Messenger Newspaper office with a heavy thud.
If this failed, it might be his last night at the Newspaper Office.
"I wonder if the food in the 'Hoovervilles' is any good..."
***
"...combine a can of corned beef with a can of pickled peas, gelatin, lemon juice, and vinegar to create a simple and filling 'delicious' dish. It's easy and can effortlessly satisfy a large family. Most importantly, all these ingredients are common and cheap food items..."
At night, Colin sat at his table, filling his stomach with rock-hard bread and carrot jam while listening to the radio cooking program, the "Betty Crocker Cooking School of the Air." On it, Betty Crocker's voice actress, in a high-pitched voice, shared how to make cheap dishes during the Great Depression.
Posterity generally believes that the Great Depression was also the "Golden Age of radio."
As the Great Depression brought widespread suffering to millions of Americans, families who could afford a radio saw it as a welcome source of entertainment and news. The unemployed needed to pass the time, and going out to see plays or films cost money, making the free radio their best option.
Based on the popularization of the radio, a large number of radio programs were born.
In this era, radio content covered almost every age group; whether it was the elderly, women, or even children, everyone had their own radio drama programs.
Listening to the description of the food, which sounded like a culinary nightmare, Colin swallowed the last piece of bread in his hand and chugged down some homemade lemonade.
The bland lemonade, with its hint of sweet and sour, suppressed the churning sensation in his stomach. He patted his belly and casually tuned the radio to another channel.
Instantly, cheerful Swing Music filled the room.
He listened to the lighthearted music as he quickly cleaned the bread plate. Colin sat at the table, gradually becoming engrossed in the sound.
Just like that, he didn't know how long he had been listening. He only felt that the music on the radio program had gone through a full cycle before the urge to sleep prompted him to turn it off.
"What's coming is coming."
Turning off the lamp and lying in bed, Colin silently thought to himself and then closed his eyes.
In the next second, his consciousness felt as if it were being pulled downward by an invisible force, embraced by countless green lights as he entered another dimension.
***
"Hiss..."
In the alley, Colin opened his eyes.
Clutching the wound on his body, which was no longer bleeding, he struggled to move and lean against the filthy alley wall, gasping for breath.
"Damn, this is awful."
He looked down at the spot where he'd been shot. Colin's trembling hand lifted his clothes, and by the faint light, he could see the state of his wound.
The good news was that the wound had stopped bleeding. It seemed he had received some sort of protection during the transition between the two worlds, preventing him from dying of blood loss immediately after returning.
The bad news was that this protection wasn't enough to fully heal his injuries; it was merely keeping him from dying so quickly.
Therefore, the most important thing right now was to call for an ambulance.
He wondered if the Daily Bugle News Agency provided accident insurance.
The pain from the wound spurred his thoughts. He gritted his teeth and moved his blood-stained arm, fumbling for the pocket of his jacket.
"Damn it, no way?!"
However, in the next second, the empty feeling in his pocket made Colin's already pale face turn even ghastlier.
Those two damned robbers hadn't even spared his phone.
This is going to kill me!
In a life-or-death crisis, there was no time to think.
Clutching his wound with one hand and steadying himself against the wall with the other, Colin shakily got to his feet and began to stagger toward the alley's exit.
He hoped he could run into a kind person who would call an ambulance.
Praying silently, Colin moved bit by bit toward the mouth of the alley.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the other end of the alley.
Someone's coming!
Hearing the footsteps, a glimmer of hope rose in Colin's heart, and he immediately called out for help.
"Please, help, I've been shot, please help me..."
However, before Colin could finish his plea, the expression on his face froze solid.
Because the figures emerging from the other end of the alley were, to his horror, the same two men who had shot him.
Seriously, are they back for an encore?
"What the fuck!"
Not only was Colin surprised, but the two men who had returned were also shocked by what they saw.
Seeing Colin standing in the alley again.
They couldn't help but let out a curse, then instinctively drew their guns and aimed at him, apparently intending to finish what they had started.
I wonder if getting shot again will send me back to the other world.
Staring at the dark muzzles of the guns, the thought couldn't help but flash through Colin's mind.
A muffled gunshot rang out.
However, the expected pain did not come.
"What?!"
Instead, a broad back had appeared in front of Colin.
"You alright, buddy?"
Planting his feet, which he pulled from the craters they'd made in the ground, the owner of the broad back turned to look at Colin behind him and asked.
"Lu... Luke Cage!"
"Power Man!"
Immediately after, the two men in the alley also instinctively cried out the newcomer's name.
"Since you already know my identity, then please cooperate and don't put up any more pointless resistance."
Hearing his name being called, Luke Cage turned his gaze back to the two men. He rolled his neck, producing a series of crisp cracks, then the corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he spoke in a deep voice.
Even without making a single move, just by standing there.
Luke Cage's appearance alone had already placed immense pressure on the two robbers.
In a panic, the gunman shouted and pointed his gun at Luke Cage, pulling the trigger and firing several shots in rapid succession.
(end of chapter)