Meng Ran's death threat, displayed on the Times Square screen, had already caused a huge uproar.
The twenty-minute countdown further amplified the tension, sparking intense online discussions.
Meanwhile, at the New York Police Department, George faced pressure from higher-ups. Such a brazen act was seen as a direct challenge to the government's authority.
They demanded the police department immediately mobilize to find the audacious The Ghost.
George could practically guess this was the Crocodile Gang's doing, leveraging their connections with various officials to quickly resolve the situation, ideally by apprehending the masked clown, The Ghost.
It was ironic: a masked vigilante was resorting to private justice to punish criminals, while the government, supposedly representing justice, was protecting them.
George mobilized the entire police system to find Ur and Meng Ran.
Unfortunately, even as the countdown neared its end, they had no leads on their whereabouts.
Just as the police department was at a loss, the countdown on the big screen hit zero, displaying several lines of blood-red text:
"Judgment concluded!"
"Criminal: Ur!"
"The Ghost judges your sins!"
After the text finished displaying, a set of coordinates appeared.
Seeing the coordinates on the screen, everyone reacted quickly.
George immediately called the people in the nearby districts, shouting, "Go to this location immediately! Remember to seal off the scene as soon as you arrive. Don't give those media vultures a chance!"
After hanging up the phone, George cursed inwardly, "This damn Ghost, why does he have to be so high-profile? Can't he just contact the police department directly?"
At the same time, Meng Ran, who was leaping across the rooftops, sneezed, nearly losing his footing.
He touched his nose and thought, Who's thinking about me? It's probably Peter, cursing me for being late.
Meng Ran and Peter had arranged to play games together that evening. He had said he was going out to buy something in the afternoon, but in reality, he was dealing with Ur's business.
Pulling himself back to the present, Meng Ran continued towards where he had parked his car.
Driving his little black car, Meng Ran stopped by Chinatown to buy some gifts and snacks, then headed towards Peter's house.
Arriving at Peter's house, Meng Ran rang the doorbell. The crisp sound of "ding dong" echoed.
Footsteps approached, and Uncle Ben, with a kind smile, opened the door for Meng Ran.
"Come in, dear boy. May was just wondering why you hadn't arrived yet," Uncle Ben said with a smile, leading Meng Ran inside.
"Hi, Aunt May, I brought some special gifts and food from Chinatown, I hope you like them."
"Sorry to bother you tonight."
Meng Ran said as he put the things he was carrying on the table.
May smiled gently, "Oh, you're such a good boy, you're really too kind."
"I was worried you'd gotten lost, I should have gone to pick you up."
May patted Meng Ran's head and looked at Uncle Ben with a hint of reproach.
They both liked Meng Ran very much, and after a few interactions, they thought he was a well-mannered and polite good kid.
May was indeed worried about Meng Ran, after all, the streets at night were not always safe, especially since she had also heard that some masked weirdo seemed to be appearing recently.
Uncle Ben looked at Meng Ran with some apology. "It's my fault for not considering this properly. After all, the streets at night are always full of thugs."
Meng Ran felt a warmth in his heart hearing the two of them, and he also felt a bit apologetic, since he'd been the one who kept them waiting.
Meng Ran, feeling embarrassed, scratched his head. "Actually, I should be the one apologizing. I was out a bit late, and I worried you."
May looked at Meng Ran even more gently, saying, "You're such a good kid."
Uncle Ben also nodded at Meng Ran, his impression of him improving a bit more.
Peter, hearing the commotion upstairs, hurried downstairs.
"Hey, Meng! I've been waiting for you! Come on up! I bought a new Lego set, and I'm waiting for you to help me put it together."
Meng Ran looked at the happy Peter, said goodbye to Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and then followed Peter upstairs.
May also asked the two of them to take some snacks up with them.
Peter excitedly led Meng Ran to his room and closed the door.
He picked up a Lego package and happily showed it to Meng Ran.
"Ta-da! I finally bought this with the allowance I've saved for a long time. We'll put it together today."
"Oh, and, The Ghost made some big news tonight, it's so cool, everyone's talking about him online right now!"
As soon as he entered the room, Peter revealed his chatty nature, excitedly telling Meng Ran all sorts of things.
Meng Ran listened with a smile.
He could feel Peter's kindness, and having such a friend made Meng Ran very happy, even if he was a bit of a chatterbox.
Meng Ran was also discussing The Ghost with Peter. Ever since The Ghost started appearing online, Peter had been following news about The Ghost.
Or rather, the young people of New York were all discussing it.
At first, it was just people who had occasionally observed The Ghost, or those who had been helped by The Ghost, discussing it together.
After Meng Ran helped more people, some even set up a The Ghost forum, specifically to chat about The Ghost.
The exposure of Bill's case today, along with the death threat and countdown judgment against Ur tonight, really hit everyone's hot button.
The overwhelming reports and Meng Ran's antics had caused his exposure to skyrocket, as could be seen from his constantly increasing points.
"So Peter, what do you think of The Ghost's actions? I saw that he killed those criminals directly," Meng Ran asked Peter.
Peter pondered, "I saw it too. To be honest, I didn't quite believe it when I first saw the news, and I didn't quite understand it either, because The Ghost hadn't killed anyone in the crimes he'd been fighting recently."
"At first, I thought there must be a mistake. Then, I couldn't understand why The Ghost would do this. Finally, when I saw the connection between Mia's case and Bill's case, I thought I might understand him a little."
Peter looked at his computer wallpaper, a blurry photo someone had taken of The Ghost, but still, his impressive figure was undeniable.
Peter continued, "Although I still think he shouldn't kill people, I can understand The Ghost. As long as he doesn't kill innocent people indiscriminately, he'll always be a hero in my heart."
Meng Ran looked at the sincere Peter and was very pleased. My good brother, indeed. When he had the chance, he would definitely sign an autograph for him as The Ghost.
Yes, he wasn't a masked hero to debut in a band. He just needed to uphold his inner justice. There would always be those who didn't understand, but there would also always be people like Peter who supported him.
In the beginning, Meng Ran just wanted to fulfill his superhero dream, just like the movies he had watched in his previous life. At that time, he didn't understand the weight of the word "hero" at all.
Later, he finally understood the responsibility behind that power and paid a heavy price. The innocent girl's life would become Meng Ran's eternal pain. Meng Ran would also bear this price and continue to move forward resolutely.
After chatting with Peter for a while, the two of them began to assemble Lego.
Watching Peter's skilled movements, Meng Ran couldn't help but admire, "As expected of you, the otaku Spider-Man!"
Meng Ran's mind sparked, and he asked Peter, "By the way, Peter, how are things with Mary Jane?"
------------------------
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(End of Chapter)