I'm working on Marvel's Spider-Man in American comics.

Chapter 178 Friendly Neighbors Strikes!

"Peter, there's been a robbery on 35th Street..."

"The police were able to arrive at the scene within two minutes. The robbers did not have firearms and did not take hostages. It is currently very safe. I will go and check the situation first."

Harry sat in front of the computer, summarizing all the police reports received by the NYPD for Peter. A recent free shopping incident made him think that Spider-Man was about to show his skills, but Peter easily deduced from the dispatch information that the police were capable of stopping the case. However, just in case, Spider-Man would still arrive at the scene first.

Then another emergency call they had intercepted appeared on the control panel.

"This is perhaps even more important: a fire broke out on the east side of the pier in Manhattan..."

"The New York Fire Department has already been dispatched. I can't get there faster than them. Fire trucks and ladders can reach the scene without any obstacles. What's on fire at the dock, a warehouse?"

"Yes, it's a department store warehouse. I'm checking... Oh, it's just some toys from across the Pacific."

"No risk of explosion. Just a moment... Manhattan Second Precinct, right? This is Spider-Man. The warehouse that caught fire belongs to a department store and contains plastic toys. Okay, thank you. No, no, no, you are the heroes of New York. Stay safe."

Different types of burning materials require different firefighting methods, and providing timely information is also an effective approach. However, what truly amazed Harry was that Peter was practically a living map of Manhattan. He had memorized the locations of almost every police station and fire station in Manhattan, and combined with his own designed program, he could quickly analyze which areas required Spider-Man's help and which areas the police or fire departments could handle themselves.

Spider-Man doesn't need to respond to every siren or every emergency call. Not all emergency calls are extremely dangerous, and New Yorkers can take care of themselves—as long as there are no supervillains around.

"An armed robbery has occurred in the Harlem district. A foreign tourist has been taken hostage. Police are on their way."

"I'll be there soon."

During the day, Harlem looks no different from other parts of New York if you don't look closely. As long as you avoid the slums and gang-run buildings, and don't deliberately avoid or stare at the gangs, you won't get into trouble. Unfortunately, some tourists from out of town don't know this and still venture into Harlem.

However, this is not considered dangerous, since local gangs are unlikely to harm outsiders. But if they encounter the police, a standoff between the gangs and the police is a different story.

"Put the gun down!"

Two patrol officers, holding their 9mm pistols, were at a standoff with the gangsters who had taken a foreign tourist hostage. However, the gangsters pressed their guns against the hostage's head and immediately yelled, "Don't come any closer! If you do, I'll shoot!"

Two police officers were facing off with their guns drawn when they saw Spider-Man slowly descending from the sky on his webs. After exchanging a glance, one of the officers put his gun down and approached with his hands raised: "Okay, let's talk, shall we?"

"I told you not to come near!"

"Don't be so shy!" A spider web enveloped the pistol and the robber's entire right hand. In a moment of panic, the robber pulled the trigger, but he couldn't break through the reinforced layers of spider web. Spider-Man flipped over and landed in a standard superhero style. Then, while playing an old-fashioned theme song, he shot out a web that grabbed the robber's hand and pulled him over. He then kicked the robber's shin lightly, knocking him down. After binding the robber's feet with the web, he hung him on a nearby lamppost.

"And then a hanging robber was born."

"Oh my god, it's Spider-Man!"

The kidnapped tourist's fear instantly turned to surprise and delight. He grabbed Peter's hand and expressed his excitement: "I really didn't expect to get so close to an Avenger! You even saved me! Oh my god, can I take a picture with you?"

"Of course, sir, but please be careful next time. New York can be quite dangerous outside of tourist attractions."

After taking a photo with the tourists, the two patrol officers handcuffed the robber. With Peter's help, they tore the spiderwebs off the robber's hands and confiscated his gun. One officer was responsible for escorting the arrested robber to the car, while the other expressed his gratitude to Spider-Man.

"Thank goodness for you, Spider-Man. Otherwise, we would have had to wait for the sniper to be in position, or worse, we would have had to shoot the enemy without being able to guarantee the safety of the hostages. I don't want to be on administrative leave."

The officer said helplessly, pointing to a nearby grocery store: "You see, my partner and I just parked to buy a cup of coffee, and we ran into a robbery as soon as we stepped outside. And this kind of thing has become quite common in recent years."

"That sounds terrible."

"Yeah, unless we elect an Elephant president this year, things won't get much better. Of course, even if Ellis isn't re-elected, New York will probably still be dominated by the Democratic Party, given how much we've cut our budget in recent years. Who are you planning to vote for, Spider-Man?"

As it turns out, forensic evidence is a topic of great interest to men everywhere, but Peter didn't engage, instead shooting out a web to leave: "Excuse me, officer, public figures must avoid controversial public opinion. Goodbye!"

The officer watched Spider-Man leave, adjusted his hat, and returned to his patrol car. As for Peter, who was swinging, he received two pieces of good news: the fire at the dock was largely under control, and the robbery on 35th Street had been successfully resolved by the police.

However, once back in Midtown, the hottest news—the election—inevitably came into his view. The Daily Bugle and its Jonah Jameson were still offering their opinions.

"Entering October, the seemingly clear election situation took an unexpected turn—since the illegal human testing lab at the bottom of the Hudson River was exposed, both parties have accused each other of being behind the lab. Needless to say, no politician wants to take the blame, but this has still caused a crisis of confidence in the Matthew Ellis administration, and his approval rating has been steadily declining in the latest polls."

Even Jonah Jameson's tone became calm when it came to the election, but what he said was anything but calm: "But the October surprises have only just begun, and Matthew's troubles may have only just begun. Just now, the Avengers officially announced that they have decided to invite Sergei Kravinov, a Russian State Duma deputy who is currently visiting New York, to visit Avengers Tower."

"Captain America, inviting a Russian to visit Avengers Tower? Oh, I can guess with my toes how fierce the battle between the two sides is going to get."

(End of this chapter)