The weather in New York is starting to get cooler in September, but not cold enough to require a coat.
These people were all wearing baseball jackets. Jason's eyes were very sharp now, and he could see the bulges on their waists from a distance. It seemed that the jackets were just used to cover up.
The dress and posture of these black men were very similar to some gang members Jason had seen before. Jason looked at Thompson who was running away and the gang members chasing after him and frowned.
"It looks like our big guy is in trouble. Do you think we need to call the police?" Although Harry was a little gloating, he could also see that those black people were not good guys.
So he said in a slightly inquiring tone. After all, although there were some conflicts, they were ultimately just minor frictions between classmates, and at most they were just a small fight between each other.
It was normal for young people to have such minor conflicts, but it was different when they got involved with gangsters. So Harry asked Jason if he wanted to call the police.
"I'll go check it out, Harry." Jason straightened his clothes and prepared to check it out. What kind of trouble Thompson got into? If it was trouble he had brought upon himself, then Jason had no interest in getting involved. "If Thompson really got into trouble, I'll help him call the police."
If he was simply being targeted by gangsters, Jason wouldn't mind helping to call the police or something. After all, American gangs are not easy to mess with, and if Thompson didn't call the police, he might be killed.
The conflict between Jason and Thompson had not yet escalated to the point where he would sit back and watch him get killed.
"Hey, Jason, this is a bit dangerous." Harry didn't want to see his friend take risks. "Or I can go with you."
"Don't worry, Harry. I'm the school's sprint champion. If anything happens, I'll run first. If you go, I can't take you with me." Jason smiled and told Harry not to worry about him. "You go back first. I'll be back soon."
After saying that, Jason followed Thompson and his group from a distance.
Thompson felt that he was very unlucky recently because he met someone he didn't want to see at all.
Eugene Thompson's life was not good in his early years. His father was an alcoholic and addicted to smoking weed.
At that time, Thompson lived in a place in Brooklyn known as Hell's Kitchen, which was chaotic and caused Thompson to suffer from violence during his childhood.
In junior high school, Thompson was forced to join a street gang because he would have difficulty protecting himself in such a chaotic place otherwise .
Thompson's mother finally couldn't bear the thought of her child growing up to be a useless person like her husband.
So she resolutely divorced her husband and took Thompson away from that terrible place.
When Thompson's mother was working to earn money to support Thompson, she met her current husband by chance.
A retired NBA player, this man is not a star, and his highest honor is just the best sixth man award.
However, the salaries of NBA players are generally very high. Even the sixth man still got a middle-class contract with an annual salary of two million.
After retiring, he invested in a golf club with his savings from being a player. He met Thompson's mother who worked as a waitress at the club.
After that, the two of them got married, and Thompson's life got better.
Thompson's basketball talent was also discovered by his stepfather, and now Thompson lives a wealthy life.
His stepfather was also very good to him. Not only did he pay for his full tuition at Midtown High School, he also took time out of his free time to teach him basketball skills. The relationship between the two was better than that of a real father and son.
But some things in life cannot be erased, and some stains may stay with you for a lifetime.
Thompson's stain was held by a black man named Rainey. The street gang he was forced to join belonged to Rainey.
As a member of the gang, Thompson needs to help the gang, and the job that Rainey assigns to Thompson is to transport drugs in the school.
Some of the senior students in the school are members of other gangs, and Rainey's drug transactions with other gangs will be conducted in school.
Because there are usually no police here to catch people. As long as you are careful not to reveal your true identity, it is easy to complete the transaction.
Rainey and other gang leaders conducted cash transactions outside the school, and then had Thompson bring the drugs into the school and hand them over to other designated students.
After both parties confirm, the transaction is completed. This transaction method of separating money from goods is very useful.
Even though the police caught Rainey, they couldn't convict him because they couldn't find the drugs that were traded at the scene.
What Thompson helped Rainey transport was real drugs, not just some cheap weed.
Since leaving Brooklyn, Thompson has tried to forget the unpleasant experiences he had.
After all, New York is so big that it is easy to deliberately avoid some people.
But sometimes bad luck befalls people, and in such a big city like New York, Thompson met Rainey again.
Rainey has evidence of his drug trafficking, and Thompson's dream is to play in the NBA and become a star.
Thompson has now attracted the attention of scouts. He only needs to put up good numbers in this National League to get a tryout with an NBA team.
If the previous scandal was exposed, his dream of becoming a star player would be shattered.
Thompson wanted to take a shortcut and run out of the remote woods. As long as he ran out of the woods, he would be out of Central Park and outside would be the busiest streets in New York.
I guess Rainey doesn't have the guts to mess around in Manhattan, where there are abundant police resources.
Thompson quickened his pace and prepared to leave.
"Oh~ Look who this is, our big star Eugene~! Why are you ready to leave when you see an old friend?" Suddenly a black man came out of the woods in front and blocked Thompson's way.
And Rainey, who had been following Thompson, finally caught up.
"Why don't you want to catch up with old friends?" Rainey, with his dreadlocks and buck teeth, showed a smile that was uglier than crying.
"Rainey, listen, I don't want to get into any trouble, and I don't want to have anything to do with you right now." Thompson said in an impatient tone.
"This is really sad, brother." Rainey smiled nonchalantly. "Remember the days when we were together? You were so small back then. Look, you are taller than me now."
"But you were much cuter and more obedient back then. Look how much money you helped me make back then." Rainey said maliciously.
"I've been looking for you for a long time. I also watched the National High School Basketball Tournament. You performed very well."
"I heard that NBA scouts are looking for you? Do you think they can still play in the NBA now that they know your past?" Rainey finally threatened Thompson softly.
"What on earth do you want to do!" Thompson asked, suppressing his anger and forcing himself to calm down.
"Look~ I like dealing with smart people who understand what I mean as soon as I speak. You are much easier to communicate with than my stupid subordinates!" Rennie still said with that sly smile.
"It's very simple, actually. I watched your game and it seems like you've been doing pretty well lately. You even got admitted to Midtown High School. It's said that only children from wealthy families can attend that high school." Rainey finally stated his purpose.
"Actually, I don't want you to do too much. Have you seen these cute little guys? You just need to help me sell some of these things in school. Of course, I won't let you work for free. I will pay you. What do you think?"
As he spoke, Rainey took out a plastic bag. There were about 70 or 80 sky-blue capsules in it. These were his new purchases, and they were called Heaven No. 3.
This thing is more addictive than traditional drugs and can bring greater pleasure, and it is not easy to detect when the addiction strikes. It has become a popular product on the market recently.
But there is also a disadvantage, that is, the price is too expensive. The price of a capsule is more than fifty dollars. After deducting various necessary expenses, Rainey must sell it for at least one hundred and twenty dollars to make it worth the risk.
But Rainey was just a small street gang with only a dozen members, and the area they controlled was inhabited by poor people.
The price of these pills is obviously not affordable for poor people.
While watching the National High School League game, Rainey discovered an acquaintance, Thompson, who turned out to be a student at Midtown High School.
In order to make money, Rainey didn't care whether he sold drugs to students or not. He and his men looked for Thompson everywhere just to let Thompson help him open up sales in Manhattan.
The gangsters who can reach into Manhattan are the real big shots. This is the consensus of the New York underworld.
Rennie doesn't worry that Thompson will not agree to his request, because he has the leverage over Thompson. If he still wants to become an NBA player, he has to obey him.
Thompson knew what Rainey had taken out when he saw it. A drug dealer holding a bag of pills was not going to be asked to sell painkillers.
Thompson is very conflicted now. He doesn't want to be entangled with the past, nor does he want to lose the opportunity to play in the NBA.
Rainey waited quietly for Thompson's answer. He believed that Thompson's answer would not disappoint him.
Thompson hesitated for a long time, and finally spoke. "No~Renny! I won't do anything illegal again! Even if I can't play in the NBA, even if I go to jail, I won't help you do these things again!"
"I've made a lot of mistakes, but I don't want to make any more!"
"Are you fucking trying to play a trick on me?" Hearing Thompson's answer, Rainey excitedly took out a pistol from his waist and pointed it directly at Thompson's forehead.
"I won't help you! Give up, Rainey!" Facing the black muzzle of the gun, Thompson still didn't let go.
Jason, who was hiding in the dark, was not surprised to hear Thompson's choice and admired it. Thompson's courage was commendable.
Even though Thompson had made mistakes before, he was too young at that time and had no ability to resist.
Now he has the courage to say no to these bad guys, just based on this point, Jason feels that he should help him. Even if Thompson and himself have conflicts, it is just a harmless friction between teenagers.
Jason, hiding behind a tree, changed into the outfit of a Night Walker and prepared to help Thompson.
But there was a person whose movements were even faster than Jason's. A small purple figure jumped directly down from a tree.
A sharp long knife easily cut off Rainey's hand holding the gun with the help of gravity acceleration.
Blood gushed out instantly, and everyone present was dumbfounded. Even Jason, who was far away, was a little confused.
I was staring blankly at a little girl in the crowd who was wearing a purple combat uniform, a cape, a purple wig and a black eye mask.
The little girl didn't seem to feel . Instead, there was a faint smile on her lips.
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