Chapter 23. Smooth Escape

"Whew..."

After driving the car and successfully going into the narrow alley while scraping the sports car, Ryan touched his wildly beating heart and let out a long sigh of relief.

The extreme danger of the situation just now could be explained as a narrow escape from a car wreck.

Fortunately, [Baby]'s driving skills were awesome.

Even though Ryan appeared to be as steady as a watchdog on the outside, he was panicking on the inside and managed to avoid the danger and get away with a close call thanks to his skilful driving skills.

[Reputation points from Tony Stark +165]

[Reputation points from Jarvis +25]

On the data panel, the reputation points Ryan got from Tony didn't come as much of a surprise. After all, the previous scene could be regarded as a brush with death. However, if Ryan had made the tiniest bit of mistake, he wouldn't be able to avoid a car crash. Therefore, it was reasonable for Tony to give him that many points.

However, Ryan was somewhat surprised by the reputation points from Jarvis.

Because he had experienced it before, he couldn't figure it out for a while.

Why did Jarvis, as artificial intelligence, also give him reputation points?

However, in connection with Jarvis's transformation in the future, Ryan reluctantly accepted the relationship between artificial intelligence and a famed existence with reputation.

After all, Jarvis was no ordinary artificial intelligence.

Furthermore, getting reputation points was a good thing. Why should he waste brain cells on the matter?

Ryan successfully convinced himself to accept Jarvis's reputation points reasonably. He heard the familiar siren and the noise from the New York police behind him.

By this time, it was impossible to drive away.

In short, Ryan had no intention of driving Tony's car home. Since Jarvis could connect to the stereo in the car, it naturally meant that he could lock on to the position of the car. What's more, in the previous chase, Tony also looked like he knew his routes.

Hearing the shrill sound of sirens approaching from the distance, Ryan calmly replaced the E-level [Baby] card he was wearing with a D-level [Phantom Thief Kid] card, and as the annoying tinnitus effect that came with [Baby] disappeared, it was replaced by increasingly nimble fingers.

Sitting in the driver's seat of the car, Ryan looked into the rear-view mirror, and soon an old white lady with white hair appeared in the mirror.

As one of Phantom Thief Kid's special skills, he was able to escape from crime scenes time and time again, which was remarkable.

Successfully disguised as an elderly white woman, Ryan didn't hastily leave the scene; instead, he leaned on his cane and bowed, shakily poking his head around the car, assuming a passerby look as he waited for the NYPD to arrive.

"Found the target vehicle!"

A few minutes later, accompanied by the sound of a sharp brake, a police car stopped at the entrance of the alleyway. It was followed by two middle-aged men with big, broad bodies and a standard NYPD alert to step out of the car.

Lowering his head to the walkie-talkie over his shoulder, he silently pulled out the police gun he kept fastened to his hip and cautiously approached the car parked at the entrance to the alley. Noticing the elderly woman circling the car, the younger officer of the two couldn't help but speak up, "Ma'am, please move away from the area. Step away from the car."

"Huh?!" Ryan turned his head and scowled at the police officer who appeared, deliberately lowering his voice to a husky whisper, "What, what's the problem? Can't I just look at it!?"

"No, Ma'am." Looking at Ryan's grey-haired appearance, even the always assertive NYPD officer was uncomfortable with the harsh words and could only helplessly explain, "It's a stolen car. It might be dangerous. You should move back before something happens."

"What do you mean a stolen car? I don't see any problems here. You guys are the ones blocking the alley. With your guns out, pointing it at people..." Squinting his eyes, Ryan looked like he was a real confused old lady, "I'm going to speak to your Captain! "

"But Ma'am, we're the police."

"Police? So? You work for the people, right?!"

"There's no one in the car." While the younger officer was talking to the old lady, a slightly older police officer approached the vehicle. He looked at the empty driver's seat, turned his head, and shouted to the other officers.

"I think he knew the situation was bad and ran on foot." The young officer holstered his gun and made his call.

Of course, he would never have dreamed that instead of running away, the perpetrator of the crime would be standing right beside him in such a dignified manner.

Looking up and surveying the car in front of him again, he then turned to Ryan beside him and asked, "Ma'am, have you seen any suspicious people around?"

'Suspicious people? What about the one in front of you right now?'

Silently groaning in his heart, Ryan still looked shaky on the surface and slowly replied, "Ah, what, suspicious people? I didn't see anyone suspicious. If I must say something suspicious ..."

The two policemen looked at each other in silence as Ryan hesitated and quickly asked, "Ma'am, anything you can think of. Nothing is too trivial."

"It's the two of you."

"..."

"Ma'am, we're the police."

"Then, there's none."

　　...

"Ma'am, if you think anything else, please call us."

"Don't touch me, I can walk on my own! "

The slightly younger NYPD officer was relieved to see the old woman, who had appeared at the scene of the dumped car, leave after his begging and pleading. He turned back to the alley.

"Did you find anything special?"

"No, it looks like he's a professional. No traces left on anything."

"So, no other way to find out who it was? "

"Maybe, it was really the Phantom Thief who stole his car, as Stark said."

"The way I see it, that's just his excuse."

After a few moments of arguing with each other, the two men redirected their attention back to the scene.

"I'm just wondering how that guy could escape, between him stopping here, and we got here? I don't think it even took a full minute."

"They say the Phantom Thief can turn into anyone." Listening to his partner's question, the young officer casually replied.

Then, the two men looked at each other as if they both suddenly realised something.

[Reputation points from NYPD officer +0.05]

[Reputation points from NYPD officer +0.05]

...

-:Binge:-

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