Luna

In the eyes of the workers, mornings in Pittsburgh always come quickly.

Luna stood in the cramped kitchen, where a stainless steel milk pot on the gas stove was making a slight hissing sound.

Turn off the heat, and then skillfully pour the hot milk into the cup with the cartoon dinosaur printed on it.

This is the breakfast she prepared for her four-year-old son, Jimmy.

Heavy snoring came from the bedroom behind me.

Jim, her husband, had just come home from his night shift and went straight to sleep without even taking off his work clothes.

The feet that were sticking out of the blanket were covered in engine oil and mud.

In the past, Luna would complain that Jim had dirtied the sheets.

But now, looking at those oil stains, she only feels at ease.

Six months ago, Jim lost his job and stayed home, staring blankly at the TV all day. Back then, his house was so clean it looked like a morgue, so desolate it was maddening. Now it's a bit dirty, but that's life for a living person.

Luna turned around, went into the bathroom, and began to change her clothes.

She took off her pajamas and put on a dark blue jumpsuit.

The fabric is thick and durable, with the words "Pittsburgh Regeneration Project Phase II" printed in white on the chest, and a line of smaller print below: Trainee Technician 0495.

She stood in front of the mirror, tucked her long hair into her helmet, and then zipped it up to her chin.

This outfit doesn't flatter the figure and is even a bit bulky.

But in Luna's eyes, it was even more beautiful than the Chanel suits she had seen in shop windows when she was young.

In the past, uneducated, married women like her could only work as dishwashers in fast food restaurants or as cleaners in motels. Those jobs were endless, undignified, and filled only with the shouts of supervisors and the disdain of customers.

It was Leo Wallace who changed all of that.

The young mayor set up a training center specifically to teach people how to serve those big guys.

Luna signed up, and although Jim initially mocked her, she gritted her teeth and persevered.

Now, she is an operator of the tower crane ground signaling system.

Holding a walkie-talkie, she directed tens of tons of steel as they flew through the air.

That sense of control made her feel like she was part of the heart of the city.

"Mom, are you going to operate the big crane?"

Jimmy appeared in the kitchen doorway, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes." Luna knelt down and kissed her son's forehead. "Be a good boy at home and don't wake your dad."

She picked up the safety helmet from the table, pushed open the door, and went out.

At 6:30 a.m., at the canteen of the second phase of the Fuxing Project construction site.

The place was already bustling with people.

The air was filled with the aroma of coffee, as well as the savory smell of fried bacon and eggs.

Hundreds of workers were crammed into this huge temporary prefabricated house, chewing their food and swallowing hot drinks.

But the atmosphere is a little different today.

At this time of day, people are usually talking about last night's game or complaining about the weather.

Although it was noisy in the cafeteria today, everyone seemed to be keeping their voices down.

Luna, carrying her tray, squeezed to the long table where she usually sat.

Several old coworkers were huddled together, talking in hushed tones in a mysterious manner.

"Hey, Luna, good morning."

George, the old welder sitting opposite, greeted him and then leaned forward.

"Have you heard? Batman seems to be around here."

"Batman?" Luna paused, then realized, "You mean... that young man who shot and killed the insurance company's CEO?" "Shh! Keep your voice down!"

The workers nearby nervously looked around.

"Although no one said it outright, the news had already spread through the union's private channels. He's been arrested, and he's in the mayor's hands." "To the bigwigs in Washington, Luigi Randall is a terrorist."

"But in the eyes of us workers, he is a hero."

"Yeah," someone chimed in. "I heard the mayor bailed him out and didn't hand him over to the FBI. But this isn't over yet; Washington will definitely be coming to demand him."

"Want them? They dare!" George became agitated. "Our union has thousands of members; we could drown those men in suits with a single spit from each of us."

"Oh, right, about that donation before..."

George suddenly remembered something and looked at Luna.

"It's the one Barney organized at the union a few days ago, supposedly a donation for our suffering brothers."

"You donated too, right?"

Luna nodded.

"I donated five yuan."

"Me too," George sighed. "Everyone donated, and even though the names weren't on the receipts, we all knew perfectly well." "That money was definitely for him."

Everyone is tacit.

Although they were just crumpled five-dollar and ten-dollar bills.

But it was worth the money.

That young man did what they wanted to do but didn't dare to do.

They can't afford guns, but they can afford this respect.

Just then, the cafeteria door was suddenly pushed open.

A foreman wearing a yellow vest strode in.

That's Louis, the chief foreman in charge of the tower crane operation area.

He's usually a chubby guy who loves to joke around, but today, his expression was very serious.

He scanned the crowd and his gaze settled on Luna.

"Luna!"

Louis called out and waved.

"Come out for a moment."

Luna's heart skipped a beat.

Did I make a mistake? Or are they laying off employees today?

That deep-seated anxiety about losing my job surged up instantly.

She put down her coffee and walked over nervously.

The two walked out of the cafeteria and came to a corner.

"Louis, did I do something wrong?" Luna asked cautiously.

No, you did very well.

Louis glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then took a cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to Luna.

"Listen, Luna, you don't have to go to work today."

"Huh?" Luna was stunned. "Then where do I go?"

"Your salary will be paid as usual, and it will be considered as full attendance."

Louis quickly replied, "This is a task from above; Boss Barney gave it to me directly."

"You need to go downtown, to the coffee shop near the Pittsburgh police station."

"Pittsburgh precinct?" Luna was even more confused. "What are you going there for?"

"Let's have coffee."

Louis stared into Luna's eyes.

"Find a seat by the window, preferably one where you can see the police station entrance clearly."

"Then, stare."

Luna felt the phone in her hand become somewhat heavy.

"What are you staring at?"

"Keep an eye on the door."

Louis took a deep breath.

"Our Batman is inside."

Luna covered her mouth.

Of course she knows who Batman is.

Luigi Randall.

The rumors were true; he really was being held in the Pittsburgh police station.

"The mayor hid him there to protect him," Louis explained. "But the news may have leaked out; those guys in Washington have a keen sense of smell."

"Your task is simple."

"If you see someone wearing a black suit and sunglasses going in."

"Or you might see people wearing wide-brimmed hats and driving those blue and white police cars going in."

"Or perhaps..."

Louis paused, his eyes turning fierce.

"There are black armored vehicles, or SWAT team members gathering."

"No matter what you see, as long as it's not one of our own Pittsburgh patrol cars."

"Use this phone immediately."

Louis pointed to the phone.

"tell me."

Luna gripped her phone tightly.

Her palms began to sweat.

"Why do you want me to go?" Luna asked. "There are so many strong men in the guild."

"Because you're insignificant."

Louis looked at her.

"You're a woman. Those federal agents will be watching the big guys on the street corner, they'll be watching the trucks parked on the side of the road, but they won't care about a woman sitting in a coffee shop drinking coffee."

"You are the best eyeliner."

Luna nodded in understanding.

She stuffed her phone into the inner pocket of her work clothes and zipped it up.

"I'll go."

Luna said.

"I'll keep a close eye on that door."

Nine o'clock in the morning, across from the Pittsburgh branch office.

A thin layer of condensation covered the glass windows of the coffee shop.

Luna sat on a high stool by the window, with a cold latte in front of her.

She was holding a fashion magazine, but she hadn't turned a single page in the past half hour.

Her eyes peered through the edge of the magazine, fixed intently on the police station entrance across the street.

The Pittsburgh police station is an old-fashioned red-brick building that looks somewhat dilapidated.

Several patrol cars with peeling paint were parked in front of the gate, and a few policemen were standing there smoking. Everything seemed normal.

Perhaps it was psychological, but Luna could sense the tension in the air.

9:15.

A black Chevrolet Suburban SUV suddenly appeared from the street corner.

The car was very big and very tall, with dark shatterproof film on the windows, making it impossible to see who was inside.

It has a special federal government license plate.

Luna's heart started racing.

That's the FBI's standard vehicle.

She had seen it on TV many times.

Then came the second and the third.

Three black behemoths crawled to the entrance of the police station.

The car door opened.

A dozen or so men wearing black tactical trench coats jumped down.

They moved swiftly, had indifferent expressions, and wore earphones.

Although he was dressed casually, you could feel his air of wanting to take over the place even across the street.

The man in the lead, wearing sunglasses, waved to the team members behind him and then strode towards the police station entrance.

The Pittsburgh police officers smoking at the entrance seemed to want to stop them, but the leader only flashed his badge, and the Pittsburgh police stepped aside. The group filed in.

Luna reached inside her clothes and grabbed her phone.

Before she could even take it out, police sirens blared from the other end of the street corner.

"Waaah"

Two blue and white Pennsylvania State Police patrol cars sped over.

They braked suddenly and blocked the exit of the three black SUVs, blocking their way.

Several policemen wearing distinctive wide-brimmed hats jumped out of the car, their hands on their holsters, their expressions serious.

The state police also arrived.

The situation suddenly became complicated.

The federal people went in, and the state people came too.

Luna watched this scene unfold.

She should have been afraid, but at this moment, she felt a strange anger.

These people, these big shots with guns and an aggressive demeanor, came here to arrest the young man who stood up for the poor. They wanted to kill him.

Just like they once wanted to kill the city.

"No."

Luna thought to herself.

"This is our city."

"These are our people."

She took out her phone and dialed the only number in her contacts.

"Louis".

Luna's voice trembled slightly.

"They're here."

"Three FBI cars and two state trooper cars."

"They went in."

"besides·……"

Luna's gaze shifted to the alleyway to the side.

There, a black armored personnel carrier was slowly emerging from the shadows.

The vehicle has white SWAT lettering printed on its body.

"The SWAT team is assembling at the side gate."

"They're about to make their move."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the walkie-talkie.

Then came Louis's rough roar, with the sounds of countless steel clashing in the background.

"receive."

"Well done, Luna."

"Stay there and don't move."

Luna hung up the phone.

She looked out the window.

The rain started to fall.

In the hazy rain, she seemed to hear the roar of an engine in the distance.

The iron torrent from Pittsburgh is converging here.