Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
To normal people, an MPV was spacious. The R-Class Mercedes was even more spacious than regular cars. However, for Godzilla, the space was too cramped. He was like a tiger trapped in a cage – he felt terrible in the car.
Having got off the car, he stretched himself casually. His denim clothing was on the verge of bursting as his terrifyingly huge muscles bulged and rippled.
Godzilla clenched his fists and pulled his arms backward for a stretch and his joints made a cracking sound. His clothes looked as though they were about to tear. With a ‘ping’, the button on his chest gave way.
The three youths turned green with fear and turned around to walk off, their heads hanging low.
Driver looked at them condescendingly and waved his hands. He said, “Stop, stop, stop. What did you guys say just now?”
Li Du smiled. He did not want to stoop to the level of these people. However, they had hurled profanities and he was rather displeased at that. Hence, it was good that Driver was intimidating them.
A pimple-faced youth with brown hair stuttered, “Erm, sorry, my buddy had too much to drink. He was just talking nonsense.”
Indeed, Li Du caught a whiff of alcohol when the wind blew.
Driver made a call and very soon, a police car came over. The policeman alighted the car, holding a breathalyzer. He approached the young men and said coolly, “Blow!”
The three young men looked crestfallen.
Driver could not wipe the grin off his face and wanted to stay for the drama that was about to unfold. However, Li Du felt that it was meaningless and waved his people over to bring them away.
The other drivers, who had felt annoyed when Li Du snatched the parking space, immediately stepped on their accelerators and drove off swiftly.
The streets were bursting with life. It was not even evening and the place was already full of people.
Godzilla dashed off to queue for the Cheesy Beef Sandwich while Li Du bought a glass of guava juice. He stood by the junction, taking in the scenery of the Philadelphia old streets, sipping on his drink.
There were too many people and the waiting time was almost thirty minutes. Godzilla came back carrying a big bag with twenty-three huge sandwiches.
Driver had gone off to buy drinks. Pennsylvania had certain limits to selling alcohol and most restaurants encouraged diners to bring their own beer.
By the time they got the beer and sandwiches, it was already evening.
It was still rather warm in Philadelphia. The sun that was about to set was very red and huge. As the sunlight fell on one’s body, the heat lingered. When the wind was not blowing, the temperature was just right to stroll along the streets.
Philadelphia was a popular tourist destination. People enjoyed scouring the place. They cherished good restaurants, treating them like precious treasures. Also, the popularity of a restaurant was evaluated by the number of people in the queue. The longer the queue, the more popular the place.
The group started to look for a place to have dinner. As Li Du wanted to avoid the queues but still have local Philadelphia fare, they went for a high-end restaurant.
After walking around for some time, they spotted a restaurant named ‘Glutton Land’. It was a high- class place and there was a manageable number of people inside. They saw some empty tables.
After Li Du and his group walked in through the door, a waiter approached, wearing a frozen and uncomfortable smile.
All of them were holding sandwiches in their hands and Godzilla was holding more than ten. Driver and Firecracker were holding craft beer and some locally produced wine. They looked all set up for dinner.
While restaurants did not mind their guests bringing alcohol into their premises, they were unhappy about people bringing food in with them, especially so much food.
Since Li Du and his group had brought beer and food, the waiter figured all they needed was a seat. Hence, they would not be ordering much for their dinner.
However, the waiter was too timid to confront them. Other than Li Du, the rest of the five people did not look like they would be easy to trifle with.
Disregarding the waiter’s attitude, Li Du sat down after he found a table and picked up the menu. He started to make the orders. “Fiery Guava Barbeque – is guava a popular local fruit in Philadelphia? Spicy black bean smoked fish, mushroom roasted mussels…”
Hearing that Li Du was ordering quite a few dishes, the waiter was surprised. He sprang to action immediately. “Good evening, sir. Do you want me to recommend the top dishes?”
Li Du shook his head. “No need for that. Can’t I just follow the price on the menu and start ordering from the most expensive dishes to the cheaper ones?”
The waiter stopped talking. He had bumped into a rich man.
Li Du ordered more than ten dishes that filled the table. Then, Brother Wolf opened up the beer and the group started to feast and drink.
Madman, who was thick and huge, smiled, “Are we here as tourists?”
Firecracker said, “You have not gone overseas with the boss before. This is nothing. Boss has a private island on the Pacific Ocean. That is the true paradise.”
The Christmas atmosphere still lingered in Manayunk. The lights decorated the streets outside and every restaurant had a Christmas tree at the door. At the pavilion square, many young boys and girls were nodding and dancing to the music with beers in their hands
The combination of the pavilion square, a DJ, young men and women, and beer glasses formed an image of a beer garden.
After enjoying a good meal in Manayunk, Li Du chose an accommodation that was not far from the shore. That place was near the museum.
The hotel that he chose was named ‘R-1715’. It was well known in Philadelphia, famous for its noble and elegant style. Housed in a mansion built in 1911, the hotel combined the exquisite beauty of old times with modern facilities.
There was an Apple suite of technology in the room. However, Li Du did not pay much attention to that. He had noticed that when he was completing the paperwork for check-in, many people were looking at him. Hence, he felt troubled and asked quietly, “What are they looking at?”
Driver smiled in amusement. “They think that we are here to be intimate.”
“What does that mean?”
“Resin Street is just beside this hotel. Do you know that street? It’s a famous homosexual street in the East,” Driver smiled sinisterly. “The workers at R-1715 have a character that is above others. They are not prejudiced, they are helpful and hence, the place is very popular with homosexual couples.”
Hearing that, Li Du was struck. In fact, he had noticed it previously as well. Most of the people in the queue to check-in were pairs of the same gender.
He smiled bitterly, saying, “We have been misunderstood. But how are you so familiar with this place? Have you stayed here before?”
Godzilla patted Driver’s shoulder and said, “I didn’t know that you had this tendency. Tonight, I don’t want to stay in the same room with you.”
Driver’s face darkened. “Get lost! I was studying Philadelphia on the plane. Every time I go to a new place, I study the roads and background there. That’s how I knew about the situation of Resin Street.”
“It’s a pity you’re not into bank robbery,” Brother Wolf patted Driver’s shoulder too.
Madman said with a look of praise, “That’s right. This fellow is truly born to be a top driver. He just has the genes in his body.”
Driver was silent.
After checking in, Li Du did not go to his room immediately. He wanted to take advantage of the bright moon and have a look at the museum. He wanted to study the items inside. After all, the auction would start the next day.
The auction at the museum had been organized in a haste. Normally, there would not be any auctions in the period between Christmas and the New Year. That was to allow everyone to spend time with their families during the holidays.
However, perhaps the museum did not know the rules of the trade. Hence, they were holding the auction right after Christmas.
