Chapter 504 Welcome Ceremony in New York
There were no accidents on this road trip from the west to the east, and there was also no romantic encounter. Jack drove the Firebird and completed the entire journey in just over 40 hours.
It's not that he set off too late and had to rush on his way. In fact, there was still a week before he officially reported to the FBI office in New York. Jack planned to use this time to adapt to the life of New Yorkers in advance.
When I visited the Big Apple for the first time, the pace of life here made Jack, a half-Los Angeles resident, quite uncomfortable. Every time he saw those hurried passers-by on the street, he felt as if the whole world was being pressed. Double speed fast forward key.
As a result, as soon as he entered the city limits, the traffic in New York City gave him a hard blow. Although he often encountered traffic jams in Los Angeles, he could still move two steps every few minutes.
As long as you avoid busy traffic hours, you can drive wherever you want.
And when Jack's Firebird turned onto Ninth Avenue, he was stuck in place. Half an hour passed before his eyes, and the destination that should be close at hand turned out to be so far away. and.
Jack began to reflect on the fact that he might have made a wrong decision in driving the Firebird to New York. No wonder the police movies he saw in his previous life, especially those about New York, had the protagonists driving their cars onto the sidewalks and running rampant. It seemed that it was indeed the case. It has a basis in reality.
He just saw on the Internet that there is a "Chongqing Noodle" in the West Side of Manhattan that is said to be very authentic. He wanted to stop by to feast on it before heading to Rossi's apartment, and also to pay homage to American comics. One of the holy places is "Hell's Kitchen".
But he didn't expect to be in such a "desperate situation". Looking at the drivers in the cars around him, they all looked accustomed to it. Jack could only sigh silently, took out his mobile phone and took a picture of the long queue in the traffic jam. Photos were sent to Justin.
This girl, who seems to have been in front of the computer forever, replied with "O(∩_∩)O" almost instantly to show her gloating.
Although the detective novel has not yet been officially published, Jack can now call himself a "writer" because Justin anonymously uploaded and published the first "The President's Contract Wife".
With sales of nearly 5,000 copies a month, although it is not a hit, it has already reached the threshold of a bestseller.
Considering that Jack and Justin work together, one to write the outline and the other to fill in the polish, and can produce at least two similar novels every month, Chris is negotiating to acquire a small publishing house.
Of course, Jack dared not expose the writer's vest. He was too social and even hid it from the girls around him. All discussions between him and Justin about the manuscript were based on "I will read it after reading it." It is carried out in a "burning" method without leaving any traces on your mobile phone.
The traffic in front finally started to move slowly. When Jack found a parking lot and parked his car, he was really shocked by the parking fee here. US$15.4 an hour can only be said to be worthy of the big apple.
Out of the parking lot, Jack followed the map on his phone and quickly found the small noodle shop. When he opened the glass door, a young blonde girl doing homework at her desk caught his attention.
"Alexis?" Jack asked tentatively.
When he watched "The Secret Detective" in his previous life, he liked this precocious little girl very much. She was well-behaved and sensible, which was very different from the bunch of troubled teenagers in the usual American TV series. On the contrary, she often had to stand up for her unruly little girl. Worry-free daddy.
“Uncle Jack?” Alexis was a little hesitant, but she still took the initiative to extend her hand like a young adult. Her Uncle John called Uncle Jack on the phone. She thought she would see a A middle-aged man who is nearly 40 years old, he did not expect that the person in front of him would be so young.
"Uh" Jack was in a daze for a moment, uncle or something. The last time someone called him that, it seemed like it was in the previous life, "Please be sure to call me Jack!"
"Okay, Jack." Alexi Si sat back down with a smile and began to put away the homework on the table.
“Are all New Yorkers as pressed for time as you are?” Jack glanced at her book, which had the word “Senior” written on it. This is the fourteenth-grade textbook in American middle schools and the last year of high school. One year.
“So are all the people in Los Angeles as unpunctual as you are?” Alexis countered slyly, “I’ve been waiting here for nearly an hour and a half.”
Yes. , this is the start of a chain of contempt between New York and Los Angeles. Old Americans also have regional discrimination. In addition to the difference in time concepts, Los Angeles people will think that beautiful girls in New York rely on makeup and famous brands to set off, while New Yorkers think that the personalities in Los Angeles They were all stuffed with silicone and injected with Botox.
"I didn't expect the traffic in New York to be so heavy. I left all my things in the car and rushed here straight after entering the city."
Jack sighed silently. The two-way one-way street has two lanes, and the street is extremely narrow. There must be very few bank robberies, because the robbers can only run away after grabbing the money, not driving.
Alexis waved her hand nonchalantly, expressing her forgiveness in a very familiar manner. She took out the menu and started ordering food, "I thought you would choose to try here first when you first arrived in New York. Bagels.”
Bagels are hard bagels, also called bagels, and are probably the most popular bread in New York. When Jack saw her, he ordered a small portion of pot stickers, thinking that she wasn't hungry. After all, it wasn't four o'clock in the afternoon yet, so it wasn't meal time. He ordered a bowl of spicy beef noodles and a bowl of fat sausage noodles. Another order of xiaolongbao was added.
Seeing Alexis's eyes widening in surprise, he realized a little later, "Is there any problem?"
The last meal he had was breakfast, which he had in Pennsylvania. My son is extremely hungry.
"How do you keep in shape? You obviously look like this." The little girl stuttered.
It’s still a bit chilly in New York in May, so Jack didn’t bring the Los Angeles style of sandals and big pants here. He changed into a formal suit on the way here, and he dressed to look slim. Compared with the type of food, the appetite is a bit surprising.
It seems that New Yorkers are very body-conscious. Jack recalled the slender ladies he saw along the way. It is true that the cup sizes were at least two sizes smaller than the girls in Los Angeles.
The little girl is not yet an adult. No wonder she looks weak and incompatible with traditional beauty. What kind of body management is she doing at such a young age? There are so many problems with New Yorkers.
What surprised Alexis even more was what happened later. She saw the young "Uncle Jack" finishing the food in front of him, wiping the sweat from his forehead and using a certain pronunciation. Strange Chinese chatted with the noodle shop owner.
As a native of Jiangsu Province in his previous life, Jack could only speak average Sichuan dialect, but being able to hear a familiar accent from a white-skinned ghost guy was enough to surprise the boss from Sichuan Province.
After some deliberate attempts to get close and a generous tip equivalent to the cost of the meal, Jack easily struck up a conversation with this old Sichuan man. He would come back later to build up friendship and help with some difficult situations in the future. Little things like cooking up seasonings and ingredients or even borrowing a stove are no longer a problem.
After all, he was going to stay here for a year and a half. In addition to asking John for help, he arranged for his niece to be a guide and planned to use this week to get familiar with the city. Things also need to be planned in advance.
After filling his stomach and saying goodbye to the noodle shop owner who was reluctant to leave, Jack, led by Alexis, walked around the neighborhood called "Hell's Kitchen".
The official name of this neighborhood should be "Clinton District". It is located at the southwest corner of Central Park, between 34th Street and 59th Street. Jack's current location is 46th Street in the middle, also known as Known as the "Restaurant Street", the security is good, and as the name suggests, there are various restaurants everywhere.
Although Alexis matures precociously, she is still a little girl at heart. When someone chats with her in an equal manner towards an adult, and even humbly asks her about life knowledge such as New York subway transportation, < br>
Although the little girl tried her best to suppress it, the sense of achievement of being respected and affirmed still made her feel a little elated. The introduction was comprehensive and very detailed.
Thanks to the NYPD’s huge police force, which is the largest in the country, New York’s daytime security is pretty good, and the location of “Hell’s Kitchen” is actually pretty good. After some redevelopment, at least now, it is no longer what it once was. Such a chaotic scene.
"Emit Grant still has 20 yards. 15 yards. 10 yards."
"But a big guy is right behind him!"
"But the big guy can't catch up at all. , Emmett is going to win, he is going to win, yeah!”
Two African-American children, one big and one small, ran past the two of them happily, as if they were playing a rugby game. .
Alexis turned around deftly and let them pass. She watched with a smile as they stopped at the door of a 6-story apartment building. The older child shyly talked to the other one. The African-American girl said hello.
The two children seemed to be biological brothers. The older one urged the younger brother to go upstairs first, a little embarrassed. It seemed that he wanted to chat more with the girl he liked.
Jack and Alexis were walking and chatting before, and unknowingly they had walked several streets. Jack raised his hand and looked at the time. He felt that it was getting late. He estimated that there would be more time on the way back. After having to sit in traffic for a while, he offered to take Alexis home.
“So we will be neighbors in the future?” The little girl blinked her long eyelashes and asked curiously.
Coincidentally, the penthouse apartment that Rosie lent to Jack happened to be adjacent to the apartment of a well-known writer, Rick Cassel. Although they were in two different buildings, the two floors were the same. They are the same height, so they can barely be considered neighbors. They are the kind of people who can stand on the rooftop and wave to each other to say hello.
"Yes, that's why I work hard to please." Before Jack could finish his words, his eyes suddenly focused, and with a warning sign in his heart, he pulled Alexis over and protected her behind him.
"Boom!" A huge explosion sounded, and screams spread.
(End of this chapter)