Volume 1: First Arrival Chapter 71 Brotherly Friendship
"Oh! Kirk, bring your brother to buy comics."
The one who spoke was the comic book store owner, Li Xiaochen, a first-generation immigrant who was already over 50 years old this year, an uncle, but those who really knew him called him "Bruce"——
It all started with Bruce Lee, the Kung Fu superstar in the 1980s.
Initially, an English name was designed to integrate into local life and to get closer to the locals through "Kung Fu", which always opens up the situation simply.
But slowly, he integrated into the role, and his name became a trademark of his like a street nickname. Compared with the difficult-to-pronounce Chinese name, people coming and going were accustomed to calling him "Bruce", which has now become the symbol of this comic shop and a brand.
Although he has only been in this time and space for three weeks, Kirk is indeed integrating into the life here little by little.
Seeing the gray-haired Li Xiaochen, Kirk raised his hands and imitated Huang Feihong to make the iconic arm-stretching starting pose, his voice as loud as a bell .
"Hey, Bruce!"
Li Xiaochen's eyes lit up slightly, and he followed suit, assuming a stance and performing some Tai Chi pushing hands with Kirk. As they pushed, the corners of his mouth began to rise.
"Oh, Kirk , you have some skills. It seems that you have been hiding them all along?"
Kirk glanced at Nate from the corner of his eye and found that Nate didn't look surprised at all. His attention was completely immersed in the world of comics. He also joked, "How can you walk in New York's Chinatown without a few tricks? They are all tricks to deceive people."
"Haha." Li Xiaochen laughed heartily, "Don't underestimate those little tricks. In many cases, little tricks can also accomplish big things."
Kirk's eyes were full of smiles. He leaned against the wall again, lazily basking in the remaining sunset, and handed over the potato chips.
"How's business lately?"
Li Xiaochen didn't hesitate and took two pieces. "It's just so-so. Young people are starting to read e-books now, and even comics are gradually being produced in e-versions. Libraries are also aware of the crisis, and we ordinary citizens are even more so. I don't know how long this store can survive."
"Bruce, this won't work. If Nate goes crazy, I won't have anywhere to keep him." Kirk made a joke and made Li Xiaochen laugh.
Jokes aside, Kirk also understood that Li Xiaochen's concerns were correct. "Bruce, the times are always moving forward, and some things really cannot be changed; however, I always believe that there are some things that are worth our continued persistence, such as the rare quiet moment standing in front of your store."
"Haha." Li Xiaochen laughed heartily and patted Kirk's shoulder vigorously. "For example, when we were joking in the store."
"Bingo!" After saying that, Kirk also made an onomatopeia of "ding dong ding", which made Li Xiaochen laugh.
At this time, Kirk keenly noticed the commotion in a small alley across the street. Homeless people were gathering in groups of three or four towards that location. "Bruce, what's going on there? When did such a Feng Shui treasure land appear in Chinatown?"
For a moment, Kirk was also a little confused:
Is it because I haven't been to the comic book store for a long time and missed the changes in the surroundings, so that even the slightest movement can attract my attention; or is it because I accidentally found clues on a homeless person in the subway station this morning, so that I have become more sensitive to the homeless people I can see everywhere and pay special attention to ordinary things.
People are like this. Those who don’t eat breakfast on a regular basis won’t pay any attention to the breakfast shops around their homes. But from the moment they start eating breakfast, they will discover a whole new world. The same street where they live has a completely different scenery.
Li Xiaochen leaned forward slightly and followed Kirk's gaze. "Oh, for a while, that Panda Express has been distributing leftovers to the homeless people nearby every afternoon."
"Today is fine."
"Last week, on Monday or Tuesday, I can't remember exactly, more than 30 homeless people swarmed over here, it was a truly spectacular scene."
I see.
Kirk raised his chin slightly to show that he understood. This was nothing special. Many restaurants were willing to share their leftovers with the homeless.
As long as they don't mind.
Kirk remembers that Panda Express takeout boxes or fortune cookies could be found in the belongings of Clark Pierce, Dennis Curtis, and Felicia Sands.
But can they be considered evidence?
These takeout boxes and fortune cookies are so common that many homeless people will search through the garbage and find countless takeout boxes or fortune cookies in the garbage.
There are currently more than 3,000 Panda Express restaurants across North America.
Moreover, there were only three of them; the items were not found in the personal belongings of the other four victims.
In other words, as evidence, they are too common, too common, and too weak, and the NYPD does not take them seriously at all.
Kirk shares the same view as the NYPD. Compared with takeout boxes or fortune cookies, Kirk believes that the yellow ribbon clue is more worth pursuing.
However.
Purity is an intuition, simplicity is a curiosity. Kirk is eager to go forward and explore, especially after the morning subway station episode, the same city street scene has changed a little in Kirk's eyes.
In fact, there is another point. Currently, the seven victims were not found in Kirk’s living area. In other words, the scene in front of us should be irrelevant. The most likely event is an ordinary daily occurrence that has nothing to do with him.
But in the end——
"I'll go over and take a look."
Kirk left a word and finally took a step forward.
Li Xiaochen couldn't understand it at all. Looking at Kirk's back, he couldn't help but chuckle, "What's so good about that? Young people nowadays."
As the footsteps gradually approached, the noise and bustle gradually became clearer——
"Don't rush. Don't crowd. Please keep order."
Calm and polite, he did not raise his voice even when maintaining order, but was quickly drowned out by other voices.
"Wallace, do you have Kung Pao Chicken? I want to try Kung Pao Chicken."
"Damn it, Reggie, we can finally change the moldy toast and expired milk for tonight's food, and you're still being picky."
"Reggie, hahahaha, you want to eat Kung Pao Chicken, and I want to eat Moo Shu Pork."
"Spring rolls, spring rolls, give me two spring rolls."
"Wallace, I really want to try Kung Pao Chicken, I, I, uh..."
I walked past the "Panda Fast Food" and turned a corner, arriving at the alley behind. The damp and rotten smell mixed from the kitchen and the sewer gradually became thicker. Even my skin could feel the wet and sticky air, and my sense of smell had already sounded the alarm.
At a glance, you can see the figure standing on the small steps at the back door -
It turned out to be a black man.
It was a bit surprising. Although Kirk had only been in New York for three weeks and had limited time, he didn't see many black people in Panda Express.
He had a neatly trimmed short flat head and clean-shaven beard. He wore a simple T-shirt and jeans. He was sturdy and strong. The strong muscles in his arms and shoulders stretched the T-shirt completely tight. He wore a "Panda Express" apron on the outside, which made him look a little out of place.
At this moment, he had a bright and sunny smile on his lips. Just from a distance, one could feel the sunshine from inside out. At a glance, he looked to be less than 30 years old, still very young. He was looking at a person in front of him.
"Reggie, I saved a portion of Kung Pao Chicken just for you."
With just one sentence, the old guy in front of him clenched his fist and cheered.
