Yandere Erii, stop tormenting Lu Mingfei!

New York, John F. Kennedy International Airport.

This place was formerly known as New York International Airport, but it was later renamed to its current name in honor of President John F. Kennedy, who made outstanding contributions to the development of China's nuclear weapons and satellite programs.

Around 9 a.m. US time, Lu Mingfei and Erii landed safely.

"Let's go to the hotel first, then we'll meet up with Lao Tang." Lu Mingfei held a New York subway map in his hand, stared at it for a while, and then frowned, muttering, "What on earth is this?! Could carbon-based life forms design this?!"

He thought Tokyo's subway system was the most complex and chaotic in the world! Little did he know that New York was an even bigger rival!

The subway lines were a chaotic mess, like a ball of yarn played with by a cat. Various express and local lines were crammed together, tangled and unclear. Some stations were marked with 123, while others were marked with abc. Many stations only allowed one-way traffic. Getting to the hotel they had booked was like finding a small oasis in the Sahara Desert.

"No wonder it's an old-fashioned capitalist country," he sighed, crumpling the map into a ball and stuffing it into his coat pocket, "It's messy and justifiable."

Let's take a taxi. Lu Mingfei gave up on experiencing New York's subway service.

He held Erii's hand, looked at the airport signs, walked out of the terminal, and headed to the taxi waiting area. Just as he was about to hail a shared taxi, a figure appeared in front of him.

The man was very tall, a head taller than Lu Mingfei. He wore a Hawaiian-style red floral shirt with brightly colored palm trees printed on it, and plain straight-leg pants. He was very flashy, and his long, iron-gray hair covered most of his face.

Just as Lu Mingfei was about to ask him what he wanted, the man immediately stretched out his hands, palms outstretched, and bent his back as if bowing, then began to sing at the top of his lungs:

"I was once a handsome young man, but now I'm stranded in New York, penniless and starving. This gentleman has a fine face, his forehead is radiant with good fortune. Doing good deeds today will surely bring good rewards in the future."

His Mandarin is clear and standard, but it still carries a touch of Northern folk art.

Lu Mingfei stood there, stunned, his mind going blank.

He blinked to make sure he was still at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, not the Ancient Culture Street in Tianjin.

Seeing that he remained silent, the woman in the floral shirt changed her tune, quickening the pace and making the rhythm even more melodious:

"No amount of copper coins or silver is too little; deep affection and righteousness are higher than mountains. A mark is made in the book of good and evil, and blessings will extend to future generations. Do good deeds, do good deeds. A few dollars bring great merit."

Holy crap, Lotus Flower Fall!

This foreigner is singing Lianhualuo!

Lu Mingfei's lips twitched, a million questions racing through his mind.

Has the begging business in New York become so fiercely competitive? And intangible cultural heritage is even going abroad and taking root?

He was shocked, pulled out his wallet, took out a few one-dollar bills, and handed them over with great admiration.

"I've struck it rich! I've struck it rich! I knew Chinese tourists were the richest, most generous and kindest!" The man in the floral shirt laughed loudly, and just as he was about to reach out and take a few US dollars, a figure suddenly rushed over from the side!

The shadow moved as fast as a gray gust of wind, snatching the entire wallet from Lu Mingfei's hand as it passed by.

Lu Mingfei's hand, holding the US dollars, was still frozen in mid-air, looking quite comical.

"Holy crap!?"

Is the safety situation in New York really that bad? I've only been here a short time and I've already been robbed!

Erii tilted her head, looking at the receding figure. She slightly raised her right index finger, aiming at the man, contemplating whether to kill him outright or break his leg, when a powerful, exceptionally angry voice boomed from the side—

"You bastard, stop right there!!!"

After a brief moment of confusion, the man in the floral shirt dashed off. He was incredibly fast, with explosive power comparable to a cheetah! His feet even left afterimages as he ran, each step covering three steps.

In just a few breaths, he caught up with the thief.

Seeing that he couldn't escape, the other man turned around and pulled out a shiny knife from his pocket, preparing to stab the man in the floral shirt through the heart. The man in the floral shirt then unleashed a powerful punch, which landed on the other man's face like a cannonball.

Snapped!

The thief suffered a nosebleed, lost consciousness, and collapsed to the ground unconscious.

The man in the floral shirt picked up the wallet, strolled leisurely to Hui Mingfei's side, handed it back, and boasted, "Thanks to this chivalrous hero's intervention, otherwise your wallet would be empty of cash and bank cards, so it's reasonable for me to take a few more dollars, right?"

As he spoke, he lifted his long hair that had been covering his face, revealing a rather handsome face with well-defined features and a chiseled facial contour.

Lu Mingfei took the wallet, glanced at it, and seeing that the essential documents were all there, he clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"May I ask your esteemed name? With such incredible skills, why don't you go to the Olympics to make a name for yourself, instead of begging and singing folk ballads here?"

The man in the floral shirt clasped his hands in greeting and said, "I am Fingel von Frings, known in the martial arts world as the Little Dragon of Kassel!"

"Kassel? Did you just say Kassel College?" Lu Mingfei asked tentatively.

"Yes, it is that mysterious aristocratic academy located deep in the mountains of Illinois. I am an upperclassman there," Fingel said.

"Oh, it's you, senior! My name is Lu Mingfei, and this is Erii. We are both freshmen!" Lu Mingfei was overjoyed.

"Wow, so we're family! No wonder I felt an instant connection with you guys!" Fingel rubbed his hands together. "So, considering our brotherhood, it's only fair that you treat me to another pizza, right?"

"That makes sense, but why are you in such a sorry state, senior brother?" Lu Mingfei asked, puzzled. Given how prestigious Kassel College was, the fact that Fingel was begging outside the airport must be suspicious!

Upon hearing this, the light on Fingel's face instantly faded, and he visibly slumped down.

He looked around, lowered his voice, and leaned close to Lu Mingfei's ear, his tone so sorrowful it was as if he were recounting an epic tale of national ruin and family destruction:

"Junior brother, to tell you the truth, I was scammed!"

"You lied?"

"Hmm." Fingel nodded heavily, his eyes gazing into the distance, filled with a sense of vicissitude. "I came to America ahead of schedule and, incidentally, found a place to have a romance that cost a few dozen dollars."

Lu Mingfei: "???"

"It's over in Brooklyn, a massage parlor." Fingel sniffed, his voice slightly choked. "The sign said 'South American Style, Hot Experience.' I thought, a few dozen dollars for an exotic experience, isn't that too much to ask? So I went in."

Lu Mingfei thought to himself, "This really isn't America. They're so direct and straightforward about their political stance, without any beating around the bush."

"And then?" he asked.

"I'd barely taken off my coat and lay down," Fingel gritted his teeth, his fists clenched, "when that girl's hand just touched my shoulder, the door was kicked open! Two burly men stormed in, saying I'd harassed their wives and they were going to call the police unless we settled it privately! Damn it, I just got ripped off for five hundred dollars!"

He got more and more excited as he spoke: "Five hundred dollars, junior! I emptied my pockets to scrape together that amount! When I left, that girl even winked at me and said something in Spanish! I didn't understand, but after looking it up in the dictionary, I realized it meant 'Welcome back next time, you sucker!'"

Lu Mingfei covered his face: "So, you were set up like that?"

"Yes!" Fingel cried out in anguish, pounding his chest. "From this day forward, I'm completely demystified of South American hotties! All that fiery passion and samba flair is just business! A bloody business!"

Lu Mingfei was silent for a few seconds before slowly saying, "Senior brother, going to a place like that was wrong of you in the first place, wasn't it?"

"Misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!" Fingel suddenly straightened his back, his expression righteous and indignant. "I went for a legitimate massage! I thought it was a respectable place! For a few dozen dollars, I could chat and spend time alone with a hot South American woman, and maybe she'd be charmed by my humor and offer herself to me! I didn't think that far ahead! I really went there to find love!"

Lu Mingfei was skeptical of this.

Fingel said with a serious expression, "If I were really a lecherous old man, I would have finished before those two honey trap guys even kicked down the door! When it comes to speed, I, Fingel, am second to none!"

Lu Mingfei: "..."

Holy crap, I thought I was already a genius, how come there are still people in this magical land of America who can beat me!