Chapter 155: Tucson
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Both of them were tempted by the Hundred Thousand Club, but they could not go home immediately. They had to stay in Tucson for a few days, as the journey to here had not been easy.
However, Hans was very proud of the two of them. He made a call to the Phoenix branch of the a.s.sociation of American Auction Hunters, and told them that they would apply for members.h.i.+p a few days later.
Li Du warned him, "Be low profile dude. We must work as if in high profile, and keep ourselves under low profile. This is definitely what’s smart."
Hans proudly said, "I have had enough of keeping myself under low profile, bro. Stop talking about this—let’s have some fun! All the expenses in Tucson are on me!"
Tucson was a city in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. It was surrounded by rolling sand dunes and cl.u.s.ters of cacti.
During the journey, Li Du had been worried that the photos could not be sold at a good price. Therefore, he didn’t observe the city closely. Now, he was relaxed, curious about Tucson.
Since coming to the United States, he had seen the two major cities: Phoenix and Tucson. Phoenix was a large, populated city whereas Tucson was a fun, cool city.
This was not what he thought; this was according to what Hans told him. He said that Tucson was a cool city, but Li Du did not see it.
However, despite the arid land, Tucson was a prosperous metropolitan without lacking resources.
When they were driving on the streets, Li Du found there were a lot of shops with a variety of styles, modern restaurants, and bars. In addition, there were many Mexican people here.
It was easy to understand that Arizona bordered Mexico, and Tucson was located in the southern part of the state. It was one of the major cities closest to Mexico. Naturally, there were many Mexicans here.
They first had to find their accommodations for the night. Hans led the way to a themed hotel, which was located in the Saguaro National Park; it was such a beautiful environment.
After entering the hotel, Li Du was surprised. The roof of their room and the walls were transparent. They could see a variety of cacti outside from within the room.
"It is beautiful at night, perfect for watching the stars," Hans laughed. "I know Li loves the night sky, so I chose to stay here.
"In addition, G.o.dzilla will love it too because this hotel offers free coffee, waffles, and sausages for breakfast. You can eat all you want."
G.o.dzilla laughed and he touched his stomach. Li Du felt pity for the hotel owner.
Choosing this hotel was not only so they could enjoy the night sky, cacti, and the free breakfast, but also because it allowed customers to bring pets along without an extra 20-dollar fee.
After seeing Ah Meow, the waiter laughed and said, "It will enjoy staying in our hotel because the King has stayed here before."
"The King? Elvis Presley?" Li Du asked, interested.
The waiter smiled. "Yes; who could be called as the King besides him?"
Ah Meow wrinkled its forehead and revealed its sharp claws.
Elvis Presley was one of the most significant American superstars of the last century. He sang rock and roll for the world. Elvis Presley and John Lennon were two of the key people who influenced the popular music of the United States. Unfortunately, they died very young.
By the time they unpacked their luggage, it was night. Three of them went out for dinner.
Hans drove and led the way. He said, "You must go to Four Avenue if you are looking for something delicious. I"ll take you to enjoy the President’s plate."
They went to a restaurant called "My Little Nest." Bill Clinton had eaten here once. Therefore, they named a combination plate in his honor.
In fact, the dish was a mess. They just mixed tacos, tortillas, burritos, and corn pie all together with chili sauce. Then, it was topped with a layer of cheese.
Li Du lost his appet.i.te when he saw it, so he ordered a Sonoran hot dog.
This was the signature food of Tucson, also known as "absolutely the best hot dog." The hot dog was wrapped in bacon and topped with salsa, pinto beans, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, tomatoes, and onions.
In addition, they also ordered the spicy cactus, spicy shredded beef, Creole with spicy smoked sausages, roasted eggs with cast iron pan, rustic fried chicken, dried beef tenderloin and more.
Because of G.o.dzilla, Li Du ordered whatever food he liked and enjoyed the food. No matter what, G.o.dzilla would finish the plates without wasting any food.
He quickly finished his plate and he ordered a scotch whiskey ice cream. Slowly tasting the delicious dessert, he enjoyed the leisurely atmosphere of night time.
However, after their dinner, an incident happened.
Hans paid the bill and Li Du was the first to step out from the restaurant. He was immediately pulled aside by two Mexican teenagers.
One of the teenagers put a knife up to his chest and the other said severely, "Yellow man, take out all of your money, otherwise..."
G.o.dzilla immediately came out and kicked the teenager with his big foot when he saw this.
The teenager who was holding the knife was frightened. His hand wavered and the dagger went straight toward Li Du"s neck.
At that moment, Li Du responded immediately, and grabbed the teenager’s dagger. Then, he kicked his groin.
The teenager screamed and fell to the ground, holding his crotch. Seeing this, a group of people on the street mobbed them.
With a dark face, G.o.dzilla grasped the iron railings. He exerted all his strength with his hand and then pulled down the railing. At the same time, he said coldly in Spanish, "Whoever dares come close, I will break his bones!"
He was also Mexican. The surrounding people gradually dispersed after listening to him.
Hans quickly left with Li Du once he realized what had happened.
Li Du asked, "Why is the security here so bad?"
Hans said, "Tucson once was a rat headquarters. Although you brought an ocelot along, it is still very difficult for the de-rat-ization."
In fact, the security of all the major cities in the United States during nighttime was bad, especially Tucson. This was because areas with minority and immigrant populations experienced higher rates of crime.
The next day they toured the Saguaro National Park and went to the Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures.
There was a slogan in front of the museum, reading, "Keep out of dinosaurs’ business, because you are crispy and tasty with some added seasoning."
Stepping into the museum, they saw the dinosaurs. They were just as mini as their name suggested. Some dinosaurs were fierce and ferocious while the others looked cute, showing a variety of styles to the audience.
Some of them were robotic dinosaurs. They were attacking and chasing each other, simulating the dinosaur’s prey.
Ah Meow was interested in them. It opened the chain of the backpack with its paws. Then it came out from the backpack and sprang upon a mini Tyrannosaurus. Ah Meow threw it to the ground.
"Sh*t!" Hans scolded and quickly caught the ocelot.
Before the management staff came, they immediately left the museum with Ah Meow; the ocelot was not willing to leave. It was meowing and clawing toward the dinosaurs which had fallen on the ground. It was so excited!
They planned to go back home since they failed to thoroughly visit the museum. Therefore, they headed toward Phoenix after staying their last night in Tucson. They were ready to join the Hundred Thousand Club.