After settling down at Sulo's house, Andrew and Cho spent a quiet night. The Su Luo family didn't know that Cho and Andrew were wizards, and Cho lived with their eldest daughter at night, so Andrew couldn't go to Cho at night. Andrew had spent most of his time practicing, and his understanding of magic had changed dramatically over time and Queen Anne's studies.

Coming to New York under the guise of tourism, Andrew and Qiu got up early the next morning, and after saying good morning to Su Luo's family, they didn't even eat breakfast and left Su Luo's house in a hurry.

"Today we're going to split up," Andrew handed a small silver ball to Cho after checking the easy disk to make sure there were no wizards following or ominous signs, "It's a good weapon, just throw it on the ground in case of danger---- it's a magic puppet, it's deformed, you have to help us find a way to get to Ilfamoni, maybe somewhere in New York, there's an office in Ilfamoni." ”

"Okay, Andy, I've already communicated with my colleagues in the Ministry of Magic before I came, and they have already told me where the Magical Council in New York is, and I'll find it, but you, going to such a dangerous place alone, won't it happen?" Qiu said worriedly.

Andrew smiled and put the easy plate away, "I'm not alone, the Ministry of Magic also arranged a connector for me, his name is George ....." After separating from Qiu, Andrew found George alone according to the address given by the Ministry of Magic. This is a young black man, who looks about the same age as Andrew, who seems to be a child, who looks clever and looks at Andrew very vigilantly.

"You're the agent from England? It doesn't look like you're too young. George asked.

"Agent?" it turned out that the Ministry of Magic had assigned itself such an identity, "Well, I'm just here to fight the outpost, you know, the more inconspicuous the better." ”

George stared at Andrew suspiciously for a while, "Okay, whatever, it doesn't have much to do with me anyway, I'm just responsible for bringing you to the place, and nothing else." ”

Andrew nodded, "I started with... You know over there, you seem to have grown up there, are you scared of where we're going?"

George glanced at Andrew, "It's because I grew up there that I know how dangerous it really is. If you really want to go your own way, when it comes to the ugly words, all I can help you with is to connect with the seller, and the rest is up to you. ”

"Okay, after you introduce me to the seller, you can leave at any time. But George, don't I just want to buy some 'plant material', why do you talk about it like drug trafficking? ”

George said with a gloomy face: "Man, don't you know that in the United States, food crimes are federal felonies like drug trafficking, and of course, another thing they have in common is that they are not easy to catch." Forget it, wait for me, we'll leave right away. ”

When he came out of the house again, he had already changed into a slightly old black jacket and old shoes.

As he went downstairs with George, realizing that buying enough materials for potions didn't seem to be something that could be easily done after finding a channel, Andrew cautiously asked, "Do I need to change into old clothes too?"

"Andrew, you have to pay for your purchases, and it's useless for you not to wear new shoes. ”

Andrew subconsciously touched the backpack behind his back, smiled calmly and said, "You're right, George." ”

'Queens', the only area in New York's five boroughs, which is composed of various ethnic minorities and colored races, is hailed as the new symbol of New York, the world's second largest metropolitan city, in the travel guide.

Officially, if Manhattan represents New York's former glory, then Queens represents a new future for an embracing, blending, and vibrant New York.

Newcomers from all over the world with the 'American Dream' will inevitably settle in Queens as their first stop in New York.

Here, you can taste authentic delicacies from all over the world and enjoy the works of the most unique and emerging artists.

For example, in this New York region with a population of more than 2 million, there is basically no commercial area and no large supermarket;

One-third of the neighborhoods here rarely have pedestrians after 8 p.m., and even most of them must be carrying guns and drugs, but these dangerous neighborhoods seem to be blind spots in the eyes of the New York police, and there are very few patrol vehicles;

In addition to selling their physical strength and earning a small reward, the new immigrants who have moved in through various legal and illegal means have a way to live by roaming the streets with pistols and taking stealing and robbery as a profession;

There are also up-and-coming artists living here, most of whom perform all kinds of quirky performance art on the street or in subway stations part-time to beg for money, and a few do simple manual labor in cafes and restaurants, and once their works are recognized and sold for a price, the first thing they do must be moving.

In short, in the eyes of New Yorkers in the other four districts, the words poor, dirty, and sinful are the true portrayal of Queens---- of course, if you are a wizard who needs secrecy and likes city life, then this is a paradise, you don't even need to hide it, you can sell things that look strange elsewhere--- such as: brilliant hands, screaming herbs, hallucinatory plants when smelling.... These things look perfectly normal here.

As one of the symbols of "Free America", Queens seems to be safer and more comfortable for wizards than Diagon Alley or Tumbledown Alley.

Taking the subway from Brooklyn to Queens is like riding a time machine from the new century to the 60s and 70s, and you can witness the regression of civilization with your own eyes.

After the subway arrived at its destination, looking at the dirty graffiti on the wall of the station, George looked at Andrew beside him with a sad face, and told him for the first time: "Be careful..."

Andrew walked out of the subway, looked at the crowd around him, and finally said impatiently: "George, we are surrounded by a lot of 'backpackers' who travel independently, and I really don't see the need to be careful here and there." ”

"When they come to the zoo, some people stay outside the cage and throw peanuts at the monkeys, and some people open the cage and make a deal with the lions, with different purposes and different attitudes. ”

Andrew once again felt the extraordinariness of his temporary friend in the United States, hidden under the usual strange behavior, he nodded, said nothing more, followed George vigilantly, and walked out of the subway station.

The big fish has thousands of catties of strength in the water, but when it comes to the shore, it can only die of thirst, in a sense, how can it not be the case, even if the wizard has incomparably powerful magic, but in the face of nuclear weapons, in the face of mechanical troops, and even in the face of the star monarch, it is just an ant-like existence.

Outside the subway station are low-slung houses and jovial crowds, and there are not a single skyscraper in sight, nor a single pedestrian in a suit and leather shoes, with a determined and confident step.

Everyone who walks out of the subway station and looks like a tourist is warmly embraced by a group of clowns in colorful clothes with balloons.

The little ones will also get an extra hydrogen balloon that flutters upwards.

Of course, almost all travelers will also throw a dollar or two in return for the top hat held by the clown.

Andrew, with his backpack, was obviously classified as a tourist, but when a clown approached him, George said, "Hey man, we're not outlanders." And he drove them away.

"The security in the Salson neighborhood is one of the best in the neighborhood, but there are a lot of pickpockets. Okay, we're going to a place that's not close to here, let's walk for an hour or two, let's go. ”

Hearing that it would take such a long time to walk, Andrew asked suspiciously: "George, is there no subway or bus or taxi?"

"It's safest to walk, put your hands in your trouser pockets, act like you're holding a guy, and come with me. ”

"This is your territory, it's yours to decide. Andrew said, blending into the cheerful flow of people behind George.

The two of them zigzagged through narrow alleys and wide streets, and Andrew felt that the flow of people around him was getting less and less, and the faces of pedestrians were becoming more and more stiff and cold.

After walking for more than an hour, George suddenly said, "Man, I don't know where to sell the 'things' you need--- the things you want are too strange, tree snake skin, leech powder, licorice root, etc., many of which I have never heard of." But I've lived here before, and I've heard from friends that there's a lot of illegal trade in the port of Queens, and I'm going to take you to meet this man, and there's a way to get your hands on everything that's illegal in Queens..."

"Broker?"

"The most creditworthy, well-behaved broker I know.

But even so, you have to be careful with everything a little bit, and if something happens, it's best not to provoke anyone, and do exactly what they say. George said seriously.

"George, you can know this kind of person, it seems that it was not easy before. ”

"The only specialty of the community I was born into was hooligans and gangsters, and it was natural to know them. Remember what I just told you, I really don't want any accidents to happen to you, otherwise it would be difficult for me to get out. ”

"OK, I made a note of it. Andrew said casually as he walked, looking around.

At this time, four or five black young men in dark gray jumpers were about to pass shoulders, when one of them, a fat man with a height of more than one hundred and eighty centimeters, suddenly stopped, pouted, stared at George with gloomy eyes and said, "Hey, hey, guess who I saw, George, George, George." My old friend who has left the country, how can you return to this dirty, run-down, sinful Queens? ”

"Shit," George, who couldn't dodge, cursed in a low voice, raising his voice with an embarrassed face, "Rabbi, listen, I don't want to make trouble." I just came back here to bring this friend to make a deal with Boss Kuiwen. ”

"Come to Boss Kuiwen, hey, hey... George, you've been away here for too long, and it seems that some news is blocked," the fat rabbi stepped forward and hooked George's shoulder hard, and whispered, "It's been a few months since Quiven was shot in the head in front of the Black Cat Bar. Now my brother Lako is in charge here, and I can come directly to me if there is any deal. ”

George's face changed greatly, he was speechless for a long time, and finally said with difficulty: "It's a deal, but in fact, I just want to use Boss Kuiwen's connections, you know, he has always traveled extensively, since he has an accident, we don't..."

"Tell me what the deal is, George?" Rabbi asked, raising her voice with a smirk.

At this time, Andrew on the side took the initiative to speak up and said: "I want to buy a batch of special medicinal materials, George said that he has a way in Queens, so we found here." ”

The rabbi seemed to notice the thin Asian boy next to George, he looked at Andrew a few times, and asked, "Are you Chinese?"

"I'm from the Far East. ”

"My guess is that only you Chinese gangs are so careful, and when you talk about a deal, you will first send out inconsequential pawns to find the way. ”

"Be careful to sail the ship of ten thousand years, not to mention that being young does not mean that there is no wisdom. Andrew didn't explain much, and said with a deep smile.

"Hahahaha, that's a good boy, I'm young. You know, you're kind of likable, but you're just looking for the wrong middleman. ”

Andrew smiled but didn't say a word.

"How many 'goods' do you need?"

"The first time it was only a kilogram or two. ”

"Hell, I thought it was big business, but it's better to have a small business than no business.

I happen to know that Kebby has the 'stuff' you need in Dude's warehouse, and I'm going to take you there now. ”

George broke free of Rabbi's arm and yelled, "Listen, Rabbi, we're not idiots, we're not going anywhere!"

"I'm afraid it's not up to you, George. The rabbi smiled like a cat and mouse and said, "Put your hands in your trouser pockets and pretend to hold a gun, it seems that you haven't grown at all in the past two years." And this friend of yours would do such a ridiculous action with you, is it that the gun control in New York is so strict now, even the Chinese gangsters can't get a short gun. Okay, let's stop talking nonsense, now there is only one person in charge here, and that is me, whatever I say, you all have to do it, now I say, follow me. ”

As he spoke, he glanced at his men, and the remaining four black youths surrounded Andrew and George, forcing them to follow the rabbi into the more remote alleys.

After the autumn wind of garbage, the skulls or grimace crows decorated with blood and the slogans of "Dropdead" several meters high, after a few dozen or so, several people came to a very dilapidated, inaccessible neighborhood.

In front of a heavy, rusty iron door, the rabbi paused, sniffled, and smiled, "Here we are." ”

"Listen to the rabbi, the past has nothing to do with my friends..."

"George, I said, here we are. The rabbi said, smirking and pulling open the iron door with his own hands with two of his men, and a foul smell came out.

It was a large, rudimentary warehouse with shaky, unpainted concrete walls, fecal dirt and tattered, dirty mattresses on the floor, and the only source of light was a few square skylights from the high ceiling.

"There's nothing I want here. Andrew took the initiative to walk into the warehouse and looked around.

"What do you want Dama to do? Don't you just want to feel that fluttering feeling? I can give you that feeling, and it's more enjoyable than you expected......" Rabbi said with a sly grin as he kicked George into the warehouse.

Andrew quietly stepped back a few steps, looked the rabbi and his strong men up and down, smiled meaninglessly, and whispered, "It seems that you are ready to eat black." Then he suddenly turned around and ran towards the depths of the dark warehouse.

No one stopped him from escaping, and only the rabbi came from behind him: "Run, boy, it's a pity that there is only one exit from this warehouse." Laughter.

Hearing the rabbi's crazy laughter, George, who was kicked to the ground by him, spat out a mouthful of blood, gasped and said: "Rabbi, we grew up together, I don't understand why you hate me so much, you have to ..."

"I don't know why, you don't know why," the rabbi kicked George a few more times with all his might, until his body curled up like a ripe prawn and kept shaking, and then he said viciously: "When you reported me to the strip, you should have thought of this day." ”

"I, I, I said it, I didn't do the thing that brought you to juvenile court, I, I've explained it very, many times, and besides, you've only been sentenced to fifty hours of community service. Hell, Boss Kuiwen had already said it back then..."

"Boss Quiven is dead," said the rabbi coldly, "and now it is my old brother Lako who is in charge." And George, it's not a matter of fifty hours of community service, it's a matter of my dignity. As the rabbi spoke, the iron door of the warehouse had been slammed shut by his men, and as the last rays of sunlight faded away, the stench in the resealed warehouse became even worse.

In the vague darkness, the rabbi pointed a short gun at George's head, and finally said: "If it is at night, it doesn't have to be so troublesome, sorry George, I have made you suffer so much, I will send you to where you should go right away..."

George, who was unwilling to sit still like this, sat up sharply sideways, trying to snatch the short gun from Rabbi's hand, but was kicked in the back of the head by a black young man with a leather boot and passed out.

Seeing George faint on the ground, the rabbi smiled and asked the black man who knocked him unconscious: "Duke, do you think we should wake up this kid with urine and send him to God, or will we just shoot him in the head with mercy?"

"That's not what you want, Boss Rabbi. Kill this kid, and there's a yellow-skinned banana cub for us to entertain, hey, what's that, like..."