Starting from South America, speeding through the world

Chapter 296 Ink! West! Brother!
Upon arriving at the police station, Zhou Yi was immediately taken to the waiting room.

The iron stool was tied to the wall.

The two drunkards were singing songs in different tunes.

In the corner, a young man was huddled up, covering his face with his sleeve; he had clearly been smoking heavily.

He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw new people being brought in.

"Great outfit, bro. Celebrating Halloween early? Or were you carried straight in from a 1950s dance hall?"

Realizing no one was responding, he became even more excited: "You're in the film business? Back to the Future Part 4? Asian Marty McFly? C'mon, man—"

Zhou Yi stared at his constantly opening and closing mouth, and sighed for the third time.

Fortunately, the on-duty police officer quickly leaned in.

“Garcia. Phone. Three minutes,” he said coldly.

"Call a lawyer, or anyone you need to reach."

Zhou Yi held the receiver to his ear, his index finger hovering over the numbers, but then stopped.

Who to call—that is the question.

Colin teaches students in the Congo.

Ethan wandered around the Middle East.

Kurt's intelligence team is unreliable.

Lucas.
Zhou Yi's fingertips unconsciously tapped the plastic casing of the phone.

Finally, he sighed and dialed Jim's number.

The last time I saw him was at the funeral of the Castelli family.

Then, he went to Washington.

Excluding system tasks, it hasn't been long at all.

Hopefully, the person is still in the country.

One second, two seconds.

Ten seconds, half a minute.

Just as he was about to hang up, the call was answered.

“Jim, it’s me, John.”

Zhou Yi spoke first.

After a while, a slightly sleepy voice finally came from the other end.

"John? What's wrong with you?"

“I am in Alameda County, California, and have committed a misdemeanor trespassing offense. I need to be released on bail.”

Zhou Yi explained succinctly.

Upon hearing this, Jim became much more alert.

“What a coincidence, you’re lucky—I happen to be in Auckland,” he said.

How many are they driving?

"The final number is not yet available."

"."

"Is there anything about you that might 'confuse' them?"

"No, it's very clean."

"Very good, don't say anything more, don't sign anything carelessly, that's all."

"Wait until I'm 40 to 50—okay, 70 minutes. I need to go find a bail broker and grab a couple of coffees while I'm at it."

"See you."

The phone hangs up.

Zhou Yi couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

Thankfully, we don't need to look for Lucas.

He turned his head, and the policewoman was standing at the door, looking in his direction through the iron bars.

"Done?"

Someone will come.

"Okay." She nodded expressionlessly. "I'll take you to register."

A small window, a laminated form, with countless yellow 'Initial Here' stickers on it.

They matched the fingerprints with the records and then gave Zhou Yizhang a printed receipt.

"You will be sent to the main detention center until the bail company sends you the warrant."

The policewoman explained, "Once we get there, a judge on duty will set the amount."

"In short, the process takes time."

"how long?"

“It’s early morning,” she said, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Two to three hours.”

"Where is your coffee machine?" Zhou Yi asked.

"In my dreams." This time, the policewoman answered decisively.

Outside the branch office, a modified van was parked.

Two people were already sitting there, their eyes bloodshot, muttering, "I did nothing wrong."

The guard closed the door expressionlessly, and the car immediately began to shake.

The sky in the east was turning white.

The city is just beginning to awaken.

The parking lot of the detention center was completely empty.

Once inside, you'll hear a complete set of practiced movements.

Queuing, opening your mouth, lifting your foot, metal detection, item counting, signing for the wristband.

The Black guard made Zhou Yi put his hand into the metal frame.

The screen emitted a short "beep".

"Okay," he said. "Sit here and wait for your number to be called."

It was another waiting area with overly strong air conditioning and old-fashioned paint.

The television was playing a loop of advertisements for the county prosecutor's public service. —Fentanyl can kill with just two pills.

Few people watched it, and even fewer listened.

Forty minutes had passed when Zhou Yi was called to the window.

"Your bail is currently set at 2,500 for a minor offense of trespassing, entering a county compound or property at night, in violation of county ordinances."

The clerk sitting behind the glass read mechanically.

“If there is a bail company, we will process it as soon as we receive the ticket.”

"You can pay in cash or by card."

"You have one more chance to make a phone call."

"We're waiting for someone," Zhou Yi said.

The clerk grunted in response and waved for him to return to the bench.

A dozen minutes later, a Mexican man in a trench coat walked in from the security checkpoint.

Behind him followed a tall white man with a full beard.

Jim Keane.

Carrying two cups of hot coffee.

“I said seventy minutes.” He raised his glass to Zhou Yi.

"I was five minutes late because some idiot was driving 45 in the fast lane."

The bail broker and clerk went to handle the paperwork.

Jim stood outside the railing, sizing up Zhou Yi.

From shoes and hair to clothes, I couldn't help but smirk.

“John Hernandez Garcia!” he laughed again.

"Did you steal this outfit from the Smithsonian Museum?!"

"A themed party." Zhou Yi lifted the lid of the cup, and steam carrying a bitter smell rushed up.

“Okay, Mr. 'Theme Party',” Jim said.

“I paid the expenses myself, plus the paperwork, it came to a total of three thousand.”

"They want you to sign a commitment letter so that I don't make a wasted trip."

This time, the procedures were completed very quickly.

The guard outside the iron gate called out to him.

"Come out, Garcia."

"Take your receipt; collect your money at the exit."

As Zhou Yi walked out of the detention center carrying his vest, the morning breeze brushed against his face.

Just as he tilted his head back, trying to enjoy the modern air, Jim leaned closer.

"What's going on? What are the mission requirements?" he asked with a puzzled expression.

"If so, don't tell me the details; I don't want to get into trouble."

Zhou Yi shrugged: "To make a long story short, it was early morning, at a nursing home, and someone committed suicide."

"I was wandering around the neighborhood when the police happened to see me."

“Excellent.” Jim took a sip of his coffee. “Even more boring than I expected.”

"That's a good thing."

“That’s true.” Jim seemed to swallow back the words he had prepared, and then changed his approach.

In other words, you don't have any work on hand right now?

"I'm semi-retired, anyway, I've saved up enough for a 401K."

"So, what about the term 'extra income'—"

Jim paused for a moment, seemingly considering his words.

"Is this still attractive to a gentleman like you who is content with modest wealth?"

"Look at the price," Zhou Yi said seriously.

“Fuck you, John.” Jim rolled his eyes.

"I just fished you out of the water, now you're coming to Mexico with me."

"It's settled then, the pay will be split 50/50."

Zhou Yi also took a sip of coffee.

"You have projects in Mexico?"

“Of course,” Jim said matter-of-factly. “That’s why I came to Oakland.”

“Drive across the border all the way to Baja California.”

"The road trip was beautiful."

"How about we treat this as a revisit to Iraq?"

Zhou Yi burst out laughing.

"Stop talking nonsense, your original plan was to go it alone?"

“I remember your Spanish level is limited to ‘beer’ and ‘prostitute’.”

"Isn't this exactly what we need, Garcia?"

Jim emphasized the last few syllables.

"As originally planned, I was supposed to bring a locally born translator."

"As it turned out, that bastard was both greedy and cowardly."

"Last time in Mexico, he screamed like he was dead as soon as he saw a little blood."

"so."

He stared into Zhou Yi's eyes. "Please help your brother, okay?"

Zhou Yi got goosebumps all over her body.

"Fuck you," he said. "Let me change my clothes first."

"After that, you drive, and I need to figure out my phone."

(End of this chapter)