Esoteric Buddhism: To live as king in America

"Little Leo, what do you mean?"

Shirley glanced at Leo, the mixed-race youth, who immediately patted his rather thin chest and stepped forward, speaking in an incredibly fervent tone:

"Whatever you wish to do, sir, I will certainly help you accomplish it... but..."

He blushed slightly, lowered his head, and said somewhat hesitantly:

"If possible, I'd like to send half of the money I earned last night back home first, to my family..."

"Mr. Leo, you can do whatever you want with your money. We're not a religious organization here, and I'm not the pope. I'm very grateful for your help, and I will do my best to repay you. I can't possibly ask you to risk anything."

Seeing that her style was about to go astray in the eyes of this mixed-race person, Mian quickly made another solemn statement.

Leo showed a grateful expression after hearing this. Whether he actually listened or not was beyond Mian's guess.

In short, on the third day of this journey, Mian finally managed to gather the initial team and basic funds for his startup. Whether it was continuing to save money to meet the mysterious person who issued the protection commission, or finding an opportunity to test the Celestial Cult, there was now more to consider.

"So what do we do next?"

"Shirley asked."

"If possible, I'd like to save up some more money. I have a way to obtain information, but it will cost around 50,000 yuan."

Mian replied.

Upon hearing this, Shirley picked up her phone again, waved it at Mian, and asked:

"Shall we go find some more work to exorcise demons and protect the righteous?"

"No."

Mian waved his hands repeatedly and said with a smile:

"Anyway, yesterday was too dangerous. But thanks to last night's work, we're making good progress in saving money, and we can try some relatively safe ways to make money."

"For example?"

Mian pulled a flyer from his pocket. He had found it on the street before lunch.

The flyer was designed to be quite grand, with the silhouette of the Ocean Federation flag and the Goddess of Justice in the background, and a line of large, carefully designed gold lettering in the most conspicuous position.

It says:

Charity Auction Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the Independence of the Ocean Federation

Various items can be auctioned, and there is no entry fee for sellers participating in the lower-end auctions.

Address: 231 St. Paul Street, Ducal District, Ruff Park

…………

Compared to Unyields Park, which is now completely occupied by homeless people, Ruff Park, located next to the busiest street in the Duchy, still maintains the functions that a park should have on a normal day.

With its spacious grounds, rows of tree-lined streets, expansive green lawns, public sports areas, and the nearby luxurious Donna Hotel, this place has become a frequent relaxation spot for local residents and even leisure travelers staying at the hotel.

It is precisely in such an occasion that the event is qualified to host the lower-end portion of the entire 250th anniversary charity auction.

This auction was held in a low-end section specifically for ordinary people with assets under 20. At this moment, Luffy Park was already packed with a massive crowd.

For this event, the Liberty City government implemented a series of measures. Not only did they set up a specially designated open-air auction with extremely low entry requirements, but they also designated areas for vendors outside the auction venue.

In addition, the policy of waiving admission fees and subsidizing taxes by the venue provider attracted a large number of ordinary people from Freedom City to the event.

Stepping inside, you'll see scenes of buying and selling all sorts of secondhand furniture and decorations everywhere. Interspersed among them are salespeople from small companies promoting new products, as well as fortune-telling stalls and ice cream trucks, which are never lacking in bustling places.

All of this makes this place look more like a lively gathering than an auction.

To ensure the safety of such a large crowd, a considerable number of police officers were deployed throughout and around Loughborough Park. In addition, due to the recent street shooting incident in the Dukes district, these police officers were all armed and on high alert.

By this time, Mian and his group had completely disguised themselves, not only discarding their homeless attire but also changing into more presentable clothes. They made themselves look more like salespeople from a small company or ordinary citizens trying to find bargains.

Mian was initially worried that the police might discover that she was the protagonist of the shooting two days ago, which would cause unnecessary trouble.

But whether it was because the so-called Federal Secret Service had stepped in, or because he had spent money to change into a more respectable outfit and looked like a decent human being, he was completely different from the beggar he was two days ago.

The police officers didn't seem to react much when they saw him. Coupled with the lax identity checks typical of Oceania, Mian, a suspicious individual, Ain, a fugitive mental patient, and Leo, an unregistered illegal immigrant, successfully blended in.

Feeling the lively atmosphere and vibrant energy of Luffy Park, the four people who had just escaped from the hellish Kim Bok Building this morning immediately felt a sense of relief. It was as if the lingering chill and tension on their bodies had vanished in the bustling market, and everyone's steps unconsciously became lighter.

Especially Ai Yin.

Having grown up in a mental hospital since childhood, the isolated world she experienced had never before allowed her to witness such vibrant and lively "outside" life. Already appearing more innocent and naive than her peers due to her illness, she now seemed like a complete child.

Her eyes darted left and right, as fast as a rattle-drum, as if afraid of missing a single exciting or novel scene. It wasn't until the pink ice cream truck entered her field of vision that her darting eyes seemed to encounter some kind of magnet, and were firmly fixed in one place.

It's not the season for ice cream. Even though the weather is sunny, the cold autumn wind can still make you feel chilly.

However, Mian, who had witnessed all of Ain's reactions, knew about the child's past experiences and couldn't bear to refuse her.

"Ain, shall we go get some ice cream?"

Given Ain's lingering resentment about her knightly image, Mian brought it up on her own initiative.

Ain's eyes lit up for a moment, but then a troubled look appeared on his face.

"But doesn't the lord need money? Won't this...?"

Ain poked her finger. Her sensible appearance was heartbreaking. Mian was about to say something more when she saw Shirley walk up to Ain, put her hand on Ain's shoulder, and give her a hearty laugh.

"Yes, your lord needs money, so tell him to save it. Your Uncle Shirley will take you, and I'll cover the expenses."

"And me too."

Leo also weakly raised his hand.

"Really?"

For the first time, Ain, who had always remained silent in front of these two, spoke to them, which made Shirley, a grown man, beam with joy.

"Of course it's true! Come on, come on, your lord doesn't know how to eat. Your Uncle Shirley is the real ice cream king. He knows best how to order."

With that, the two adults and the child ran happily toward the ice cream truck and ordered ice cream.

This made Mian, who was watching from the side, quite gratified.

Ain just needs more social interaction. It's tough on Shirley, willing to put up with the child's antics and go out for ice cream in the freezing cold. I'll make up the money later...

As Mian was thinking this, he saw Sherry buy a strawberry ice cream for Ain, and then order a super-sized ice cream for herself with three scoops, two at once.