Esoteric Buddhism: To live as king in America

Two ice cream fanatics had snuck into the small group of four. Even Leo was enjoying his ice cream.

To appear somewhat more sociable, Mian hurried upstairs to pay Ayn's bill and ordered herself a simple cream ice cream.

The four of them then went to the grassy area next to them and enjoyed the ice cream.

Watching Ain lick the pink ice cream ball little by little, her eyes narrowed into slits with happiness, Mian didn't know why, but he actually felt a sense of happiness as a father.

"This place... is really lively."

Shirley's gaze swept over the bustling crowd and the dazzling array of stalls. With her mouth full of ice cream, she mumbled a vague sigh.

"How long has it been since the Dukes' District had an event like this?"

"What do you mean?"

As Mian felt the cool sweetness of the ice cream melting on her tongue, she asked this question.

Sherry thought for a moment before answering.

"You know, although the Duke District is also an important district in Liberty City, the true center of Liberty City will always be the Black Tower District. It has the most and best universities, countless business districts, and the stock exchange. All the big events are given priority to be held in the Black Tower District. You may not feel anything because you used to live in the Black Tower District, but as a homeless person who has been running around Liberty City for many years, I have seen it very clearly."

"What do you think is the specific reason?"

Mian licked the cream off his lips, his mind immediately on alert. After all, he was wanted by the Celestial Cult and had just provoked the Steel Skull Cult; under these circumstances, any unusual activity could mean trouble.

Shirley shrugged, giving her a "how should I know" look.

"Who knows what those councilors are thinking? The election's coming up soon, right? They're just making a show of things in the Duchy, handing out free gifts, taking photos to garner votes—it's all standard procedure. It's just that this year's event is a bit bigger, managing to hold the 250th anniversary celebration here. But it's not their own money anyway, so they probably don't care."

Mian nodded, temporarily suppressing her doubts. Sherry's words sounded reasonable.

"On another note,"

Sherry finished the last scoop of ice cream, licked her fingers, and leaned closer to Mian in a low voice, her tone a mix of teasing and inquiry.

"Brother Mian, you didn't bring us here just to wander around and buy ice cream, did you? This auction... how do you plan to make money from it?"

He blinked and asked mischievously.

"Could it be that you actually have the ability to tell from a distance which of these pieces of junk are actually antique treasures?"

Mian chuckled silently and shook his head.

"It's not that convenient, my 'ability' is..."

He denied Shirley's statement.

Although he did intend to use his cheat code to pick up bargains here, this cheat code never listened to him and its appearance was unpredictable, so it couldn't be considered a reliable factor in his plans.

Therefore, he had another money-making plan in mind from beginning to end.

He swallowed the last bite of his ice cream cone, his gaze sweeping over the low-end auction stalls in the park filled with secondhand goods and miscellaneous items, and among them, a few figures dressed more elegantly. A shrewd glint flashed in his eyes.

"However, I've thought of another way. Remember that chair leg, and that awl?"

He subtly mentioned the ability to imbue metal with the properties of a "sword," a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"As long as there are the right 'props' and the right buyers, especially those rich, curious, and not-so-knowledgeable 'guys,' the low-end scene may not be without big fish looking to 'strike gold.' I just saw a few guys who looked like they had spare cash loitering around."

Sherry's eyes lit up; she understood Mian's intention.

"Hey, trying to get something for nothing? Interesting. Are you planning to create some 'divine weapons' to sell?"

"Um."

"Are they only targeting the wealthy?"

"That's roughly the idea."

Mian confirmed.

"However, we still need to determine the specific steps."

"No problem! Leave it to us!"

Shirley patted her chest, full of enthusiasm.

"Collecting junk? Leo and I are experts! Around this park, and in the back alleys of the Duke's District, we'll find you a bunch of 'sword blanks' that look decent!"

Mian nodded and handed the wallet containing some cash to Shirley.

"Okay, you guys go prepare the materials first. Ain and I will stay here and see how things go. We'll also try to figure out if we can sneak into that 'high-end place'."

He pointed to a magnificent building not far away, gleaming in the sunlight—the Donna Hotel—and said this.

Sherry and Leo, carrying the money, quickly joined the crowd to search for materials. Meanwhile, Mian led Ain toward the Donna Hotel.

It's just a street away from the bustling Luffy Park, yet it feels like two different worlds. A scarlet carpet is laid out in front of the hotel, and waiters and security personnel in sharp uniforms stand at attention, while gleaming luxury cars are parked there.

The presence of several times more security personnel than at the park silently proclaimed the fundamental difference between the people gathered here and the vendors and citizens in the park.

This is the real "high-end venue" where the wealthy gather and trade high-value auction items.

Mian, with Ayn by his side, began strolling along the edge of Ruf Park, pretending to be a wanderer, but actually observing the hotel's entrances and exits, security measures, and potential blind spots in the surveillance cameras without making a sound.

He slowly walked around the magnificent hotel building, the luxurious glass curtain wall reflecting the sunlight, dazzling his eyes.

The main entrance and side entrances were heavily guarded; without an invitation or special credentials, even approaching them seemed suspicious. The alleyway behind the hotel, which connects with the adjacent buildings, was not an unguarded blind spot either; security guards were also on duty at the back entrance, and guards with patrol dogs were even seen conducting regular patrols of the alleyway.

After circling the area, Mian's heart sank. The security was far tighter than expected, almost like a heavily guarded fortress. Forget about sneaking in; even finding a quiet corner to observe the interior would be incredibly difficult.

Asking Ain to use her knightly abilities might be possible, but that would be far too dangerous. After all, who knows how many "cult members" like Wang Yuanli might be mixed in with the dignitaries in the hotel?

"Looks like there's no chance..."

Mian muttered to himself, a sense of disappointment beginning to creep in. The information about high-end venues and potential big buyers seemed so close yet so far away—it was incredibly frustrating. He sighed, preparing to give up, and called to Ain.

"Ain, let's go back to the park and wait for Sherry and the others."

Just as he turned around, taking Ai Yin's small hand and intending to leave the hotel's back alley area and take a shortcut through a narrower alley with slightly dim lighting and piles of hotel maintenance supplies, a woman's scream reached his ears.

"...Let me go, please!"