You're a US police officer, what are you thinking about going back to the East for?

Covered in mud that exuded the fragrance of nature, Alex walked into the lobby of the dormitory building like a terracotta warrior who had just crawled out of an ancient tomb.

As soon as I pushed open the glass door, a strong, somewhat pungent smell of cheap marijuana hit me, completely burying the fresh air outside.

Next to the long-broken vending machine in the lobby, a young white man wearing a hip-hop vest and a fake gold chain around his neck was standing there swaggering around.

This guy's nickname is Viper, and he's a well-known on-campus distributor in this dormitory building.

Viper is not like Alex's black roommate who's sprawled out in the living room.

His Black roommate was, at best, a self-employed individual who loved agriculture.

That guy used his exceptional talent in botany to grow a large number of hallucinogenic mushrooms on his tiny balcony in his dorm room, using discarded protein powder containers, emphasizing an eco-friendly, all-natural, farm-to-table approach.

But venomous snakes are different; they're in the big business.

It's said that this guy has close ties with a gang called Bloodaxe outside the school, ensuring a stable supply of goods and a complete range of products, from mind-boosting drugs (Adela) to synthetic enhancement agents that can make people so high they'd run naked in the hallway.

Because he had a gang backing him up, Viper was extremely arrogant when selling his goods, treating the first-floor lobby as his own VIP counter.

As for the dormitory manager?

That bald old man, almost sixty years old, who always carries a thermos, not only doesn't care, but is even a high-level VIP customer of Viper.

It is said that the old man gets some specially made pills mixed with potent ingredients from a venomous snake every month in order to maintain his precarious retirement life.

Since he was being paid for, the old man naturally turned a blind eye to the snake's business activities in the lobby.

"Yo! Alex! My bro!"

The venomous snake, with its sharp eyes, spotted Alex, who was covered in mud, at a glance.

Not only did he not look down on her, but he also greeted her warmly, like a top salesman meeting a potential client.

"Dude, that's a pretty unique look! What's up? Went to dig potatoes in the back hills?"

The viper skillfully pulled open his oversized coat, revealing a row of neatly sewn inner pockets filled with tubes of colorful pills and powders, making him look like a walking Doraemon's magic pocket.

"Midterm exams are coming up soon, right? Look at those dark circles under your eyes, you haven't slept for at least three days."

The viper pulled a small resealable pouch containing blue crystals from his pocket, waved it in front of Alex, and spoke in a seductive tone:

"Try this? A brand new West Coast-exclusive booster. Just a tiny sip, and I guarantee you'll be able to memorize calculus and fluid mechanics tonight, your brain'll be working faster than a washing machine!"

"And they're having a Halloween sale right now, buy two get one free, plus a free lighter with a pumpkin face on it, how about it?"

Alex stared at the bag of blue stuff, his lips twitching wildly.

He just wanted to get back to his dorm and study that broken umbrella; he didn't have time to listen to him trying to sell him the enhancer.

"Thanks, brother, but no need."

Alex waved his hand and gave a perfunctory yawn:

"I'm allergic to synthetic chemicals, and my brain is already spinning like crazy. If I eat this stuff again, I'm afraid I'll spontaneously combust during math class tomorrow morning."

"Really don't want it?"

Viper raised an eyebrow, quickly stuffed the bag of enhancers back into his pocket, and didn't continue to pester him.

In the minds of these drug dealers, East Asian students are an extremely polarized and peculiar group.

Some people, once they arrive in the free land of America, are like wild dogs that have broken free of their reins. On their very first day, they can drag strippers into a sports car and become idiots.

But a significant number of people, like Alex in front of us, lead extremely routine and monotonous lives, and have a strange aversion to these little pills that bring them ultimate pleasure.

The viper shrugged, giving a "I understand" look.

"Alright, I understand. You Easterners, you know, you're into that... Zen thing, right?"

The venomous snake clasped its hands together, comically mimicking a monk chanting sutras.

"A life of simplicity and abstinence, like an ascetic monk. Respect! I wish you a speedy attainment of enlightenment, my friend. If one day you decide you want to experience the feeling of ascending to heaven, feel free to come find me on the first floor; I'll give you a 20% discount!"

"Thank you for your kind words. I'm going up to cultivate immortality now."

Alex rolled his eyes dramatically and fled up the stairs.

Pushing open the wooden door of the dormitory, which was covered with posters of various rock bands, a familiar smell, a mixture of expired pizza and some strange plant incense, wafted out.

The situation in the dormitory was exactly as Alex had predicted in the grove, down to the last detail.

His Black roommate, Jamal, was sprawled on the living room sofa in a contorted position.

This guy had obviously eaten too many of the hallucinogenic mushrooms he grew himself. Right now, he was staring intently at a half-eaten pizza crust with unfocused eyes, muttering something about cheese being the end of the universe.