"This is it."
Olivia looked around for a moment. Confirming it was the right address, she turned off the engine and parked.
It was a typical American-style house—two stories, a garage, and an attic. Although it didn't have a fenced-in yard, the front lawn was expansive, giving it a lush, vibrant feel.
Inside, the basic furnishings were all there, covered in white dust sheets. The floors were relatively clean, suggesting regular maintenance.
The first floor had a living room, dining room, kitchen, and restroom, with a door on the right leading to the garage. The second floor had three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a retractable ladder in the hallway ceiling leading to the attic.
Overall, it was satisfactory.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just as Shane was about to ask Olivia to pull the car into the garage, a knock came at the door.
Olivia went to answer it.
Standing outside were three people: a man, a woman, and a little girl.
"Hi! We're your neighbors. I'm Amy, this is my husband Bob, and our daughter Teddy. We live right next door."
"Hi." Bob nodded to them with a friendly smile.
The little girl waved her hand. "Hi, I'm Teddy."
Teddy? Is that name serious?
"I'm Shane, and this is Olivia. Nice to meet you," Shane responded with a smile.
"I made this apple pie. Welcome to the neighborhood!"
Amy handed the gift to Olivia and asked enthusiastically, "I didn't see a moving truck. When are you officially moving in? I can introduce you to the other neighbors—they're all wonderful people. Or we could throw a block party! The community hasn't had a party in ages."
No party, no America!
In the US, parties were a way of life. For most people, living, working, socializing, and entertainment were all tightly bound to parties.
Shane politely declined Amy's offer. "We won't be living here long-term for a while. Actually, once we park the car, we're heading straight to the airport. We're not sure when we'll be back."
"Oh, really? ...That's okay! Whenever you're ready to move in, we can help." Amy smiled. "I'm a nurse, and Bob runs an exterminator company—'Bob's Bugs Be Gone'. He's also the school basketball coach. What do you two do?"
"Investment, you could say."
Buying houses—buying a lot of houses—counted as real estate investment, right? Even if he only bought and never sold!
"Do you know any cleaning services? Someone to clean regularly, mow the lawn, maintain the house, that sort of thing."
Shane paused briefly, then continued, "If you have the time and are willing, I could entrust it to you. I'm not sure what cleaning companies charge, but I'm willing to pay you at their standard rate. You're the first neighbors I've met, and we have a saying in the East: A close neighbor is better than a distant relative."
" 'A close neighbor is better than a distant relative.' I like that," Bob said with a grin. "Since you trust us, we'd be happy to take the job. I'll check the rates and let you know. Also, pest control is on the house—no charge for that."
"Thanks."
Shane exchanged numbers with Bob and gave him a spare key. Bob tried to write up a contract to show he was serious, but Shane waved it off.
"Forget the contract. If it's not too much trouble, could you give us a ride to the airport?"
"Of course! No problem," Bob agreed without hesitation.
Olivia drove the Audi into the garage, grabbed their suitcases, and hopped into Bob's big pickup truck with Shane, heading for the airport.
Several hours later, Shane and Olivia took a taxi from JFK Airport to the Vulture Hotel in Brooklyn.
Going to Brooklyn was Shane's decision. The Vulture Hotel was the taxi driver's recommendation.
Arriving at the hotel, Shane was mildly disappointed. The driver had hyped it up to the heavens, but the hotel's class and environment weren't exactly high-end. The price, however, was very friendly.
A king suite, fifty square meters, priced at less than a thousand dollars.
Looking at it from another angle, the driver hadn't scammed them.
For this price, at this level, it was actually pretty decent.
They booked two suites and withdrew some cash from the hotel ATM. Shane and Olivia went to their rooms to settle in. Half an hour later, holding a complimentary neighborhood guide, they left the hotel.
Brooklyn is just one of New York's boroughs—not even the most prosperous one—but to Shane, it felt like the liveliest place he'd been since transmigrating.
The biggest feature was the bustle. People everywhere!
The endless stream of humanity gave Shane that familiar feeling of walking the streets back in his old world.
Traveling from California to Colorado, they'd passed through plenty of places, but the overwhelming impression had been vast land and few people. Cities were okay, but many towns had fewer people than a standard high school back home.
Diversity was Shane's second impression.
Whether it was pedestrians on the street or the surrounding shops, people of all races and international flavors were everywhere. Within a few blocks, Shane spotted three or four Chinese restaurants. He dragged Olivia into one to try it out. Olivia thought it tasted fine, but Shane went in full of hope and left disappointed. How to put it? The taste was... hard to describe. Definitely not authentic Chinese food.
Night fell. Streetlights flickered on.
The pedestrians thinned out, and the homeless on the roadside multiplied.
Olivia frowned slightly. More and more unfriendly gazes were landing on her. She moved closer to Shane and whispered, "It's getting late. We should head back."
Shane had naturally noticed the situation too. There were plenty of unfriendly eyes on him as well.
An Asian face, dressed in luxury brands, with a beautiful woman by his side—he was like a firefly in the dark. It would be hard not to attract attention.
Shane could already sense someone behind them, pretending to stroll casually but slowly tailing them.
"Let's hail a cab." Shane had no interest in teaching these guys a life lesson. He and Olivia stopped by the curb to flag down a car.
No taxi stopped. Instead, a police car pulled up in front of them.