Chapter 156 Picked Up

Chapter 156 Picked Up

Chapter 156 Picked Up
When we arrived at the hotel, it was already past eleven o'clock.

After being assigned a room, I took a shower and went to bed.

After staying up all night, don’t talk about women.

The man can hardly hold on any longer.

I slept until dawn and finally got over the jet lag and felt refreshed.

After washing up, go to the restaurant to have breakfast.

When we arrived at the dining hall, the feeling of unfamiliarity became even stronger.

Looking around, there are foreigners everywhere.

He was speaking bird language, which no one could understand except Jiang Ning.

Even Feng Yu could only understand a few words occasionally.

Arriving in an unfamiliar environment, everyone was extra careful.

I was told before I came out that you need to pay attention to this and that.

No smoking.

You cannot spit anywhere.

Don't litter.

cannot……

In short, there are a lot of things you can't do. In any case, you can't do anything that is inconsistent with foreigners' values ​​and living habits.

Except for Jiang Ning, everyone else is seriously lacking in confidence.

When foreigners look at me, I will subconsciously look away.

That’s all.

The most ridiculous thing is breakfast.

Looking at pancakes, eggs, sausages and bread, not only Jiang's father and mother were at a loss, even Jiang Hua and Jiang Ze looked at them for a long time and didn't know what to eat. Jiang Wei asked Jiang Ning: "Is this what the Americans eat in the morning?"

Jiang Ning said: "Otherwise, the Americans don't know how to make dumplings or pancakes."

Jiang Wei was quite worried: "I hate western food the most. It would be nice to have a bowl of beef noodles in the morning."

Jiang Ning teased him, "Do you want me to hire a chef from my hometown to cook for you?"

Jiang Wei smiled and said, "Okay, let's invite one quickly. Uncle and Aunt Ken are not used to eating these things."

Jiang Ze laughed at him, "It's all a problem. Western food is for successful people. You should be content to eat authentic Western food. You are still picky. I think you are more suitable for eating potatoes with garlic."

Jiang Wei said, "You know nothing. You are a bunch of successful people. Which of the real rich people likes to eat these Western fast foods? They are all Western worshippers. It's all made up by those TV dramas. They claim that successful people are superior by eating Western food. What a bunch of bullshit. We have thousands of years of catering culture. Which of the eight major cuisines is not better than Western fast food?"

Jiang Ning supported Jiang Wei this time: "Yes, it is true that the US is better than us in technology, economy and military, but it is bullshit to say that Western food is high-end. When it comes to food, my hometown is definitely the best. Western fast food can't compare."

Sun Mei asked Jiang Ning: "What did you eat every day during those years you were out there?"

Jiang Ning said, "Eat whatever is available. Just fill your stomach."

Sun Mei asked: "Can you get used to it?"

Jiang Ning said, "It's OK. I wasn't used to the food when I first went out, but I couldn't just go hungry. I got used to it over time. Now I'm not picky. I eat wherever I go as long as I can fill my stomach."

Jiang Youxin rarely praised him, "Not bad, you can eat wherever you go. It's not easy when you are away from home."

As he spoke, he took some pancakes and eggs and ate a little.

Then follow Xie Ning to go shopping.

It was my first time in New York, and I went to see representative buildings and places such as Wall Street, Broadway, Times Square, and the Empire State Building. There were foreigners everywhere, and I occasionally saw a few fellow countrymen, which made me feel very close to them.

It turned out that there was indifference in people's eyes.

Very unaccustomed.

Jiang Ning also taught his family members by example: "When someone looks at you, don't avoid their gaze. That's impolite. Smile and nod back. Isn't that how you do it at home? It's the same when you go out. Don't think that foreigners are man-eating monsters."

Liu Yuping said: "It would be embarrassing if I didn't listen to someone talking to me."

Jiang Ning said, "If you don't understand, then you don't understand. It's not a shameful thing. If you really can't, just say hello. People won't laugh at you if you don't understand English. Foreigners who travel to China don't understand our language either, but you see they are afraid of this or that. They use gestures, guesses, and still communicate with us in English. Who would laugh at them?"

When everyone thought about it, they realized that this was indeed the case.

Although we understand the principle, it is difficult to put it into practice.

When we arrived at Wall Street, the family was a little disappointed.

Such a great reputation, such a shabby street.

Looking around, there are old buildings everywhere. It’s not as good as the new city in Bei’an!

It's really a bit disappointing.

When passing by the Federal Reserve, Jiang Ning pointed and asked Feng Yu: "Do you know where the world's largest gold vault is?"

Feng Yu looked around and asked, "Where is it?"

Jiang Ning nodded: "Yes, it's in the basement of the Federal Reserve. There are thousands of tons of gold in it."

“Thousands of tons…”

Feng Yu was surprised: "How did you know?"

Jiang Ning said: "This is not a secret. The whole world knows about it. The Americans are very confident. Not only does the whole world know about it, but foreigners can also visit it, even for free, without buying tickets. Isn't it surprising?"

Feng Yu nodded and said, "I am a little surprised. The ancients said that wealth should not be exposed. Who would tell others if they have gold hidden in their home? How much is thousands of tons of gold worth? And dare to let people in to see it? Aren't you afraid of being robbed?"

Jiang Ning said speechlessly: "What are you thinking? Whoever dares to steal the gold here doesn't want to live here anymore."

Feng Yu thought about it and agreed.

After strolling around Wall Street, we went on a boat ride.

We took a boat trip around the Hudson River and saw the Statue of Liberty.

Jiang Ze suddenly had an idea and asked Jiang Ning: "It is said that rich Americans can do whatever they want. Is it true or false?"

Jiang Ning said speechlessly: "What are you thinking? Even the president can't do whatever he wants. George W. Bush had an affair with a slut and it was exposed as a sex scandal. What do you want to do?"

Jiang Ze said: "Isn't that what people say on the Internet? America is a capitalist country, money is everything, and whoever has money is the boss."

Jiang Ning said, "Capitalism is true, but money is the most important thing. Even if you are rich and can enjoy the best resources and even some privileged conveniences, you have to pretend to be a good person on the surface. Do you still want to kill people, set fires, and rob women?"

Jiang Wei also took the opportunity to show off his knowledge: "America is a democratic country, and power is supervised. A governor has less authority than our village chief. You think you can do whatever you want with a few bribes? What are you thinking!"

Jiang Ze was not convinced: "Damn, that's what people say on the Internet."

Jiang Wei said, "Just read those words. You really believe them. What they mean by doing whatever you want is that rich people can do whatever they want within the scope of the law. It doesn't mean that having money means you can openly trample on the law. Have you seen news about Americans demolishing houses and beating people on the Internet? Rich Americans are not as well off as rich people in my hometown. Why don't you ask Gates to demolish ordinary people's houses and see if he can do it."

Jiang Ze said: "Gates is not crazy, why is he demolishing ordinary people's houses by force!"

Jiang Wei said: "The Americans also build buildings, but why haven't we seen any reports of forced demolitions?"

Jiang Ze said: "Just because it hasn't been exposed doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Jiang Wei didn't want to argue with him anymore: "Forget it, there's no point in arguing."

In the evening, Jiang Ning asked Xie Ning to change hotels.

Change to the Hilton Hotel on Wall Street.

It's so expensive, it feels worse than the hotel I stayed in before!
Jiang Ning didn't care. He went out for a walk in the evening. After returning to the hotel, he didn't go upstairs. He said to Feng Yu in the lobby: "You go up first. I'll call a few acquaintances to see if I can get in touch with them."

Feng Yu didn't think much about it and went upstairs first.

After his family went upstairs, Jiang Ning left the hotel.

He turned into an empty alley and immediately slipped underground.

This is the core of New York and the core of the United States.

There are all kinds of pipes and passages everywhere underground, including sewer pipes and natural gas pipes.

There are subway passages and some secret passages whose purpose is unknown.

Jiang Ning walked for a while and soon arrived outside a basement.

First, I took out a set of night clothes and put them on, covering myself tightly from head to toe.

Then he escaped inside.

Suddenly, a shrill alarm sounded in the quiet building.

The underground monitoring system failed in an instant.

The night watchmen were alarmed and somewhat at a loss.

This has never happened since I started working here.

I never thought anyone would dare to take this place.

So when the unexpected happened, I couldn't believe it...

underground.

Jiang Ning retreated into a small room with shelves on both sides.

Gold bricks are neatly stacked on the shelves.

Sent.

These were all picked up, why should I be polite?

Wherever his hand touched, the gold bricks disappeared.

This process lasted less than a minute, and all the gold bricks on the shelf were sold out.

Go through the wall and come to the next room.

It is also a small room, smaller than the previous one.

After collecting the gold bricks, move on to the next one.

This time we entered a large room, which was much larger than the two small rooms combined. The number of gold bricks was at least ten times more than the two small rooms combined. At first glance, it felt like we had entered a small supermarket.

The only difference is that what is on the shelves are not drinks and instant noodles, but gold bricks.

Jiang Ning began to touch the gold bricks, and each time he touched one, one less gold brick appeared.

The process was quite fast. After a few minutes, the upgraded five elements space was half full.

There was chaos outside, but he couldn't hear a single sound.

At the entrance, the huge steel cylinder could not be moved.

A careful observation revealed that the steel cylinder and the gate were completely integrated.

This is simply incredible.

The armed personnel were completely paralyzed. What the hell should they do?

underground.

Ten minutes passed.

The upgraded five elements space is almost full.

There was less than one hundredth of the gold left in the big room.

Jiang Ning left some space and didn't continue to touch the gold bricks.

After walking out of the room, I took a leisurely look around.

Seeing that each room door had a number on it, he couldn't figure out who those numbers represented.

Finally, I went to the entrance and listened, and I heard some movement outside.

He smiled silently and disappeared underground.

Not even a speck of dust was left.

I found an empty alley and came out...

As soon as I got out of the ground, I heard sirens in the distance.

There is also the roar of helicopters flying.

Jiang Ning patted his butt and returned to the hotel in a cool manner.

The public security in the United States is not very good, but the financial district is still very safe.

When we arrived at the hotel, none of the family members slept.

Get together to share what you have seen and heard during the day.

I plan to go shopping in other districts tomorrow. I can’t see anything in Manhattan.

My scalp goes numb just looking at it.

Zhang Yulan saw him coming back and asked, "Why does it take so long to make a phone call?"

Jiang Ning said: "I went out for a walk."

Zhang Yulan started to grumble: "Why are you running around so late at night? It's really worrying."

Jiang Ning: "..."

Who is it that makes people worry-free?

Feng Yu covered her mouth and laughed.

We sat for an hour and it was after ten o'clock before everyone went back to their rooms to sleep.

Everyone had left, and Feng Yu and Jiang Ning were ready to rest.

Feng Yu then asked, "Are you hiding something from me?"

Jiang Ning hummed: "I just robbed a bank."

Feng Yu said angrily: "What nonsense are you talking about? Go take a shower!"

Jiang Ning happily went to take a shower.

Some people believe lies.

Tell the truth but no one believes it.

The next day, after breakfast, we went to Queens.

Others didn't feel it.

Jiang Ning looked carefully and found that New York today was a little unusual.

The most obvious change was that the police on the street seemed a little nervous, but they didn't seem to know what was going on.

I paid special attention to the news, but there was nothing new.

There is no big news.

Jiang Ning secretly guessed that the door might not have been opened yet.

That steel cylinder was too big and too thick.

He used the Metal Control Technique to fuse it directly with the gate, so it would not be open in a short time. Even if he broke it open, it would take a lot of effort to use oxygen welding. In addition, the transmission mechanism was also damaged, so it could not be moved even if it was cut open.

How can a steel cylinder weighing dozens of tons be moved by human power?

The crane can't get in either...

After a day in Queens, I returned to Manhattan in the afternoon.

But I didn't go to Wall Street, I went to Chinatown to eat Chinese food.

The dilapidated streets and buildings are not as good as the county town in Bei'an.

However, the various Chinese billboards can still make Jiang's father, mother, brothers and sisters-in-law feel a familiar sense of hometown. Although most of the Chinese characters are traditional Chinese characters, they are at least Chinese characters. Although Jiang Ning has reminded them long ago that they should change their mindset when they come out, they should treat both fellow villagers and foreigners equally, and not think that foreigners are scary, and don't think that fellow villagers can be trusted.

I understand the truth, but I still can't help but feel at ease when I'm with a lot of fellow countrymen.

The main reason is that I can’t get used to eating outside.

It would be fine for others, but not for two pregnant women.

Can only come for Chinese food.

I walked around for a long time, studying the billboard over and over again.

Finally, we went into a random restaurant. The environment was much worse than Jiang Wei's restaurant. I had no idea what the special dishes were. The menu was a hodgepodge of Sichuan and Shandong cuisine. The sign on the door said "Big Hotel", but in fact it was not as good as the small restaurant in Bei'an.

There were not many people eating, and the seat capacity was less than half.

Everyone put two tables together and sat together.

I didn't see the boss, but the person running around was a girl who looked to be in her twenties.

She is pretty and a very enthusiastic person.

I could hear everyone speaking in a dialect and I could tell it was their native language, but I couldn't understand what they were saying.

The girl asked, "Are you from China?"

Zhang Yulan's change is the most obvious. People born in the 1970s and 1980s in her hometown are not unable to speak Mandarin, but they are embarrassed to speak it and always feel awkward. But in New York, everyone around her speaks a foreign language, and Jiang Ning communicates with them in a foreign language.

The easiest way to change people is to adapt to the local customs.

Zhang Yulan adapted the fastest. She said in Mandarin: "Yes, we are from China. Are you here to study?"

The girl answered enthusiastically: "Yes, I am studying for a doctorate here, and I use my spare time to work and earn some living expenses."

Zhang Yulan was quite surprised: "You are a doctoral student!"

The girl smiled and said, "Yes, but it's nothing great. The current employment situation is not very good. Even if you get a Ph.D., it's still hard to find a job. A Ph.D. only represents academic qualifications, not ability."

Zhang Yulan is like other older generations in that she admires knowledge and is envious: "It's great to be admitted as a doctor. There is only one undergraduate in our family, and that's my second daughter-in-law. The rest are uneducated."

Jiang Ning turned his head away and wanted to cover his face.

Damn what he said...

Feng Yu tried to hold back his laughter.

The others looked at each other and wanted to laugh too.

The girl had a strange look on her face and thought this old lady was interesting.

The fact that the whole family can travel together shows that the family is not poor.

Without some strength, how can you organize more than a dozen people to travel around America?

But these words...

After chatting for a few minutes, someone called for the waiter.

The girl hurried over to deal with it.

Zhang Yulan sighed in Bei'an dialect: "All the doctoral students are serving dishes here, ah..."

Sun Mei smiled and said, "Those who don't go to school end up being bosses, and those who go to school end up working for others. Jiang Ning is just an example. Third Aunt, don't be sentimental. PhDs are also human beings and need to make a living. It's not uncommon for them to work in a restaurant."

Zhang Yulan nodded, actually she knew it long ago.

I had heard Jiang Ning say this before I came out.

There are also graduate students delivering food in my hometown!
I've only heard of it before, but never seen it.

This is the first time I see a doctoral student serving dishes in a restaurant.

It's inevitable to feel a little emotional.

We chatted and waited, and after a while the dishes came up one after another.

Jiang Ning invited everyone to eat.

Zhang Yulan tasted it and didn't want to eat it anymore.

Feng Yu took a bite of Mapo Tofu and whispered to Jiang Ning, "It's not tasty."

Jiang Ning also tried it and found it was indeed not tasty.

The tofu was too dry, not fresh at all, and felt like wood chips.

And it's all spicy.

The others tasted it and looked at each other.

Is this Chinese food?

Well, let’s just call it Chinese food.

But the Chinese food here seems a little different from the Chinese food in my hometown.

Just like Sichuan cuisine, when it arrives in Bei'an, it will be localized and become more in line with the tastes of Bei'an people.

The same is probably true for Chinese food exports.

"Eat quickly!"

Jiang Ning reminded everyone: "Just eat whatever you want to get by. If you want to have a meal that suits your taste when you are out, there is no other way except to cook it yourself. Moreover, even if you cook it yourself, it may not taste the same as at home. The ingredients are different, the flour is different, some seasonings are not available, and even the water used is different. How can it be so satisfying?"

The family members nodded and started eating.

When paying the bill after the meal, Jiang Ning gave the waiter a ten-dollar tip.

The girl became more enthusiastic.

Send people away happily.

After leaving the restaurant, Zhang Yulan was still muttering: "The meal is too expensive."

Everyone nodded, it was indeed too expensive.

A meal costs more than 100 yuan, which would be thousands of yuan if converted into money back home.

What can you eat in your hometown with thousands of dollars?
You can book a table at the New Town Hotel.

The food expenses for a day can be several thousand or even tens of thousands. America is really not suitable for traveling for poor people.

If you don’t follow Jiang Ning, who can afford it?

After playing for two days, the appointment time came.

At noon on the third day, we drove to Baltimore, Maryland.

When leaving New York, there were police officers standing at every intersection.

Check passing vehicles.

His convoy was also stopped and inspected.

Feng Yu was quite puzzled: "Do American police also stop vehicles for inspection?"

Jiang Ning said, "I guess he's short of money."

Feng Yu laughed out loud: "Can the Americans still generate income in this way?"

Xie Ning in front replied: "Mr. Jiang, you are joking. The police here certainly can't use this method to generate income. This kind of situation is very rare. I have never seen it in ten years here. I guess something must have happened!"

Feng Yu was curious: "What big thing could happen in New York?"

Xie Ning shook her head: "I don't know about that."

Jiang Ning didn't say anything, of course he knew what was going on.

I'm just curious. The Americans are really patient.

There was no city lockdown search...

It was a journey of about 300 kilometers and it only took four hours to get there.

It is also troublesome to see a doctor in American hospitals, mainly because the process is slow and expensive.

Jiang Ning didn't have many connections. He used to be a private soldier and didn't know any big shots in the political or business circles. He had to follow other people's rules for everything. He didn't mind using his money-counting ability, but he had to have the opportunity.

The Americans are slow in doing things and are far less efficient than we are in China.

It took a day to do two tests.

A nurse checked, then a doctor checked.

Then all we have to do is wait for the doctors to discuss it.

It really tests one's patience.

After waiting for two days, the diagnosis results finally came out.

The doctor named Ike called Jiang Ning over and asked, "Are you a family member of the patient? Can you make decisions on behalf of the patient?"

Jiang Ning nodded: "Of course, can it be cured?"

Ike said: "The patient's problem is not serious. Five years ago, our hospital had a similar case and the operation was very successful..."

Jiang Ning interrupted: "Do you want to have surgery?"

Ike said: "Yes, there is something wrong with the patient's language center, and he needs a craniotomy to be cured."

Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed: "Craniotomy?"

Dr. Ike said patiently, "Don't be so vigilant. Craniotomy is not considered a difficult surgery at Hopkins. We have many successful cases. The patient's problem is not serious. It's just that the speech center's conduction nerves are compressed by blood vessels. We just need to open the skull and straighten the blood vessels. The operation is not difficult."

Jiang Ning asked: "What is the cause of the disease?"

Ike explained: "To put it simply, the vocal organs such as the human throat are like the speakers of a computer, and the language center is the central processor. For the speakers to transmit sound, they need to go through the central processor to process the instructions, and the nervous system is the circuits on the computer motherboard, which is responsible for transmitting information from the central processor to other components. Whether there is a problem with the central processor or the transmission circuit, the speakers will no longer work normally. This is the case with the patient."

Jiang Ning roughly understood, but it was not very specific, and said: "Can you explain it in more detail?"

Ike took a brain model, pointed to an area on the left and said, "Look, this is the language center. There is nothing wrong with the patient's language center, but there are some problems with the conduction nerves. After our diagnosis, the patient suffered a brain injury when he was young. Although he was fine at the time, it caused the inferior cerebral vein to deviate and compress the conduction nerves, which was equivalent to cutting off the circuit. The brain could not control the organs, so the patient lost the ability to pronounce. Drug treatment for cerebral blood vessels compressing nerves is not very effective. Only craniotomy and decompression surgery can eliminate the root cause. This is not an organ dysfunction caused by genetic problems. The treatment is not difficult. Our hospital had a similar case five years ago. The operation was very successful and the patient recovered very well."

Jiang Ning understood now. A few years ago, when Feng Yu was in school, he took Feng Yu to a hospital in Xi'an for a checkup. The diagnosis had already been made, but the result was too rough. It only said it was a neurological problem, without much detail. It was probably because he had made an appointment with a mediocre surgeon instead of a real expert. The doctor might not have figured out the specific cause of the disease. He asked, "What is the success rate of the operation?"

Ike smiled: "I can't answer this question for you, because accidents are everywhere. I can only guarantee that every one of our doctors will do their best to treat patients, and Johns Hopkins Medical School will never let patients down."

Jiang Ning had nothing to say and didn't ask any more questions.

No hospital can guarantee a 100% success rate in surgery.

Especially craniotomy, the risk is too great.

Opening up the skull to perform surgery, are you kidding me?

Jiang Ning asked about the situation in detail, and even asked whether other problems would arise if the surgery was not performed. Finally, he asked for information about previous patients with the same case before leaving the doctor's office.

When you get outside, tell everyone the results.

The family was surprised and shocked.

Feng Xue was so frightened that her face turned pale.

Zhang Yulan asked: "I was injured when I was a child, can't you tell?"

Feng Xue shook his head.

Feng Yu sighed and said, "I also heard it from my mother. She said that when he was two years old, he fell off the bed and went to the hospital for a checkup. They didn't find any problems, but he couldn't speak since then. The medical conditions were poor at that time, so they couldn't find out the cause. When I was in college, I went to the hospital for a checkup again. They said that there was a problem with the nervous system, but the diagnosis was not so detailed."

Zhang Yulan also sighed: "Performing surgery on the brain is too scary!"

Everyone nodded, it was indeed scary.

The risk is too great.

Jiang Ning said objectively: "There are risks, but they are not that scary. Medical technology is very advanced now, and there are many craniotomies. It is still possible to perform surgery in a large hospital like Johns Hopkins. Of course, no one can say whether there will be any accidents. Think about it first, whether you want to have the surgery or not."

Feng Xue shook his head repeatedly and simply refused to consider it.

I would rather be dumb all my life.

I don't want to have brain surgery either.

Jiang Ning couldn't make a decision for her, so he said, "Well, let me get a similar case that was operated on by this hospital five years ago. I'll make a phone call and we can go over and see how it goes."

Everyone nodded, this is indeed possible.

Better to go see real patients than to guess here.

Feng Xue still shook his head and didn't really want to go.

Feng Yu advised her that it would not be a big deal to go and have a look.

Whether or not to have surgery is another matter.

After a while of persuasion, Feng Xue reluctantly agreed.

Jiang Ning made a phone call and a man answered the phone.

From the voice, it seemed to be a middle-aged man. After they told him the purpose of their visit, the other party was quite enthusiastic and agreed to let them go over to take a look. Jiang Ning thanked him repeatedly, asked for the address, and then hung up the phone.

Then he told everyone, "The other party agreed for us to go over there. It's not far away, in Winchester. Let's go now."

The family had no objection, so of course they listened to him.

So we drove straight to Winchester.

Winchester is an independent city in the northern part of the neighboring state of Virginia. It is indeed not far from Barr, about 100 kilometers and a two-hour drive. In fact, the road conditions are not very good and the speed limit is quite strict. It took two and a half hours to get there.

　Sorry, my friends. I've been having a lot of troubles lately and I'm not in good shape. I tried my best to run 7K today and will try to run 9K tomorrow. I will adjust my shape as soon as possible.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)