"Hello, may I ask, is this the Massachusetts Tourism Bureau?" Jiang Hai knocked on the window in front of him. When the window opened, he bent down slightly and asked the middle-aged man inside, who appeared to be in his fifties, with a smile.
Hearing Jiang Hai's question, the middle-aged man, who had been reading a newspaper, casually pointed inside and stopped talking.
"Thank you." Jiang Hai didn't mind his cold response. He knew most Americans could be quite reserved, but that didn't necessarily mean their attitude was bad. It was just the way people were here. After thanking him, Jiang Hai tightened his coat, grabbed his umbrella, and walked in side by side with Cindy Clive.
"Jiang, nothing will happen, right?" Cindy Clive asked, sounding a bit worried as they walked in.
"What could happen? Don't worry!" Jiang Hai replied with a smile. He wasn't concerned about whatever Cindy was worried about.
As they chatted, the two of them entered the building in front of them.
Boston is a very "old" city, especially in terms of American history. It was once one of the largest cities in the United States when it was first founded, but that was many years ago. Today, Boston remains a small, compact, and somewhat rundown city. Anyone who has been to Boston knows that the roads here are narrow, which leads to heavy traffic congestion.
The streets are also quite dirty, and it's hard to know what kind of people inhabit the area.
If you had visited thirty or forty years ago, racial discrimination was rampant here, especially against people of color. Not only were Asians discriminated against, but black people faced the most prejudice. Boston was controlled by the Gray Gang, which was predominantly white.
Of course, after years of reforms, the situation has improved. Though the black population in Boston is still small, the city hosts many prestigious universities, which has gradually improved the education and quality of life here.
But the environment still leaves much to be desired, particularly the Massachusetts Tourism Bureau, which Jiang Hai and Cindy had just arrived at.
The building was quite shabby, a three-story structure that looked like it had been around for decades.
There was no sign outside, no markings, and even the house number on the door had rusted. Honestly, no one would know where this place was unless they used a GPS. Without it, Jiang Hai would never have found it. After entering the gate, they found two security guards lounging and chatting lazily. When they saw Jiang Hai and Cindy Clive, their eyes brightened, but it wasn't for Jiang Hai—it was for Cindy Clive.
Cindy was attractive, at least as much as a regular celebrity.
"Miss, may I ask what brings you here?" One of the security guards stood up, showing a big yellow tooth and greeting her with a forced smile.
"Excuse me, could you direct me to the meeting room of the Tourism Bureau?" Cindy Clive replied with a smile.
"Oh, just turn left upstairs, the largest room. I can take you there," another security guard said enthusiastically, eager not to be outshone by his colleague.
"That won't be necessary," Cindy Clive said, shaking her head. She then took Jiang Hai's arm, pulling him with her upstairs, which caused the two security guards to exchange a look and curl their lips.
They couldn't help but feel that they were just as good-looking as Jiang Hai, that "damn yellow guy."
"See? This lady's charm is undeniable," Cindy Clive remarked once they reached the second floor.
Jiang Hai simply smiled without replying, unsure of how to respond.
Seeing his silence, Cindy Clive couldn't help but glance at him. He was such a dense guy—it had been almost five hundred chapters and he still hadn't figured out who the heroine was. He was such a wooden character.
When Cindy fell silent, Jiang Hai followed her forward, his attention drifting to the tourism bureau along the way.
In the United States, tourism bureaus are part of a separate governmental system. At the top is the National Tourism Bureau, and each state has its own bureau as well. These bureaus are independent of local governments and more akin to cultural or nature protection agencies than traditional bureaucracies.
While the staff are civil servants, they have fewer responsibilities to manage. The U.S. tourism model differs significantly from China's, relying heavily on a park system for governance.
Tourism in the U.S. is categorized into three main types: natural resources, cultural resources, and entertainment resources. These are given substantial protection, with the government offering public access for scientific research and recreational tourism.
Each national park is divided into several categories, and every state has its own state parks. The Yellowstone Park Act of 1872, which led to the creation of the National Park Service in 1916, is the most famous example of this system.
Since its establishment, the Park Service, or National Tourism Bureau, operates independently of the federal, state, and municipal governments, which explains why Boston, despite not showing any overt interest in Jiang Hai, would not actively oppose him.
The tourism resources of each state and city are controlled by their respective tourism bureaus, and unless someone like Cindy Clive said otherwise, they had no reason to intervene. However, advertising in the U.S. was notoriously expensive, and Jiang Hai had no plans to pursue such a course.
As they walked and discussed these matters, they soon arrived at the large conference room at the end of the second floor.
Cindy quietly opened the door, revealing the scene inside.
Mayor Wallis was standing in front of a table, looking at the seven people sitting before him with a mix of anger and helplessness. The seven at the table were either busy with their own affairs or looking at Mayor Wallis with amused expressions. It was clear they weren't concerned with the old man before them.
"Kirk, we've been friends for a long time. You should go back. It's not impossible to promote Winthrop, but we have to wait. The state has abundant tourism resources. Our focus should be on Harvard and MIT first. As for Winthrop Town, you'll have to wait a few years. Maybe in a few years, resources will open up," said a white man in his sixties, sitting in the middle, speaking in an official tone.
"You can't do this! Our town has already been developed—why not use the resources now? Why wait? Do you expect us to just let them go to waste?" Mayor Wallis said angrily, struggling to imagine how he would face Jiang Hai if the decision was made.
"This is your town's issue, not ours. The allocation of tourism resources is up to us, not you," a woman sitting nearby said with a touch of sarcasm.
"You're neglecting your duties. I'll take this to federal court," Mayor Wallis shouted in frustration, his voice rising. He had been pleading for help for days, but these people despised the development in Winthrop. They saw no benefit to themselves and didn't want to allocate any resources to it.
But this was America, and once Winthrop was built, they had no legal grounds to demolish it. If this had happened in China, those who built a tourist area privately would face heavy consequences. Here, however, they were stuck, and it was clear these Americans weren't willing to help.
"It's up to us. The state tourism bureau makes the final decisions. You can sue us if you want," the man who had mocked Mayor Wallis earlier added with a sneer.
At this point, Cindy Clive sighed.
"He's Mayor Kirk's brother, the father of the guy you beat last time. It seems he's the one blocking the development this time," Cindy whispered to Jiang Hai.
Jiang Hai smiled and nodded in response. Without further delay, he pushed the door open and entered the room.
The room fell silent as everyone looked up in surprise. When they saw Jiang Hai, Wallis wore a look of helplessness, while the seven others were confused. Only the man who had spoken earlier looked at him with hatred in his eyes.
After all, Jiang Hai had beaten his son, but he knew he couldn't win a lawsuit against him. Even if he did, it would be a minor issue for Jiang Hai, who would likely only face community service. But if Jiang Hai retaliated, it could be troublesome. So despite his anger, he had kept quiet about the incident. Now, seeing Jiang Hai in person again, his face darkened.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here? Security, who let them in?" He slammed the table and yelled.