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After disembarking from the Scarlet, Chuyang did not linger and had no intention of visiting the world-renowned European Emperor, Angel, to bask in some European charm.
Once the taxi dropped him and Richelieu off at the train station of Scarlet, Chuyang immediately purchased two tickets to Blanca, the capital of Rydan Kingdom.
"Are you tired? Why don't you sleep a bit more?" Looking at Richelieu, who had just woken up and was leaning against him with sleepy eyes, Chuyang gently brushed aside her slightly messy hair.
It was already the tenth day since they set off from Naval Base. In another hour, the train would arrive at Blanca, the largest city in inland Europe and one of the most famous cities in the world.
"I'm not tired." Shaking her head, Richelieu straightened up from Chuyang's embrace and rested her head on his shoulder. Looking out the window at the snow-covered world adorned in silver, her eyes were filled with happiness.
This trip to accompany the Admiral in search of someone was something she had proposed long ago. Thinking back to Saratoga's extremely gloomy expression just before their departure, Richelieu felt immensely fortunate. It was clear that Saratoga also wanted to come along, but since she had proposed it first and the Admiral had already agreed, it would have been awkward to change plans at the last minute. Otherwise, given Saratoga's clinginess, she probably wouldn't have had much chance.
Along this journey, Richelieu received everything she desired. Their world was always romantic and filled with sweetness. During those seven days on the ship, the Admiral would accompany her to watch sunrises and sunsets and would comb her hair and apply makeup for her in the mornings. Although the Admiral's skills were quite clumsy, it didn't matter; what mattered was that he put his heart into it, and that was enough.
As the capital of the Rydan Republic in inland Europe, Blanca is known as a city of sin due to its associations with drugs, gambling, and vice.
However, sitting in the taxi and looking through the bright glass windows at the clean streets outside—where sanitation workers were clearing snow and pedestrians were strolling with bags—children were having snowball fights and building snowmen. The shop windows displayed colorful stickers saying "Happy New Year" in celebration of New Year's Day. The situation seemed far from what he had imagined. After all, it was daytime; even the most vicious criminals would likely tone down their behavior under such bright sunlight. Nighttime would be their paradise; surely by evening, this place would present a different scene.
With these thoughts in mind, Chuyang withdrew his gaze and listened to the driver’s introduction of the city.
The driver was a white man in his forties with a full beard, looking somewhat fierce, but he was very friendly. After Chuyang and Richelieu got into the car at the Blanca City train station, he began to chatter on about the famous attractions and local customs of Blanca City.
“...You two look like out-of-towners, but you don’t have to worry about being overcharged. We Blanca people are very welcoming to guests from afar... Do you see that? That’s the Arc de Triomphe, said to be modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Old World Paris... That street is the Champs-Élysées; if you’re here for shopping, that’s definitely a must-visit... And that’s Tanggu Street, where you can find all kinds of food from around the world... The night view of Blanca City is quite nice; if you go out shopping at night, I recommend Radway Street...”
“Wait a minute, driver. I’ve heard that Radway Street is the most chaotic area in Blanca City. Not to mention at night; even during the day, no one dares to step foot there,” Chuyang interrupted the driver with some dissatisfaction.
Although under Richelieu's protection, Chuyang had little to worry about even if Radway Street was a den of danger. However, he could not tolerate being treated like a fool, especially since Radway Street was known as the most chaotic area in all of Blanca City and even Europe. The narrow street was filled with various casinos and was also a stronghold for gangsters.
Chuyang had once read an article in an old newspaper about two police officers from Blanca City who tracked a criminal to Radway Street and ended up being beaten to death by numerous thugs in broad daylight. The chaos there was evident.
Now, the driver was recommending they visit that place at night, which made Chuyang suspicious of his motives.
“Defamation! That’s pure defamation!” The driver’s face turned angry, but unfortunately, Chuyang and Richelieu in the back seat could not see his expression.
After that statement, the once talkative driver suddenly fell silent. About two or three minutes later, he broke the heavy and awkward atmosphere in the car.
“If you were in Blanca City four years ago, I would have warned you not to go out at night anywhere near Radway Street or even downtown. But things are different now; I can’t guarantee safety in other neighborhoods, but Radway Street is absolutely safe. Even if you go there at midnight, as long as you don’t deliberately provoke trouble, no one will bully you.”
“Why?” Chuyang asked, puzzled. According to the driver, Radway Street had become the safest place in Blanca City.
“Gangsters.”
“Gangsters?” Chuyang was even more confused.
The chaos in Blanca City is primarily due to the omnipresent gangs, and Radway Street, as the gambling hub of Blanca City, is where gang members are most active. Conflicts over territory often escalate into violence, making it a hotspot for criminal activity. Yet, you are telling me that the security situation in Radway Street, the center of this chaos, is exceptionally good? Is that even possible?
"Well, I’ve heard that since the two major gangs appeared on Radway Street more than three years ago, they quickly integrated all the various criminal forces in Blanca City and established a new underground order. They do not allow gang members to interfere with ordinary people's lives, and they even help the city government maintain public order. So now, Blanca City has the lowest crime rate in all of Europe and is considered one of the safest cities..."
Gang members helping the city government maintain social order? This sounds utterly absurd to Chuyang. However, judging by the driver's tone, he doesn’t seem to be lying. But... I may not be well-read, so please don’t deceive me.
"...You guys arrived a bit early. If you could come a little later, say during that festival called Spring Festival, you would see grand celebrations on Radway Street, with dragon dances and lion dances..."
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