The first pce they set out to visit would be a small, two-storey house with green roof somewhere at the edge of the border between the South Eastern and South Western Districts, on the side of the South Western. It was quite a bit of road to travel, even wheing from the Fragrant Chrysanthemum Temple.

  All three of them had e to the South Western District before. Not very often, but they were not strao this pce either. pared to their home district, the streets here were slightly wider, er for what css of people that lived in it, and very noticeably, less street vendors.

  “Gah, I already smell the fake smiles and pretension.” Sue joked as she walked by a er, following the lead of Gyuu Park.

  “And we’re just at the edge of this pce yet. ” Gyuu Park chuckled: “Have you tried going to their business district? All those shiny shirts, bags and hair ot hide their desperation to rub each other in oil and oi.”

  “Welp. And I’m sure they’d ugh at us behind our backs as well.” Gloria shook her head.

  “We’re almost there.” Gyuu Park raised his at a crossroads, where the house was: “But be careful, I t two groups of men watg the pce. I just ’t tell if they are from the same group though.”

  “Any surveilnce cameras?” Gloria wao look around, but she only moved her eyes instead of her head: “I mean, how does the unity collective even have people here?”

  “The PCPD had some kind of tacit agreement with the collective. I mean, just the other day I heard that some PCPD detective was looking around at some cases that are teically out of their jurisdi. Some kind of quid pro quo thing. I suppose they would reiate the terms every now and then.”

  “So, are we expeg PCPD as well? ” Gloria asked: “This is - less than ideal.”

  “Yes, probably. But if it was them I would be less worried.” Gyuu Park tinued his way, looking, looking at his phone and while looking at the surroundings, like a tourist, or someone who’s not from this pce. “Now, when I say ugh, you ugh.”

  “O - okay, I mean - ” Sue was slightly surprised by this ask.

  “Okay, now…” Gyuu Park turo Sue and Gloria with a forced smile on his face: “Laugh!”

  “Ahahahahahahahaha…” Gloria started, then Sue soon followed. Taking advantage of the natural head and eye movements from the ugh, they took a few quick looks around. One group of men watg over the house were in a car, parked in the shadows of a tree beside a light pole. Ihe car seemed to be two people, one man and one woman. But with one look, Gloria reized the man behind the steering wheel: the detective, whose case files she stole earlier.

  “PCPD! 17th Prect! In the car over there.” Gloria immediately turned around, grabbing Sue by the arm while whispering to her and Gyuu Park.

  “The roup is definitely from our district.” Sue scratched her nose, discreetly pointing at two men standing near a light post on the side of a small decorative flower pot with her right pinkie, speaking through her teeth while f a smile: “I saw them somewhere before - I ’t remember where, but I’ve definitely seen them before in our district.”

  “Okay. So…” Gyuu Park came close to Gloria and Sue, pretending to be helping Sue with the pstic bag in her hand: “The’s go in as remote retives. Act poor and wretched if you must. Remember, we’re remote, poor and ungrateful retives looking to borrow money from them.”

  “No problem.” Sue and Gloria the same time. This was one of their prepared personas wheried to bypass the people that may potentially stop them or worse, report them to whatever authority they serve.

  Three of them tiheir way fyuu Park and Gloria kept looking around, pying their part in ag as curious visitors that were o this area. And Sue was still nervous, and could only walk along them, only looking around occasionally.

  The two men standing near a light post walked towards them and blocked their way, just when they got to the porch of the family they were about to visit.

  “Who are you?” The man on the left, who was slightly taller and thinner asked.

  “We’re looking to visit some retives.” Gyuu Park immediately smiled and bowed: “We heard that some retives of ours have made a good life here, so we’re looking to visit them. we help you?”

  “Who are y to visit?” The man on the right, shorter and chubbier asked, with his arms crossed.

  “Ling Li, he’s my distant cousin. We shared a great grandfather on our father’s side.” Gyuu Park smiled: “And - we brought some gifts over! And authentic local foods from the South Eastern foods! Who - who are you? Do you know my cousin?”

  “Well…” The two men exged looks, visibly suspicious and fused: “Yes - we are his neighbors. But - he’s not home at the moment. You should e baother time.”

  “He’s not home? That’s okay!” Gyuu Park looked over the two men’s shoulders: “I heard he’s married right? I visit his wife! His children! Oh! I feel so sorry I haven’t visited them earlier! I mean - life, it’s just so busy sometimes.”

  “Yes, but…”

  “Wait! I saw them inside! I saw them inside!” Gloria jumped, as if she was really excited, then she just ran to the door, passing the two men by: “Hey! Mrs. Li! Open up! We’re your distant cousins!”

  “Hey! You shouldn’t do that!” The taller man immediately tried to go and stop Gloria, but he ulled back by Gyuu Park by his arm.

  “Thank you for helping us find our cousin! Thank you so much!” Gyuu Park grabbed the hands of both men firmly without any iion of letting them go: “Sue, fetch me some of our local foods, we ought to be thankful for the good neighbors!”

  Sue reached into the pstic bag she was carrying, and brought out two small paper bags of dried sea squids ed in dried aqua weeds and shoved them at the two men, with forced smiles on her face: “Here! Here! Take these! They’re really good when you cut them up and put them inte!”

  “Hey! Stop!” The short, chubby man tried to get away from Gyuu Park, but the few attempts he tried he could not shake off his hand. And he almost instinctively spped the dried squid away from Sue.

  “You must be Cousin Ling’s wife!” At this moment, the door was already opened, and Gloria just let herself straight in like aled guest: “We’re here, and we’ve brought food! I guess you’re all dying to have some authentic South Eastern food huh?”

  “Good to see you! Good to see you!” Gyuu Park signaled Sue, while forcefully shaking the two men’s hands.

  Sue got the hint, so she put the dried squids in the men’s pockets and rushed towards the now open door: “Cousin! It’s been so long!”

  “Thank you very much!” Gyuu Park turned around, still shaking the men’s hands: “But we’ll meet aime! Thank you! Let me go meet my cousin, then maybe I’ll buy you dinner, how about that?”

  Before either man could do anything, Gyuu Park let go of their hands and rushed into the house, closing the door behind him.