Chapter Eighteen: The Golden Arch

“If I look for it myself... Ah! Found it!”

“So soon? Where? How did I miss it?”

—“Welcome.”

The employee wearing the Golden Arches logo set down the mop in his hands.

“Excuse me, may I use the restroom?”

Receiving an affirmative answer, he placed his coat over the back of the chair.

“Thank you!” Shang Luo barely had time to say more. This Golden Arches location by the roadside was a lifesaver.

No matter when, the Golden Arches’ restrooms were always trustworthy.

Leaving Apollonia’s coat outside, he finally had a chance to attend to his personal matters.

Three minutes later, Shang Luo returned to his seat.

“Did you wash your hands?”

“Do you think I’d run off without washing? Of course I did. Relax. By the way, do you want to eat something?”

“No?”

Apollonia snapped back, clearly annoyed at not being able to eat.

“Wait, you’re upset? So you used to be able to eat?”

“Stop trying to trick me, alright? Are you some kind of secret police, always trying to fish for answers?”

“Alright, alright, I won’t push anymore. I’ll just get something for myself.” He put on his coat and walked to the counter.

“Hmm, let me see... The menu is the same as in San Francisco.” But upon closer inspection, there were some surprises.

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“There’s century egg and lean pork congee? Isn’t that a menu item exclusive to the Capital Region?”

“We airship it in,” the employee replied. The same one who had been sweeping earlier now stood behind the counter. “Las Vegas’ menu differs from other places in the New Continent. We get direct supplies from the Capital Region.”

“Makes sense, since this place isn’t under the Imperial Court’s jurisdiction... Are you guys also stationed here? How’s business?”

“Business is okay. But this location isn’t great. Las Vegas has quite a few Golden Arches, and the ones inside the city are busier. This one’s near the outskirts; the locals who come by car don’t really spend much here. What would you like?”

“I’ll take a look.” Learning that they had the long-lost Capital Region menu lifted his spirits considerably.

Looking up, he recognized all the familiar dishes, though the pauper’s combo meal he loved in his previous life was missing.

“Century egg and lean pork congee, a lemon black tea, and a fried chicken burger.”

“Alright. Please have a seat over there; I’ll bring it over shortly.”

Everything felt just like before. Shang Luo felt an unprecedented comfort—this place even felt closer to the homeland across the ocean than San Francisco did.

Returning to his seat, a low rumble echoed in the sky.

“Hm, the early-shift airship has arrived. By the way, are airships more popular here?”

“People without urgent matters usually choose airships. They’re spacious—you don’t have to scrunch your legs under the seat in front. Planes are too noisy, and the wings block the view. Airships are more stable and offer better scenery. They even have kitchens for live cooking onboard, while planes only have convenience foods. If I had a choice, I’d probably pick the airship too. The trip home takes three days, but it’s as luxurious as a cruise.”

As he spoke, the aroma of the century egg and lean pork congee wafted over. It was a long-missed freshness—San Francisco might have ample supplies, but their seasoning was always mediocre. The cafeterias there seemed indifferent to whether diners actually enjoyed their meals; they just piled on dried ingredients.

Compared to the year-round unchanging radish stew, even century egg congee felt like a novelty.

“Mm... still the original recipe, still the familiar taste.”

The employee had placed his tray on the table, which held the congee, lemon black tea, and burger.

The tray was lined with paper that bore the same Capital Region promotional illustration: The Founding Emperor, once pursued by Yuan soldiers, had collapsed from hunger by the roadside. Suddenly, a kind old woman appeared and handed him a simple meal—two slices of toasted bread filled with vegetables and meat. One man eating that was enough to fill him, hence the name “Han Bao Bao” (literally “Han full bun”). After eating it, the Founding Emperor rallied and defeated the Yuan soldiers.

As for why “Han Bao Bao” later became “hamburger,” that was a story from a grand banquet hosted by the Founding Emperor after the nation’s founding, printed on another sheet.

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“Tsk, now it’s called a hamburger... I remember before it was the Founding Emperor eating fries and drinking cola. The Founding Emperor always had someone feeding him wherever he went.”

“Your Founding Emperor sure has good connections. The Roman Emperor could only get pelted with eggs when he went out. Are you going to eat? Ah... for some reason, I’m a bit hungry now.”

Shang Luo opened his mouth wide and bit through all the layers of the burger in one go. After so many years, the burger was still huge. Even two layers of bun were hard to eat in one bite; three layers required holding it firmly with hands to eat at once.

“Mm~~ that’s the taste.”

One shouldn’t speak while eating, but only Apollonia could hear him.

“The aroma of this sauce is familiar. Cheap industrial product, but with staple food and meat, it gives that reassuring feeling of fullness.”

He washed down the burger with tea and sighed deeply. “Ah, life restored. Well then, time to get to work. Limited time, so I’ll eat while I work. I need to review some materials before making decisions.”

He set down half the burger and borrowed a Las Vegas guide map from the employee. The city’s attractions—mainly various distinctive amusement facilities—were all listed in the booklet.

Along the central axis, Las Vegas Boulevard, hotels from all over the world opened their doors. Roman neoclassical architecture, Yangzhou’s Mayan revival style, and miniature replicas of Egyptian pyramids and the Sphinx. There were six racetracks alone, all clustered together, and even in the off-season, they were packed. The exquisite brochure included sketches of each landmark, and just holding this free guidebook felt quite distinguished.

Distinction—that was Las Vegas’ hallmark.

This was a gambler’s paradise and also a gambler’s hell. Some found heaven here physically, others found hell. The desert could bloom such bizarre flowers and bury all secrets. Once buried, everyone retained their dignity.

“Where did they take you last time?”

“Don’t know. I didn’t bother with them, so I made that closed-loop divination gadget for them. The cards are with you—you can use them later to divine the success of this trip. Or use something else if you prefer.”

“Wasn’t that just to appease them?”

“Yes and no. From sending to receiving, it’s real—the cards genuinely provided answers from the Akashic records. I just didn’t expend energy interpreting the results for them. For you, I can interpret. And it’s not just the cards—anywhere I’m watching can serve as an omen for interpretation. For example, after you finish your tea, look at the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup.”

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