Chapter 32: Victoria City
"Someone fell into the water!"
"Don't look over there, it's just a corpse thrown in by the body retrieval team, it has nothing to do with us."
In the pitch-black river water, Gu Xi was being carried along by the current. From a distance, he could hear people whispering.
Although the voices were faint, Gu Xi could hear them clearly. This made him realize that he had escaped from the prison buried somewhere unknown.
"Fortunately, I wasn't sent back to the prison."
Gu Xi moved his body and looked up to determine his direction, then started swimming toward the shore.
Along the way, Gu Xi saw various things in the river.
There were rotting corpses, sewage from the sewers, and wastewater discharged from various factories upstream.
In any case, the water of the entire Isis River was black.
Gu Xi did not want to stay in this river any longer and swam harder.
But before he could get close to the shore, a few beams of light shone on his face.
Gu Xi turned his head to block the light with his hand and squinted his eyes to see the situation on the shore.
On the shore, three patrolling officers dressed in black high-collared uniforms and wearing black helmets with silver edges were staring at him, holding small searchlights the size of a human head.
Gu Xi noticed that all three of them had their hands on their waists, ready to draw their weapons and attack at any moment.
Seeing that Gu Xi had no intention of rushing down, the leader shouted loudly.
"Are you still alive?"
Isn't that a stupid question?
Gu Xi rolled his eyes internally and raised his hands, "Yes, I'm alive."
Actually, Gu Xi didn't know that from time to time, eerie spirits and undead creatures would occupy the bodies thrown into the river, trying to infiltrate Victoria City.
These shore patrols were arranged specifically to deal with such eerie or undead-possessed bodies.
Usually, they would just use their searchlights to check. If there was no reaction, it meant it was a living person, and they would generally let them ashore.
But today, the leader was a bit bored and asked a few more questions.
"Brother, what happened? Did you drink too much and fall into the river?"
As he spoke, he directed his men to use a long wooden stick to drag Gu Xi ashore.
Gu Xi had already thought of an explanation for his background when he left Alidove City.
When he first entered Victoria City, the system had given him an identity.
Combined with the land purchase order he got from Joseph, Gu Xi had already prepared a story.
"Don't mention it. I found an old land purchase order left by an ancestor at home. It could be exchanged for a piece of land in Camden District. But when I went to inquire about it, I was knocked out and thrown into the river."
Gu Xi grabbed the wooden stick and climbed ashore.
These patrolling officers were quite insightful. Hearing Gu Xi's explanation, they immediately imagined various conspiracies.
The leading officer laughed, "Brother, you're lucky to be alive. That document is over a hundred years old, and you dared to bring it out. And it's for Camden District.
Don't you know that area is now upper-town, where the rich live? Look at you, so skinny, you're like the coal dust from the factory. Even if you claim the land, they'll find a way to take it back.
I advise you to find an agent and sell that land purchase order. Maybe you can get a piece of land in Camlay District."
"Yeah, Camden and Camlay sound similar. It's all in Victoria City anyway, just settle for that."
"That won't do. My land purchase order was originally for a large farm near Camlay. Now, I definitely won't get such a large piece of land, I can't take such a loss."
Gu Xi quickly played his role, portraying himself as a person who values money over life.
The three patrol officers quickly filled in the details with their imaginations and believed Gu Xi's story, not considering him as a creepy, possessed guy to be killed.
With this understanding, the patrol officers sped up their actions.
After pulling Gu Xi ashore, the patrol officers still checked his situation.
Since Gu Xi spoke reasonably, they didn't give him too much trouble, only giving him a brief check before letting him go.
"Alright, don't hang around the Isis River if you don't want to be caught and sent to a black factory. Also, don't wander around the lower city at night, many people have gone missing recently.
As for the matter in Camden District, I won't try to persuade you anymore. It's your call."
The patrol officer patted Gu Xi's shoulder, gave him a knowing look, and left.
Gu Xi thanked them and quickly left the vicinity of the Isis River, walking to the street.
However, Gu Xi realized that there were no large bathhouses or bathing centers in Victoria City.
And in his current state, he couldn't go to the upper town or other relatively clean areas.
He could only follow the carriages and walk along the street. Three blocks away from the Isis River, in a small alley, Gu Xi found an old-looking tavern.
There was a wooden signboard in front of the tavern, depicting a huge wine glass.
After so many years, the wooden signboard had changed color, but the owner still kept it hanging.
Gu Xi chose this place not because the girls in red dresses luring customers were prettier than those elsewhere, but because he had seen a similar sign in Alidove City.
Gu Xi clearly remembered a small compass drawn in a color invisible to the naked eye under the wine glass.
This identical sign indicated that the tavern in front of him was a centuries-old establishment that had relocated from Victoria's old town.
An establishment that had survived for so many years was bound to have some secrets.
The most important thing for a hotel was safety. Finding a centuries-old establishment, Gu Xi naturally wouldn't choose an uncertain black market hotel.
Pushing open the tavern door, Gu Xi heard a clear voice.
"What do you need, sir?"
"I need a room, a bath, a change of clothes, and something to eat. My stomach isn't well, so I can't eat hard food."
Gu Xi said casually, tossing a shilling onto the bar counter.
"Just that?"
Huh? Gu Xi looked at the white cleavage exposed by the red dress and immediately realized, "Sorry, not now. I just fell into the Isis River, I just want to take a bath and change my clothes quickly."
"Pfft, who was talking about that? I meant…"
"Shaya." At this moment, a waiter stepped in to prevent a potential conflict, "Sorry, she's new and doesn't know anything. I'll take you up now."