Chapter 16: Lisa's Neck Begins to Turn Red

Ding Pangzi Square is located in the western part of the city of Montly Park, in the Sanluo Capital District.

It is the first stop for many Chinese people arriving in the United States.

As for the name Ding Pangzi, it originated from a Chinese boss surnamed Ding.

Initially, this Mr. Ding only operated a travel agency in the square, dealing with Chinese immigrants' air tickets and visa services.

By the 1980s, business was booming, and Mr. Ding bought many shops, turning Ding Pangzi Square into a small commercial center.

Mr. Ding's business grew, attracting many other Chinese merchants to open restaurants, supermarkets, barber shops, jewelry stores, pharmacies, etc., here.

Eventually, it became a prosperous Chinese business district.

At its peak, hundreds of buses carrying Chinese people would come here to spend money every day.

But what truly made Ding Pangzi Square famous was another group of people.

Some Chinese nationals who couldn't get visas found their way into the United States through various channels, smuggling themselves in.

Before coming, they saw advertisements on the Chinese internet promising $1 fried chicken and free villas.

However, upon arriving in the United States, they discovered that as illegal immigrants, it was difficult to fit into American society, so they had to come to Ding Pangzi Square to find work.

That is, to work illegally.

The former incarnation of Cheng Daqi once washed dishes in a Chinese restaurant because he worked slower than Mexican workers, so his wages were deducted by the boss every day.

Finally, he couldn't bear it and ended up on the streets.

"Doesn't this place look run-down?" Lisa asked Cheng Daqi incredulously as she turned the steering wheel.

"Glitzy restaurants are all the same, but each good restaurant has its own unique features, trust me," Cheng Daqi replied.

It was his first time here too, but he had heard about Chinese restaurants in the United States from friends in his previous life.

In the United States, if you don't speak Chinese, most Chinese restaurants will likely only serve Americanized Chinese food.

But if you speak Chinese, you can unlock a hidden menu.

Exactly what dishes are available depends on where the chef comes from.

But no matter which Chinese restaurant, as long as they have a legitimate Chinese chef, they can cook a decent Sichuan meal.

"All the signs on the roadside are in Chinese. Is this Chinatown?" Lisa felt a little curious. She had only seen Chinatown in TV dramas before.

In several major cities in the United States, there are highly concentrated Chinese communities.

Their history can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty when Chinatown was mainly composed of Chinese railroad workers.

Today, after more than a hundred years of development, the original Chinese railroad workers have been succeeded by several generations.

With the influx of new generations of Chinese immigrants, Chinatown has grown larger and larger.

Of course, Ding Pangzi Square is at best a small Chinatown, also known as Little Taipei.

"This place was originally built by Taiwanese, and Chinese people call it Little Taipei, which is like Chinatown," Cheng Daqi explained as he looked at the Chinese signs around him. He intended to find an immigration consulting agency.

Without legal status in the United States, it's hard to get around.

"Chan, I don't understand these Chinese characters. Which one is Ding Pangzi Noodle House?" Lisa asked, feeling puzzled as she looked at her navigation on her phone.

Looking at a restaurant with a large sign saying "Chongqing Local Cuisine" and a smaller sign saying "Ding Pangzi Noodle House," Cheng Daqi answered.

"That one. Let's eat first. Is there a bank nearby?"

The $1,000 still hadn't been settled.

It didn't feel right not having the money in hand.

"Eating with a beautiful woman, are you going to bring up the fact that you squeezed me for money?" Lisa pushed open the restaurant door without looking back, teasing Cheng Daqi.

"No, we're clearly having a pleasant cooperation. How could you slander me like that?" Taking the menu from the waiter, Cheng Daqi scanned it briefly and ordered a variety of dishes.

"Mao tofu, sour cabbage fish, boiled beef slices, diced chicken with chili peppers, and ask the chef to make two non-spicy stir-fried dishes. Finally, a dessert of sweet soup with white fungus and lotus seeds. And two bowls of rice. Can you make all these dishes?"

Now that Ding Pangzi Noodle House was serving Chongqing local cuisine, there should be no problem having them cook Sichuan dishes.

"Of course, sir. Our chef is a master of Sichuan cuisine."

Chongqing cuisine had been thoroughly "NTR-ed."

"Chan, what did you just say?" Lisa couldn't understand Chinese, so she didn't know what Cheng Daqi had said.

Pouring a cup of oolong tea, Cheng Daqi sighed.

"I said, this is the first time in my life that I've taken a girl to a restaurant for a meal. Let them make it good. I want you to experience the deliciousness of Chinese food."

Lisa was deeply shocked by Cheng Daqi's shameless reply.

Her tone was tinged with anger as she stared at Cheng Daqi disapprovingly.

"You must have lied to girls before, you bad boy."

Cheng Daqi looked innocent.

"You're the first one in my life. I've never been to a restaurant with a girl before you."

In his past life, he couldn't count how many times he had done it, but this was truly his first time in this life.

He was playing the sincerity card.

"Give it up, I don't believe you've never been on a date with other girls?" Lisa scrutinized Cheng Daqi's expression as if she were observing a suspect.

She was convinced that Cheng Daqi was lying to her.

"Lisa, sorry, are you saying we're on a date?" Seizing on the detail, Cheng Daqi followed up aggressively.

But he had no intention of getting to know Lisa any further.

"I've never been on a date with a girl before. Do I need to pay for this meal?"

In the past, it was always split, now it's not an issue.

But not getting a deal is worse than losing.

Cheng Daqi decided to fight back.

He had to make her regret it!

"Today, I want to thank you. Originally, it wouldn't have been difficult for me to do security work for you, and I was only planning to ask for $200 at first.

But I didn't expect you guys wouldn't negotiate, Lisa, you really are a great partner."

Cheng Daqi watched as Lisa's neck turned color, starting from milky white and gradually turning red.

Red, it's red.

Even though the free ride turned into a split bill, I didn't lose this round.

Lisa picked up her phone fiercely.

No, that female employee who forced her to make a choice must go.

Later, she would eat heartily, eating at least more than half.

She couldn't let Cheng Daqi taste any sweetness!