A Wizard's Survival Guide to the 20th Century

hours ago.

William followed the faint breath in the air and arrived at an intersection in Oakland.

This is the territory of the Gauway gang, who are the second largest immigrant population in the city after the Seris. Although people often mistakenly think that Gao Wei is a part of Hampton, in fact the relationship between Gao Wei and Hampton is almost equivalent to that of Siris and Japan twenty years later.

The flow of people at the intersection was sparse, and carriages carrying goods passed by one after another. Sewage spilled from the buildings flowed across the ground. Horse manure fell into the sewage, and the debris of excrement and the stench were washed everywhere.

William covered his nose, he was not quite used to the smell.

"It looks like nothing has changed..." He muttered quietly.

"What did you say?" the potter in his body asked.

The voice still came from William's head, but he felt like he was used to it.

"The newspaper said that there was a big carnival in Oakland a week ago." William said, "The media reported it with great fanfare. I thought Oakland was really full of crazy people as they said."

"However, apart from the fact that there are more police, it still looks like a normal city?"

William was talking to himself as he followed the smell, and soon he heard the potter's laughter.

"Of course, after all, there were less than a hundred people actually harmed by this, and only a dozen people died, and most of them were due to traffic accidents. For this city, this is far less painful than a tax inspection by the Internal Revenue Service. .”

William was a little surprised: "There are only so many people?"

"It shouldn't be. Even if the direct harm caused by drugs is indeed only those few traffic accidents, many people died in the subsequent chaos, and there are not a few people who became addicted to drugs. Why? Maybe only a hundred or so victims?”

The potter's voice chuckled, and William could tell he shook his head.

"No, you still don't understand me," said the potter. "I'm talking about the people who suffered because of it."

"I can't see where you are now, but you can look around and see your surroundings."

William was stunned for a moment, not understanding what he was talking about, but he still looked around as the potter said.

"What do you see?"

William hesitated for a moment and then said: "It's very... a normal city scene. Some people are working, some are buying newspapers, some are driving by, a few gentlemen are standing next to the street lamp smoking cigars... and a few ladies. Walk over while talking.”

"Haha, right?" the potter said mockingly.

"Huh?" William was confused.

"Even for people like you, only more than a hundred people suffered from this." The potter's voice suddenly became serious, "Look below, under the corner, in the shadow of the building."

William lowered his head in confusion. The potter should obviously not be able to see what William saw, but his voice seemed to leave no doubt.

Looking over, William's eyes widened.

For the first time in his life, he knew one thing so clearly, that is, there were so many people hiding in these places that he had never noticed.

Most of them were in ragged clothes, wearing clothes that had been worn to a plush texture, and the hair on their faces was so messy that their faces could not be seen clearly. There are often some scattered things in front of them. It may be a few bottles, an iron pot, a sack full of garbage, a small iron bowl, or simply a paper cup.

Yes, they are bums, beggars and other homeless people.

William realized something.

The potter's voice rang out.

"What do you think would have happened to them without the Oakland Bash?"

"Do you really think they would have been better off without that orgy? No, how? They couldn't go to work because any factory hated them for the smallpox, consumption, and plague they might have. They were outcasts. , is an ineffective population, people will never notice them.”

"And they are the ones affected by the rave. The power of drugs is not that strong. They can be fine as long as they stay in the room. Only they, these homeless people, only they will lie defenseless on the street. They let drugs control their brains and were killed by other unconscious people without any defense, or they survived by chance and became addicted to drugs."

"But so what? For them, the fantasy world woven by poppies is much more beautiful than the world they live in. Most of them can only eat one full meal a week, and a ray of The smoke of a small poppy can make them forget their hunger for a whole day."

"So even if there is no Auckland Carnival, they will eventually fall into the arms of drugs - and not everyone can. Only those with a little money or the physical strength to rob can enter the poppy's lost paradise. Auckland Carnival For them, the carnival is a redemption, not a disaster. Even if they die because of it, it will be better than living in reality."

William was stunned... No, that's not right. He wanted to refute what the potter said was all nonsense, but he couldn't think of how to formulate the words.

"What about... those workers? If they are not working outside, then they should also be victims."

"No, you are wrong," laughed the potter.

"They will become theirs. All it takes is a small cold, a small theft, a small conflict, a losing business, or even the simple passage of time."

“These workers will eventually lose what they have, and the Big Bash just accelerates that process.”

William was in disbelief: "Why?"

"Haha... you can ask those business owners." The potter's voice was smiling.

"I bet all the workers look the same to them, and that's why."

"The so-called 'victims' are just a few dozen middle-class and wealthy people. Those who make up the majority are never 'victimized' because of a mere carnival."

William fell silent, but the potter's voice came out again.

"Haha, we have talked too much, the small talk ends here."

"Have you found the female parent we were thinking of?"

William reacted. He temporarily put aside the previously discussed matters and twitched his nose.

The smell of the surroundings flowed into his nose, and he opened his eyes in surprise, then nodded.

"What a coincidence, I wanted to thank you for what you said."

"I-I've seen her."

That was the corner of the intersection, the doorway of a cheap cafe.

A white-haired girl was sitting on the ground in front of the door. She looked to be in her teens. Her eyes were covered by a stained black cloth. She was wearing dirty and shabby clothes and her hair was messy.

There was a small paper cup in front of her.