Young Zhang Zhongjian was always very proud of his life experience. Not only did he come from a wealthy family, but he was also an excellent student, passing the IELTS and TOEFL with ease. After graduating from high school, he was admitted to the University of Chicago.

However, even if America has a thousand good things, it also has one bad thing, which is the difference in aesthetics and customs between the East and the West.

Even if one's own parents are very open-minded and eager for a grandson, they probably wouldn't allow him to bring a foreign woman home by the hand. Actually, getting past his parents is relatively easy; the main hurdle is his grandfather. The old man is a scholar from the old era, full of outdated ideas. If he were to suddenly discover that his great-great-grandson has blue eyes, he would definitely break his great-great-grandson's father's legs!

But that's alright, anyway, he himself doesn't really like outgoing Western women. Although he speaks fluent English, Zhang Zhongjian is actually a reserved and conservative person at heart.

Moreover, there are quite a few Chinese girls studying in the US. A couple of days ago, at a Chinese Students' Association event, he met a female student studying in New York. She was pretty and refined, but had a very outgoing personality, and Zhang Zhongjian liked her very much. After the event, he asked her privately and, upon learning she was single, immediately began his pursuit.

For the entire winter break, Zhang Zhongjian neither returned to China for the Spring Festival nor to Chicago, but stayed in New York to settle his life's major event. Fortunately, perseverance pays off, and after a month of arduous pursuit, Zhao Ziqi, a Chinese female student studying abroad, finally accepted his advances.

It's the weekend now, and Chicago is at its most vibrant and beautiful on weekends, so Zhang Zhongjian called his girlfriend from New York over, saying he wanted to take her shopping at The Magniient, as her birthday was coming up.

When Zhao Ziqi heard that her boyfriend was going to take her to a very bustling commercial street to buy a birthday present, she was so excited that she could hardly sleep all night. The next morning, she excitedly took the plane ticket her boyfriend had bought for her and came to Chicago. After a sumptuous lunch, Zhang Zhongjian took her to this shopping paradise known as "Magnificent Avenue".

However, once they arrived at the location and stood at the street corner of The Magniient, they were all dumbfounded...

Chicago was indeed packed with people on the weekend. The early spring sunshine was gentle... but the problem was, not a single shop was open!

The massive shopping mall in John Hank Center has closed, as has the jewelry store in Buellati. Even the milk tea shop at the street corner and the horse-drawn carriage driver on the roadside have stopped doing business! Their storefronts are still as beautiful as ever, but now they are all closed, quietly becoming magnificent decorations.

The “Magnificent Mile” has become a desolate “Magnificent Mile”.

Zhao Ziqi glanced suspiciously at her boyfriend beside her, thinking, "Could it be that this guy is just trying to save money for me? Is that why he specifically chose a day when the place is closed for a holiday to bring me here? People usually try to save face even when they're not, but this guy doesn't even want to put on a show..."

With this thought in mind, Zhao Ziqi looked at Zhang Zhongjian with a hint of disdain. She subtly withdrew her hand from her boyfriend's, thinking that she couldn't keep such a stingy and dishonest boyfriend.

Zhang Zhongjian naturally noticed the changes in the girl beside him, but he was at a loss for words, unable to defend himself, because everything before him was beyond his imagination and understanding. Could it be that Chicagoans truly have a long-standing tradition of strikes? With Labor Day approaching, are they going on strike to celebrate?

Isn't this utter nonsense?!

Zhang Zhongjian roared inwardly.

He ran to the entrance of the bubble tea shop and peered inside, only to find someone already sitting there! It seemed the owner's home was inside. Zhang Zhongjian quickly knocked on the glass door. After attracting the owner's attention, he gestured for him to open the door, but the owner slowly shook his head… Frustrated, Zhang Zhongjian pulled a $100 bill from his wallet and waved it at the owner. However, even this bill with Benjamin Franklin's image failed to sway the owner; he continued to slowly shake his head…

Zhang Zhongjian practically wanted to smash his head against the glass door of the bubble tea shop and die...

In fact, Zhang Zhongjian was not the only one in a state of panic on The Magniient at this moment! Everyone on the street was unaware of what was happening, pacing back and forth, the crowd divided into small groups, whispering to each other and trying to find out what was going on.

They are all local Chicago residents who care deeply about the city's development. Now, this has happened out of the blue, without any prior warning. How can they remain calm? It's not fair to blame these citizens for lacking composure. In fact, if residents of Chengdu or Beijing woke up to find Chunxi Road and Wangfujing Street closed, their anxiety would be no less than that of the Chicago residents.

In reality, it's not just the local residents of Chicago who are feeling bad. The tour guides of those visiting tour groups are definitely not feeling any better! These guides' main income comes from the commission they receive from tourists buying souvenirs. Now that the shops selling those items are closed, where will they get their money? Their livelihoods are almost gone; the fact that they haven't stormed off in the street is already a testament to their excellent personal and professional conduct…

The tourists didn't seem to mind, just looking around as if it were a rare sight. Especially some of the Chinese tourists. They found it particularly fascinating. Such extreme events as public strikes and boycotts are rare in China these days, and even when they happen, they're not widely reported. But they never expected to witness something like this in a capitalist country—it was worth the money! They'd have something to brag about to their friends and family back home. So what if you've visited the White House? The White House is there all year round, you can go anytime you want, but something like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!