Under Li Du's urging, Hans expanded the range of locations for storage units. That way, there would be more storage companies to choose from.
In late July, after the heavy rain, Flagstaff resumed its hot weather.
Sweating profusely, Hans selected a new storage company. The location was in Kingman, a small city northwest of Flagstaff.
After a few days of idleness, Li Du got the news of the auction and immediately ordered his men to set off. Thus, the Iron Knight was once again on the road.
Kingman was 240 miles away from Flagstaff. With the Iron Knight's speed, they could reach it in two hours.
"It's a small place, brother. The population is only about 30,000 people. Most of them are white, and there are fewer people of color. However, many immigrants from the Middle East have moved there, so we have to be careful."
On the way, Hans explained the local customs of the storage area to Li Du as usual.
Li Du said, "I understand. Allahu Akbar, we respect their beliefs and their culture. We can live together peacefully."
Hans shrugged. "Yes, that's right."
Kingman was located in the middle of Arizona, where Mojave County was located. It was once considered the most barren area in the western United States. The local landscape was wild, and there were few buildings, so it was empty.
It was also for these reasons that some immigrants chose to live in Kingman.
Although it was not rich, the population was small and there was less competition. For immigrants who lacked connections, it was a good choice.
Most of the first generation of immigrants were willing to work hard. They had the strength and knowledge. With their hard work, this seemingly poor place had the potential to develop.
The road from Flagstaff to Kingman was Route 66. This road was 4,000 miles long and was very famous in the western region. It was called "Mother Highway" by Americans.
Route 66 started in Chicago, Illinois, crossed through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona, and went diagonally across the territory of the United States all the way to Los Angeles, California, and extended to Santa Monica. It crossed eight states and three time zones. It was very shocking!
The reason for this nickname was not only because it connected the east and west of the United States, but also because it had saved the economy of the villages along the way.
At the end of the 19th century, the area around Route 66 was just a dirt road for horse-drawn carriages.
In 1926, the United States government invested in connecting the disconnected roads. It took more than ten years before it was finally completed.
During this period, it coincided with the Great Depression of the Western World.
This construction project provided tens of thousands of jobs for the United States, which was in difficult times, and became a life-saving straw for the workers in the surrounding towns to maintain their livelihoods.
There were many legends about this road, and Hans kept explaining it to him along the way. The two-hour drive ended quickly, and by the time Hans closed his mouth, the city of Kingman had already appeared.
Li Du looked out of the car window and felt that this was a very old town.
Highway 66 ran through the area and became the main road. There were many motels and gas stations on both sides of the road. There were also some buildings that looked so old that Li Du thought they might have been built in the 19th century.
He pointed it out to Hans, who smiled and said, "You guessed it right. They were left behind from the 19th century. Now they have become national heritage."
Among the old buildings, there was also a museum. It was the Route 66 Museum.
Seeing this, Li Du exclaimed, "This road is really famous. They even built a museum for it."
Hans said lazily, "Of course. Didn't I introduce you on the way here?"
There was a free parking lot in front of the museum, and Godzilla decided to park there. There were hotels and restaurants nearby, and the storage unit where the auction was going to be held was also nearby.
Since he had parked there, Li Du bought a ticket to visit the museum.
Ever since he had tea with Sophie and heard her express her interest in geography, Li Du had changed his attitude towards work.
The nature of storage auctions determined that treasure hunters needed to travel to different places. Li Du wanted to learn more about the geography and culture of different places while he was treasure hunting.
He thought that if there was a chance in the future, he and Sophie would go on a trip to the West, or even to the United States.
Although this museum was only for highways, there were many things in it.
As soon as they entered the museum, there was a manuscript for a book in the display case.
"This is the manuscript for The Grapes of Wrath," Hans said. "John Steinbeck wrote his masterpiece in 1939, which later won the Pulitzer Prize for literature.
That's how Route 66 got its nickname. Steinbeck was the first to call it 'Mother Road,' and everyone used that name. "
In addition to the literary manuscript, there was also a manuscript for a musical score, which was the masterpiece of jazz composer and actor Bobby Troup.
The composer wrote one of the most famous songs of his life, "Looking for Fun on Route 66," as he sped along Route 66 toward California.
Later, the song was recorded and released by the famous singer Nat Kingo. It became a hit at the time, and also brought Troup to the peak of his career.
In addition to literature and music, there were other things about the highway.
CBS Television had produced a television series called "Route 66" from 1960 to 1964, which was based on the highway. One of the television sets in the museum was playing the series in a loop.
In addition to this television series, there were also some documentaries about Route 66. These could be recorded for free with a ticket, which was a way for the museum to attract tourists.
After the tour, Li Du burned some CDs and brought them with him when he left the house.
When they attended auctions, they had a lot of free time. Watching documentaries was a good way to pass the time.
"Where are we going to stay?" Li Du asked as he put away the CDs.
Hans pointed to the south and said, "Neon Motel. If you want to experience the West, you have to stay there."
The motel was decorated with exaggerated neon lights, and the outside of the house was full of lights. Although it was daytime, one could imagine how beautiful it would be at night.
However, the house itself was a little old, and the interior decoration seemed to be from the last century. It was rough, simple, and practical, just like a western cowboy's home.
After Hans paid, they had lunch in the motel.
"The food here is good, man. Neon Motel has been around for a century. They have always hired chefs and waiters from the countryside, and they have preserved the original flavor of the West."
Listening to Hans's introduction, Li Du opened the menu and laughed.
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