"Good afternoon, sir," August greeted first, then carefully observed the man and found him to be an ordinary-looking man in his thirties.
"Hello, how can I help you?" the man replied with doubt; he didn't recognize the young man who had just appeared beside him.
"Well, sir, you're a wizard, aren't you?" August whispered.
The man instantly became alert: "What do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about."
After speaking, he adjusted his hat and walked away into the crowd. August quickly followed, staying by his side: "Don't be nervous, sir, I am too."
August stopped him, then extended a finger, and the fingertip lit up, displaying supernatural power: "I just want to ask where your wizarding bank is."
The man let out a long sigh and looked at him with a hint of reproach: "Young man, your actions are quite dangerous. What if someone saw you casting a spell on the street? You must know that the current situation in this country isn't good. Those damned scourers don't know where to hide, like stinking rats in a sewer that can't be fully caught."
It's worth noting that in the United States, wizards are strictly forbidden from contacting Muggles. The Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) even issued a special decree to restrict contact with Muggles.
This decree, Rappaport's Law, strictly enforces absolute segregation between wizards and Muggles. Wizards are strictly prohibited from befriending or marrying Muggles. If found to be in close contact with Muggles, they will face severe penalties. Interaction with Muggles is only permitted for everyday communication purposes.
Then he looked at August's young face and continued: "The targets they like to ambush most are inexperienced newbies like you. Good thing you ran into me."
This elder brother was quite familiar to him. After confirming that August was not a dangerous person, he began to lecture him seriously: "I can tell you've just arrived in this country. Didn't your family warn you about this?"
August pretended to be an innocent novice, awkwardly scratching his head.
"The wizarding bank, do you want to exchange money? Come with me; I also want to deposit my salary there." The elder brother sighed and shook his head, but still led August away.
"Through this alley." They walked down a street, and the enthusiastic elder brother led him through an empty alley.
August felt a transparent magical barrier at the exit of this alley, probably to conceal traces. Muggles would instinctively ignore this place.
"Welcome to Wizarding Alley!"
August's vision suddenly cleared, and a wide, clean street appeared before him. The street was full of people dressed just like ordinary Muggles; of course, they were all wizards, and the fluctuations of magic didn't lie.
"Well, then I'll take my leave first." The elder brother leading the way waved goodbye.
August thanked him and then began to walk.
It was practically like a normal shopping street, but the stores sold magical items. August quickly scanned the area and found what appeared to be a bank.
August entered. The design was very unique, with golden decorations on the walls, and an aura of money immediately assailed him.
"How can I help you?" A short, pointy-eared creature, considered ugly by human aesthetic standards, was sitting on a high stool behind the counter, dressed in a suit.
"Can I exchange gold for Galleons here?" August asked, taking out a gold coin and placing it on the table.
The Goblin's eyes immediately lit up. As soon as he saw the gold, his mouth curved upwards into a rather exaggerated arc, revealing tiny, sharp teeth.
"Oh! A gold coin of excellent purity!" The Goblin put on his spectacles and gloves, and took out a small scale from under the counter.
"Thirty-three grams, and the purity is almost one hundred percent. Goblins are a race that values money as much as their very lives. As soon as he picked up this gold coin, he couldn't let go of it. Somehow, he measured its purity without using any instruments. "I've never seen these engravings. If I may be so bold, sir, are you a treasure hunter? Where was such a gold coin unearthed?"
A greedy light flickered in the Goblin's eyes as he inquired about the origin of August's gold coin.
"Cough!" August coughed with feigned awkwardness, indicating to the Goblin that the gold coin did not yet belong to them. "Sir, you can admire it carefully after the exchange. Shouldn't we proceed with the transaction now?"
"Excuse my rudeness, but in all my years here, I've never seen a gold coin of such good quality. If you have any source, sir, we can provide you with the most professional equipment and personnel, and we can discuss the division in more detail." The Goblin did not give up, trying to extract more information.
"I'm sorry, I obtained this gold coin by chance." August couldn't tell them to go to another world to find it.
The Goblin clearly didn't believe him, but still nodded: "Alright, sir, if you change your mind, remember to come find us. I believe no other race in this world understands gold better than us."
Then he seemed to calculate for a moment, looked at August, and said: "According to the current price of gold, this gold coin can be exchanged for one hundred and forty Galleons. Sir, are you sure you want to exchange it?"
Since August had taken it out, there was no way he would take it back. He nodded confidently.
"Then, please wait a moment." The Goblin reached out and pulled a string hanging beside him.
A moment later, another Goblin emerged from behind the counter carrying a heavy bag and placed the bag of golden Galleons in front of August.
"Transaction complete."
"Thank you." August took the bag of golden Galleons without counting them. Although these Goblins were greedy, they wouldn't cheat on something like this.
Now with money, the first thing August did was go straight to the bookstore, where he bought a large quantity of books. During that time, he also spent about twenty Galleons buying an enchanted suitcase with an Undetectable Extension Charm, putting the entire pile of books inside.
These books cost him a total of eighty golden Galleons. His bag of golden Galleons only had forty left, so he had to use them carefully.
There was no wand shop here, and even if there was, August wouldn't buy one. He remembered that wizards in the United States needed a permit to carry a wand, which prevented him, an interdimensional stowaway, from buying one to study.
There was also a hotel for passing wizards to rest. August booked a room, left his luggage, and rested for a while. Feeling hungry, he went to the first-floor dining area, sat at the bar, ordered a beer and some food, and began to slowly enjoy them while listening to the conversations of the surrounding wizards to gather information.
"Life is very hard nowadays, those damned scourers!"
"Yes, luckily the wise President Seraphina didn't issue any prohibitions like those Muggles did, otherwise our lives would be even harder."
"To President Seraphina!" Upon hearing this, a nearby fat man raised his glass and shouted, and the drinking wizards also raised their glasses, showing their great appreciation for President Seraphina.
"You know? They say Grindelwald, that terrifying guy, has disappeared from Europe," another wizard said, somewhat dazed.
"Silence! You don't know the methods of those madmen. Aren't you afraid he'll curse his own name and everyone who mentions him?" His friend, who was nearby, quickly stopped him.
The wizard instantly became serious, frightened, and mumbled something, not daring to speak.
"Don't you think he might have secretly come to our country?" At that moment, a voice suddenly echoed, and the bustling first-floor hall instantly fell silent. It seemed everyone was afraid of the owner of that name.
"Probably not. What do we have here that's worth a guy of his caliber showing up?" someone replied with a dry laugh.
"Grindelwald not only came to the United States but also became their Secretary of Security and Chief Auror. What a surprise! I didn't expect it!" August silently complained.