Chapter 369 - 344: Universal Studios, Little Red Car Lands in the United States

For this trip to the United States, in addition to tourism, Wu Yun intended to visit Hollywood on a study tour. He hoped to learn about advanced technology and lay the groundwork for producing future Xianxia films and television series for Huaxia.

So, after finishing breakfast and updating his social media, Wu Yun and the others changed their clothes, got in the car, and set off for Hollywood.

Hollywood is the world’s most famous destination for film, entertainment, and tourism, located in the northwestern suburbs of the city of Los Angeles.

It was first discovered by photographers searching for outdoor filming locations. Around the early 20th century, the area began to attract many filmmakers. Later, small companies and independent producers flocked there to escape the control of patent companies, and it gradually developed into a center for the film industry.

Sitting in the car, Wu Yun gazed at the world-famous, nine-letter sign on the Hollywood Hills and instinctively raised his camera to take a close-up shot.

There were no skyscrapers here, but the traffic, pedestrians, and storefronts still gave Wu Yun the impression of a prosperous and bustling area.

Hollywood could be considered one of the birthplaces of global fashion.

Along the way, Wu Yun saw many luxury brands—some he recognized, others he didn’t. The pedestrians, too, were dressed in trendy, fashionable styles.

"CLICK~" Wu Yun pressed the shutter, accidentally snapping a photo of a woman in a white jumpsuit with a plunging V-neck. Judging by her exposed chest, Wu Yun was certain she wasn’t wearing a bra underneath.

’I guess I really don’t get fashion.’ Just as Wu Yun had that thought, he saw a bald person wearing sunglasses and a baggy suit walk past their car.

The light turned green, and as their car accelerated past, Wu Yun realized the bald person was actually a woman! He could tell because her jacket was open.

Fortunately, most of the people were dressed quite normally; they were tourists, after all.

The first stop for Wu Yun and his group today was Universal Studios.

As one of Hollywood’s most famous attractions, Universal Studios is a must-see for any tourist visiting the area.

As soon as he got out of the car, Wu Yun felt a pang of regret. ’Damn, seven grown men out for a day of fun... this looks pretty awkward. Why didn’t I think to hire a tour companion?!’

Luckily, his five bodyguards were dressed in simple jackets and jeans, not much different from the other tourists. Even though they were tall and powerfully built, they didn’t stand out too much in a place like this.

Universal Studios was originally a Hollywood film lot, but it has now become a theme park. The promotional material from the Universal Center read: "Hollywood movies and advanced special effects combine to create world-class, cutting-edge theme park attractions."

It was a weekend, so even though Wu Yun and his group arrived early, the park entrance was already a sea of people. He saw many Asian faces, and crowds of tourists were lined up under the iconic Universal Studios globe, waiting to take pictures.

Wu Yun took one look and decided against taking a typical tourist photo there.

"Wang Hao, go buy seven VIP tickets, and hire a tour guide while you’re at it!"

If you wanted to have fun without wasting time, you had to be willing to spend more money.

A short while later, Wang Hao returned with seven tickets, accompanied by a young, average-looking woman who appeared to be from Huaxia.

"President Wu, this is today’s tour guide, Qiao Xia!" Wang Hao introduced.

Hearing Wang Hao speak Chinese, Qiao Xia first glanced at the large men surrounding Wu Yun before smiling and saying in perfect Mandarin, "Hello, President Wu! I’m a guide here at the Universal Center! I specialize in tours for visitors from Huaxia!"

Wu Yun nodded at her. "From your accent, I take it you’re an international student?"

Qiao Xia smiled and nodded. "Yes, I’m a student in California. I work part-time on the weekends to cover my living expenses."

Although Qiao Xia was curious about Wu Yun’s status and age, she was a professional. She instantly switched into work mode, taking a small portable voice amplifier from her bag and clipping it on. "Please follow me, everyone," she said. "Will you all be able to understand if I speak Chinese?"

Hawkeye and the other men all nodded. Qiao Xia was inwardly surprised but simply said, "Please follow me. We’ll go in through the VIP entrance."

And so, under the envious stares of the other tourists, Wu Yun’s group entered through a separate gate.

Once inside the park, Qiao Xia handed each of them a map printed in both English and Chinese.

Qiao Xia explained, "Universal Studios is divided into an Upper Park and a Lower Park. The two are connected by a series of escalators."

"I heard from Secretary Wang that you have an appointment at three o’clock this afternoon, President Wu, so I’ve planned our route. This morning, we’ll start with the rides in the Lower Park: the Transformers 3D roller coaster, the Jurassic Park river ride, and the Revenge of the Mummy 3D roller coaster."

"Then, we’ll head straight to the Upper Park for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the Studio Tour. After a Michelin-chef lunch in the park, we’ll hit The Simpsons virtual roller coaster, the Animal Actors stage, the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride, The Walking Dead haunted house, and the WaterWorld show."

"Since we don’t have to wait in line, we can get through all of these attractions within four hours."

Seeing Wu Yun nod in approval, Qiao Xia smiled, waved her hand, and said, "Please, follow me!"

Qiao Xia then led the group onto a shuttle, taking them through the Upper Park to the escalators that led down to the Lower Park.

Upon arriving at the Lower Park, they found it wasn’t too crowded since the park had only just opened. That didn’t stop Wu Yun’s group from taking the VIP lane, however.

The Transformers 3D virtual roller coaster was extremely popular. The ride simulated going on a mission with the Transformers themselves. It utilized the latest 3D technology and state-of-the-art visual effects, making the screen itself practically invisible as the characters moved seamlessly between the physical sets and the projected media.