Claire Sutton laughed, lying on the bed and poking her head out to look at the earnest-faced David Clark, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll say you’re tacky?”

David Clark hesitated for a moment, then gave a shy, silly grin.

Since Claire Sutton wasn’t going to fuss over a few dozen yuan, and David Clark, who never liked owing favors, didn’t want to seem overly shrewd, he tore a piece from a magazine, pulled out a ballpoint pen, wrote down his phone number, and handed it to the baffled Claire Sutton with a formality akin to presenting a diplomatic letter. She asked in confusion, “Contact info? Why not just tell me and I’ll save it in my phone?”

David Clark was taken aback, then explained, “This way it seems more sincere.”

Claire Sutton hesitated for a moment, but still took the odd “business card,” reluctantly stuffing it into her well-used classic Gucci wallet.

Emily Thompson stifled a laugh. This guy was almost too meticulous when he got serious. It seemed he wasn’t the least bit intimidated by guys like Brian Kent, but had no immunity to beauties like her best friend. Emily Thompson considered herself a good judge of character, and after this little farce, she thought David Clark was actually pretty decent. To be precise, he was a pseudo-otaku who looked innocent but was actually a bit scheming, though at least he had a bottom line. She secretly hoped this “half-pound brother” might spark something with her bestie. After all, a girl like Claire Sutton, who’d “seen it all and found none right,” might seem wild, but still needed someone trustworthy to rely on. Whether the man was outstanding or not was secondary.

In the end, Emily Thompson valued David Clark’s safety factor, which indirectly showed just how invisible he was in the eyes of unfamiliar women. Next, Claire Sutton jumped onto Emily Thompson’s bed to whisper secrets, while David Clark, Sparrow, and Leopard huddled together, whispering among themselves. David Clark carefully pulled out a suitcase you could buy at any small market for a hundred or two, fumbled around, took out a wad of cash—about two thousand yuan—and handed it to the confused Leopard. After thinking for a moment, David Clark took some of it back, leaving only four or five bills, and said softly, “This five hundred yuan is spare cash from me and Sparrow, all for you. I’m worried you’ll starve on the street after sneaking out of the train station. The reason I’m not giving you the rest is I’m afraid you’ll get itchy hands and blow it all on poker.”

“Uncle, no need. I’ve got buddies and connections in Shanghai. Once I get settled, I’ll treat you and Sparrow to a feast. There’s no reason for me to take your money.” Leopard scratched his head.

“Your so-called buddies are all useless scum. Remember that time two years ago when we got into a cross-school fight? Five of us were surrounded on the field by the whole basketball and track teams—fifty or sixty guys. We fought for over half an hour, and your friends didn’t even show up. Yet at the drinking table, they all act like big northern gangsters. Damn, ‘fair-weather friends’ describes them perfectly.” David Clark remembered the incident well—not because he was hung up on being betrayed and beaten for half an hour, but because their small group, never more than ten, had a history of taking on bigger groups and getting flattened. What really annoyed him was Leopard’s so-called friends, who had no sense of loyalty. So David Clark patiently explained, “Even if your friends can’t help, when you’re new in someone else’s territory, you should at least have a decent pack of cigarettes in your pocket for your first meeting. Are you really planning to hand out those cheap Zhongnanhai cigarettes that cost a few cents each?”

“So what? They can smoke them or not. I’m giving them face by even offering.” Leopard retorted stubbornly.

“Idiot, the cigarettes you have now are for your brothers, for your scummy friends, and you still have to save face.” David Clark scolded.

Leopard grunted in response, unclear if he understood.

After finishing a cigarette, David Clark said slowly, “Back in Tangshan, everyone knew each other, so you could find some reliable brothers. But in Shanghai, you need to be more cautious. The bigger the city, the more drifters there are—people with no roots, who find it easy to do ruthless or shady things. It’s just like how we could act tough at schools outside Caofeidian.”

Sparrow, prettier than a peacock, said bluntly, “Idiot, what Uncle means is don’t wear your heart on your sleeve in Shanghai. Be smart, take advantage when you can, and don’t get taken for a ride.”

“No problem. If I don’t make a name for myself, I’ll never go back to Tangshan.” Leopard vowed.

“Keep the money safe. If you run out, just come to me or Sparrow’s school. Worst case, eat at the cafeteria with us—plus, there are hundreds of pretty girls to look at. No shame in that.” David Clark laughed.

Leopard nodded vigorously and put the bills in his inner pocket.

In Shanghai, even if you threw fifty million or five billion into the Huangpu River, it might not make a splash. That’s the unique pride of a city of the Republic’s elite. What awaited David Clark and his friends was a new world, far broader and more complex than Tangshan.

……