Richard Morgan could hear the unfriendly tone in William Carter's voice. He slowly walked over to William Carter's side, and William Carter instinctively moved aside, deliberately widening the distance between them.

Richard Morgan put down a clothing bag he was holding, then lit a cigarette. He wasn't good with words and always relied on cigarettes to help him speak: "Your mom is very sad, she can't bear to let you go..." William Carter coughed lightly, and Richard Morgan quickly stubbed out the cigarette.

"When will you come back?" Richard Morgan asked in a low voice.

"I'll definitely come back!" William Carter replied, though it sounded more like an excuse than a promise.

"Yesterday I went with your mom to Wangfujing to buy you some clothes. Change into them before you leave tomorrow..." Richard Morgan's voice actually choked a little. He rubbed the cigarette in his hand, and William Carter nodded.

"Your mom really loves you, but she's not good at expressing it. She's always wanted to avoid things from the past..."

"I don't want to hear you talk about things between me and my mom!" William Carter rudely interrupted Richard Morgan. Richard Morgan awkwardly touched his forehead and started to take his leave: "I should get going too. I'll come by early tomorrow to help you pack!"

William Carter didn't say anything. Only after he heard the door close did he let out a long sigh of relief.

William Carter, Brian Cooper, Samuel Clark, and Iron Dan sat together on the dam of the Ming Tombs Reservoir, their faces reddened by the cold wind. Two bottles of Erguotou were already empty. A gust of wind blew across the lake, and Brian Cooper couldn't help but sneeze. He rubbed his nose hard: "William Carter, are you out of your mind? Calling us out here in this freezing weather—what's gotten into you?"

William Carter picked up a piece of braised beef and stuffed it into his mouth. "I'm going to Taiwan tomorrow!" All eyes turned to William Carter at once, then they all burst out laughing. Samuel Clark laughed so hard he clutched his stomach: "You're going to Taiwan? Then I'm going to America!"

"Are you fucking serious? I'm not joking!" William Carter shouted. The three of them were stunned, seeing that William Carter didn't look like he was lying. They exchanged glances, and Iron Dan cautiously asked, "Dayu, tell us straight—what's going on?"

William Carter scratched his head. "It's not just you guys—I'm confused too. Out of nowhere, I suddenly have a Taiwanese dad who wants me to go over there and inherit an estate!" Brian Cooper's eyes lit up: "That's great! Money falling from the sky..." Samuel Clark quickly nudged him, and Brian Cooper suddenly remembered it was William Carter's father who had died, so he quickly shut his mouth.

William Carter stood up with the empty bottle, hurling it forcefully toward the water. The glass traced a bright silver arc in the winter sunlight. Only after the bottle disappeared beneath the surface did he turn back: "I have no idea what kind of person he was!" Brian Cooper suddenly noticed two sparkling tears in William Carter's eyes. One by one, they stood up and pulled William Carter into the middle of a group hug. "Take care!" William Carter's nose tingled with emotion, and he looked off into the distance again. "Come on! It's not like I'm dying or anything—why so serious? This time, I'm going to rescue our class sisters suffering in the depths of misery, and plant the flag of socialism in every corner of Taiwan."

Brian Cooper's eyes shone with envy. "Bro! I'm with you. If you get too busy rescuing those class sisters in Taiwan, don't forget to call me!"

"And me!" Iron Dan was afraid of being left out.

William Carter laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Kid! Got big ambitions, huh!"

"Yeah! Anyway, you'll be back soon. Tonight, let's have a blast together!" Samuel Clark said loudly.

William Carter pressed his lips together tightly. Just then, his phone suddenly rang.

"Hello! Is this William Carter?" A girl's voice came through the phone. William Carter immediately recognized it as Little Emily Harris. He cleared his throat before answering, "It's me! What's up?"

Little Emily Harris's voice sounded a bit hesitant, probably because William Carter's response left her at a loss. After a long pause, she finally said, "I... my car stalled... I tried calling my brother but couldn't get through..." A faint smile appeared at the corner of William Carter's mouth. He could tell Little Emily Harris was clearly making up an excuse.

"Where are you? I'll be right there!"

"Novosibirsk Ice Rink!"

"Okay, wait for me at the entrance. I'll be there in half an hour!" William Carter hung up and turned to see his buddies all making faces at him.

"Damn, you look like a total perv!"

"Not as pervy as you!" they all replied in unison.

Chapter Three [Planting the Red Flag in Taiwan]

William Carter spotted Little Emily Harris in the crowd at a glance. No matter where she was, this girl was always the center of attention. Today, she was wearing a black fur coat, looking a bit wild, which made her even more attractive to men.

William Carter grinned as he walked over to her. "Missy, missing me already?"

Maybe she'd been standing in the cold for too long, but Little Emily Harris's cheeks were rosy, making her look even more adorable. "Cut the crap, I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself!"

"Where's the car?"