Genius Club

Chapter 1289: Chapter 6: Small Characters

After upgrading his gear with a pair of high-end leather shoes donated by a kind person, Lin Xian felt much more comfortable walking on the paved road, and his pace quickened considerably.

In half an hour, he and CC walked back to the old street they had crossed over from at the start, and soon they spotted a little black boy with newspapers on his back… selling newspapers with a dejected voice.

His voice had become weak and feeble:

“Newspaper… newspaper… today’s newspaper…”

It sounded like the powerless cleaning robot VV.

He was probably looping the images of going back to be scolded in his mind.

Lin Xian walked up with big strides.

The little boy heard footsteps approaching, looked up excitedly, but then widened his eyes, stepped back, took a deep breath, and was about to scream —

“Shut up, don’t scream at me.”

Lin Xian interrupted him, flicked a coin from his right hand, and the little boy reflexively reached out to catch it..

Opening his palm, he saw it was a dime.

Enough to buy many newspapers.

The little boy looked at Lin Xian in shock.

“No need for change, consider the extra as mental compensation.”

Lin Xian said after that.

He turned around, waved, and left with CC.

The little boy watched the hurried backs come and go, and only then did he realize he had gotten lucky from this misfortune!

He hastily bowed to Lin Xian’s retreating figure:

“Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!! Wish you a joyful day!”

…

“Ah… you, this person.”

After walking away, CC walked on Lin Xian’s left and smiled helplessly:

“When you were poor, you shamelessly went to the church for meals; then when you had a bit of money, you exposed your nouveau riche attitude, not saving at all, if you keep going like this… no matter how much money you earn, it will be squandered by you sooner or later.”

“It’s only right to give some mental compensation.”

Lin Xian explained:

“After all, newspapers grabbed and normally bought can’t be the same price, right? While your first impression of me might not be good, that was indeed a situation beyond control, but I’m still principled, at least I can’t let others bear the consequences because of my mistakes.”

CC silently nodded:

“Indeed, my first impression of you was quite bad, especially when I saw you not pious to the Lord, just wanting to scrounge for food, I really wanted to leave you behind and walk away.”

“But now, seeing you have integrity, doing what you say, has really improved my impression of you. By the way… are we really going to Brooklyn Heights? The round-trip bus fare is not a small amount, it will greatly diminish your already scant property.”

“Ah, let’s not think about money at this moment.”

Lin Xian laughed:

“Enjoy the present as we live, who knows whether accidents or tomorrow will come first… As for the money issue, you don’t need to worry much, maybe when we reach the rich area, where people are silly and have money, I might even earn more money.”

As they chatted, the two walked to the bus stop.

Coincidentally, a bus pulled up, and Lin Xian pulled CC and jumped onto the bus:

“Come on, let’s go!”

…

The bus from the 50s was very slow, probably also related to the complex road conditions.

After Lin Xian and CC got on the bus and bought tickets, they found seats towards the back and watched the passing streetscape.

“Up to here is the furthest I have ever been.”

After the bus drove for half an hour, CC pointed to a significantly wide and clean avenue in front and said softly:

“Since I was born, I’ve never left Brooklyn, not just Brooklyn… actually, I’ve never even left the Brownsville Community.”

“My grandmother’s welfare home was here, and after it closed, I’ve been wandering here. If I’m lucky, I can find some odd jobs; if unlucky… like now, I can only eat charity meals from the church, looking for some job opportunities.”

CC looked out the bus window.

Lin Xian couldn’t see her eyes.

But from her voice, it was clear that her life had been very challenging over the years.

“Men’s lives are much better anyway.”

CC scratched her messy ponytail and continued:

“Men can at least do some manual work to make a living, at least they can earn a salary to support themselves. But I haven’t gone to school, and I have no education… even bakeries don’t want me as a cashier or saleswoman.”

In the next moment.

The bus officially exited the Brownsville Community, leaving CC’s “world boundary line,” heading towards another scenery of Brooklyn.

This area was noticeably cleaner and wealthier than the previous one.

The buildings were more contemporary, people’s clothes on the streets were more luxurious, and more boxy or round little cars appeared… the standard of living had obviously risen several levels.

CC opened the bus window.

She stretched her head out, taking in the stunning scenery of leaving her world for the first time in her life.

“Have you never seen such a scene before?” Lin Xian asked.

CC shook her head:

“No, at most I saw similar pictures from newspapers others discarded on the street… or when passing by malls, I could take a glance at the TVs inside, but witnessing it with my own eyes like this is the first time.”

“It’s hard to imagine, this is just Brooklyn’s rich area, and it’s already so beautiful, then Manhattan, known as the center of the world… what kind of scenery must it be.”

She blinked and took a deep breath.

Feeling the air here was fresher and clearer:

“Thank you for bringing me here, Lin Xian.”

She turned back.

She looked at Lin Xian with a slight smile, familiar crescent moons and small dimples by the corners of her mouth blossoming instantly:

“If one day, I have the capability to go to Manhattan… I will definitely bring you along.”

Lin Xian chuckled softly:

“You say I’m bragging, but aren’t you also painting big dreams for me? Clearly, you don’t even have bus fare, and yet I’m the one hosting.”