Also, if we hit 50 Power Stones this week, I'll release 5 bonus chapters. Every bit of support helps keep this story going strong! 💪✨
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A day later, George and Qiao En got off the train.
Perhaps because the journey wasn't too long, George didn't feel too uncomfortable.
Moreover, he had completed Of Mice and Men during the trip.
Qiao En was surprised to see George writing a novel on the train. But after reading the manuscript, he only said one sentence: "This book will be a hit."
He understood that George was preparing to publish a novel.
The next evening, George and Qiao En arrived at the address General Arthur had given them.
To George's surprise, it turned out to be General Arthur's home.
In this country, being invited to someone's home usually signified a very close relationship. This clearly reflected how much General Arthur respected George's father.
General Arthur's wife opened the door. After Qiao En explained their visit and handed over the General's reply letter, she warmly welcomed them in.
Unfortunately, General Arthur was away attending a military meeting and would not return for at least three days.
After hearing the news, the two didn't stay long. They left behind the two bottles of bourbon they had brought as a gift and returned to the hotel.
Over the next two days, they prepared to submit the manuscript, but things didn't go smoothly. They couldn't reach any decision-makers at the larger newspapers. The smaller outlets imposed overly harsh conditions, essentially treating George as a ghostwriter, with the novel barely linked to his name post-publication.
It wasn't until the third afternoon that the two returned to the hotel disheartened after another fruitless attempt.
As they entered the hotel lobby, the manager handed them a note, explaining that a gentleman had left it.
Qiao En tipped the manager and handed the note to George.
After spending so much time together, Qiao En was increasingly impressed by George's transformation, which was comprehensive and deep-rooted. He had grown calm and collected. Qiao En now saw himself more as a butler, letting George make the decisions while quietly doing what was needed.
George read the note. It was from someone named Kent, saying that Mr. Arthur had returned and had arranged for them to be picked up. Since he hadn't waited, he'd left a message promising to return in the afternoon.
George relayed the message to Qiao En, and they returned to their room to wait.
Around five in the evening, someone knocked on the door. George opened it and found a White man he didn't recognize. He guessed the man had come to escort them.
To his surprise, Qiao En was thrilled and warmly embraced the man.
On the way to General Arthur's home, Qiao En introduced their companion: Pang Bo, a former comrade of both Qiao En and George's father. Upon learning he was picking up Qiao En, Pang Bo had taken over the task from Kent.
The old friends had endless stories to share. When Pang Bo heard that George was Feynman Orwell's son and that Feynman had died from the flu, he sighed in sorrow.
They met General Arthur in his study. His strong features and piercing eyes gave George the impression of a man who was hard to read.
After they were seated, General Arthur laughed heartily and said, "You must be George Orwell. I've heard Qiao En mention you in his letter. Not bad—you'd make a fine soldier. What do you say to enrolling directly in the military academy?"
Earlier, Pang Bo had told them that General Arthur was now the Dean of the military academy. Still, George hadn't expected an invitation to join right away.
However, George scoffed at American honors and had no intention of fighting for this country. As he struggled to find a polite way to decline, Qiao En intervened. "Genera, George's mental state wasn't well before. He's only recently recovered—it's been ongoing for more than ten years."
He then described George's past symptoms in detail.
General Arthur said, "That's unfortunate. How are you now?"
This time, George answered himself. "Thank you for your concern, General. I'm much better now. It's just that after I fall asleep, I don't respond to anything around me, and I need to sleep ten hours a night."
Here, George bent the truth a little—Arthur couldn't verify it, and it wasn't worth probing.
General Arthur nodded. "In that case, let it go. Your father and I were cadets together, and we fought in the war. If he hadn't retired, things might've turned out differently. So don't call me General—just call me Uncle."
He continued, "Qiao En told me why you're here, but I want to hear it from you. Are you ready? MIT isn't a community college."
George thought, Finally, it's here.
"Yes, Uncle Arthur, I'm ready. I want to study medicine to cure my condition."
He took out his test scores and respectfully handed them over.
General Arthur reviewed them and laughed. "A perfect score? I didn't expect you to be a genius. That's not easy. Since you're committed, I'll help you."
He walked over to his desk, pulled out a letter, and scribbled in the words "Medical Department." Returning to the sofa, he handed the letter to George.
It was a recommendation—already written in advance.
George quickly stood up and bowed. "Thank you, Uncle Arthur."
Arthur waved him off. "It's a small favor. My recommendation is enough. I also know the Dean of MIT personally. I'm sure he'll honor it."
George and Qiao En stayed for dinner that evening at the General's invitation.
During their meal, when Arthur learned that George had written a novel, he became curious after hearing a summary of it. He asked his driver to return them to the hotel and bring back the manuscript.
After dinner, they didn't linger. Back at the hotel, they retrieved Of Mice and Men and handed it to the driver.
The next day at noon, after lunch, Pang Bo returned with the manuscript and good news.
General Arthur and his wife had read the novel that same night and were impressed. The next morning, he contacted a newspaper with ties to his academy and sent Pang Bo with his card.
George was thrilled. The three of them set out for the newspaper office.
Thanks to the General's endorsement, the editor readily agreed and signed a publishing contract. George's novel would begin serialization in two days.
With the business done, Pang Bo took them to a restaurant—but instead of sitting in the main hall, they walked through the kitchen.
George was puzzled, but then saw Pang Bo open a freezer door and beckon them in. Inside was another dining area, identical to the outside, but with one key difference: bottles of alcohol on every table.
George realized this was a private restaurant for regulars to drink discreetly, common during Prohibition.
In his past life, the most famous of these was the "21 Club," a secret wine cellar. Many U.S. Presidents dined there, and it became known as the President's favorite "illegal" restaurant.
During this period, the government formed the "Booze Squad" to crack down on alcohol. Yet the immense profits drove many businessmen to take great risks.
Marx wrote in Das Kapital that capital seeks ever-faster profits: with 10% it circulates, 20% it thrives, 50% it dares, 100% it tramples laws, and at 300% it commits any crime, even risking the gallows.
The three sat down as a waiter handed them menus.
"Today's special: roasted sea bass—perfect with White wine…"
Despite the fine service, it was clear the wine was contraband.
Given his youthful appearance, George ordered juice.
The fruity aroma paired beautifully with the rich sea bass, whose crispy skin and tender texture balanced the greasiness of the roast.
Pang Bo, swirling his glass, sighed, "It's a pity—aged White wine is getting rare. We may not get to taste anything like this again."
With Prohibition in full swing, most restaurant alcohol was smuggled in, making quality inconsistent.
But George was different—he didn't crave alcohol, and he had thousands of bottles stored in his space. He could drink well for years, or restock from abroad without risk.
As they ate and chatted, Pang Bo noticed two White men enter. After they sat down, he excused himself.
Passing the bar, Pang Bo requested a bottle of wine and walked over to the men's table. Though George and Qiao En couldn't hear the conversation, the atmosphere seemed friendly. After a few minutes, they shook hands, and Pang Bo returned.
Qiao En raised an eyebrow. Pang Bo smiled. "That was the Deputy Director of Police. A few days ago, one of my cousins was arrested, but he was kind enough to let him go. Since we ran into each other, I went to thank him."
Qiao En clinked glasses with him. "Did all your family come here too?"
Pang Bo nodded with a wry smile. "Life back home was too hard. I brought them over two years ago. But my cousins are uneducated—they're doing temp jobs now and mixing with some of the Corleone Family boys."
Though George didn't fully grasp the conversation, he got the gist.
Qiao En added, "Yes, the war two years ago was brutal. Life in Italy was rough."
Then he clinked glasses again with Pang Bo.
As he listened, George's thoughts churned.
Italy, Corleone, Mafia…
Wasn't this the plot of The Godfather, that famous movie from his past life?
The Italian-American Mafia… the Corleone Family!?
— End of Chapter 10 —
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