Chapter 64: Then the pants he wears must be very cool

Although it was morning, the sky in New York was overcast, as if rain was imminent.

Yesterday, Wang Yang flew from Los Angeles to the Big Apple City, and he stayed at the same hotel on Park Avenue in Manhattan, near Broadway, which was convenient for finding candidates for Juno. He was mentally prepared to stay in New York for a while—if Natalie Portman wasn’t suitable for Juno, or if she was unwilling to perform, he would have to hold auditions in New York, as the eligible actresses in Los Angeles were basically exhausted.

“Mark, I know, you’re such a nag!” Wang Yang stood on the balcony looking out at the street scene, saying irritably into his phone, “I won’t screw it up on purpose. Now that I’m in New York, I’ll do everything possible to make this right! If Natalie Portman is really right for Juno, I will absolutely cling to her, pester her all the way to Harvard University, okay?”

Mark’s chuckle came through the phone, and he said, “Yang, I’m thinking of your film, of the company’s best interests. But hearing you say that reassures me, show Natalie a bit of your charming magic!”

“Bullshit!” Wang Yang laughed and ended the call, going back into the room.

He had arranged to meet Natalie Portman at 09:30 in a cafe. Seeing it was about time, Wang Yang left the room carrying the briefcase with the “Juno” script inside. On the familiar corridor, he glanced at a spot by the wall, vaguely remembering the heavily made-up woman, then he averted his gaze and strode away.

“Honk, honk—” “Beep, beep—”

Listening to the piercing sound of car horns and looking at the congestion of yellow cars ahead, Wang Yang, sitting in the back of the taxi, furrowed his brows. He turned to lookback and saw that it was just as packed behind, seemingly endless. Glancing at the time, it was almost 9 o’clock, and he couldn’t help but complain, “Hey, why is it so jammed?”

The chubby, Black taxi driver, hands draped over the steering wheel, shrugged and said, “This is New York, we’re stuck in traffic every day.”

Wang Yang realized he had misjudged the situation. He hadn’t visited this part of New York during his last stay and hadn’t expected such a traffic jam—you could barely move a hundred meters in ten minutes. He asked with a frown, “Buddy, when do you think we can get there?” The taxi driver, looking in the rearview mirror with a helpless expression, said, “I can’t be sure. It’s not usually like this; maybe something happened up front today, who knows.” Wang Yang looked ahead and behind, still seeing a long stream of yellow cars, and asked anxiously, “How far is it to where I’m going?”

“Not too far, just a few more blocks,” the driver answered. Wang Yang pulled out his wallet and took out some money while asking, “Which way should I run if I go by foot?” He didn’t like being late or breaking appointments, whether it was to others or to himself. After getting directions from the driver, Wang Yang paid the fare, grabbed his briefcase, got out of the taxi with a slam of the door, and started running toward his destination.

After running down two streets, Wang Yang followed the directions of the driver he had encountered earlier to take a detour, but soon he realized he was lost. Looking around at the old buildings, so desolate, with no pedestrians nearby, he had no idea where he was. Wang Yang couldn’t help but mutter a curse, “Damn it…” He kept walking forwards while taking out his mobile phone. It was almost 9:30, but he was somewhat reluctant to call Natalie Portman. What could he say? “I’m going to be late because I got lost?”

He decided to find a passerby to ask for directions, hoping that the cafe was nearby; if not, then he would make the call.

After walking a little further, he finally emerged from the old building area and reached the outer street. Seeing that time was running out, Wang Yang’s brows furrowed tighter. Suddenly, he saw a few people ahead of him and his eyes lit up at last—there were people! But he quickly realized something was off. He saw a black car on a one-way street, its front end smashed into a parked blue car, with a police car following behind.

On the roadside, a middle-aged Black woman was visibly anxious, holding a brunette little girl and pleading desperately with a traffic police officer next to her, exclaiming, “Sir, please help me, my daughter is having an asthma attack, she needs CPR!”

“Oh, oh, I don’t know how to perform CPR,” the white police officer said nonchalantly with a smile, “All I know is that you drove the wrong way down a one-way street, and moreover, you hit another car. You need to come with me to the police station.” He proceeded to take out handcuffs from his belt.

Wang Yang approached, somewhat puzzled by their conversation. It seemed the police officer was determined to arrest the Black woman, and her daughter… He frowned as he glanced at the little girl in the woman’s arms. The girl, about six or seven years old, had her eyes tightly shut, her face was pale, and her lips were turning blue, as if she was already dead. His heart clenched suddenly, and he couldn’t help exclaiming, “Oh my God…”

“While she still breathes, while she still breathes…” The Black woman cried torrentially. Her daughter had a sudden asthma attack in the morning, she had called 911, but due to the traffic jam, the ambulance would take a very long time to arrive, so she decided to drive her daughter to the nearby hospital herself. Because she was in a hurry, she drove the wrong way down a one-way street and collided with a parked car, and then got held up by this white police officer. She looked at the officer, continuing to beg, “Just let us go, Brianna, my daughter, can’t hold on much longer…”

Wang Yang frantically surveyed the surroundings and glared at the white police officer, shouting urgently, “Hurry and take the girl to the hospital in the police car! Saving a life is what matters!”

“Chinese kid, don’t tell me how to do my job!” The police officer scoffed and coldly said, “Sorry, I’m a police officer, not a doctor, and I must stick to my duties, that’s my responsibility.” The Black woman’s body shook with urgency, and she could barely stand as she beseeched, “Officer, let us go, the hospital is just two blocks away…”

Several other bystanders also chastised the officer, saying, “Let them go, that girl really looks like she needs help!” and “Officer, you can’t delay her treatment…” But they also clearly had no intention of taking any action to help. “Fuck!” Wang Yang couldn’t help but swear out loud, seeing the little girl’s complexion worsen by the second. He clenched his fists and yelled, “Some people are insane!” He could tell that the police officer was a scumbag; maybe it was racism, or maybe his brain was soaked through—either way, this guy didn’t regard the life of the little girl as important! Looking at the tearful Black woman, he shouted, “Ma’am, I’ll take her to the hospital! Don’t waste any more time here!” He was going to have a daughter; he almost had a daughter. He didn’t care about causing trouble, saving a life was what mattered!

The Black mother hesitated, giving Wang Yang a glance, then tightened her hold on her daughter.

“What are you thinking!?” Wang Yang was in such a panic that he frantically grabbed at his hair, and suddenly, remembering something, he handed over his wallet, documents, and briefcase to the black mother, pleading, “Please, Brianna can’t wait any longer!” The black mother nodded firmly, and he took the little girl from her arms, asking, “The hospital is just two streets ahead, right?! I just keep going straight, right?!”

“Yes, just up ahead! Turn left out of the one-way street and keep going,” said the black mother anxiously. But the white police officer frowned and said, “Hey, Chinese kid, what are you doing…”

Wang Yang ignored the cold-blooded officer and, holding the little girl named Brianna tightly, sprinted toward the hospital without worry of getting lost.

Several bystanders exchanged perplexed looks. The black mother closed her tearful eyes and made the sign of the cross. The white police officer watched Wang Yang’s retreating figure in silence; at that moment, not far behind, a middle-aged white man with a beard also started running frantically, camera with a long lens in hand, chasing after him and snapping pictures with a “click, click” sound.

Wang Yang, carrying the little girl, wasn’t running very fast, and the paparazzo quickly caught up with him. With another “click,” Wang Yang felt his face brushed by the flash. Without breaking stride, he glanced to the side and was suddenly surprised, “Cole?”

Cole kept pressing the shutter, smiling as if pleased by Wang Yang’s surprise, “Hey, Amazing Yang!” He followed Wang Yang closely, laughing and exclaiming, “Wow, are you saving someone? Amazing Yang, you’re going to get a new nickname, ‘Doctor Yang,’ ‘Superman Yang’?” His tone was somewhat mocking, “Come on, tell me, how are you feeling right now?”

“Get lost!” Wang Yang’s tone was icy. He didn’t want to be any kind of superhero, but could he just stand by and watch a precious life fading away? She was just a little girl; it shouldn’t have come to this! As he ran, he looked down at the little girl’s face. It had turned even more ghastly, and her lips were turning black. He felt a tightening in his chest and a wave of panic!

As if his latent potential had been unleashed, Wang Yang’s pace quickened. The scenery on both sides of the street rapidly receded behind him. He called out to Cole, “Cole, do me a favor, check if the little girl is still breathing!”

But Cole, without slowing down, appeared unconcerned as he swung his long lens camera, saying, “As you can see, my hands are full.”

“Please!” Wang Yang shouted anxiously, and seeing Cole was unmoved, he pleaded again, “Please!” Cole ran ahead to get a shot of Wang Yang from the front, laughingly saying, “No time, I need to get enough shots to trade for a sports car!” Wang Yang clenched his teeth, lifted the little girl higher, and lowering his head close to her nose, he felt a faint breath against his face and cracked a small smile—he could feel her breathing, she was still breathing!

“Oh my God!” Cole cried out ahead, “Amazing Yang, are you kissing this little girl? She’s only 7 or 8 years old! That’s a serious offense!” He laughed out loud, showing off the camera, “I’ve got it all on camera, you can’t escape now!”

Wang Yang ignored the despicable man completely, repeatedly telling himself in his heart, “Run faster, run faster!” He exerted all the speed he could muster and dashed forward. Soon, he had left the one-way street behind, but the two-way traffic outside was still jam-packed with yellow taxis, all of them gridlocked. Without hesitation, he continued to sprint to the left, clutching the African-American girl in his arms.

“Superman Yang, don’t run so fast, I can’t get a clear shot!” Cole kept taking pictures ahead of him, offering his unsolicited advice, “Also, your running posture isn’t cool enough, strike a better pose! Wait up!” He stopped in his tracks, blocking the way, smiling, “Move your hand away a bit, I want to take a picture of this little girl’s face! Oh, look at her, a real poor thing.”

This trash! Hearing Cole’s words, Wang Yang’s anger grew increasingly intense, almost wishing he could punch Cole’s head into pieces! With undiminished speed, he secured the little girl with his left hand and forcefully shoved the obstructing Cole with his right, sending Cole stumbling into a trash can on the side of the road. Cole cursed and immediately gave chase again.

Passersby on the street stared in surprise and confusion at the bizarre scene unfolding before them, a young man with black hair running wildly with a little girl in his arms, followed by a middle-aged man with a camera in hand. The onlookers were puzzled about what was happening. The sweat-drenched black-haired young man ran faster and faster, seemingly heading towards the hospital up ahead. Indeed, soon after, the figure of the young man disappeared into the hospital’s entrance, and the middle-aged photographer followed all the way.

“Help!” The moment Wang Yang ran into the hospital’s outpatient lobby, he desperately cried out for help, “Help! This girl is having an asthma attack, she needs CPR! Please, save her!”

All the people in the lobby looked over, and promptly, a doctor and a few nurses rushed over. Seeing the girl’s lips turning blue, a white male doctor in a white coat and stethoscope immediately furrowed his brow and asked Wang Yang, “How long since the patient started showing symptoms?” Gasping for air, Wang Yang laid the girl on the gurney and said between breaths, “I don’t know, it’s been over half an hour. Hurry, save her…”

The nurses hurriedly pushed the gurney towards the emergency room with an oxygen mask over the girl’s mouth. The white male doctor followed alongside, checked the girl’s heartbeat, and urgently but calmly said, “The patient is in critical condition, her heart has stopped. Arrange for emergency CPR immediately.”

“Huff… huff…” Wang Yang stood there gasping heavily, his sweat running down his face, dripping “tick-tock” onto the floor. Her heart had stopped? He looked at the tightly pulled green curtain ahead, feeling waves of weakness and fear. How could this be, she was just a 6 or 7-year-old girl, she shouldn’t be leaving this world so soon, she hadn’t lived through her entire childhood, hadn’t enjoyed her youth… No, it can’t be… Brianna must be okay…

Cole, who had followed all the way, squatted down beside him, aiming his camera at the sweat-drenched, praying, and helpless Wang Yang, pressed the shutter, and praised, “Wow, that’s a great expression! It’s my first time capturing this! Ha-ha! It’s worth at least a thousand dollars.” He smiled and said, “Superman Yang, strike a victorious pose, come on, yeah!”

Wang Yang glanced at Cole and asked coldly, “Do you have any humanity left?”

Cole, holding his camera, shrugged and laughed, “I don’t care, fine, I’ll pray for the little girl, wish her good luck. But what’s that got to do with me? I’m just a reporter.” Looking at Wang Yang’s red eyes and clenched fists, Cole laughed loudly, “What, miraculous Yang, you want to hit me? Oh, please, come on then!” He didn’t believe for a moment that this Chinese-American director would throw a punch, these stars always have to consider their public image; of course, if the Chinese-American director really did hit him, it would make for a few great photos, which would be even better.

“Fuck…” Wang Yang clenched his eyes shut tightly, remembered Cole’s interference all along the way, and suddenly, a surge of unprecedented anger burst from his anxious and frightened heart. Barely catching his breath, he took a couple of steps towards Cole and said in a deep voice, “You want me to hit you?” Cole carelessly laughed, “Come on!” With a sneer, Wang Yang snatched the long lens camera from Cole’s hands, lifted it high above his head without waiting for any reaction, and then smashed it to the ground with all his might.

Crash—the camera smashed into the marble floor so hard it seemed to have cracked, scattering into pieces beyond recognition as a camera.

“Motherfucker, go die!” Wang Yang bellowed uncontrollably and, before the echo died away, he swung a punch, his clenched fist landing heavily on Cole’s cheek. He yelled furiously, “I’ve wanted to beat you for a long time, you son of a bitch!”

“Oh my God…” Cole, having taken a punch, stumbled back several steps and froze. Had this Chinese-American director really hit someone? The burning pain in his face seemed to confirm this. But he hadn’t captured any pictures, because that camera… Cole’s gaze fell to the floor, to the broken camera, and he muttered in shock, “My camera…” That lens was the most expensive one he had, and now it was… He took a deep breath and suddenly cursed, “Bastard, you’re dead!” and rushed to hit Wang Yang.

With bloodshot eyes, Wang Yang dodged the lunging Cole with ease and punched him in the back, then kicked at the joint of his knee. Cole collapsed onto the floor immediately, screaming like a madman, “Aah aah aah,” and in desperation grabbed at Wang Yang’s leg, trying to pull him down.

Seeing this scene, other patients, their families, and staff in the hospital lobby and corridors all exclaimed in alarm, “What’s happening?” They watched the scuffle, eyes glued to the action. It was clear that the Chinese-American kid was the better fighter, barely getting hit by the middle-aged man, who was getting badly beaten, losing several teeth and bleeding from the mouth. He seemed crazed, desperately clinging and biting at legs, covering Wang Yang in blood.

That’s when the Chinese-American kid also got injured. His foot landed on a shard of camera on the floor, and he slipped, crashing headfirst into the corner of the wall with a thud, blood gushing from his forehead.

“Damn it…” Wang Yang touched his burning forehead and saw his hand coated in fresh red blood. The anger inside him blazed uncontrollably, and seeing Cole across from him, both eyes swollen, fists clenched with a crackle, he was about to charge and twist Cole’s arm off.

The bedraggled Cole panted heavily, already not wanting to fight any longer— he was no match at all! Watching Wang Yang’s face turn murderous, for some reason, a wave of fear surged in him, and he hastily shouted, “Hey, I give up! I surrender!”

Just then, the security guards, alerted to the turmoil, had arrived. Four of

them,     two quickly grabbed Wang Yang, one got hold of Cole, and the African American security supervisor glared at them both. Tapping his baton in hand, he cursed in a very unfriendly tone, “You two pieces of shit! Cut it out! This is a hospital, not a battleground. Take your fight outside if you must!”

Wang Yang, his arms seized by two security guards, kept a stern face and said nothing, just heavy breathing, as sweat and blood from his forehead mixed and dripped down, blurring his vision. He slowly regained his composure, but the tight grip of his fists didn’t relax. Looking at Cole, he said to the guards, “I didn’t want to fight; it was that guy who asked for it. Please throw him out.” Seeing Wang Yang restrained, Cole straightened up, his face full of anger. He said to the security guards, “That kid smashed my camera, and he was the one to hit me first. I’m calling the police!” Looking at Wang Yang, he ranted, “Superman Yang, you’re finished. I will sue you. You’ll compensate me, apologize to me, you’ll go to jail, and you just wait for my lawyer’s letter!”

The security supervisor waved his hand impatiently and said, “Take these two guys out.”

“No, I brought a patient here!” Wang Yang frowned, firmly planted his feet in a horse stance, when he suddenly saw the curtain in front of the emergency room pulled open, and the white male doctor who was in charge of the emergency care for Brianna walked out. His heart suddenly tightened, and he shouted at the doctor, “Doctor! How’s the little girl?” He struggled vigorously to break free from the control of the two security guards and rushed towards the doctor.

A few security guards shrugged their shoulders and let go of Cole. The security supervisor said maliciously to Cole, “Make any more trouble here, and I’ll kick your ass!” With that, he pursed his lips and left with his baton in hand.

“Shit…” Cole spit the blood out of his mouth, muttering curses under his breath as he looked at the broken pieces of his camera on the ground, his face filled with heartache. That damn Magic Yang…

Meanwhile, Wang Yang rushed to the white male doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Doctor, how’s the girl?” His heart was so nervous it was nearly suffocating, his mind a blank, only waiting for the doctor’s response.

The male doctor smiled slightly and said, “She’s a lucky little girl; her heartbeat and breathing have been restored. She’s going to be alright.” He patted Wang Yang’s shoulder with a smile, relieving a breath of his own, “If it had been five minutes later, we might not have been able to save her.”

When Wang Yang heard the words “the little girl is going to be alright,” his mind buzzed as if the power had been restored. He murmured, “Oh my God…” His entire body relaxed, hardly able to stand steady. She’s alright! Thank heavens! He took a deep breath, began to smile, and grabbed the male doctor’s hand, saying, “Thank you, Doctor!”

“Heh heh,” the male doctor chuckled, seemingly just noticing the fresh blood on Wang Yang’s forehead and the corner of his eyes, and asked curiously, “What happened to you? Do you need to get that treated?” Wang Yang wiped his forehead, it was just a small cut. He shook his head and said with a smile, “It’s nothing, I’m fine, I’m very fine.” The male doctor told him “If you need treatment, come find me,” and then left.

Wang Yang stood in place, long pressing on the wound on his forehead, continuing to smile foolishly, looking around at the doctors and nurses in white coats passing by. They were truly amazing. Wang Yang couldn’t help thinking that maybe he should have gone to medical school… He looked back at the corridor in front, no sign of Cole around, and even the camera debris was gone.

At that moment, a middle-aged black woman rushed into the lobby entrance; it was the little girl’s mother. Her face was filled with anxiousness and uncertainty. Seeing Wang Yang in the corridor with a smile on his face, it felt as if a heavy stone in her heart lightened a bit, but it still ached painfully. She walked over with feeble steps, her voice filled with fear, “Sir, my daughter… Brianna, where is she, how is she now?”

“Ma’am, she’s fine, she’s doing well,” Wang Yang said, his face beaming with a radiant smile.

“Oh… My God, thank God!” The black mother was immediately relieved, she closed her eyes, but her tears kept flowing. She laughed wiping them away, a bit incoherently saying, “Thank you, sir, thank you so much. I need to go see Brianna now, she scared me to death, she’s my angel, I probably couldn’t live without her…” She took a couple of steps then suddenly remembered something, turned around, and handed Wang Yang his briefcase, wallet, documents, and other belongings, “Sir, these are your things.”

Wang Yang took his belongings back, and the African American mother, holding his hand, once again expressed her deep gratitude, “Thank you, sir, you are a good man!” Wang Yang smiled and shook his head, “Ma’am, go see Brianna quickly, she needs you.” The African American mother nodded excitedly and rushed toward the resuscitation room.

Watching the African American mother enter a resuscitation room, Wang Yang also took a few steps forward and leaned against the corner of the wall, watching a resuscitation room nearby that hadn’t drawn the curtains. He saw the African American mother stroking Brianna’s hair, her face full of joy and contentment, while the now awake Brianna showed a well-behaved smile, quietly lying on the stretcher. Then a nurse said something to the African American mother, and she began to wheel the stretcher out, probably to transfer Brianna to a ward.

As the stretcher passed by Wang Yang, the African American mother smiled at him and then said to her daughter, “Brianna, this gentleman is the one who saved you.” Brianna glanced at Wang Yang, a demure smile on her face, “Thank you, sir.”

“You’re a strong girl,” Wang Yang said, looking at the little African American girl with two braids, feeling warm inside. Wasn’t this vibrant smile what he had wanted to see?

The little girl waved goodbye to him smilingly, and the nurse continued to push the stretcher forward. Wang Yang watched them move farther away, when he suddenly faintly heard Brianna’s voice, “Mom, why does that gentleman have so much blood on his clothes, on his face? Is that mine?”

Wang Yang couldn’t help but chuckle; the blood on his clothes came from that scumbag Cole, while the one on his face was his own. It was only after they and the stretcher disappeared around the corridor corner that Wang Yang turned his gaze back. He looked at the briefcase in his hand, paused, and seemed to remember something—he had a 0930 appointment with Natalie Portman! He ran to the clinic’s hall, glanced at the wall clock, 10:15!

Completely and utterly late! Wang Yang sighed, he disliked being late and missing appointments most of all, but this time he forgave himself! Even so, he hurried out of the hospital, and when he reached the street and flagged down a taxi, he started taking out his phone to call Natalie Portman, to see if she was still at the agreed cafe, or to reschedule. But when he saw the cracks on his phone screen and the no-power indicator, he couldn’t help but curse Cole, damn that guy!

Wang Yang leaned forward with a friendly grin, trying to put on an amiable expression, and asked the cab driver in the front, “Hey, buddy, could I borrow a phone to make a call?” The white driver shrugged his shoulders and said succinctly, “I don’t have a phone.”

With no other option, Wang Yang patiently waited for the ride to end. It was well past rush hour by now, so there was no congestion on the road. Soon, he arrived at the scheduled street, got out of the taxi, and ran towards the cafe in front. Now the time was after 1030, he was over an hour late. Would Natalie Portman still be waiting? He held no such hope; had it been him, he would have left long ago.

Arriving at the cafe entrance, Wang Yang didn’t slow down and burst in, when a girl with chestnut gold hair came out. It was already too late to brake, and to avoid colliding with her, Wang Yang had to push her aside, “Sorry!” The girl let out a startled “Ah,” nearly falling over as Wang Yang pushed her, and she turned around with a frown, a look of annoyance on her face.

“Huh!” Wang Yang rushed in a few paces, then came to a screeching halt. Was that girl the one just now? Chestnut gold hair, a high nose, slender eyebrows… Natalie Portman! Wang Yang quickly turned and ran back, shouting at her retreating figure, “Hey, hey! Miss Portman! Wait a second!”

Natalie Portman, who was walking ahead, stopped in her tracks. She turned her head and upon recognizing it was that same impolite man from before, her delicate eyebrows furrowed once more. However, as she got a clearer view, her face was suddenly swept over with surprise. The guy was holding a briefcase, sweating profusely, with his gray coat crumpled and damp, extremely dirty and stained with a lot of blood. She could smell the sweat from such a distance. To her amazement, it seemed this guy was the young director she was supposed to meet, Wang Yang.

“Sorry, I’m late…” Wang Yang panted as he approached her, still trying to catch his breath. His recent sprint and fight had drained much of his strength, so even running a short distance left him gasping for air.

Natalie sized him up. What on earth had he done before coming here to end up looking like this? She was a bit surprised and somewhat annoyed as she said, “Mr. Wang, please give me a reason.”

“Traffic jam?” Wang Yang huffed, fatigue dulling his brain as he struggled to articulate, “Um, the traffic jam was just the beginning of the story. I got out of the car and just ran and ran, then I got lost…” Natalie listened with a face full of confusion, her impression of him suddenly including the word “eccentric.” She interrupted, “And the blood?” Wang Yang spread his hands and said, “Well, Ms. Portman, it’s a long story. I just had a fight, not a very intense one, but it broke my phone.”

Fought? Natalie was taken aback and blurted out, “Did you come to New York to fight?” Then she couldn’t help but let out a slight laugh. This guy was really interesting… Was he the incredible Wang Yang? She had pondered what kind of person he was before this—serious? Humorous? But she had never imagined something like this.

“Perhaps, fighting was just one of the goals,” Wang Yang said with a smile. As his breathing steadied, his thoughts also became clearer. He continued, “Ms. Portman, shall we go back and have a cup of coffee? Take a look at my script and see if you’re interested in playing Juno. Of course, I’m confident; and I’ll watch your performance to see if you fit the role of Juno. This is my main purpose in coming to New York.”

Of course I’m confident? Observing his smile, Natalie felt a touch of competitiveness, but she neither shook her head nor nodded in response to his invitation. She said, “Mr. Wang, this is now a matter of politeness and respect.” She paused and continued, “If you were an actor and a director had arranged to meet with you to discuss a movie script. But he’s an hour late, without any phone call, because he got into a fight? And when he arrives, he’s wearing a nasty, stinky coat, and at the coffee shop entrance, he rudely bumps into you. Yet in the end, you still talk to him. Why is that?”

Wang Yang scratched his head, recognizing the familiar scenario. Without thinking too much, he replied, “Then his pants must be really cool.”

Natalie glanced at his jeans, smiled faintly, and said, “Just ordinary pants.” But

then,     she turned back towards the coffee shop. Wang Yang shrugged his shoulders and, carrying the briefcase, followed her.

PS: The little girl incident is adapted from a real-life event; her name is Brianna. If you think such a thing couldn’t possibly happen in Manhattan, New York, feel free to search for the news yourself..