money player

Xian Yaowen turned to Huo Zhixian and asked, "Miss Huo, it's not the weekend, don't you have school today?"

"I have graduated from high school and am preparing for the College Board exams."

"Will you be enrolling next spring?"

Huo Zhixian blushed slightly. "I failed the exam this year, so I'll have to try transferring to another class again."

"Oh, which school are you planning to go to?"

Harvard.

“So it’s Radcliffe College, then…” Xian Yaowen hesitated.

When Huo Zhixian heard Xian Yaowen mention "Radcliffe College," she knew he knew the rules and quickly asked, "What about it?"

“Ms. Huo, there’s a problem with your plan. If you go to the United States after passing the exam, it will take time to process the visa. Given the current situation, it will be difficult for you to get a visa in a short time, or you may not even be able to get one.”

Even if you successfully obtain your visa and arrive in the United States, you will still need to attend a year of preparatory high school before enrolling at Radcliffe College. In total, this could take up to two years or even longer.

Huo Zhixian looked anxious and looked at Huo Baocai with pleading eyes.

Huo Baocai took a puff of his cigar and calmly said, "Mr. Xian, are you very familiar with the admission process for American universities?"

Sin Yiu-man smiled faintly, “My wife, Po-shu, has three daughters with her. Originally, I planned to send my second daughter to study in the United States. The procedures were all completed, and I even got a letter of recommendation. But she changed her mind and decided not to rush to study. She planned to work for a while first. I couldn’t persuade her otherwise, so I opened a company for her in the United States. Now she’s traveling all over the Americas and Europe.”

"I've heard that American universities value letters of recommendation highly, and that if you have a letter of recommendation from a prominent person, you can get in even if your grades aren't great?"

"Hossen, top American universities, especially Ivy League schools, are actually a closed circle that mainly serves the American WASP class, that is, white Anglo-Saxon Protestants."

In a sense, a letter of recommendation is proof of pedigree.

Sin Yiu-man gestured to Fok Chi-han, "For example, if Miss Fok gets a letter of recommendation from an important person, she will become one of our own. No matter how bad her own child is, or how good other people's children are, she will give priority to taking care of her own child."

Huo Baocai said with a smile, "Hearing your words is better than reading books for ten years. I have learned a lot. Mr. Xian, in your opinion, how should Zhixian formulate a plan?"

After pretending to think for a moment, Sin Yiu-man said, “Miss Huo would be better off going to the United States to enroll in a preparatory course as soon as possible and getting a letter of recommendation before February next year. That way, she can enroll in the fall next year.”

"Mr. Xian, proceed according to your plan. The most crucial step is the recommendation letter?"

Sin Yiu-man nodded. "Yes."

Who is the most suitable person to write the recommendation letter?

"Huo Sheng could ask the Bishop of Macau or a priest of the Maryknoll Order in Hong Kong to write a letter of recommendation. This is the easiest way to do it, but a priest's letter of recommendation is not very reliable. It would be best to get a letter of recommendation from the U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong or a senior U.S. Navy officer."

Many admissions officers and trustees at Harvard and Yale are retired military officers or have strong military backgrounds. Seeing the Navy's letterhead naturally inspires a sense of trust, like that of comrades-in-arms.

"Mr. Xian, I have a favor to ask."

"Mr. Huo, you don't need to be so polite. I will definitely help you if it is within my power."

Huo Baocai smiled and said, "I don't know anyone in the United States. I would like to ask Mr. Xian to help me with the letter of recommendation. I will prepare the necessary expenses in advance."

Sin Yiu-man waved his hand, "It won't cost anything, it's just owing someone a favor."

As he spoke, he looked at Huo Zhixian and said, “Ms. Huo, please prepare a resume in both English and Latin. If your English handwriting is good, please handwrite the information section if possible, as Americans also appreciate beautiful handwriting.”

Huo Zhixian nodded gently, "Mr. Xian, how should I give you my resume?"

Xian Yaowen took out a notebook from his briefcase, wrote down an address, and tore it off for Huo Zhixian. Huo Zhixian took it, glanced at it, and saw an address for Naha written in both Japanese and English. She was slightly startled, and her perception of Xian Yaowen changed.

Previously, Sin Yiu-man's image in her mind was that of a shrewd and cunning businessman who was young but mature beyond his years. Because she had heard that Sin Yiu-man was a smuggling tycoon and had some understanding of the inside story of smuggling, she also portrayed him as a bloodthirsty outlaw with his hands stained with blood, completely unrelated to gentleness and erudition. But it seems that hearing is believing and seeing is believing.

“Mr. Xian, it seems you didn’t write the recipient.”

"Ms. Huo, you can send it to this address, and someone will handle it."

"Mm." Huo Zhixian put away the paper, picked up her teacup, and said, "Mr. Xian, thank you for your help."

Xian Yaowen raised his cup in return, "It's just a small matter, Miss Huo, there's no need for thanks."

Huo Baocai observed the interactions between the two. As a father-in-law looking at his son-in-law, he grew increasingly fond of him and his desire to marry his daughter to Xian Yaowen intensified.

He has a low-key personality and doesn't like to show off. He only needs to keep his marriage a secret from the outside world so that he doesn't have to worry about the gossip about his daughter becoming someone else's concubine.

A glimpse into the whole reveals the whole picture. Sin Yiu-man's willingness to let his woman appear in public and do business signifies his openness as a husband. Sin Yiu-man's woman is "able to be in the light" and often appears in public, so the traces of beatings and scoldings cannot be hidden.

His daughter married into the Xian family, so her situation wouldn't be too bad.

As for having many women and being lustful, he didn't care at all. Men are naturally lustful, and it's common for successful men to have three wives and four concubines. Whether a man is good or bad has no direct connection with how many wives he has. In the end, it all comes down to his nature.

“Mr. Xian, you have helped my daughter so much, I should be grateful. I am quite skilled in cooking, so why don’t you stay for a simple meal tonight?”

Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly to Fok Chi-han, then looked at Fok Po-choi, "Mr. Fok, I'm very sorry, I already had a business meeting tonight. If it weren't for your invitation, I should be on the plane back to Hong Kong right now."

"In that case, I won't keep Mr. Sin any longer. Is Mr. Sin traveling on a chartered plane?"

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, Huo Baocai looked at Huo Zhixian and said, "Zhixian, you haven't visited your grandmother in Hong Kong for a long time. Why don't you trouble Mr. Xian to go to Hong Kong with him on his plane?"

Then he looked at Sin Yiu-man and asked, "Mr. Sin, is this convenient?"

Judging from this, Sin Yiu-man was pretty sure that Fok Po-choi intended to match him up with Fok Chi-han. It was a pity that he didn't have time to stay for dinner, otherwise he could have watched Fok Chi-han showcase her talents.

As for what Huo Baocai saw in him, he had a rough idea. If he wasn't mistaken, Huo Baocai already had plans to go abroad. Huo Zhixian's study in the United States was just the prelude, and some of the Huo family's assets were very likely to be transferred to the United States in the near future.

Based on this, we can infer that the Huo family's situation in Macau is probably not without immediate worries but also long-term concerns. As for what those long-term concerns are, it is estimated that the Huo family has been acting as a major behind-the-scenes financier for too long, neglecting to cultivate their network of connections. The forces that the Huo family supports are already capable of turning against them, and the fact that they can still coexist peacefully is due to the maintenance of their relationship with the government.

Perhaps the Huo family has reached a point where it has to diversify its risks, or perhaps Huo Baocai has decided to clean up his name.

“There’s nothing inconvenient about it. It’s my honor to travel with Miss Huo.”

Huo Baocai said with a smile, "Zhixian, hurry up and pack your luggage, don't keep Mr. Xian waiting."

Upon hearing this, Huo Zhixian nodded to Xian Yaowen.

Less than half an hour later, Huo Baocai sent a car to take Xian Yaowen and the others to the Catalina seaplane at the pier. After saying goodbye, Xian Yaowen and Huo Zhixian boarded the plane.

The aircraft belongs to Jin Haoyun, managed by Su Lizhen, and specializes in short-haul flights between Hong Kong and Macau. There are no fixed schedules; they only provide charter services.

The cabin interior features a high-end business layout, complete with sofas, a bedroom, a small kitchen, and some decorative touches to enhance the ambiance. Frankly speaking, these days, charter flight clients aren't primarily business people, but rather young adults seeking a unique experience.

The sofas are shaped like wine glasses, with each sofa half a wine glass. They have tracks underneath, so the two sofas can be put together to form a complete wine glass, or they can be separated and a coffee table can be placed in the middle.

The sofa cover was a flashy burgundy color, which any old pervert could immediately decipher as a sexual innuendo. However, Huo Zhixian didn't get it. She just thought the color wasn't very appealing, and after glancing at it a few times, she turned her attention to the newspaper on the coffee table.

She didn't recognize the words in the newspaper, but deduced that it was Italian from some words that sounded similar to English, and she was shocked once again.

It's not surprising that he speaks Japanese, nor is it unusual that he speaks English. There are rumors that Sin Yiu-man is close to the British, but he also speaks Italian...

Huo Zhixian looked at Xian Yaowen sitting opposite her. He was holding an Italian newspaper, his eyes glued to it, reading intently.

Is he putting on airs?

The moment the thought crossed Huo Zhixian's mind, she immediately doubted herself; there was no need for Xian Yaowen to put on an act for her.

She became curious about Xian Yaowen and quietly watched him.

A few minutes passed, and she mustered her courage to ask, "Mr. Xian, what are you looking at?"

Sin Yiu-man looked up at her and said calmly, "I'm reading the newspaper."

Huo Zhixian was taken aback. She pouted and asked again, "I was asking what news you were watching."

"The current state of Italy's economy."

Why are you interested in the Italian economy? Do you have business in Italy?

Sin Yiu-man put away the newspaper and stared into Fok Chi-han's eyes. "Let me answer your later question first. Friendship Films has a branch in Rome. Now, let me answer your earlier question. I'm thinking of investing in Italy, so naturally I need to understand the current economic situation in Italy."

"Why do you want to invest in Italy?" Huo Zhixian asked earnestly.

"Which middle school did Miss Huo attend?"

"St. Joseph Parish Secondary School"

"Then you should have taken a course on modern economic history in class?"

"The teacher talked about the Great Depression and the post-war economic recovery in Europe."

Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly. "Have you heard of the American Mafia?"

"The Italian Mafia?"

“Yes,” Sin Yiu-man said calmly. “In 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was established. In 1871, after a long period of revival, the Kingdom of Italy integrated the fragmented Italian peninsula into a unitary state.”

For the people of southern Italy, such as Sicily, Naples, and Calabria, the unification of Italy was not liberation, but a disaster.

In order to promote development, the newly established Kingdom of Italy imposed heavy taxes on the south. Under the Bourbon dynasty, taxes were not so high, and after unification, farmers could not afford to pay them.

The government supported industry in the north, sacrificing the interests of the south in the process, which led to the bankruptcy of the only remaining handicraft industries in the south.

As a result, the southerners felt that "we were not unified, but colonized by the northerners." Since the country was not giving them a way to survive, they decided to leave.

As a result, starting in 1880, a massive wave of immigration swept through southern Italy. Over a period of more than forty years, more than four million Italians immigrated to the United States, and almost every Italian family had relatives in America.

Until 1924, when the United States passed the Immigration Act, which implemented a strict quota system specifically targeting Southern Europeans, the door for Italians to go to the United States was partially closed.

This period of history is not long ago, and many Italians living in the United States still keep in touch with their relatives in Italy. Relatives can receive remittances and packages from the United States containing coffee, nylon stockings, chocolate, and luncheon meat, which are the mainstay of survival for many Italian families.

In Italy, there's a saying, 'Lo Zio d'America,' which refers to the "American uncle complex." If someone has an American uncle, the whole village looks at them with more respect.

Sin Yiu-man paused for a moment, then continued, "Italians and Chinese are actually quite similar in some ways. For example, they tend to only report good news and not bad news. Even if Italians living in the United States are having a very bad time, they will not tell their relatives in Italy the truth."

In their letters home, they would exaggerate America's prosperity and romanticize their own situation. Under the influence of public opinion, America became like paradise in the minds of Italians.

Especially since only six years after the war ended, Italy, though in the process of reconstruction, remained poor. The south was still an agricultural society, many people were starving, and the illiteracy rate was extremely high. Workers in the cities could not afford cars, or even decent meat.

Italians envy the extravagant lifestyle of Americans, who all own a car, have refrigerators at home, eat steak every day, and even have cats and dogs that eat better than Italians.

It is currently the peak of the Marshall Plan's aid program, with new American machines in Italian factories, American flags printed on flour sacks, and road construction funds coming from the United States.

The United States is seen as a generous liberator and a financial backer. Italians have a complex sense of gratitude towards the United States, believing that as long as they follow the United States, they can live a good life.

In addition, Rome is becoming Hollywood on the Tiber River. American film crews bring large sums of money to Rome to shoot movies, and Italians are visually shocked to see American stars staying in luxury hotels and driving Cadillacs.

Imitating Americans' speech and clothing is currently the most fashionable thing to do among young Italians; Coca-Cola, jeans, and jazz music are becoming new favorites.

Xian Yaowen picked up the cup on the coffee table and took a sip. "What I just said contains a lot of business opportunities. If your teacher is good and you listen carefully, you should be able to analyze some of them."

Huo Zhixian's heart trembled uncontrollably. Xian Yaowen had a profound impact on her. She went to Harvard to study business and wanted to make a name for herself in the business world in the future.

She had been around her father and had been exposed to a lot of business matters. She thought that although she was young, she had a certain understanding of business. However, compared with Sin Yiu-man, she was worlds apart.

She could only vaguely sense that now was a good time to invest in Italy, but she couldn't analyze it at all. What did the Mafia, the wave of immigrants, American uncles, the Marshall Plan, and the Italian youth's admiration for America mean?
Xian Yaowen noticed the changes in Huo Zhixian's expression and the subtle shifts in her eyes. Huo Baocai's intentions were now crystal clear, and he expressed no resistance.

He had no intention of exploiting the Huo family's demise; he only wanted to use them to his advantage. The smarter and more capable Huo Zhixian was, the more beneficial it would be for him. He didn't want Huo Zhixian to be a good-for-nothing.

Huo Zhixian thought for a while, her cheeks flushed with shyness, "I can't figure it out."

“Miss Huo, it’s alright if you can’t figure it out right away.” Xian Yaowen waved the newspaper in his hand. “You can read more newspapers when you have time. The major European newspapers are quite good, and the writers are very skilled. You might find something useful.”

Huo Zhixian lowered her eyes and said meekly, "I only know English and Latin, not Italian."

"Latin is the direct ancestor of Italian. Latin can be understood as Old Italian. Its relationship with modern Italian is closer than that between classical Chinese and vernacular Chinese. If you know Latin, learning Italian will be a piece of cake."

Upon hearing this, Huo Zhixian blushed even more deeply. "I... I learned Latin to pass the exam, and I'm not... not very good at it."

Sin Yiu-man chuckled and said, "Ivy League and liberal arts colleges consider mastering Latin to be a sign of having received a complete elite basic education. Being able to read the original Latin works of Cicero and Virgil is not only a matter of language ability, but also a reflection of cultural background and humanistic vision."

The learning characteristics of Latin make it an excellent tool for screening logical thinking, memory, and abstract analytical abilities.

"Miss Huo, if you don't master Latin, even if you get into Harvard, you won't be able to integrate into your classmates' circle. Your Chinese identity will be deliberately marked, you will be isolated, even targeted and bullied, and campus will become your hell."

Huo Zhixian lifted her bottom, then realized something was wrong and sat back down, looking terrified. "Would I be bullied?"

“What’s so strange about that? No matter what circle you’re in, outsiders will be ostracized.” Xian Yaowen unfolded his newspaper, his gaze finding the spot where he had just paused. “Do you know why your father made you come with me?”

Huo Zhixian was stunned for a moment, unable to keep up with Xian Yaowen's train of thought. After a brief silence, her intelligence returned, and a blush spread across her face. "My father probably wants me to... to have that kind of relationship with you."

Xian Yaowen nodded slightly. "Mr. Huo's intentions are very clear, and I don't object. Ideally, this matter should be allowed to develop gradually, so that Miss Huo has ample time to accept, acknowledge, and have expectations."

However, I've been very busy lately, and I have to fly to Taipei early tomorrow morning, so I don't have much time to spend on this matter. Therefore, I'll have to trouble Ms. Huo to make a decision about whether or not to try to make an effort before 9 p.m. tonight.

If Miss Huo is interested, please fly with me to Taipei tomorrow to visit my home, get to know me better, and then make a decision. (End of Chapter)