Reborn in America, I am a legendary short seller on Wall Street.

Chapter 289 Even more difficult
October 5, Wednesday.

Early in the morning, Larry arrived at the Concord train station, ready to take the first train back to Boston.

Dunbar had ridden for eight hours yesterday and hadn't eaten much, so he was very tired. Larry let him rest at the Browning factory.

Matthew and Browning have to stay with the Belgian Hart Berg and can't go back for the time being.

So this trip back to Boston could only be made by Larry alone.

Larry sat in the waiting room, his brow furrowed, pondering the message Dunbar had sent overnight.

Dunbar's message was brief and incomplete. Larry was somewhat worried and incredulous.

Huang Meitang actually committed murder?!
And he has already been arrested by the Boston Police Department. This makes things a bit complicated.

At that time in the United States, racism and discrimination were taken for granted, and the persecution of Chinese people was even considered politically correct.

Even the Democrats whom Larry taught to campaign for immigrant votes, their innate prejudice against other races is an arrogance ingrained in their very being. How could they possibly change their ways for the sake of long-term interests?
Besides, the United States at that time was, after all, a country governed by the rule of law. If someone truly broke the law, even if they were white, they could not escape punishment.

This is a very difficult matter...

If Huang Meitang weren't someone Larry knew, he probably wouldn't want to get involved in this mess. But after learning the news, Larry thought about it all night and decided to help him as much as possible.

On the one hand, he has memories of his past life, as well as morality and justice engraved in his soul, making it impossible for him to remain indifferent to the suffering of his compatriots.

On the other hand, Huang Meitang was indeed an upright, kind, and exceptionally capable Chinese man. Larry was willing to help him simply because he thought highly of him personally. This was a result of Huang Meitang's previous good character.

Of course, if it was indeed premeditated murder or a violation of the law, then Larry couldn't really help him in any substantial way. At most, he could make sure he didn't suffer too much while in custody.

But Larry also had a strange feeling that someone like Huang Meitang, who knew when to advance and retreat and was usually very objective and calm, shouldn't make impulsive mistakes.

If there's a chance to ease the situation, then we should think of more ways to help. If it requires spending money, then let's spend it! Using the money contributed by greedy short sellers to save people, there's no psychological burden or regret involved.

Larry pondered, tapping rhythmically on the armrest of his chair, but after much thought, he still felt that Huang Meitang was doomed this time, and sighed softly.

Just then, a newsboy carrying a stack of newspapers weaved through the pedestrians in the waiting room, calling out his wares.

"Sir, please take a look at the newspaper. Here is the latest issue of the Boston Globe. The President has just signed a new Chinese Exclusion Act."

Larry's pupils dilated in shock upon hearing the newsboy's words.

Seriously? What I feared most came to pass! And just then, the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act arrived!
He quickly called over the newsboy, took a 50-cent coin from his pocket and gave it to him, then took a newspaper.

I unfolded the newspaper and saw that it was exactly the worst-case scenario I had imagined…

The so-called Chinese Exclusion Act was actually originally called the Gillley Act. This act was first passed by Congress in 1882, and its content was to prohibit Chinese laborers from entering the United States and restrict Chinese people from obtaining American citizenship.

The old law was valid for ten years, but what President Benjamin Harrison has now signed into law is an enhancement and extension of the Kili Act.

Its main contents were: to extend the ban on Chinese laborers entering the United States for another ten years, and to require all Chinese in the United States, regardless of whether they were laborers, to register with the government and obtain identity cards before October 1892.

This ID card is actually the legendary "dog tag," which carries extremely humiliating connotations.

In addition, if suspected of illegal detention, Chinese nationals must prove their legal status, otherwise they may be arrested, imprisoned, or deported.

The most disgusting thing about this stripe is that it applies to white people, who only need to make accusations without providing evidence, but Chinese people, on the other hand, need to prove their innocence.

At the same time, those accused of violating the law were not allowed bail and had to be detained until trial or deported, which completely deprived the Chinese of their personal freedom.

Furthermore, the deportation process is decided solely by immigration officials or judges, without the need for a jury trial, which cuts off the legal recourse for Chinese people.

This was the darkest day in the history of Chinese Americans! The second darkest day was the day the bill was signed, and the day Theodore Roosevelt made it permanent.

This bill has plunged Chinese Americans into decades of unbearable suffering. However, these things are not within their consideration.

Larry's concern was that this infamous bill had just been signed by the president on Monday. This made rescuing and helping Huang Meitang even more difficult. The case was already challenging, and mainstream Americans were now thinking, "An Asian killed a white man!" They would definitely demand the execution of the murderer, an eye for an eye.

Now we have another anti-Chinese law...

It's difficult! It's even more difficult than before.

Larry covered his face with the newspaper and sighed heavily.

Around noon, the train entered Boston.

Larry hurried out of the train station and headed straight for the 717-Eleven convenience store near the station entrance. Sure enough, just as Larry expected, Mr. K was sitting on a wooden chair outside the convenience store waiting for him.

"Boss, you're finally here!" Mr. K stood up with a smile and took a few steps toward Larry. "I knew you'd rush back..."

Larry wasn't in the mood for his sarcasm. He just frowned and said coldly, "Tell me everything you know about the cause and effect."

Mr. K tried to put on a serious face, but a mocking smile still lingered on his lips. He then began to tell Larry everything he knew.

When Larry heard that Huang Meitang acted in self-defense and that he accidentally killed the drunk attacker, he breathed a sigh of relief and said softly, "Oh, then there's still a lot of room for leniency..."

Mr. K looked at him, smiled, and continued, "I have some good news for you. The dead man was Irish, and one of his companions was a colleague of Huang Meitang's at the milk tea shop. I reckon Logan probably knew them too..."

Larry raised an eyebrow and said, "That would be even better! We could contact the deceased's family and make some deals privately."

“Boss, I heard that this Chinese man is highly regarded by Mr. Kennedy, and the senator often entrusts him with tasks. I think it would be much easier if the senator were to handle it himself,” Mr. K continued to suggest to Larry.

"Great, very good!" Upon hearing this good news, Larry's eyes lit up with excitement for the first time, and a smile appeared on his lips.

Mr. K looked at Larry, pursed his lips, and said with a smile, "Speaking of which, boss, you really care about the Chinese people. I'm quite envious..."

Larry glared at him and said solemnly,

"Hey, it's not just because he's Chinese, it's because he's my friend. For a friend, I'm willing to do more and spend more money. If you ever encounter something like that, I'll do the same to help you!"

These words were spoken sincerely and with great weight, which surprised Mr. K, who showed a look of astonishment on his face. However, this unusual expression only lasted for a moment, and he quickly regained his nonchalant smile.

"So, are you planning to go see the senator now?"

Larry thought for two seconds, then nodded and said, "There's no time to lose. I think I still have some influence with Patrick Kennedy..."

Mr. K nodded, turned to the counter, took out two boxes of high-end cigars, and handed them to Larry.

Larry looked at the cigar in his arms, somewhat surprised, wondering if this was a gift Mr. K had prepared for him as a favor.
But Mr. K continued, “These are cigars I got from the Cubans in Beigang a while ago. I didn’t take good care of you and Dengba’s horses… Please forgive me. Please deliver them to him for me and apologize.”

Larry glared at him, shoved the cigar box into his arms, and said, "You can tell him yourself later..."

Mr. K's face was filled with fear. "How could I dare? I never fucking imagined that old man was a killer..." He lowered his voice, which trembled slightly.
"I later found out that this old man was a ruthless killer..."

In the end, Larry simply put his own box of cigars into his suit pocket; he was going to visit Kennedy.

As he was leaving, Mr. K called him back again, "Boss, I've heard that the Chinese people in Chinatown are also trying to pull strings among themselves. If you have time, you should go and visit them..."

Larry frowned, waved his hand, and said, "Who can the Chinese find on their own? I'd better go see the senator quickly. As long as he agrees to help, everything will be easy!"

“At least you could learn more about what happened back then! What we know is all secondhand information. You should ask the people who were there and what they actually saw,” Mr. K reminded him again.

Larry frowned. He simply didn't believe that the Chinese could do anything at this point. But then he thought about it and realized that what Mr. K said made sense.

So he didn't stop the carriage, but instead followed Mr. K's advice and headed towards Chinatown.

(End of this chapter)