People in America: My Uncle Don Quixote

After finishing speaking, Don Quixote sorted the documents into categories, stood up, and gave Livy a hug.

"I still have to go work over there in Dyker Heights," he said. "Don't act impulsively here, don't—fuck! How come you're so strong?"

He took two steps back, looked Li Wei up and down, and then couldn't help but go forward and pinch Li Wei's arm.

"I remember when you first came, you were as skinny as a chick," he couldn't help but swear. "How come a month later you look like a fucking bison?"

Li Wei stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "I don't know either. Could it be that I really have a talent?"

"It would be a miracle if you didn't have the talent... I should have introduced you to me to work as a laborer, you would definitely be a pro," Don Quixote looked at Li Wei's arms that filled out his sleeves and chuckled, "Never mind, you're a sensible kid, I'm leaving."

With that, he removed the visitor pass sticker from his chest and left through the entrance of the lobby.

Li Wei asked a passing teacher and then walked down the corridor to the school clinic located on the basement floor.

Before I even knocked and went in, I could already hear voices coming from inside:

"Ms. Murphy, my migraine is really about to explode..." a male voice said. "I really need some painkillers, or could you please give me a leave of absence form to leave school?"

Li Wei pushed open the door and saw a huge black school doctor standing with his hands on his hips, talking to a small white student.

"Mr. Norman, now, immediately, get out of my sight with your healthy legs."

Ms. Murphy was initially furious, but when she saw Li Wei push the door open and enter, a bright smile immediately appeared on her face, and even her tone softened:

"Good morning, I haven't seen you before. Are you a new transfer student?"

Li Wei nodded, seemingly unfazed by the praise or criticism.

He had grown somewhat accustomed to the privileges and benefits that came with his handsome face, but Norman, left out in the cold, couldn't accept being ignored and protested loudly:

"Hey! This isn't fair! I'm suffering!"

"Your only pain is that school isn't over yet, Mr. Norman. Get out of here."

After being scolded by Ms. Murphy, Norman's expression immediately changed to one of indignation. He jumped off the bed, cursing, and left the school clinic like a monkey.

"Alright, child," Ms. Murphy coughed twice, trying to soften her tone, "Are you here for a medical check-up?"

"Yes," Levi sat down opposite her with a smile, "I'm planning to join the rugby team, so I need a medical report."

"Please stand on that scale," Ms. Murphy said, taking a medical examination form from a drawer. "Generally speaking, I rarely see people of Asian descent playing rugby... I thought you would focus on your studies."

"I want to focus on my studies, ma'am," Li Wei said as he stepped forward. "Can't I excel in both academics and sports?"

"205 pounds (93 kilograms)..." Ms. Murphy said. "It's good to have this idea, but we still need to be careful. Those rugby kids can be rough and might intentionally shove you in... Now let's check your heart rate."

"School bullying? That's terrible," Li Wei said, sitting down next to her. "I prefer to reason with people."

"52 beats per minute?" Ms. Murphy patted the old machine, looking at Li Wei with some anxiety. "How are you feeling now, child? Are you dizzy? Is your vision blurry?"

Li Wei knew in his heart that this was because his increased physical condition made his heart pump blood more efficiently than that of ordinary people, and not because of any other disease.

"Well... my cardiovascular endurance has always been much better than others since I was a child, and my heart rate is also slower," he explained. "That's normal."

Ms. Murphy was quite amazed by Li Wei's physical condition and said that "this is extremely rare in her more than 20 years as a school doctor." In the end, she stamped Li Wei's medical examination form with a pass mark.

"Go get something to eat," she said, "but eat only a little, because Coach Miller will be testing your physical fitness this afternoon."

After thanking him, Li Wei politely left the basement.

By the time I reached the ground floor via the stairs, it was nearly noon.

The exam ended, the bell rang, and the entire corridor was suddenly filled with students of all skin colors.

Li Wei also saw the white boy again who tried to deconstruct "why X and Y are mathematics" in the exam room.

"Hey, algebra buddy," he waved excitedly when he saw Li Wei, "thank you so much for your help during the exam."

"It's a minor issue," Li Wei said calmly. "Have you finished filling it out?"

"Yes, I filled in '1' for all the fill-in-the-blank questions, you said it!" He excitedly held out his hand. "My name is Travis, what's yours?"

"Li Wei," Li Wei's lips twitched slightly, "if you don't mind, I'm going to the cafeteria to find something to eat now—"

"That's great!" Travis exclaimed, completely outgoing. "I'm going to the cafeteria too! I'm exhausted from that exam, it was so boring."

Foreigners are so lacking in social etiquette. Li Wei sighed inwardly and could only follow him to the cafeteria.

Along the way, before Levi could even speak, Travis began to recount how he was gifted in strength and how he transferred to Franklin K. Lane because it was the largest high school in the area and had a full football team that could go out and play games.

"Hey, Levi," Travis said excitedly as they made their way through the crowd, "look, all those girls are looking at us."

As Li Wei walked, he casually replied, "Yeah, maybe they see us as new faces."

"I don't think so. They must be captivated by my masculinity," Travis said confidently. "Look at their eyes, they're practically glued to me. You're really lucky to be with me."

Li Wei almost choked on his own saliva. After coughing a few times, he turned to look at Travis, who had a serious expression on his face.

“…Indeed,” Li Wei said, “you are absolutely right.”

The dining hall at Franklin K. Lane High School is located on the first floor at a corner. Its huge windows are permanently sealed with barbed wire, so when sunlight shines in, it is cut into tiny squares.

Levi and Travis do not yet have student card numbers, but their exam admission ticket numbers can be entered.

The two took a divider-style plastic tray from the stacked shelves and received two pieces of fried chicken, a spoonful of corn kernels that had been cooked into a paste, and a carton of chocolate milk with a suspiciously long expiration date.

The two avoided several large groups and sat down on the edge.

"So you're going to the afternoon tryouts too?!"

Travis looked at Levi, who was casually eating fried chicken, his eyes full of joy. "Hey, you helped me in the exam just now, I'll definitely help you later."