I bought a prison in the United States.

Frank placed the champagne glass on a passing tray and gave Ringo a meaningful look:

"Mr. Chen, I actually saw it; you helped that young man today."

"I don't know who he is, nor do I know what happened."

"But you stayed in the service corridor for a few minutes, and when you came back, there were rubber mat marks on your knees."

"This means you squatted down and spoke to him at the same height."

"In the business world, there are very few people I've ever met who are willing to stoop down and help someone with whom they have no vested interest."

[Gained: 20% Respect]

Mr. Frank's feelings for Ringo were not mere appreciation, but rather a deeper level of admiration.

This shows that he no longer values ​​this young man because of Mr. Danforth, but genuinely values ​​him.

The crystal chandelier in the banquet hall reflected a cold, white light above their heads.

The surroundings are filled with alcohol, laughter, and deals that are always in progress.

Two Chinese men stood at the edge of the crowd, and even without exchanging drinks, they had already established a business relationship of trust.

It was already dark in Tulsa outside the window.

The sky turned dark gray, and the refinery chimneys lit up with red warning lights on the distant horizon, as if conveying some kind of signal.

The cocktail party was drawing to a close.

The waiters began guiding the guests toward the main banquet hall; the dinner was about to begin.

Ringo and Frank walked side by side at the back of the crowd.

They walked slowly, maintaining a polite distance from the businessmen ahead who were eager to enter the main banquet hall and secure advantageous positions.

The main banquet hall is at least twice the size of the cocktail reception hall.

The dome is higher, the crystal chandelier is larger, and the wall decorations are more elaborate.

The round table was covered with a white tablecloth, and silver cutlery and crystal glasses were set on it. The seats were arranged in a carefully planned order.

The closer a person is to the head table, the more important they are.

The further back in the list, the less important it is.

Lingo's seat was in the middle to back of the banquet hall, near the wall, and no one paid any attention to his presence.

From his seat, the people at the main table were just a few blurry outlines.

Underwood sat in the center of the main table, flanked by several elderly white men whom Ringo did not recognize.

Baylors sat at the third table to the right of the main table, not the most central, but very close to the center of power.

Mr. Danforth was seated at two tables diagonally in front of Ringo, where he sat with several manufacturing business owners.

Frank sat three tables to the left of Ringo, quietly flipping through the menu on the table.

Lin Ge sat down in his seat, not recognizing anyone at the table.

On the left is a middle-aged white man who makes agricultural machinery parts, and on the right is a short, stout man who works in truck transportation.

The two people nodded politely to him, then turned to their respective partners and began to talk.

Lin Ge didn't mind; the embarrassment of being ignored was no longer on his face.

He unfolded the napkin on the table, placed it on his lap, and scanned the entire banquet hall with his gaze.

The dinner program follows a fixed format.

The program included an opening speech, an annual review, member awards, guest speeches, and then the formal serving of dishes.

This is the standard procedure for every city chamber of commerce, from New York to Tulsa, from Los Angeles to Chicago, and they are all very similar.

Capitalist rituals, like capitalism itself, have highly standardized operating procedures.

About 10 minutes later, Underwood stood up to give a speech, and the entire banquet hall quickly fell silent.

His voice came through the microphone; his speech was brief and appropriate, following the standard procedure:

Thank you for the support of all members. Let's review the main work of the Chamber of Commerce over the past year and look forward to the challenges and opportunities in the coming year.

Every word was used perfectly, neither too much nor too little.

He then began to tell a story.

"Thirty-two years ago was the first time I attended the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting."

"I wasn't a member of the Chamber of Commerce at that time; I just came with my father."

"He was sitting over there, in the spot against the wall."

Underwood pointed to a spot at the back of the banquet hall, very close to where Ringo was sitting.

When did that neglected corner ever attract so much attention?

That night, he looked at the people at the head table and said something to me.

He said, "Hollis, the people sitting over there, they're not smarter than us, and they're not working harder than us."

"They just got here a few years earlier than us. Sooner or later, you'll be sitting there too."

He paused for a moment, until everyone's attention returned to the person in the main seat, before continuing:

"My father was not a successful businessman; his oil equipment company went bankrupt during the depression of the 1950s."

"But I still remember what he said, and I am indeed sitting here today."

"He made me realize one thing: in this city, in this country, no one is born to sit at the head table."

"The seats at the main table are temporarily occupied by those who arrived a few years earlier."

"Sooner or later, those who were sitting in the back will move up to the front."

"Sooner or later, the people sitting at the head table today will give up their seats to the people sitting at the back today."

"This is the very reason for the existence of the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce!"

"Maintain the existing order and give those who are capable the opportunity to sit at the front!"

A round of applause erupted in the banquet hall.

The young businessmen sitting in the back were taking pictures especially hard, as if they really thought they had that opportunity.

Lin Ge was also clapping, his applause as forceful as the others, but inwardly he was sneering.

Underwood's words were very eloquent.

But in America, the gap between pretty words and facts is much larger than people are willing to admit!

The position at the head table is certainly not something one is born with, but it is by no means something one can sit in simply because of "ability".

It needs money, it needs connections, it needs to be in the right place at the right time.

Most importantly, you need someone willing to pull out a chair for you before you're even qualified to sit at the head table.

Underwood's father did not succeed not because he did not work hard, but simply because he chose the wrong side during the oil depression of the 1950s.

His son succeeded, not because Hollis worked harder than his father.

It was because Hollis learned from where his father had failed:

"Manufacturing oil equipment only serves others; controlling information and capital flows is what truly makes you a winner!"

The Chamber of Commerce Chairman's speech concluded with applause.

Next is the annual review and awards ceremony.

Lin Ge listened as unfamiliar names and company names were read out, and watched as strangers walked onto the stage to receive medals and certificates.

Their faces wore forced, humble smiles, but the emotional labels above their heads were undisguised "pride" and "satisfaction."

This is how the capitalist reward system works.

Award medals to successful people so that everyone can see what success looks like.

Then make everyone believe that as long as you work hard enough, you could be the next person to receive the award!

As for those who worked just as hard but failed due to bad luck, they are not in this banquet hall.

where are they?

No one asked.