America: A Prodigy of Stereotypes

“Why not protest?” Li Qun asked.

“That’s right. In this lesson, I want to teach you how to resist authority,” Otto said.

“You are the smartest students in the school, but what I see is a bunch of lambs, bookworms, all-knowing but empty-headed guys, far from being true geniuses.”

"What is a true genius like? Someone like me."

Otto pointed to himself.

"Never submit to anyone, always maintain self-confidence, and always be skeptical of your own teacher."

“Do you know what happened to me? Now I’ve been abandoned by the entire academic community, and no one trusts me except my wife. But I still believe that my research direction is correct, and I just stumbled on the way forward.”

Otto began to speak to himself, writing formulas on the blackboard that the students in the classroom could not understand at all. He calculated on the blackboard, filling one section and then moving on to another. After the blackboard was full, he would erase it and start writing again.

"Has anyone figured out where I went wrong?"

Otto turned around, the chalk dotting the blackboard.

"Leon, did you figure it out?"

When Otto called out names, Li Qun stood up reflexively, startling Otto.

Why are you standing up?

“I’m sorry, Dr. Otto, I don’t understand anything.” Li Qun sat down again.

“Yes, yes, you’re just a bunch of 11th-grade high school students, the kind who can only calculate the motion of a simple pendulum,” Otto said, wiping the blackboard clean.

"Dr. Otto, when do we learn what's in the textbook?" a student asked, raising their hand.

"Wait until I finish explaining the questions on the test paper."

“I’m really surprised. I thought you would have fully mastered the knowledge you learned before, but this is how it turned out,” Otto said, shrugging.

"I am a responsible teacher."

“In the future, you will encounter this situation: a certain knowledge point, a university professor will say that you learned it in high school, while your high school teachers will say that it will be taught in university, and no one intends to teach it to you.”

"Did you understand?"

The students all nodded to Otto.

As the class ended, Otto walked out of the classroom with great enthusiasm, and the students rushed to the classroom for the next class.

The school combined Otto's class with Rosie's class, so that after Otto's class, it would immediately be Rosie's turn.

Li Qun could easily imagine that she would definitely want to check on Dr. Otto's class during Mrs. Roch's lesson.

……

……

At lunchtime in the school cafeteria, Harry sat down next to Peter with complete ease, opened his lunchbox, and casually flicked a gold coin in front of Peter's eyes, asking Peter to guess heads or tails.

“Frontline,” Peter said.

"Yes, you guessed right."

Harry picked up the gold coin and waved it in front of Peter, Lillian, and Gwen in turn, like a card being issued in a football match.

“Harry, what are you doing?” Peter asked.

“Look, gold coins,” Harry said.

"I saw it, so what?"

“Gold coins.” Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Is it real gold?" Peter asked doubtfully.

"Of course! Don't you think it looks familiar?"

Li Qun reached out and pinched Harry's hand holding the gold coin, telling Harry to stop waving it around.

“It’s on the table, we can see it,” Li Qun said.

Harry obediently placed the gold coin on the dining table.

“How many grams does this weigh?” Peter asked.

Li Qun took out a ruler and measured the diameter and thickness of the gold coin: 60mm in diameter and 6mm in thickness.

"You stole your family heirloom?" Peter asked in a low voice.

“You don’t know each other? I thought you did.” Harry said, somewhat disappointed.

"Where did you get this?"

Li Qun studied the ornate patterns on the gold coins, which were inscribed with Russian, English, Chinese, Latin, and French, giving them an unusual feel.

"Sell?" Gwen asked.

“No, this is not for sale.” Harry looked at Gwen in surprise.

"You really don't know any of you?" Harry asked again.

"Could it be an antique stolen from a museum?" Peter guessed.

“This wasn’t stolen; John Wick gave it to me,” Harry said.

"John?"

“He’s so generous,” Gwen said.

“You all know John, right? I thought he would send you gold coins too,” Harry said.

“Harry, how do you know John?” Peter asked.

“John Wick is an old friend of my dad’s. My dad invited him to our house for dinner last night, and that’s how we met. I also learned that he knows Peter and the three of you,” Harry explained.

“Do you know what John does for a living?” Harry asked.

"I don't know." All three shook their heads.

“You’re the only one who has it, it must be because of your father,” Peter said.

“I just calculated the gold value of this coin. John is really rich; he’s really generous,” Gwen said.

“The most valuable thing about this gold coin is not that it is made of gold,” Li Qun said.

“John said this gold coin can buy services that money can’t,” Harry said.

“Liqun, your father runs a pawn shop, so appraising items is a required course for him. Liqun, do you recognize the origin of this gold coin?” Peter asked.

"Who's Daddy?" Harry asked Peter.

“My dad is Li Qun’s mentor, a kung fu master living in Chinatown, just like the masters in kung fu movies,” Peter said.

"Oh my god!" Harry looked at Leon seriously. "Leon, you know kung fu?!"

“It’s no secret at school. Apart from the freshmen who just enrolled this year, everyone in the school knows that Li Qun knows kung fu,” Peter said with a smile.

“Tell me, what does this gold coin mean?” Harry asked Lillian.

“No, the fact that John didn’t tell you directly means you don’t need to know right now, and I don’t know what the significance of this gold coin is either.”

“You could guess that gold is a natural form of currency; it’s destined to be used for transactions, not for collecting. Gold coins circulate somewhere,” Li Qun said to Harry.

Li Qun picked up the gold coin and put it back in Harry's hand. Harry then put the gold coin in his pocket and hid it.

“That’s enough about the gold coins, Harry. Now you should tell us about John,” Gwen said.

“What do you want to ask me? I don’t know much. I just know what he looks like, where he lives, and that his wife’s name is Helen. I can’t even answer what he does for a living,” Harry said.

“Then we know a little more than you do,” Peter said.

Chapter 25 "Innovative" Cuisine

John Wick, a mysterious, elegant, and charming man.

Harry and Peter exchanged information, and even after piecing it together, their understanding of John Wick was only the tip of the iceberg. They both believed that John Wick, the iceberg beneath the surface, possessed a truly shocking secret identity.

“He was very likely born into a long-established aristocratic family,” Harry said.

“Why don’t you guess he’s a prince?” Gwen said.

“A prince could be one too,” Harry said.

Li Qun ate his meal while concealing his smile.

Their discussion became increasingly off-topic, suggesting that a noble demeanor could be cultivated, and that aristocratic qualities are not innate.

"Lyon, what are you eating?"

Harry was also envious of Peter and his two friends' lunch today.

“These are potatoes,” Li Qun replied.

“I know potatoes. They can be fries, chips, chunks, or mashed potatoes, but not noodles,” Harry said.

"This dish is called hot and sour shredded potatoes, and it is made by cutting potato slices into shreds with a knife."

"If you don't believe me, you can try it."

Harry handed him his sandwich, and Liqun placed the hot and sour shredded potatoes on top of it.

"Maybe I can make a few hot and sour shredded potato and egg pancakes to bring to school tomorrow," Li Qun said.

"Harry, you're not allergic to potatoes and eggs, are you?"

“No.” Harry shook his head.

Harry frowned as he savored the hot and sour shredded potatoes, captivated by the novel texture and distinct flavors.

“I need to figure this out,” Harry said seriously.

For Harry, who is allergic to many foods, potatoes saved his life. He was raised on potatoes and would not be who he is today without them.

"Can you come to my house this weekend?" Harry asked.

"Does your father allow it?" Peter asked.

“Of course he allowed it; I’m not a child anymore,” Harry said.

"Come on in! Let's take a tour of this century-old mansion in Manhattan."