356 Midterms

"I like your T-shirt. It’s beautiful. Where did you buy it? How much did it cost? Could you share that information with me?"

Wendy made a short, straightforward introduction about the shirt. Jews were the best merchants in the world, so the man spotted the business opportunity right away.

When Wendy was finished, C had a talk with Qin Guan on the phone. Finally, the theater union signed a contract with J Clothing. Half of the 100 theaters on Broadway ordered thousands of products. They also signed a confidentiality agreement about the prices. J Clothing would open retail stores in the US after all.

At night, a piece of paper drifted across the ocean, reaching the desk of the J Clothing boss.

"Wow! Qin Guan is really my lucky star! It’s only been half a month! 30,000 pieces!"

"Xiao Wang, tell the production line to work overtime. They’ll get a bonus by the piece!"

Both sides were happy. Guo Nuoyan, who was a responsible guy, reminded Qin Guan of the first poster after the decorations were finished.

Qin Guan was focused on the big party at Columbia organized by Chinese businessmen, which would be taking place the next day. 

He wondered if other Chinese students from Columbia would complain about his luck. That opportunity should have been awarded to them after all.

A useless title deed was thrown into the small case, where their joint estate was kept. That party would be his and Cong Nianwei’s debut after arriving in the US.

There would be fellow students, business partners and investors attending the party. It was a fair for exchanging ideas with each other, which could be considered a trial for their future careers or a chance to start their own business.

Actually, the party was a platform for both Chinese students at Columbia and Chinese businessmen in New York.

Before the party though, Qin Guan had a small problem to deal with. What was the most important task for a student? Learning! How could one check if the students had learned enough? Through exams, of course!

Xu was always with Qin Guan those days, which made Kuhn quite unpleasant. He used to think of Xu as his own sidekick.

On the exact day his father had fallen into disgrace, Xu had humiliated him in public and then maintained a distance from him during the following days. Finally, Xu had abandoned him after his father had taken the blame and resigned.

In fact, Xu had only maintained a good relationship with Kuhn because his family had asked him to. Now, he was finally free. Qin Guan, who was an interesting, friendly guy, became his new best friend at Columbia.

Kuhn finally found a way to vent his anger. He would start a fight with Qin Guan. Considering their difference in height and figure though, he was wise enough to give up his plan. What if I ask someone else to beat him? Nobody would help me now though.

The only way to boost his self-esteem was by passing the first midterm exam before Halloween, which was not just an exam for the Finance Department, but for all the students at Columbia. The results will show everyone who is the real king!

Qin Guan had no idea about his potential enemy in the exam. He yawned in the examination room, overcome by boredom.

THE NORTH FACE show had taken place at a gym the previous night. The fitness addicts had been looking at the models eagerly, like wolves hidden in the grass. Qin Guan had felt so uncomfortable that he had escaped as soon as possible after finishing his performance. He’d had nightmares the whole night.

I have to calculate the edge distribution function and the marginal probability density... It’s so difficult! Will Prof. Martin use the exams for actuary? We have spent only three months at Columbia...

He didn’t stop writing as he silently blamed their cruel tutor.

Kuhn felt confident when he saw the questions. In his opinion, he was the best postgraduate student in the Finance Department. Only I can answer those questions... I can get an A in every subject.

When he thought of the ranking list, Kuhn cheered up. His father's mistakes couldn't be redeemed, so he had a long way to go. He had to get rid of any negative influence.

He looked at Qin Guan and Xu Xiaoxiao, who was scratching his head. Someone will regret his choices one day.

After the exam, Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei didn't go home right away. They headed to the library instead. All the students were excited for that night. It was the most significant ball before Halloween. One could also consider it a welcoming party for the freshmen.

To save time, Qin Guan brought a bag of clothes that contained formal outfits for him and Cong Nianwei.