Chapter 11: Chinatown (Second Update, Please Bookmark and Recommend)

Money makes the world go round! This saying, whether Eastern or Western, is undoubtedly a timeless truth.

What can 500 pounds buy?

A round-trip ticket to America, of course. But to board this flight, one must wear the airline’s uniform—essentially impersonating a crew member.

On the way to the spaceship terminal, Kent, driving the car, glanced at Li Yian through the rearview mirror and spoke bluntly.

“Mr. Li, I don’t know why you want to go to New York, but you must understand—we will only stay there for five days. After that, whether you return or not, we will head back to London. As for next time, I can’t guarantee you’ll get another chance to board the plane.”

“Rest assured, Captain Kent, I will not waste anyone’s time.”

Soon, the car stopped at the parking lot near London Tower Bridge. A large, four-engine Imperial C-type seaplane was moored by the Thames.

“See that? That’s the Imperial C-type seaplane,” Major Kent said, eyes fixed on the aircraft. “Before the war, it was the main passenger plane connecting the British Empire’s homeland with its overseas colonies. Every week, flights flew from Britain to Egypt, India, East Africa, South Africa, Malaysia, and Australia… Now, there’s only one route left—to New York, once a week.”

With that, he strode toward the terminal. The guards on duty glanced at them briefly but let them pass without question.

Clearly, Kent had everything arranged well in advance.

The guards’ indifferent attitude made it obvious this wasn’t their first time doing something like this.

Even after Li Yian boarded the plane, the crew paid him no mind. Onboard, he sat like an invisible man in the seat in front of a pile of mailbags.

About twenty minutes later, with the cabin door closed, the engines above the wings roared to life. The massive seaplane slowly glided to the center of the Thames, then began to accelerate. Waves splashed against the windows as the plane taxied, then suddenly began to climb.

As a first-time passenger on a seaplane, Li Yian was naturally curious, but his curiosity soon waned into boredom.

“Get some rest,” mechanic Richard tossed him a sleeping bag. “We still have 26 hours to fly.”

Twenty-six hours!

That was the time it took to fly from London to New York—not a direct flight, either. They had to stop over in Greenland to refuel before continuing on.

For the next stretch, the plane flew above the Atlantic Ocean. Occasionally, smoke columns rose from the sea—burning merchant ships sunk by German submarines.

Those smoke plumes reminded Li Yian that the Nazi wolf packs were no myth.

…

Including the stopover in Greenland, the journey took nearly 27 hours before the plane finally landed in New York Harbor.

Once docked, even before the cabin door opened, the crew was visibly eager to rush into New York City, hoping to exchange their watches and cameras stowed in their suitcases for necessary supplies.

New York in 1943 was not as prosperous as in later years but was still the most bustling metropolis of the era. Skyscrapers like the Empire State Building towered over Manhattan, creating a sense of temporal dislocation as Li Yian walked the crowded streets, surrounded by throngs of people and towering buildings.

As a Chinese man unfamiliar with the city, the only place Li Yian felt he could safely go was Chinatown. He headed there first to find a way to buy cigarettes. Upon entering, he immediately noticed many people dressed in uniforms similar in style and color to his own.

Just then, a Chinese man wearing a mandarin-collar shirt approached him and greeted warmly.

“Lei Hao Ah, good day.”

The Cantonese greeting caught Li Yian off guard. Before he could react, Zhu Yihai sensed that he didn’t speak Cantonese and switched to Mandarin.

“Hello, sir, is this your first time in Chinatown?”

Seeing Li Yian’s obvious unfamiliarity, Zhu immediately recognized an opportunity.

Hearing Mandarin with a Cantonese accent, Li Yian felt a wave of warmth in his heart.

“Yes, it’s my first time here.”

Though they were compatriots, caution was necessary when traveling abroad. Although this era lacked the dangers of northern Myanmar, it never hurt to be careful. Li Yian remained guarded.

Seeing his wariness, Zhu quickly reassured him.

“Sir, don’t worry, I wouldn’t harm you. Nearly half the people in Chinatown rely on sailors like you to make a living. How could we possibly ruin our own livelihood? Rest assured, no one here would cheat you. You seem new here—maybe there’s something I can help you with?”

Curious, Li Yian asked,

“Half the people in Chinatown depend on sailors? How so?”

“Sir, most sailors in Chinatown are your peers. Right now, the best business here is buying watches, cameras, and furs from you guys…”

From Zhu’s explanation, Li Yian understood that tens of thousands of Chinese sailors served in Allied merchant fleets. After arriving in Britain, they would trade cigarettes and other goods for watches, cameras, jewelry, and fur coats, then bring those items to Chinatown in New York to sell for cash and supplies.

Everything suddenly made perfect sense.

“So, if I’m not mistaken, sir, you must be here to trade goods as well?”

“Indeed,” Li Yian nodded with a smile. “I’ve brought some items. I’m curious about their prices.”

“That depends on what you brought. I’ll help you find the most suitable shops. As for my commission, don’t worry—wherever I take you, the shop owners will pay me a cut.”

Zhu explained in detail, candidly. Honesty was crucial in business, especially with first-time clients. With Mazu’s blessing, if his ship sailed safely, Li Yian would surely return, ensuring steady business.

Sizing up the man before him—roughly in his thirties, clean but with worn collar edges indicating difficult times—Zhu thought a moment, then asked,

“If I need a lot of cigarettes—Lucky Strike and Camel—can you get them?”

“The moment you said that,” Zhu smiled broadly, “I knew this deal was set in stone. Isn’t that why you came to Chinatown? How many packs? Twenty? Fifty? You must know cigarettes are rationed here, only a few packs per person each week, so prices aren’t cheap.”

“How much more expensive?”

“At least fifty percent more,” Zhu explained. “Sometimes even sixty or seventy percent, depending on the market. But if you buy in bulk, you can get a discount…”

“I do need quite a lot,” Li Yian said. “More than all of them combined. If you can find me a reliable seller who can guarantee supply, the commission will be negotiable.”