When Zhang Yuanjun and his assistant landed in Los Angeles, it was 9 a.m. local time.
The physiological reaction caused by jet lag made both of them uncomfortable.
The two called a car and went to the hotel they had booked early in the morning. Xiao Zhao's English was very poor, and it could be said that he could barely speak it. Zhang Yuanjun communicated and coordinated the whole process.
Although Zhang Yuanjun didn't say anything, Xiao Zhao felt very guilty. As an assistant, he actually asked his boss to arrange food, clothing, housing and transportation for him.
"I will study English hard." Xiao Zhao promised Zhang Yuanjun.
Zhang Yuanjun smiled: "Then you have learned something, I have a sister in France. Okay, just kidding, you just need to learn English well, I don't know French either. You go back to your room to rest first, my brother will come over in the evening and bring you You go and eat something delicious."
Zhang Yuanjun packed his luggage, took a shower, felt tired, and soon fell asleep.
But he woke up at a quarter to three in the afternoon.
As soon as Zhang Yuanjun finished washing, his assistant Xiao Zhao knocked on the door.
"I'm so hungry." Xiao Zhao said sheepishly, "I don't know how to order."
"It's okay," Zhang Yuanjun said while wiping his hands, "I'm hungry too. Let's go have afternoon tea later and eat something to fill our stomachs. Then I'll teach you how to order food in the United States. It's very simple."
Los Angeles in the summer is the peak tourist season of the year, with many tourists.
Zhang Yuanjun and the two walked out of the hotel, found a random cafe outside, and each ordered a cup of coffee and a sandwich.
Zhang Yuanjun flipped through the movie magazines in the cafe. Hollywood is located in the northwest suburbs of Los Angeles. The film culture here is very strong.
The news published in the magazine was not surprising. It evaluated several North American summer movies as usual, and also revealed some gossip about stars and film companies.
Zhang Yuanjun looked uninteresting, so he picked up a cup to drink coffee and taught Xiao Zhao how to order food in the United States.
"... There is actually a lot to eat in the United States, not to mention hamburgers, hot dogs, meat rolls, etc. You can also eat them in China..." Zhang Yuanjun briefly introduced the American food culture, "If you want to eat Chinese food, don't go to Chinatown. None of them are authentic, and they are very expensive. If you look around UCLA, there are a few restaurants that taste good.
"Oh, and also, the United States has a tipping culture. When you pay for the meal, you have to tip about 10% of the meal price to the waiter."
"Ah? I didn't bring much money with me when I went out, so I still have to tip." Xiao Zhao was not happy.
"You have to give, do as the Romans do. This is what the waiters earn. Also, if the hotel cleans your room, you should also tip."
"How much is appropriate?"
"Just put a one-dollar bill on the pillow before you go out." Zhang Yuanjun taught her.
After teaching Xiao Zhao some American cultural knowledge, Zhang Yuanjun talked about this trip again: "We will stay here for 20 days at most. Tomorrow I will take you to Hollywood and Universal Studios, which are very fun.
"If you're interested, we can still go to Las Vegas."
"I don't gamble."
"It's legal," Zhang Yuanjun said with a smile, "It's okay if you don't play."
Xiao Zhao is a very competent assistant, and Zhang Yuanjun is very happy to work with her.
He was generous to others, and Xiao Zhao worked hard for her. She deserved a trip to the United States.
"The public security in Los Angeles is relatively good in the United States, but if you want to go out alone, you still need to pay attention to safety, especially at night. Don't go out alone at night."
The two of them talked while eating.
“Because Hollywood is here, there are many film activities in Los Angeles, such as lectures and salons. Now that it’s summer, there are countless movie parties, so you can go and have fun there.
"Have you eaten yet?"
"Um."
Zhang Yuanjun raised his hand and snapped his fingers, and the waiter came over with the bill to pay.
"My treat." Zhang Yuanjun paid and turned to his assistant Xiao Zhao and said, "Unless it's a banquet, Americans have AA-style dinners."
Xiao Zhao smiled and said: "Then I will give you the money?"
Zhang Yuanjun smiled and said: "Don't be pretentious and leave quickly."
Zhang Yuanjun and Xiao Zhao rented a car. After all, they had to stay in the United States for several days, so it would be more convenient to have a car. The two of them started shopping.
It was not until 7 pm that the two returned to the hotel to rest.
At 8 o'clock, Zhang Leping's call came, saying that he was downstairs in the hotel and asking him to come down.
The two went downstairs again and saw Zhang Leping standing in front of the car smoking.
"Why have you lost so much weight?" This was the first thing Zhang Yuanjun said when he saw his elder brother.
The last time the two brothers met was when their grandfather celebrated his birthday. After not seeing each other for half a year, Zhang Leping had lost a lot of weight since then.
Zhang Leping smiled: "I have been exercising recently and have lost weight and become healthier."
But Zhang Yuanjun could see at a glance that his eldest brother's weight loss was not due to exercise.
"Stop staying up late, stop smoking, look at you, you're totally out of energy." Zhang Yuanjun rushed him to the co-pilot, "You show the way, I'll drive."
The three of them set off on the road, and Xiao Zhao sat in the back row silently, letting the brothers talk about their daily routine.
"My movie was pretty good, and I got back all the money I invested." Zhang Yuanjun reported his results, "Now it's been handed over to the teachers at the school to prepare, and it will be ready before the National Day. What about you? How are you at school? I mean, Do you want to study for a Ph.D., have you applied?"
"The application has been approved. I will take a gap year this year and a PhD next year."
"You're not going home during your gap year?"
"There's still something going on here, it won't be easy to handle when we get back." Judging from Zhang Leping's tone, he didn't want to talk too much to Zhang Yuanjun about it, "Turn left here, and I'll introduce you to someone then."
"Who is it? Male or female? I came with a mission this time. Mom said I must find out your living situation in the United States."
"Don't worry, I'll definitely let you go back and do the work." Zhang Leping smiled.
The car turned around and round, and soon stopped at the foot of a very ordinary American-style apartment building.
"Here we are, that's it."
"Did you buy it?"
"It's renting. How can I have the spare money to buy a house in the United States?"
The three of them took the elevator to the sixth floor and entered the apartment on the left.
This is a three-room apartment, and a girl with yellow skin and black hair is cooking in the open kitchen.
"You're back? Sit down quickly, the food will be ready soon." Mandarin, but with a clear southern accent.
The girl has a beautiful face. Although she is not as good as a celebrity, she is definitely a beauty among ordinary people. She is of medium height and is over 1.6 meters tall.
Zhang Yuanjun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. My brother can choose. This is definitely a girl that my mother will like.
"Who is it?" Zhang Yuanjun asked softly.
"I'll introduce you to you later."
Not long after, the girl invited everyone to eat.
Zhang Yuanjun saw that the girl actually didn't know how to cook. The food on the table, which was neither Chinese nor Western, was ordered from outside. The girl just took it home to heat it up a little.
After opening a bottle of red wine, Zhang Leping made a formal introduction:
"The third child, this is Li Ying, my girlfriend. This is the third child in our family, Yuanjun, who is an actor, and this is his assistant Xiao Zhao."
The three of them knew each other and had a drink.
If you are interested, you can find information about Li Ying, a very powerful woman.
(End of chapter)
