"What? One thousand dollars? You're absolutely heartless!" Hengliang was indignant. Peter smiled politely, saying, "This was all your own doing! Can't you bear it?" Hengliang and Peter exchanged glances, then firmly bit down on his teeth, took the几张 banknotes from the secretary, and said with determination, "Peter, one day you'll find yourself in need of me!" "Oh!" Peter feigned surprise, shrugged, and spread his hands, saying, "I'll see what real abilities you have. But don't make me wait too long!" Hengliang said nothing further, but asked, "Peter, did you arrange for Dianmeng's departure?" Peter refused to admit it, saying, "Your wife left—her legs are on her. You should have asked her!" Hengliang realized he wouldn't get any answers, and then left the Electronic Arts company. As he stepped out of the building, he saw Mike and Julie walking together, arms linked and shoulders touching. Knowing that Gao Liang was heading back to China, Michael and Julie both felt deeply nostalgic. After exchanging heartfelt goodbyes, they each went their separate ways. Gao Liang decided not to visit George and Ryan from Boiling Point Company, as the $1 million savings account had been seized by the company, his Ferrari had been sold, and Daimon had left without a word, with no clear destination—making a visit now would be quite embarrassing. So, he went back to Stanford University’s Hotel for the Elite Guests, checking into Room 888. As soon as he entered the hotel, the front desk attendant, holding a customer billing statement, spoke fluently in English: “Mr. Gao Liang, today is the 1st of the month. Please settle all expenses for your stay in the VIP room last month. The total is $88,888. Please use the card reader to pay.” After saying this, she gestured politely. If this had been ordinary times, with the $10 million card in hand, Gao Liang would have been quite impressive as he went to pay. But now, all he had left was just $1,000. The figure of eighty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty dollars seemed like a celestial number, instantly arresting Gaoang. When he was wealthy, he could spend lavishly; now, after years of financial strain, Lao Zhi—once a millionaire—had become destitute. He no longer had the means to stay in such a premium guest room, let alone a regular hotel room. Gaoang sighed softly, saying, "I don't have it." The tone was low, barely audible even to himself. The service attendant couldn't believe it, saying, "Mr. Gaoang, a man of such outstanding caliber—your position as a senior software designer at Artel Company—no one could possibly believe you're completely broke!" "It's as if heaven has played a trick on me," Gaoang remarked. "Lao Zhi came to the U.S. by chance, from a millionaire to a man living in poverty. The sheer contrast is truly overwhelming." As he thought this, the hotel's security guard arrived, urging him to pay the rent by 8 a.m. the following morning. That evening, in Room 888 of the VIP suite, Gao Liang gently touched the many items he and Dianona had purchased at the Stanford Shopping Center, recalling the scenes of lavish spending that had drawn admiration. He sighed and murmured to himself, "What about that gold watch? What about those high-end clothes? Now, with all these things, Gao Liang has become quite unrefined. Yet, he remains undaunted. All these are American-made items. After returning to China, he will start from scratch—what he truly needs is just this DVD disc titled 'The Secret Formula.' As long as he is alive and his heart is still in it, Gao Liang will surely achieve success. The next morning at 8 a.m., Gao Liang left a note for the service attendant, who promptly delivered it to the hotel manager. The manager said, "This is an outstanding Chinese man, truly pioneering. I believe that, aside from covering the cost of the VIP room, he has donated all the remaining items to the Chinatown in San Francisco's Old Town. Such a gesture is truly rare in America." At San Francisco International Airport, Gaoang, dressed in an extremely ordinary suit, appeared at the check-in counter. Spotting two familiar figures ahead, he hurriedly lowered his sun hat, but they still recognized him. "Oh! It's Li, the great talent! It seems like he's struggling to make it in America now! Look at you—so plain, so unimpressive, even your outfit is so outdated! Good thing we were close back then..." Clearly, just by the tone of voice, it was evident that it was his university sweetheart, Wu Mengshan. She wore high-end fashion, adorned with gold rings on her fingers and a gold necklace around her neck, radiating elegance and luxury. Her condescending gaze felt like a sharp blade, making Gaoang quite uncomfortable. Man, if old Li hadn't returned to visit his mother, he'd be a millionaire. In his eyes, Gaoang's attire was barely a fraction of what his wife, Mengdana, wore. As for his second wife, Mei Ji, she was simply dressed in a fresh, natural style—clearly more graceful and refined than Gaoang by a significant margin. With a look of indifference, you think the old guard looks down on you, but he's actually looking down on you too! At that moment, Jack Will, Lü Mengshan's American boyfriend, steps in and says to Gao Huang, "I heard you've been doing very well in the U.S. I even saw your photo and bio in an old magazine from San Francisco yesterday! As a Chinese who moved to the U.S. alone, you're truly impressive. I'm sure you'll achieve even greater things upon your return!" "Jack Will, don't say such things! Are you blind? Look at him—how humble and unimpressive he is. I doubt he'll achieve much once he returns!" Lü Mengshan's dismissive expression deeply angered Gao Huang, who angrily replied, "Lü Mengshan, I finally see your true nature. You treat men like money trees!" Old Zai is now broke—just has $1,000, enough to buy a round-trip ticket back to China to the瀚海. Once he steps off the plane, he won’t even be able to afford a bottle of mineral water. But please remember: once back in China, Old Zai will quickly become strong and outstanding! "Oh? Really?" Wu Mengshan glanced at Gao Liang with a skeptical tone, asking with mild disdain. At that moment, everyone had already started moving toward the airport, staff urging them to board. In front of Gao Liang, Wu Mengshan leaned into Jack Will's waist, displaying a very intimate gesture. Gao Liang thought to himself: Old Zai clearly has no appetite for you—he wants women, but someone far more refined, someone a hundred or even a thousand times more elegant than you. Gao Liang was the last one to leave the ticket counter. As he stepped away, he turned back and looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, whispering to himself: America, I came hurriedly and I’m leaving hurriedly too! Goodbye! San Francisco! Goodbye! California! Goodbye! Daimeng! Goodbye! Mei At the very moment he stepped into the departure gate, He hadn't expected that a golden-haired woman wearing glasses rushed in, breathing heavily, calling out her name in fluent English at the ticket counter, only to be blocked by a tall security officer, no matter how much she pleaded. The flight from San Francisco to the Chinese inland quickly departed. The golden-haired woman looked up at the plane in the sky, sighed, and murmured to herself, "Husband, wife came a little late. I never thought reality could be so harsh—when you left the U.S. with nothing, I couldn't even do anything to help. How unfair! That call from my father, urging me to move to New York, really made me feel helpless. If only we had stayed together. I never expected that, when I hurried back, you had already gone. As soon as I learned about your situation from the electronics company, I was nearly furious. But the company's procedures are strict, so no one can be blamed—only myself, for having to leave. Yet I hope you remain equally outstanding upon your return to China. Only men who are truly outstanding—capable of enduring trials and challenges—are worthy of admiration, and only such men can achieve great, ground-level accomplishments. Go ahead and leverage your strengths in China! You can certainly thrive in the U.S., and I’m confident that even if you start with nothing, you will surely rise to prominence in China—because you are Gao Liang! At China's Huanhai International Airport, Gao Liang was the very first to step out of the terminal. In contrast, Wu Mengshan and her American boyfriend, Jack Will, who had also come back to China for visiting purposes, appeared relaxed, confident, and full of spirit. Wu Mengshan chewed on an American gum, leaned close to her American boyfriend, wore American crystal shoes, and wore American sunglasses. As she watched Gao Liang move away, she gave a light sniff and remarked, “Gao Liang, you’re struggling to make ends meet in the U.S.—and you’ll surely struggle even more in China! Thank goodness I made the right decision back then and chose Jack Will. Otherwise, I’d have surely suffered under your watch!” This really came true, as the situation of being unaccompanied truly proved him to be a man who was not well-versed in etiquette. After alighting from the plane, he felt extremely thirsty and, habitually, walked toward a cold drink shop, waving to the young lady at the counter and saying, "Please get me a bottle of Coca-Cola!"