Later, Bruce did not say a word but waved and left with Li Du. They went down the stairs and walked out of the house.
The sun shined brilliantly. The natural beauty of Los Angeles was truly amazing. Bruce covered his eyes with his hands under the bright light. Evidently, he had not been out for quite some time. Li Du realized that this young boy was weak and pale, just like a delicate young girl. His veins were almost visible under the sunlight. He knew that it was not because Bruce’s skin was healthy, but because he lacked sunlight.
Bruce asked, “Sir, you are obviously of the yellow race, too, right?”
Li Du nodded. “Yes, I am Chinese.”
Bruce laughed. “We might share the same ancestors. I am Chinese, too, but I don’t know where I’m from, because my parents don’t know, either.”
“Where are your parents?” Li Du asked.
Bruce unfolded his arms. “I am called Batman. What do you think?”
Li Du had a quick thought and asked, shocked, “No way. They were murdered?”
Bruce nodded and pointed at his right leg. “Three shots in total. Two of them were in my parents’ heads, and one of them was here.” The tone of his voice was flat. It was like he was describing something that had happened to someone else.
He quickly changed the topic. “I am very fortunate. Although this leg has a bit of a problem, at least I’m alive. I spent very little time with my parents, but they loved me very much. They were great parents. I will love them forever!
“In comparison, these fellows are even more unfortunate.” Bruce smiled bitterly. “I don’t have to lie about it. They are not healthy. They don’t have parents that love them. Believe it or not, if I let them be, they would only live for another month at most.”
Li Du asked, “What about the welfare institute? Can’t you just send them there?”
Bruce shook his head. “It has nothing to do with the welfare institute. It’s not about food, drinks, and lodging. They are a bunch of lunatics, you see. They keep finding ways to trick these fellows. Using their body for the means of transporting products or forcing them to steal.”
Having said that, he asked, “Based on their intelligence and capabilities, how long do you think they can survive by doing that?”
Li Du was speechless.
Brother Wolf, who rarely spoke, said, “You are a tough guy.”
Bruce posed in a kung fu stance and joked, “I am Batman.”
Li Du asked, “You don’t seem to be worried. As far as I know, you should be studying at your age.”
Bruce replied, “I want that, too. But I have to take care of these fellows. I am not sure if you noticed it, earlier. The majority of them are just like us. They are also Chinese.”
In America, the social classes were divided distinctively, especially in the slums. Black people, Mexicans, South Americans, Europeans, and so on, all of them had their own small circle. Among those, Asians were the least respected race, always being taken advantage of.
Bruce said, “In that case, who will take care of them if I don’t? They don’t even care about their fellow citizens. Do you think they’d care about the Chinese?”
Chinese were hard-working, low profile, and reliable. They could live peacefully as long as they were given some living space. These were good displays of virtue. However, black people, Mexicans, and the majority of the white people were awfully lazy, in Bruce’s view. They refused to work, and yet they were unwilling to let the Chinese take on the jobs. They called the Chinese “locusts” who came to take away their living space.
The two of them had a long conversation. Li Du discovered a number of positive qualities in Bruce including kindness, persistence, and a strong work ethic. He was also self-loving and self-empowered. He was very mature and intelligent. In addition, he was a visionary.
He was not at all stressed from taking care of these kids. He even made plans for the next three to five years. The plans involved helping his fellow companions, taking care of them, and improving himself at the same time.
Brother Wolf was a person who was not easily impressed, but even he admired Bruce. He gave the kid his phone number and said, “If anyone bullies you guys, please contact me.”
Li Du wanted to help the kid, too. He wrote Bruce a check, but the kid shook his head. “This much money will only cause me trouble. We do not have any issues in that aspect. The government gives out food vouchers. Moreover, many kind-hearted people provide food for us. We are able to survive from this.”
Li Du asked, “Is there anything you need? I am not helping you. I am just paying my tuition fee. I have learned a lot from you.”
Bruce smiled. “I really want a Batman suit, but that is impossible. Haha.”
After listening to him, Li Du seemed perturbed by the joke. “I think you are more in need of a Batmobile, right? How tired are you when you have to walk to collect the food vouchers?”
Bruce realized what he meant and said excitedly, “That’d be great!”
Li Du remembered his expression. Later, as the event ended, he contacted Chris Bell. He took Hans with him, preparing to formulate a plan.
He had gained a lot from this event. One of the things he had gained was Kobe’s friendship. Kobe admired his performance on the basketball court. In addition, Bell spoke highly of him, therefore, Kobe had a good impression of him, too. They even exchanged contact details.
Li Du explained Bruce’s situation to Bell. Bell felt deep respect towards him. “This kid lives in a dark and desperate environment, and yet he appears to possess a heart of gold!”
“I would love to give him a helping hand. I want to send him a gift to encourage him. I already have an idea, but it is not done yet. I need your help on this,” Li Du said.
Bell felt duty-bound to assist. “Go ahead and say it. You have my full support.”
Li Du took out his phone and found a number that he had never contacted. He dialed the number and asked, “Is this Ms. Frances McDormand? Hi, I am sorry to bother you…”
That’s right. He contacted the Hollywood actress, Frances McDormand. She loved collecting automobiles from movies. Li Du once found a Batman motorcycle, but she had already managed to purchase it.
After his explanation, Frances remembered Li Du and then asked about his intentions. Li Du knew that she would be unhappy to be bothered. He quickly began to speak. He told her about Bruce and the Chinese children in Salem Harbor.
Finally, he said, “I would like repurchase the motorcycle. I want to gift it to the kid who admires Batman, to encourage him, to help him maintain his confidence on his tough journey, to provide him a better life.”
Frances kept quiet for a few seconds and then said, “You better be telling me the truth. I will have you know that I hate being lied to.”
Li Du said, “It is the absolute truth. I can bring witnesses along, and you can also investigate yourself. I really want to help this kid. I am willing to repurchase the motorcycle with your permission. I can give you $500,000 for it!”
Frances replied, “Let’s talk face to face.”
