Chapter 29

Wait, I'm half Japanese in this life. If I say this, wouldn't I be insulting myself too? Li Xu suddenly thought this and felt a bit uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, no matter how uncomfortable he felt, the fact couldn't be changed, and he could only keep it to himself.

"Hey, you all went to Harvard, leaving me alone on the West Coast. That's really unfair." Adam chimed in at the right moment.

"You can come to Harvard too." Li Xu said teasingly.

"Forget it, the old man would kill me." Adam pouted and then sighed, "What a pity, I was hoping to run for student council president at Stanford."

"It's fine. If you need help, just give me a call. Once I turn 18, I'll officially own my investment holding company." Li Xu said immediately.

"I was just kidding," Adam laughed, "The student council president at Stanford isn't as easy to run for as the one at Oakland. Besides, relying on you all the time isn't good. I need to try other ways, right?"

"Call me if you need anything." Li Xu didn't push.

Since 9th grade, Adam had been the student council president at Oakland High School every year. Apart from his own abilities, Li Xu's substantial sponsorship played a significant role.

The importance of a student council president in the U.S. is hard to define, but it's not insignificant. Various clubs and activities need to be organized through the student council, and conflicts and issues between students and the school need to be mediated by the student council.

The student council president has power, but it depends on how you use it. Some can turn ten parts of power into one, while others can turn one part into ten.

Li Xu wasn't interested in being the student council president, but he didn't want it to fall into the hands of someone who looked at him unfavorably. For example, just getting a leave request approved would be much easier with the student council president's help.

So, when Adam decided to run for student council president in 9th grade, Li Xu immediately supported him and provided $100,000 for his campaign.

He originally planned to provide $1,000,000, but to use such a large sum at his age, he had to inform his family first. His father, upon learning his plan, immediately rejected it.

"Have you done any research? Have you written a plan? Have you consulted a lawyer? Do you have a clear goal for spending the money? Do you know what to avoid?" his father asked.

Fine, he did the research and planning and reduced the funds by ten times.

True aristocratic families don't suppress their children's spending. Don't think that David Rockefeller, in his autobiography, said he only had $1 a week for pocket money at age ten, and had to keep a record of how he spent it.

$1 in the 1920s is equivalent to about $13-14 today, or about 80 RMB. A monthly allowance of 300 RMB does seem small.

However, this was purely pocket money. His food, clothing, and accommodation were not included. What entertainment was there in the 1920s? Toys were often given as gifts.

So, the key isn't the amount of pocket money, but the need to keep a record of spending. In other words, parents want to prevent their children from spending money aimlessly.

If a child can spend money wisely, parents not only won't oppose it but will encourage it.

Therefore, high school students working part-time to earn pocket money only happens in middle-class families. True traditional aristocratic families would never do this.

Not cultivating a child's intuitive understanding of capital from a young age, not teaching them about effort, reward, and cost, would they want their child to give up the family business to become an actor?

Li Xu was able to borrow $5,000 from his parents to develop Snake because it was simple and seemed feasible. He even drafted a contract—though it had no legal standing—that if there was a loss, he would have to follow his parents' plans without question.

So, the right to speak is earned bit by bit. Thinking that you can do whatever you want in such a family is just a daydream.

Fortunately, in this life, Li Xu's parents, though from prestigious families, each had their own strengths, creating a balance that allowed him some room to maneuver. If he had been born into a single-parent family with moderate wealth, especially one with a strong mother... well, good luck, and please start over.

From this perspective, the strong mother in this life left a deeper impression on Li Xu than his father, who preferred a gentle approach.

Getting back to the main point, under his father's guidance, Li Xu spent the $100,000 cleverly and efficiently. Directly giving money is the most foolish, especially with so many rules—whether running for student council president or president.

However, as mentioned earlier, when rules are necessary, capital prefers detailed rules because there are always ways to slip through the cracks.

For example, the amount of money a student council candidate can accept is limited, but they can do volunteer work, hold charity sales, and do good deeds. If the volunteer work is done well, people might help promote it, and the news might reach journalists, who might then write about it in the school newspaper, thus building a reputation.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, Adam's ability was also a significant factor in his four consecutive terms as student council president.

Some people think that if money can buy a position, the person in that position must be incompetent, like how in the entertainment industry, sleeping around can lead to fame. But in reality, success in any endeavor depends on multiple factors, some more significant than others. Sometimes a sufficient condition is necessary, sometimes a necessary condition is sufficient, and sometimes neither is useful.

Without analyzing specific situations and understanding the interchangeability of necessary and sufficient conditions, one is merely chasing after a mirage.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, class is starting." As the bell rang, a man in his fifties walked in and glanced at Li Xu without saying much.

Little Edward Li's name was already well-known at Oakland High School. As long as his grades were good, he passed tests, and he participated in major school activities to show respect, his presence in class wasn't very important.

Since class had started, Li Xu stopped talking to Adam and focused on the lesson, glancing at the textbook in his hand.

High school is different from elementary school, where one can easily maintain top grades. Middle school was manageable, but high school, especially with a curriculum as rigorous as that of a top high school from his previous life, required more focus. With his divided attention, his grades naturally declined.

However, with his solid foundation and the success of his silver investment, plus his conversation with his grandfather about mortgage-backed securities, he was confident he could pass the SAT and ACT and get into Harvard.

These could be compensated for with his superhuman memory from his rebirth, such as, well, yes, the sea of problems.

School life was actually quite boring. After class in the afternoon, Li Xu politely declined Adam's invitation to a party and returned to his dorm with Scott.

"Thanks, Scott. I appreciate you taking care of the dorm while I was away." Li Xu said as he plopped down on the sofa.

Dorms usually housed two people, and Li Xu shared with Scott. Despite being away for several days, the room was clean, both Scott's and Li Xu's.

"It's just cleaning. Besides, you won't be gone for long." Scott poured him a glass of water.

"That's true," Li Xu shrugged, "Alright, I'll take care of the cleaning tomorrow."

"No, I can still..." Scott tried to take it on.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'll be leaving again in a few days, and I have a lot on my plate recently." Li Xu waved his hand, stood up, and patted Scott's shoulder, "Don't worry, if you decide to go to Harvard, I'll help you."

"Thanks, Eddie." Scott said as he went to change into workout clothes, "I'm going for a run. Do you need me to bring you dinner?"

"No, I'll go to the cafeteria myself." Li Xu shook his head and, after Scott left, sat back down, sighing. Getting Scott into Harvard wouldn't be easy, but there were always ways, and his father wouldn't mind having a loyal follower.

As mentioned earlier, mixed-race individuals are more likely to face discrimination and exclusion because they don't fit in on either side, especially in a city like San Francisco with a large Asian population.

Even 20 years later, despite the progress in anti-discrimination, the glass ceiling still exists.

Logically, marginalized groups should band together, but the issue is that immigrants from different Asian countries have their own conflicts, making it difficult for them to unite, let alone mixed-race individuals.

Moreover, while Oakland High School has a prestigious reputation, not all students come from aristocratic families; many are from middle-class backgrounds. Adding this factor, the school is a fragmented community.

Therefore, when Li Xu, an outlier, emerged, many wanted to align with him, but only Scott Tanaka truly did.

The reason? Scott's father, Tanaka Keisaku, worked at Bank of America, and Li Xu's grandfather had served on the board of Bank of America.

Additionally, Scott's grandfather, Tanaka Takeshi, claimed to be a vassal of the Kujō family. When Li Xu visited their home, he almost made his son and grandson bow deeply to him.

Li Xu stopped him, but with these connections and Scott's ability to read the room, he often received some favors. If Scott showed potential, Li Xu wouldn't mind investing more effort, as he needed a few loyal followers.

The only regret was that before Scott's grandfather passed away, Li Xu never found the opportunity to ask him if he had been part of the Japanese invasion of China, if he had a nickname like "Robot," or if he had fought with Chen Zhen.

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