Chapter 1

The shrill and powerful whistle of the train, like the roar of an ancient fierce beast, woke up the drowsy passengers in the carriage. If the train attendant's last announcement had no effect, then this roar was enough to make them all sit up and shake off their drowsiness!

"Look, there's New York ahead!"

Standing by a window in the carriage, the energetic Eliza Humphries pointed to the buildings gradually appearing in the distance, her face full of excitement: "The largest city in the United States, one of the most perfect cities in the world!"

After saying this, the little girl, who was only twelve or thirteen years old, turned her head proudly and said to those behind her, "Open your eyes and take a look. Compared to that ignorant and backward Eastern country, this is truly a civilized world... like a paradise!"

Eliza's tone was sharp, and there was a clear hint of boasting in it. Normally, this would easily provoke others' disgust. However, Eliza was at the age of blooming, an age when others are more likely to forgive her. Coupled with her cute and pretty appearance, her smug look was not at all hateful but even somewhat endearing, making it impossible for those around her to feel annoyed.

Everyone smiled, except for one person, a person Eliza considered extremely hateful!

A boy, no more than eleven or twelve years old.

"Paradise?"

Under Eliza's burning gaze, the boy withdrew his dazed gaze from the window, glanced at Eliza casually, and then quickly shifted his attention to a newspaper on the table beside him. A small smile curved at the corner of his mouth, and he murmured softly, "Perhaps..."

"Perhaps?"

The boy's mocking expression and dismissive tone clearly infuriated Eliza. She was like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, almost ready to jump up. Of course, with the heavy petticoat under her long skirt, Eliza could not possibly make such a violent move. However, she still glared with her bright blue eyes, her brows furrowed, and her teeth clenched, as if she were about to pounce and bite the other person!

"Eliza!"

Just as Eliza was about to retort loudly, a noblewoman sitting nearby frowned and hissed, making her quickly quiet down. However, anyone could see that Eliza's big, watery eyes were still filled with anger, glaring fiercely at the boy, clearly unwilling to let it go.

After scolding her daughter in a low voice, Mrs. Humphries frowned and also looked at the boy with some dissatisfaction. As a New Yorker, she, like her daughter, was deeply proud of the city, and thus was quite unhappy with the boy's attitude.

Unfortunately, neither Eliza nor Mrs. Humphries could have any real impact on the boy, as his attention was already focused on the newspaper on the table.

"Sir, may I read this newspaper?"

Standing up, the boy politely asked the owner of the newspaper. He had noticed the newspaper when the middle-aged man bought it at the last stop, and now that the man had finished reading and placed it on the table, he politely made his request.

"Of course."

The owner of the newspaper was a man in his forties. He looked at the boy with interest, handed him the newspaper, and asked with a smile, "But are you sure you can understand this newspaper? It's in English, you know!"

"Hehe."

Hearing the middle-aged man's question, Eliza's eyes lit up, as if she had caught the other person's weakness, and she laughed softly. The gazes of a few people around them immediately turned to her.

The middle-aged man and the boy had boarded the train at the same time, so he was well aware of the tension between the boy and Eliza. It was quite simple: the boy had been very quiet, almost silent, throughout the journey, speaking only a few times to his companions, as if he had a heavy heart. However, when Eliza and her mother discussed the current criticism of the Chinese in the media and expressed her arrogant views, the boy had launched a sharp attack!

It was during this brief exchange that the others learned the boy's identity and understood why he defended the Chinese: the boy seemed to have been born in China and was now returning to the United States for the first time, likely harboring a strong affection for that backward country, and thus was quite dissatisfied with Eliza's remarks.

Could a boy born and raised in China, and returning to the United States for the first time, read this English newspaper? The middle-aged man was quite skeptical. After all, in those days, it was rare for children his age to be literate. As a New Yorker, he was also quite dissatisfied with the boy's attitude and saw this as an opportunity to teach him a lesson.

"I think I can give it a try."

The boy paid no attention to the middle-aged man's teasing and ignored Eliza's sneer. He simply replied softly, took the newspaper from the man, and sat down to read it seriously.

Seeing the date on the newspaper, the boy was momentarily stunned.

December 21, 1879.

This line of numbers put the boy into a daze, and it took him a while to come back to his senses. He shook his head with a bitter smile and then looked at the front-page headline.

"Hmm?"

Seeing the boy's serious and focused expression, the middle-aged man was moved and couldn't help but take a closer look at him.

The boy was nearly five feet tall, which was exceptional for his age in that era. However, his build was rather slim, almost like a bamboo stick. His soft black hair fell lightly over his forehead, covering his broad forehead and hiding his ears, leaving only a pale, clean face visible. Overall, the boy was quite handsome, with a high nose, deep-set eyes, and well-proportioned lips, and his sharp features were very much in line with the current aesthetic standards.

However, anyone who saw the boy for the first time would likely be drawn to his deep brown eyes!

Lifeless, without a trace of the vitality one would expect from a young person.

Moreover, the middle-aged man felt that the boy's appearance was somewhat strange, different from the ordinary white people he usually encountered, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was different. Additionally, the boy's face was abnormally pale, as if he hadn't seen the sun in years, and his skin lacked any hint of color...

"Hmph!"

Like the middle-aged man, Eliza noticed that the boy seemed to be able to read the newspaper. Lacking confidence, she huffed softly and sat quietly beside her mother, saying nothing more.

"Uh..."

Hearing Eliza's huff, the middle-aged man was slightly taken aback and then laughed wryly.

"Ha, indeed a very unique young man."

The middle-aged man smiled lightly and stopped paying attention to the boy. In a few minutes, the train would reach its final destination, and his heart was already flying back to his home, which he had been away from for weeks. Even if he was interested in the boy, he had no more time to focus on him.

The carriage fell into an unusual silence.

"Clank!"

"Clank!"

...

The train, like a slowly advancing giant beast, panted and roared as it approached the massive city at its destination.

A few minutes later, a white gentleman in his thirties walked over from the end of the carriage.

He held onto the handrail, swaying with the train, and slowly approached the boy. Then he bent down and said with a smile, "Dear John, the train is about to arrive in New York. I sent a telegram at the previous station, and I'm sure Mr. Hunter has sent someone to meet us."

"Hmm?"

Lifting his head from the newspaper, the boy looked somewhat dazed, but quickly recovered and nodded, saying, "Alright, Mr. Slack. I think we can start packing our things."

After speaking, the boy folded the newspaper and prepared to return it to the middle-aged man. However, as he extended his hand, his gaze involuntarily swept over the front page again, finally landing on a blurry face.

The moment the middle-aged man took the newspaper, he noticed the boy's strange gaze and looked at the newspaper, laughing. "Little guy, can you finally feel the greatness of America? Ha, in that distant Eastern empire, is there anyone who can create such a great invention like Mr. Edison?"

The boy said nothing, just silently released his right hand from the newspaper.

"Whistle..."

The train roared again, as if giving all the passengers one last reminder that the end of this long journey—the city of New York—was just around the corner...

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The train, like a slowly advancing giant beast, panted and roared as it approached the massive city at its destination.