Chapter 44

In March 1881, the new President of the United States took office. James Abram Garfield, the dark horse who had won a hard-fought victory at the end of last year, was sworn in in March, which sparked much discussion among people like old Hunterlar. However, John was completely uninterested, even though he found the name very unfamiliar and had little impression of it. Most people, however, had probably heard of the tragic 20-year cycle of U.S. Presidents.

The President elected in 1880...

John had already passed a death sentence on this poor guy, and it was only a matter of time before he heard the news that would shock the nation. John had little interest in politics, at least not now, as it was not yet time for him to pay attention. However, he could not ignore the affairs of his own factory. As time passed, when the new bicycles began to spread, the sales of the Flying Pigeon bicycles rapidly expanded, achieving a miraculous figure of 1,000 units sold in February!

Moreover, after numerous newspaper reports, merchants from all over the country, including the keen-nosed guys from various European countries, flocked over, which made Joshua extremely excited. At this time, the United States was not yet the superpower it would become in the future; the influence of Britain, France, and Germany was still greater, especially Britain, which was the world's dominant power. If he could sell bicycles to Britain and all its colonies...

There was no need for much consideration; the shareholders immediately put the expansion of the factory on the agenda.

However, John had little interest in these matters. On one hand, he had no money, and on the other, after learning about old Hunterlar's wealth, he did not think the old man would let others take advantage. When they formed the partnership, they had already signed an agreement that any future expansion would be proportional, as long as there was money.

Living a leisurely life, John also pondered what other profitable ventures might be suitable for the present. He would wait until the bicycle factory's funds were recouped and he received dividends before making any plans.

Time flew by, and it was April 17th again.

Mr. John Hunterlar's 13th birthday naturally attracted the attention of many people. This year, not only Joshua and Funk, who were his contemporaries and good friends, planned to come to celebrate, but even the older generation, such as the Stones and the Menders, were preparing to attend. The scale was no less impressive than old Hunterlar's birthday.

After all, he was a major shareholder in the bicycle factory and the only heir to old Hunterlar, so his status was different...

"Hey, happy birthday!"

The first to arrive were still Joshua and Emma. The two came over early in the morning, and Emma, in particular, called out excitedly, "John, I must sing the birthday song today, hehe, let you see what real professionalism is like!"

"Uh... hehe, okay."

After a brief moment of surprise, John smiled and nodded.

However, it had been only half a year since John "composed" the birthday song, which had already become popular throughout New York and was beginning to spread around the world, gradually regaining the terrifying influence it had in his previous life. Emma was one of the most loyal supporters of this song, and through her alone, it had reached at least a hundred people.

"Come, sit down and have some snacks."

Seeing that it was still early, John invited his two friends to sit down and chat.

However, just as the maid Lina served a plate of snacks and was about to bring tea, the butler Hans hurried over and whispered, "Sir, you have a letter!"

"Oh?"

John was somewhat surprised and reached out to take the envelope.

"Huh?!"

Seeing the writing on the envelope, John's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but exclaim softly.

"What's wrong?"

The little girl Emma, who had been paying close attention to John, quickly asked out of curiosity.

Ignoring Emma's question, John, as if suddenly remembering something, immediately stood up and asked Hans urgently, "Where is the person who delivered the letter?"

"Just outside the door."

The butler was taken aback and quickly pointed to the front door.

Under the surprised gazes of the others, John immediately ran out and returned to the house after a while, then smiled apologetically at Joshua and Emma, "Sorry, have some snacks first, I'll be down in a bit."

With that, John went upstairs.

In his study, John opened the envelope and found two crumpled sheets of paper and ten dollars inside. Looking at the signature, it was indeed from his former governess, Miss Philip!

"What a stubborn and proud lady."

Looking back at the ten dollars, John couldn't help but smile.

However, after a brief smile, he sighed heavily. The proud lady had only returned ten dollars, which meant something very clearly.

The somewhat messy handwriting on the paper told a simple story. Miss Philip first wished John a happy birthday, then apologized for leaving without saying goodbye last year. She then mentioned the $100 loan, stating that she would repay the remaining amount as soon as possible.

"But she still didn't say what happened to her!"

After reading the letter, John frowned, feeling somewhat dissatisfied with Miss Philip's pride. As a former student, or more accurately, a friend, John was not overly concerned with his governess's private affairs; he just wanted to help. However, Miss Philip stubbornly clung to her so-called noble pride and was unwilling to seek much help, which he could not understand.

What pride could be more important than a child's health?

John could not understand Miss Philip's thoughts, but this did not affect his intention to help. In fact, after so long, John had almost forgotten about the matter. If Miss Philip had not contacted him, he would have gradually forgotten it. However, this letter today successfully rekindled his memories, and he naturally decided to go and see her.

He had to thank the backward communication methods of the time, which allowed him to find out where she was from the letter carrier. It wasn't difficult to track her down. Although the place where Miss Philip was staying was not ideal, at least it was safe.

After some thought, John locked the letter and money in his drawer, tidied his clothes, and went downstairs. Today was his birthday, and many friends were coming to celebrate, so it would be quite impolite to stay upstairs alone.

Sure enough, when John came downstairs, several young friends, including Funk, had already arrived, and the living room immediately became lively.

John's birthday passed in a lively atmosphere. Emma's performance of "Happy Birthday" received a round of applause, and the birthday gifts from everyone left John wide-eyed, especially the phonograph given by the Stones, which greatly interested him. John even thought of the song "Happy Birthday," but unfortunately, it was too simple. Anyone who heard it once could sing it, so publishing it would have no value. However, this made John think of some children's songs from his previous life, and he considered whether he should record a record when the time was right, just to experience being a producer...

...

On the first weekend after John's birthday, he went out in Joshua's carriage.

"Are you sure you want to see her?"

Upon learning John's destination and purpose, Joshua's brows furrowed, and he asked seriously.

"Um."

John nodded absentmindedly, looking out the window. After a while, he turned and smiled, "I just want to know what happened and see if I can help her a bit... well, you can also consider it my curiosity. I won't be able to sleep if I don't find out what happened!"

"Uh... okay."

John's words made Joshua somewhat understand.

The two chatted about bicycles on the way, and the time passed quickly. When the carriage stopped in a small alley, Joshua immediately covered his nose and ears with a handkerchief. The environment here was almost as bad as the slums, with a foul smell everywhere.

"I'll wait for you here, give you half an hour!"

Before John could speak, Joshua said firmly, "And Fett must go with you. He can wait at the entrance, but he must go with you!"

"Okay."

John thought for a moment and set off with the driver.

Carefully avoiding the puddles on the ground, John frowned and walked deeper into the alley. After a while, he met a little boy with a runny nose and exchanged a coin for the information he wanted.

Finally, John stood in front of a door, hesitated for a moment, and then gently knocked, "Excuse me, is Miss Philip here?"

...

The result of speeding up the writing is that the plot feels a bit forced, and it's not very satisfying to write.

...

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