"It seems there are fewer than twenty people," Jiang Hai muttered to himself, touching his nose with a hint of apology. Hearing this, Mayor Wallis smiled and shook his head. Jiang Hai really was casual.
"Though the last issue was resolved, you're only treating the symptoms, not the root cause. If you truly want the townspeople to stop fearing you and instead genuinely support you, you need to integrate with them." Mayor Wallis pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
"Integrate with them?" Jiang Hai frowned, stroking his chin. To be honest, he'd been somewhat of a recluse these past few years. He had no idea how to mingle with the townspeople.
He had few friends lately, and now he was being asked to step out and socialize with the locals. For Jiang Hai, that was easier said than done. Hearing Mayor Wallis's words, he felt conflicted.
"That depends on you." Seeing Jiang Hai seriously considering his advice, Mayor Wallis nodded approvingly. Frankly, if Jiang Hai weren't a Chinese national, he would have gladly passed the mayor's position to him by now—Jiang Hai's identity carried much more authority in the town than his own.
But since that wasn't possible, Mayor Wallis didn't want to remain a mere barrier between Jiang Hai and the townspeople. He had to make them get along. Reforming thousands of townspeople was harder than pushing Jiang Hai to take a step forward.
"I really don't know how to integrate," Jiang Hai sighed helplessly after a few moments of thought.
Looking at his social circle, it was clear: he had no real friends in society. His friends were either childhood buddies or classmates. He never truly made friends outside school, not even during his four years at college. To be frank, he didn't really have adult friends.
Of course, he knew another kind of "friend," but that was only among women, and nothing more.
"Well, Mr. Jiang, if you want to integrate into town, maybe you could try attending some parties," said a young Black man nearby, hesitating a bit.
His name was Hodge Selsey. Only twenty-four, but somewhat well-known locally.
He ran a machinery parts recycling plant—somewhat like a scrap yard, but only for machine parts. For example, the tractor at Jiang Hai's manor had been used for a year; some parts had rusted and became unsafe to reuse. Previously, the old owner Robbins-Garcia would strip the rust and keep using these parts for years, which was risky.
After Jiang Hai acquired the manor, the only way to replace those rusty parts was to buy new ones.
Agricultural machinery gets dirty and worn out quickly. Not long ago, before buying cows, Jiang Hai had replaced a batch of parts on all his machines.
Now the old parts needed proper disposal. In the US, you can't just throw away electronic or mechanical waste—like computers or TVs. They have to be taken to recycling plants, often with a fee. The same rules applied to these machine parts.
Hence, second-hand dealers like Hodge collected old parts, removed the rust, and resold usable ones. Unlike Jiang Hai, who could melt down scrap iron for resale to factories, Hodge made a modest profit—about $100,000 a year.
Because many locals used his service, he was popular in town.
He was here today mainly because of his son—a little black boy among the group of local kids.
When Jiang Hai bought candy that day, these kids had noticed and waited to ask him for some.
Every year, an adult accompanied these children to prevent them from begging for inappropriate things.
This year, it was Selsey. After seeing the kids ask town residents for candy, they tried to approach Jiang Hai outside town, but Selsey stopped them—he thought Jiang Hai was hard to get along with. However, the kids insisted they had an appointment with Jiang Hai to ask for candy, which confused him.
Luckily, Mayor Wallis was passing by on his way home and, upon learning Jiang Hai's true nature, helped guide the kids here. Selsey found Jiang Hai's personality to be quite pleasant.
"A party? Those parties?" Jiang Hai looked puzzled. He didn't like attending such events.
"I guess so. Americans love parties—they're the best places to make friends," Selsey laughed in response.
"But parties are noisy. I don't really like loud places," Jiang Hai frowned. Honestly, he disliked nightclubs, bars, and parties—they were just too chaotic.
"Oh, Mr. Jiang, our parties aren't too noisy. They're held at people's homes. No one wants to redecorate after a party," Selsey shrugged. In the US, there are many types of parties.
Jiang Hai had been misled by hearsay before. As Selsey said, no one wants to trash their own house during a home party—they still have to live there afterward.
"If it's not too noisy and just a place for neighbors to talk, I'd be willing to try," Jiang Hai's eyes brightened. Meeting strangers didn't bother him.
Mayor Wallis nodded approvingly. It was good Jiang Hai was willing.
"If you want to attend, there's a charity party at Old George's tomorrow. You should go and have fun," Selsey said excitedly. Though only twenty-four, he already had a four-year-old son and was much more mature than most peers.
He knew befriending a wealthy man like Jiang Hai—who controlled much of the town's economy—would benefit him, so he recommended the event eagerly.
"A charity party?" Jiang Hai looked confused again. What did that mean? Was it about donating money?
"In the US, many hold charity parties—not just to raise funds, but for auctions. The host and guests auction off small, inexpensive items. Afterward, the charity money is either kept by the organizers or donated in their names. Of course, those who buy items outright without auctioning are the most popular," Mayor Wallis explained when he noticed Jiang Hai's puzzled expression.
He added that donating money was a popular way to build reputation, plus in the US, donations are tax-deductible (within limits). This encouraged many wealthy people to donate generously—not just for goodwill, but for financial benefit.
The charity auction at Old George's was probably small, raising only a few thousand dollars—a token of goodwill. But Jiang Hai was intrigued. He wasn't good at much, but he did like spending money, especially when he could afford it.
"Alright, I'll call Old George and go tomorrow," Jiang Hai clapped his hands. As Mayor Wallis said, if he never integrated, trouble was inevitable. Since he had nothing else to do, why not check it out?
"Great! Mr. Jiang, I don't think I introduced myself yet—I'm Hodge Selsey. Here's my business card. See you tomorrow!" Selsey beamed with excitement. Jiang Hai's participation would surely surprise many, and if anyone asked who invited him, Selsey would proudly take credit.
"Okay, Mr. Selsey. See you tomorrow," Jiang Hai smiled. He knew exactly what Selsey was thinking but didn't mind. He was just making use of the situation and losing nothing.
(To be continued.)