American winner takes all

Chapter 1 Back to School Day

1994, Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Beverly Hills, 9F Ballroom.

8:45PM, homecoming dance scene.

“Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
You come in to

look for a king…”

Accompanied by the psychedelic and frivolous electronic music of Abba's "Dancing Queen" from the 70s, Ethan O'Connor walked into the banquet hall.

He was at least six feet three inches (1.9 meters) tall, and the outdated Cowuz suit he wore was obviously one size too small, bulging out from his broad chest.The ends of her blond hair were a little messy, and she obviously didn't have time to take care of them, but it didn't feel out of place. Instead, she seemed to have deliberately dressed this way. Her skin was very fair, there were no freckles on her face, her cheeks were thin and slender, and her facial features were like Renaissance sculptures. Three-dimensional, with deep eye sockets and a pair of sky-blue eyes.

He remembered that the last time he heard this song was on Christmas Day during his freshman year in his previous life. It was on that day that he met his future girlfriend.

Fast forward nearly ten years, and other people's children can sing the song "The Lonely Warrior", while I am still single.

Well now, I am back to the other side of the ocean 30 years ago.

Fortunately, I can start over.

Unfortunately, I have to start over.

And tonight, he didn't come to listen to music, let alone dance.

But to make money.

When he opened his coat, he saw a green plastic bag sandwiched between his ribs, with the "Walgreen Pharmacy" logo crumpled.

There were nearly thirty boxes of colorfully packaged Trojans in the bag, as well as some single-pack tablets, including common levonorgestrel tablets such as "Choose Next Time," "Plan B," and "My Way."These are over-the-counter drugs commonly sold in pharmacies.

Ethan walked all the way through the crowded area, and the young boys he met were all wearing American Tuxedo formal suits, black bow ties, single-row one-button green shirts, kama crepe ribbons, cufflinks, and breast pockets. Wearing a scarf, wearing single satin-trimmed dress pants on the side, and wearing black patent leather oxford shoes, he made himself look as mature a gentleman as possible.

Women wear similar all-weather formal dresses, tube top, sleeveless round neck, deep V, ruffles, A-line, satin, silk. Those who are more confident in their figure will choose backless or waistless ones. The styles and colors are also brighter and more colorful than men's. Of course, high heels and appropriate and elegant makeup are indispensable.

It was the annual homecoming dance event, and students in grades 12 and [-] from Beverly Hills High School gathered here.

As the last formal gathering before adulthood, all invited participants are carefully prepared and dressed up.

Threes and twos gathered together, drinking and drinking. The dark yellow liquid in the tall glass sloshed along the wall of the glass. Considering the age of the participants, the glass might be some kind of fruit tea.

But the tea is not intoxicating, and everyone gets drunk. The casual glances between young men and women are like a drumstick, constantly beating the heart.Fermented by the dim lights and rhythmic music, an uncontrollable smile appeared on his face, and strong hormones flowed in the air.

Young people are inherently impulsive, and hormones can cause them to make irrational choices.

Soon Ethan arrived at his destination, which was the corner of the banquet hall and the entrance to the separate restrooms of the four-star hotel. Each room was decorated with fragrance, and the marble floor was as clean as a mirror, spacious and bright.

Ethan stood at the corner and casually pinned a metal nameplate to the outside of his breast pocket with the words "Lemon Cream Pie" written on it, which he had casually taken from the dessert table just now.Then he took out his breast pocket square, unfolded it and put it on his forearm, and finally called to the waiter who was passing by him.

"When did you come to work in the banquet reception department?" Ethan frowned deliberately and looked at the other person up and down, looking a little dissatisfied.

"I've been here for three months, sir." The other party was confused and cautious.

"I knew it." Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose, looking helpless, and then raised his head: "Do you know what you did wrong?"

"what?"

"Do you know what I did wrong?" Ethan emphasized, gritting his teeth.

"...I'm sorry, sir." The other party was frightened for a moment and said subconsciously.

"It won't happen next time." Ethan shook his head helplessly, "Give me the tray, I will be responsible for it."

"Okay...thank you, sir." He thanked him repeatedly, apparently unaware of his "mistake" of just stepping out with his left foot first.

Ethan drank the drink in the cup in one gulp and arranged the medicines in his pocket like building blocks on the tray to form a pyramid shape.

Therefore, on the only way to the restroom, there is a professional in-hotel salesperson wearing a nameplate and holding a tray.

The business came quickly. It was a young man and woman holding hands. Ethan directly quoted a price of fifty US dollars for a box, and the price of this stuff in pharmacies outside was only about ten US dollars.The rules of the rivers and lakes are to help people in emergencies rather than to help the poor, and this is the money they earn.

Moreover, the students at Beverly Hills High School have nothing to do with poverty, and they don't care about this little money.

The end result is that the other party pays readily.

Ethan deliberately stood next to the trash can. This location was very good and he sold five boxes in half an hour.

It also formed a small sales peak with three people surrounding him.

Two couples even bought levonorgestrel tablets from Ethan after they came out, spending another US$70, which was enough for two people to go to the cinema to watch 7 movies this year.

Of course, this is not a blessing from fate, but Ethan deliberately chose the expired Troy.Expired Trojans are anything but safe.

It was approaching 10:30, when Ethan sold the last box of expired Troy to a senior who was hugging his girlfriend, walking carelessly, and wearing the "Normans" badge on his chest, he was rushed by the waiter and manager. Surround...

·
"Look who's back."

As soon as he rode into the motel parking lot, Ethan heard a whistle coming from upstairs.

When he looked up, he saw Catherine, who had grown up with him, leaning on the railing, as if waiting for him to come back.

She raised her left hand to support her chin, and the turquoise bracelet on her wrist slid down to her elbow, glowing with a special luster in the moonlight.

She was two years older than him, and it was she who provided the invitation to the party.

As for the bracelet, it was just gravel strung together and not worth much. Even if it was really valuable, she couldn't wear it now.

This story begins with Ethan’s father. He was once a successful producer who experienced two film projects that failed at the box office: "Barton Fink" and "Life Is Sweet". Later, he embarked on the road of no return and returned to the bad habits of his youth. In two years, he owed a total of US$8 million in 500 casinos in Las Vegas.

And all this was not known until three days after this coward swallowed a gun and sent himself on the road. His wife, who had been a housewife for more than ten years, and his two children, who were in college and high school, knew about it.

Ethan traveled here through time, and before he had time to enjoy the life of a wealthy American family, that night he, his mother and Catherine left 9370 Monteleone in Beverly Hills. This Bauhaus-style building has an independent swimming pool and can be used in the garage. Parked five cars and stood on the balcony overlooking the "Hollywood" letter sign on the mountain. It was only a 5-8 minute walk from Madonna's residence. The mansion with a market price of more than 400 million US dollars was forced to leave.

Creditors flocked to buy the house in Beverly Hills, an Escalade, a Butterfly Mercedes, a 1943 antique Corvette, and the convertible BMW driven by Katherine, a birthday gift from Ethan's brother. A 4.3-displacement Mustang, most of my mother’s jewelry, including an emerald necklace inherited from her mother, my brother’s POWER MAC PC computer, and an abstract oil painting by Gerhard Richter hanging at home, made of animal teeth. A white smoking pipe, a custom-made bathtub from Fendi in Italy...all valuable things were snatched away legally and compliantly.

His home is now located in a low-cost motel in Compton, a filthy area in southern Los Angeles. A friend of his mother's is a shareholder of this hotel, and the other party has come forward to offer a preferential price. He can rent two rooms on a long-term basis for just one month. Paying $800, there is no hot water, the toilet is clogged every three days on average, the TV must be clicked twice before it can be used normally, and Ethan usually doesn't watch it.

While going upstairs, Ethan heard Catherine's teasing: "I thought you weren't coming back tonight and were going to visit the bedroom of a wealthy daughter. It seems that the girls in your senior class are not interested in you as a junior. "

When Ethan came upstairs, Catherine saw a small scratch on his cheek.

"Oh, what happened?" Catherine frowned slightly, and then she breathed a sigh of relief when she found out it was a minor injury.

Ethan checked his formal clothes. This outfit was borrowed from the owner of the motel downstairs. He couldn't afford to pay for it if it was torn. Fortunately, the clothes were safe.

When he was "invited" out of the hotel, he had a little conflict with the security guard, but he didn't suffer any loss.

Ethan now feels that with his physique, he should be more than enough to work as a security guard in a bar to maintain order. He will have a lot of free time from afternoon to evening.

When she saw Ethan take out a wad of green bills, Catherine's expression became shocked.

"Where did you get so much money? Medical expenses, or... you didn't go to the party to do some salty dance, did you?" Catherine thought of something.

"Selling medicine..." Ethan then talked about the cause and effect. He bought a batch of goods from the Wal-Mart Green Pharmacy behind the school with the store owner.

"The total sales were about 700 US dollars, the cost was only 200, and the rest was the money earned." Ethan took off his coat.

According to data from the BLS (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), the average annual salary for all occupations in 1994 was $25910, and the monthly salary was just over $2000. Tonight, Ethan earned a week’s income of a normal working class person. This money can be saved and enough to support him. A month’s worth of lunch expenses.

Nowadays, life is not as affluent as before, and every penny needs to be calculated carefully.

"By the way, I told you about the football school team trial last time, and I have signed up for you." Sister Catherine said suddenly.

It turned out that she was guarding him in the corridor just for this matter...

(End of this chapter)