To run, or not to run?

"Come with me." As Li Dan Niu noticed the crowd thickening around them, he spoke to Ah Xing before turning to leave.

Ah Xing, eager to become a disciple, didn’t hesitate to follow. "Fatty Chong, hurry up!" he shouted at his friend, who was dragging his feet. Fatty Chong was his only companion, and Ah Xing hoped he too might seize this chance to change his fate.

After a short walk, Li Dan Niu realized he didn’t even know where he was headed—where could he bring Ah Xing and his friend? He paused. "Take me to the finest hotel around," he said, turning to Ah Xing.

"The finest hotel?" Ah Xing was taken aback. Surely, a disciple’s banquet was customary, but wasn’t that a bit extravagant? Besides, apart from sending a foreigner flying several meters with a kick, Li Dan Niu hadn’t really shown much skill. He eyed Li Dan Niu’s clothes—not exactly expensive. Was this some scam for a free meal?

Yet, the sight of Li Dan Niu’s earlier display still resonated deeply with Ah Xing; he wasn’t willing to let go of this opportunity. "Um… Master, I know a place that serves the best mixed noodle soup. It’s even tastier than what the big hotels offer. Let me treat you."

Mixed noodle soup? This isn’t some culinary movie—why bring up mixed noodles? Besides, he wasn’t here to eat.

Li Dan Niu caught the evasiveness in Ah Xing’s gaze and began to understand. "I’m looking for a place to stay, not food. Don’t worry, I have money. And I haven’t agreed to take you as a disciple yet, so stop calling me ‘Master.’"

Ah Xing chuckled awkwardly, but kept on, "I just thought you might be hungry, Master. But really, that mixed noodle soup is a delicacy!"

"Yes, yes," Fatty Chong chimed in, drooling at the mention. He was hefty, had just been running and walking, and hadn’t eaten well in days. The thought of mixed noodles made his mouth water.

Li Dan Niu shook his head. If it were something cooked by Stephen Chow in 'God of Cookery,' maybe he’d be interested. "We’ll try it sometime. First, let’s find lodging—the best available."

Ah Xing hurried ahead, relieved he wouldn’t have to pay, and eager to show Li Dan Niu the way. "Master, there’s a hotel up ahead, the best one in the International Settlement. I hear the toilets are gilded, but they only accept US dollars…"

"No problem," Li Dan Niu replied, dispelling Ah Xing’s doubts. His bag was full of US dollars and gold bars—spoils from the police chief. At this time, due to the chaos of war, domestic currency was unstable and nearly worthless.

The US government was on the gold standard, so dollars could be exchanged for gold directly, making them the world’s most sought-after currency.

Ah Xing stuck out his tongue. Was his ‘cheap master’ actually wealthy? He resolved to seize this opportunity. Maybe the master would treat him and Fatty Chong to a meal; he’d be content with just endless mixed noodles.

Li Dan Niu recalled Ah Xing’s earlier words and asked, "You said this is the International Settlement?"

"Yeah, didn’t you know, Master?"

Li Dan Niu shook his head. He truly didn’t know much about Shanghai during this era—anything he’d learned in history class had long been forgotten.

"I just returned from abroad, so I’m not familiar with things here."

Abroad? Ah Xing had never even left Shanghai, let alone the country. He was about to ask what foreign lands were like, but Li Dan Niu had another question.

"Do you know where the Japanese Settlement is?"

"The Japanese Settlement? Except for the International Settlement, all of Shanghai is basically occupied by the Japanese."

"What?" Li Dan Niu was stunned. Why hadn’t he paid more attention to modern Chinese history?

"The Japanese took over everything. I heard they’ve occupied all the land north of the Suzhou River. Only the International Settlement is relatively peaceful."

Damn, Li Dan Niu hadn’t expected the Japanese to be so rampant at this moment. Still, he had four months—plenty of time to play his own game with them.

He wasn’t quite a hot-blooded patriot, but believed that any Chinese who traveled to this era would feel compelled to act.

"Why don’t you pick up the money on the ground?" Li Dan Niu saw Ah Xing step right over a banknote, expecting him to pick it up, but he just walked on.

"It’s fake. Even if it weren’t, no one would want it," Ah Xing replied. "Master, you just came from abroad, so you don’t know. The Japanese shamelessly printed four billion in counterfeit legal tender. Now, the National Government’s currency is just waste paper."

Damn, that’s shameless.

Li Dan Niu had heard about the inflation, but hadn’t realized this was the cause.

You really don’t know until you travel through time—what a shock. Li Dan Niu decided that once he returned to the real world, he’d start extracting wealth from Japan to build up Tuvalu.

As they talked, the group arrived at the hotel. Just as they were about to enter, they were stopped.

"Get lost, you filthy beggars!"

Ah Xing was used to this treatment. He couldn’t even afford to eat, let alone dress properly. His clothes were patched and torn.

"We’re here to stay," Ah Xing said, lacking confidence. He didn’t know how much money Li Dan Niu had.

The security guards laughed, about to speak, when Li Dan Niu pulled a wad of US dollars from his bag and waved it.

"We’re together. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, no, welcome!" The two guards’ expressions changed instantly, more swiftly than a face-changing performer, and respectfully stepped aside.

Yet, as they bowed, they exchanged a look.

Should we make a little extra on the side?

Call some people later?

Ah Xing was stunned by the wad of cash in Li Dan Niu’s hand. US dollars—and in large denominations, no less.

Once inside the hotel lobby, Li Dan Niu saw Ah Xing staring blankly, smiled, and slipped the wad of dollars into Ah Xing’s pocket.

"Go get me a room—the best one," Li Dan Niu said, and without waiting for Ah Xing to recover, headed for the lounge, sank onto a sofa, and closed his eyes for a nap.

Ah Xing and Fatty Chong stared at each other with mouths agape, then glanced at Li Dan Niu in the lounge, torn by the urge to run.

Li Dan Niu was about seven or eight meters away. Ah Xing was confident in his speed—no one had ever caught him.

But what about Fatty Chong? He wouldn’t get far.

And if they ran, they’d lose the chance to learn martial arts.

Was learning martial arts more important, or was the wad of cash—enough to live extravagantly for a long time—more tempting? Ah Xing even thought the money could help him and Fatty Chong start a business and change their lives.

So, to run or not to run—that was the question. (To be continued.)