Chapter: 2674
After some thought, Hamid clenched his teeth and prepared for the final confrontation. He said, “Brother! You’ve come a long way, and we’re meant to be together in this. I can’t refuse your requests. But you also want to save me some dignity. I can’t end up with nothing, right? There’s an old saying in China: ‘Leave a thread in everything so you can meet again in the future!’”
Charlie Wade smiled and replied, “I must say, your command of Chinese literature is impressive. You even know how to use allegories!”
Hamid chuckled awkwardly and said, “Well, I was a good student once.”
Charlie nodded and asked, “You mentioned saving face. How do you want to do that?”
Hamid raised his hand and looked serious. “Brother, here’s my idea! There are eight people here, half yours and half mine. Since you’ve traveled so far as a guest, I’ll let you pick first. You can take four people, and I’ll keep the remaining four.”
As soon as Hamid finished speaking, the seven people around him, except for He Zhiqiu, were shocked.
“What’s going on?” they thought. “Is this guy who arrived by Concorde so powerful? The commander of the opposition is here, and instead of fighting, they’re negotiating! And Hamid is actually agreeing to let Charlie take four people away? That means he’s directly saving four lives!”
With He Zhiqiu already taking one spot, that left only three places. The Chinese boy couldn’t help but shout, “Mr. Ye, save me! We’re compatriots!”
“Compatriots! You can’t help but die!” Charlie Wade waved his hand and said, “Hey, don’t follow me with that attitude. Do you remember what you just said? I consider you a compatriot. Even if you have a passport from another country, as long as you have Chinese blood in you, you’re my compatriot.”
He sighed and continued, “But look at what you said. You were born and raised in the United States, and that is your homeland. If you keep saying you’re American, I can’t just claim you as my compatriot. That feels like forcing you to betray your own country.”
The other person began to cry, saying, “Mr. Ye, I was wrong! I wasn’t actually born in the United States. I was born in China, but my parents moved us to the U.S. and I became American. I always claimed to be born here because I didn’t want to be looked down upon by Americans. I wanted them to see me as a true American, even if I don’t look the part…”
As he spoke, he broke down in tears. “Honestly, I feel like a foreigner. I realize my mistake now, and I know what runs in my veins is still…”
Charlie Wade quickly interrupted, “Okay, let’s stop there. I get what you mean.”
Hearing this, the other person felt a spark of hope and cried, “Mr. Ye, thank you so much! I will work hard to repay you!”
A white American boy nearby quickly added, “Mr. Ye, I’m sorry for being reckless and rude earlier. Please take me with you too…”
An Indian boy next to him was also crying. Through his tears, he said, “Mr. Ye…”
“Yes… blame me for being blind. I’ve always admired the rich history and civilization of China. Please don’t just think of me as a lonely hero or remember the villain I used to be. Give me a chance…”
As they spoke, the others looked on, pleading and quickly starting to cry.
Charlie Wade smiled at that moment. He turned to Hamid and said seriously, “Commander Hassan.”
Hamid quickly replied, “Brother, let’s not be so formal. We met by chance, and that makes us friends. Also, my last name is ‘Hamid,’ so please don’t stress the title too much.”
He then added with a grin, “But if it’s too much for you to say my full name, feel free to ignore it!”