Chapter 1, Students Expelled from USC

"Are you an idiot (asshole)?" Wang Yang's tone remained calm, but the murderous intent in his eyes left Matthew with no thoughts of resistance. Matthew, eager to end the situation quickly, nodded and said, "Yes, I am, I am..." Wang Yang asked, "What is it?" Matthew, feeling defeated, replied, "Asshole..."

Oh my God, just thinking about how my parents will say, "Son, I knew you wouldn't be able to make a movie; you might as well stay in the restaurant and cook," makes Wang Yang unable to help but shout, "Then why not just let a car run me over and end it!"

That Black classmate is named Terrence, and he has a strong and robust build. However, Wang Yang has been learning Baji Quan from a master in Chinatown since childhood. Although his martial arts skills are not exceptional, dealing with someone like Terrence, who relies solely on brute strength, is not a challenge for him. While taking Terrence down, Wang Yang exclaimed, "Is this what you wanted? Damn!"

Although Wang Yang is an American citizen, he has lost count of how many times he has heard these words since childhood. He takes pride in his yellow skin and black eyes, appreciates Chinese characters, enjoys Chinese cuisine, and cherishes Chinese culture. He has never discriminated against others and abhors racial discrimination; however, the reason for his expulsion was precisely racial discrimination

Where to go? Wang Yang, holding a cardboard box, wandered aimlessly on the streets of Los Angeles. Cars came and went on the road, and the crowd flowed on the street. The sound of traffic lights occasionally rang out with a "ding ding ding." Wang Yang stood at the intersection, feeling somewhat lost, unsure of where to head next

It was a miscarriage of justice. That day, he encountered a situation similar to the present, where he was verbally insulted and provoked by a Black classmate, who even insulted his mother. Unable to endure it any longer, he lost control of his emotions and, in a fit of rage, struck the other person

Wang Yang is of Chinese descent, having immigrated to the United States since his grandfather's generation. His grandfather operated a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco's Chinatown, which was later taken over by his father, and the restaurant has been in operation until today. However, despite the efforts of two generations, this "family business" has not only failed to grow but has instead become increasingly dilapidated, primarily serving local acquaintances, and has been on the verge of closing down for many years.

Reflecting on the sequence of events, Wang Yang let out a helpless sigh, his head throbbing with frustration. Originally, after completing his bachelor's degree at the University of Southern California, he could have pursued a master's degree or sought work as an assistant director to gain experience while waiting for an opportunity to become a director. However, with his expulsion from school, that dream of becoming a director seemed to drift further away from him.

In any case, from that point on, he has been moving towards this goal, and he achieved it. At the age of 18, he entered the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California, majoring in film and television production. Everything was progressing in a positive direction, had that incident not occurred

He recalled the ecstasy of being admitted to USC, the congratulations and envious glances from friends, the loving concern of his parents who were both eager and worried, wanting to encourage him yet fearing to impose pressure... and that phrase, "Son, if you can't make it in Los Angeles, come back to San Francisco; the restaurant's spoon is waiting for you to take over"

That was something that happened a week ago, and then he was expelled, in the second semester of his freshman year, he was expelled

Amidst a chorus of murmurs, Wang Yang picked up the cardboard box from the ground once more and walked towards the school gate. Upon reaching the entrance, he could not help but pause, turning back to gaze at the campus he had long yearned for, now facing a bittersweet departure. Farewell, towering and ancient trees; farewell, the lush and inviting soft grass... He took a deep breath and stepped out of the school gate with determination

Although Wang Yang grew up in a restaurant, he had little interest in cooking and was exceptionally passionate about movies. At the age of 9, after watching "Cinema Paradiso," he became even more determined to become a director. At that time, he thought that a film projectionist like the old man Alfredo was a director.

Recalling the physique of Terence-Ben, the quarterback, and seeing Wang Yang in front of him being beaten to a pulp, Matthew couldn't help but swallow hard. The three men and two women nearby also grew tense, all shouting "Hey, calm down, calm down," but when Wang Yang shot them a glance from the corner of his eye, they fell silent, unsure if they might also be on the receiving end of his wrath

"Don't worry, I'm doing very well. Come on, Mom, you know that the weather in Los Angeles is similar to that in San Francisco, how could I possibly be cold?" Wang Yang said, holding the microphone, leaning against the phone booth, looking at the scenery of the campus outside, and pretending to be excited as he continued, "A few days ago, I saw Robert Zemeckis. Yes! The director of 'Forrest Gump,' he is also an alumnus of USC, invited back by our president to give a lecture. It was amazing, I talked to him for a long time that day, oh, he is very easygoing, a really nice person..."

He has managed to conceal the news of his expulsion from school from his parents after considerable effort; otherwise, he would certainly be forced to return to San Francisco and take over the "family business," becoming the third generation chef of the restaurant

He tightened his windbreaker, picked up a cardboard box filled with odds and ends from the ground, and walked step by step towards the school exit, occasionally glancing back at the beautiful scenery around him. The USC School of Cinematic Arts was originally the place where his dreams took flight, but now, everything was ruined

Feeling dizzy... ? ... Wang Yang only felt a wave of dizziness, and before his eyes, the library appeared in fragments of illusions. He didn't even know what vehicle had hit him, and his mind was filled with a single thought: Am I going to die?

Oh! Along with Matthew's five accomplices, the new onlookers also slapped their foreheads, collectively expressing their dissatisfaction with Matthew's apology by saying, "COME ON"

Bruce Lee, what do you want, a banana? Oh, come and eat it! A blonde white man named Matthew chuckled as he made a few hip movements and said, "Come on, I know what you like!"

"Hi, isn't that our Chinese fellow? Where are they headed?" A few young people walked over on the lawn, four men and two women. Except for one man who was Black, the others were all White. The leading blond White man had a grin on his face, mimicking a monkey's dance with his hands, making strange sounds: "Ping-pang, Ping-pang? Ching-chong, Ching-chong?"

In April, the weather in Los Angeles is warm and pleasant, gradually bidding farewell to the cold winter rains and moving towards the hot summer. The lawn of the USC School of Cinematic Arts is lush and green, with young students scattered about, some lying on the grass reading, others chatting, and some fiddling with DV cameras, creating a vibrant and thriving scene

With his strange voice, several other men and women began to laugh, their faces filled with mockery and disdain, looking at Wang Yang with contempt

Just as Wang Yang was encouraging himself and walking halfway across the road, a woman pushing a baby stroller behind him suddenly lost her grip. The stroller careened out of control and crashed into his backside. With a loud bang, the startled Wang Yang was caught off guard and fell forward, sending the cardboard box in his hands flying and scattering its contents all over the ground

Surrounding him were whispers of disapproval, and Matthew's companions rolled their eyes. A few blonde beauties giggled quietly, which made Matthew feel a bit embarrassed, his face turning red.

Wang Yang smiled lightly and said, "If you want to become a priest, I can kick your balls to pieces"

"Dealing with trivial matters all day? I certainly do not want that!" Wang Yang shook his head and shouted in his heart: "All my years of effort and dreams have been to become an outstanding director, to create beautiful films. Now, just because I have been wronged, I am being asked to go back and watch over a nearly bankrupt restaurant?"

Matthew was startled at that moment and shouted, "Wait, wait!" As he struggled vigorously, he exclaimed, "I apologize, I apologize! I was wrong, I was wrong!"

Ironically, he is now surrounded by accusations of "racial discrimination," yet no one is standing up for him.

"Okay, you have angered me." Wang Yang slowly set down the cardboard box and stepped forward to grab the grinning Matthew by the collar: "You have two choices: first, apologize; second, I will send you to the hospital"

The other five young people also burst into laughter, as they were all aware of Wang Yang's expulsion, and thus felt free to mock him. It was not that Wang Yang had wronged them; rather, his Asian identity had become the target of amusement for this group of bored individuals

"Oh, you little Chinese boy, do you want to hit me?" A hint of panic flashed across Matthew's freckled face as he feigned calmness and said, "If you want to go to jail, you can make a move."

Well, I still have to go help out with a film crew later... Oh, speaking of which, my classmate just called me to set off, so I have to hang up now, goodbye

"Alright, you can devote yourself to serving God now." Wang Yang's expression changed suddenly; before he finished speaking, he forcefully pulled, pretending to lift his right leg.

After the incident, Terrence-Ben, the villain, turned the situation upside down, insisting that Wang Yang had verbally insulted him and then assaulted him. Although Wang Yang desperately tried to explain, there were no witnesses on the lawn at that time to corroborate his account; meanwhile, Terrence-Ben had the support of his teacher, Gary Martin, who was Black. Consequently, the school believed Terrence-Ben, and Wang Yang was expelled.

If you say "Nigger" to a Black person, you will definitely face charges of racial discrimination in court; however, if you say "Chink" or "Chinaman" to a person of Chinese descent, it is rarely considered racial discrimination. This reflects another side of this highly democratic and equality-promoting nation

With a thud, Wang Yang fell heavily to the ground; with another thud, the baby landed perfectly on his head, safely touching down.

Oh! My God! The bystanders around gasped with their hands covering their mouths, as they saw the baby who was not strapped in the stroller bounce out and fly through the air

As soon as Wang Yang put down the microphone, he let out a long sigh, and his expression quickly shifted from exuberance to dejection. Looking at his classmates relaxing on the lawn, he couldn't help but run his fingers through his hair in frustration and muttered, "Damn!"

Damn it! Wang Yang chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Although I enjoy eating Chinese food, I don't like being a chef!" I absolutely do not want to return in disgrace, only to be teased by friends and consoled with disappointment by my parents! I will not give up!

Unfortunately, this phrase "Fuck you" was overheard by a teacher who happened to be nearby, and that teacher was a Black man named Gary Martin

Wang Yang smiled faintly, gently patting Matthew's face with his hand, and said, "Little girl, do you want to kill me? Bring me a gun!" After saying this, he pushed with force, causing Matthew to stagger backward.