lovenovelstory Chapter 31 A Good Parting
Chapter 31 A Good Parting
After a cozy dinner, Zeke returned to his small room and began packing his luggage. He was about to leave for Los Angeles. He didn't need to bring much: a few changes of clothes, important contract documents, and the personal items his mother had just packed for him.
Joey offered to fold his clothes, muttering, "Zick, when you get to Los Angeles, you have to get me an autograph from the KISS band, okay? I love them so much!"
"Whose child do you want most? The demon or the star child?"
This wildly popular rock band is quite unconventional. They wear exaggerated face paint and heavy makeup throughout the stage and in front of the camera, never showing their true faces. Each member has a unique stage persona. Zik was referring to the lead singer and bassist, who are the most popular members.
"A demon! Of course it's a demon!" Joey's eyes lit up, and he excitedly imitated the demon's signature action of sticking out its long tongue, looking both comical and cute.
"Okay, I'll take care of it." Zike smiled and ruffled his hair, but a pang of sadness welled up inside him.
Actually, what Joey said earlier makes sense. He doesn't have any friends in Los Angeles either. It's not that he's afraid of not being able to make friends, but he worries that if something happens, he won't have anyone he can trust by his side. That feeling of isolation and helplessness is both unfamiliar and unsettling.
Although his memories of the time travel were very vague, he vaguely remembered that his life in China was very peaceful, without gang violence or deceit, and his days were simple and down-to-earth.
Having suddenly been transported to the dog-eat-dog world of America, he had never fully adapted; he simply forced himself to be strong and to grow.
Qi Ke stopped what he was doing, picked up the phone, and dialed a familiar number: his high school classmate Marco.
Marco had dropped out of school long ago and had been working at a butcher shop. He was righteous and clever enough to be a suitable candidate.
'Hmm, and the fact that he thinks of me first when something good happens is quite rare...' Zike thought to himself.
"Hey, Zeke, what do you want so late? I just got off work and was about to take a shower." The call was answered quickly.
"I'm planning to arrange a job for you, Marco," Zik said directly and casually.
"Tch, what nonsense are you spouting?" Marco scoffed, his tone full of disbelief. "You've only been with Henry for a few days, you haven't even settled in yet, how could you possibly assign tasks? Don't make fun of me."
"It's not Henry's job," Zeke joked with a laugh. "I'm planning to have you drive me a Mercedes."
"Ha~ha~" Marco chuckled dryly twice. "Zike, are you high on your dreams? Mercedes? Well, I won't disturb your daydream. Bye." With that, he was about to hang up.
"Shit, I'm serious!" Zeke interrupted him quickly, his tone turning serious. "Okay, no more joking around, I'm being earnest. I found a job in Los Angeles, buddy, I'm going to get into the record industry, Casablanca Records, you've heard of them, right?"
"I don't believe it. When did you get involved with a record company?"
"Let me finish," Zik said patiently. "It's true. I've already signed a contract with them and I'm leaving for Los Angeles soon. It's not fair for me to enjoy the glamorous world there alone, so I'm planning to take you with me."
"I'll continue attending a private high school there, but since they value me a lot right now, I can recommend you to work for the company as a delivery boy or assistant or something, so we can look out for each other."
I heard from them today that Casablanca is expanding rapidly and recruiting everywhere, so finding you a job won't be difficult at all. It's much better than cutting meat at the butcher shop every day, working yourself to the bone for a pittance, right?
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Marco's trembling voice: "Really...really? Casablanca Records? Los Angeles? Hollywood?"
"Of course it's true. If you can understand the contract, you can come to my house right now."
"That's way more exciting than cutting meat! I'm packing now, Zeke, you have to take me with you! Hollywood, here I come!"
I've finalized the arrangements with Marco. He'll come to Los Angeles after I've made sure everything is in order and settled with his work.
Zeke went out alone again and dialed Henry's number from a public phone on a street corner.
In any case, he had followed Henry for a while before, and now that he was going to Los Angeles, he could no longer participate in the "business". He had to tell Henry so that they could part ways amicably and avoid unnecessary trouble in the future.
But no matter how many times he called, whether it was Henry's home phone or the phones at the bars and restaurants he frequented, he couldn't get through to Henry.
Qi Ke frowned. Finding someone these days is indeed inconvenient. Once the other party is not in a fixed location, there is almost nothing that can be done.
He had no choice but to give up and instead dialed the parking lot's number, asking the "dentist" to pass on a message to Henry.
The dentist's tone was full of envy: "Wow, Zeke, you're so lucky! The glitz and glamour of Los Angeles is nothing like Brownsville. If you ever become a big shot, don't forget your old friends."
Zik chatted with him for a few moments with a smile, then specifically asked, "Dentist, after I leave, please take good care of my family. My parents are old, and Joey is still young. If any gang members cause them trouble, or if they encounter any difficulties, please remember to stop them for me. Thank you."
Zeke had always had a good impression of "The Dentist." Among Henry's gang, he was the most law-abiding member, rarely involved in violent crimes, and only worked as a mechanic, driver, and security guard at the parking lot. He also had a mild temperament.
Of course, this is only relative. This guy's nickname is "The Dentist" because he likes to knock out people's teeth when he does it...
The dentist readily agreed: "Don't worry, Zeke, I've got it covered. Your family is our family, and we'll never let them suffer any injustice."
The Sirens had to finish their previously booked shows before heading to Los Angeles. On the first day of 1978, Zeke met up with Tino at the airport with a simple bag.
Casablanca, being wealthy and powerful, arranged for Zeke to travel in first class—spacious, comfortable, and with dedicated flight attendant service—so he didn't have to worry about anything. This was his first time flying, let alone first class.
On the other hand, Tino had no one to reimburse his airfare, so he pitifully bought an economy class ticket at his own expense and followed behind Zik the whole way, constantly muttering, "This time, I absolutely can't let you go alone again. I have to be with you the whole time, and I won't be absent!"
Zik shook his head helplessly without saying much. He understood Tino's thoughts; he was simply afraid of missing any more opportunities to work with record companies and losing his manager's income.
After a full seven hours of flight, the plane finally landed at Los Angeles International Airport.
Because of the time difference, it's still morning here, and the sun is shining brightly.
"New York time is 3 hours ahead of Los Angeles time, so we need to adjust our clocks."
After meeting up with his agent, Tino expertly turned his watch back three times under the huge clock in the terminal, and Zik followed suit, finding it quite novel.
As he stepped out of the terminal, Zeke immediately spotted someone holding up a sign bearing his name. The sign was quite elaborate, and it even had the Casablanca Records logo printed on it.
The two walked quickly over, and a handsome young man immediately greeted them warmly, extending his hand: "Hello, Mr. Zeke, I'm TJ Lambert, just call me TJ. I work in the Casablanca PR department. Come with me, the car is over here."