Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 556 - 52 Sudden Change

The early hours in San Francisco were greeted with rain. The persistent patter of drops created a chaotic ripple across the cobblestone paths. The morning mist veiled the grand church with its large clock, the sprawling old streets, and even the steam railcars parked roadside, all cloaked in a layer of cold, damp air.

The steam airships at the city center square were mostly produced and operated by a company named Dickney.

Dickney’s initial project plan was to offer flights around the entirety of San Francisco for ten US dollars. They claimed that their steam airships could fly normally even in the worst thunderstorms and operated around the clock, with maintenance and refueling all done in the sky, hence the moniker "Dickney that never lands".

However, due to the expensive costs, business was bleak after opening. Later on, Dickney shifted its approach and tapped into aerial billboard advertising and even launched in-air restaurants and business reception gimmicks, which finally revived the steam airship business.

Because it was early morning, there weren’t many passengers on the airship.

Dorothy, draped in Li Yan’s black tuxedo coat, sat beside a table near the railing, her soft red hair slightly lifted by the biting wind.

She propped her elbow on the table and listlessly swirled the spoon in her cup, eyes fixed on Li Yan’s profile across from her, while stifling a yawn behind her hand.

"If you’re tired, I can take you back to the hotel," Li Yan said, withdrawing his gaze from the view below.

Dorothy lifted her coffee cup, lightly biting the rim, and murmured, "You look pretty dashing in that blue sweater."

"Thank you."

Li Yan glanced down at his own sweater: "I used to have a trench coat I was quite fond of, but unfortunately, it got too worn to wear."

"I think blue suits you better, it makes you look more..." Dorothy searched for the right word, "...gentler."

Li Yan fixed his gaze upon Dorothy’s face for a moment before shaking his head. "With all due respect, I’ve never been a gentle person."

"No, I mean..."

"Dorothy, have you ever heard this saying? When someone crosses a suspension bridge with trepidation, their heartbeat quickens involuntarily. If by chance another person appears at that moment, the one crossing the bridge might mistake this rapid heartbeat as fondness for the other person," Li Yan interrupted.

Dorothy tilted her head, "That’s an interesting perspective." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Putting down her coffee cup, she said, "But you didn’t speak like that when facing Jane."

"That was a fairytale, a play," Li Yan cut a piece of steak, then looked up, "All for show."

Dorothy was silent, quietly chewing the dessert on the table, watching Li Yan with an unfriendly gaze for a long while before finally saying, "Jane told me to throw my cup in your face, and I’m serious."

"If you’re going to throw it, please give me a heads-up. I’ll bring my face closer to avoid getting it on my clothes," he responded.

"Screw you," Dorothy retorted.

Dorothy rolled her eyes at Li Yan and reached for her coffee to compose herself, only to realize both the cup and the pot were empty.

The waiter approached at just the right moment, "Miss Dorothy?"

"Ah, thank you," Dorothy smiled.

"Please bring a bottle of wine," Li Yan interjected.

The waiter nodded and walked away, returning shortly with a chilled bottle of red wine and a fresh pot of coffee.

Dorothy collected her thoughts before asking again, "Li, did you like, my play?"

Li Yan shook his head insensitively.

"What kind of story would you like to see? Tell me. Maybe I can satisfy your request before I take a long holiday for myself, as a way to repay you."

Dorothy deliberately used her cup to shield her face, scrutinizing Li Yan with just her eyes.

"Let me think."

Li Yan pondered deliberately for a while, and then said, "I’d like to see a story about a Chinese man struggling alone in a foreign land, surrounded by petty and incompetent people who intentionally make things difficult for him. Yet, the Chinese man overcomes each obstacle with his wisdom and talent. Eventually, this Chinese man encounters a wealthy heiress, a lonely socialite, a beautiful actress—women who fall hopelessly in love with him, even willing to share this outstanding man with each other. This harmonious family has five children..."

Dorothy, so annoyed she could barely hold her knife and fork steady, suppressed her anger and gritted her teeth at Li Yan, "Li, you are an incorrigible shameless bastard."

"Hmm, I’ll change it."

Li Yan uncorked a bottle of wine, "Still, a Chinese person who works hard in a foreign land, earnestly makes a living, and dreams of being accepted by this city. But the harsh reality finally crushes him. In pain and anger, he transforms into a ruthless super-criminal, using the lessons he learned from this city to exact revenge on those arrogant Caucasians. He becomes an urban legend."

Dorothy rubbed her forehead in distress, "Li, I think you’re too sharp."

"I’m a very pragmatic person, Dorothy. Any play, even if only one audience member is willing to pay for it, it’s not a failure. I am that person willing to pay, and you’re the professional. You should know better than I do what I’m talking about, right?"

"Listen, Li, it’s not that I’m being contentious. What I’m trying to say is, if my theater relied on Chinese people to pay the bills, it wouldn’t happen, not even in a hundred years. The story you speak of, you need to write it yourselves, pay for it yourselves—that’s only fair."

Li Yan’s face beamed with a smile as he raised his wine bottle towards Dorothy, "You’re right."

Clang~

The sound of the wine bottle and coffee cup clinking together was unusually crisp.

Dorothy set down her cup and after pondering for a while, she asked, "Li, do the words of the audience in the theater make you angry?"

Li Yan shook his head.

"Not all of them, ah? Why?"

Dorothy asked in surprise. Li Yan’s words had just confirmed he did harbor some resentment towards this city.

"Because."

Li Yan said, halting as his eyelids suddenly lifted, his pupils gleaming with a fierce light.

Boom!

A blinding burst of flame erupted over the ground.

The table’s soups and sauces sloshed; Dorothy too was startled and looked down in alarm.

The flames rampantly spread through the narrow, haphazardly built slum-like dwellings. The places where the heavy carts thundered past were left in ruins.

That was Chinatown’s location.

Li Yan covered one ear, his expression changing dramatically. He suddenly stood up, his abrupt movement even causing the table and chairs to stir.

"I’m sorry, Dorothy, but I have some urgent matters to deal with and won’t be able to take you back. Don’t worry about me."

"But at least wait until the steamboat returns to the square..."

Before Dorothy could finish, she screamed in shock as Li Yan, right before her eyes, vaulted over the railing and took a vast leap from the eight-hundred-plus meter height!

The unsteady wine bottle wobbled back and forth until, amidst Dorothy’s screaming, it rolled off the tablecloth and shattered.