That brief interlude was soon behind them. Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei merged into the city in high spirits.

 Taking their kettles, backpacks, spare change and a city map with them, they entered the noisy city.

 The sunlight was blocked by enormous mansions. People there saw no sun rays in 2002. The US was completely dejected.

 New York was still a beautiful city though. There were trees everywhere as well as free public museums.

 They travelled from south to north by bus, getting a panoramic view of Manhattan. They saw the financial district, the New York stock exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank.

 In Chinatown, on the Lower East Side, they felt right at home.

 The New York University had no walls around its campus. A visitor might think that those were just a few ordinary buildings.

 Broadway was cl.u.s.tered by dozens of theatres. Looking ahead, they saw luxurious Chelsea and the solemn Supreme Judicial Court of New York.

 The Upper East Side was inhabited by rich people of the last generation, and it was one of the most luxurious areas of the city.

 In an effort to avoid the repression of old-fas.h.i.+oned people, young lawyers and doctors had found their own paradise. After crossing a bridge, they got away from noisy Manhattan and reached their quiet harbor.

 Long Island, which was slightly remote, had naturally been their first choice for a home.

 The air there was misty, and the sky was blue. The housing prices were completely ridiculous though.

 Leisure time flew by fast. Before Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei could visit every free museum in the city, all schools had opened.

 The first beam of sunlight fell on the Upper West Side. Columbia University was far from the city center. A towering lion sculpture was the symbol of the university. It was bathing in the suns.h.i.+ne like a king bathing in holy light. It looked solemn and respectful.

 The Roman-style Butler Library was located on the central square of the university, welcoming the bustling students.

 Senior students were already familiar with the university. It was the freshmen who attracted more attention.

 There were college societies at all the entrances of the main buildings.

 Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei looked curiously at the unfamiliar campus, attracting the volunteers in charge of guiding freshmen.

 John was an enthusiastic young man. He was a typical Was.h.i.+ngton guy with a pair of deep, charming blue eyes.

 He was also an influential basketball player, so he was very popular in college. Wearing his green volunteer uniform, he saw Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei. They seem like Asian students. I have no Asian supporters in my campaign.

 He ran over to them happily and greeted them, "Freshmen, right?"

 "Yes. She is in the Department of Civil Engineering and I am in the Department of Finance."

 "Oh, different departments. The general introduction is still the same though. I’ll take you to register first and then I’ll show you around the campus."

 Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei exchanged a glance. This sure is the top university in the US. His taste in clothes might be mediocre, but he looks nice.

 "Ladies first. We’ll head to her department. As for you, don’t worry. The two of us are in the same department."

 Media Studies, Law, Finance and Civil Engineering were the top four departments of Columbia University. Among all universities and colleges, they were the fiercest compet.i.tion. The acceptance rate there was only 8%.

 John was surprised to find out that the two freshmen were both enrolled at top departments. He was more serious with them now.

 During their conversation, he discovered that they were Chinese students, which made him even more serious.

 There would be about 7,000 foreign students at the university that year, which was two sevenths of all the freshmen.

 China was spreading to the whole world and the number of Chinese students was increasing at Columbia University. That year, the rate was about 30%.

 This meant that there would be one Chinese student in every 24 freshmen. That was a large number. If John could make a good impression on his fellow Chinese students, he could gain an overwhelming advantage in the upcoming election.

 John was even more enthusiastic with them now. After helping them with their registration, he showed them around the campus. All facilities at Columbia University were perfect.

 Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei felt a familiar vibe coming off the warm-hearted boy.

 There were differences between oriental and Western culture, but people remained the same. John was like Ye Dong in several aspects.

 He was much more liberal and easy-going than Ye though. He really loved politics, while Ye had just liked power.

 He could become a good friend in time. Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei exchanged a glance with each other and got immersed in the bright atmosphere of the campus.

 The whole university was like a sea of singing and dancing students.