The Titanic is about to arrive in New York, USA.

Acting Captain Bruce let out a long sigh of relief, this voyage was really thrilling.

The only problem is that the murderer who knocked Mr. Bruce unconscious was not found, fortunately, on the day of the accident, the old captain who had just stopped diarrhea was on duty on the Titanic, not himself. Even if Mr. Ismay wanted to be angry, he would not be implicated.

When the news of the cruise ship's imminent arrival at the port was notified by the crew, the guests of all three classes were boiling.

Maybe people are still interested in this sea trip a day or two before they go to sea, but this unchanged blue sea and blue sky will finally have enough to appreciate one day. After many days, the same turquoise blue water is no longer as mysterious and beautiful as it was at the beginning, but rather makes people feel anxious.

And now, they'll be able to leave the deck and have their feet on the real ground again.

One of the priests on board could not help but chant God's name and thank God for his safe passage to sea.

The Titanic roared a deafening whistle and sailed into the port of New York.

The port of New York has long been crowded with people, some have come to pick up people, some are purely to see the Titanic, and some newspaper reporters have set up their cameras in the port early.

There were quite a few passengers standing on deck waving to each other and waving their hats at the people in the harbor, even though they didn't know each other.

First class passengers are given priority disembarkation.

On this not-so-long, not-so-short sea journey, these gentlemen and ladies who lived in first class took the opportunity to expand their networks. In the short time before disembarking, they were busy saying goodbye to their newfound friends and trying to invite them to their home.

Qiao Heng stood on the deck, he was wearing a wide-brimmed gentleman's hat that was most popular at this time, and a black cane in his hand, the most neat but common dress.

In front of him stood a tall, middle-aged man with gray temples, and he pointed to a group of young people not far away and said to Qiao Heng, "Young people should dress up like them." ”

"Like a peacock. ”

Hearing this evaluation, the middle-aged man couldn't help but laugh.

The middle-aged man took out his pocket watch and glanced at the time, and he said, "I'm going to find Tina, goodbye." ”

Qiao Heng gently raised his top hat, "Goodbye." ”

The man he had just spoken to was Benjamin Guggenheim, a discredited gentleman with a temperamental temperament and a poor investment vision, whose father's legacy had been ruined by his investment mistakes.

But he has a bright enough surname: the Guggenheim.

The Guggenheim family is a well-known family in the United States, with a world-famous mining and smelting industry. It's hard for any steel tycoon not to keep an eye on the family.

However, even if the surname is abandoned, he is still a friend worth making.

Another real history, when the cruise ship was about to sink, he once said-

"There won't be a single woman on the boat left on deck because I took the place of the lifeboat. I'm not going to die like an animal/life, I'm going to be like a real man. ”

Friends with a man who can leave such a last word at a critical moment in his life and let his actions strictly follow through to these two sentences, at least you don't have to worry about being stabbed in the back by him one day in the future.

It would be too sad for a person to not even have a friend who would not turn back in times of crisis. And if you have such a friend, it is undoubtedly a treasure worth cherishing in life.

The red-carpeted staircase stretched out towards the shore, and the first-class passengers were already the first to disembark.

Mrs. Bookett hurried to Qiao Heng's side, and she asked, "Carl, Rose is gone again, where did she go, why didn't she follow you?"

She remembered that Carl had told her that he had sent bodyguards to follow Rose, so she didn't bother to look for her when Rose didn't know where to run, but went directly to Carl and asked him about Rose's whereabouts.

She never thought that this time, this young man, who had always been polite, did not answer her question directly, but said, "This is for your daughter." ”

Mrs. Bookett was stunned for a moment, and she looked behind Karl, where several of the bodyguards and assistants who had boarded the cruise ship with him were all staying, and none of them were vacant.

"Madam, borrow light, I'm going to disembark. ”

Mrs. Bookett was so annoyed that she was about to say something when one of the bodyguard's arms stopped in front of her. Qiao Heng stepped on the ladder and walked down the Titanic.

Third-class passengers disembark last.

Jack was holding a girl's hand, the skin of which was so delicate that he didn't dare to exert himself for fear of hurting the owner of the hand.

The girl had big/wavy reddish-brown curls and beautiful lake-green eyes, and she wore a crudely made straw hat and a dress that Jack had borrowed from a woman in the third class.

They cautiously avoided everyone, got off the Titanic, and then ran wildly.

Rose felt that her whole heart was about to fly, she was not running away from the Titanic, but running towards a brighter and freer future.

She's finally out of that birdcage!

She's finally free!

After leaving the port, Rose patted her chest and panted, "We...... No one ...... Discover, right?"

Jack glanced around, "Don't worry, no one will find you." ”

He looked at Rose obsessively, then turned his head to look at the trees beside him, and asked sneeringly, "Are you......?" I really don't regret it? I can't give you too much, and I can't maintain the life you used to have. ”

Rose interrupted him, "You've told me this before, there's no way I'm going back, I can't stand that marionette anymore." ”

She held Jack's face in both hands so that he could look directly at her, and she said softly, "I love you, Jack." ”

......

Three years.

What can happen in three years?

During these three years, Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated, the guns of the First World War had been fired, and the smoke of war gradually spread to the rest of the world. The German army approached Paris, East Prussia was attacked by the Russian army, the Anglo-French alliance created the miracle of the Marne, and the German army's "quick victory" policy went bankrupt.

The same three years is enough time for a prodigal/prodigal son who once squandered his father's inheritance to regain his father's glory.

The Guggenheims wanted to sell off all of their mining business after the war ended. Under Benjamin Guggenheim's matchmaking, Qiao Heng booked several mines from the Guggenheim family in advance.

He then founded a venture capital firm, which is still the first venture capital firm in the world, and he accidentally snatched the title of "father of venture capital" that would belong to Lawrence Rockefeller in the future.

once said to Qiao Heng that when people mention your family and your surname outside, the first thing that comes to mind is no longer your father, but yourself, and you can afford to be truly famous. If it is described according to this standard, Qiao Heng is naturally outstanding.

Three years is also enough for a couple who were once in love to face each other, and the brain no longer gives instructions to secrete love hormones.

When Rose and Jack left port, they chose to live in a small town near New York.

She didn't dare to tell anyone about the surname she had inherited from her father, she was afraid of being found by her mother or Hawkley, and she didn't want her and Jack's peaceful life to be broken by the creditors left behind by her father.

At that time, I was in a hurry, and I could even piggyback on some jewelry.

After settling down, the two first had to find a way to earn living expenses.

Jack said, "I still have a little money here, enough for this month's rent." I'm going to paint for someone else, so at least I don't have to worry about my living expenses for this month. ”

Rose imprinted a kiss on his forehead.

After Jack leaves the house, Rose begins to think about what she can do.

She decided to be a tutor.

But when she went to the neighborhood to apply for a tutor, she found that people in this town send their children to a unified school to study, and these people who are struggling to make ends meet are already great enough to send their children to school, where is the money to hire a separate tutor?

If it's in New York City, there must be quite a few people who are willing to hire a tutor.

But she really didn't dare to go to the homes of wealthy people in the big city like this, and once someone recognized her, her father's former "relatives and friends" would definitely find her.

And, on top of that, she couldn't afford the expensive rent and living expenses in New York.

Of course, this is what Jack analyzes for Rose.

Rose couldn't put down her body to work as a female worker in a textile factory, and when her father was still alive, she visited the textile factory, and she described to Jack what she saw in the textile factory: "They are so pathetic, they are exploiting, they are oppressing! This is immorality! The women workers in London have organized a parade for this, but in the end it has failed." ”

Jack also felt pitiful when he heard this, "You don't need to work in the textile factory, don't worry, I will support you." ”

Rose was so embarrassed that she quickly explained, "I didn't mean that, I didn't excuse myself for not going to work in the textile factory. ”

Jack stroked her hair, "I know. ”

Rose was embarrassed.

One day, when Rose came home from buying bread from the store, she saw a voluptuous woman lying naked on her and Jack's bed, while Jack was concentrating on painting for her.

She moved her lips, "Jack." ”

Jack looked back at her, apparently he hadn't expected her to come home so soon.

A fire suddenly burned in Rose's heart, and there was something sour in her eyes. She convinced herself that since ancient times, so many painters have painted the body, and in the eyes of the artist, the body is equivalent to art, and there is no erotic/erotic atmosphere.

But no matter how much she tried to convince herself, she could not convince herself when she saw the defiant look in the woman's eyes looking at her.

Rose proudly looked up, pointed at the woman, and said, "This is my home, get out!"

Jack glanced at Rose guiltily, the woman asked him to paint for her, he asked her where she painted, the woman said it would be fine just at your house, he didn't think much about it at the time, after all, he had done a lot of this thing when he was in London, so he habitually agreed.

Moreover, he must do his best to take a few portraits, otherwise he will not be able to pay the rent for the next month.

The bewitching woman slowly got dressed, and glanced at Rose with disdain, "I really think I'm a character, what kind of shelf." ”

Rose's face turned pale.

Jack said displeasedly: "I won't draw anymore, you can go." ”

Hearing him say this, the woman slowly left.

At night, Jack tosses and turns, worrying about next month's rent. If it's just him, it's a big deal to go to the casino for a night, and it doesn't matter if there is a house to live in. But with Rose here, how can this work?

Wait, casinos......

Jack went to the casino the next day with what little money he had left, and he was probably lucky enough to win him back a little money, at least for the next month's rent.

After learning that he was going to the casino, Rose was very worried and advised him that it would be better to be less involved in such things as gambling.

Jack smiled: "It's okay, I know the measure, don't forget that I won the ticket to the Titanic back in the first place." ”

Relying on painting for people to make money is really unstable, to put it mildly, painters basically became famous after they died. When he and Rose ran out of living expenses again, he had to gamble with someone again.

This time he lost.

When Rose learned about this, she said angrily, "Didn't I tell you to stop gambling!" and she complained to Jack in her heart.

Jack was embarrassed.

Rose had no choice but to take on a lot of laundry work, otherwise she and Jack would be kicked out of the house next month.

In her spare time, she looked at her hands, and a layer of calluses had been worn out on her fingers, which were no longer as delicate as they once were.

She had never done these chores before, and the maid did all these things, but now, she had begun to do the things that only the maids in her house had done before.

She gritted her teeth.

The artillery fire of the First World War allowed the United States to get a large number of orders from Europe. Various garment yards and leather yards have received a large number of orders, and there is an urgent shortage of workers.

Jack was successful in his job as a worker in a tannery.

The workload of the tannery was very heavy, and the working environment was extremely poor, and every time he came home from work, he almost fell asleep. Rose sometimes wants to talk to Jack and talk about the two of them who love the very arts, just like they did on the Titanic to talk about their common dreams, but they always don't have the opportunity.

Rose couldn't help but feel sad in her heart, did he not love himself anymore, otherwise how could he be so impatient to deal with himself.

When Rose celebrates her birthday, she says, "Jack, can you give me a picture as a gift?"

Jack knew he couldn't afford expensive gifts, and he was secretly relieved to hear Rose say that. He took out his paintbrush to paint for her, but because he hadn't practiced for a long time, and because he had done too much heavy work in the tannery, his fingers were covered with thick calluses, and he couldn't find the right feeling when he picked up the paintbrush.

He frustrated himself and tossed his brush aside.

Rose was taken aback and didn't dare to mention painting again.

Day after day, her life cycles in the rhythm of washing clothes for others during the day, waiting for Jack to come back at night, and falling asleep without saying a few words.

Sometimes, she would lose her temper a little bit. Normally, Jack would back down first, but this time, Jack couldn't help but argue with her.

"Jack, you've changed. ”

"That's enough, don't send your eldest lady's temper anymore!Let's be realistic, I really don't have time to talk to you about poetry and songs now!" After getting angry, Jack regretted it again, wanted to apologize to her, but didn't know what to say.

Rose looked at Jack in a daze, feeling that the love in her heart had collapsed.

She didn't understand why she couldn't escape this cookie-cutter life wherever she went, how could she be better off now that she was tired of the old-fashioned high society? But what could she do?

......

Qiao Heng tore a letter he had just read into strips, and then threw it into the paper basket.

So, in the end, the facts proved him right.