Chapter 9
Oliver, a native of Belfast. Like most orphans, he had only a first name and no surname. Like most residents, he had never left the place where he was born.
Not because it was his home—he was an orphan, and the idea of “home” was a distant, unattainable concept for him.
“Alright, maybe it is because of home. I have a sister… uh, not by blood. I picked her up from a trash bin. In fact, just a few days before I found her, I’d decided to try my luck out there in the wider world.”
This was Oliver’s response when questioned by Lu Li on the day they met.
Lu Li knew Oliver was pulling a sob story, trying to elicit sympathy to get hired. Oliver claimed he had just turned 20 and that his sister still had four years until adulthood.
This meant that Oliver had found her when he was only four.
A four-year-old planning to venture out into the world.
Lu Li didn’t expose Oliver’s harmless lie. He simply listened silently as Oliver recounted his background.
Regardless of whether Oliver had really wanted to leave Belfast to explore the outside world, he stayed. He took on the responsibilities of an older brother, caring for the sister he had found.