Chapter 84: Walter White
"Oh, right! You mentioned Joseph, and I completely forgot!" Kevin exclaimed, suddenly remembering as they talked about his beloved foster daughter, Ethel.
"I forgot to tell you, Frank. Do you remember Joseph? The guy who used to gamble and drink with you, who ended up in the hospital after losing $50 to you," Kevin reminded him.
"Now that you mention it, I do remember. The guy with the big beard," Frank recalled.
Joseph was a local from the Southside, a greasy middle-aged man in his forties or fifties without a steady job. His wife had left him, taking their child, and he lived alone, frequenting the local bar.
In today's terms, Joseph was one of many "losers," a failure in life, and a former drinking buddy of the old "Frank."
Interestingly, the old "Frank" had once been caught having an affair with Joseph's wife, narrowly escaping by jumping out of a window.
Somehow, after Frank treated Joseph to drinks, they managed to bury the hatchet—at least, that's what "Frank" believed.
"What happened to him? I haven't seen him in ages," Frank inquired.
"Joseph is doing great now; he's in New York," said chubby Tommy.
"New York?" Frank was surprised.
Ignoring the long distance between Chicago and New York, how could a Southside local like Joseph thrive in an unfamiliar place like New York?
"Yes, Joseph is now a wealthy man, a big-shot businessman," Tommy continued.
"Really? How is that possible?" Frank asked, incredulous.
"It's true. Look at this newspaper article. It talks about his company," said the gloomy Mikey, handing Frank a newspaper.
The article described a contract between two multi-million-dollar companies, one of which was the Joseph Group.
"This Joseph Group is his company?!" Frank exclaimed in disbelief.
In the East, names are often chosen with deep meaning, drawing from classical texts like the I Ching or Shijing, to convey significant cultural connotations.
For example, the name "Mok Man Wai" (莫文蔚) is inspired by a line from the I Ching, describing a leopard cub's transformation.
In contrast, Western names are often less creative.
Many people name their children after grandparents or parents, claiming it's for remembrance or tradition, even if the elder is still alive.
It's like naming your son after your grandfather, Wang Jianguo, leading to confusion when both respond to the same call.
Western companies often follow suit, using the founder's name, like Estée Lauder, Ferrari, Chanel, and Dior.
Joseph did the same, naming his company after himself.
However, in Frank's memories, just a few years ago, Joseph was drinking with him at the bar.
In such a short time, Joseph had built a multi-million-dollar company? It sounded like fiction.
"Unbelievable, right? We were all shocked," Kevin said.
"Joseph came back recently, and that's when everyone found out. Nobody expected him to make such a name for himself," Tommy added.
"I heard he rented out a place for drinks and took some old pals to New York, but I missed it," Mikey lamented, sounding like he missed a million-dollar opportunity.
"What does he do now? How did he make so much money?" Frank asked.
"Not really sure. Something to do with stocks and investments. Anyway, he's the pride of our Southside now," Tommy said, taking a sip of his drink.
As the three chatted about the now-famous Joseph, Frank contemplated reaching out. With Joseph's wealth, perhaps a little help would cover the kids' tuition.
After all, "Frank" and Joseph had shared connections, even a woman, making them almost like family.
But Frank quickly dismissed the idea, suppressing the old "Frank's" opportunistic tendencies.
"Hey, Frank, a couple of people were looking for you and left this number," another bartender, Kate, handed Frank a note.
"Someone's looking for me?" Frank asked, puzzled.
The old "Frank" didn't have a cellphone, so any messages for him were left at the Alibi bar, where he spent most of his time.
Frank looked at the number and dialed the first one.
"Hello, who is this?" A man's unfamiliar voice answered.
"This is Frank, Frank Gallagher. You called me," Frank said.
"Frank!" The voice on the other end sounded excited.
"Who are you?" Frank asked.
"I'm Walter. Do you remember me?" the voice replied.
"Walter?" Frank repeated, feeling a vague familiarity with the name, though not as strong as with Joseph.
"Walter White. A few years ago, you borrowed money from me," Walter added, trying to jog Frank's memory with details.