An hour later, in an exclusive café on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
"Sorry, traffic was a bit heavy," Li Wei said as he walked in and sat down across from Elizabeth. "What are you having?"
"I've already ordered," Elizabeth said, pushing an iPad toward Li Wei. "Their pour-over coffee is good."
"That's not really my thing," Li Wei said, making a small sound with his mouth. "I'll just have whatever you're having."
After placing his order, Li Wei set the iPad aside and looked directly at Elizabeth.
"So—"
"So—"
"You first—"
"You first—"
They looked at each other, and both broke into a small smile.
"Alright, I'll go first," Li Wei said after a pause. "Uh, about the Skull and Bones Society... don't take it too seriously. It's basically just a startup project for a bunch of college kids. The real power still belongs to the old geezers over forty."
Elizabeth gave Li Wei a wry smile.
"Don't forget you're a college student too," she said. "A freshman, at that."
