Everything was ready

I went over everything with the two of them, from the pros and cons of work visas versus student visas to my analysis of Singapore's company law.

"All we need now is a partner in Singapore, and we can get started!" I said excitedly. "Then we won't just stop worrying about money ourselves-we'll be able to help other people earn more too. Doesn't that sound great?"

"It sounds pretty good, but we don't know any Singaporeans, do we?" Du Le said thoughtfully, propping his chin on his hand.

"I do know a few Singaporeans, but none of them would make suitable partners." I pondered it too.

"Helping other people while helping ourselves really is a good idea." Li Xuan looked at me and asked, "What kind of partner are you looking for?"

"Hmm... I think the company should just be run by a few of us who share the same goals. Ideally, the Singapore-based director would only lend us their name and take a share of the profits, without getting involved in management."

"I have an older female cousin who has permanent residency. Her personality is a lot like mine, and she has her own job. If she'd only be a director in name, we could all meet up and talk it over," Li Xuan suggested.

That was a good idea. We were all Chinese, with similar ways of thinking, and there was a family connection too. We could feel more at ease working together, I reasoned.

As the saying went, heaven helped those who helped themselves. Didn't that mean everything was ready now?

"Um..." Du Le said hesitantly. "We've only been here a few days, and we're already starting a company. Can we really pull it off?"

"What makes you think we can't?" Li Xuan asked, tilting her head as she looked at him.

Li Xuan was grounded and practical, with ideas, drive, clear thinking, and sound logic.

The two of us looked at Du Le.

Du Le struggled for ages without coming up with a single concrete reason. It all boiled down to a lack of confidence. "Let's just find some part-time work and put in a few days. Starting a company is too scary."

"But working part-time is illegal. What if we get caught?" I asked him with a frown.

"Then we get sent home. I can't understand anything the teachers say anyway, so there's no way I'll graduate. As long as I earn back the money I got scammed out of and pay my mom back before I leave, that's enough." Du Le lowered his head and muttered.

Li Xuan and I exchanged a look, frustrated that he wouldn't even try, but we both tacitly chose to stay silent rather than persuade him.

Everyone had the right to choose for themselves. Some wanted to strive for more, while others wanted to coast. That was the way of yin and yang.

After a moment of silence, Du Le suddenly looked up and asked me, "Sanhe, do you remember that Lingyin Temple next to the place where we used to live?"

"Lingyin Temple?" I searched my memory.

People generally didn't live directly in front of or behind temples, but Singapore was a peculiar country. Land was worth its weight in gold, yet all kinds of faiths were respected, so many residential neighborhoods had temples and meditation halls.

On those few streets in Geylang alone, there were probably more than twenty places of worship in sight: Buddhist temples, meditation halls, Taoist temples, churches, Hindu temples, Malay temples, and more.

Faith was everywhere.

"There did seem to be some kind of mystical place next door," I recalled. "I didn't really pay attention to its name. Is that the place you mean?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Du Le nodded his big, chubby head. "I went there before, and it seemed pretty effective. You believe in this stuff too, so let's go get a reading together!"

I gave Li Xuan a questioning look.

"Sure, why not? I've never seen anything like that before. Shall we go check it out together?" Li Xuan tossed the questioning look back at me.

"All right, let's go see what it's like. Now?" I asked.

"Yes, yes!" Du Le said happily. "They happen to have something on today."

"They have something on today?" Li Xuan looked at Du Le, then at me.

I shook my head.

I'd never been there either, so I had no idea what to expect.

Now Du Le was in his element, speaking with easy confidence. "Lingyin Temple is open every day. Usually, people can go in and offer incense. You can pay respects to your ancestors in the back hall.

"There's only one day a week when you can seek guidance. Volunteers come in for that."