America 1982

The charity dinner hosted by the SSD Stanford University Chapter was held as scheduled at the Langham Garden Hotel in San Francisco.

Former Chief of Naval Operations Thomas Hayward did not expect that he would receive so much attention after his retirement and become the focus of the audience.

Almost everyone who attended the meeting wearing a suit would politely come over and chat with me for a few words, and then casually ask about the cooperation plans between the Guardian Foundation, the Veterans Association and SSD that I mentioned in my speech just now. , such as using technology to improve the living conditions of veterans.

Thomas swore to God that it was the Stanford branch of SSD that donated 100,000 yuan to his foundation, so he was willing to come to the charity dinner to help with the platform. Of course, the speech script was also provided by SSD. He just took a rough look at it, and there was nothing wrong with it, so he read it accordingly. That’s all.

As for how to use technology to improve the living conditions of veterans? How does he know? Maybe transform them all into mechanical skeletons and let those people return to the battlefield?

In the end, he could only ask these people to ask SSD as the organizer to learn more about the technical details of his speech.

When a group of business representatives from various companies in Silicon Valley asked Tommy Hawke, the head of the SSD organizer, Tommy Hawke stood sanctimoniously in front of these people and started talking about the opportunity of this cooperation and finally talked about technology. The details of the order are that they learned that many World War II veterans are old and even suffering from Alzheimer's disease, so the Veterans Association, Guardian Foundation and SSD are looking for technology companies to cooperate to develop a portable electronic product. It's like an electronic bracelet or necklace to prevent those poor veterans from getting lost...

Tommy Hawke spoke out his needs without blinking an eye, and his serious expression made everyone present never think that this portable anti-lost product was purely made up by him to trick them into buying tickets.

There are even several business representatives from Silicon Valley hardware companies who are seriously thinking about whether this kind of hardware product can be realized.

That night, these nerds who were eager to get orders showed up and raised a total of 310,000 US dollars for the Veterans Association. Although they did not become the champion of the SSD charity dinner charity list over the years, they still managed to break into the top ten, ranking in the top 10. Ranked eighth on the all-time fundraising list.

This caused former Chairman Charles, who was the first to learn the news, to call from Yale University and scold Tommy Hawke for not respecting brotherhood and running to help the Actor. However, it was only after he left office that he came up with the idea to help. The SSD Stanford Chapter pulled this stunt so that he could not enjoy the honor as chairman.

For this charity dinner, SSD, in addition to headquarters officials, also had representatives from 17 university chapters present. However, except for several major military academies, other chapters in California came to help support.

After the charity dinner, the presidents of these chapters changed to a relatively private private hall with Ian, Ted, Donald Rumsfeld, Thomas Hayward, Pete Wilson, Dick Cheney and others. During the meal, the main topic was around prescription drug discount programs between pharmaceutical companies and military personnel, which were topics that Tommy didn't care about anyway.

It is of course the privilege of the SSD branch presidents to have dinner with these big guys. Those rookies who are invited to learn more about SSD naturally do not have this opportunity. However, they do not gain anything. Tommy took Jason, Tony and Dennis to A dozen rookies from several military academies took him to another nightclub to drink.

The rookies in these military academies are no strangers to Tommy and Jason. After all, these two guys appeared on the cover of the fraternity's internal magazine and achieved financial freedom at a young age. Many SSD brothers regard these two as A new generation of business icon for SSD.

And Tommy also showed all the virtues that a qualified SSD brother should possess. He was bold, generous, and talkative. After a few glasses of wine, he became friends with these dozen trainee officers who talked about everything.

When Tommy stood up again and raised his glass, everyone looked at him. Tommy pointed at Tony and Dennis, who were obviously alienated because they were not members of SSD, and said to the dozen or so people in front of him: "You know why they showed up?" Here? Who's from West Point, stand up, stand up!"

The four West Point SSD members stood up and looked at Tommy with some confusion. Tommy pointed at Dennis: "That guy's name is Dennis. The first thing you do when you turn from a rookie to a veteran is to deal with him severely. Because at that time he will go to West Point as a freshman to report, you know what I mean? He will bring my SSD internal recommendation letter to report, so you guys need to figure it out for me now, how to get this guy to the freshman assessment period He was incontinent."

"Really?" The four pastry rookies shook hands with Dennis, and the leader smiled: "Hello, Dennis, we will follow Tommy's instructions and take good care of you."

After Dennis shook hands with the four people, he scratched himself with that hand: "Wow, I can already feel your enthusiasm."

The SSD members from other schools burst into laughter. The four people from West Point Military Academy stared at Dennis and raised their middle fingers: "I remember you, Dennis. You will definitely appear in SSD, and I guarantee that not only will you be allowed to You can feel our passion.”

"Do you want to drink a few drinks?" Dennis picked up a bottle of whiskey and said to the four of them: "Maybe I can let you see my drinking capacity here before I go to report. It is not easy to make me incontinent, but I promise, if you get drunk before me, my bird will help you have smoother bowel movements in the future."

"Brothers from the Naval Academy, where are they?" Tommy ignored the drinking competition between Dennis and the four pastry rookies, and continued to look at the crowd and asked.

Three Naval Academy SSD members stood up: "We can also help you, Tommy, so you need our help to teach another idiot a lesson?"

"No!" Tommy smiled and put his arm around Tony's shoulders, and introduced to the three of them: "Tony, my half-brother, due to family reasons, will delay his studies for a year, so he will go to the Naval Academy next year. Although he is a rookie, he is my brother. You can trust him. Leave any trouble to him to help you solve it. He is an omnipotent God. Believe me, after all, I have known him long enough. Every time he does not it disappointed me."

"Nice to meet you all." Tony said with a smile after shaking hands with the three of them.

"Can you solve any problem? Tony? Tommy is a legend of our SSD. I am very curious to make him praise you. How powerful are you? You are welcome to enroll next year. We will hold a small meeting for you. Welcome ceremony." The leader, the rookie, had a drink with Tony and asked with a smile.

Tony nodded: "I hope it's not an incontinent welcome ceremony."

"Of course not. The Naval Academy prefers to strip the rookies naked and tie them to the mast of the training ship." The other party said with a smile.

"I'm sorry that I can't enroll in the military academy due to physical reasons. I love this country and I'm willing to dedicate everything to this country, but it's not that bad. At least now I still have you, you SSD bastard brothers, to protect me. In this country, when I see you, I feel that I am with you. If I can't stand on the battlefield, then let me stand behind you and do what I can. If I encounter any trouble in school or in the army, I can do it. Call me and talk." Tommy held the wine glass and said to everyone:

"Maybe I can't go to the battlefield with you, but I may be able to prepare a small gift for your parents on Mother's Day and Father's Day for those of you who are busy protecting the United States, or when they are not feeling well, I can also Accompany them to the hospital. In short, leave it to me what you can't do by yourself, and I will help you complete it. We are brothers and help each other. This is the meaning of SSD's existence."

"Here's to SSD!" a fraternity member shouted, raising his glass.

The others also raised their glasses and echoed: "Here's to SSD!"

Yes, this is the purpose of SSD.

"I wish you all the best in the army, cheers, sirs!" Tommy Hawke raised his glass and wished these young faces with a bright smile.

…

After the charity dinner, Tommy Hawke took off his suit, changed into jeans and a T-shirt, and returned to Stanford University to start his studies.

Most of the time, if a friend wants to find him, he only needs to go to three places, the classroom, the library and his residence.

A year later, Sophia completed all the graduate courses at Stanford Law School. After saying goodbye to her classmates reluctantly, she saw Mr. Page opening the rear door of the blue Cadillac owned by her:

"Miss O'Connor, I've come to pick you up."

"Thank you Peppa Pig, but where to go?" Sophia looked at the old man who was expressionless most of the time curiously and asked in confusion.

Page said expressionlessly: "Go where Mr. Hawke wants you to go, he has arranged a job for you."

"He didn't even ask me if I wanted to continue working for him after graduation." Sophia sighed, looked at Page and smiled bitterly.

Page asked calmly: "So, do you need me to call him and ask him to ask you this question?"

"No, of course he doesn't need to ask me." Sophia turned her head and took one last look at the campus before turning around and getting in the car.

The car started and took Sophia away from the Stanford University campus. Her campus life was over.

…

"Good Girl, I knew you could do it." Tommy took out two cans of Coke from the refrigerator, opened one for Susan with his own hands, and handed it to the other person with a smile.

The Susan in front of me recently completed her credits at Davenport Community College and received a transcription notice from Stanford University, which meant that she would become a member of the freshman class at Stanford.

"What major are you going to major in?" Tommy sat opposite Susan and asked with warm eyes.

The Tommy in front of her looked more mature, but Susan felt that the biggest change in Tommy was his temperament, which was a change that could not be explained clearly.

"Any suggestions?" Sophie asked with a smile as she took a sip of Coke.

Tommy shook his head: "No, you have to choose the major you want to study. No one else can help you."

"Political science, I want to study political science. I have read many books on related majors before." Sophie gave her own answer.

"Not a bad major." Tommy nodded slightly when he heard Sophie's answer, then thought for more than ten seconds before saying slowly:

"This major is a trick for women. I like to do tricks and make people take shortcuts in life. It's normal for you to choose this way. You are deeply influenced by me, but the success of trickery requires an important prerequisite..."

"An ability that matches it." Susan took the initiative to speak before Tommy finished.

Tommy turned his attention to Susan Curtis in front of him. Two years of community college experience had washed away the dusty atmosphere on her body. Now she wore a red baseball jacket and a T-shirt with red piping on a white background. Wearing light blue printed jeans and a pair of white casual shoes on bare feet, he is no different from those college students. Sitting here, he looks like a California summer, giving him a free-spirited and energetic sense of fashion.

Tommy was not unhappy when the other party rushed to answer. He just smiled and asked: "Last time I saw you, you still had the gorgeous and fashionable temperament of a student in the Upper East Side of New York."

"Last time, I was helping Mark go to New York to meet someone, so you said that dress is another face of a person." Susan lowered her head and looked at her dress: "Now I have to be a freshman, so naturally let me I look younger and more energetic.”

Tommy slowly lit a cigarette, looked into the distance and softly gave his advice: "I think you should start an internship in political science while studying at Stanford University, for example, set up a fraternity organization for both men and women. There is only one rigid criterion for joining this fraternity. The other party must be... the first-generation Stanford student in your family. If you can play with these first-generation students and make them recognize you, I want to wait for you to graduate. , there are many high-paying political science-related jobs available.”

"Brotherhood?" Susan was stunned for a moment: "It's a bit beyond my expectation."

Tommy looked at Susan: "I will provide you with the expenses for the first year, but starting from the second year, you and your organization will have to support yourself. If you want to get my donation, you have to give me something that attracts me." Things, this is the first lesson of political science, resource replacement."

"I guess you helped me think of its name?" Susan shrugged, smiling and looking at this guy who was obviously younger than her, but always made her habitually rely on him when talking.

Tommy said: "O-N-E in the Greek letters, together they happen to be the English word ONE. This is its name, and it is also the name of all members of this fraternity, the first generation. What do you think of this name?"

"As long as you like it, the name doesn't matter, I'll try to set it up." Susan said to Tommy, "If you want me to do that."

"What reward do you want? I mean you got the transcription notice, that deserves an extra reward." Tommy laughed and asked Susan.

Susan exhaled, thought seriously for a long time, and then said to Tommy: "Give me a hug, Tommy, a hug."

…

Warwick, Rhode Island.

Colin Hawke opened these envelopes with the Stanford logo printed on them and read the contents:

"Tommy Hawke, it has been confirmed that your total GPA is above 3.5. We are honored to award you the Stanford Academic Achievement Rope of Honor."

"Tommy Hawke, after confirmation, thank you for your breakthrough performance on behalf of the Stanford University table tennis team, which won third place in the California League. We are honored to award you the Stanford Outstanding Achievement Cord."

"Tommy Hawke, after confirmation, thank you for your participation in the formulation of software engineering standards and research on information technology standardization in the Department of Computer Science at Stanford University during your time at school. We are honored to award you an honorary cord to commemorate your participation in important Stanford projects."

"Tommy Hawke, the former president of SSD, I am honored to present you with the SSD Graduation Commemorative Honor Rope on behalf of all the SSD brothers before your graduation ceremony."

Tommy looked at his father from the side: "These honors give me the courage to invite you to my graduation ceremony, dad. These are enough to prove that I have not wasted my time."

"Of course you have not wasted your time, but these are not important enough. In my opinion, what you deserve the most praise for is..." Colin Hawke carefully put away these letters and said to Tommy:

"The most praiseworthy thing for you is that you found a girlfriend when you were in college. Otilia is a good girl. During the years when you were in college, every time she came back for vacation, she would come to greet me and Bethea. I need Let me tell you one thing solemnly, the Hawke family has rules about breakups. If Otilia finds a better man and breaks up with you, I will comfort you, son, and encourage you to pursue her back. , but if you are ready to let her down because you can't control yourself, or you meet another woman, I don't know what will happen to her father, Mr. Farrell, but the advice I give you is the same as I gave your brother Tony. , that is the man of the Hawke family. If he dares to live up to the woman who has devoted so much to him, I will castrate him with my own hands, and then send that thing of yours to your girlfriend as a souvenir."

"Remember what I said, I prepared a gift for you? It took a long time to prepare, but it was finally ready before I graduated. At this time, it is waiting for you in California." Tommy looked at his father, like I remembered another thing.

Colin stared into Tommy's eyes: "If it's a gift like California Girl, I guess your mother won't like this gift in heaven. Let me say it again, you can't let down the people who treat you well. Otilia is When I rushed back from abroad, I even called me specifically to ask a tailor to come to my door and help me tailor my clothes for your graduation ceremony. You can’t let down this kind of woman."

"What are you thinking, dad? A son pimping his father? Am I so unworthy in your mind?" Tommy said dissatisfiedly after hearing his father's words.

"When Tony called, he mentioned that you taught him how to take his college friends to nightclubs to flirt with dancers, and so on. Thanks to you, Ashley, who moved to Maryland to rent a house to study with him, now beats him three times a week." Colin shouted. Take a sip of beer:

"His description of you made me think that you were studying how to pimp at Stanford University in California. Of course, it doesn't matter what you study. What matters is that you have a four-year college life that you think is happy."

Tommy looked at his father speechlessly: "Tony told you that I majored in pimping at Stanford?"

Colin burped: "No, he said it more directly. He said that you are the madam, and he is the cowherd who dresses up and attracts customers for you."

…

In the summer of 1987, the 96th commencement ceremony of Stanford University was held at the Stanford University Open-air Stadium.

For graduates, this is the last and most important highlight moment of their college career. Of course, the highlight moment also belongs to the parents of graduates. Even the slovenly Colin Hawke wore a carefully customized suit and a beard. Neatly trimmed and hair carefully combed.

Like other parents of graduates, he walked along the red-carpeted aisle to the stadium with a bouquet of flowers on his chest.

Behind Colin, Otilia flew back from Europe. Even among so many parents, she was still dazzling, causing many men to fix their eyes on her. She held Bethea's hand, Bethea is introducing what will happen at the graduation ceremony.

Finally, there was Tony Leon, the vice president of the SSD branch of the U.S. Naval Academy, who was wearing the Naval Academy's summer white midshipman uniform and holding Ashley on his arm.

After all the parents attending the meeting took their seats, the graduates, wearing neat academic gowns and bachelor's caps, slowly walked into the venue under the leadership of their instructors to the rhythm of the Stanford march. At that moment, all the parents were so excited for these The children clapped their palms red with force.

After all the graduates were seated, the graduation ceremony officially began. First, all graduates sang the school song for the last time, and then President Donald Kennedy delivered his last school speech to the graduates.

Then the student representative spoke. Seeing that the speaker was not her brother, but a black girl, Bethea was very unhappy: "Tommy is terrible, he did not speak on behalf of the graduates! If I graduate, I must be a student To speak as a representative, you also have to dress up beautifully to attract everyone’s attention.”

Then, former U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher delivered a speech as a well-known Stanford University alumnus and special guest.

When all this is over, the principal reads out the names of each graduate one by one, invites them to the stage, presents the graduation certificate, helps the students to pluck their ears, and then the students can make a brief confession.

Tommy Hawke was actually the last one to take the stage. The principal handed him his diploma. After plucking the earrings, Tommy took the microphone and looked at the auditorium:

"Dad, I know you are here. Do you remember the gift I said I prepared for you? It is ready. On your last day at Stanford University, I hope Mr. President will help you open this gift."

"Mr. Colin Hawke, this is your gift, and it is also a gift from Stanford. In your name, classmate Tommy Hawke donated three million US dollars to Stanford University to build a library. He hopes that this building The library is named Colin and Alida Library. The names of you and your wife will be engraved on Stanford University forever. Every Stanford student will remember your efforts. Thank you for your support of Stanford University. At this moment, I Can you be invited to the stage and hand-deliver a certificate of honor to you on behalf of the school board?”

The volunteers at the scene immediately guided Colin Hawke to the rostrum. When Colin heard the news, he was already a little overwhelmed. With the reminders of Otilia, Tony, and Ashley, After following the volunteers onto the podium, he looked at his son next to him, then at all the people who gave him warm applause, and took the certificate of honor from the principal with a blank expression.

But when the principal asked him to give a speech, he looked at Tommy at a loss, and Tommy smiled encouragingly at him: "You can say anything, Dad, anything is allowed, even swear words."

"I don't just use foul language." Hearing his son's teasing, Colin relaxed and looked at everyone in the audience:

"If his mother were here, she would definitely be proud of him. Thank you Stanford...let more people in this world remember his mother's name. Thank you, son, you are our pride."

Colin Hawke took a deep breath for the last time, trying to calm himself down, looked at the principal, and said seriously in a pleading tone:

"Alida and Colin, I mean, can you put my wife's name before my name? This is my only request."

Before he could continue, all the parents couldn't help but exclaimed and gave Colin the warmest applause for his decision. Even Otilia and Ashley were shocked by Colin's words. His eyes were red and he covered his mouth.

This decision of his father was beyond Tommy's expectation. He looked at his father beside him: "I really hope my mother can sit in the audience and hear your touching words of love, dad."

"She can hear it." Colin hugged his son hard: "Thank you for the gift you gave us, thank you for remembering your mother, happy graduation, son."