How It All Goes Down
99 Conduit Road — Hong Kong
- Astrid and Charlie arrive in Hong Kong. Charlie's childhood maid is excited to see Astrid and Charlie insists on secrecy.
- They talk about his change in art tastes (thanks to Astrid) and how much he enjoys his life in the Mid-Levels of Hong Kong.
- He leaves Astrid to sleep in his bedroom, though she struggles to fall asleep thinking about the boy who opened her to a whole new world (no, not Aladdin).
- Flashback to Paris, 1995:
- Charlie is excited to introduce Astrid to the posh world he had grown up in. They are 18, in love, and "she would be his forever" (3.9.25).
- While he runs for camera batteries, Charlie sends Astrid into a boutique. She wanders the store, asks how much to have a dress fit for her, and the woman assumes Astrid can't afford it.
- She leaves, bumping into Charlie on the way out, telling him the lady doesn't want to sell her anything.
- Indignant (as any 18-year-old with money would be), Charlie tells her she needs to stand up for herself, and walks back into the store.
- A second store clerk has emerged and neither of them want to help the "scrawny teenager with a bad case of acne" (3.9.49).
- What does Charlie do?
- He calls his banker and tells them to call the boutique and let them know he can afford any and everything in the store.
- The phone rings, the clerk is berated by the designer himself who will be coming to oversee Astrid's fitting.
- Charlie insists Astrid buy 20 things to prove a point and get respect.
- Their time in Paris taught Astrid that "spending money the Charlie Wu way was […] better than sex" (3.9.60).