In this chapter, we are introduced to a number of characters, including a young girl named Rebekah, a young man named Clack, and a young woman named Shu-Tsing. The young girl, who is also named Shu, is the daughter of a wealthy family. She has been raised by her parents, who have run a fish-catching business for many years. She is very shy and does not speak much English, but she has a good sense of humor. Clack is very fond of her, and she tells him that he is the only person in the world who can catch a goldfish and scoop it up. Shu says that he will teach Clack how to scoop the fish, and they begin a conversation about fish scooping contests. Shu tells Clack that he should treat them all to dinner, and Clack says that Shu is the kind of person everyone loves. Shu then tells him about a girl who has passed out, and that she has been close to him for a while. He tells her that she is okay, and then he asks her if she is sure she has died. She says that she does not know, but that her heart and body are not going to last very long. She then asks him if he is sure he died, and he replies that he was already dead, though he is still alive