Not before washing up and 'borrowing' better clothes from a kind stranger, that was sleeping, of course.
He even found a blade in the neighbour's tent. Probably belonging to the former resident. But he didn't dare use it to cut his hair. Who knows how many diseases he could get from this blade...
But after cleaning and washing his hair, he looked decent enough.
He even found new shoes. He 'borrowed' them from another one of the kind strangers napping in a nearby alley.
The stranger must have passed out drunk. If he was a homeless gentleman, he would probably have clutched the boots tightly to his chest before sleeping.
His previous clothes and shoes were torn and smelled of garbage. And no one wants to interact with a guy that has such appearance.
He didn't receive any memories from his previous owner and looking at his previous clothes he probably wasn't very wealthy or had good connections.
So, he didn't bother finding out his previous identity for now.
------
Walking through the streets of New York, he finally found a place he could earn money quickly.
His target was a park. In particular, his focus was on the dozens of chess benches in particular.
Silas had learned how to play chess early in his life since it was a very popular game in his school and with his intelligence and eidetic memory, he was quite good.
Frankly, it was one of the only sports he was good at. But that couldn't be helped. No one is perfect.
Silas had come to a simple, brutal understanding of people: every last one of them is a startling mix of genius and certified dumb$ss.
Almost everyone has a specific knack, some area where things just click for them without trying too hard.
One may find a fellow human with a memory like a steel trap who can't string together an original thought to save his life.
Or maybe you'll find one sharp as a tack, filled with creativity and genius, but one who can't even navigate a simple conversation without tripping over his own feet.
Theoretically, someone can hit the jackpot with talent across the board, but even so there is always a catch. There is always some hidden, balancing flaw etched into their very being.
And Silas had seen enough to know this fundamental truth: that 'balancing flaw' didn't make everyone the same. Far from it.
This awareness of inherent, balancing flaws, Silas believed, underscored why the idea of absolute equality among individuals was a fundamental misunderstanding of their nature. All men were not equal.
Anyone saying that 'all men are equal' is either dangerously naive or has something to gain by people's belief in it.
Observation of the world tends to paint a different picture.
The truly significant distinction between people, as Silas has come to see it, isn't merely the unique blend of talents and imperfections they are born with. Rather, it is their active response to this personal makeup.
Some individuals, acknowledging their deficiencies, will consciously apply their strengths to compensate, or they will earnestly work to improve upon their areas of weakness, pursuing a path of self-betterment.
Others, by contrast, might become complacent, relying perhaps too heavily on their innate gifts while neglecting their shortcomings. Or, faced with their limitations, they might lose heart and cease their efforts to grow.
This divergence in approach, Silas noted, often marked the beginning of a widening separation. Over time, these chosen paths - or the refusal to choose one of active growth - would lead individuals to vastly different capabilities and circumstances, highlighting the profound impact of cumulative effort.
In summary, Silas was good at chess...
------
After waiting for about 3 minutes, Silas finally got an opportunity to play speed chess.
The rules were simple, the players have five minutes to finish the game and the winner gets 1 gold card.
Silas found out after a brief conversation with a bystander that Cards was the name of the currency of this world.
Unlike his pervious world, this world had a unified currency controlled by a mega corporation.
Apparently, a superhuman by the name of Gold man decided to unify the currencies of the entire world under his corporation's control.
Of course, the corporation itself is strictly governed by the 4 biggest countries of the Terra Planet.
The currency was divided into three: bronze, silver and gold.
Essentially, one gold card was equal to a thousand dollars in his previous life.
He got this result by comparing the price of everyday items, with those of his past world, after leaving the park.
Silas could live comfortably in New York for a month and a half with this much money.
Silas had essentially picked the largest prize among the ones listed by his opponent. His opponent had provided him with a rate list and allowed him to choose the prize.
As for why the opponent accepted such a large prize, Silas guessed that his opponent was confident of winning and of getting money from him if he refused to pay.
But as the chess match begun, Silas also started a conversation with people gathered around the table.
Silas's chess match had gathered a small crowd. After all, it was not everyday that someone played a game for 1 gold card.
Through this conversation Silas learned quite a few things.
As the conversations continued, so did the game. Much to the dismay of the opponent in front of him, Silas won even after the opponent cheated.
The reason was simple, Silas cheated more. Silas's used his conversations as a way to attract the attention of the crowd. He subtly manipulated the sight of the crowd to work for his benefit.
He carefully directed the crowd to the table every time his opponent wanted to cheat and away when he did.
So, after a few minutes of competition Silas finally checkmated his opponent.
But after 'fairly' losing, his opponent refused to pay him his reward.
Well, long story short he did pay double after a thorough beating. Silas had purposely chosen someone he could physically beat as his opponent because he knew how this racket worked.