After having visited the magnificent Temple of Literature, Paco is walking back to the hotel astonished by the lively streets of the French Quarter. He thought that the temple would close later, so he is wandering about the city. He would like to buy The Quiet American and so he is looking for a bookshop, too.

By Neil Kaldangaonkar. Creative Commons.

An hour later, he is approaching the hotel through a narrow street full of food stalls. Paco is thinking about Phuong and he is eager to see her again, he thinks...'If she were free tomorrow, I would invite her to do something, I don't know if she would accept.' Crossing the streets in Hanoi is a hazardous issue, so Paco concentrates on it and stops thinking.

Finally he finds a bookshop and enters. There are a lot of books everywhere and he does not find Graham Greene's one, so he asks for help to the assistant.

Assistant: Hello, sir. Would you like to buy a book?

Paco: Yes, please. I'm looking for The Quiet American.

Assistant: Sure. I'll take it in a minute...here you are.

Paco: How much is it?

Assistant: It's 75,000 dongs.

Paco: Here you have. Goodbye.

Assistant: Thanks. Goodbye, sir.

Now Paco has got his copy of the book, he returns to the hotel to feel like a prestigious writer in a prestigious hotel.