Tintin has extricated himself from Shanghai and is interested in solving their mystery!
But also in making more acquaintances, acquaintances are a positive good. And he never introduced himself to the other inexplicable Westerner - ah, there she is!
"Hello!" he says to her in lightly Singapore-accented Mandarin. "I am Tintin - Corentin Saint-Martin is my name in the Western style. I am from Singapore; yourself?"
"I am Gladiola." she responds in perfect Beijing Mandarin. "I came most directly from the Beijing enclave, but I grew up in Vermont."
"Interesting! Then I suppose your presence in the Sino half of the room is more of a personal choice than mine; I do not speak English well enough not to embarrass myself, which has surprised some people. I do not know why they think every white person is Anglo."
"I will guess French, by your name" she says, in French with a not-quite-Paris accent. "How did you come to be from Singapore?"
"Belgian," he corrects also in French, with a thoroughly Belgian accent. "Ah, my parents came to Singapore because they were wealthy enough for it and thought their child had a better chance spending money to get a chance at Shanghai's exams for a legitimate seat, than spending favors on a guaranteed seat from the Anglosphere but having to carry some enclave's luggage. And, of course, Singapore is the best place in the world to grow up speaking many languages. -many useful languages."
"My parents were very pleased to have gotten their place in Beiijing in time for me to sit the exams. Others in Beijing were less pleased once they saw the results."
"Ah. Yes, people will be like that - not being in an enclave, I had the advantage of not having to look anyone in the eye when I qualified over them. Not that it felt good. - do Beijing's tests also have that classical Chinese poetry section?"
"Yes. It is lucky I scored so highly there; some of the more physical sections were not so easy. I am very strong, but hand-eye coordination is more difficult."
"Huh. I am strong for my size, but I doubt I would want to wrestle you. My coordination is good, though. It has to be, with my affinity." He pats the gun on his belt.
"As impractical as an affinity for firearms could be in the Scholomance, it is at least more practical than mine. I will just have to do better at everything else."