148. Life and Death, _Golden scales are not things in the pool_
Feng Jie slept until almost 11:00 AM, feeling more rested than she had in a decade. Her husband clearly hadn’t come home again last night, but today she didn’t feel the usual dissatisfaction and resentment. As soon as she finished washing up, she received a call from Hou Longtao, and they talked for almost an hour. After ending the call, Feng Jie sat there thinking for a long time, then called Feng Yun and asked her to have lunch together.
The sisters’ meal lasted until 3:00 PM, because the current situation was a bit complicated…
Yuqian called Long out again that night. After dinner, they went to a disco for a while. She could clearly feel that he was acting unnaturally, often glancing at her.
Tonight’s “date” ended relatively early because they had to work the next day, and no one could handle continuous partying.
As soon as Yuqian entered the house, she found her mother and aunt waiting in the living room. “Mom, is something the matter?”
”Come here, Qian,” Feng Jie patted the sofa next to her. “Let’s talk.”
It wasn’t until dawn that the three beautiful women ended their long conversation. At the beginning, Yuqian tried to leave several times, but Feng Yun physically stopped her…
At lunchtime on Friday, Hou Longtao walked out of the China World Trade Center, taking a deep breath. Ru Yan followed, her eyes captivating but her face cold and aloof.
”Where are we going to eat?”
”Are they here to see you?”
”Huh?” Hou Longtao followed his wife’s gaze and saw a black Audi A6. A policewoman had just gotten out of the car and was looking this way. It was Feng Yun.
”Longtao,” Feng Yun walked over and took his hand. “My dad wants to see you.”
”Ah?”
”Go ahead, it’s okay, just chat with him.”
Hou Longtao glanced at Ru Yan. Ru Yan nodded slightly, then turned to the policewoman. “You’re Feng Yun?”
”Yes.” Feng Yun sized up the stunning beauty in front of her. Although she was wearing women’s trousers, she could still tell how slender her legs were.
”My name is Liu Ru Yan.”
”I know.”
”Let’s have lunch together.”
”Okay… okay.” Although Feng Yun had told Hou Longtao not to get involved with his women, she couldn’t be too rude when the other party made a direct invitation. Besides, she had a good impression of Ru Yan at first sight, and making a friend wouldn’t hurt.
”You two…”
”Don’t keep my dad waiting.” Feng Yun pushed him. From past conversations, she had some understanding of her unseen “sisters.” She felt that Ru Yan was the most principled, even a bit like herself. “Ru Yan and I will get along well.”
”Okay.” Hou Longtao got into the car. Inside was an old man in military uniform, with four shiny stars on his epaulets [indicating a general]. A one-way mirror separated the car into two sections. The driver couldn’t see the back and probably couldn’t hear it either. “Uncle Feng.”
General Feng first pressed the car’s intercom to tell the driver to start the car, then turned around and stared sternly at the young man. “Hou Longtao, I have only one purpose today: I want you to remember my words.”
”Yes, sir.”
2) 148. Life and Death, _Golden scales are not things in the pool_
Hou Longtao felt a little timid.
”My not interfering with you being with my daughter doesn’t mean I approve of your relationship, let alone that I approve of you as a person. Now that Yun’er likes you, I won’t make things difficult for you, nor will I let others make things difficult for you. But I’m telling you, Yun’er is only enthusiastic about things for three minutes. When she loses interest in you, I will personally teach you a good lesson.”
”Why… why?” Hou Longtao couldn’t understand. The first half of the old man’s words suggested he didn’t want his daughter to be with him, but the second half clearly meant that if Feng Yun dumped him, he would be suppressed by the military.
”Do I need to ask? It’s for my great-niece.”
”Heh.” Hou Longtao smiled helplessly. The women of the Zhang and Feng families were very fond of him, but in the eyes of the men of those families, he was just a pawn to be disposed of at any time. In the eyes of this general, he was just his daughter’s toy, which greatly hurt his self-esteem.
”What’s wrong? You seem very dissatisfied.”
”Of course, but not because you don’t treat me like a person,” Hou Longtao straightened his back. Not everyone has the opportunity to face a senior military and political figure. Once such an opportunity arises, if you miss it, there may not be another. He wanted to take this opportunity to ask the questions he wanted to ask. “I’m dissatisfied with other things.”
”Oh? Let’s hear it.” General Feng became interested in the young man’s way of speaking. Besides, he really couldn’t be sure if his troublesome daughter would be “deceived” by this kid for life, so he didn’t want to make the relationship irreparable.
”General Feng, can you tell me what the most basic duty of a soldier is?”
”Hmm? To guard the territory, defend the country’s dignity, and protect the people’s lives and property.”
”Like in the Korean War, the Sino-Indian War, and the Sino-Vietnamese Self-Defense War?”
”Yes.”
”Those were all things of the last century.”
”What do you mean?” General Feng realized that every sentence Hou Longtao said seemed to have more than just a literal meaning.
”Do you think today’s soldiers have fulfilled their duties as soldiers?”
”So, you must think they haven’t.”
”So, you must think they have.” Hou Longtao’s tone didn’t show any disrespect.
”Hahaha,” General Feng laughed. He really didn’t expect this kid to dare to argue with him like this, knowing that he didn’t like him. He could vaguely see why his daughter would be attracted to him. “The crime you’re accusing them of isn’t small. You have to give me a reason.”
”Can I smoke?” Hou Longtao had smelled the smoke as soon as he got into the car.
General Feng took out a box of “Panda” cigarettes and handed one to the young man.
”The Indonesian massacre of Chinese, how many Chinese died tragically? Strong protest. The United States’ interference in the Taiwan issue, how many weapons have been shipped in? Strong protest. The United States bombed our embassy in the former Yugoslavia, how many staff members died? Strong protest. U.S. military planes conducted espionage reconnaissance, crashed our fighter planes, and invaded our airspace. The body of martyr Wang Wei has not been found yet, right? Strong protest. A Mr. Li
3) 148. Life and Death, _Golden scales are not things in the pool_
, a Mr. Chen, and a Mr. Lu in Taiwan are willing to be dogs of the Japanese and Americans. That’s their own cheapness, but they want thousands of Chinese people to endure the pain of separation. Warning, warning, and warning again. The navies of India and Vietnam rammed our fishing boats and beat our fishermen, repeatedly invading our Nansha Islands [Spratly Islands]. Strong protest. The Japanese government visits the Yasukuni Shrine [a controversial shrine honoring war criminals] every year, refusing to admit the heinous crimes committed against our people. Strong protest. Japan occupies our Diaoyu Islands [Senkaku Islands], using warships to hit unarmed vessels of our citizens. There isn’t even a protest.” Hou Longtao couldn’t help but get emotional at this point. His hands started to shake a little. “Where is our army?”
”The riots in Indonesia are Indonesia’s internal affairs. Our consistent policy is not to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs. The Chinese in Indonesia are not Chinese citizens. We can’t do anything except express concern and indignation. As for the others, in order to have a relatively stable international environment, a certain amount of tolerance is necessary. You wouldn’t understand these major national affairs.”
”Yes, I don’t understand major national affairs, but I understand that excessive tolerance will be seen as weakness. What has our tolerance brought us? Another round of tolerance. Tolerance to the point where even the Philippines is riding on our heads and acting mighty. Everyone knows that China is easy to bully, China doesn’t resist, China only shouts a few words, China only repays kindness with hatred. On the one hand, the Japanese want to spend 50 billion to obstruct the Angang-Dalian railway, their wolfish ambitions are known to all, but on the other hand, we hand over the 200 billion Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway project to the Japanese. When friends come, we treat them with fine wine. When jackals come, we don’t offer hunting guns, but better fine wine. How can you expect me to understand such major national affairs?” Hou Longtao’s tone had changed from respectful to argumentative, although he didn’t really think his words could change anything, but sometimes he just had to speak his mind.
”Do you think I don’t know these things?” General Feng looked out the window, with a longing expression on his face. “Which soldier doesn’t want to fight on the battlefield? Which soldier doesn’t want to serve the country? But war is cruel. The primary goal of our country now is economic construction, to let the people live a good life. We have worked so hard to improve people’s living standards. Once a war breaks out, it will all be in vain.”
”Only wanting economic development and not dignity, if that were a woman, she would either be a prostitute or a kept mistress.” Hou Longtao didn’t say this to General Feng, but just felt it himself. “Sigh…” He sighed deeply. “If things continue like this, the country will be ruined.”
”I didn’t expect you to be a ‘furious youth’ [愤青, a Chinese term for nationalistic young people].”
”I am,” Hou Longtao could tell from General Feng’s tone which “Fen” he was using. “Decades ago, there was a furious youth named ** [likely referring to Mao Zedong] who led a group of furious youths and guided China out of a semi-feudal and semi-colonial society enslaved by foreigners. I am proud to be a member of the furious youths.”
”You are insulting the revolutionary predecessors. They fought for the future of the entire country and the revitalization of the entire nation. Their guiding ideology was ** [Mao Zedong Thought]. You shout about fighting all day long to vent your personal dissatisfaction. Your guiding ideology is narrow nationalism
4) 148. Life and Death, _Golden scales are not things in the pool_
ism, not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath.”
”Nationalism is the foundation of a nation’s survival and the source of a nation’s anger. Without anger, the roots of a nation will be broken. We shout to remind ourselves of that anger, to make more people angry. If we really abandon anger like those so-called elites and use ‘foreigners’ also have good people’ to anesthetize ourselves, decades later, when 90% of Chinese people blame their parents for being Chinese, wouldn’t it be too late to promote nationalism?”
”Alarmism is the best way to describe your words.”
”Alarmism? Today’s young people are the future of China. Don’t you see Japanese and Korean trends sweeping across China? Don’t you see money worship prevailing? Don’t you see the trend of worshipping foreigners and fawning over them intensifying?” Hou Longtao no longer cared about the other party’s identity. “What are our mainstream media doing? What are our literati doing? They are repeatedly ‘educating’ the furious youths, telling them that instead of making noise, they should do their jobs well.”
”What’s wrong with that?” General Feng didn’t get angry at all because the young man’s tone had lost its initial respect.
”First, it assumes that we haven’t done our jobs well. Second, it wants us to shut up and not let our anger affect other people’s mood to be foreign slaves. Third, it’s not to offend foreigners. Our country’s government treats foreigners much better than its own people. From top to bottom, they are all flattering and pleasing them. How many girls are proud of having slept with foreigners. Before Nippon Paint entered China, it was unknown in Japan, but now it has jumped to become one of the world’s top ten paint companies. Nippon Paint has poor quality and high prices, but it can occupy China’s high-end market. Why? Because some people are pro-Japanese to the core. Everything from Japan is good. Even resisting Japanese goods is seen as radical nationalism, as jealousy of the excellent Yamato nation [an ethnic group native to Japan]. The country will be destroyed! Is this still alarmism?”
”What you’re saying is just individual behavior.”
”It’s a widespread individual behavior. In the Zhuhai incident, countless people said that Japanese friends were contributing to China’s economic construction. Last year, two Chinese students committed a family annihilation murder in Japan. Afterwards, the most popular online BBS [Bulletin Board System, an early form of online forum] post was written by another Chinese student. When the Japanese old lady next door asked him why Chinese people were so cruel, he was speechless and only felt ashamed for being Chinese. I’m not saying I agree with robbery and murder. The people in this world least qualified to talk about cruelty with Chinese people are the Japanese, but our students were speechless. He didn’t feel sorry for the murderer, he felt sorry for being Chinese.”
”It’s still the same sentence, it’s all individual behavior.”
”How many foreigners are doing evil on our land? Japanese men molest Chinese girls. The girls only dare to cry and don’t dare to resist. Chinese men stand by and smile. Foreigners beat Chinese people. Many people watch, but no one stops them. And the police’s first thought is to protect the personal safety of foreign friends. More than 20 Korean brats beat up three Chinese students in front of a full playground of Chinese students in a key middle school in Beijing. This kind of thing would never happen in a third-rate school. Our future senior talents learn from childhood
5) 148. Life and Death, _Golden scales are not things in the pool_
to mind their own business and stay out of trouble. It’s none of their business that foreigners are acting violently.”
”Individual behavior.”
”What isn’t individual behavior? What kind of mass behavior will attract the attention of the leadership? Do we have to wait until everyone misses the good life after the Japanese Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere [a Japanese propaganda concept during WWII] before it’s too late?”
”Hou Longtao, your words and actions don’t match. You seemed to be trying your best to get into the United States, didn’t you?”
”I don’t deny it, but it’s not because I yearn for American ‘democracy and freedom’, let alone American material life. I went to school to learn advanced American technology. I never lost face for the Chinese people when I was in the United States. Although I went abroad at my own expense, I immediately returned to serve the country after graduation, unlike some people who used the country’s money to learn skills and then kicked the country away.”
”If you hadn’t won the lottery, you wouldn’t have returned to China immediately, would you?” General Feng was obviously very clear about the young man’s background.
”I would have worked to accumulate experience while studying for a master’s degree.”
”Why?”
”The level of education in China at the undergraduate level is not much worse than that abroad. Just having a bachelor’s degree from an American university without any experience won’t give you any advantage when you come back.”
”So you’re thinking about your own future? To get a better job, earn a higher salary, and live a better life?”
”Yes.”
”Then what right do you have to criticize others for pursuing a better life?”
”General Feng, do I still need to answer this question?”
”I need you to answer.”
”I don’t put personal interests above national and ethnic interests. I understand that there is no home without a country.”
”What contribution have you made to the country? What contribution have you made to the people? How much wealth do you have now? How did you get it? Isn’t the money you earned from air purifiers squeezed out of the pockets of ordinary people?”
”When I was taking political classes in high school, the teacher said that there is no such thing as subjectively doing things for oneself and objectively doing things for others. I have made a fortune, but at the same time, I have solved the problems of a large number of laid-off workers, retired soldiers, and social security; I have donated many times to social welfare undertakings, charities, and educational systems, and funded poor students. ‘Dongxing High Weaving’ is a completely free school; my enterprises and businesses all pay taxes according to the law and are major taxpayers for the local government; my products are not only exported, earning foreign exchange for the country, but also alleviate the problem of air pollution. If fully popularized, they can also improve air quality, maybe the current people don’t benefit much, but they can benefit future generations. I, Hou Longtao, am beneficial to the country and the people in every way.”
”Hahahaha, good, good, good, ‘beneficial to the country and the people in every way’,” General Feng patted the young man’s shoulder hard. “It’s very interesting to talk to you, but it’s not very meaningful. Don’t forget the main purpose of my looking for you. Get out of the car.”
”Huh?” Only then did Hou Longtao realize that the Audi had returned to its starting point after circling around. Since the other party had no intention of continuing to talk to him, it was useless to say more. After he got out of the car, he only felt that the anger in his chest had not been relieved at all by speaking his mind, but had instead burned even more fiercely.
Feng
6) 148. Life and Death, _Golden scales are not things in the pool_
General Feng picked up the phone in the car and dialed a number. “I talked to that kid.”
”Do you think he has the value of being cultivated?”
”His edges are too sharp, and he has some radical ideas, but he is still young. In ten or twenty years, when the thorns on his body have been smoothed out, I believe he will be able to take on great responsibilities at that time.”
”That’s good, you will be responsible for teaching him.” Judging from the tone of the person on the other side of the phone, he and General Feng were at least at the same level…
Hou Longtao’s stomach was growling with hunger. He called and asked, and Ru Yan was still with Feng Yun, so he also came to the Jinhu Tea Restaurant. As soon as he entered the door, he saw two beautiful women sitting and laughing in an open booth.
”How is it? It’s not particularly scary, is it?” Feng Yun moved inward, making room for the man.
”Hehe,” Hou Longtao gave a wry smile, ordered a lunch, and then sat next to the policewoman. Although the atmosphere and content of the conversation were not too scary, General Feng’s reaction frightened him. If the national leaders really didn’t pay attention to the pro-foreign and flattering atmosphere among the people, there would be nothing more terrifying than that. “How are you two chatting?”
”Very good,” Ru Yan replied faintly.
”I like Ru Yan very much,” Feng Yun was not so shy. She had always been straightforward and said whatever she thought. She turned to the side, pinched the man’s face, and squeezed it hard. “You kid are lucky enough.”
”Hey, hey, it’s coming off.” Hou Longtao looked at Ru Yan with a sad face.
”Sister,” Ru Yan’s address to Feng Yun had changed, obviously the two had indeed established a good relationship. “Don’t… don’t be too rough.”
”You’re already feeling sorry for him? If you saw how fierce I am to him in the bedroom, you’d probably cry, right?”
”Okay, okay,” Hou Longtao reached out and pinched Feng Yun’s thigh. “Don’t talk about this here. If you really want to know her reaction, wait until I fill my stomach, and we’ll find a place to verify it.”
”Hmph, then you’d be happy,” Feng Yun glanced at her watch. “Unfortunately, I have to go back to the team to work. Don’t forget about next Thursday.”
Hou Longtao was very satisfied with the woman’s answer. Although she didn’t say it clearly, and didn’t show any interest in homosexual things, she didn’t show any resistance to the idea of sharing a bed with Ru Yan. This was definitely because she had already accepted Ru Yan psychologically, which was a very successful first step…
For more than ten days, Fang Jie had been preparing for the IIC group’s trip to Japan. The Honda USA Accounting Fraud scandal had finally surfaced. The US Justice Department officially arrested several senior executives of Honda USA. On the US and Japanese stock markets, Honda’s stock price plummeted in the short term. It was not until the good news that IIC was considering investing in Honda was released that the stock price stabilized and remained flat for several days.
On Thursday morning, Fang Jie was in his room instructing the Honda Beijing office to confirm the air tickets for the IIC personnel. Just as he put down the phone, the cell phone next to him rang. The caller ID showed a row of “0s”, which was an international long distance call. “Hello?”
”Mr. Fang?”
”Hey, what are the president’s instructions?”
”Have you received the fax?”
”That fax about Dongxing Group soliciting cooperation negotiations?”
”Yes.”
”I have read it and am writing a written report to you.”
”It specifically pointed out that your opinion should be sought before our side makes a decision on whether to negotiate or not. What does this mean? What is the background of Dongxing Group?”
”The chairman of Dongxing Group is Hou Longtao, the person who will be responsible for the negotiations between IIC and our side.”
”So that’s how it is. He’s too stupid.”
”Not so,” Fang Jie smiled. “Hou Longtao recently distributed the Dongxing shares in his hands. Legally speaking, he now has nothing to do with Dongxing. That is, IIC has nothing to do with Dongxing. However, the people who accepted his shares are all his secret mistresses.”
”Hmph, isn’t that stupid? No court will ignore this.”
”His behavior is not to deal with us, but to deal with IIC. He believes that our side will not intentionally create trouble for him, which would definitely be more harmful than beneficial to our side. So, according to my deduction, Xu Ruyun has already given clear instructions on whether to invest or not, otherwise she would not have sent a greenhorn to take on this important task.” Although Fang Jie understood Hou Longtao’s intentions very thoroughly, he believed that it was all planned by Ruyun. It’s no wonder, anyone with a business genius like Ruyun wouldn’t bother themselves…
A hut doesn’t need to be big, fragrance doesn’t need to be much (Golden scales are not things in the pool) [meaning that true value lies not in outward appearances or grand scale, but in inner substance and quality]