I thought this time my mental defenses were strong enough, and nothing could break through them. Before the trip, I repeatedly told my parents that I was fully prepared, that this journey felt like fleeing from disaster. I even revisited an old movie, Feng Xiaogang's "1942." Many people told me this trip would be very difficult, and I said it was fine; no hardship could compare to the Great Famine. For fifteen hours on the road, I smiled and remained calm for fourteen of those hours. The staff said I was very talkative and cooperative, which made them happy. I didn't expect that I could actually lose my composure in the end. I believe that anyone who has gone through this experience has felt a sense of breakdown; even Buddha would be furious. Waiting was the eternal theme of the journey. If the waiting was necessary due to the pandemic, then we certainly had no complaints. But I believe no one thinks that this waiting is not largely due to inefficiency and a lack of fairness. Fairness and efficiency have always been important topics in social governance and economics. Economists like Hayek and Friedman have made judgments about how to choose between the two, as if fairness and efficiency are like the relationship between fish and bear's paw. However, from my observation, the issues of fairness and efficiency in this trip arose from a general inefficiency leading to random fairness deficiencies. Many people believe that those returning from abroad should comply completely, no matter what they have experienced. We did the same; my thoughts were that I would document and publish everything only after everything settled down. But I do not believe that all compliance is correct. The transfer process for returnees consumed a lot of time, averaging 15 hours per person, but it does not mean that longer times lead to better epidemic prevention. I believe that high efficiency and thorough planning are necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the entire process. When organized properly, with orderly management, neither the executors nor the executed will feel that time is being wasted. And as for my experience, the audience can draw their own conclusions.
17:56
After leaving the airport, I hired a business vehicle that travels between the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao area. I initially wanted to go to Shenzhen Bay, but I heard it was too crowded, so we took the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to Zhuhai for customs clearance. Another reason was that the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is one of the must-know points for the college entrance examination; I had heard countless explanations in geography and political classes, and I really wanted to see the problems I had solved countless times. As the car drove onto the bridge, the landmark in my heart resonated with the magnificent reality, and I was very excited. I was already very familiar with this bridge, but I still asked the driver to explain continuously along the way. The 55-kilometer bridge had only our car, allowing me to enjoy all the scenery alone. Unfortunately, there was heavy fog around, and the driver said that on a clear day, with blue skies and seas, it would look very beautiful.
18:42
Upon arriving at the Zhuhai port, it was also empty and desolate, and I secretly rejoiced, thinking that today we could definitely finish quickly. The quiet port had lost its usual hustle and bustle, but the lights still flickered, as if welcoming the travelers returning home.
Pushing my luggage upstairs, I encountered a staff member who was leading the way. I was prepared for this trip, knowing I would face countless cold remarks. Sure enough, he said he received you every day and could no longer handle it. I quickly comforted him, saying he was hardworking and great. However, he was the only staff member who complained to us along the way; all the other grassroots officials had very good attitudes, and I truly needed to express my highest respect to them.
The guiding staff took me to the customs hall, where I first filled out three forms regarding personal information and travel status. After completing the forms, I queued to have my temperature taken; a temperature above 37 degrees would be considered too high and require retesting. If three tests resulted in a temperature within the 36-degree range, it would be considered normal. From filling out the forms to taking my temperature took about an hour.
(Queueing for temperature check)
After the temperature check, I waited in a designated area for a nucleic acid test. There were about ten people in front of us, and we waited for two hours. In fact, a nucleic acid test is very quick, taking less than five minutes, using a cotton swab to scrape throat saliva, without needing a blood draw. Ironically, the current public opinion strongly welcomes international students and overseas Chinese returning home, while foreign nationals with green cards are asked to stay away. But this is truly disheartening for you online vigilantes; overseas individuals entering do not even need to undergo a nucleic acid test. A friend traveling with us, holding a Hong Kong passport, went through customs directly. Many of my friends felt this was particularly unfair because returning international students would be marked with a red label, directly classified as dangerous and subjected to mandatory quarantine. At that time, I didn't think much of it, but fortunately, I met a pair of sisters from Shunde, both graduate students in London, and chatting with them made the waiting time very enjoyable.
21:14
After completing the nucleic acid test, I was taken to a place called the follow-up placement area, preparing to go through customs in batches. At this point, the staff would take photos of everyone along with their passports and forms before entering customs together, a process that lasted about half an hour. During customs, only basic questions were asked, and I had to take off my mask. After clearing customs, I thought victory was in sight and couldn't help but hum a little tune: "A big road leads to my home." My parents were waiting outside, having prepared all the precautions and quarantine measures, ready to meet me. But I didn't expect to be so naive; the nightmare was just beginning, separated by a wall, so far yet so close.
22:06
As soon as I entered the next hall, the nightmare struck. I saw all the people who had cleared customs long ago, sitting and standing in this hall, anxious and restless, pulling their hair. Our friend with the Hong Kong passport had been sitting there for three hours and was still waiting. My heart sank to the bottom. If she had been waiting for three hours and still hadn't been called, how much longer would we have to wait? More importantly, no one explained anything; from this moment on, we began a prisoner-like experience. There was only one counter in the hall, with two staff members and two computers, responsible for entering all the visitors' information. There were about a hundred visitors on site, and clearly, two computers were not enough, leading to very low efficiency. The key point was that no one explained to us why our information needed to be entered. In fact, at this time, it would only take one staff member with a loudspeaker to announce to everyone present, quickly calming the public's anxiety. But there was none.
After a long time, a person who seemed to be in charge finally arrived. I really liked this person; he spoke with a great sense of humor. We asked under what circumstances we could leave by private car, and he said unless you know the government. A brother next to me asked if anyone present knew the government, and an elderly man said, "I know the government, but they don't know me," which lightened the atmosphere. The person in charge continued to say that staying in a hotel would require full self-payment, and the young people began to argue, saying they had no money. The person in charge said they couldn't help with that; the police would talk to them later.
We waited here for nearly three hours, and during those three hours, no one was calm. Self-rescue committees were formed in Zhongshan, Foshan, Shunde, and Guangzhou. Of course, it was actually useless because neither the street nor the on-site staff knew the specific arrangements going forward. Fortunately, I met many new friends along the way, fellow travelers in similar protective suits, the cheerful Shunde sisters, direct seniors from King's, local Zhuhai connections, and classmates from my school! Everyone was of similar age, and we communicated happily. Just as everyone was preparing to play cards, a staff member shouted for those from Guangzhou to gather; Guangzhou had sent cars to pick us up. I was overjoyed, heading to enter my information. There were five of us from Guangzhou, and after waiting another forty minutes, we were informed we could get on the bus. I shouted "Long live the Guangzhou government!" as I left under the envious gazes of everyone in the hall.
23:31
After leaving the hall, we waited outside the customs. After nearly twenty minutes, two cars arrived, and others also got on the bus with us. No one told us where the cars were headed, and we speculated based on the map. Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at a hotel in Zhuhai, where epidemic prevention slogans greeted us, and all personnel were on high alert, which was touching. I thought this was my home for the night, but the staff said the Guangzhou people were ready, and a car would come to pick us up soon. We queued in the hotel, waited for more than twenty minutes, and filled out forms again, with our passports confiscated.
There was still something that puzzled me. My parents were just outside the customs, and while waiting for the car, they were allowed to meet. Everyone was wearing masks and gloves, and they took my large suitcase. Many people had arranged private cars to pick them up, and I didn't understand why it was mandatory to take a bus. If someone had the ability to pick them up by private car and confirmed they had taken protective measures, wouldn't the risk be smaller? They could directly take them home and report to the neighborhood committee, which would also alleviate a lot of pressure on the government. A bus with dozens of people, with no spacing, and the quality of masks varied; for example, mine was an N95 with a valve, which increases the risk of cross-infection. On the 17th, there was a confirmed case of a student returning from the UK, leading to the quarantine of 27 people on the bus. If everyone thinks that allowing private cars to pick people up is a bad phenomenon because not everyone has a private car and must be arranged collectively, then there is still a puzzling situation. Many people do not have the conditions for home quarantine but were notified to have someone pick them up and take them home, making their families tremble with fear.
00:45
After leaving the hotel, we headed to Guangzhou, not knowing the destination but knowing it was home, filled with hope. Everyone in the car was extremely exhausted, snoring echoed, while I enjoyed life by watching "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Drug War" on the small in-car TV. "Drug War" was quite good; the performances of Louis Koo, Daniel Wu, and Lau Ching-wan were exhilarating. The car drove slowly, but we were on our way to Guangzhou. I looked at the map, passing through Shunde and Foshan, and in more than twenty minutes, we would reach Fangcun and then my school. Suddenly, the car stopped. Everyone woke from their dreams, as the screen showed Louis Koo being hit and falling into a pile of crocodiles. No one knew what was happening, but the staff continued to provide no explanations. The car stopped on a bridge, surrounded by desolate mountains and rivers. We were not allowed to get out, completely in the dark; everyone kept asking, and only then did the staff say the car had broken down. We could only smile helplessly.
2:46
Forty minutes later, the car was fixed, and we moved forward again. In the darkness, I relied on my phone's map to find the direction, passing by my school and Fangcun, putting down my phone, thinking that when we passed Haoyin Bridge, we would be almost home. So I watched the changing scenery, but the more I looked, the more wrong it felt; I realized we were still outside the city and hadn't seen the city center. Checking my phone's map, I found we were almost at Baiyun Airport. I suddenly felt lost, three major philosophical questions flooded my mind: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing? I chatted with my companions and discussed with friends on WeChat, speculating that perhaps we were being taken to Baiyun Airport for a unified arrangement.
3:45
And indeed, that was the case. The designated headquarters was set up at Baiyun Airport, which I really couldn't understand. We traversed the entire city of Guangzhou, entering from the southernmost point and reaching the northernmost point. Yet all the entry points into Guangdong are in the south of Guangzhou; why set up the headquarters in the northernmost part? This back and forth wasted nearly three hours. During our time at Baiyun Airport, our mood gradually approached collapse. We waited on the bus for twenty minutes, and outside the window were crowds that didn't match the night. Then we were taken into a room that left us speechless.
Online public opinion says to comply with arrangements, but are all arrangements reasonable? I firmly believe that if I unfortunately got infected, it would have been during this journey. Everyone on the bus said that they were fine before being tossed around for over ten hours, they ended up feeling unwell. In the UK, I stayed at home every day, cooked for myself, wore a mask and gloves wherever I went, and most importantly, I hardly interacted with anyone. In class, I would choose to sit in a corner. Many people say the risk of infection is highest on planes, but I wore protective clothing the entire time, covered my head, wore goggles and a mask, didn't eat or drink, and didn't interact with the crew. Entering this room was the first time in many days that I was in a place with so many people. Everyone had just landed, and the nucleic acid test results were not out yet; there could be several positive cases mixed in. There were all kinds of people: some coughing loudly, some taking off their masks to lie down and sleep. We waited inside for more than twenty minutes, and a staff member came to take away three people from Yuexiu District. The three of us formed a deep friendship along the way. We were taken to the side of a car and began another wait.
4:14
During this waiting time, my companion came across online comments that were vocally opposing international students returning home and shared them with us, which genuinely made me furious.
I must firmly declare war on such comments! At the beginning of the pandemic, everyone discriminated against people from Wuhan and Hubei, telling friends from Hubei and Wuhan to delete WeChat, cut ties, and blacklist them. Some even started regional discrimination, digging up old grievances, claiming that the roots of Wuhan people were all bad. Now that the pandemic has passed, they shout praises for the heroic people of Wuhan. Conversely, at the beginning, international students bought up masks abroad to support the country, and everyone shouted that the Chinese nation is one family. Now that the pandemic has erupted abroad, and international students want to return home for refuge, they start saying that those who are not in the country should be charged ten times for their tickets. From this perspective, our nation is quite amusing; when everything is peaceful, everyone sings that they cannot be separated from their country for even a moment, but when something goes wrong, they immediately find ways to "separate" from them.
Many people also say that international students returning home is a blessing from the motherland. The term "blessing" is truly overused. Yi Zhongtian once said that everyone has a broken house deep in their hearts, where the wind and rain can enter, but the king cannot. That is called personality. From landing until now, we have been very cooperative, but I believe my basic rights as a citizen and a person must be met. A certain well-known historian (who has been purged) once said that the term "people" is particularly interesting; it only appears when needed. During the Anti-Japanese War, Chiang Kai-shek was also the people, the people's leader, and back then, Yan'an raised the slogan "Firmly support Chairman Chiang's fight to the end; he is our only people's leader." By the time of the Liberation War, it had changed to "Down with the people's enemy, Chiang Kai-shek." However, times have changed, and the world is very different now. Our laws are continuously improving, and our country is gradually becoming a rule-of-law nation. The basic rights of citizens and people are written into the constitution. My professional identity is that of an international student, but my legal identity is that of a citizen of the People's Republic of China, and my political identity is that of the people of the People's Republic of China. I should enjoy all the legal and political rights granted to me by the constitution. All incoming individuals, regardless of their identity, were very cooperative, considerate, and understanding throughout the entire process, without provoking any disputes or raising any objections. But I think this should really be based on our rights being met. Premier Wen Jiabao said that people should live with dignity. What does it mean to have dignity, what does it mean to have personality? It means that the basic rights of citizens are guaranteed. The right to know, the right to be free from hunger—these should be fully considered when the government organizes and manages. Moreover, if every meal requires gratitude to the emperor and the party and government, where does personality come from? Whenever something happens in Western democratic countries, everyone starts clamoring that human rights are useless, democracy is useless, but our great Communist Party of China wins the people's love by guaranteeing human rights. Any attack on human rights and democracy itself is a sign of treason. You can attack Western-style human rights and democracy, but you should not deny human rights and democracy itself.
We are treated like prisoners, transported back and forth, with no food or water. If this is for epidemic prevention needs, we can accept it. But at the very least, we should be told where our destination is, what we are going to do. Transporting us back and forth without telling us what is happening—how is that different from being a prisoner? Due to the needs of epidemic prevention and fear of public opinion, during these extraordinary times, we will accept whatever you ask us to do, but that does not mean all decisions are reasonable. Outside Baiyun Airport, sitting on my suitcase, medical staff told us to wait. We didn't know what we were waiting for, why we were waiting, or what would happen after waiting—whether we would continue waiting or be taken somewhere else to wait. I was filled with sorrow, feeling like I had truly become the protagonist of a tragedy. The only words in my mind were: Waiting for Godot.
Finally, the medical staff received a notification that a bus driver was coming, and shortly after, another medical staff member arrived. The driver told us we were waiting for another group of people who would sit on this bus with us. We asked how long it would take, and he said at least 1.5 to 2 hours. Godot is coming; let's wait a bit longer. Fortunately, I had three companions, so we could complain and chat together.
It was almost six o'clock, and on the bus to Haizhu District, people kept getting on. They had set off at six. I couldn't help but wonder where the people on our bus were coming from. If they were from Zhuhai or Shenzhen, it would take at least two hours; if they were from Foshan or Dongguan, we might still catch breakfast. Of course, I could only imagine Godot, but I didn't know who Godot really was.
(The grassroots staff who had been with us fell asleep during the waiting period)
The grassroots staff were truly working hard. Their working hours severely exceeded the limit. I asked a grassroots staff member how long they had been working, and he said the regulation was six hours a day, but unfortunately, they had never followed the rules. The capitalist 996 work culture has been criticized to the point of digging up graves, so is the socialist 007 worth praising for its dedication? They couldn't answer our questions because they also didn't know the entire operational process. They were only responsible for their part, confused yet determined. A friend traveling with me said it felt like the grassroots staff were just like us, like prisoners, nailed down in the process of social operation. The grassroots staff told me that whether it was sacrifice or dedication, they were unworthy. I said our fates were actually the same, and he immediately replied, "That's right, we are all screws made of flesh and blood; the key lies in who is turning the screws." The essence of collectivism is not about concentrating power to accomplish great things but about being able to sacrifice a small part of people in the name of the majority at any time. In a context of despotism, everyone is just an element of society; the common people are numbers in the eyes of the government, and the grassroots are the screws that maintain the stable operation of society. This system is actually quite good; it is an oval structure (the layering here is not meant to be evaluative, only to illustrate the use of the oval structure). The bottom layer consists of those who dedicate and sacrifice, the top layer consists of those who take everything, and the middle consists of the vast majority. The sacrifices of the bottom layer are often seen as unfortunate, but they are the smallest part of society. The contributors at the bottom will give a lot, but they will accept their own and others' respect with a selfless attitude. The vast majority in the middle will benefit from the sacrifices of a few; they have not suffered much loss apart from being stuck in a room for dozens of days and some minor property losses, unlike certain capitalist sources that have been caught in a nationwide gamble. What I hope for is that we should not attribute all achievements to top-level governance and institutional advantages. The reason we can form such advantages lies in our culture, in the fact that we have people willing to dedicate and sacrifice, who will accept their misfortune without rising up in rebellion. Every victory in China is fought for with lives. When I was in my second year of high school, I walked down the school path with a very skilled teacher and saw the updated college entrance examination achievement bulletin board. I remember the description at that time: "Under the excellent guidance of the Provincial Education Department, the school leaders led wisely, the administrative team implemented meticulously, the teachers provided comprehensive excellent teaching, and the parents offered meticulous care, the students worked hard, and our school achieved excellent results in the college entrance examination." That teacher sighed and said that the reason for this excellent result should be the reverse of this long paragraph. And our country is no different. Whenever achievements are made, the narrative always goes from the highest concern—the party's instructions—the government's leadership—the implementation by various levels of government—expert advice—the hard work of frontline personnel—the efforts of the people. This is unfair because institutional advantages do not allow the people to exercise their subjective initiative to pay the price; rather, they should fully consider the issues of efficiency and fairness in every decision, reducing the number of people who must be sacrificed by collectivism and making it easier for every hardworking person.
6:27
After an hour and forty minutes, it was finally our turn to depart. A large group of people arrived. This was the most surreal moment of the entire event. A person slowly walked from afar, got on the bus, and we also got on the bus, and it drove off. I cannot describe my emotions in words; it was not anger, nor was it rage, but heartbreak. Just to wait for one person, we sat for two hours, which was enough time for the bus to make a round trip. Who is this person, what is their background, and why can they connect seamlessly while we have to sway in every crack, exhausting our strength and immunity? Unlike the tragedy, we waited for Godot. Like the tragedy, we do not know who Godot is. More tragically, we will always have the next Godot to wait for. Moreover, I truly do not understand why three staff members were sent to manage four people; previously, one person managed three of us just fine. Is this a waste of social resources and grassroots labor?
At that time, I saw a piece of news and continuously shared two articles in my friend circle. Fake! Fake!!! If you don't set up a monument, no one will treat you as a whore. But you haven't done it and still want to boast; have you ever thought about the countless exhausted and heartbroken compatriots behind your casual self-praise?
What truly breaks my heart is the information I learned on the bus. The driver told me that everyone needed to be collectively quarantined. I am not against collective quarantine; I told my parents early on that collective quarantine is quite good. In case of any problems, I wouldn't cause trouble for others or bring danger to them. What I oppose is the way this notification was delivered. Throughout my journey back, at every location, all the staff told me that I qualified for home quarantine and could quarantine at home. They also thanked me for creating an environment for home quarantine, saving a lot of social resources and making things easier for the country. My parents had already started preparing; they moved out to allow me to quarantine and cleaned their clothes, office supplies, and so on. They reported to the neighborhood committee three times, ensuring everything was in order, and they received confirmation several times that night. I called the mayor's hotline, but the staff still provided the same response; they were only responsible for accepting complaints but knew nothing about the content of the complaints. This handling method is quite disheartening. Organizers and managers should include both executors and those being executed in the framework of the system. If both the executors and those being executed know nothing about the entire process, then I believe the organizers only have two situations: either it reflects a chaotic incompetence in management, or they treat the executors and those being executed as mere cogs in a vast system, without needing to fully consider their feelings.
7:24
The car drove for nearly forty minutes and arrived at a place I had never been before. I had no objections about where to stay; I didn't care about the accommodation environment, as anywhere was better than the high school dormitory. What I cared about was the difference; I really couldn't understand why Yuexiu District chose two hotels, Guangzhou Hotel and Mineral Mountain, which were so vastly different. I joined many groups formed by international students returning to China, and everyone complied with the arrangements; no one opposed what the organization did, but discussions were still thorough, especially around the topic of the significant differences in living conditions within the same district.
At the front desk, while checking in, the staff asked the three of us to fill out forms again, but there was one document we all refused to sign, which was a voluntary form stating that I voluntarily quarantined for fourteen days. I refused to sign on the spot. Firstly, I am not volunteering; if you want me to volunteer, that is completely fine, but you must clearly tell me that this is for epidemic prevention needs, that it is the government's requirement, and the people's expectation, and there must be a policy document; otherwise, it would be considered illegal detention. However, the staff only showed me a few WeChat chat records, which were the kind of forwarded messages we could all see in various groups, with no way to verify their authenticity. I said this was simply too unserious. At that time, the staff also suggested I not sign because it was unclear whether this policy was real. However, the hotel front desk said that without signing, they couldn't process the check-in, but they also didn't know whether this voluntary form was linked to the new policy. The medical staff and the hotel front desk even had a small argument, and I stood silently beside them. The implementation of a policy felt like a child's play. What also angered me was that the policy was not announced in advance but was suddenly issued, and there were no formal documents. Who wouldn't feel manipulated? Don't say this is for epidemic prevention needs; even in places like Beijing and Shanghai, where the pressure from incoming populations is greater, they have managed to announce policies in advance, allowing incoming individuals ample time to prepare. In the end, the medical staff suggested I write that I voluntarily quarantined for one day and handle it once the original policy document arrived.
The room was, of course, just like that, with standard guesthouse configurations. The imagined quarantine measures were actually nonexistent; the medical staff said absolutely no air conditioning, but the hotel staff led me to the room and first taught me how to use the air conditioning remote, kindly reminding me to close the windows when using the air conditioning to avoid waste. The brother traveling with me was not informed by the medical staff that air conditioning was not allowed, or he might not have heard, so he had the windows closed and the air conditioning on all afternoon. This staff member was genuinely nice, asking about our well-being and expressing sympathy for the hardships we international students faced, which was quite touching. The staff member told me that we were the earliest group to arrive that day, and she had chosen the best rooms for the three of us. The sizes of the rooms were the same, but ours had the largest windows, and the smoothness of the windows was the best, allowing easy opening and closing. I asked about the people arriving later, and she said they wouldn't be so lucky; some rooms had windows but could only be opened a tiny crack, and some rooms had no windows at all.
Of course, happiness is the same, but sadness varies. It had been nearly thirty hours without sleep, but after two hours of sleep, I could not fall asleep again. During those two hours, I killed ten mosquitoes, while the construction site next door was noisy 24/7. I played with my phone and realized that no one could sleep that night, so I created a group chat to chat. We chatted all night and made plans to have hot pot and drink together fourteen days later! After all, how many times can one escape from disaster? This kind of friendship through thick and thin is truly precious.
6:25
Daylight broke, and I thought there was nothing left to make me angry, but I ended up laughing in anger. I found two long hairs on the blanket, and after a few hours, I found another one; the hair was different in texture—two were thick and black, and one was thin and brown. I was truly speechless.
I couldn't help but question the safety of this hotel. I do not despise any environment; what I care about is whether this hotel can effectively serve its purpose of isolation. We returned from an epidemic area and are risk carriers, but we are also normal people. While we are worried about infecting others, shouldn't we also consider whether anyone could infect us? Putting all risk carriers together requires thorough defense measures. There is a proverbial truth in China: "Nothing happens by chance." There is nothing that is coincidental. When checking into the hotel, I kept asking the front desk what to do in case of a fire and where the emergency escape routes were, but the response was always, "It absolutely cannot happen." The medical staff also advised me to relax, but I still hoped for a positive answer. The collapse of the quarantine hotel in Quanzhou—if everyone thinks it was just a coincidental natural disaster at a special time, unrelated to the pandemic, quarantine, or government governance, then I truly apologize to those who lost their lives. I have always wondered why such a tragic event did not stir any waves; the last scene of that family of five embracing each other is heartbreaking. The Quanzhou hotel did not meet quarantine qualifications but became a designated quarantine hotel through shady operations. This is not an isolated incident but represents the many dark things that grow in the chaotic times of the pandemic, where some profit from national disasters, and others use nationalism to shield themselves, legalizing and even rationalizing their profits. This should serve as a warning to people. Treating accidents as natural disasters without investigating the human causes behind them will lead to such incidents happening repeatedly, which we call a "nested doll." The only difference will be the form. To prevent such incidents from occurring, a clear, transparent, and fair accountability mechanism must be established. The establishment of an accountability mechanism cannot rely solely on upper-level supervision; citizens must actively exercise their rights to supervise and suggest. My continuous questioning, complaining, and protesting are my legal rights, my power to hold the state accountable, and my patriotic rights! The founders of our party and army recognized this point early in the founding of the nation. They wrote the rights of citizens into the constitution, hoping that citizens could play their political roles. A brother traveling with me, who was only 16 years old, said nothing and did nothing. While I actively handled matters, he felt that saying more was useless and that nothing could be solved, whether it was his own issues or those faced by everyone. I felt quite disheartened facing a young person who was younger than me and full of potential. I don't know if every young person is slowly losing the power of belief and only has the habit of obedience. I believe our founding fathers never intended to cultivate a group of people who only know how to obey. What the government should do is to make the people believe in the government, not just obey. If they only obey but do not believe in their hearts, then sooner or later, they will stop obeying. If they believe but do not obey, the government can find the reasons for their disobedience, address the issues, and eventually, they will obey. The government will truly serve the people wholeheartedly, and all the political ideals we wrote down at the founding of the nation may be realized.
From the very beginning, the founding fathers placed the people as the most crucial part of the vast political machine of the state. Chairman Mao shouted, "Long live the overwhelming majority!" and wrote that the people are the masters of the country. With a fervent heart, I write this passage: the people are truly important. Each person may be small and insignificant, but as long as everyone is willing, they can always make a deafening sound and accomplish great things.
9:58
In closing
My parents brought breakfast, and it was at this moment that I decided to write this article. Even if it goes against the will of the world, even if I face the risk of online violence, I must record everything I have experienced.
"Unforgettable" is not a positive term. My writing raises various questions and confusions, and I believe some will criticize me harshly, with terms like "foreign dog" sure to flood in. First, for those who label anyone who voices even a slight dissent as a foreign dog, I would describe them with the title of a movie: "The Orphan of Zhao" (I have been laughing at this reference for two days). Secondly, I still want to say with deep emotion that my doubts are not directed at foreigners because I do not want foreigners to profit. I am a citizen of China and a member of the Chinese people, and my political identity can only be dedicated to my great motherland. Some people blindly criticize foreigners while praising the motherland; that only helps foreigners. At least you haven't helped much because what you say is just baseless insults. If you had constructive opinions, and those were freely given to foreigners, that would be something to be pained about. When I was young, I read a novel by Zheng Yuanjie called "Wings Spread," and one of its viewpoints left a deep impression on me. The protagonist was bullied, and his good friend wanted to find someone to beat up the bullies, but the protagonist stopped him. He said, "If you go beat him up, that won't help me; it will help him." The cost of education is the most expensive; beating him up is educating him, which cannot be retaliation. If you really want to help me and do something bad to him, you should do nothing. That friend instantly understood, saying, "Your trick is too ruthless." A few months later, the person who bullied the protagonist became increasingly unruly and was eventually sent to prison. The protagonist said that if you really want someone to collapse, just say nothing when they do something bad. Similarly, if you see something bad in a foreign country, why criticize capitalism for being inhumane? Why criticize foreign governments? If they are truly bad, you don't need to care; just keep silent, and they will self-destruct.
There is a logic I have never understood. Now, insulting Trump on Weibo has become politically correct, with people calling him "Chuan Jianguo" and waving red scarves. But if you really want America to decline, why insult him? If he truly governs poorly and disturbs the people, you should praise him to the skies, using all kinds of flattery, making him seem like the greatest president in the world, so that the American people continue to vote for him, forever electing him, allowing him to continue harming the American people. Wouldn't that be a great achievement? But if you insult him, what if an American happens to see the comments from Chinese netizens and thinks there might be some truth to it, deciding not to vote for that guy next time? Wouldn't that be a loss for us? Therefore, the insults from Chinese netizens towards him stem from two thoughts: either they think he is doing well, so they insult him to get Americans to vote him out, or they genuinely believe he is trash and insult him to show off.
This is what I despise. Weibo has become the stronghold of the Boxer Rebellion. Patriotism has become a refuge for scoundrels.
They insult international students and foreigners; the essence is the same. They have nothing in terms of capital and power, and the only difference between them and overseas Chinese is that they live in China. Patriotism has become a way for them to show off; for this show-off, they can say countless words without limits. The only thing that reflects their sense of achievement is living in China. This inexplicably reminds me of the Red Guards of the past: I have no knowledge, no culture, no money, but I am a revolutionary fighter of the proletariat. Just based on this, I am higher than you rotten landlords, rightists, and stinky old nine. But then, you loyal ones are disappointed. You all say welcome international students back home, but foreign nationals are exempt; they don't even need to be tested or quarantined. A woman simply asked for a bottle of mineral water and was insulted for three days and nights. You say she is part of the privileged class; how cheap is this privilege? The real privileged class is the one you can see? Deep down, you all know the truth. After seeing those three hairs, I asked my parents to bring me ten bottles of mineral water when they brought breakfast. To be honest, would you dare use that kettle again? Today, I saw even more shocking stories.
When the hotel delivered breakfast to me, I chatted with the staff through the door, and she said that originally, we didn't have to deliver anything to you; it was just because of that bottle of mineral water. So you see, you insulted the mineral water lady for three days and nights, but the government also recognized some of the unreasonable aspects and quickly made corrections. Meanwhile, because too many people reported hunger that day, the customs began distributing instant noodles the next day.
This also reminds me of the Boxers' comments: "If you were really hungry for thirty hours, you would have starved to death long ago; you're just being delicate." The government's efficiency is so high, while your mindset is so narrow!
The voices of young people opposing are the driving force for a country's progress. The UK is undoubtedly on the decline. People analyze problems from political, economic, and various angles, but I believe a significant reason is that the political engagement of young people is continuously weakening. I wrote an article analyzing the election, and my economics teacher praised it highly after reading it. She believed many British students could not write such an article and did not understand their country's politics as thoroughly. The reason the Conservative Party can win is that the voters are mostly elderly. In contrast, the situation in the United States is entirely different. There was a very popular video where children were interviewed about their views on Trump, and the things the children said were very insightful. If a country's young people lose their political engagement and their ability to reflect, possessing only a shell of obedience without a soul of belief, then that country is destined to lose its vitality.
The decline of an empire always begins when its citizens lose their vitality. If their citizens stop reflecting, they can easily be incited during peacetime, and in times of crisis, whatever the government says goes. If they do not keep a close eye on every detail, their decline is only a matter of time.
Baseless insults are a fault, but reflection is certainly not a sin. My participation in politics and my suggestions must be reserved for my great motherland. I now believe the greatest ancient saying in China is: "If there is something to correct, correct it; if there is nothing, encourage it." Suggestions can be ignored, but they must be heard because listening to both sides brings clarity, while only listening to one side leads to darkness.