Chapter 829: Tian Shi Discusses Friends

I filled Tian Shi's cup, then we both drank it dry.

I said: "Tian Shi, you have a meeting tomorrow; we just need to drink this cup."

"Jianqiang, how can this be? Not satisfying. Meetings, endless meetings."

No use at all,

What is said in the meeting, everyone understands,

including the speaker, he understands too.

Ah, so tired.

Everyone is acting, and even the crowd knows you're acting,

What does this mean, but we can't stop acting.

Life really is a big stage.

Speaking on stage is really good, but off stage the hand reaches really long.

Hmph, but can't it be different?

I also have no way.

Given the script, you still can't not sing.

Just leave it like this.

Jianqiang, our Xue County tourism project development is done, I plan to resign.

Really don't want to do it anymore.

"It's too damn exhausting." Tian Shi sighed.

Perhaps Tian Shi's sigh came from the heart.

But who in this world isn't tired?

Common people tire for survival,

students tire for study,

The cake is only so big; if you take a bite, others will have less.

No way but to grab.

I listened to Tian Shi's lament, and could only sigh with him.

At this moment Tian Shi picked up the wine bottle,

"Jianqiang, let me pour you a cup."

"No, Tian Shi, how could I let you pour wine for me."

"How come I can't pour you wine."

"Alright, put it down." Tian Shi said angrily.

I had no choice but to put down the cup,

Tian Shi poured me a cup of wine,

"Jianqiang, why pour you wine.

"Really thank you, thank you for being my friend.

"You know, true confidants are hard to find, good friends are rare.

"In this world, the easiest to make is friends, the hardest to make is also friends.

"Two people must be able to talk, must have compatible personalities, and be able to communicate spiritually.

"Some friends are neighbors and classmates from childhood; most of them are friends from youth.

"Friends from the time of youthful ignorance,

"Everyone goes their own way, each with their own development direction; no one knows what anyone will become.

"Such friends can recount old times; otherwise, people keep in touch less,

"and in career we try not to get involved together, otherwise it's meaningless, because whether career succeeds or fails, you won't even have a friend to reminisce with.

"Me and you are called true career friends,

"Do you understand, this kind of friend is mostly after adulthood.

"and are friends after experiencing hardships.

"Of course this society popularizes the Four Irons among friends,

"those who have fought together with guns, climbed mountains together, gone to the countryside together, and visited prostitutes together.

"It means sharing some life-and-death years on life's road; only such friends can confide in each other.

"First let me tell you about friends who have fought together with guns,

"The friend I just mentioned from Xianggang, I fought with him with guns. Actually I didn't come out of university; later I went to work and then obtained a university diploma.

"Really, Jianqiang, don't disbelieve. My saying you saying yes is the truth.

"Only after a person has experienced more, seen more people, done more things, can they understand many principles.

"What can university graduates do? Their social experience is just too little,

"in management they're like idiots.

"True management is for those who have experienced much; they understand human nature. I won't drag this on." Tian Shi lit a cigarette and started smoking.

After two puffs,

He gazed ahead, pondering: "Jianqiang, don't you remember, in the early 1980s in the south, some battles occurred."

I nodded: "Tian Shi, back then I was young, only in my teens; I recall daily broadcasts. The school even had us specially study some heroic deeds."

Tian Shi smiled and nodded,

"I'm over ten years older than you; actually I am the hero you studied back then. Ah, every era has its heroes,

In that era, heroes belonged to us; of course, now heroes belong to entrepreneurs.

The times have changed.

I then continued with my story,

At that time, I was a hot-blooded youth.

For the country, for the nation, I too have risked my life.

My friend and I once joined forces to sneak behind enemy lines to gather some intelligence.

But my friend accidentally got his leg hit by a stray bullet.

We were in danger of being exposed.

To let me finish anything, he gave me a knife,

So I could help him end his life.

Otherwise, we both could be caught.

You should know our lives hung by a thread.

I didn't listen to my friend's words,

Speaking as a friend,

I would rather be exposed and caught, even if we both died, than strike him down.

That's human nature.

The friend hugged me and cried.

I helped the friend wipe away his tears.

Then I quickly helped him bandage his wound, taking advantage of the night.

We quietly found a cave to hide in.

Fortunately, we actually managed to escape the enemy's pursuit.

And we waited for the main force's encirclement and suppression,

Although we didn't complete the mission, we didn't lose anything either, but later we earned merit for another matter.

After demobilization, I entered the system. As for my friend, thanks to his father-in-law's connections, he went to Xianggang to develop.

Having gone through this life-and-death experience, our friendship was bought with our lives.

Although we don't keep in touch much.

But as long as one speaks up, everyone will do their best to help.

One could even, like in a TV drama, entrust one's orphan to Baidicheng.

Hehe, such friends are few now, because there are fewer wars.

Well, the other three friends, although it's a joke, it also works; at least we've shared hardships and joys together.

You'll surely laugh, but does going to prostitutes together also count as friendship?

Jianqiang, what do you think? I'm not deliberately saying these vulgar things.

People? They are inherently vulgar; who can be without desire?

When society develops to a certain point, desire also expands.

This is the impurity of social development.

Such relations involve privacy issues.

Actually, it's just that.

Everyone does such things together; what's there not to believe?

Before entering the system, I had worked in other units.

Having arrested many men who solicited prostitutes, I asked them why they did it together; the result was to gain mutual trust among friends.

Actually, the hardest thing between people is trust.

Speaking of trust, saying it's valuable, it is indeed very valuable,

Saying it's worthless, it has no value at all.

Some people don't take trust seriously and act recklessly,

Taking a friend's trust as an excuse for indulgence, the result harms oneself and also harms the friend.

Some regard trust as more precious than gold.

Even to fulfill a promise between friends, one would pay with one's life.

What modern society lacks most is trust.

Because we have over-developed trust,

The result of that development is that nobody believes anybody.

This makes social costs increase invisibly.

Look at the ads on TV and various marketing methods; their trick is to use trust to swindle money.

"Come, have a drink," Tian Shi said, holding his wine cup.

The first time I talked this deeply with Tian Shi, I never expected him to say I am his friend,

And being business partners, this is really moving. Today, even drinking myself to death in front of Tian Shi would be worth it.

No more talk, just drink.