[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-restarted-life-1992":3,"chapter-my-restarted-life-1992-my-restarted-life-1992-chapter-995":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Restarted Life: 1992",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2280545,4460,"Chapter 995: The Four Great Inventions","my-restarted-life-1992-chapter-995",995,"\u003Cp>The speech ended, Lu Qing walked onto the stage and began introducing Guangdong Province’s economic development since reform and opening-up, policy adjustments, and the increased preferential measures for invested enterprises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came answers to existing questions—pure practical insights—both entrepreneurs from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan and local business owners listened intently, as it directly affected their interests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qing spoke for over an hour; it was already 10:30 when the female host stepped onto the stage and announced the morning session was over, inviting all guests to the banquet hall for lunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as everyone rose to leave, dozens of reporters rushed forward and surrounded Zhou Andong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The afternoon schedule had been set for guest interviews, but the list they received included only Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan entrepreneurs, plus two state-owned enterprise CEOs—no Zhou Andong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This couldn’t be allowed; Zhou Andong’s speech today had been too explosive, too sensational.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they didn’t block him now, getting an interview later would be extremely difficult—and they’d have to wait in line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Zhou, do you have some bias against Zhuo Qihua?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Zhou, how do you view the issue of idolizing the West?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Zhou, isn’t it true that the West is more advanced and developed than us? Isn’t it true that China has no world-class inventions? Isn’t it Zhuo Qihua’s personal freedom not to donate to China? What right do you have to insult and humiliate him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the noisy crowd fell silent, all eyes turning to the young reporter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Andong looked at the reporter—a young man in his thirties, clean-cut, wearing glasses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suit, white shirt, black shoes—the classic look of an elite from this era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which newspaper are you from?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man smiled proudly: “Yangcheng Evening News.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Andong said, “I’ll answer your questions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he pushed past the crowd blocking him, leapt onto the stage, and waved toward the backstage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Microphone!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound equipment had already been turned off, but staff members hearing Zhou Andong’s shout rushed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Zhou!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Andong said: “Turn the sound system back on. Give me the microphone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff didn’t know what was happening, but seeing the leaders hadn’t left, they said nothing, nodded, turned, ran backstage to reactivate the equipment, then came out and handed Zhou Andong the microphone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Andong held the microphone and said: “Just now, a reporter from Yangcheng Evening News asked me three questions in a row. First: Is it true that the West is more advanced and developed than us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second: Is it true that China has no world-class inventions? Third: Is it Zhuo Qihua’s personal freedom not to donate to China? What right do I have to insult and humiliate him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had already stood to leave sat back down upon hearing Zhou Andong’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had already left the venue, noticing others hadn’t exited, ran back to see what was happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qing whispered to his secretary: “Notify the banquet hall—delay lunch by half an hour.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The secretary nodded, glanced at Zhou Andong on stage—he wanted to hear what Zhou Andong would say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had no choice; he had to carry out his superior’s orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now I’ll answer your first question,” Zhou Andong said to the reporter. “Chinese civilization has a long and profound history; it is one of the world’s earliest ancient civilizations, predating Europe in origin and shining brilliantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, Chinese civilization has fallen behind—why? Because the Chinese themselves abandoned traditional culture, blindly embraced Western learning, and suffered from Western political, economic, and cultural aggression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Foreign powers continuously invaded us and imposed unequal treaties that restricted our development. From the Opium War of 1840 to Japan’s full-scale invasion of China, foreign powers launched thousands of wars against us; each war severely weakened China’s strength, while their own power grew stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They controlled China’s financial and economic lifelines, exploited political and economic privileges to plunder our resources, suppressed and crushed our national capitalist economy, leaving China impoverished and weak for over a century.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The West built its so-called advanced civilization through plunder. In my eyes, their so-called advanced civilization is nothing but a thief’s gene etched into their bones.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well said!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone shouted, and applause erupted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the applause died down, Zhou Andong continued: “I’ve said this many times: China has five thousand years of civilization and once led the world multiple times. Was the Tang Dynasty’s golden age, with nations coming to pay tribute, fake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I won’t even ask us to compete with the West for another five thousand years—that would be bullying them. Just fifty years? No, thirty years. Most of you here will likely live to see it. Let’s see what China will look like then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ask you all to remember my words today: thirty years from now, you’ll have your answer. At that time, you’ll surely raise your thumbs and say: Zhou Andong is awesome, China is awesome.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughter, applause, and whistles broke out. Several leaders smiled wryly—this had become Zhou Andong’s solo performance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though many believed Zhou Andong was bragging—that China could catch up to the West in three or five decades—no one truly believed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But listening to him was exhilarating, uplifting, making every drop of blood in their bodies feel like it was burning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Comrades, I can solemnly tell you: no country or bloc can defeat China.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Zhou Andong felt thirsty and picked up an unopened bottle of Yili mineral water from the lectern and took a sip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Although Yili is a Shenzhen enterprise and a famous brand, I still express regret—here, besides Yili mineral water, there should have been a bottle of iced black tea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laughter rose, and the applause, which had just faded, erupted again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Jingyuan leaned over to Lu Qing: “Prepare some iced black tea for tomorrow’s tour and the day-after’s symposium.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qing smiled wryly: “Zhou Andong is truly a businessman—he thinks of advertising no matter the occasion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Andong placed the mineral water back on the lectern and looked at the young reporter, whose expression had turned grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before I answer your second question, I have one for you—I hope you’ll answer me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man suddenly grew tense, but he refused to back down and shouted loudly: “Fine, ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Andong smiled: “Which university did you graduate from?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man froze, then replied proudly: “Tsinghua University, Chinese Literature Department.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That surprises me,” Zhou Andong said, making the young man even more smug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But how is it I can’t understand?” Zhou Andong looked at the smug young man. “Did your teacher never teach you—or did you fail to learn—that China has the Four Great Inventions?”\u003C\u002Fp>",1112,"2026-06-20T01:18:52.456Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8e98543d697a3837c3ce29d521e7379c0d0818b05febb1eb055038de545519d6","my-restarted-life-1992-chapter-996","my-restarted-life-1992-chapter-994",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-restarted-life-1992-cover.jpg"]