Chapter 222

Li Ye and the others waited on the platform for several minutes, but even after all the passengers in the sleeper carriage had disembarked, they still did not see the man with the crutches.

Li Ye asked Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng, "Was he in a hard sleeper or a soft sleeper?"

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng shook his head and said, "I don't know. If he happens to be a First Class Merit recipient, he might be able to sit in the soft sleeper carriage! Should I go up and check?"

"No, let's wait a bit longer."

Watching Wen Leyu, who had been bored to tears after waiting for so long, was stunned for a moment, then squinted her eyes and said, "A living First Class Merit recipient? Well, I must take a good look at that."

Li Ye only then remembered he hadn't explained things clearly to her. Just as he was about to tell her about Guo Donglun's situation, he saw the nanny, Xiao Liang, carrying a wheelchair in one hand and supporting Guo Donglun with the other as they stepped down from the soft sleeper carriage.

Watching Wen Leyu's gaze sharpened, and she suddenly realized the truth. The light smile that had just surfaced on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of solemn gravity.

Li Ye walked over quickly, extending his hand while still a few paces away.

This was out of respect for a soldier, regardless of status or rank.

"Hello, Comrade Guo. I am Li Ye."

Guo Donglun looked at Li Ye, who had approached first. His heart eased, and he also reached out, saying calmly, "Guo Donglun. Just call me by my name."

"I'd better stick with Comrade Guo! The car is right outside; let me push you."

"No need, thank you."

Guo Donglun coldly declined Li Ye's good intentions and let the nanny, Xiao Liang, continue pushing the wheelchair.

As they brushed past Watching Wen Leyu, Guo Donglun exchanged a close-range look with the young lady. That cold, scrutinizing gaze made the breath he had just let out catch in his throat again.

"I shouldn't have made a mistake, right? Otherwise... that would be embarrassing."

The Pengcheng Seventh Factory's vehicle was parked right outside the train station—a Beijing-brand 130 dual-purpose passenger and cargo truck.

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng walked over quickly to open the door, smiling as he said, "The conditions are humble, so please bear with us, Comrade Guo. Let me help you up."

But the nanny, Xiao Liang, said, "No need. We can just take a taxi ourselves."

Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng felt a bit awkward and said, "Alright then. We'll lead the way in front; we'll be there soon."

Guo Donglun and Xiao Liang hailed a Volga taxi and followed behind Li Ye's Beijing 130.

The two vehicles drove toward Chaoyang District, turning here and there before finally ducking into a small alleyway.

The nanny, Xiao Liang, couldn't help but ask, "Driver, where is this? Is there a Pengcheng Seventh Factory office or a restaurant in here?"

The taxi driver had been holding back his words! He immediately said, "There's no office here, but there is a small eatery.

If you're here to eat, you'd better ask in advance. Ordinary people can't get a table; they don't serve just anyone."

"They don't serve ordinary people? Then what kind of people aren't 'ordinary'?"

"You've really asked the right person; I live not far from here," the taxi driver said, his 'chatterbox' skills finally fully activated. "If it's the neighbors from the nearby alleys, they must have a table, otherwise they'll really cause a scene.

But if you aren't neighbors, it's hard to say. You two don't look like ordinary people, but you don't know how small an official is until you're in the capital. You could pull out any enterprise on this street, and the boss would be at least a deputy ministerial level.

If they didn't have some real ability, would they dare chase guests away? The old man in their back kitchen retired from the Sea Palace; no matter what your rank is, you wouldn't dare bare your fangs at him."

Guo Donglun and Xiao Liang didn't speak again. After arriving at the destination, they paid and got out; it was indeed that small eatery.

Upon arriving, the two noticed that Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng and the driver didn't go in; only Li Ye and that young lady entered.

And once inside, the people in the restaurant greeted them right away.

"You're here, Miss."

"Yes! Sorry to trouble you again, Uncle Heng."

"What trouble? Hurry, sit inside. Is it the same private room as last time?"

After greeting Watching Wen Leyu, they then asked Li Ye, "Brother, are you ordering the dishes again?"

Li Ye smiled and said, "I won't order, Uncle Heng. There are just the four of us, and we have friends from the South. You handle the flavors as you see fit."

"Alright, you go greet your friends first. I'll go to the kitchen and prepare the dishes for you."

Guo Donglun felt suspicious again, because the people in the restaurant had greeted Watching Wen Leyu first, and there was a distinct difference in their tone and enthusiastic attitude.

Plus, that whole spiel from the taxi driver just now...

So, Guo Donglun asked Li Ye, "Student Li, is your home in the capital?"

"No? Why would you ask that?" Li Ye said while leading Guo Donglun into the private room. "I'm from Qingshui; Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng and Hao Jian are both fellow townsmen."

Guo Donglun said, "Just now in the taxi, the driver chatted with me for a long time, saying this restaurant only takes reservations from people in the capital. Turns out he was just bragging."

Li Ye paused for a second and smiled, "I wouldn't say he was bragging."

The four entered the private room. Li Ye deferred the seats to the two guests, and Watching Wen Leyu, showing no airs, even helped pull out a chair for the mobility-impaired Guo Donglun.

After they were seated, Guo Donglun introduced, "This is Xiao Liang. I have difficulty moving, so she stays by my side to take care of me."

Watching Wen Leyu glanced at Li Ye to see if he had caught the subtext in Guo Donglun's words.

Since they were here to discuss business, the extraneous personnel should be asked to leave.

Xiao Liang had to stay "by Guo Donglun's side" to take care of him, so naturally, she couldn't leave. What about Watching Wen Leyu?

Li Ye smiled faintly and said, "This is my classmate, Xiao Wen. I don't have the ability to book a table here, and since you two have come from afar, I couldn't be negligent, so I had to ask her to help."

Guo Donglun asked "curiously," "Is Student Wen from the capital?"

Watching Wen Leyu said calmly, "I suppose so. I only moved here with my parents last year."

Guo Donglun: "Oh? And what unit do Student Wen's parents work in?"

Watching Wen Leyu's cold gaze flashed by: "That's not convenient to say."

Guo Donglun immediately said, "Apologies, I was presumptuous."

He finally confirmed that his feeling just now was correct. All the doubts from start to finish suddenly connected, and everything became clear.

The trope of a handsome young man from a small county getting into university and receiving the favor of a female classmate automatically filled Guo Donglun's brain.

In that era, such things were common; it wasn't rare for an orderly to marry the daughter of a big boss.

No wonder Hao Jian and Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng had received so much help from him, yet in the end, they didn't even say a word and hid so many things from him. It turns out that "the fat water doesn't flow into outsiders' fields"!

Who can you reason with about this? If it were you, what would you do?

The dishes were served quickly, and the taste was excellent; even the Cantonese people, who are very particular about food, couldn't find any faults.

However, the atmosphere at the table wasn't great. The four of them just drank tea without speaking, and after the dishes were served, each ate their own, focusing on who could hold out the longest.

Li Ye saw that it really wasn't working, so he had to say, "Comrade Guo, can you drink alcohol?"

Guo Donglun said quite readily, "I can drink a little."

【This makes things easier.】

Both of them had the same thought in their minds.

"Comrade Guo has come from afar, and I haven't taken good care of you here. I'll drink this first as a sign of respect."

"Don't be so formal, the food is good."

One cup for another.

"For over a year, thanks to Comrade Guo's care for us Qingshui folks, I'll toast you!"

"I wouldn't call it care, hehe."

One cup for another.

"I've heard Watching Watching Watching Jin Peng and Hao Jian mention your affairs. Although I don't know much, but... I'll finish this cup."

"Bottoms up!"

"My grandfather and father were both soldiers. They are very concerned about the war in the South and always regret being born a few decades too early. This cup, I toast all the soldiers fighting for the country."

【Are you drinking water, damn it!】

Anyone who has rolled around in the military, as long as they aren't deficient in aldehyde dehydrogenase, can "drink a little."

So Guo Donglun was very confident in his alcohol tolerance; after all, he hadn't lacked for alcohol at home these years.

But you two are almost finishing a bottle each in five minutes... no one can handle that!

Seeing Li Ye open another bottle and pour for himself and Guo Donglun, the nanny, Xiao Liang, poked Guo Donglun in the back with her finger.

Guo Donglun didn't make a sound; at this point, whoever chickens out will regret it.

Seeing Li Ye reach for the wine glass again, the nanny, Xiao Liang, stepped in and picked up Guo Donglun's glass, saying, "We have come from afar, and Student Li has been a generous host. This cup is to express our gratitude. I'll drink it first."

Xiao Liang drank the wine, which surprised Li Ye a little.

But what was even more surprising was that Watching Wen Leyu, sitting next to him, was actually eager to try.

Li Ye had very rich combat experience; he knew whether someone was going to throw a straight punch or a hook just by the movement of their shoulder. So, the moment Watching Wen Leyu's hand lifted, Li Ye snatched the glass and drank it himself.

Are you kidding? Watching Wen Leyu insisted on coming today, and Li Ye not refusing her was already outrageous enough.

If he let her block drinks for him, believe it or not, the next time he saw Teacher Ke, she would give him seventeen or eighteen eye-rolls?

Xiao Liang finally felt relieved.

She knew Guo Donglun's alcohol tolerance; very few people were his match. Now that Li Ye had drunk five cups in ten minutes, it was time to settle down.

But Li Ye picked up the glass again and said, "I heard from people from the Pengcheng Seventh Factory in the Southwest that Comrade Guo went to several counties, and in each county, you donated 100,000 yuan as an anonymous soldier. Regardless of whether your approach is right or wrong, I must toast you for this."

"Don't drink yet. How was what I did wrong?"

Guo Donglun finally managed to ask this question before Li Ye could drink.

Li Ye put down the glass and said, "I didn't say it was wrong!"

Guo Donglun said persistently, "But you didn't say it was right either."

Li Ye pondered for a few seconds and said with a smile, "Comrade Guo, your intention in donating money is good, but you are also a sensible person. You should understand that these 100,000 yuan cannot improve the lives of many families."

Guo Donglun said in a deep voice, "In a year of severe drought, a single drop of water can save a life. How can you say it's wrong?"

Li Ye spun the wine glass in his hand and said calmly, "I heard that you followed Chen Donggou for half a month and went to many remote villages.

Then you should know why I asked him to choose the hard way over the easy one, spending time and effort to recruit those few workers."

Guo Donglun nodded and said, "You wanted to give job opportunities to those who are the poorest and most in need of help, right?"

Guo Donglun saw this point. If Ergou had recruited workers in the county seat, the efficiency would have been much higher, and he might have recruited enough people by the next day, but those workers might not have been the poorest.

"Yes and no," Li Ye said. "Even if we recruited three people from each village, the job opportunities would most likely be taken by the children of the most powerful families in the village. As for those small, poor families, it's better not to mention them."

"And your kind of pure donation might raise more idlers."

"..."

Guo Donglun fell silent. In this regard, he was not skilled.

There was a county in Dongshan where the poverty label was removed and then put back on, removed and put back on. This was the manifestation of such drawbacks.

Finally, Guo Donglun said, "Then what is your brilliant opinion?"

Li Ye sighed and said, "There is only one way: the country must be strong, and poverty will vanish on its own. When the big river is full, the small rivers will be full. Even if only a wisp leaks through, it can irrigate a field of crops."

Guo Donglun laughed: "Student Li Ye, when all is said and done, isn't this just an old cliché? People were saying this decades ago!"

Li Ye also laughed: "Yes! That's why I am working toward this direction!"

Guo Donglun's smile didn't fade: "And you're using your Pengcheng Seventh Factory to do it?"

Li Ye looked at Guo Donglun's smiling face and said slowly, "Yes. You were also once a soldier, so what kind of threat do you think our land is facing now?"

Guo Donglun lost his smile and said earnestly, "Tell me. Even if you're talking nonsense, I'm all ears."

Li Ye nodded and said, "If you have studied economics, you would know that since World War II, the Lighthouse Country has shifted from military hegemony to economic hegemony. Now, I think it has a tendency to develop toward cultural hegemony."

"The problems we face have also shifted from military problems to complex problems. The first thing we encounter is the problem of economic invasion."

"It won't be long before our enterprises come into contact with overseas economic groups. That contact might look peaceful on the surface, but in essence, it is cruel.

If you don't believe me, you can ask someone to understand how many small nations' economies in the world have been kidnapped by large financial groups."

"Those financial groups have experience, talent, and even more money that can be used flexibly. Only by defeating them can we realize the dream of decades ago."

"The Pengcheng Seventh Factory is weak, but it is willing to contribute to this land. And I hope that more rich people are willing to contribute, rather than just squandering money on unimportant things."

"..."

Li Ye said a lot. At first, Guo Donglun was very disdainful because the Pengcheng Seventh Factory looked prosperous, but compared to large enterprises, it really wasn't much.

But by the end, Guo Donglun felt a bit ashamed.

Li Ye was younger than him and had a lower starting point, but he himself seemed to have done nothing all these years.

After Li Ye finished speaking, the small private room was quiet for a long time. The three people looked at Li Ye, who was bowing his head in reflection, feeling quite at a loss for how to conduct themselves.

At this moment, Watching Wen Leyu said, "How about this, Li Ye, tell us more about cultural imperialism!"

"This is just my guess, it's not easy to talk about,"

Li Ye really found it hard to talk about, because he didn't know if anyone had noticed the concept of cultural exchange in 1982.

But it had indeed already happened.

In 1981, the Lighthouse launched a cultural and ideological exchange against the Soviet Goose. It only took ten years to defeat the Soviet Goose, which had millions of troops and twenty million core members.

When the Red Flag was lowered over Red Square, those who still had the Zhuang Zhuang Hongxing in their hearts could only cross the Dnieper River, climb over the Ural Mountains, and go to the end of the icy world to find the continuation of the Zhuang Zhuang Hongxing.

Can this be said?

The recent chapters have been very difficult to write. Deleting and revising, feeling constrained. Not only is the writing super slow, but looking back after finishing, hiss... it's terrifying to think about.

(End of chapter)