Chapter 223: Wen Leyu: We

Li Ye's hesitation made the three people in the private room feel as if they'd been left hanging with "to know what happens next, wait for the next installment"—deeply irritating and unsatisfying.

Wen Leyu would never force Li Ye, and neither would the nanny Liang have the face to do so, so.

"Guesswork?"

Guo Donglun chuckled, speaking with clear condescension: "I know a few scholars who enjoy speculating about global trends—so you, Li Ye, are also quite accomplished?"

Classic provocation.

Li Ye saw right through Guo Donglun's subtle scheme.

Of course, Guo Donglun never intended to hide it—he was openly goading him: I'm provoking you, so if you're scared, just back down.

After a brief pause, Li Ye said: "Let's pick a less sensitive subject to discuss. Do you know what the Confucian cultural sphere is?"

None of them answered, but from their expressions, Li Ye knew they might have heard of "tributary states," but hadn't grasped his meaning.

"The Confucian cultural sphere is a circle of cultural exchange radiating outward from the historical Huahua Empire—you can also think of this exchange as infiltration or invasion."

"For example, that country on the northern peninsula, one of the Four Little Dragons, was once one of the regions influenced by our civilization."

"Even though they're now much wealthier per capita, if you look at their ID cards or household registrations, you'll find their names are written in Chinese characters."

"If you dig deeper, you'll learn their laws are also written in our script."

"Because if they used their own script, many precise legal principles couldn't be interpreted—couldn't be clearly explained—you wouldn't know what crime the offender actually committed."

Wen Leyu, Guo Donglun, and Liang were all taken aback.

In 1982, ordinary people had few channels for information, and this topic was never publicly promoted—unless someone had actually been to South Korea, they wouldn't know this.

Li Ye continued: "This is the power of the Confucian cultural sphere—and this is only a residual version of its power."

"Residual version?" Wen Leyu asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means the lingering influence of the dead," Li Ye sighed. "Centuries ago, our land was the center of the Confucian cultural sphere."

"From the 38th parallel in the north, to Malacca in the south, to Japan in the east, to Suyab in the west—all were within Huahua's sphere of influence."

"Within this vast circle, everyone held Huahua in deep respect and admiration, believing everything about us was good and right."

"They revered our language and culture, accepted our customs, envied our strength, and even studied our social systems."

"."

Only then did Wen Leyu and Guo Donglun suddenly realize.

System was a taboo topic.

Li Ye ignored their startled expressions and went on: "For example, Japan—during the Tang Dynasty, they sent many envoys to China, and upon returning, reformed their entire social governance structure."

"As for Korea to the north, no need to elaborate—they were directly our tributary state, their power structure deeply influenced by us; the Philippines in the south paid annual tribute to our emperor, calling themselves subjects."

"Stop."

Guo Donglun interrupted Li Ye, asking seriously: "Are you suggesting we'll be culturally irradiated by the Beacon, transformed into… what?"

"."

Li Ye fell silent for several seconds, then smiled: "So I'm just guessing, right? After all, it's something our ancestors already played out—who knows if they even care anymore."

"But I've met a few people who returned from overseas—they go around telling everyone how wonderful the West is, how superior their society is."

"Isn't that just like the Tang envoys returning from Chang'an to Korea and Japan?"

"Chang'an had its starving beggars, but the envoys only saw the elegant scholars on the terraces."

"The Beacon has its destitute homeless, yet some people only see the corporate elites of Manhattan—why is that?"

Guo Donglun, like a stand-up comic's straight man, asked directly: "Why?"

"Because they're all exceptional people," Li Ye said. "To become an envoy to Tang China, you had to be rigorously selected from Japan or Korea—you wouldn't drag some lazy peasant from the village to Tang."

"These people had intelligence and resilience; no matter the environment, they refused mediocrity."

"From the moment they set foot on any land, their eyes looked upward."

"The clouds were their goal—what did mud beneath them have to do with them?"

"."

Wen Leyu suddenly picked up her chopsticks.

"Enough, Li Ye, I'm hungry!"

"Huh? Oh, right, eat, eat—I'm sorry, I went on too long and neglected you."

Li Ye, cut off by Wen Leyu, realized he'd gone too far and smiled, urging Guo Donglun and Liang to eat.

But Guo Donglun and Liang didn't touch their chopsticks—they just watched Li Ye and Wen Leyu eat.

【I'm just watching you eat—how can you possibly enjoy it? Are you telling me a story and leaving me hanging mid-cliff?】

But as they watched, Guo Donglun and Liang grew astonished.

These two young people could really eat!

If not for Li Ye and Wen Leyu's relatively refined table manners, Guo Donglun would've laughed and called them reincarnated starving ghosts.

A large eight-inch plate—each of them ate three dishes and still weren't satisfied.

The blue-and-white bowls weren't big, but you kept refilling them—when would it end?

This is soup, not water.

The appetite of people from Dongshan wasn't exaggerated—compared to Shaanxi and Gansu, it might not stand out, but compared to areas south of the Yangtze—

Anyway, back in his past life, when Li Ye ate in the south, restaurant owners always gave him strange looks.

This kid—ordinary families couldn't afford to raise him.

Guo Donglun seized a moment to whisper: "When I was in the army, I had two comrades from Dongshan—they could eat like beasts too. I thought it was just personal, but now it seems like a regional trait."

Li Ye kept eating, saying: "Yes, Dongshan people really have big stomachs—just like our personalities: open and straightforward!"

【You're open and straightforward? Bullshit!】

Guo Donglun cursed inwardly, but smiled politely, waiting until Li Ye and Wen Leyu finished eating before asking his real question.

"Since you speculated about the danger of cultural irradiation, have you thought of any countermeasures?"

"Do I need to guess?"

Li Ye thought a moment: "There are many ways—we've used one of them for the past few decades, and it still works. The other is to defeat them."

Guo Donglun: "Defeat them? What exactly do you mean?"

Li Ye said seriously: "Literally—economically and culturally, defeat them head-on, with real weapons and real strength."

"When our people eat better, dress better, and use better things than theirs, what do we have to fear from infiltration?"

"At that point, the Confucian cultural sphere will revive—and everyone around us will once again be learning Chinese."

Guo Donglun frowned: "Just letting our people eat well, dress well, and use better things—that's enough?"

"What do you mean 'just'?" Li Ye laughed. "It's not simple—we have one-sixth of the world's population! And this is only the first step…"

"In short, we're all pebbles swept up in the current—if we can stir up even a little splash, our lives are worth it."

"."

Guo Donglun fell silent, thinking deeply, then suddenly said to Liang: "Bring me a bowl of rice."

"Oh!"

The nanny Liang hurried to serve him rice—he'd drunk so much alcohol and barely touched the food; he needed something to settle his stomach.

Guo Donglun slowly chewed two bowls of rice, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and stood to leave.

"Thank you for your hospitality. I'll likely stay in Jingcheng a few more days—if you need me, find me at the Great Wall Hotel."

Li Ye stood up, puzzled: "Leaving so soon? Didn't you come to Jingcheng to talk with me?"

Guo Donglun calmly replied: "Didn't we just talk?"

Li Ye: "."

The four left the small restaurant; the Volga's driver rushed over to open the door and let Guo Donglun and the nanny Liang in.

Of course, when they arrived, Liang had given him twenty yuan as a tip—otherwise he wouldn't have been so eager, nor waited so long.

After Guo Donglun left, Jin Peng and the others reappeared.

Jin Peng asked: "Xiao Ye, how did the talk go?"

Li Ye said: "Hard to say—he'll stay in Jingcheng a few more days. We'll adapt as we go."

Jin Peng's unease didn't vanish, but he could only take Li Ye and Wen Leyu back to school first.

Back on campus, as Wen Leyu walked with Li Ye along Weiming Lake, she said: "Today you told him too much—you made him think we're trying to persuade him to keep cooperating."

"We don't need to lower ourselves—do as you please, why fear him?"

Li Ye smiled: "I'm not afraid of him—I just thought he was interesting. Since he's bored, I gave him something to do. Maybe he'll become a fellow traveler?"

"Isn't that me, your walking companion?"

"Oh right—you're my walking companion, different from others."

"Pfft~"

Wen Leyu rolled her eyes, then asked: "You've been scheming to strengthen Pengcheng Factory Seven—just to duel those financial conglomerates?"

Li Ye nodded: "Something like that. You've got to do something—life only has meaning if you do."

Wen Leyu giggled: "When you enrolled in economics, I thought you wanted to become a billionaire. Turns out your ambitions are much bigger."

Li Ye said, surprised: "You guessed right—becoming a billionaire doesn't conflict with having big ambitions."

"."

"So all that talk tonight, making me feel so moved—you actually meant all that?"

"Wow, I forgot you're a probationary Party member! Xiao Yu, you won't turn me in for a reward, will you?"

Wen Leyu kicked Li Ye's shin hard, waving her hands: "Turn you in? You think I'd turn myself in too? We're grasshoppers on the same rope—who gets away?"

"."

Guo Donglun and Xiao Liang arrived at the Great Wall Hotel and used their introduction letter to check into a room.

Xiao Liang fulfilled her duty as a caretaker, washing Guo Donglun's face and feet, and seeing him to rest.

Then Xiao Liang suddenly said, "That Li Ye today spoke somewhat extravagantly."

Guo Donglun said, "It was a bit exaggerated, but I have nothing else to do right now—having some fun won't hurt."

Xiao Liang glanced at Guo Donglun and said nothing more.

Although Guo Donglun claimed he was just having fun, Xiao Liang felt he was serious.

She turned to leave, and behind her, Guo Donglun said, "Call Lao Liao and get me a Crown car—something legitimately imported."

Alright. He was indeed serious.

(End of Chapter)