Sun Jiwei's answer wasn't too different from what I had expected. After a moment of silence, I asked him again, "Is there a legal standard for punishing such cases? There are so many inns involved now; we can't all be fined until they're bankrupt and then go to jail, can we?"
"There is no unified standard, but the current situation is similar to that during the crackdown period. I estimate that these guesthouse owners who are operating illegally will all be in deep trouble."
"The higher-ups keep saying they'll protect Erhai Lake, but have they really figured out where the pollution is coming from? ... Now Dali has all sorts of people, a real mix, and the streets are full of cars with license plates from other places. Aren't these pollutants? Why not ban cars and tourists too... Let everyone go back to living in a primitive state, then the ecology will definitely not have any problems... Anyway, it's a one-size-fits-all policy, so why not make it more thorough!"
"Brother, this is not something to be discussed lightly... Although this policy seems ruthless, it's not just targeting a specific person... Cao Jinbo is a figure of some importance, but his polluting paper mill was shut down anyway... How to put it... Protecting Erhai Lake is a benefit for the present and future generations. If we don't take drastic measures now, our next generation and the entire tourism ecosystem of Dali will suffer. We'll just have to bear this pain... Once the ecological environment of Erhai Lake is restored, there will definitely be a reasonable and scientific plan that won't harm innocent people anymore... However, these innkeepers who defy the rules are not innocent at all, because the higher-ups have repeatedly issued orders, yet they still do it, purely trampling on the credibility of the policy... Since it's called a policy, can it be trampled on so easily?... As a civil servant, I support this action."
After a moment of silence, I replied, "I got agitated... I just hope that when the higher-ups make a decision on punishment, they can take this into consideration. These people don't actually want to challenge authority; some are genuinely forced by circumstances... Especially for us outsiders, it's really not easy to do anything well!"
“I understand what you’re saying… but this isn’t something that can be solved by rushing things… let’s patiently wait for the higher-ups to make a decision on the punishment… trying to pull strings to plead for leniency at this time is the most foolish thing to do… unless your connections are strong enough, otherwise whoever does it will be in trouble… after all, so many eyes are watching, how can we convince the public if we just release them like this?… Besides, there were media present when the law was enforced. Why were the media involved? It was to demonstrate fairness and to allow the media to supervise…”
"In short, this is a very difficult matter, isn't it?"
“It’s not that it’s difficult to handle, it’s that it’s impossible to handle…” After a slight pause, Sun Jiwei said in a low voice, “Tell your friend to learn from this lesson… I did warn you before, but now that something has happened, trying to catch up at the last minute… is definitely too late.”
I replied with difficulty, "Okay, brother... I understand what you mean... I won't cause you any more trouble. I'll treat you to a meal when you go back to Dali."
"See you later."
Just as I was about to hang up, Sun Jiwei called me back. He said to me very sincerely, "Brother, you're in a good situation right now, but I advise you not to get involved in this mess. This is really not something you can help with."
After a moment of contemplation, I replied, "This isn't just any brother... He's not a bad person at heart, and I still want to do my best in this matter!"
Sun Jiwei sighed softly and then hung up the phone.
...
I lit a cigarette and squinted at the opposite bank, where a glimmer of light had appeared. I knew it was the dawn... but it couldn't reach my heart. I dared not imagine Taozi's feelings, nor could I imagine her and Tienan's future.
In my confusion, I took my bank card out of my wallet. After deducting the share given to Cao Jinbo, I would still have about 400,000 yuan left. Of that, 190,000 yuan was the initial capital given to me by Wang Lei, so I would still have about 200,000 yuan that I could freely use.
If this money can save Tetsuo, I think I will give it away... Although I lost an opportunity for self-improvement, Momoko and Tetsuo also gained a chance to choose their lives again, so I think it was worth it.
But I'm afraid that even this money won't be enough to save him.
...
My phone vibrated. I took it out and saw it was a red envelope from Cao Xiaobei... I remembered what Yang Sisi said before leaving the bar, that she asked Cao Xiaobei to send me a red envelope so I could experience the feeling of good things coming in pairs... Now that Cao Xiaobei has actually sent a red envelope, they've probably confirmed their relationship.
My finger trembled slightly, then I opened the red envelope... just like Yang Sisi's, it was a 200 yuan red envelope.
I replied to the message: "Is Sisi with you?"
What do you think?
"Be nice to her...she's a good girl."
"That's such an old-fashioned thing to say... Try something new."
"I'm not in the mood to argue with you... Just understand what I mean."
After sending the message, I threw my phone aside and lay down heavily; soon my shoes were soaked by the rising and falling tide... I was extremely irritable, so my old habit relapsed: I wanted to jump into Erhai Lake, suffocate myself, and find space in the suffocation.
...
I took off my shirt and pants, and plunged into Erhai Lake wearing only my underwear. The water in Erhai Lake was very cold. I was dizzy from the shock because I hadn't done enough exercise. I quickly grabbed the nearest rock and breathed heavily while trying to adjust to the temperature difference caused by jumping into the water.
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