Sun Jiwei answered the call after a short while. Although it had been quite a while since I had contacted him, he was as enthusiastic as ever and greeted me before I could even speak.
I smiled and said to him, "Brother, every time I call you, it's because I have something to ask you for advice. I don't know what you think, but I feel like I'm being a bit of a busybody!"
Sun Jiwei laughed and replied, "I'm quite pleased that you've remembered me, your brother, for something like this... I'm just worried that one day you won't need my help anymore and won't call me for a year or two. That's when I'll really start to worry."
"Your words make me feel even more ashamed!"
"I really didn't take it to heart... Just tell me what's wrong, I have a meeting to attend later."
"Alright, I'll get to the point... Here's what happened..."
I recounted my experience at the Ancient City Management and Protection Bureau this morning to Sun Jiwei in as concise a language as possible. He didn't interrupt me the whole time, and only after I finished did he say to me, "Brother, I don't think you can entirely blame the bureau's staff... Although it might seem like they were doing a good deed at first glance, there's one thing you haven't considered... If the Ancient City Management and Protection Bureau authorized you to install these streetlights... but you failed to guarantee the quality of the work during installation, and a fire hazard arises... shouldn't the bureau bear that responsibility?... They definitely will, especially since your workshop isn't a formal organization and doesn't have the qualifications to do this kind of work; their responsibility will only be greater..."
"Such a low probability event is basically impossible to happen."
"You can't say that. It's better to be safe than sorry. Have you forgotten the massive fire in Shangri-La Old Town? It was caused by a guesthouse owner's improper use of electrical appliances... What a lesson that is! The entire old town was almost burned down... That's a national cultural treasure! You really don't know how many people were held accountable back then!"
I fell silent. Compared to Sun Jiwei, I was indeed not comprehensive enough in my thinking... and I didn't understand what people like them, who were in the system, were most afraid of.
Sun Jiwei then said, "Brother, let me give you a suggestion... Let me ask you first, if the lighting project for Jiulongju is definitely going to happen, who can make the most money from this project?"
"It must be the construction company responsible for installation and material procurement."
"That makes things much easier... You don't need to worry about this at all... Just have the construction company talk to the Ancient City Management and Protection Bureau... Why have them talk to them? First, they definitely want to make money off you; second, you're working with a construction company that frequently does projects in the Ancient City... They definitely deal with the Ancient City Management and Protection Bureau all the time, so they have some connections with the people there. Having them handle it is like finding someone you can talk to... Anyway, there's only one principle: whoever can help you solve this problem, that's who gets to make your money."
I can't help but admire Sun Jiwei's idea. He's incredibly adept at exploiting human nature and knows how to maximize the use of resources at his disposal. At this moment, I have a deeper understanding of him: barring any major unforeseen circumstances, he is destined for great heights in politics. He's more than just clever; his insight into society and his keen understanding of interpersonal relationships are what truly make him exceptional.
I really should learn from him...
After a long silence, I finally spoke to Sun Jiwei, saying, "Brother, I really appreciate your idea. I'll follow this method from now on."
Sun Jiwei smiled again and replied, "Okay, you're a smart man, I believe you can handle this... I won't say any more, the meeting starts in ten minutes, and I have some materials to prepare."
"Then you go ahead and get busy."
Just when I thought Sun Jiwei was about to hang up, he used the limited time to say to me, "Brother, let me point out something about you... Based on my experience dealing with you, you're definitely a smart man, but you're too principled... That's why you're unwilling to deal with people in the system, and even less adept at it... Otherwise, you wouldn't only think of me when there's trouble... You don't really consider me a friend you can get along with... But I don't blame you, and I even admire you for it... It's precisely because you have such principle and such a sense of justice that you jumped into Erhai Lake to save your sister-in-law and child..."
After a brief pause, Sun Jiwei continued, "I'm telling you all this in the hope that you can make some appropriate changes... If you want to achieve something remarkable in Dali, you must first learn to deal with all sorts of people... This isn't about being slick; it's a very useful skill... Do you understand?" (To chat with more like-minded people about "My Tenant Miss," follow "or" on WeChat to discuss your favorite books.)
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