Chapter 1654 Crossing the River and Destroying the Bridge
Li Ye's post sparked unexpected conflict and heated debate, drawing countless early internet users from mainland China to participate in this online battle that is destined to be recorded in the history of the development of the internet in mainland China.
One side of the verbal battle is the "beacon faction," who look outward to the development and civilization of the West, despise the backwardness and corruption of the mainland, and even more so to the narrow-mindedness and ignorance of the people in the mainland.
The other side of the verbal battle is the "self-strengthening faction," who are more committed to the self-strengthening and rejuvenation of the mainland and believe that everyone should work together to help the motherland realize its dream of modernization.
Those who advocate for the "beacon of hope" despise liberals as "sour grapes," mocking them for their poor academic performance, inability to secure study abroad opportunities, and lack of ability to travel abroad and see the wider world.
Meanwhile, liberals criticized the "beacon of the West" as selfish and self-serving, saying they had failed the country's nurturing and were unwilling to return home after completing their studies, even abandoning their ancestral graves for a bite to eat from abroad.
It must be said that the Beacon Faction is stronger than Li Ye imagined. After all, these days, people throughout the Eastern camp yearn for the West. For example, the dubbing used by a certain director surnamed Jia in his film, "Go West," is a call for young people from the East to come to Western capitalist countries.
As a result, all sorts of highly persuasive rhetoric emerged on the BBS forum of the light vehicle company, causing the self-reliant faction to suffer repeated defeats.
Even homeless people in America play the violin; that's a truly free and civilized world. Being homeless doesn't mean they're lazy; it's just their chosen way of life. Our lives, on the other hand, are merely about existing.
If you believe studying abroad is a crime, then where did our rockets and nuclear weapons come from?
Don't you have a TV at home? Every year during the Spring Festival Gala, we celebrate the Spring Festival with our compatriots overseas. Are you deliberately creating internal conflict among us?
Listen to this, listen to this.
If you're a mainland Chinese who's just escaped the days of eating steamed buns and pickled vegetables, how do you react to posts like this? Aside from saying "You're talking nonsense," are you truly speechless?
Left with no other option, many people began leaving comments under Li Ye's post, hoping that he would speak out again and launch a sharp counterattack similar to that of the "Zhong brothers".
Having witnessed various forms of cyberbullying decades later, Li Ye was naturally very cautious.
After all, the country sends so many people abroad to study every year, and many also return to serve the country. If things aren't handled carefully, a whole group could be lost.
So Li Ye didn't choose to add fuel to the fire, but instead posted a very objective post.
There's nothing wrong with going abroad to see the world. Just like the Japanese envoys to Tang China many years ago, we have also accepted students from other countries and regions.
If our compatriots residing overseas wish us well, we should be gratified. If they can dedicate themselves to the revitalization of China like Qian Xuesen did, we should respect them even more. Whether it's providing timely help or adding to existing success, it's all a positive contribution to our country's development.
Li Ye's words were mild enough, weren't they? Yet, he still received vicious criticism.
[Offering help in times of need versus adding to someone's success? You mean overseas patriots need to be divided into two categories?]
Isn't that obvious?
The total bonus for the successful development of the two bombs was only ten yuan.
The technological leap forward in mainland China decades later was indeed due to the contributions of overseas returnees, but that was the result of the mainland having abundant funds. Try it if you spend ten dollars.
If you live permanently in the United States for several decades and then come home, we would certainly welcome you. But you can't exactly be compared to those pioneers who worked for a ten-dollar bonus, can you?
Offering help when a nation is weak is a noble act, but adding to its prosperity after it has become strong is mixed with self-interest. Is that wrong?
But when to say what to say is a matter of timing. In the 1990s, Li Ye's remarks, coming from decades later, were really extreme, so extreme that Pan Xiaoying had to come to his door to advise him.
"Hey Li Ye, your company's BBS has been really lively lately! Even you, the one with the sharpest edge, are personally getting into arguments with people. Are you trying to escalate things to an extreme level?"
"It can't be that bad, sister-in-law. I'm not Sun Wukong, how could I possibly cause trouble in heaven?"
"Yes, yes, you're not Sun Wukong, you're the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"
Pan Xiaoying pursed her lips and said to Li Ye seriously, "Li Ye, when you let Li Juan take charge of the BBS development plan, there was a supervision and review mechanism. You haven't forgotten that, have you?"
So don't think this is just a normal argument. I've received several calls, and the technical department has also located the addresses of several troublemakers who posted online.
Li Ye was startled and finally realized that it was time to put out the fire regarding this trending topic.
When Li Ye and Pan Xiaoying formulated the mainland's computer network development plan, they established a monitoring mechanism in advance. Their intention was to prevent various infiltration phenomena from spreading decades later, but they never expected that it would now be a constraint on themselves.
Therefore, everything has two sides; if you prioritize appearances, you can't prioritize substance.
"Okay, I understand. Don't pursue the matter with the person who posted it. I'll take control of the situation."
Are you sure you can control yourself?
"I'm sure I can. Nobody understands internet culture better than me."
After discussing it with Pan Xiaoying, Li Ye, feeling exhausted and helpless, had no choice but to post his last message.
When you're weak, even breathing feels wrong. So make yourself strong, brothers. When you become strong, all the ridicule you suffer today will transform into the most memorable moments of your life.
After posting this message, Li Ye reluctantly resorted to the method he used to hate the most: he notified Xiao Zhiyu to lock the post and delete those posts that were too harsh or too malicious.
Although Li Ye's actions were somewhat unethical, causing some people to move to other BBS forums and criticize him from a superior position, Li Ye knew that their actions were destined to be short-lived.
Because Pan Xiaoying is already prepared to take action, do you think the people on the Light Vehicle Company's BBS haven't noticed the heated debate these past two days? If Pan Xiaoying hadn't turned a blind eye, they would have unplugged your internet cable long ago.
Keyboard warriors, once disconnected from the internet, are like martial arts heroes under the influence of a mind-altering drug—completely powerless.
After all this commotion, the very thing that started—Zhang Chaoxian's marriage advertisement—has become completely ignored.
After all, girls born in the 1960s and 1970s are very filial and wouldn't invent a term like "biological father." If they knew they were never coming back, they would have a lot of reservations.
So after the trending topic faded, Li Ye never received any more inquiries about Zhang Chaoxian's annual salary.
But just when Li Ye thought Zhang Chaoxian was going to be disappointed, Zhang Chaoxian arrived at Li Ye's office with his bride, beaming with joy.
"Li Ye, I have to thank you. Thank you for helping me find the girl I love most. I have to say, it's all fate. The first time I saw her, I felt she was the perfect partner for me."
Li Ye stared blankly at Zhang Chaoxian, then at Zhuo Minglan beside him, feeling that this world was truly magical.
The last time Zhang Chaoxian came to Jingnan Group to see Li Ye, Zhuo Minglan happened to be there to "give instructions" to Li Ye. At that time, Zhang Chaoxian stared at Zhuo Minglan's back and even expressed his hope that "it would be better if she were a little thinner."
Zhuo Minglan's stomach has really shrunk, and because she has just recovered from a serious illness, she has also lost weight. Could this be her destiny with Zhang Chaoxian?
No matter how surreal it seemed to Li Ye, he understood the principle of "better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage," and he had to offer his blessings at this moment.
"Then congratulations, Senior Brother Zhang! Did you come here today to give me wedding candy?"
"Hehehe, I don't have any wedding candy, but I do have a request. Brother Li Ye, you won't mind that I'm an unwelcome guest with empty hands, will you?"
"No, no, you can just ask Xiao Zhu. I, Li Ye, never accept gifts. Does he have someone else outside? Pour me two cups of tea!"
Li Ye gestured for Zhang Chaoxian and Zhuo Minglan to sit down while simultaneously asking the people outside to pour tea.
A moment later, the person who was pouring tea came in. It turned out to be Xiahou Xiaojuan, who had argued with Zhuo Minglan a while ago. This made Li Ye both angry and amused.
[You can gossip all you want, but why bring in an enemy to pour tea? Are you trying to make things even more exciting?]
However, Zhuo Minglan only glanced at her former "enemy" a few more times, without showing any expression on her face.
This is clearly different from the Zhuo Minglan that Li Ye remembers. Perhaps she is about to marry someone from the Lighthouse area and no longer cares about arguing with a little girl like Xiahou Xiaojuan.
However, after Zhang Chaoxian made his "request," Li Ye began to ponder something.
"Brother Li Ye, Xiao Zhuo and I are in love and will soon be going to Lighthouse to live together, but we've run into a little trouble with our visas."
"Didn't Xiao Zhu deal with the police for a few days recently because of something at your workplace? The root of the problem hasn't been cleared up, so the police won't be happy."
"Can't get the application form? Is that true?"
Li Ye was also somewhat surprised, because someone had accused Zhuo Minglan of fraud some time ago, but Li Ye had returned five million yuan to the person in the end, so the case should have been closed. Why was there still a record of it?
If there is a record, you will be blocked at the first step by the police, and you won't even be able to get to the visa application window.
"That's absolutely true. Dogmatism is far too prevalent in mainland China, and work efficiency is extremely poor. You have to rely on connections for everything."
Zhang Chaoxian started complaining, but Li Ye quickly interrupted him and asked, "Senior Brother Zhang, how do you want me to help you?"
Zhang Chaoxian frowned slightly and said with some displeasure, "This matter was originally a problem of your unit! Since Xiao Zhuo suffered an injustice because of your unit's collective decision, shouldn't you step in to resolve this trouble?"
"You're absolutely right."
Li Ye had to admit that Zhang Chaoxian was right, but he also had to admit that if Zhang Chaoxian were in China, he would be really annoying.
You already asked me to help you, can't you stop taking it for granted?
But Li Ye also wanted to get Zhuo Minglan away as soon as possible, so he called the office director Shan Shengwen over.
"Old Dan, Zhuo Minglan needs to apply for a visa to go abroad, but there's a small problem with the police. It seems that the dispute from a while ago hasn't been closed yet. Go with them right away and make sure to resolve this issue as soon as possible."
"Okay, I'll take care of it right away."
Shan Shengwen quickly agreed, and then asked, "Um... besides Zhuo Minglan, is anyone else applying for the visa? Who's going on the business trip with her?"
Clearly, Shan Shengwen thought Li Ye was going to arrange for Zhuo Minglan to go abroad for an inspection tour!
Li Ye pointed to Zhang Chaoxian: "This is Zhuo Minglan's husband. Zhuo Minglan is going to live with him at the lighthouse."
"."
Dan Shengwen was stunned for a full five seconds before he realized what was going on.
Zhuo Minglan just got divorced, and now she's hooked up with an overseas elite. What magic does she have?
"That Zhuo Minglan's job"
"Process her resignation procedures and issue her severance pay in accordance with regulations."
"Understood, I will process it as soon as possible."
Even if Shan Shengwen couldn't understand it, he had to do what Li Ye asked him to do as soon as possible. It wasn't anything against his principles with the police, and he replied to Li Ye in less than two days that everything had been done.
"Alright, let's wish her a safe journey."
"Yes, yes, starting over in a different place is the best option for her."
Everyone makes mistakes, and Zhuo Minglan was mostly used as a pawn. So Li Ye felt that even if she had opposed him in the past, he should be forgiving and send her away to make a good deed.
Li Ye felt that he was doing good deeds, but others didn't appreciate his good deeds and instead thought he was a scoundrel.
Just after Zhuo Minglan completed all the formalities, another sharply worded post appeared on the BBS of the light vehicle company.
When I was forced to leave my hometown, was it a tragedy of society or the ugliness of human nature?
I am a young employee in this company. Before I graduated from university and started working, I was also full of aspirations for my future.
But after starting work, I realized that no amount of hard work can compare to having a good grandfather, a good father, and a good wife.
Have you ever noticed that in any workplace, there are always a few outstanding young people who get promoted to deputy section chief in one year, section chief in two years, and achieve in their early thirties what most people would never do in a lifetime?
If he were just going his own way, that would be fine. But he also blocks your path, using his power to target, scheme against, and harm you in every possible way. In the end, he gives you a little favor like feeding a dog, and you think it's a great blessing.
Fortunately, I've always been an independent and self-reliant girl, so I wasn't afraid of being targeted by these people. However, faced with insurmountable class oppression, I was truly powerless and had no choice but to leave my beloved family and the hometown I once cherished.
Although the post was not a "report under real name", Li Ye guessed the truth pretty accurately just by looking at the various accusations described in it.
[An independent and self-reliant girl? You, Zhuo Minglan, have dated two men around forty years old. You're clearly someone who lives off others. What kind of independent and self-reliant woman is that?]
However, if it were just Zhuo Minglan's post, Li Ye wouldn't be too angry; he just found it somewhat amusing.
The problem is that after Zhuo Minglan posted, Zhang Chaoxian also followed up with various replies, exaggerating and embellishing the various "injustices" he encountered during his time back in China.
My best friend, my college bunkmate, suddenly changed his attitude towards me after he found out that my salary was a hundred times his. He looked at me as if I were a rich landlord, someone he was about to rob the rich to help the poor.
[A junior classmate I once cherished most started making sarcastic and mocking remarks about me because I was busy with my studies and work and hadn't gotten married. I really don't understand how someone who has received higher education could become so vulgar and ignorant.]
Zhang Chaoxian went all out, as if he wanted to regain all the face he had lost in front of his junior brothers and sisters after returning this time. Among his remarks were several angry rebukes directed at Li Ye.
In addition, his failure to change his online nickname, coupled with his previous marriage proposal post, instantly sparked another wave of attention, greatly angering Xiao Zhiyu and others.
"Factory manager, what do we do now? Should I use technical means to find these two people who posted this? This is slander, this is defamation."
"No need, I can handle it myself."
Li Ye was furious, truly furious. He had done his best to give the couple the green light, only to be betrayed and humiliated in the end.
[You two are playing together, huh? Okay, I'll play with you guys for a while.]
...
Zhang Chaoxian and Zhuo Minglan posted the message before they left, which was a way of venting their anger and clearing away the gloom that had been buried in their hearts for many days.
So when the two were about to leave the country, they were in a very good mood.
However, when the two reached the window to verify their documents, an unexpected incident occurred.
After carefully examining Zhang Chaoxian's documents, the staff calmly said, "Mr. Zhang Chaoxian, are you? You cannot leave the country for the time being."
Zhang Chaoxian asked in surprise, "Why? Is there something wrong with our documents?"
The staff member politely replied, "I don't know, I'm just following procedure."
Zhang Chaoxian was furious: "Follow procedure? What do you mean? Why are you making things difficult for us?"
"We're not giving you any trouble, but you're on the list of people prohibited from leaving the country."
"How could I be on the list of people banned from leaving the country? You have to explain this to me clearly, I'm going to file a complaint against you."
Zhang Chaoxian got into a heated argument with the staff, which eventually attracted the attention of security personnel.
However, due to Zhang Chaoxian's intense disturbance, the staff spent several hours communicating with various parties before finally explaining to Zhang Chaoxian why he could not leave the country.
"You were once a government-sponsored student, right? You didn't return to serve your country as agreed, and according to regulations, you must return all the sponsorship fees you received during your studies abroad."
"You want me to pay back the money? How much?"
Zhang Chaoxian was speechless.
Many government-sponsored students have stayed overseas, and I've hardly ever heard of anyone needing to repay their tuition fees. This is because education and public security are two separate systems, and getting back those tuition fees is not even that complicated.
"We don't know the exact amount; you should consult the relevant departments!"
"What do you mean you don't know? Our flight is in an hour, what are we supposed to do now?"
"We can assist you with the refund, but please don't interfere with our work any further. Also, let me say that paying back debts is a matter of course, and this is already the most lenient solution we can offer."
"."
Helpless, Zhang Chaoxian could only lead Zhuo Minglan to a place to repay the money, and at this time Zhuo Minglan was also on the verge of depression.
Am I truly destined for misfortune, forever forever missing out on happiness?
However, once the two found the place to pay, Zhuo Minglan immediately breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the amount to be refunded.
Twenty-three thousand US dollars is nothing to Zhang Chaoxian, whose annual salary is over two hundred and fifty thousand US dollars.
However, Zhang Chaoxian's face instantly darkened.
(End of this chapter)
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