Chapter 1118: Distance Creates More Than Beauty
The Windmill and Sunflower Gallery is a three-story building built in the Dutch Classical style, influenced by Italian Renaissance architecture. While the gallery is usually open to the public, today entry is by invitation only.
Walter drove Xiao Peng to the gallery entrance, dropped him off, and then went to wait for him in a nearby parking lot. It had to be said that attending a cocktail party like this was a hassle. Even the car had to be considered—all the cars here were those large, sleek, stately sedans. It seemed only in this way could the "seriousness" of the gathering be conveyed.
How could Xiao Peng have such a car? Alfred rented him a BMW 760 from a car rental company. After getting out of the car, Xiao Peng showed the invitation to the waiter and then went into the gallery.
Alfred had asked him about bringing a female companion, but Xiao Peng ended up coming here alone.
Female companion? Who?
Since returning from Africa, he hadn't seen or contacted Marlene, Abby, or Tildy. William spent all day with Xiao Peng and rarely mentioned Abby. Even with age, he'd become quite cunning. What kind of person was William? Could he not see that something was amiss between Xiao Peng and the three women?
They say distance creates beauty, but too much distance creates not beauty but estrangement. In this world, everyone can survive without each other. Moreover, Marlene, Abby, and Tildy all come from extraordinary backgrounds. Their relationship is already odd enough, so after all this, it's no surprise what happened.
It's often like this. Many relationships that were once inseparable and inseparable have faded for some reason and they have become strangers. Of course, they haven't said anything like "break up" yet, but they are all adults, so who doesn't know what happened?
It's better to be ignorant! Some things are better left unanswered.
When Xiao Peng entered the gallery himself, his first reaction was: there are a lot of Oriental people here.
There are still many Orientals in the Netherlands. Indonesia and Suriname were once Dutch colonies, and around a century ago, many of the Chinese who had settled there moved to the Dutch suzerain. Following the independence of Indonesia and Suriname, and the subsequent violent anti-Chinese incidents in 1965, another wave of Chinese arrived in the Netherlands. In the 1970s, many Indochinese refugees arrived, too, mostly Chinese. Furthermore, after the reform and opening-up policy, many relatives of Chinese expatriates in the Netherlands also came to the Netherlands for family reunions.
All in all, there are a lot of Daxia people here.
I still remember there was a movie called "Young and Dangerous", which called the Netherlands a "paradise for young and dangerous people"; that was because in the 1980s, the Netherlands at that time was completely different from the Netherlands today. At that time, the Dutch society was turbulent, and the police here were extremely lax, so many international drug and arms smuggling organizations used the Netherlands as their base.
We can't help but mention Yi, known as the "Dutch Godfather." Speaking of Yi, we have to mention the then-famous Hong Kong triad "14K." And speaking of the "14K," we can't help but mention actor Chan Wai-man.
Chen Huimin was a famous action star in Hong Kong back then. There was a saying in Hong Kong back then: "Look at Bruce Lee for kicks, look at Li Huimin for fists." Besides being a film star, Li Huimin was also a member of the "14K" group, a very senior member of the group.
Of course, Hong Kong's major gangs have all vanished, so who would dare publicly claim to be a gang member these days? A few years ago, a group of 14K members, determined to stay together, traveled to mainland China to hold a birthday party for a fellow gang member. Over 350 special police officers armed with submachine guns stormed in and busted everyone, including Li Huimin...
Li Huimin was invited to the banquet by the 14K Double Flower Red Sticks as a senior member of the organization. However, Li Huimin bowed to Yi whenever she saw him: Yi was a senior member of their organization known for his filial piety.
Back when gangs were rampant in Hong Kong, the most profitable place for those gangs was Europe and the Netherlands.
When they arrived in the Netherlands, they also caused headaches for the local police: they were not the kind of violent criminals who wielded knives and guns, but they all looked humble and polite to others, and the locals did not believe that they were gang members at all.
They make money through drugs, illegal employees, pornography, gambling, etc. The key is that they fully utilize the low-key and cautious culture of the East, making it difficult to find evidence.
Frank described it this way: "Back then, the Amsterdam police preferred to engage in shootouts with Turkish gangs armed with AKs and grenades, or to apprehend Moroccan thugs in street brawls, rather than waste their time on gang members from the East." Yi was a member of the 14K in Amsterdam at the time, essentially controlling over half of the city's illegal businesses. He was thus dubbed the "Dutch Godfather."
Of course, no matter how good you are in that field, the results will not be very good, and the same is true for Yi.
The main reason for the chaos in the Netherlands during that era was the 'Dutch disease'.
'Dutch disease' is not a disease, but an economic term, which means that if a country is particularly prosperous in a certain industry, it will easily lead to the decline of other areas.
Just like Venezuela, a major oil producer, its entire economy has been decimated by the oil boom, leading to a severe domestic recession, even gasoline shortages in a major oil-producing country. The Netherlands was the first country to experience this economic crisis, hence the term "Dutch disease."
Despite its disadvantaged natural resources, the Netherlands, nicknamed the "Low Land," boasts a quarter of its landmass less than one meter above sea level, with the highest point at just 321 meters. This means that if the Atlantic Ocean rises by one meter, the Netherlands loses half its landmass. However, the country boasts abundant natural gas resources. In the 1970s, the Groningen gas field alone supplied 50% of Europe's market demand. After the oil crises of 1973 and 1978, the Netherlands thrived on natural gas, with per capita GDP even surpassing that of the United States.
Because it is so easy to make money, people don’t feel bad about spending it, so they increase welfare in various ways. However, high welfare means high taxes, so people are too lazy to work and might as well just lie down and receive relief. By 1989, one-sixth of the country’s population did not work but received 80% of the economic security of employed people.
During that period, public security in the Netherlands was in shambles. The streets were filled with idlers who slept until they woke naturally and enjoyed a peaceful evening. If the government didn't pay them enough, they would hold demonstrations demanding a further increase in their allowances. The same was true for the police; they received about the same pay whether they worked or not.
Can the country be well if this continues?
This is the famous 'Dutch disease'.
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