Chapter 1620 You Should Be Careful
Xiao Peng had no idea what Bruch was thinking about, so he continued, "At that time, our country was facing many problems. The snowstorm in the south had such a huge impact, and a large part of the reason was the lack of railway capacity. Every year during the Spring Festival, everyone in our country would go home for reunions. This put a lot of pressure on railway transportation. Coupled with the ice and snow disaster, a large number of passengers were stranded halfway. At that time, the 'public intellectuals' came out again, saying that the poor capacity of Daxia Railway was due to institutional problems, and that the railway should be privatized through free competition to solve the problem of insufficient capacity. But a few years later, the country slapped them hard in the face - our country used state-owned capital to concentrate its efforts on building high-speed railways, and now Daxia High-speed Railway is the best in the world! It solved the transportation problem and improved logistics capabilities. The country's economy only then began to boom."
"As for that subprime mortgage crisis you just mentioned?" Xiao Peng shook his head. "It triggered a global financial tsunami! And what about the Americans? They were printing money like crazy, spreading inflation around the world! Our country was in turmoil that year! A devastating earthquake killed 100,000 people, and it was called a 'national disaster'! But our country withstood the pressure and successfully hosted the Olympics. We also successfully operated our first high-speed train, the Harmony Express. It looks a bit slow now, with a speed of 'only' 240 kilometers per hour, but it was that train that kicked off our country's true development!"
"And what about the Americans?" Xiao Peng took a sip of champagne to moisten his throat. "They're stuck in the time the Middle East gave us to develop."
Bruch asked curiously, "That's not right. If your country's economy continues to develop, why would there be other voices?"
Xiao Peng explained, "It's actually quite simple. When the economy is booming, it's easy for crime to breed. Starting in 2013, our country began vigorously cracking down on crime to provide a stable living environment for the people. It was also during that period that we cracked down on crimes like official corruption. Many officials were arrested."
Bruch asked curiously, "This is a good thing. Why would anyone object?"
Xiao Peng laughed and said, "The 'public intellectuals' say that official corruption exists because our country is 'undemocratic'. If we learn from the American 'democratic system', corruption will not exist in our country!"
Bruch spat upon hearing this. "Ugh! Even I know that's impossible! Didn't Hillary Clinton's emails reveal enough dirt during the 2016 US election? They sold all sorts of positions and titles through the Clinton Foundation they founded! The scariest thing is that the scholars, journalists, and former officials who exposed the email scandal were mysteriously murdered or committed suicide, and nothing was ever done about it. Doesn't this just prove that this is probably just the tip of the iceberg of corruption here? And the US's democratic system isn't great either. Trump refused to concede the election, his supporters destroyed the Capitol, and even besieged the White House, forcing Trump to take refuge in a bunker. If anyone had said that before, no one would have believed it! Boss, as you said, 'reality is stranger than fiction.' When the new president took office, 100,000 US troops were stationed in Washington, and barbed wire was everywhere, making it look like Iraq."
Xiao Peng laughed heartily. "If we say our country's true development began in 2017, then our economy was 63% of America's. That year, the 350-kilometer-per-hour 'Fuxing' high-speed rail officially entered service, a 110-kilometer-per-hour increase over the previous 'Harmony' train! This further increased transportation capacity, and from then on, our country embarked on a true 'highway.' The second aircraft carrier was also launched that year, allowing the country to fully devote itself to economic development and poverty alleviation. That period was also the final madness of our nation's 'public intellectuals,' who claimed that no matter how powerful our country was, ordinary people wouldn't be affected. This statement wasn't entirely wrong. After all, high housing prices and air pollution have only been 'primarily under control' in our country. There haven't been any sharp increases in recent years, but housing prices in first-tier cities remain prohibitive. But without the protection of a strong nation, compared to the people of weaker nations, aren't those civilians living in war the real ants?"
Shao Feng was also furious after hearing this: "The same thing happened in our country and was called 'the most beautiful scenery' by the Americans, but in their country, the protesters who stormed the Capitol were called 'thugs'. They are really good at playing double standards!"
Zhao Shanhe, who had been listening silently, suddenly became furious. "If you hadn't mentioned this, I wouldn't have gotten mad. But those 'public intellectuals' are such idiots. I work in production, and I have a lot of workers under me, right? They approached me a while ago about setting up a Western-style union! I was completely stunned. My factory pays me a base salary plus performance bonuses. The more you work, the more you get, and the less you work, the less you get. Working hours strictly follow the Labor Law, and even when we have overtime, we get paid every penny. What else do they want? A return to the 'big pot' era? I almost laughed out loud when I read that article again. The whole thing was about how the air in America is sweet, people are free, there's no overtime, no exploitation! Damn, they come to me with an article like that to cause trouble? I'm completely furious!"
Xiao Peng laughed and said, "Why get angry? Those people couldn't make it during the flu. They were much quieter, and when someone occasionally showed up, everyone looked at them with eyes that said 'caring for a mentally retarded child.' What these public intellectuals say is bullshit anyway. Why are the Americans sanctioning us? It's been going on for so long, and trade volume has hit new highs, the trade deficit is getting bigger and bigger, and Daxia's exports are breaking new records every year! I even wonder if they're sanctioning us or themselves!"
But upon hearing this, Zhao Shanhe suddenly shook his head: "Brother Peng, don't be happy yet. I personally suggest that you be more careful."
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