Chapter 79: Adoration_1

In the car, Chief Ji discussed many issues with Jiang Yu, such as the current demand from various countries for the return of top scholars and scientists detained by China.

Many international top-tier scholars and scientists who attended the Beijing meeting of the Redemptionists didn't do anything outrageous or were not charged with serious crimes.

These people were treasures to their respective countries, and now as the world's order was initially restored, the countries first requested these scholars and scientists from China.

Jiang Yu took a luxurious drag from the special cigarette Chief Ji had offered, "Wishful thinking, they committed offences on our turf and still want to take the people back?"

Chief Ji laughed, "Now in the Star Defense Department (the short form for the Planetary Defense Department), there aren't many who can keep their cool, you are one of them."

Chief Ji also seriously listened to Jiang Yu's opinions on attitudes towards the ETO, preliminary ideas for the defense plan, and other issues.

Especially when Jiang Yu proposed that even under the pressure of the Trisolaran invasion, each country still had its own agenda, and at least the developed countries would not be willing to disclose their cutting-edge technology.

This would lead to the impossibility of deep cooperation between nations, and some fields in China should be prepared to go it alone.

This viewpoint resonated well with Chief Ji, and the two had a very amiable conversation.

The convoy didn't get off the highway until noon, and Chief Ji had Jiang Yu put on a mask and sunglasses before taking him to a square.

There were tens of thousands of people on the square, worshipping towards a high platform at the center.

Someone was solemnly reading something on the platform, but it was too far away to hear clearly. Next to the reader, there was a large incense burner, enveloping the platform in smoke.

Around the square, many people were spectating, and some joined the worshipping ranks as they watched.

Chief Ji handed Jiang Yu a telescope, "Take a look behind the incense burner."

After adjusting the zoom, Jiang Yu actually saw a huge photo of himself behind the incense burner.

Jiang Yu was at once amused and exasperated, "I am still alive, and yet, they're burning incense and kowtowing; isn't that a bit inauspicious?"

Chief Ji laughed, "Nowadays, such grand gatherings are held daily in major cities and have significantly disrupted the normal social order!"

As the two returned to the car, Chief Ji said, "The Star Defense Department has organized scholars from relevant fields to discuss that in extreme panic and uncertainty, people easily turn to superstition."

"Experts speculate that this kind of superstitious phenomenon might last for a while."

Jiang Yu scratched his head, "Why don't they worship Buddha instead?"

"There are people who do," replied Chief Ji, "But worshipping Buddha apparently isn't as practical as worshipping you.

"After all, you have indeed fought the Trisolarans, whereas, to my knowledge, Buddha has not contributed anything so far."

Jiang Yu shook his head with a smile, finding Chief Ji's joke to be both funny and awkward.

Chief Ji went on, "This phenomenon is better than riots, but from what we know, some people with ulterior motives are using your reputation to spread some improper remarks.

"Your first task from the Star Defense Department is to guide the public's faith during this special period, restore normal social order, and beware of the public being used by those with ulterior motives."

Jiang Yu asked, "Who has ulterior motives?"

Chief Ji looked out the car window, "You know about the 'Arab Spring'? Oh, I would rather call it the 'Arab Winter'."

"I'm aware, the eagle across the ocean, along with the European Union, took the opportunity to control the economic lifelines of many Arab countries, lowering the living standards instead of raising them," Jiang Yu had deeply explored:

"Some countries are still in civil wars because of it, and this movement praised by the Western world has caused millions of Arab people to suffer death and injury."

Chief Ji said, "They never stopped similar attacks on us."

Jiang Yu nodded, "I understand."

He pondered for a few seconds, then added, "I need your absolute support."

Chief Ji nodded, "You will be under my direct command, no one else can influence your actions."

Jiang Yu suddenly smiled, at critical times, a certain degree of centralization could solve practical problems.

He said, "In terms of methods, I need to have enough autonomy and the right to take action first and report later."

"As long as you don't endanger the nation's and people's security and interests, you can go ahead!"

Jiang Yu took a deep breath, "No matter what, a good leader really puts one's mind at ease."

Chief Ji smiled and took out a few packs of cigarettes from the car's cabinet for Jiang Yu, "Don't smoke too fiercely at such a young age, I'll give you a few more cartons when you report back to me."

Jiang Yu took the cigarettes and got out of the car. Chief Ji was busy with other matters, and the convoy was not heading back to Beijing.

Taking a car provided by the armed police, Jiang Yu returned to his villa in Beijing.

Although he had not been in the villa for a while, many people had spontaneously kept watch outside the villa, some even burning incense and paper continuously.

Seeing them burning paper for him with mumbled prayers, Jiang Yu's mouth twitched. If Chu Xu really opened an account for him, it should have accumulated quite a sum.

Back at the villa, Jiang Yu smoked while pondering over solutions.

Having formed a mature idea, he called to report to Chief Ji.

Although he had never navigated officialdom, he still understood the importance of keeping superiors informed, letting them know his thoughts and goals.

The next day, Jiang Yu resumed giving speeches at the villa, with many media outlets broadcasting live on site.

Jiang Yu announced a major news, after two days he would establish his own official website.

And he would use voting on the website to select one thousand staff members, who would be personally interviewed and tasked by Jiang Yu to handle the daily management of his supporters.

This news caused a huge stir among the supporters, turning the daily rallies into massive campaigning events.

Two days later, Jiang Yu's official website was launched, and the intense voting immediately started.

To prevent rigged votes, each voting required identification cards and other unique personal information.

Campaigning for votes quickly spread from the rallies to the streets and alleys.

Many people, holding their phones, stopped pedestrians in the streets and corners to canvas for themselves or for the people they supported.

The voting lasted for three days, and after the announcement of the top thousand candidates by vote, another two days were given for everyone to travel to Beijing.

Then, Jiang Yu conducted a written exam for these thousand people at a university that had already been closed for vacation.

The exam questions were designed by staff members sent by Chief Ji, allowing for a general understanding of the examinees' ideological tendencies based on their answers.

Jiang Yu only requested to add an inconspicuous fill-in-the-blank question in the exam: Your belief is ( ).

Most people answered with the two characters "Jiang Yu," and some replied cleverly, twisting their answers to sing praises of Jiang Yu.

Only the answers from three people satisfied Jiang Yu, which were Han Li from within the country with: Humanity, Di Fengyi with: the future.

And Burton from Germany with: Hope.

Jiang Yu called these three people in for a focused interview and was prepared to entrust them with important tasks.

...

Recently, the author has found that many readers feel that the book's ideology is too biased towards the East.

The author had a bad experience with the French, from 2014 to 2018, when the author was not yet a full-time writer and was working in programming at the time.

Carving nameplates on machinery, the words on them, as well as carving advertisements and classical furniture's floral carvings.

It seems like a wide range, but the carving machines used were pretty much the same.

The factory had a French carving machine—Ke Bao (pseudonymous for trouble avoidance, insightful readers will understand), and those in the know should be aware that the company's China Region sales company was in Shanghai.

I must admit, their machine does indeed produce exquisitely carved items. However, there was a problem. Due to the excessive dust in the workshop, its servo motor would break almost once a year.

A servo motor cost 10,800, and the on-site installation fee was 2,000.

Other domestic machines' servo motors, the cheap ones were a few hundred, the mid-range ones about a thousand, and the more expensive ones were around three thousand or so, and after they were shipped, I could replace them myself.

The one from France, though, no way; it was stated in the contract that it had to be replaced by their own staff, and if they found the machine had been opened, the company would be charged a breach of contract fee.

So when the servo motor broke a second time, the factory started to struggle, as all the earnings from that machine went to Ke Bao.

So we had a meeting with the mechanical plant (the company had another plant working in the compressor business). Someone who understood electric motors said the carbon brushes had failed.

At that time, I was a bit skeptical, thinking how could their precision equipment be repaired by you?

Turns out, after changing two carbon brushes, it really worked, and that servo motor kept running until I resigned after we changed the carbon brushes just one more time.

Two swaps, totaling four carbon brushes, cost four yuan altogether.

Ever since then, the author no longer trusts the facade of Westerners. Seriously, they only see interests in their eyes.

Of course, we are the same, but I would rather be tricked by my own people.

Have you seen President Zheng Qiang's speech?

He mentioned a few cases where America's public buses are ten years behind China's, yet they simply won't buy Chinese buses.

I've never been to America, so I can't speak on that, but I am deeply familiar with the Mercedes case.

That was during the time I was writing my graduation thesis. My thesis was "The Influence of National Policy on National Enterprises" (roughly this title). Imagine that, I studied liberal arts, but ended up getting a job as a programmer.

Ah, compelled by life.

But back to the point, at that time, I intended to take Mercedes as a case study, along with a domestic brand. Upon researching, I discovered that after their defeat, the Germans really tightened their belts to save their companies.

In contrast, Mitsubishi was first dismantled and then had to work for Wall Street.

Now do you understand why the author leans towards Eastern ideologies? Don't be influenced too much by Western rhetoric, they keep shouting fairness and justice but they've never talked about fairness and justice with us!

So, be biased towards ourselves like the author, if we do not love ourselves, nobody else will.

We should be fair and just to ourselves first, and don't be polite with the West.

When we all make this turn, then it's not too late to combine Eastern and Western elements, because they really do have things worth our learning.

But always remember, prioritize what's our own.

Of course, these are just the personal views of the author, for your reference only.

I inadvertently wrote so much (°ー°〃)