Chapter Thirteen Everyone Lives Their Own Life
The wind wrote the words under the night sky simply between these two hearts, the mountains witnessed the romance under the brilliant starry sky, Long Bo and Jing Er looked at the sky, looked at the moon, looked at the stars, looked at the mountains, looked at the trees outside the mountains, just quietly leaning against each other.
After all, this is just a small temple in a remote and poor village, there is no place to arrange for Jing Er to stay overnight, so at 10 o'clock in the evening, Long Bao said goodbye to Jue Kong Da Shi with Jing Er and Shi Wei. He first walked up to Master Ming Sheng, stretched out his hand and said: "Master Ming Sheng, I am more sinful than you. The sin is not in the matter, nor in the person, but in the heart. Seven years of imprisonment imprisoned you for seven years, the ancient Buddha's green lamp imprisoned your back-and-forth heart, you have been sweeping away floating dust here year after year, month after month, day after day, beating the drum at dawn and dusk, ringing the copper bell and wooden fish, you have isolated yourself from the secular world, but still cannot isolate yourself from memories of past events. Why must it be so?
Ming Sheng didn't shake hands with Long Bao, but instead bowed his head and clasped his hands together. In a hoarse voice, he said: "Cultivating the Tao is bitter and hard to think about, one should think of past lives. Ming is not yet clear, nor is it unclear, hold your heart and steady your thoughts, do not give rise to love or hate. May you have a good journey, Master and apprentice."
It seems that Ming Sheng still didn't understand why the Great Master gave him the Dharma name "Ming Sheng". Long Bao bowed his head and said "Amitabha" before coming back to Jing Wu Da Shi's side, saying: "Master Jing Wu, thank you for taking care of me these past few days. I'm leaving now."
Master Jingwu had always thought that Long Bao's worldly mind was not yet broken, and his worldly ties were not yet severed. He was originally not a Buddhist, but he felt that Long Bao could become their temple's lay disciple was the greatest honor for their temple. He knew that once Long Bao left, it would be unknown when they would meet again, so he became somewhat emotional, grasping Long Bao's hand and saying: "You have such an important career and such a happy life, it's good that you're not becoming a monk. After you return, take good care of your body, cherish the people around you, don't do wrong things again, and accumulate more virtues..."
Long Bao smiled and said: "Master Jingwu, I know you too, take care of your body, if there's anything, just give me a call."
Longya walked up to Master Jingde and said with his palms together: "Gain is said to be suffering, loss is said to be suffering, what then is suffering?"
Jing De Master turned his eyes to look at Long Bao and Shi Wei, saying with a heavy tone: "Suffering arises from desire, because of seeking that one suffers."
Longwang smiled and said: "A dream of three thousand years, joy and sorrow are desires, joy and sorrow are not desires, joy and sorrow follow the heart or not?"
"Joy and sorrow are not in accordance with one's heart; only when the heart is at peace can the body be at peace."
"Whether in sorrow or joy, whether pure or impure, it is all just a state of mind."
"Ching Te got his eyebrows down and said: 'Ching Te gets Ching, Ching Te gets one heart, gets Ching one heart.'"
Longwang burst out laughing and said loudly: "Clean is clean, got is got, what's the point of getting clean? The heart is one, two, or three, what's the point of having a single heart? Master, I bid farewell to the concept of one heart, two hearts, and three hearts!"
Jingde Master was completely stunned by Long Bao's Zen words, and he muttered the Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra with his lips moving. Long Bao slightly bowed to him, then came to the door of Juekong Master's room again.
The room was not lit, Long Bao stood at the door, staring into the darkness inside. He knew that Jue Kong Dashi was also sitting in meditation as usual, and he also knew that Jue Kong Dashi was watching him with his eyes closed. Long Bao also closed his eyes, and saw a bright light illuminating the room, revealing every speck of dust and even the swirling mosquitoes in the air. After a while, all the dust and mosquitoes disappeared, leaving nothing behind. Then, after another moment, everything returned to its original state.
He raised his hand and knocked three times on the door frame with his knuckles. There was no movement inside the house. Longbiao looked up at the sky, then turned around to leave.
At this moment, Long Po clearly heard the venerable voice of Jue Kong Da Shi in his ear: "As is, as is, nothing exists, no awareness exists. The Buddha's teachings are boundless, and can ferry oneself and others, but differ from person to person. Well done!"
Long Bao was stunned for a moment, walked to the little monk's face, patted his face and said four words: "True heart true appearance." Then he bowed deeply to Jing De Master and others and went down the mountain.
The mountain road was very narrow, but it didn't hinder them from walking on this night road. The moon hung in the sky, casting a faint glow on the downhill road, with a hint of silver white. Shi Wei had long been prepared with flashlights, handing one to each person. Long Bao and they walked while chatting about the scenery of this mountainous moonlit night. Whenever they encountered steeper sections of the road, he carefully supported Jing Er. Everyone was walking down the mountain road with joy and calmness.
"The moon is walking, I'm also walking, I'll send my brother to the village entrance, to the village entrance..." Shi Wei sang in a strange tone and tune an old song from the 1980s, making everyone laugh loudly. After getting applause, Shi Wei started writing a poem: "Ah, moon, ah, mountain road, ah, the moon shines on the mountain road, ah, I'm also on the mountain road being shone by the moon, ah..."
"Stone Wei, July bees and August snakes, you'd better be careful or you'll call out the snake!" Long Bao said with a chuckle.
Shi Wei was startled and quickly stood still, using his flashlight to illuminate the road surface in all directions, saying: "Damn it, don't scare me, there are venomous snakes on this mountain!"
Long Bao said: "Hehe, what's there to be afraid of? Venomous snakes are everywhere, if you don't provoke it, it won't bother you."
"Don't provoke it? How do you not provoke it? Speak quickly and let me hear," Shi Wei hastily said, "In this deep mountain and forest, there is no doctor or medicine. If it bites, it's not a joke! I have a family and children, I can't afford to play jokes!"
Meng Yuan saw Shi Wei so nervous and intentionally said: "Shi Wei, it's not provoking it that's easy to handle. Your singing voice is like a frog croaking. You know snakes love to eat frogs. If you don't sing, the snake won't think you're a frog and naturally won't come to bite you. It's just that if you don't provoke it but it still wants to provoke you, then I don't know what to do."
Shi Wei detected the teasing tone in Meng Yuan's voice and knew that everyone was playing a prank on him, so he deliberately said: "Ah, I'm just waiting for it to come and provoke me! Haha, with you guys protecting me, what am I afraid of? When the time comes, Old Six and you will show your revolutionary spirit of selfless dedication, suck out the poison for me, and everything will be fine!"
Everyone burst out laughing, saying that Shi Wei had a good idea. Shi Wei said he wasn't afraid, but in his heart, he was already feeling three parts apprehensive. He slowed down his pace and let Li Da Shan walk ahead to lead the way. He didn't dare sing anymore and stared fixedly at the area illuminated by the flashlight, on guard against snakes darting out from the grass at the side of the road. When Meng Yuan teased him about being cowardly, he cursed under his breath and blamed Long Bao and Meng Yuan, saying: "It's all because of you two! I was originally carefree, but now I'm worried to death. Just wait until I'm safe, then I'll settle accounts with you!"
Jing'er was moved by Shi Wei's words and whispered to Long Bao, "Is it because of the existence of fear that people's emotions can't be simple and pure?"
"All things are connected and yet restricted, humans are just one of the many things in the world, under the influence of all things and events, emotions can't be simple and pure," Long Bao said while walking hand in hand with Jing'er on a stone path, suddenly he burst out laughing, "Hehe, silly girl, are you still reminding me of that curse? Hmm, let's use an analogy, comparing poison to a curse, Hehe, as long as we're still on the road, there will be snakes on the road, and if we get bitten by one, it's not a big deal, right?"
He pinched Jing'er's hand and said, "There's a saying that goes 'once bitten by a snake, for ten years one fears the hemp rope'. Hehe, silly girl, curses are just like hemp ropes. You're so well-versed in Zen principles, surely you don't only have Zen principles but no Zen heart?"
Jing'er listened to Long Baojing's gentle voice, pondering his clear explanation, and finally felt relieved. She couldn't help but stand up straight, stretch out her hand in front of her eyes, and gently wipe them. Long Baojing smiled at her and asked, "What is it? Have you had another epiphany?"
Jing'er turned off the flashlight and gazed at him tenderly in the moonlight, her voice soft as she replied: "Feel it, this wind carrying the mist of the mountain stream feels really good."
He returned to Chang'an, which is to say he once again returned to this mundane world that had almost made him want to escape. He once again devoted his energy to handling the trivial matters of the group, but everyone felt that Long Biao was now completely different from before. His expression, language, and even his every move and gesture all carried an otherworldly charm.
Everyone has countless confusion and questions about him now, Jing Er specially talked to him about this matter. Jing Er said: "As the core leader of the group, as a focus figure that everyone cares about, it is necessary to seriously explain the doubts that everyone has about you now."
Long Bao chuckled and said: "Muddy water flows away from clear water."
Jing'er replied, "The water is murky because you are the root of its murkiness. You said that Zhang Qing's words were reasonable, but how far can this reasonableness go? A pool of clear water is better for everyone in the group and around us."
Long Bao somewhat liked to tease Jing'er, so he deliberately said: "Jing'er, you say I'm now a Zen mind, but everyone else is still a secular mind. Secular minds have all sorts of strange views on secular matters, and they will find the Zen mind incomprehensible. When these two coexist in this mundane world, facing all sorts of secular affairs, countless common paradoxes will arise. This explanatory work is not easy to do."
"Alright, Brother Long, you're right. A Zen mind is a Zen mind, and a worldly mind is a worldly mind. They are incompatible like fire and water. You've placed yourself high above others by saying so. However, you once told me that Zen isn't just for meditation, but to improve the relationship between life and spirit. So I ask you, with your Zen mind surrounded by so many worldly thoughts and mundane affairs in this secular world, can it still remain lofty and untainted?"
Long Bao and Jing'er always had endless words to say, every sentence and every word could make each other feel warm and moved. He put Jing'er's hand in his palm and replied: "The Zen heart in the mundane world is no longer a pure Zen heart, this Zen heart is connected to the mundane yet different from the mundane."
Quietly, Jing'er looked at him and continued to say: "Zen mind lives in the world, Zen mind lives in life, mountains are still mountains, water is still water, everywhere is the world, everywhere is life, and you can get Zen mind by picking it up."
"Think like a god, live like a commoner." Long Bao held Jing'er in his arms and kissed her eyes, saying, "Girl, secular hearts have their own secular logic. Secular hearts can't transcend the mundane world. In order to gain more, they will unknowingly become demons. The world has its own rules, but people live in different ways. My explanation, my decision, whether it's early or late, won't work. Let's wait a bit longer."
More than half a year has passed, and life continues like this. In these six months, Long Bao did many important things, just as Jing Er said that he became the focus of people's attention, and everyone had more and more doubts about him. On March 20, 2011, Long Bao accepted an interview with Tom Eckerson, a famous reporter from "International Economic Figure" magazine. The interview lasted for two hours and was broadcast live on TV and online.
Tom Ekerson is known worldwide for interviewing heavyweight economic figures. In his fifties, slightly chubby, with a smile on his face, he looks very approachable. After everything was ready, he opened his mouth and said: "Mr. Long, I am honored to interview you today. We all know in the industry that you rarely accept media interviews, especially in recent years. You have been even more rare in public appearances. I remember a year and a half ago when I asked for an interview with you, but you refused me. What is the reason now that gives me this opportunity to get close to you?"
Long Wan smiled lightly and said, "I have always been very cautious about interviews with the news media. This caution is to avoid conveying information that has not been thoroughly considered to the outside world, which may mislead those who care about the group. Generally speaking, for matters related to the group, it is usually the group's public relations department that releases confirmed and publicly available materials to the media. As for this time, I think this is a very important conversation, which can explain some recent events to the outside world and clarify various speculations in the media."
"Mr. Long, eight years ago, Mr. Qian Zhengsheng entrusted you with managing his assets and you took control of the Liheng Group, leading the board to make a decision to restructure the group. Eight years later, the group has transformed from a traditional product manufacturing system to a high-tech product system, from a single Hong Kong-listed company with a market value of HK$7 billion to a multinational conglomerate with a market value of US$7 billion and 13 listed companies. The assets entrusted to you by Mr. Qian have also expanded from HK$110 billion to US$10 billion. You created a business empire in eight years, which is unbelievable to outsiders. How did you do it?"
Long Wan picked up his teacup and took a sip of water, saying: "In the face of competition and contradictions, enterprises should not just seek to survive in the cracks of the market. We have always regarded competition and contradictions as the driving force for enterprise development. There is an old Chinese saying that goes 'when you are poor, think of changing'. Eight years ago, our group's products lacked core competitiveness and could no longer adapt well to market demand. We had to transform the group from the starting point of market development trends. Now, our group's products have penetrated into every corner of human life and society, and we have sufficient momentum for future development. From these facts, it can be seen that our group has successfully transformed and developed in a three-dimensional mode. This is not my personal achievement, but the collective achievement of the board of directors and all employees. Mr. Qian repeatedly reminded me before his death that talent is the foundation of Liheng. I and the board of directors just earnestly implemented Mr. Qian's instructions, relying on the efforts of all employees to achieve today's situation."
"Mr. Exxon asked, "You are being too modest, the view you hold on talent is a universal logic, all companies value talent, this can't explain your current achievements, I don't agree with your humble words (laughs). The fact now is that in everyone's eyes, you are a business genius, you have become an idol for young people, many of your employees worship you like a god, what do you think about this?"
Exxon's questioning became more and more piercing, everyone knew that he was best at digging out the inner secrets of public figures, many people were sweating for Long Bao's answer. Long Bao chuckled twice and said: "Mr. Exxon, in the eyes of many people, you are also a genius journalist, and you are also an idol for many young journalists, aren't you?"
Exxon also laughed and said, "Don't forget, I'm the one interviewing you, don't turn the spearhead on me, haha. You can think carefully before answering this question, if it's not good to answer or you're not willing to answer, then we'll move on to the next question."
"Haha, Mr. Ekson, this is called 'the invitation is not as good as the inspiration', don't worry, I can answer all your questions today." Long Bao smiled lightly, "To be honest, my business success comes from my understanding of human nature and desires, I don't think I'm a genius, if someone insists on calling me a genius, I would say that everyone is a hidden genius, it's just the degree of exposure that differs. Everyone has their unique talents, if they make the most effort, in the right situation and at the right opportunity, the immeasurable talent dormant within them will be triggered, this is the truth about geniuses. Orison Marden once said 'genius is not a big deal, it's just a miracle', reality is both the cradle and stage of genius, as well as its execution ground and graveyard. Genius needs an opportunity, needs knowledge accumulation, most importantly, it needs someone who truly appreciates you, understands you, trusts you, and encourages you, but such people are hard to come by. I'm lucky, I have true friends who care about me at all times, when I was in my most difficult and helpless moments, I luckily met Mr. Qian, Mr. Xue Guoyu, and Mr. Jin Kuanning, it was under their guidance, under their teaching, that the dormant power within me was triggered, and throughout my life, I have been constantly inspired by our conversations."
"If someone thinks I'm a genius, they must not know that he himself is also a hidden genius. I suggest they take a closer look at themselves; if someone idolizes me, they must not have experienced enough of the struggles of idols. I suggest they compare their own experiences with others and gain some insight from it; if someone thinks I'm a god, then all I can say is that this world doesn't have gods, there are only individual differences between people."
Exxon nodded repeatedly, took out a photo in front of the camera lens. The photo was Long Bao's bald image. He asked: "Speaking of gods, I heard rumors that Mr. Long is very devout in Buddhism and even shaved his head three years ago. Mr. Long, this is a photo of you back then. You said there are no gods in this world, how do you explain your devotion to Buddhism? Are the Buddha and Bodhisattva not gods? And why have you grown your hair back now? Does that mean you've decided not to become a monk and give up on Buddhism?"
Long Bao smiled and asked Exxon: "When was this photo taken?"
"Didn't you know this photo was on the cover of Asia Weekly? It was taken two years ago when you successfully acquired Singapore Ocean Biotechnology Company. Wait, just answer my question directly, it's what everyone wants to ask you, and you need to solve this mystery."
Long Wan smiled and replied, "To answer this question, I have to summarize my journey of the heart. Over the years, to be accurate, I despised the law because of some historical reasons that made it impossible for me to escape from my own suffering. The burden on my shoulders was heavy, and the situation was complex. I used the relationship between people based on interests as a measure to make choices, and I used so-called wisdom and strategy to deal with human affairs according to this measure. I was cunning towards everything, and suspicious of everything. I despised conscience and reason. When someone mentioned conscience and reason to me, I said that conscience is the conscience under interest, and reason is the reason of interest. Yet, in such a situation, I expanded the group and the assets entrusted to me by Mr. Qian seven or eight times, and all employees obeyed me. At that time, I found it very funny and also very sad. It was funny because my success in fame and wealth completely proved that my method was undoubtedly the most consistent with the internal logic of this post-industrial society. The sadness was that this was not what I wanted or what I wanted to do."
Long Wan continued: "More than three years ago, I met a high monk in a deep mountain temple. The high monk enlightened me to find my true heart. Standing in front of the Buddha, listening to the monk's Zen words, I remembered what Kant said: 'There are two most wonderful things in the world, one is the brilliant starry sky above my head, and the other is the morality in my heart.' At that moment, I finally realized that in this modern society, the starry sky above my head was polluted by countless smoke and dust, no longer pure. In the midst of such darkness between people, my once simple morality had become corrupt, my conscience became a tool for me to deceive others, my rationality became a decoration for my hypocritical words and actions, and my evil deeds tainted all that is good."
People need a little spirituality, Zen language enlightens the mind and purifies the soul. In my contradictory psychology, I reflected on what I had done over the years, and in that inexplicable confusion at the time, I took Zen as my own faith, indulging in Buddhist enlightenment, wanting to find my true self through this way. For a period of time, I really believed that there were spirits in the world, and I even studied the doctrines of Christianity, Islam, and other religions for this reason. At that time, I was really obsessed with these things.
"But I still haven't recognized myself, I'm still disguising my true heart, evading the truth about myself, and deliberately creating many false appearances to mislead others. I still haven't realized that my true nature in the past was 'to control for the sake of controlling', and the purpose of my control is actually very simple, it's just to **. It's a temptation that has been tempting me, it's the devil's gift, but this devil is actually myself. I've become a devil wearing a fake mask, selling out and abandoning my own soul, reason and conscience shattered by the devil's desires.
Behind Longbiao was an image of Qian Lao, he turned his head to look at the image, thought for a moment, and continued, "Even if I confessed and reflected in front of the Buddha, even if I found comfort through meditation, I'm just finding excuses for my own guilt. In the end, I'm still escaping from the truth."
"This comfort is a misconception, even absurd," Long Bo said frankly, without hiding his past thoughts. "Perhaps the words of Buddhism can create a completely transcendent space for the noisy and chaotic inner spirit, but such a space is not in line with my needs in life. This is just an escape after I stripped myself, it cannot solve my problems. The real me is someone who has no idea what life is, what reality is. I thought I understood, but actually, I don't understand at all. I completely don't comprehend the meaning of true heart and truth."
Later on, I finally figured it out last September, the key to all problems is the truth. Long Bao spoke as if telling a story, talking freely and naturally with a calm expression, his eyes deep and serene. "I have always had to face life, face reality, face the truth, only by facing the truth can I be considered a real person, and a real person does not need gods or escape from life. My previous self was not real, it wasn't until now that I can say I am a truly living person."
Exxon knew that Long Bo's lengthy speech was an explanation of his inner journey, and he didn't expect Long Bo to reveal all the secrets in his heart. Long Bo's words moved him somewhat, and he said: "Mr. Long, now you're telling us that you used to be a devil wearing a mask, this confession is something I, and all the reporters here, have never heard from a public figure before. I'm not prepared to acknowledge it, because we all wear masks, and every one of us has a demonic component within, enslaving each and every one of us. That's our reality. But this issue is too heavy."
Long Bao smiled and said, "The heaviness of the truth is because it strikes at illusions, but only in this way can people find back reality. Don't you journalists need to seek the truth of things?"
"What is truth, anyway? There are many truths we don't know and don't want to face. You can't live too real in life, or it gets too exhausting."
"Life is just reality, and only reality is the essence of life."
"Your point of view won't be agreed upon by many people," Exxon said with a smile. "A person who lives authentically can easily hurt others' feelings. Mr. Long, do you know that your words just now will have a very unfavorable impact on your reputation?"
Long Bao also smiled and said, "Everyone has their own way of living, everyone has their own principles. I came to this conclusion after experiencing my own life, this is my truth, haha."
Exxon was unwilling to continue this topic and said: "Let's put it this way, you just answer my original question directly. Have you stopped believing in the Buddha?"
Long Wan smiled and replied, "The Buddha is not a deity, it represents a kind of wisdom. Everyone has the Buddha in their heart and can become a Buddha. This world does not have deities, only religions. I will no longer believe."
Exxon immediately seized Longpo's topic and asked: "Is there only religion without gods? Explain it."
Long Wan paused for a moment, then replied: "The gods in religion are just an illusion of the real power of human beings. Religion itself is empty and its roots lie among humans, in the hearts of people. If the gods cannot satisfy humanity's ***, then they cannot become gods either. Religion is just a philosophy that has been widely accepted as faith in the secular world."
At this time, the editor who came with Exxon hinted that Exxon should not continue to discuss this topic. Exxon understood and smiled: "Hehe, we are discussing philosophy, let's talk about the many changes you have made to the group in recent days. First, please answer why you want to transfer the shares of many subsidiaries out, even willing to give up control over those well-performing companies in exchange for a large amount of capital, what is the reason?"
"The group has signed or is about to sign agreements with many investors to transfer part of the equity of its subsidiaries, and we have decided to focus on operating investment companies while entrusting other physical enterprises to external investors for operation and management. We are pooling our funds together based on the principle of strength distribution, because the group's main business has been too scattered, resulting in a lack of concentration of power at one point. We will liberate our core talents from the enterprise, transfer the group's strength from production and operation to the creation of our global capital management company, and focus on building Li Heng Group's globalization business."
Mr. Ecksen asked: "How do you understand what you call globalization?"
"Although the group has reached a considerable height in the real economy, it is becoming increasingly dependent on competition and contradictions. The group is becoming more complex, and under the constraints of existing business laws, as time goes by, many paradoxes will gradually emerge. These paradoxes are mainly related to the group's ability to withstand global financial storms and economic crises. The group is facing increasingly heavy development and survival crises. In today's survival and development space, it is possible that a small probability event could trigger a global financial storm or economic crisis, causing a complex structure to collapse. We need a globalized vision in this era of globalization, only with a globalized vision can we create a globalized business. This globalized business is one that can avoid and solve these paradoxes and crises, it is to build a global investment company in this era of globalization, using powerful investment tools to help many companies face and solve their survival and development problems."
"Are you saying that you want to abandon the existing real economy and transform the group into a large-scale investment company with all your might, or are you taking the current Li Heng Investment Company as the focus of the group and gathering all funds to confront global financial speculators? Isn't this completely contrary to the conventional logic of managing an enterprise?"
"Mr. Qian said before he passed away that he hoped I would use this asset in the most meaningful way," Long Wan replied. "Building a global capital management company to escort more promising companies, not only can bring more returns to the group, but also better reflect the value of the group. This is an economic society, we need ethical development, rather than malicious competition and destruction. I am following Mr. Qian's will."
"Mr. Ekstrom, do you think there will be a severe financial storm or economic crisis in the future? If so, can the group resist the financial storm and eliminate the survival crisis? If not, what is the significance of doing so?"
Long Guanjie replied: "At present, there is an obvious overheating situation in the economy, especially in the financial sector. I am even worried that a severe financial storm will occur within the next three to five years, triggering a global economic crisis. The normal development of economic laws should not be through the ups and downs of financial storms and economic crises, but rather a gradual progress with slight fluctuations. It is all because some speculators maliciously create and trigger such situations."
It is well known that the group has been subjected to multiple attacks by international short sellers over the years, which is also a problem faced by most companies. Enterprises are forced to put a lot of energy into this, because of the malicious speculation of many short sellers, the real economy cannot develop normally. Now making the group into an ultra-large investment company is trying to make the group play the role of a guardian soldier who helps other enterprises resist malicious attacks and protects economic development. We are weak and cannot compete with market trends, but at least we can weaken the potential pressure that triggers the crisis before it breaks out, or delay the outbreak of the crisis for a while. Even if possible, we can use our influence to lead a revolution in financial and economic ethics, and bring the chaotic financial economy back to the track of serving the real economy.
"Apparently, your prediction for the future economic development coincides with that of Dr. Hannibal from the World Economic Research Institute," Exxon nodded and said, "From what you've done in recent days, it seems that you've made significant reforms in the overall layout of the group. But after doing so, will there be only this one capital management company left?"
Long Po said, "It should be said that the main force of the custodian center is placed in this investment management company. As for Liheng Group, although it no longer holds a controlling stake in its subsidiaries, the group will participate in more and more enterprises in the future, expanding from the current 13 listed companies and 21 large-scale enterprises to twice or even more, but it will not participate in the actual operation of the enterprise. Instead, it will continue to create and foster more super-large group enterprises."
"Such a major reform will inevitably lead to a comprehensive change in the group's internal structure, which must bring about massive unemployment among the group's employees. Are you not abandoning those employees? What about your old subordinates, how are you going to arrange for them?"
"Although the group has given up its controlling stake in its subsidiaries, it still holds shares in all of them. We and our partners have also reached a unified opinion on the issue of employee retention, and we have a protection period for employees' work. This is not about abandoning employees, but rather just changing the boss of the company. The group can now better concentrate its talent advantages."
"Can you reveal the attitude of board members such as Miss He Si Li, Ms. Qian Yu Hui, Ms. Jiao Si Wei and Ms. Xue Bing Ying towards your decision, as well as their current situation?"
Long Bao smiled and replied, "Miss Heslie and Miss Qian Yu Hui have reached an agreement with the board of directors to convert their shares in the group into shares of subsidiaries under the group. This matter will be announced later. The shareholdings of Ms. Jiao Si Wei and Ms. Xue Bing Ying have also been adjusted accordingly."
"Mr. Long, I'd like to ask you a personal question, and if it's not convenient for you to answer, then please don't. Eight years ago, Mr. Qian left his entire estate to you in his will. Now that you're giving away the group's companies and no longer have control over them, do you think he would agree with your approach if he knew about it? Or what does his family think about this?"
Long Bao's expression became somewhat solemn, and after a while, he replied: "Mr. Qian left his entire lifetime assets to me in his will, and to be honest, in the eyes of the public, I have managed this asset very well. However, I actually did it wrong, and I completely didn't understand the true meaning of Mr. Qian's will. I remember that Mr. Qian said in his will that the most difficult thing to write and decide on is a will, because it involves the inheritance of enormous wealth, so every word, sentence, and decision on the will can affect and influence the fate of related people and the outcome of related things. Mr. Qian also said that I would definitely be able to bring out the true value of wealth.
"For many years, I only thought about how to preserve this asset from damage and how to expand it, but did not carefully consider the true meaning of these words. It can even be said that everyone misunderstood Mr. Qian's will arrangement due to this misunderstanding, which led to some unpleasant things happening and caused a certain degree of opposition between me and Mr. Qian's family."
A faint sense of regret floated on Long Bao's face, "It's a pity that I only truly understood Lao Qian's purpose today. He hoped we would understand the true value of wealth. Wealth is not just a simple tool for us to achieve our personal goals. Since wealth comes from society, its purpose is to give back to society."
"I've been in contact with some world-renowned philanthropists and charitable organizations since last September, they convinced me that our humanity is full of crises, our society is full of crises, our world is full of paradoxes, environment, ecology, war, have long been hanging over our heads like a sword of Damocles. We are not lacking in food or clothing, but countless people are struggling on the edge of survival, and countless lives are facing death threats at any moment. This is something we absolutely cannot ignore. We only have one earth, all life has the right to survive on it, this right should be fair and just, but now it has completely lost balance due to human greed. Humanity's endless exploitation of nature has led to nature ruthlessly retaliating against us, perhaps one day humanity will face a catastrophic disaster. To mitigate or delay the arrival of this disaster, what we need to do most is to maintain and rescue the balance that this world is about to lose."
Long Bao looked at the camera very sincerely, "Money can't be brought with you when you're born, nor can it be taken away when you die. Now, this asset is indeed quite large, many people are concerned about its whereabouts. I can tell everyone now, it will return to where it came from, so this asset will ultimately still be used for the purpose that truly reflects the value of wealth. Mr. Qian left his assets to me to handle, hoping that I would do so, and I have also received support from Mr. Qian's sons, Mr. Qian Tonghua and Mr. Qian Tongxia, as well as Mr. Qian's grandson, Mr. Qian Yufan. In fact, Mr. Qian Tonghua has even volunteered to serve as the secretary-general of the Qian Zhengsheng Charitable Association, and Mr. Qian Yufan will take office in our cooperation with an international charitable organization to establish an international AIDS research treatment and rehabilitation center."
"Mr. Long didn't mention Mr. Qian's daughters, Ms. Qian Suxue and Ms. Qian Yuhui, here today. Is this a hint that they are opposed to your decision?" Exxon asked with a smile.
Long Bao smiled, and Exxon continued to ask: "Mr. Long, do you think that a person who occupies a large amount of wealth cannot ignore the most important social significance in the value of wealth due to personal desires or corporate interests?"
"If possible, I'd like to suggest that all the wealthy people pay attention to the lives of those who are living completely differently from them in this world, and pay attention to the environment that has undergone irreversible changes due to human activities. They may change their views on wealth."
Long Bo and Exxon's dialogue was watched by many people, who commented while watching.
Qian Suxue pointed at the TV screen, scolding angrily: "I've never seen anyone as hypocritical and cunning as him. He's done so many bad things, and after being a monk for just a few days, he comes out to play the saint! With a pretentious face of high morals, he distorts Father's will into this, shifting the blame onto us. I'm so angry I could kill him!"
Her daughter, Ye He, held her hand tightly and said: "Mom, let's also hold a press conference to confront him about his behavior that put Dad in prison and make him explain the bad things he has done!"
Qian Tonghua had already been released from prison, he walked in front of Qian Suxue and said sincerely: "Elder sister, it's not necessarily a bad thing for brother-in-law to stay in prison..."
"What a joke! Is going to jail now a good thing?! Qian Suxue retorted to Qian Tonghua, "Do you think that if you go to jail, your brother-in-law will have to go to jail too?"
"Sister, to be honest, I've been in prison for seven years and finally figured out how to live my life. And I don't even remember hating your husband." Qian Tonghua shook his head and said, "However, sister, your husband should have stayed in prison. It's not me saying this, but you should also reflect on your actions. If it wasn't for your indulgence towards him, would he have ended up like this today?"
Qian Suxue still had a grudge against Long Bao for finding evidence to put Ye Ziheng in jail. She didn't bother to listen to Qian Tonghua's advice and bluntly said, "Your brother-in-law may have done some things that are over the top, but no matter what he says, he is still a member of our family! Everything he does is for the benefit of our family! Now you need to understand, this guy is saying that he wants to donate all of Father's assets! This is something I absolutely cannot tolerate! Didn't this guy himself admit to doing many bad things? Why doesn't he go to jail? Why does he want to escape legal punishment?"
"The purpose of legal punishment is to make people reflect on their crimes, and imprisonment is just a restriction of personal freedom. Sister, it's not easy for Longbiao to manage such a large group, and playing some legal edge balls is also an unavoidable thing. He has told me that he believes there is no evidence to convict him of the things he did, even if I wanted to be a judge, I wouldn't sentence him. Moreover, Longbiao had long since repented for his past actions, and what's most important is that what he's doing now is far more meaningful than going to prison."
Qian Tonghua replied calmly, "Sister, you said that my brother-in-law did some things to maintain the family's dignity. Then I'll tell you, his purpose is to wait for Yu Hui to seduce Long Bao into transferring assets to us, and then he will cheat the money out of our hands! Don't think he has changed his ways, he is still colluding with Lan Yan, raising their illegitimate child..."
"I don't believe it!" Qian Susu said, "Your brother-in-law wouldn't deceive me!"
"Sister, you will understand in the future," Qian Tonghua sighed and said, "I finally understand why Father wanted to hand over the assets to him for management. Father was right, I think if he had handed those assets over to us, they would have been cheated away long ago, and the group would have collapsed in this fierce competition, and we would have been finished too!"
"Yu Hui, you say it isn't?" He looked at Qian Yu Hui again and said.
Qian Yu Hui was looking at the screen with a mixture of confusion and embarrassment as Long Bao spoke. Three years ago, when she had learned from Long Bao that Ma Jian Qing was an undercover agent planted by Jiao Sen An, it was like a thunderbolt on a clear day. She refused to forgive him no matter how he begged her, and they divorced immediately. She had decided never to remarry and raise their two children on her own. She even felt a little ashamed of the scheme she and her family had planned together three years ago, which Long Bao had seen through. Under this feeling of shame, she had always wanted to leave the group and start her own business. Now that Long Bao had decided to reorganize the group, it was time for her to take action. She remembered what Long Bao had said to her half a month ago: "If you want to withdraw your shares from the group, I fully respect your freedom. You can exchange them for cash or choose to control some of our subsidiaries. I will support you. I have talked to Vice Chairman Jiao, and although Mr. Ma Jian Qing did not behave properly in the past, he still loves you very much and is waiting for you to give him a chance to reform..."
Qian Yuhui didn't hear what Qian Tonghua said to her, she just unconsciously recalled those past events, murmuring: "You are you, I am me, he is him, everyone has their own freedom, everyone lives their own life, I don't want to think about anything, I just want to live a good life by myself..."
Qian Yu Fan has been undergoing AIDS treatment for many years, although it cannot be completely cured, but the condition has been fully controlled. In recent months, Long Bao has taken him under his wing and talked to him a lot, letting him benefit greatly. He can understand Long Bao's decision and fully supports it. A month ago, when Long Bao asked him if he wanted to come to work in the investment company or go to the grassroots level of the enterprise, he thought back to his own experiences fighting AIDS over the years and resolutely decided to go to the soon-to-be-established International AIDS Research Treatment and Rehabilitation Center. He wants to use his own experience to tell those patients that AIDS is not scary, what's scary is the fear of AIDS.
Qian Yu watched as his father, Qian Tonghua, was still trying to persuade Auntie Qian Suxue to let go of her resentment towards Long Bao. He thought for a moment before walking up to his father and saying: "Dad, don't interfere with Auntie's thoughts either, we should just focus on our own things."
"Mr. Long, there are some rumors, or rather, some evidence that suggests your family has a mysterious thousand-year-old curse, which says that you have been passing down the lineage single-handedly and no one in your family lives beyond thirty years old. You also believed that you would die mysteriously before turning thirty. Can you explain this curse to us?"
Long Bao and Jing'er had discussed this beforehand, knowing that Exxon would inevitably ask about it. Long Bao turned his head to look at Jing'er, who was standing at the door, and saw that she was smiling at him and nodding slightly. A smile spread across Long Bao's face as he said naturally, "I remember eight years ago, a reporter asked me the same question, saying I couldn't get close to others or it would bring them misfortune, and even asked if I had a dragon head birthmark on my chest that was passed down through generations. Hehe, I recall firmly denying the existence of the curse back then. Today you're asking me the same question again, and I'll tell you, the curse doesn't exist. However, this denial is different from the last time I answered this question. Last time, I was very superstitious about the curse, stubbornly thinking I was a jinx and doing many wrong things that hurt my friends' feelings. At that time, I verbally denied it to dispel the unfavorable rumors affecting my business management, but in reality, I believed the curse existed and hid that fact."
Long Wan smiled slightly, open and relaxed: "But today I still answer everyone, the mysterious curse does not exist. Why do I say so? So many facts and evidence are in front of everyone, am I trying to deceive everyone again?"
Off the court, Shi Wei and Hai Tao stared intently at Long Bao, their heartbeats accelerating unconsciously.
In a certain office in Shanghai, Qiu Ya, who was also very nervous in front of the computer screen, had her shoulder patted by a man in his mid-to-late 30s, who said: "Qiu Ya, don't worry, he won't speak out of turn. The current him is the most honest and wisest person I've ever seen."
In a luxurious house on Tai Ping Shan, Hong Kong, Xue Bingying was watching TV with her mother. Her mother asked in a low voice, "Do you think he will tell the truth? I'm really worried that he'll get sick again." Xue Bingying, who had been married to a rich young man for three months and was five months pregnant, touched her belly and replied, "He will speak very skillfully."
The headquarters of Hong Kong Liheng Investment Company, Jiao Siwei also watched TV in her own office, staring at Long Bing's determined face and muttering to herself: "Curse, curse of life, who curses whom, who is cursing, what curse..."
"Indeed, according to our family records and the oral traditions of our ancestors, my family has been quite unusual for generations. All the girls born into our family have not survived, while only one male heir has lived on, often passing away before the age of thirty. This single line of succession has continued for sixty-four recorded generations, including myself. There is indeed a hereditary birthmark that appears on members of my family, which may be a genetic trait or perhaps resembles a dragon's head with a broken horn." Long Bao smiled, "The stories of our ancestors are recorded in our family tree, unfortunately it has been lost and I have no way to show it to you. However, there are many rumors about this curse circulating in my hometown, I'm sure you've collected quite a few."
"Haha, yes, we've indeed collected a lot of information for this interview," Ekson also smiled and took out a picture to show Long Bao: "This is an X-ray image of the gold mine in your hometown of Xiongshan that has been depleted. Look, if you connect those gold veins together, it looks like a pair of dragon horns, but these dragon horns have no roots and are cut off halfway. Now people in your hometown are all saying this is a heavenly sign, no wonder the dragon head birthmark on your family members is also cut off, and the horns have turned into gold and run to the bottom of the mountain! Mr. Long, don't you think everyone's imagination is quite interesting?"
Long Wan took the picture from Exxon and looked at it, and indeed, it was a pair of broken dragon horns. Long Wan placed the picture on the table and smiled, saying: "Hehe, Exxon, this gold mine in Xiongshan has caused quite a bit of trouble. I remember a geological magazine that used 'natural mystery' to explain the formation of this gold mine. There's one sentence that left a deep impression on me - it said 'such a constructed gold mine is a natural mystery, but the environmental destruction and human damage caused by disorderly mining are a human mystery.' Mr. Exxon, I think rather than saying this is some kind of heavenly connection with me, it's more like a contradiction between nature and humanity. Do you mind if I smoke?"
Exxon smiled and lit a cigarette, taking a puff before speaking. "Today, I'll open up the topic of curses. Perhaps our ancestors' stories are true, and we can infer historical facts from them. However, this doesn't prove the existence of curses. Everyone knows that back then, science was underdeveloped, and people's thinking was very ignorant. They would often attribute coincidences to supernatural superstitions or divine powers. If curses exist, then gods must exist too. Since my family is the recipient of the curse, there must be a source of the curse, which can only be a god."
To be honest, I have always deeply hated the cursed idea that my ancestors instilled in me. This idea has penetrated deep into my subconscious and affected my life. I also thought that I would definitely not live past 30 years old and could not get close to others, otherwise, I would bring disaster to them. I even attributed all the unfortunate events that happened around me to myself, deliberately avoiding friendships and love. I was struggling with many psychological contradictions, and as a result, I suffered from severe depression and almost had a mental breakdown. It's laughable now, but I also had thoughts of suicide.
Long Bao beckoned to Jing'er, who walked over and sat down beside him. Long Bao held Jing'er's hand and said to Ekson: "Thank you, my friends, for your help; thank you, teachers, for your guidance; and thank you, my beloved Su Jing'er, for your unwavering care and support. Because of all of you, I have come to understand the true nature of the curse, and I have finally escaped its shadow, becoming myself once more."
Exxon smiled and nodded, saying: "I still don't quite understand. Are you saying that because of the curse, you couldn't recognize yourself, so in a state where you couldn't recognize yourself, you sold your soul to the devil for **?"
Exxon's words made Longbiao and Jing'er exchange a smile, and Longbiao flicked his cigarette ash, saying: "Is there really a curse in this world? No. This world is just like there are no gods or ghosts, there is no so-called curse. In this world, for us humans, there is only heart demon. To be strict, it's because of our ignorance of our own inner hearts, our ignorance of nature, that we have curses. Curses are what we create for ourselves, they are the ropes we tie around our own necks, and they are the marks left in our minds by the stimulation of pain and hardship, deeply engraved in our consciousness, and further influencing our behavior. My ancestors, including myself, did not correctly understand their own suffering, but instead thought that suffering was a curse from heaven, saying 'offending heaven, nothing to pray for'. All my ancestors were influenced by this subconsciousness, thinking that curses had magical powers, some resigned themselves to fate, some ancestors resisted the curse, but in the process of resistance, they were too impatient, and some even died young due to the underdevelopment of medical technology at the time. However, more often it was the spiritual shadow produced by fear of the curse, which I deeply understand.
The real curse is not others, but ourselves cursing ourselves. The lifespan of life is often determined by us. Under the influence of non-external factors, it is not others who kill us, but ourselves. It is our own loss of faith in life and human existence that creates this curse.
This curse can be said to be a curse on us. Living in this world, we live, interact, and change, we have our own desires, in order to satisfy these desires, we will use our own way to act, many times if the behavior is not appropriate it will cause harm to the people around us, bringing pain to others and ourselves. The curse is also a curse on our emotions, we use language, behavior, and thoughts to interact with the people around us emotionally, emotions are bilateral, they cannot be controlled by one side, and emotions are changing, forever unable to reach unity and harmony with what we need. In the end, the curse curses our seven emotions and six desires, it is a common thing that the heavens have placed on all human beings, it is our common psychological face.
"Mr. Exxon, the stark contrast of wealth and poverty in this world, how many people are struggling on the brink of death, how many people are immersed in suffering, how far away is a happy life from them, this unfair and unjust reality is the real curse. As for that rumored curse, it's just one of the causes of our family's psychological problems, which has been confirmed by psychological experts. Let's just treat those stories and rumors as jokes."
Exxon smiled and said, "Mr. Long is really straightforward, not only did he honestly admit that there was a historical incident about the curse, but also gave us a detailed explanation of the true meaning of the curse. Well, to be honest with you, I don't believe in curses either. Modern technology has long proven that our world has always been a materialistic one, and there's no such thing as spirits or mysterious curses. What you said is great, curses are just a common psychological phenomenon, and only by conquering oneself can we conquer the curse, just like how you are now, full of spirit and love. Mr. Long, I have another small question, is it because of this reason that you decided to position your career in philanthropy?"
Long Bao smiled and said: "What do you think?"
"Ah, I don't know about that," Exxon said with a deliberate shake of his head. "But you don't have to answer, my interview is already over." He picked up the photo of Long Bao's bald head from the table and placed it in front of him. "Hehe, Mr. Long, honestly, you look quite handsome with a shaved head. How about this? Would you mind signing your name on this photo for me? And Miss Su should sign one too. Your joint signatures are really valuable, I'd love to collect them."
Jing'er took the pen and signed her name, Su Jing'er. Long Biao took the pen from Jing'er's hand, looked at the photo for a moment, then wrote his name in bold strokes, "Long Biao".
At this moment, many people outside the venue let out a big sigh of relief, especially Shi Wei, who slapped himself in the face and shouted: "Damn it, cool!"
Qiu Ya wept softly on the man's shoulder, and he comforted her in a gentle voice.
Jiao Siwei stared blankly at the TV, thinking of the ancestral family tree of the Longbiao clan that was still hidden at home. At this time, Louise walked in front of her and said in a low voice: "Siwei, Mr. Goodley has arrived in Hong Kong and wants to see you."
At night, Jing Er and Long Bao stood on the balcony of the villa. Jing Er asked Long Bao: "Do you think you achieved your goal in today's interview?"
Long Bao smiled and said: "I have no purpose, there is nothing I want to achieve or not achieve."
"Stop talking nonsense, otherwise I won't make tea for you."
"I'm really not doing this for any particular purpose, I just told them what I truly wanted to say, without hiding or fabricating anything."
Jing'er nodded and asked Long Bao, "Then do you think everyone will have any reaction to what you said? Will your words affect or even change their views on what you plan to do in the future?"
Long Bao fell silent, unwilling to think about such issues anymore. He said, "The differences between individuals in this world are too great, and these differences cannot be eliminated. People often think one way but do another, and their words, actions, and thoughts have varying degrees of separation. People have become accustomed to this. Jing Er, I will no longer try to figure out people's reactions or guess what they're thinking. Otherwise, I'll just go back to the way I was before. I won't measure others by my own standards; I'll only say what I truly think and do what I truly want to do. I'll cherish our lives, cherish our happiness, and help as many people as possible who are struggling in their own curses."
"Yes, everyone has their own thoughts, and we don't have to measure others by our own standards," Jing'er said softly as she leaned into Long Biao's arms. "As time goes on, people will gradually come to understand this principle and return to their true selves."
The azure night sky was like a beautiful painting, the two of them looked up and gazed at it, feeling carefree and joyful. Jing'er felt Long Bao's heart beating strongly, she gently combed his hair with her fingers and softly said: "Does your head hurt today? After taking medicine later, I'll massage it for you."
Long Bao tightly hugged Jing Er and said with a trembling voice: "It's okay, it's okay, I'll handle things and then we'll go for surgery."
