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New York, at the recording site of WNBC's "The Tonight Show".

The studio lights were blazing, and the audience seats were filled with expectant faces.

Having just returned triumphantly from a major Eastern power, Forrest Gan, dressed in his best brown suit, sat somewhat reservedly on a comfortable sofa.

Beside him sat a guest with a completely different style, John Lennon.

This former Beatles member and renowned peace activist is currently appearing in his signature round-framed glasses and casual camouflage jacket, relaxed in posture but with a gaze that carries the unique scrutiny and unruliness of an artist.

Host Dick Cavett opened with his signature warm smile, “Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we have two very special guests. One is Forrest Gan, the ‘people’s diplomat’ who just returned from the East after participating in that historic ping-pong exchange! The other is John Lennon, the musician and poet we know and love! Welcome, both of you!”

Forrest Gump waved shyly, while Lennon simply nodded slightly, looking thoughtful.

Cavit first turned to Agam, speaking in a friendly tone, "Fores, we all know this trip of yours has been extraordinary. Could you share with us your most immediate impressions of that country, which they call the East? What impressions did the people and cities leave on you?"

Forrest blinked, a sincere and joyful expression appearing on his face, as if those scenes had returned vividly before his eyes. "Well, Mr. Cavitt, I... I really like it there. The capital of Tokyo University is very big and very old, very different from New York. The people there... they seem, well... very content, and life has a slow pace, unlike here where we're always in a hurry."

"They were all incredibly welcoming to me. Everywhere I went, people smiled at me and wanted to shake my hand, even though we didn't speak the same language... And the food there! Wow!"

His eyes lit up, and he recounted the dishes with great enthusiasm, “I ate Peking duck, with its crispy skin and fragrant meat, which you have to eat wrapped in a thin pancake; there was also shredded pork with sweet and sour sauce, which was salty and sweet, served with scallions; and there was a kind of snack called ‘donkey roll,’ which was glutinous and coated with fragrant powder… I wish Jenny could try it too.”

When he mentioned the name of his childhood sweetheart, a tender look of longing flashed across his face.

At that moment, John Lennon, who was standing nearby, let out a soft, almost mocking snort, interrupting Forrest Gump's heartwarming reminiscence.

Lennon adjusted his posture, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the sofa armrest, yet with a deliberately cultivated sense of detachment and critical skepticism, he questioned, "Sounds like a meticulously planned fairytale journey, doesn't it, Forrest?"

“They only show you the glamorous squares, delicious food, and smiling faces. But have you seen what’s behind those high walls? Have you seen the suppression of thought? The lack of art? The absence of individual voices behind that uniformity? That’s not a ‘slow pace,’ it might be a kind of arranged, soulless stillness.”

The atmosphere in the studio instantly froze.

A slight commotion arose from the audience.

Host Cavitt maintained professional neutrality, but gestured to Lennon to watch his words.

Forrest Gump turned to look at Lennon, his face showing confusion for the first time, followed by a very rare, almost serious expression.

He wasn't agitated, but rather retorted very seriously, "Mr. Lennon, I don't quite understand what you mean by high walls and confinement. I only know what I saw and felt. I saw many people practicing Tai Chi and playing chess in the park, and children were laughing; I saw ancient palaces, very large and very beautiful, just like those in history books; I played ping-pong with their players, they played very well and were very nice people, and we drank soda together after the game."

He paused, his blue eyes meeting Lennon's through his glasses. "You said I didn't see the whole picture. Maybe so. But what I did see was real. The people there, like my mother, my brother, and all the good people I know, wanted to live peaceful, good lives, wanted their families to be healthy, and wanted to eat good food."

Lennon seemed somewhat taken aback by Forrest Gump's straightforward rebuttal based on direct experience. "Forrest, let's be honest. Is your enthusiastic praise of them due to...some personal background or emotional inclination? We all know that political propaganda sometimes exploits naive people."

This sentence touched the part of Forrest Gump's heart that he cherished most.

His expression turned unusually serious, even bordering on defensive excitement. "Mr. Lennon!"

“I play ping-pong because I enjoy it! I went there because they invited us and were very friendly to us! What does this have to do with my family? Yes, I have an older brother!”

“My mom adopted him. He’s Chinese American, and his name is Suning Gan! He’s incredibly smart and the best, hardest-working older brother in the world! He loves my mom, he loves me, and he loves Alabama, the state where he was born and raised! So, yes, I’ve known about East Coast University since I was little, from my brother! But that doesn’t mean I was ‘used’!”

He took a deep breath, defending his observations and feelings as if they were his family. “You say it’s bad there, that the people there aren’t free. But, Mr. Lennon, have you been there? Have you seen it with your own eyes? My mother said, ‘Seeing is believing.’ You haven’t been there, haven’t eaten with them, haven’t played ball with them, so how can you be so sure they’re unhappy and not free? My brother told me that there are good people and not-so-good people everywhere, but it’s wrong to assume the worst about an entire country and so many people you’ve never met.”

Forrest Gump's unvarnished, heartfelt rebuttal, which directly addressed the fact that Lennon "did not experience it firsthand," instantly silenced the audience.

Lennon was momentarily speechless. His usual grand criticisms and abstract speculations suddenly seemed pale and distant in the face of Forrest Gump's concrete, personal experiences and family emotions.

A few applause and whispers of approval even rang out from the audience.

The host, Cavitt, astutely seized this turning point and intervened at the right time, steering the conversation to a lighter topic, such as Forrest Gump's upcoming ping-pong match plans.

Even after the show ended, Forrest Gump was still a little sullen.

Before leaving the studio, John Lennon unusually stopped, walked up to Forrest Gump, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Hey, Forrest... you're right, I haven't been. Maybe... sometimes it's necessary to see it for yourself. Keep your honesty, it's precious."

After saying that, he put on his hat and hurriedly left with his Japanese wife.

Forrest Gump watched his retreating figure, scratched his head, and didn't quite understand what the rock star's last words meant.

But he quickly put the matter out of his mind because he had promised to visit his brother Su Ning next weekend and tell his mother that he had mentioned his brother on TV.

For him, family and firsthand experience are far more important than any distant debate.

This episode, thanks to Forrest Gump's simple yet powerful "seeing is believing" philosophy, sparked a wide discussion among American audiences about how to get to know a faraway country.

...The seemingly simple yet sparking conversation on "The Tonight Show" was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples across the United States that far exceeded expectations.

Forrest Ganna's "seeing is believing" rebuttal, based on his own experience and his defense of his family and simple truths, reached millions of households through television signals with its astonishing sincerity and irrefutable directness.

Forrest Gump's words were discussed in newspaper columns, on radio talk shows, and even at ordinary people's dinner tables.

"That ping-pong player, Forrest Gump, makes a good point. How can he criticize someone if he hasn't even been there?"

"Lennon may have really been a bit arrogant this time."

"Dongda... doesn't sound so mysterious and scary. At least their Peking duck and Forrest Gump's brother sound good."

Public opinion, especially the sentiments of ordinary people, has subtly shifted towards a more pragmatic approach, based on personal experience rather than purely ideological confrontation.

Forrest Gump's fame skyrocketed from the sports section to the front page of the social section. His honest, patriotic, and persistent image of verifying things firsthand has deeply resonated with people, and has even sparked some small-scale discussions about cross-cultural understanding.

This surge of public attention, like a high-powered searchlight, not only illuminated Forrest Gump but also drew the attention of others to another name associated with him...

His "extremely intelligent" Chinese-American brother, Suninggan.

Immediately afterwards, a more astute business and capital sense spotted another rising business star closely associated with this name: Lemon Tech.

The success of "Lemon No. 1" in breaking into the niche market, the buying frenzy triggered by the graphical interface of "Lemon No. 2", and the aggressive product strategy of launching new products every year and iterating rapidly have long been the subject of private discussions in Silicon Valley and venture capital circles.

Now, with Forrest Gump's nationwide exposure, Suning and its Lemon Technology have gained an additional, slightly legendary public appeal...

A family member who is a source of pride for American heroes, and a successful entrepreneur.

Almost simultaneously with the Tonight Show's impact, Lemon Technology's still busy and somewhat cluttered Santa Monica office began receiving some unusual visitor appointment calls.

The first to arrive was Marc Andreessen, a partner at a startup venture capital firm on Sand Hill Road in San Francisco.

He was young, impeccably dressed in a suit, with a shrewd smile and a passion for numbers.

“Mr. Gan, what an amazing growth curve!” Anderson opened his laptop in the simple conference room, showing his predictive model for Lemon Technology’s market share. “The graphical interface of ‘Lemon II’ is a stroke of genius; it defines a new paradigm for human-computer interaction. We believe that the personal computer market is about to experience explosive growth, and Lemon Technology is at the forefront. We at Sequoia Capital are willing to lead the Series A round, with a valuation that can be negotiated to $20 million, to help you rapidly expand your production capacity and capture the national market.”

Suning sat opposite him, wearing a simple polo shirt, twirling a pen in his hand, patiently listening to Anderson's generous presentation and enticing figures.

Then, he calmly said, "Mr. Anderson, thank you for your appreciation from Sequoia Capital. Lemon Technology does need funding to accelerate its growth. But the valuation of 20 million is based on our existing products and linear predictions of the future market. What we plan to do is lead and define this market."

He then pulled up the preliminary technology roadmap for "Lemon III," saying, "What we need is not just money to expand production capacity, but also strategic funds to support deeper research and development, build our own software ecosystem, and even lay out cooperation with upstream key components. More importantly, we need to maintain the independence of decision-making and the speed of product iteration, without being overly influenced by short-term financial return pressures."

Anderson's smile faded slightly as he realized that the young man before him had an exceptionally clear understanding of his own value and control.

"So, Mr. Gan, what are your conditions?"

“What we need are partners who truly understand the long-term nature of technology and can provide collaborative resources across the industry, not just checks.” Suning’s vision was sharp. “The valuation needs to reflect the value of the entirely new track we are pioneering. The voting rights structure must guarantee the founding team’s absolute control over the product and technology roadmap. These are the basis of our negotiations.”

"Alright, Mr. Gan, it seems we still have differences."

"Of course! This is our first contact after all, and I believe we will find common ground in the future."

"That's right! I hope we can cooperate next time."

……

A few days later, another group of visitors arrived, this time from investment banks on East Wall Street, including James Rothschild, who was dressed in a more traditional and formal manner.

He brought with him a blueprint for leverage, rapid expansion, and "going public as soon as possible to maximize wealth."

“Mr. Gan, given Lemon Technology’s current popularity and growth potential, it is fully qualified to launch a pre-IPO round of financing.” Rothschild’s tone was full of enticement. “We can organize a syndicate to inject a large amount of capital to help you quickly integrate the supply chain and sales channels through acquisitions, and you can go public on Nasdaq within one or two years. At that time, your and your team’s net worth will grow exponentially.”

After listening, Suning shook his head, still appearing remarkably determined. "Mr. Rothschild, Lemon Technology isn't aiming for overnight riches or to become a pretty bargaining chip in the capital game. Going public is an inevitable stage, but not the ultimate goal, much less a tool for forcing growth. What we need is to solidify our foundation: perfecting our product line, cultivating our user community, and building technological barriers. Being prematurely held hostage by the pressure of quarterly financial reports in the public market will ruin our innovation pace. The financing we seek should be 'patient capital' to give us more time for focused development, not a growth accelerator."

"So, Lemon Technology has no plans to raise funds at present?"

"Yes! However, financing and going public are the only way for Lemon Technology to grow bigger and stronger."

"I hope we can cooperate with Lemon Technology in the future."

"Definitely! If we need financing in the future, we will definitely contact your company."

...(End of chapter)