I'm in the county town, and you say I'm a big shot?

Chapter 790 is preceded by the "Red Flag Act" and followed by "pawnshop mentality".

On November 16, 2016, the morning mist in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, was as perennial as ever, swirling between the ancient Grand Canal and the white-walled, black-tiled buildings, subtly imbuing the scene with a more vibrant pulse of the times. The 11rd World Internet Conference opened here, with the theme "Innovation-Driven Development for the Benefit of Mankind – Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace," bringing together leading figures in the internet industry from over 110 countries and regions worldwide.

Fang Qingye arrived in Wuzhen a day early. This time, he did not stay at the Tong'an Inn where he stayed last year, but instead chose the Shengting Hotel.

Located in the Xizha Scenic Area of ​​Wuzhen, this hotel is a converted "Bajia Hall," a nearly century-old water town mansion. It cleverly blends the cultural heritage of the Jiangnan water towns with modern design concepts, showcasing the elegant charm of a Jiangnan courtyard. Fang Qingye stayed in one of the scenic villas, named "Sixiangxuan," which cost a hefty 8888 yuan per night.

The "Wuzhen Coffee Gathering" event, hosted by Fang Qingye, also took place here.

Bai Ou booked the villa through the organizing committee, mainly for comfort and privacy – after all, the company is not short of money these days.

In terms of accompanying personnel, besides Yue Kai, who served as both driver and bodyguard, Fang Qingye also brought Deng Rong and Hu Lingling. Last year, Chen Danlu accompanied her, but this year it was Deng Rong, partly to broaden the horizons of the Jinghai Bank executives; Hu Lingling, on the other hand, had actively requested to come along. Having one more person wouldn't hurt, especially since Deng Rong is a woman, and having Hu Lingling along would be more convenient.

The Shengting Villa is not large, with only 24 guest rooms, including only two scenic villas. Fang Qingye only learned after checking in that the guest in the other villa was Ma Yun.

Ha... Now that's great, I won't have to worry about having someone to keep me company when I drink tea tonight.

However, I'm afraid there might not be time.

Fang Qingye is no longer the almost "transparent" figure he was last year, daring to sneak off to fish at Baimatang in Tongxiang at will. He had barely checked into the Shengting Hotel when media reporters arrived, requesting interviews.

Fang Qingye politely declined.

Hotel security personnel were already politely blocking people from entering the villa from outside the courtyard, and bodyguard Yue Kai was also on high alert to prevent anyone from breaking in. Even Hu Lingling offered to stay on the first floor, saying that she needed to "keep an eye on things at all times."

Fang Qingye lives on the second floor, which includes a bedroom, a study, and a private bathroom. Standing in front of the 180-degree panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, she can enjoy a picturesque view of a small bridge and flowing water. She can stroll freely within the villa's courtyard, but once she steps outside, the freedom is likely to diminish.

The opening ceremony of the conference was held at the Wuzhen Internet International Convention and Exhibition Center at 9:00 a.m. on the first day.

Inside the main venue, blue and white lights cascaded like a galaxy, and the words "Interconnectivity and Shared Governance: Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace" appeared in both Chinese and English on a huge circular screen. The audience consisted of political figures, internet giants, and experts from over 120 countries around the world.

Fang Qingye and Deng Rong attended as official representatives. Fang Qingye was already very familiar with the place and felt quite at ease dealing with these industry leaders; Deng Rong, however, was very excited as it was her first time participating, constantly taking notes in her notebook and occasionally secretly taking photos with her phone.

"What's so interesting about filming this? There will be plenty of photos and behind-the-scenes footage online," Fang Qingye asked, puzzled.

“Fang Xing, you don’t understand. Only photos you take yourself are true memories!” Deng Rong explained in a low voice as she continued taking photos.

Okay... in memory.

At the opening ceremony, Ma Yun, as the sole representative from the business community, delivered a keynote speech. He pointed out that the next 30 years belong to enterprises, countries, and young people who "make good use of internet technology."

"I said not long ago that e-commerce will disappear. In the past, e-commerce went from nothing to something, and in the future, it will go from something to nothing again; the internet will also go through a process of going from nothing to something, and then to nothing again."

"Therefore, our meeting today is for the next 30 years. Our goal is young people under 30 and small businesses with fewer than 30 employees in the next 30 years."

"Electricity was invented in Europe, but the real success didn't come from Europe. It was the United States that seized the opportunity, achieved widespread application, and became a powerhouse in the energy era." "After the invention of the automobile, Britain passed the Motor Vehicle Act of 1865, also known as the Red Flag Act. Due to a failure to foresee the future, British automobile research and development stagnated, missing an opportunity."

"Such 'red flag laws' still exist in various countries today."

……

"Fang Xing, what is the 'Red Flag Act' that Teacher Ma mentioned?" Deng Rong asked in a low voice.

“A rather famous act,” Fang Qingye explained in a low voice. “In the 19th century, automobiles became popular in Britain. In 1865, the British Parliament passed the Motor Vehicles Act, which required each vehicle to be driven by three people, one of whom had to lead the way with a red flag 50 meters in front of the vehicle, and the speed could not exceed 4 miles per hour, or about 6.4 kilometers per hour. Hence it was called the Red Flag Act.”

"Huh? There really is such a bill?" Deng Rong asked incredulously.

“It wasn’t made up by Teacher Ma; it’s true.” Fang Qingye chuckled. “This act had a profound impact on the history of the automobile. It equated automobiles with horse-drawn carriages, directly stifling Britain’s chance to become a major automobile power. Subsequently, the automobile industry rapidly rose in the United States.”

"Oh..." Deng Rong seemed to understand. "Is Professor Ma trying to say that technological innovation requires supporting policy and regulatory innovation?"

That's exactly what I mean.

“I think what he said makes a lot of sense. Rules and policies should not restrict technology; they should evolve with the times,” Deng Rong continued in a low voice.

Fang Qingye did not respond.

It seems correct, but it's easy to overdo it.

He suddenly recalled Ma Yun's speech at the Bund Financial Summit in Shanghai in 2020, before his rebirth—criticizing the overly conservative financial regulation at the time, managing airports like train stations, stifling innovation, and bluntly stating that domestic banks had a "pawnshop mentality"...

That incident caused a huge uproar, and Ma Yun's image collapsed overnight.

Perhaps, clues can already be seen in today's speech.

Following the opening ceremony, various sub-forums were held one after another. Fang Qingye participated in the Digital Finance Forum, which was scheduled for the next morning. He and Deng Rong randomly listened to several forums, paying particular attention to Ma Huateng's speech, titled "Tencent Focuses on Being an Internet Connector".

"Cultivate oneself, return to the essence, and become a connector." To put it bluntly, it means building an ecosystem.

The content is as down-to-earth as Chow Yun-fat himself, yet it cannot conceal his ambition.

In the evening, he also had to host his own "Wuzhen Coffee Gathering," for which he had to decline Ding Lei's invitation to dinner.

Of course, it seems to have become a tradition for the bigwigs to visit his nursery in Nanxin after the Wuzhen Summit.

(End of this chapter)