Courtyard Houses: Longevity Since the War of Resistance

The events in Hong Kong came suddenly and went quickly.

Those who need to be arrested should be arrested, and those who need to be replaced should be replaced. With the army standing there, the streets become much quieter. Community groups have all learned to be civilized and polite, promoting positive energy and harmony.

Even their names were changed, now called the Red Star Neighborhood Mutual Aid Association, the East Star Community Friendship Association, and so on. The leaders put on Tang suits, smiled at everyone, and constantly talked about loving the country and Hong Kong and supporting the Special Administrative Region.

The underlings stopped carrying machetes and started handing out flyers, organizing community basketball games, and occasionally helping to maintain order in queues.

Do you think they genuinely changed their minds or were forced by circumstances?

Who cares? The people feel at ease, they don't have to worry about being charged protection money when they go out, and they don't have to worry about being treated badly when they eat late-night snacks. That's enough.

The system remains largely unchanged; horses still run, dances still go on, and the stock market still operates. Judges still wear wigs, and police officers still follow the same procedures, but the direction has changed.

Newspapers still carry a variety of viewpoints, but articles distorting history have disappeared. Radio and television programming now includes significantly more programs in standard Mandarin, with clear and accurate pronunciation.

The most profound changes are actually in tea restaurants, wet markets, and ordinary people's homes.

"Uncle, I'll have a Set Meal A, milk tea not sweet." The office worker hurriedly sat down.

"Alright! Did you see today's news? They caught a few more traitors." The boss said while frying eggs.

"I saw it, serves them right. It should have been cleaned up a long time ago. By the way, my son's school is organizing an exchange trip to the mainland next month, to the Great Wall."

"That's great! My daughter went last year and came back saying the food was delicious. I used to feel like I was looking through a veil when I read history books, but after going there myself, I can see it for myself."

"Exactly. Learning Mandarin is great too. My son doesn't have to wait for Xiangyu's dubbing to watch TV dramas anymore."

Similar conversations can be heard everywhere.

From 1942 to the present, more than 20 years of subtle influence and the promotion of Mandarin Chinese through national education starting from primary school have finally revealed their foundation.

Young people take it for granted that they should learn their own country's language and history. What's wrong with that?

On the contrary, their parents, who experienced the chaotic times, felt it more deeply and would privately sigh, "If only we had done it this way earlier, we could have avoided so many detours."

Li Feng sat in the Kowloon Tea Restaurant for three days, eating six pineapple buns and drinking eight cups of iced milk tea, his ears filled with these idle chatter from the streets.

He quite liked this atmosphere; it was grounded and had a down-to-earth feel. Human nature is like that—if you genuinely treat it well, give it stability, and offer it hope, it will naturally know where to gravitate.

On the fourth day, he put down his teacup, wiped his mouth, and left. His next stop was Macau.

The situation in Macau is much simpler. Country P's resources are far from those of a powerful nation during the Age of Exploration. After 1942, they even abandoned their military presence, retaining only nominal cooperation.

Macau has long been taken over by China. The situation in Hong Kong is in an uproar. A missile was launched into the Pacific Ocean, and in Country P, the parliament held an emergency meeting overnight.

What are we discussing? How to gracefully hand over Macau while still gaining favor.

The process was surprisingly fast. On the afternoon of the same day Li Feng arrived in Macau, the representative of Country P in Macau received an urgent telegram from home. The representatives of both countries sat down at the negotiating table that evening, with the representative of Country P looking very sincere.

"We have always respected China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The return of Macau to China is a historical inevitability, and we are happy to see it happen. For the sake of friendship between the people of both places and for world peace, we have decided to unconditionally and completely return the administrative rights of Macau to China ahead of schedule. The formalities will be completed immediately! The ceremony will be arranged by China! We will fully cooperate!"

The representative from Party Z was perfectly aware of the situation, saying, "Thank you to Party P for their understanding and cooperation. This is a model for resolving historical issues between countries."

Before they'd even finished a cup of coffee, all the draft documents were laid out, and the P representative signed them faster than anyone else. At the end of the negotiations, the Z representative presented an antique, and P reciprocated with a Portuguese egg tart recipe.

When the news spread, the streets of Macau were filled with jubilation.

Lion dances and firecrackers make it even more lively than Chinese New Year. Traveling to inland areas will be easier, the barriers to starting a business will be lower, and children will have more choices for schooling.

As for those gambling dens? They operate as usual, just with stricter regulations, and they still pay all the taxes due.

Public security? It was already much better than Hong Kong next door, and now it's even more secure.

Li Feng watched the commotion at the council pavilion for a while, bought an almond cookie, and ate it as he walked. The sun was shining brightly, and the pace of the small town was leisurely. He didn't stay long; there wasn't much to sell here. He was just there to buy some food and get rid of the pests.

In less than half a day, all the spies planted by other countries in Macau had gone to their respective great-grandfathers.

Back in Hong Kong, television news was broadcasting that the Hong Kong University Student Union, together with several student representatives, had issued a statement expressing deep concern over the recent repressive measures, claiming that academic freedom was threatened, and demanding the protection of Hong Kong's unique culture and institutions.

The camera panned to several students standing on the stage, young and excited, holding microphones and speaking passionately in Cantonese, which was interspersed with a large number of English words. Below, a few students sat sparsely, some clapping, others expressionless, heads down, fiddling with their fingers.

Looking at the TV screen, Li Feng thought, "They're not necessarily bad. They're probably just being used as pawns, or they've gotten themselves stuck in a rut."

To say they are innocent would be foolish.

"Tch, it's those cockroaches again." The middle-aged man at the next table, dressed in dockwork clothes, spat.

"They've wasted their education! Without a country, how could they be spouting such high-sounding rhetoric in such a peaceful place? They'd have their legs broken by the mafia long ago!"

"Keep your voice down," his companion advised. "Young people are easily fooled."

"Lies? I think they're just too full!" The man in overalls couldn't hold back his voice. "My son is also in college, all he knows is to study hard, and he even volunteers in the community during holidays! These people just need to be taught a lesson!"

Other diners in the restaurant also began to whisper among themselves, mostly expressing dissatisfaction and mockery. Public opinion is something that is usually invisible and intangible, but at critical moments, it becomes crystal clear.

Li Feng finished the last sip of his milk tea.

This is not an isolated incident. The overall situation in Hong Kong has been settled, but there are always some people who are unwilling to accept it and want to make a few last-minute fuss, create some conflict, and hopefully attract some international attention.

Students, especially college students who are easily swayed and have an aura of self-importance, have always been the best tools.

After paying and leaving the tea restaurant, it was getting dark outside. I checked my direction and headed towards Hong Kong University.

Not taking action, at least not now.

Students hurried about on campus. Li Feng walked to the vicinity of the Democracy Wall and looked at it from a distance. The wall was covered with various declarations, cartoons, and clippings. Several students were giving passionate speeches in front of the wall, surrounded by sixty or seventy listeners.

He listened for a while.

The content is the same old rhetoric, coupled with the image of a victim, the core of which is to refuse assimilation and maintain so-called uniqueness.

A tall, thin boy was speaking passionately: "We cannot remain silent! Today they can replace officials, tomorrow they can replace our thoughts. What is the value of Hong Kong? It lies in our courage to say no! We must let the world hear our voices!"

The core members below clapped enthusiastically.

Li Feng gently shook his head.

Courage? Mistaking ignorance for bravery, and stubbornness for persistence. They simply don't understand how much deliberately implanted poison is mixed into the desire to preserve so-called uniqueness.

They don't understand that true value lies in enabling the majority of people living on this land to live safely, prosperously, and with dignity, rather than clinging to some illusory slogans and heading towards isolation and confrontation.

He noticed that not many people were truly moved by the emotions.

Most people just watched. A girl who looked like she had just finished class whispered to her friend, "What's the point of all this? I have to hand in my paper tomorrow." The two of them quickly left.

Those who are truly happy to jump around are always a minority; most people have their own moral compass. But if these few are left unchecked and exploited, they can cause considerable trouble, and they are disgusting, extremely disgusting.

The tall, thin student, with sharp eyes, spotted Li Feng in the crowd and suddenly pointed, "Look! They might be the ones they sent to spy on us! They're even trying to infiltrate our last bastion of freedom on campus!"

Dozens of eyes immediately turned to this side. Li Feng stopped and turned around to calmly meet those gazes.

His eyes were indifferent, devoid of emotion, but those whose gaze swept over him felt a strange tremor in their hearts, as if he could see right through them.

The tall, thin boy felt a little uneasy under that gaze. "What are you looking at! People like you aren't welcome here!"

Li Feng suddenly smiled, put his hands in his pockets, and slowly walked away, leaving the group of students looking at each other in bewilderment. The tall, thin boy's face flushed red and then turned pale, all the prepared follow-up remarks stuck in his throat.

As Li Feng walked out of the campus, he lit a cigarette, the embers flickering in the deepening night.

Go ahead and make a scene.

That's all I can do. I exhale a puff of smoke, and some insects, if I don't stomp on them, will keep buzzing in my ear, which is annoying.