Taoist priest goes to America

"...Everything you see in China has been carefully selected."

The man in the light blue suit spoke into his phone, his words sounding as if he had recited them countless times, radiating a smooth confidence.

"I have lived in the United States for seven years, and I can tell you with certainty that the quality of life, income level, medical care, and educational environment here are all far better than in China."

"Go ask anyone who has lived abroad for more than five years, and no one wants to go back."

He leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and lowered his voice slightly, as if he were sharing some secret.

"Let me tell you the truth, the environment in China, to put it nicely, is stable; to put it bluntly, it's like being slowly boiled like a frog in water."

"You work your whole life and in the end you can't afford a house and you can't save any money."

"You want to go out and see the world, but there are a bunch of people online who criticize you for being a Western worshipper. I can show you what kind of life I'm living here."

He turned his phone camera around, scanning the streets, skyscrapers, and bustling shops across the street as the city lights began to twinkle. "Look at this," he said, "this is what life is all about. This is how people should live."

He turned the camera back to his own face. "I know some people in the comments section are asking, 'Does talking about China like this mean you're unpatriotic?'"

"Let me tell you, patriotism isn't about shouting slogans every day. It's about living with dignity and ensuring your family has a good life. If you can't even guarantee a basic quality of life, what's the point of just shouting patriotism?"

He paused, glanced down at the comments popping up on his phone screen, then looked up and smiled at the camera again.

"Some people ask how to get a visa? No problem, Lao Gu, I have plenty of legitimate channels here, and we follow government-approved procedures."

"As long as you meet the requirements, I can help you get it done. The price is fair, and I'll treat everyone fairly."

He paused for a moment, waiting for certain names to be scrolled past in the comments.

"Some people ask me if I'm slandering my country. I'd like to ask in return, what does slander mean? I'm just stating the facts!"

"The fact is, I work shorter hours in the US, earn more, receive better benefits, and my child receives a higher quality education in the US than in China!"

"If you think I'm lying, then look at the comments section under my video—how many brothers who have already gone abroad agree with what I said."

"I'm not advising you to go abroad; I'm telling you that there really is another way of life out there. If you don't want to be tied to that kind of environment for the rest of your life, you can ask me. I can help you."

The man, whose mouth was dry from talking, grabbed an iced Americano from the side and took a swig.

"There was a little hiccup just now, but it's okay, let's continue. Many people have asked me why people in China criticize those of us who come from abroad."

"Let me tell you, it's because they themselves lack the ability to get out, so they can only balance their own psychology by cursing you. Don't let them affect you; your life is your own."

By the time he finished speaking, Ang Lee had already stood up. He walked around behind the man and patted him on the shoulder.

The man's shoulders jerked, and he nearly dropped his phone. The voice trailed off at the words, "Your life is your own."

He turned his head, his expression first startled, then quickly changed to one of vigilance mixed with panic, his finger already pressed on the button to stop the live stream.

The man saw Ang Lee's face; it was the face of a student from Tokyo University. He instinctively tried to put his phone away, and his body quickly stood up, as if preparing to turn and run away immediately.

But just as he turned to run, his gaze fell on Ang Lee's dark gray suit jacket. Although it wasn't top-of-the-line, it was at least clean and tidy, and the material wasn't bad either.

The man stopped in his tracks as he was about to run away, his expression shifting rapidly as if he were mentally weighing the pros and cons.

He sat back down, put his phone back on the table, and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Oh, so you're from the same hometown." After the man sat down again, a smile even more enthusiastic than when he was recording the video appeared on his face.

He spoke in a much more relaxed tone than before, but his eyes were still observing Ang Lee's expression, and the smile on his lips was somewhat forced and stiff.

Ang Lee didn't respond, but just looked at him with a smile.

Seeing that Ang Lee was still standing, the man immediately stood up, pulled out the chair opposite him, and handed the menu to Ang Lee.

"Sit down, sit down. Have you eaten yet?"

He pushed his half-eaten plate of fries toward Ang Lee and moved his chair closer to Ang Lee, as if trying to show Ang Lee goodwill through these friendly gestures.

"Want to order something? The food here is pretty good, just order whatever you like, it's on me today!"

After saying "It's my treat," he quickly glanced at Ang Lee's expression to make sure that the words had the desired effect.

Ang Lee glanced at him. The man had a smile on his face, but his back was obviously stiff, and he was leaning back in his chair without relaxing.

Ang Lee did not sit down immediately. He simply looked down at the chair that had been pulled out, then moved away from the man and sat down.

The man picked up the menu, handed it to Li An with both hands, and then, with the warm hospitality of a host, began to persuade Li An to order. He then went on to explain which dishes were the restaurant's signature dishes and how incredibly delicious they were.

Ang Lee took the menu, called the waiter, and ordered a filet mignon, fried shrimp, and an iced cola.

Why not eat it if it's free?

The man was all smiles, praising Ang Lee with obsequious flattery.

"Fellow villager, listen to me, I can tell you're no ordinary person just by looking at your outfit."

His gaze swept back and forth between Ang Lee's suit lapel and wrists, then he asked with an eagerness to close the distance, "Fellow villager, what do you do for a living? I'm guessing you're in business? A senior executive? Or do you run your own business?"

Ang Lee smiled, pointed to the phone on the table that had already cut off the live stream, and slowly said, "You... are a shady broker? Making a fortune by deceiving your fellow countrymen to come to America?"

The man raised an eyebrow, then laughed, his body relaxing a bit as he leaned back in his chair.

We finally realized that the other party's intention was not to cause trouble.

The man placed his phone screen face down on the table. "Oh dear, my friend, you've misunderstood me."

He leaned back in his chair for a moment, then sat up straight again, feeling that leaning back wasn't enthusiastic enough.

"Oh dear, this is a mess. I'm not the kind of person who cheats or swindles."

He picked up the iced coffee on the table, took a sip, put it down, and continued speaking.

"My name is Gu Jinghong. I have been in the United States with my parents for 21 years."

"I didn't trick my fellow countrymen into coming to America, let me tell you the truth."

"I want to show my account to those people in China who want to make money, to make them think that America is great, and then they will want to come here on their own."

"My fellow villager, you don't know this, but 90% of the followers on my account are the kind of fools in China who eat the food and then curse the cook."

Ang Lee looked at him without saying a word.

Gu Jinghong continued, "Think about it, those people are doing just fine in China, with stable jobs and peaceful lives. How could I possibly fool them into coming here with just a few words? They must have wanted to leave in the first place!"

"I've had that thought in my mind for a while. I'm just giving them an outlet. It's a win-win situation."

"Oh?" Ang Lee asked him curiously, "So what did you do with them after you got them here?"

"Let them stay in America and fend for themselves. We don't even know if they live or die."

Gu Jinghong laughed indifferently, "After all, this is their spiritual homeland, a paradise on earth. Their death was their own choice."