I'll wait for you amidst the romance of nature.

Sun Jiwei got up from his chair and stopped beside the sewage treatment equipment we had just installed. He glanced at it briefly and said, "You bought this equipment from a factory in Wuxi, right?"

I nodded and replied, "Yes."

"How much did it cost?"

"A little over 80,000."

"It's not expensive. This equipment would cost at least 12 yuan on the market!"

Sun Jiwei's words made me realize Bailu's importance once again. She really did a great job for the inn this time. The 40,000 yuan she saved is enough to completely update and upgrade the inn's bedding.

I asked Sun Jiwei, "Do you know the owner of this factory? You seem very familiar with their products."

Sun Jiwei smiled and replied, "I work at the Environmental Protection Bureau and frequently deal with manufacturers of wastewater treatment equipment. The product your inn chose is considered top-of-the-line in China… I know the factory owner; he studied abroad for many years, specializing in environmental engineering. Therefore, he brought back the most cutting-edge technology in the industry, making him a valuable technical talent who contributes to the country."

After a brief pause, he asked again, "You must have used connections to buy his equipment, right? Even if our Environmental Protection Bureau were to negotiate, we might not be able to get this price."

Because Bai Lu held a position at the tourism bureau, her status was somewhat sensitive, so I vaguely replied, "A friend helped with this, and I don't know the specifics."

Sun Jiwei didn't press further. After a brief silence, he changed the subject, saying, "In November, the government will select a small number of licensed seaside guesthouses to resume operations. It's a good thing you have this sewage treatment equipment..."

I replied with a smile, "Our inn has all the necessary permits and licenses. We spent so much money to buy this equipment so that we can reopen in November."

Sun Jiwei nodded at first, then said to us with a less optimistic tone, "Currently, there are several hundred guesthouses with complete licenses along Erhai Lake... To be honest, your guesthouse is a bit small, so the outlook isn't particularly optimistic."

"During the period when all seaside guesthouses were closed, tourists had many complaints because they felt their demand for sea-view accommodations was not respected by the government, resulting in a very high complaint rate during this period... Since the government plans to allow some seaside guesthouses to reopen, it will definitely prioritize seaside hotels with strong capacity, which will alleviate the supply and demand imbalance in the market to some extent and reduce the pressure on them."

"Is there really no hope for our inn?"

Sun Jiwei didn't answer directly; instead, he asked, "You must have invested a lot of money in this inn, right?"

"Yes, we took it over from someone else. A few of us friends invested all the money we could."

Sun Jiwei frowned, and after a long pause, replied, "The evaluation and assessment of the guesthouses isn't my responsibility. Even if it were, I couldn't go against the instructions from above... I really want to help you, but this is indeed a difficult matter..." He paused briefly, then continued, "Let me put it this way: 26 large seaside hotels have already been pre-selected for the quota. These hotels have made significant contributions to Dali's tourism industry, so they have good relationships with the government and are trusted by it... Actually, this so-called investigation and evaluation is just a formality. After all, there are only four quotas left, but the number of seaside guesthouses waiting to reopen is alarming!"

A surge of anger welled up inside me, but more than that, I felt helpless and resigned... because this news was truly devastating. I should have expected this outcome, but I just couldn't accept it.

I sat back down on the stone bench, feeling utterly dejected, and lit a cigarette…

Sun Jiwei walked back to my side, patted my shoulder gently, and said, "Don't be too disappointed. I've actually come up with a way that might help you get this done, but I need your cooperation."

"As long as the guesthouse can reopen in November, I can cooperate...!"

Sun Jiwei nodded and continued, "A while ago, an extremely egregious incident occurred in Lijiang where a female tourist was beaten and disfigured. After this incident was exposed online, it had a very negative impact on the tourism image of the entire Yunnan province. Many media outlets used this incident to target the frequent occurrence of unlicensed tour guides harassing tourists in Yunnan in recent years, and carried out concentrated reporting and criticism... In order to salvage the tourism image, the government has carried out such a strong crackdown on the tourism market..."

I think I understand Sun Jiwei's intentions a little better. He continued, "Here's what I'm thinking: since a tourism reputation can be deliberately damaged, it can also be deliberately rebuilt... So, I'm planning to have a friend who works at a TV station do a special interview with you tomorrow. You, as the owner of a guesthouse in Dali, will share your motivation and experience of saving people with the public, thereby spreading positive energy... If it generates buzz and attracts the government's attention, then even if they don't want your guesthouse to reopen, public opinion won't allow it... Also, I'll have a colleague deliver a certificate tomorrow proving that your wastewater discharge meets standards. This will give you another bargaining chip, and it's something within my authority."

From a business perspective, Sun Jiwei's suggestion was brilliant, but I felt a slight unease, a thorn in my side. After a long silence, I said to him, "I saved people purely out of instinct. To use this as a bargaining chip for commercial promotion feels very strange to me, and it's not something my values ​​can comprehend. I feel it's disrespectful to humanity, as if one must receive a reward to save someone!"

Sun Jiwei was stunned; he certainly hadn't expected me to refuse.

I said to him again, "We always talk about positive energy, but what exactly is positive energy?... If I really cooperate with this kind of propaganda so that the inn can reopen, wouldn't that be a distorted form of positive energy? Because it's based on an equal exchange... That's not good!"

Sun Jiwei looked at me for a long time before replying, "Brother, this society is so realistic. You have no idea what tricks some innkeepers have played to get back to business as soon as possible... You risked your life to get this opportunity, it's such a pity to give it up like this... It's such a pity!"

I shook my head, still indicating that I didn't want to do it.

Sun Jiwei looked somewhat helpless, then gave me a thumbs-up and said, "Alright, since you're unwilling, I won't force you... but I've decided to consider you my brother. I'll try to think of other ways to see if I can secure a spot."

"Thanks, bro."

……

After Sun Jiwei left, I lit a cigarette. I felt a little bitter. I felt it was a pity to give up such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but I was unwilling to cross the line of my humanity and did not want to belittle myself.

I think being a person can be really tiring sometimes. It seems like you have to exchange something else for something else to get something, and whether you are working hard or not is not the most important thing.

Coach Ma came to my side, and I thought he was going to call me an idiot, but instead he gave me a thumbs up and sincerely said, "You did nothing wrong, bro, I support you!"

Looking at Coach Ma, some of the bitterness in my heart dissipated, because I had a kindred spirit like him by my side. His support made me believe that there are always some people in this world who are willing to live with dignity, so I am not alone when faced with choices between humanity and self-interest.

I know that Coach Ma is also eager for the inn to reopen as soon as possible. He has been working himself to the bone lately on the small bar, but he still supports me.

After feeling a bit better, I finally smiled and replied, "It's good that you don't blame me."

Coach Ma nodded, then changed the subject, asking, "What kind of person do you think Sun Jiwei is?"

I took a deep drag of my cigarette and replied, "He genuinely wants to help me, but he also probably wants to use it to boost his own political achievements."

"That's pretty much what I was thinking. If he can really use this incident to boost Dali's tourism image, he'll definitely reap a lot of political gains... I fucking hate people like that. You saved his wife and son!"

"There's black and white in this world... Although I don't agree with him, I can understand him quite well. We ordinary people need to survive, and he, as a civil servant, also needs to survive."

Coach Ma remained silent, lost in thought, and I, too, felt quite moved. In truth, we are not fools; we can see the selfish and utilitarian side of human nature. We simply choose to remain oblivious because we are unwilling to conform, yet the mainstream group considers us truly foolish!