The Fourth Disaster, Starting from the Movie Eight Hundred

Nationalism increases the cost of colonization rather than enabling small countries to change their destiny.

Let's look at world history. With the Age of Exploration as a symbol, in the two hundred years that followed, any country whose land area did not increase significantly (the kind of land that was assimilated, not counting colonies) became a laughing stock in future international competition. That was the test question of Earth OL's Civilization Global Finals 1.0 - to become a powerful country with a vast land area.

The UK has come close to this standard countless times, but gave up for the sake of convenience.

France has come close to this standard countless times, and even has the highest level of centralization in Europe, but it ultimately failed to achieve that goal due to the successive strangleholds from Germany and Britain.

Relying on its advantage of being isolated overseas and its size as large as Britain, the United States disguised itself as a company into a country. Relying on technological dividends and a new colonial model, it once pretended to be an excellent player, but it was not meant to be, and the outcome was already determined.

Tsarist Russia did strive to move closer to centralization. As a behemoth spanning Europe and Asia, it drew nourishment from civilizations on both continents, but believed that the West was everything to it, and its ideological tendencies continued to move closer to Europe. Although it once achieved centralization during the Soviet era, it was ultimately short-lived, and after a brief sprint, it eventually returned to its original position.

Only China, with its five thousand years of historical accumulation and unified inertia, has allowed civilization to truly penetrate this land and truly influence everyone living here. Here is the supreme glory of the rise of a great power, as well as the epic humiliation of fleeing on a donkey cart. In the repeated nirvana and rebirth, the resilience unique to the Chinese nation has been forged. The self awakened on this basis is the ultimate form of nationalism - if you are poor, you can only take care of yourself; if you are rich, you can help the world.

Only when a country reaches this level can it be qualified to say that it is truly independent, has its own national soul, and is constantly evolving and passing on its heritage.

Therefore, don’t think that kneeling down is a sign of incompetence for a small country. On the contrary, for them, kneeling down is the most common choice made in the long history. There have indeed been heroes with backbones in their country, but the number of those heroes is not enough to unite the backbone of the entire nation. They came and left behind legends, and that’s all. Later generations did not even have the opportunity to learn and inherit, and that dynasty has become a simple sentence in the history books of other powerful countries.

Why do small nations lack history? Because only the strong who survive are worthy of recording history, and only those with strong souls are worthy of engraving history.

The Grand Historian wrote, "Cui Zhu murdered his lord." Cui Zi had him executed. His younger brother followed suit and died, two others. His younger brother wrote again, and the master released him. When the Southern Historian heard that all the Grand Historians had died, he took the bamboo slips and went. Hearing that the writing had been completed, he returned.

Throughout history, how many nations in the world can do this and persist in doing so?

There may have been many in the past, but only the descendants of Yan and Huang have been passed down to this day.

Our achievements today are based on the shoulders of countless ancestors and heroes. This is the weight of history, and this is the essential difference between big countries and small countries!

Do you think Jin Taiyang and Jin Gu simply bowed to Xinhua and the Volunteer Army?

They are also expressing their awe for the Chinese civilization that has lasted for thousands of years on this land!

“It went really smoothly.”

"It's not surprising. North Korea has always been big power-oriented. They've just returned to their old position."

"Indeed, during the First Sino-Japanese War, the Koreans fought the Japanese to the death on behalf of their beloved 'Heavenly Kingdom,' Man Qing. The local Koreans believed that the will of the Kingdom was absolute. If it weren't for Man Qing's own incompetence, we wouldn't have found any reason to lose the First Sino-Japanese War."

This is a conversation between two players, but isn't it also the right way for North Korea and China to get along?

Chapter 173: Moscow is hot today

(The second update is here, (～￣▽￣)～)

It is said that people in the 21st century like to deconstruct everything, but don’t forget that time-tested truths are not afraid of deconstruction. They will only continue to sublimate through repeated deconstruction. Even those who take things out of context will eventually face the high wall of truth called "Don't take things out of context."

Therefore, players understand one thing very well: the more fake something is, the more afraid it is of deconstruction; the more classic it is, the less afraid it is of deconstruction, and they can keep up with the times in the process.

Such as now.

Hey, the White Bandit Army is a group of black crows who want to trample us under their feet.

A familiar yet unfamiliar melody echoed on the streets of Moscow.

It’s familiar because of the lyrics, and strange because of the rhythm.

"I seem to hear 'The Red Army is the Strongest'."

"It's not like that, I heard it too."

“This melody seems different.”

"It seems to be on Xinhua Street. Let's go and take a look."

For people in the 1940s, entertainment in life was relatively scarce, and this was even more so in the Soviet Union. After all, games, movies, toys and other things were tied to software and light industry. The Soviet Union at that time was not without fine art, and there were also works close to life, but the problem was that the output was limited.

In the 21st century, game updates are almost monthly. In contrast, people in the 1940s lived in poverty, and even the things they did to pass the time were not very interesting.

Between those who read books on the subway and those who browse their phones on the subway, the latter are definitely less likely to get bored.

And now, a group of young people from the 21st century have appeared on the streets of Moscow with advanced and avant-garde art, and they are about to bring different colors to the world.

Soon, the stage built on Xinhua Street was filled with local young people, and on the stage was a player music group playing a rock version of "The Red Army is the Strongest" with traditional Chinese instruments.

If an old person in the industry were standing here, he would definitely feel dizzy and then comfort himself: at least it was passed on.

The wonderful combination of suona, erhu, pipa and guzheng may seem to have a lot of bugs, but it actually runs smoothly, making this wonderful track run smoothly.

Especially when the penetrating sound of the suona rang out on the streets of Moscow, the sense of freshness was instantly maximized.

This kind of freshness is what young people want, and when it becomes big enough, it will become a trend, especially for instruments like suona, which immediately attract attention when they sound. They are simply born to stand in the center of the stage.

Of course, if the sound is not good, that’s another matter.

When it comes to understanding music, our ancestors consider themselves second to none. Please give up your seat, thank you.

In the past, music was an authority and an institution, and some musical instruments were directly linked to privileges. However, the players didn't care about you. Even if no one present could play the chimes, it would still be possible to play a majestic song on the spot.

As long as I'm not embarrassed, it's others who are embarrassed.

Under the passionate performance of the players, the rock version of "The Red Army is the Strongest" is really easy to become a pop music full of fighting spirit. The Russians like passionate things the most, the more fighting spirit the better. This is the influence of their living environment on their national character.

After the rock version of "The Red Army is the Strongest" was played, the audience cheered and applauded for a long time.

This is the cultural form that the people love.

"Davri, next we will play a new song called 'Soviet March'!"

This is of course a revised version of the lyrics. Seeing that the rock version of "The Red Army Is the Strongest" is so successful, we must strike while the iron is hot.

Soon, although the sonorous rhythm sounded, today's Moscow was dominated by the "Soviet March".

For the Soviet people at that time, the significance of the Xinhua delegation playing this song was completely different from the significance of other countries playing this song.

Because at that time most Soviet people were unable to separate the Volunteer Army and Xinhua, so to them, Xinhua was the Volunteer Army, and the Volunteer Army was Xinhua, and the two were just two sides of the same coin. In the previous battles, the Volunteer Army had used its powerful combat effectiveness to confuse the entire Soviet army.

We've grown stronger, haven't we? We've grown stronger, haven't we? But why do we suffer defeat after defeat? Is it true, as the Volunteers claimed, that the revisionist Soviet Union is no match for the true communist faith? Or have we been on the wrong path from the beginning?

After all, from the birth of communism to the birth of the first true socialist country, and then to today, it has been less than a century, but capitalism has dominated the world for hundreds of years, and its strength is obvious to all.

Behind the Soviet Union’s efforts are actually the cries of hundreds of millions of Soviet people living here.

"We are getting stronger, can't you see!"

The Soviet Union certainly did not have this kind of confusion after World War II, but now, on the issue of communist interpretation rights, the entire Soviet Union is very confused, even Comrade Steel is like this, but he cannot show it.

People's success needs to be recognized, and this recognition includes being recognized by sufficiently strong opponents.

Before, the Volunteer Army remained silent and just repeatedly beat the Soviet Union. Faced with a series of failures, the Soviet Union had begun to reflect and was almost going to buy reflection papers from the Volunteer Army. But today, the Xinhua delegation used "Soviet March" to affirm the development and construction of the Soviet Union.

Players' attitude towards the Soviet Union is actually not complicated. It can be summed up in sixteen words: remember their kindness, hate their tyranny, mourn their misfortune, and be angry at their betrayal.

It was born from the noblest ideals of mankind and shattered by the basest desires of mankind.

No matter what, this is also a teacher who once illuminated the way forward for us.

Songs are expressions of emotions. When composing the lyrics for the "Soviet March", players inevitably added their own thoughts and ideas into it, so the lyrics present an expression of recognition with criticism, criticism with praise, and praise with regret. Since the players are fearless, their expression is very direct and everyone can hear it.

If you were in the Soviet Union at that time, the impact of this song on you would be doubly great.

When the "Soviet March" was finished, the audience applauded loudly and many Soviet people shed tears.

This is the most simple emotion conveyed: We are not enemies of the Soviet Union, we do not want you to go astray, and if you still firmly believe in this, we are willing to work together.

The above is a very emotional explanation, which is obviously not enough to have a subversive impact on the relationship between the two countries, but it is a small seed. Just as an individual can change the world at a special historical time point, a song can also play a magical role in achieving a great result with a small effort at a special historical point.

But please remember, if you want others to listen to you carefully, you must first have a strong body.

The relationship between countries is actually like that between adults and naughty children. It’s useless to talk nicely.

If you don't force the child to do what he wants, he won't reflect on himself.

Music is an expression of emotion, so the stage is a place where emotions can be fully utilized. The players did not deliberately create such a place, but it must be admitted that this time it was really successful.

Over the next hour, players also played other famous Soviet songs, including those from later generations, with some processing and lyrics changes. After all, you can't sing the lyrics of Chairman Brezhnev and General Secretary Khrushchev.

By the way, the most cheerful uncle waving corn glow sticks in the audience right now is Khrushchev.

As for why he has a corn glow stick in his hand, you can ask "Ruin Your Pretentious Dream", he specially gave it to Nikita.

It's pretty good, and can be considered a classic remake of some kind.

However, there are more than just these classics being reproduced, there are also new ones.

"Well, that's just right, not bad."

I am very satisfied with the photos I just took.

Another player came over and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Come, look at my photography," Nikita informed, waving a corn glow stick.

"Holy crap, man, you're really good at it. Come on, share one."

It's quite hot in Moscow today.

Section 174: Soviet Shopping Frenzy

(First update! Today is over, tomorrow will finally be a bit easier, wuwuwu┭┮﹏┭┮)

The music is just the beginning. After fully heating up the atmosphere, it is time for the Xinhua Street performance.

"Don't be nervous, just follow the plan. Just do business as you normally do."

"Okay, okay sir, I'm not nervous."

"There are no adults in New China. We...oh, it's started. Anyway, come on."

Master Wang is a chef from Northeast China, the kind who makes street snacks. He originally thought that he would never leave Northeast China, but he didn't expect that fate would send him to Moscow, thousands of miles away, to be a foodie for the Russians there.

There are many masters like him, basically they are local snack chefs in Northeast China, and some are Tsarist court chefs, but the dishes have been popularized. After all, the White Russian nobles who fled to Northeast China at that time could certainly not continue to maintain the dignity of the past. Many things have gradually been integrated with the people and become food that ordinary people can enjoy.

Another important reason for selecting chefs specifically from the Northeast is that the latitude here is high. Although it is not as good as the Russians' frozen throne-like Siberia, it is much better than transferring chefs from the south.

When people from Northeast China arrive in Moscow, they just have to put on an extra layer of clothes, but if you transfer people from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, you have to carry a stove with you.

It was the first time for Chef Wang and other amateur chefs to face such an occasion. Moreover, this was a diplomatic mission, so it was impossible not to be nervous. Even though they had received emergency training, their brains would go blank once they became nervous.

What's more, for Master Wang, the fried food he is responsible for is really too simple and crude. It is just a combination of chicken legs, marinating, coating with flour, frying, and sauce. It is really fragrant, but it is also very oily. What's more, the instructor of the Volunteer Army specifically emphasized the need for high oil and salt content, and the desserts are so sweet that it makes people want to call the police.

Our ancestors' craftsmanship has been wasted. Don't you know that the essence of sweets is not being sweet?

In short, the ingredients are all good things, and the sauces are also interesting. If you are a chef in a hotel, these things can be used to make four dishes and one soup that can be served in a formal banquet. But here, they are just combined together in the simplest way, with the characteristics of being easy to learn, low difficulty and quick to make.

There is also the roujiamo, in which the meat filling is turned into a fried meat patty and sandwiched in sweet bread. Sometimes the bread is even fried, and then it can be eaten with lettuce leaves.

If there is no lettuce, you can replace it with cabbage. Whatever is convenient is fine. The green vegetables are just embellishments. Finally, you must add some tomatoes, salad, Lao Gan Ma and the like provided by the volunteers. You can choose any flavor you want.

Aren’t we really wasting food?

With a nervous mood, Xinhua Street officially opened for business.

Facts have proved that the players' choice was correct. The Russians just like these flavors. Otherwise, how could Kaifeng cuisine and McDonald's be so popular in the middle and late Soviet Union and in the CIS after the disintegration of the Soviet Union?

Fast food does not mean it is not tasty, nor does it mean it is unhealthy. The key is how you prepare it.

The exception is the American practice of mincing the bodies of accident workers into minced meat packaging.

High-quality hamburger meat, Hannibal recommends it. —American Hell Joke

"I want a burger!"

"I want two too! Give me two!"

"I me me!"

"Don't squeeze, only one per person!"

Humans are indeed very adaptable. In the shortest possible time, the locals learned to pronounce the word "hamburger" with an awkward, but definitely Chinese accent. -p

This is also a part of the external cultural output emphasized by the players. All avant-garde concepts taken from another parallel future world are pronounced using Pinyin and Chinese combinations. As for whether foreigners can understand or read it, as long as they are interested or cannot do without it, they will automatically enter deep learning mode.

In this regard, humans are inferior to AI. AI can learn what it doesn't understand, but humans still have to worry about beliefs, nationality, culture, dignity and so on. The bigger the country, the more pretentious they are in this regard, especially when entering a recession. They always feel that as long as they hold on to everything in the past, the world will still be the same as they know it.

However, the Soviets had no burden in this regard, at least they had no burden when facing Xinhua, because the strength of the Volunteer Army made them firmly believe that the other side had no need to target them on such an insignificant matter.

In fact, Xinhua is also engaged in cultural exports, but Xinhua's cultural exports are the right thing to do. The road is long and difficult, but once it succeeds, it will be crushed by open conspiracy. The only way to stop open conspiracy is to prevent it from growing, strive to stigmatize it, and preferably destroy it during its growth period.

Unfortunately, there is a force in the world that allows the pursuit of correctness, order and justice to always take root and thrive in the corners, and then roar at the old world.

The Soviets ate hamburgers, but it was also a ticket to the New World.

Do you think it's as simple as eating a hamburger?

NONONO, the hamburger comes in a set meal, paired with a cup of cola or kvass. It’s not the sour kvass, but the soda kvass that people like in later generations. The name is the same, but the taste is very different.