I am not Ximen Qing.

"The premise of all investment is to preserve the principal; this is the prerequisite." As Buffett said, "We need to lay off employees quickly; we have to survive first, otherwise everything is just empty talk."

"This is quite difficult, especially considering it's been less than a year."

"If it takes a year, we'll be back to square one,"

"What can we do if they don't resign?"

"That's your problem. Survival and destruction are separated by a single moment! Think about it."

The investors' advice was correct. Song Yu also regretted describing the world of money, the money empire, and the dream of money to them. It was too perfect. Song Yu couldn't understand why he had impulsively instilled such a dream of money in everyone!

It seems that Song Yu and Zhang Sheng boasted that if the GTC project succeeded, he would film a movie similar to Hotel Rwanda in Africa.

"When are you going to invest in a movie like 'The Grand Rwanda Hotel'? Didn't you guys want to invest in movies? Why don't you invest in my script instead? It even has an Oscar!"

But Song Yu probably didn't realize that the temptations of Mara and the devil both have a honeyed, sugary flavor. Moreover, his described dream of wealth had once borne abundant fruit, becoming a accepted norm. Without any reason, without any excuse, just layoffs—what happened to the dream of wealth? What happened to the dream of a financial empire? In the end, it was all just empty talk! Song Yu paid a heavy price for this. He couldn't justify his actions, so the layoff process was extremely painful, somewhat like Russia's initial shock therapy, which was thought to achieve economic revival. In reality, shock therapy doesn't solve any problems; it only exacerbates them. Ultimately, it will collapse. The resistance from both sides is immense.

The investment of Buddha's Hand Company in Silicon Valley needed to be withdrawn. Song Yu and Liu Shi argued about this for a long time. Because of this project, Liu Shi had staked his entire fortune and even moved his whole family to Florida. Da Liu Shi's decade-long struggle in America seemed to offer his academically gifted wife a final glimmer of hope. She believed her beloved "good-for-nothing" husband was finally about to achieve success, and the romance she had longed for was about to unfold. She thought she wouldn't have to work so hard anymore, could stay home to care for the children, and finally be a proper woman. In reality, for the past decade, Da Liu Shi had been living off her. His salary barely covered his living expenses in America; everything else, from housing to other costs, was the result of his wife's hard work. Moreover, at this time, she faced all the crises typical of middle-aged women: as youth fades, crises arise, and when money is needed, unemployment often occurs. Da Liu Shi was deeply disappointed in himself. He had taken Song Yu's promises of a future financial empire—a dream he had taken for granted—from his trips to America. Da Liu Shi finally had the leverage to challenge his wife, but after only a few months, he was back to square one, except this time, his wife had just lost her job.

"We need to make them understand that there are consequences to doing things, don't we?"

"My wife has been my friend for over ten years. I can't afford to ruin our relationship over a few hundred thousand US dollars."

"I already told you that businessmen are unreliable, and what's most infuriating is their lack of perseverance. Fortunately, the GTC project is a virtual digital cryptocurrency."

"They're not exactly businessmen, they're just old classmates."

"What are we? Are we Chinese or Americans?"

"We have US green cards, are they going to send us back home?"

"Don't worry, I will absolutely not let that happen to us,"

"We're in the most difficult position right now. They were so eager to cooperate with us in the first place, but now they're backing out without a second thought. They're completely unreasonable and have no sense of rules."

"They are your classmates too."

"Don't they have plenty of money? If we follow American rules, they'll all need compensation."

"How much compensation? n plus one. I'm thinking that if I can get through this economic downturn, I might be able to find a job again within a month,"

"Fine, I'm fed up too. Let's settle on this, plus a year's worth of social security contributions, which he'll have to pay for me."

When Da Liu Shi presented these conditions to Song Yu, Song Yu agreed without hesitation. Da Liu Shi, like Song Yu, began laying off the employees he recruited in Silicon Valley. Gu Feng was in a heavy mood, not only strained with Song Yu but also in a fierce conflict with Yang Wanli, as his relationship with his former boss was also in a bad state. Yang Wanli, after all, had received the money and the dividends from the boss's company's IPO; he seemed to still carry the shadow of his former boss, Wei Hua. Song Yu was caught in the middle, torn between Yang Wanli and Gu Feng. Gu Feng and Song Yu had shared an apartment for several years, and their friendship and affection were quite deep. Gu Feng had originally worked for a foreign company, but Song Yu had proactively become his mentor, offering him a salary that appealed to him. These days, who can resist money? Just a few months ago, they were full of confident dreams about the GTC project, but now they're laying off staff. This isn't like the fluctuating curves of odd and even functions according to the laws of sine and cosine; it's like Lao Lu's constant boasting about heaven and beautiful girls in paradise—absurd, utterly ridiculous. From heaven to hell, it's all just talk. Gu Feng had long wanted to find a better job, but he simply couldn't tolerate Yang Wanli's sarcastic and relentless attacks.

"Quitting my job is fine, I still have a mortgage to pay and money to pay my father-in-law. Yeah, I'd be really upset if I lost my job!"

"Ancient style n plus one line?"

"Jobs are hard to find these days, aren't they? What about my social security? It can't be stopped."

"Gu Feng, here's what we'll do: I'll pay your social security for six months, I'm completely broke. We've already invested about eight million in the Gt C project!"

Song Yu's negotiations with Gu Feng ended in a bitter dispute. Song Yu was constantly wondering where the eight million yuan had gone. Paying salaries, rent, various office expenses—it all seemed to be his fault. He shouldn't have made those promises about a financial empire. Everyone seemed to believe that they would soon become millionaires, multi-millionaires, even billionaires, buying villas and luxury cars. Song Yu had been too high-profile. His extravagant dream of wealth had fueled everyone's greed, and everyone was demanding exorbitant compensation. Only then did Song Yu understand why the investors were so eager to lay off employees. It was because there were still costs to be incurred after layoffs. His months of hesitation had resulted in millions more in sunk costs. He hadn't considered the magnitude of these sunk costs. "Why didn't I lay off employees sooner? Now you know how serious it is! There are sunk costs!"

"I've already received my salary, but now I'm not. I'm the one who has lost my salary, bearing all the burdens, enduring all kinds of pressure and criticism! Everyone else has benefited, but I've become the victim!"

"He who is ruthless towards Heaven and Earth treats all things like straw dogs!"

"Yes, I'm caught in the middle, pleasing neither side."

"The investors' money went down the drain, and they're calling you a dishonest person. Even if you don't accept them, they don't have a better option."

"That's human nature, that's right. Human nature is never kind; it's always been selfish."

"Now I know how serious it is. If only I had known to be neither good nor evil, there would be heaven above."

There's a saying: "Above is heaven, below are Suzhou and Hangzhou." In my memory, the Summer Palace embodies the charm of Suzhou, with its bridges, flowing water, and traditional houses, all built by the Empress Dowager Cixi. Suzhou's gardens are world-renowned, embodying the Taoist principle of harmony with nature. For Chinese garden architecture, Suzhou and Hangzhou are indispensable. Guilin's scenery is the best under heaven, and Suzhou's gardens are equally unparalleled, showcasing the beauty of stacked rocks and the interplay of pavilions and terraces in space. Beijing has never lacked the charm of Taihu stones. Whether Kafka ever visited Beijing is unknown, but he certainly discovered its beauty. It seems that one cannot be a true hero without climbing the Great Wall, a testament to Kafka's insight into Chinese aesthetics. To understand the beauty of the Summer Palace, one must also understand the beauty of Beijing, and climbing the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is essential. The beauty of Beijing is hidden in the Western Hills, the Yanshan Mountains, and the Taihang Mountains. Similarly, not visiting West Lake is a life-changing experience. Since ancient times, Bai Juyi's Bai Causeway and Su Dongpo's Su Causeway on West Lake have been celebrated.

Those living in the heart of the Forbidden City are undoubtedly the luckiest, able to visit Kunming Lake, a mirror reflecting the West Lake. To truly appreciate the beauty of Beijing, one must emulate Xu Xiake's spirit, exploring the city's inner workings before delving into its outward appearance. Only then can one glimpse even a fraction of Beijing's beauty. Every scene in Beijing possesses depth and historical heritage; the beauty of the Summer Palace can be described as a world within a single flower and speck of dust. Here, the beauty of the Summer Palace is merely a fleeting offering. The Summer Palace embodies the pursuit of scenery by Chinese literati: Tao Yuanming, Xie Tingyun, Du Mu, Liu Zongyuan, Wang Anshi, Ouyang Xiu, Fan Zhongyan, the legendary friendship of Bo Ya and Zi Qi, Bai Juyi's "Pipa Xing" and "Song of Everlasting Regret," Yuan Zhen, Li Bai, Du Fu, Qu Yuan, Sima Qian—the beauty of the Summer Palace is imbued with the spirit and elegance of Chinese literati. While we can no longer witness the original charm of the Old Summer Palace, the Summer Palace at least offers a glimpse into the original beauty of Haidian District. If we were to evaluate emperors from an artistic perspective… While neither Li Yu, the last ruler of the Southern Tang dynasty, nor Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, were exceptionally talented artists or emperors, the beauty of Beijing is a culmination of all aesthetic achievements. The greatest contribution to the creation of Beijing's beauty undoubtedly lies with Emperor Qianlong. Although he wrote tens of thousands of poems, Qianlong had a great passion for inscribing famous paintings. Undeniably, Emperor Qianlong concentrated almost all the essence of beauty in Beijing. Perhaps the most beautiful place in midsummer is Kunming Lake, where willows, lotus flowers, and the lake water reflect and blend harmoniously.

Zhang Sheng created his own aesthetic art realm. Anthony hoped Zhang Sheng would create the highest level of Chinese landscape painting based on the *I Ching*. Anthony tasted success and urged Zhang Sheng to create more abstract paintings similar to *Zhao Ji's Dream*. This time, Zhang Sheng encountered a major creative bottleneck, constantly caught between reality and dreams. Entering the Summer Palace felt like entering a world of beauty created by the *Diamond Sutra*. Willows were not willows, rivers were not rivers, lakes were not lakes. Gazing at the pagoda on Jade Spring Hill was the most exquisite aspect of the landscape. One might think of the regrets of Zhu Qiyu and Emperor Zhangzong of Jin. Both emperors were ambitious rulers. This is the most wonderful thing about Beijing; it allows one to travel through time and space, immediately evoking Qin Shi Huang's fear of Yanjing (Beijing). No other city possesses such a romantic beauty as Beijing. Any other dream-seeking experience pales in comparison to Beijing. Zhang Sheng has always been immersed in the beauty of the soul and spirit of painting, a state of spiritual perfectionism. In the height of summer, rowing a boat on Kunming Lake, passing under the 17-arch bridge and circling the island in the center of the lake, allows him to be immersed in a state where the lake and his thoughts and spirit are inseparable. He has always wanted to express this beauty in oil painting, because beauty is fleeting. Just as Confucius lamented, "Time flies like an arrow," and the joy of reading the classics until the leather bindings broke three times. Riding a large dragon boat on Kunming Lake is one state of mind, rowing a boat is another, and rowing a small boat through the 17-arch bridge to the island in the center of the lake is yet another. The states of being inside and outside the lake are always like the Diamond Sutra, illusory and dreamlike. At sunset, the afterglow of the sunset and the bridge arches create a wonderful scene. Is the finishing touch of the painting in the Summer Palace the weeping willows of the Su Causeway? That was the poetic inspiration of Bai Juyi and the humanistic spirit of Su Dongpo, imbued with the beauty of the lake and spring scenery. Yet, people, captivated by the immediate beauty, forgot to appreciate it, a blatant waste of the lake's splendor and the tender affection of spring dawn. It's like the jade urn in Beihai Park, or the large jade vessel used for drinking in the Yuan Dynasty Forbidden City, now relegated to a pickling utensil by Taoist priests in the Zhenwu Temple. The jade urn, however, required a stroke of luck; it had been in the Zhenwu Temple for a long time. Even Emperor Qianlong, a jade-loving emperor, had to search high and low before finally acquiring it—a truly perilous yet effortless acquisition. The cause and effect, the Zen wisdom within, are all contained within. A treasure from the Yuan Dynasty palace... Finally seeing the light of day again, at least the fate of the Jade Disc was much better than that of the He Shi Bi. Bian He suffered humiliation because of the He Shi Bi, but ultimately Qin Shi Huang obtained it, passing it down through generations. During the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Ce, a hero, perished because of the He Shi Bi and the Imperial Seal. The initial fate of the He Shi Bi became a myth, like Confucius's decision not to write about it because of the Qilin, or Zhuangzi's weakness because of Bo Le rather than the swift horse. The myth of the He Shi Bi and the Imperial Seal has vanished; this is a historical mystery. How can the beauty of the Summer Palace be showcased? Inspired by Bai Juyi's poem "Willows on the Sui Embankment," this is a reflection on the past and present.