I am not Ximen Qing.

"Internet finance has been exploited; we need to use technology to mitigate the risks,"

"But technology still can't stop bad people from constantly filing complaints."

"The hype has died down for six months, and everything has returned to normal. Now is the time for a reshuffle. Have you read the speeches at the annual meeting of entrepreneurs?"

"Let's grab something to eat first when we get to Hangzhou,"

"When should it be processed?"

"Let's get the agent here and then we can handle it. It's so hot."

As they approached Hangzhou, the humid heat of the south was palpable, a stark contrast to the coolness of the north. Having been cooped up in the high-speed rail station for hours, Song Yu indulged his craving for a cigarette, smoking even more frequently than before. Zhang Sheng from Zhongnanhai joined in, filling the air with smoke. The high-speed rail station was relatively lenient towards smokers, repeatedly announcing over the announcement, "Passengers, please do not smoke." He quickly extinguished his cigarette, searching for a trash can but finding none, so he simply placed the cigarette butt in his palm.

"Stop smoking!"

"What are you afraid of?"

"No smoking allowed,"

"I'll let you draw."

That's uncivilized.

"Still the same old thing, how hypocritical!"

Song Yu didn't care at all, because he stomped out the cigarette with his foot. Perhaps only Zhang Sheng understood what Song Yu meant. That so-called civilization was indeed quite hypocritical; civilization is often a facade. Smoking is uncivilized behavior, but the subtext of this uncivilized behavior is also Song Yu's excellent character. He didn't care about that old-fashioned civilized way, which didn't mean he was of low character. The world wanders between good and evil, perhaps it's a wrong world. Zhang Sheng felt that he was a civilized person born in the wrong world. The Hangzhou subway is almost as developed as the Beijing subway, but there's always a slight regret. It seems that the excessive modern skyscrapers have no trace of the Jiangnan region of his dreams.

Is this the Hangzhou of Bai Juyi? Is this the Hangzhou of Su Dongpo? Is this the Hangzhou of Zhang Dai in "Dreaming of West Lake"? Is this the Hangzhou of "The Scholars"?

"What doubts are undeniable? Stop daydreaming."

"But it's not what I imagined,"

"Folded space, the city will fold into different times and spaces. We are now in a two-dimensional space on a plane, so it feels like a caterpillar crawling on a plane."

"I don't want to be a caterpillar,"

"But right now you're a caterpillar,"

"I'm in so much pain, can't I reach a higher level?"

"I spend all my time dealing with vulgar creatures on the plane where caterpillars live. What can I do? All the glamour is fake, and the reality is ugly. But the rich can only make money off the poor, right? There's always a rich and a poor, it's ironic. You have to make money off the poor, that's how the real world is, how cruel!"

An elderly Shanghai man, a former ballet dancer, transforms from an artist into Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. This Shanghai old man, dressed as an artist and ballet dancer, is always present at the annual party.

"Why am I so energetic and passionate? Ten thousand young people are more energetic than one old man who loves ballet."

Besides dancing artists, the annual party of Buddha's Hand Company also features Caesar.

"Why did you kill the great Julius Scaar? He was the totem of Rome,"

"He is no longer a totem of Rome; he is a traitor to Rome."

"He completely trusts your Caesar."

"Antony Caesar is dead. Are you going to betray Rome?"

"Caesar must be respected."

"But I cannot betray the faith of Rome, therefore Caesar must die."

“It was Pompeii and the Senate who betrayed Caesar; he had no choice,”

"But Caesar killed Pompeii,"

"But Pompeii gained respect, which Caesar didn't want."

"But you and Caesar are cut from the same cloth. That damned Egyptian queen made you sell your manhood. Your end was just like mine."

"No, don't insult Cleopatra, the great Queen Cleopatra, she was the most beautiful woman in the world."

"Anthony, don't fall for that succubus's tricks. That's your weakness, that's your end."

"Ridiculous, she's just a sentimental woman."

"That's a snake in disguise, Anton, wake up! You and Caesar are both pathetic creatures, willing to sacrifice Rome's faith for a woman."

The ghosts of Anthony and Brutus once again slipped through the cracks in the ground. The applause at the annual meeting never subsided. A, B, C, D—mortals, still bound by human weaknesses, didn't know right from wrong; they only knew how to watch the spectacle. The fate of mortals was destined to be tragedy, because they feared loneliness. They didn't know that the lines of dead souls marched not to heaven, but to hell; there was no reincarnation.

"I want to be Crassus,"

"I want to be Spartacus!"

Crassus and Starbucks were the luckiest; Faust's soul wasn't taken to Hell by Mephistopheles. God had completely abandoned him, but Goethe's Assumption of Mary sang a song of redemption in the sky. Beethoven, Boya, Ji Kang, Johann Strauss, Frederick, François, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Li Shutong's statues came to life, forming a great orchestra. The Assumption of Mary danced like a young girl in the sky. It wasn't Helen who redeemed Faust, but Gaetiz. The Virgin Mary was sensual and captivating; this was not blasphemy. The sacred mother sings the song of the sea; the surging ocean joins the Virgin Mary in praising her greatness. Crassus, vying with Spartacus for Phrygia's great love, is infatuated with the love games of nymphs. He loves both white and black beauties; the white beauties' full breasts and the black beauties' smooth skin captivate Crassus, preventing him from attaining the illusory love of the goddess Phrygia. Ultimately, Spartacus dies in the suppression of Crassus's Roman legions. The three acts of love demonstrate to humanity that men, too, cannot escape the false allure of love.

"I just thought of the great Rome,"

"It's more like a Roman bathhouse,"

"It's almost 3 o'clock,"

"Don't worry, she'll be here soon,"

"It's going to rain,"

"Looks like we won't be able to go to West Lake."

"And Lingyin Temple, Leifeng Pagoda, and No. 10 West Lake,"

"Next time,"

"What a pity. By the way, Rome and I both watched it."

"Always be wary of those around you; Caesar died because of Brutus, Brutus."

The entire journey from Beijing to Hangzhou was marked by overcast skies and no sunshine. The bank staff were incredibly dedicated, constantly entering various data, signing documents, and waiting patiently. All this was done after arriving in Hangzhou.

"If possible, I'd like to buy a house in Hangzhou in the future,"

"you……"

"What's wrong? If I've paid a certain amount of tax, am I eligible?"

"Maybe. By the way, I need to take a picture with my ID card."

"What?"

"Not for what? Just for registration."

"Didn't you take photos at Caesars 9 last time? Did you delete them?"

"Don't worry, it's just for registration."

For registration purposes

"Shh..."

"You'd like some water,"

But I felt I should respect local customs and treat her well, at least showing respect since she would be responsible for the finances of the Hangzhou company and related tax matters. She was very touched.

"By the way, where do you live?"

"No decision has been made yet,"

"It's at a hotel nearby. My home is in the apartment complex across the street."

"I bought an apartment in the new development across from yours, with a down payment of 180 million."

How much is the down payment?

"45% down payment, 25-year mortgage repayment period"

"That's nothing. If the company here develops well, it'll be fine in a year."

I called a Didi to take him there first. Although he was now part of the company, and although he worked for an accounting firm, we were both serving the Hangzhou company, so I had to trust her. Therefore, I followed her advice and checked into the hotel she specified.

"Sir's ID card,"

A good ID card

"And taking photos."

Just like security checks at high-speed trains and airports, you need both your ID and a photo of your face taken while sitting down. All hotels in Shanghai are the same; the more developed society becomes, the less privacy there is.

"Celebrities, how wonderful it would be if we were celebrities!"

The lobby's layout is quite artistic, with sculptures and artworks making it seem like a museum? And here? Check-in first, pay later—no need to worry about payment at all. Such a powerful and wealthy hotel is incredibly confident, not concerned about whether you'll pay or not. That's what it means to be powerful enough to be frightening.

That's a honey trap.

"That's pointless, isn't it? Just a crazy couple."

"That's what Crassus wanted to do most."

"The Roman consuls could do whatever they wanted."

Song Yu's phone kept ringing

"Complaints, complaints, why keep complaining? Think of a solution. Follow the company's instructions carefully: no swearing, no shouting, no rudeness."

Song Yu smoked for a while, then his wife called again, and they talked again.

"It's okay, his snoring doesn't bother me."

"Okay? Get some rest."

"How did she know I snore? I can stop snoring."

"Your thunderous roar that day makes me believe you don't snore. Unless Zeus descended to earth in agony,"

Song Yu posed for a series of photos, including one of Zhang Sheng, and then sent them all to his wife.

"Prove you're at the hotel, aren't you?"

"Pretty much."

Zhang Sheng boiled water in the electric kettle; the hotel had two bags of West Lake Longjing tea. He decided to brew some fragrant Longjing tea.

"We'll drink some West Lake Longjing tea; we've even used mineral water."

"Use it, it's a gift from the hotel anyway."

Hangzhou is rainy; you can hear the patter of rain outside the window. The rain dispels the humid heat of Hangzhou.

"It's so good that it's raining; finally, we can cool off!"

There is air conditioning.

"Air conditioning is still not as good as rain."

Savoring the Longjing tea of ​​West Lake, it seems the rain has actually added a touch of poetic ethereal beauty to Hangzhou at night. Zhang Sheng wanted to go to Lingyin Temple, but suddenly longed for Hanshan Temple outside Suzhou. The midnight bell tolls a little to the passenger boats, blurring the lines between Suzhou and Hangzhou! After all, Suzhou and Hangzhou are where Bai Juyi and Su Dongpo found their spiritual essence, a paradise on earth, and from then on, they were captivated. Without visiting Suzhou and Hangzhou, all reading is in vain, all talk is empty. Why insist on going to Lingyin Temple? Because now only temples retain their ancient charm and Taoist spirit. In Beijing, one fully understands this principle; all one sees is emptiness, prosperity is a dream, described as hollow and nihilistic. What did Manmiao see? What did she see? Nothing, nothing at all. Because what meaning does beauty hold for a restless mind? Even a desolate grave and barren earth require a discerning eye to commemorate its history. There's something about ancient charm that history cannot destroy: Qin dynasty bricks, Han dynasty tiles, the bright moon remains the bright moon. The misty rain isn't the beauty of Beijing, but the spirit of Jiangnan. The modernization of Hangzhou doesn't negate the sentiments of its past literati. Song Yu's mention of the Southern Song imperial street certainly has a connection to the royal family. The Song dynasty's emphasis on literature over military affairs led to the downfall of "Dongjing Menghualu" (The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor). The warning in "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" highlights that the Southern Song, situated in a corner of Jiangnan, culturally surpassed its predecessors. The Jin dynasty may have been attracted by the deep cultural imprint of the Song dynasty's "Dongjing Menghualu." The cultural beauty of the Northern and Southern Song dynasties was something the Jin dynasty could never reconcile. The 8000 miles of clouds and moon between the Jin and Southern/Song dynasties, the clash of swords and the return of our land—all these are part of the story.

"Even if we only have a few words about him now, we'd still make a trip to Hangzhou."

Is the Imperial Street of the Southern Song Dynasty near West Lake?

"Of course it's close. Once you get there, it's almost West Lake after a short walk."

This is the first time that one can find tranquility and pursue happiness for its own sake. In Zhang Dai's Tao'an Dream, countless things are related to the mountains and waters of West Lake. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty under Emperors Wanli and Chongzhen, the remnants of the former dynasty could only immerse their souls and thoughts in the dreams of the past, searching for the bygone splendor of the capital. Therefore, "A Dream of West Lake in the Ming Dynasty" is actually the most humanistic book. Zhang Sheng has already arrived in Hangzhou. Thinking of West Lake, he really doesn't want to relive the absurdity of his "Dream of West Lake" experience on the Huangpu River Bridge. In fact, West Lake is more like a dream, so close yet unseen. If only he could hear the ethereal sounds of West Lake's rippling waters, it would all be a dream illusion, a dream feeling all the more real. West Lake, oh West Lake, how much of the Wu and Yue culture and human sentiments of spring and autumn are hidden in its mountains and waters! Hangzhou is a city imbued with sentiment because of West Lake, having witnessed countless romantic and beautiful pavilions and terraces. The beauty of West Lake is a mirror of Hangzhou.

"It's past 9 o'clock, how can we get there?"

"Didi"

In Hangzhou, Didi (a ride-hailing app) is unavoidable for travelers. The taxi drivers here are incredibly carefree, much like the people of Hangzhou themselves, whose spirit has reached a certain level of nonchalance. Are they all like living Confucius? Amidst the conflicts of the Warring States period and the struggles of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, seeking a political way out, they discovered that the overly advanced Confucianism was utterly useless in an era dominated by Legalism. Confucius's greatness lay in his inner fortitude and unwavering resolve; he was the only one awake in a world of drunkenness, and when he was clear-headed and enlightened, he acted according to his heart. He was familiar with the culture of West Lake through *The Scholars*, a living encyclopedia of West Lake culture. The fact that Jiangsu and Zhejiang produced Wang Yangming, the last great Confucian master of China, was no accident, but rather a matter of destiny. Should we describe Bai Juyi's and Su Dongpo's poems according to Zhang Dai's description? It must be the realm of Zhang Ruoxu's *Spring River Flower Moon Night*, enjoying snow at the Lake Pavilion, and Xi Shi washing clothes on the beautiful West Lake.