innocent year

2003年6月25日，一架从澳门飞来的空客A318平稳降落在北京T2航站楼。

Compared with the previous period of depression, the airport at this time is obviously much more lively.In the books and newspapers column is a copy of the Beijing Times of the day.The words "Beijing "Double Lifting"" are printed on the festive red cover.The accompanying picture shows two people excitedly holding up the slogans "True Cow" and "Victory!".

In the past six months, almost everyone felt as if they were living in a dream.Since the beginning of the year, various news about "strange diseases" have been spreading.Until March 3, WHO officially issued a global alert on SARS.Then last night, the WHO announced the withdrawal of the travel warning for Beijing and removed Beijing from the list of SARS-affected areas.

As soon as the news was released, Qiu Shi, who was in Macau, asked Hua Jiahui to return to Beijing.The expression of urgency is like a bird flapping its wings to return to its nest.

Hua Jiahui was very helpless and asked him: "Six years ago, you said that you were afraid of repeated pains, so you stopped being a 'fruit' and wanted to be an 'Aqiu'. Now that you have finished your studies, there are more and more opportunities in front of you. There is a bright light, why rush back and hurt your own heart?"

As Hua Jiahui said, Qiushi graduated from the Chinese Department of UM in 2001, and at the same time obtained an additional degree in gaming management of international integrated resorts.

The following year, the 40-year monopoly of Macau Tourism and Entertainment Co., Ltd. expired.The first chief executive, Ho Hau Wah, decided to take this as an opportunity to drastically reform the local gaming industry.

After Hua Jiahui got the first-hand news, he couldn't help but feel a little lonely.In this way, Lisboa, where he has devoted countless efforts, is destined to become a thing of the past.However, Qiushi was a bystander and told Hua Jiahui that no matter how reformed, the VIP room and Junket Operator system would not change.The government's liberalization of gambling rights is to make Macau into the Las Vegas of the East.

In this way, this place is no longer just a utopia for gamblers, but a family carnival tourist destination integrating hotels, resorts, convention centers, casinos and large-scale singing and dancing performances.As a result, Hua Jiahui's confidence has greatly increased.

In the same year, the Macau government issued a total of three licenses to Galaxy Entertainment, Wynn and Macau Gaming through public bidding.Among them, the "Sands" will open next year, which will be the first foreign-funded casino in the history of Macau, with a milestone significance.

However, due to Hua Jiahui's clear goal and amazing action, he had already connected with Sands earlier and obtained the right to operate one of the VIP rooms.When dealing with Lao Mei, language is the first priority. During the process, Qiu Shi, who understands gaming management, is by his side. The two always get twice the result with half the effort and have a perfect understanding.

Now the epidemic has finally passed, and from next month, the mainland will start to implement a pilot program of individual free travel to Hong Kong and Macau.Hua Jiahui didn't expect such a critical juncture, but Qiu Shi insisted on going back to Beijing.

"I'm really just going to take a look and come back." Qiushi begged him, "Brother Jiahui, trust me."

"At most, you are allowed to call and check." Hua Jiahui said angrily, "The scourge has lived for thousands of years, how could that Xu Minghai be tricked?"

Caught off guard by this name, Qiu Shi turned pale.After a long while, he murmured, "In fact, I have already fought."

Hua Jiahui: "..."

Qiushi confessed: "But the landline number at home couldn't get through, and the public phone of the Hutong grocery store has never been answered."

"Maybe he went to marry someone right after you left that year, and he is quite a few years old now." Hua Jiahui took the opportunity to pour cold water on him.

"Brother Jiahui, I don't care." Qiu Shi emphasized.

"Don't care? Then I will arrange a fake marriage with a local girl so that you can get Macau status as soon as possible, so you don't have to go to Zhuhai all the time. Why don't you want to?" Hua Jiahui hit the nail on the head.

Qiushi: "It's not good to lie to the government..."

Speaking of this, Hua Jiahui simply continued to question without mercy: "There are so many people who like you in college. One of them came up to me and asked me if I was your boyfriend. That person is from a good family background. , a good-looking talent, wouldn't it be good to date him?"

"I have no feeling with him." Qiushi was forced to speak Cantonese instead.

"After all, you only feel with that Xu Minghai." Hua Jiahui spread his hands, "There is only one Xu Minghai in this world, so do you want to be a monk for the rest of your life?"

Qiu Shi was speechless.

Hua Jiahui looked at the silly boy who had lost a lot of weight in recent months, and his attitude finally eased, and he was no longer aggressive.He patted Qiu Shi on the shoulder and persuaded him: "I always heard those foreigners talk about 'move? A boat. You can’t just carve a boat and ask for a sword. Six years ago, no matter how deep the hole was, it should be healed.”

"Brother Jiahui, I understand. I really just went to have a look." Qiu Shi knew that he was wrong, so he could only talk back and forth.

"Hey, I'm so mad at you!" Hua Jiahui sighed, and then said with a dark face, "Go tomorrow, come back the day after tomorrow, only one night."

At this moment, Qiu Shi, who finally returned to Beijing, picked up a copy of the Beijing Times, looked at the glowing red cover, and his eyes felt hot, and then he folded it and put it in his carry-on bag.

After coming out of the airport, queue up for a taxi.A brand new Beverly came, and he sat in it.Qiu Shi still remembers that when he left, Xiao Xiali was the most popular car in Beijing. There was no air conditioner in the car, and it was always cold in winter and hot in summer.

"Hey, young man, where are we going?" The master habitually swallowed the words and pronounced them, revealing a strong desire to treat no one as an outsider.

"Excuse me, Zhiyuan Hutong." Qiushi replied.

"The one in Xidan?" In the era without electronic navigation, the master's mind was a living map.

"Yes," Qiushi paused slightly, "it's there."

"Come on, sit down." The master lifted the watch and gave fuel, and the car jumped out.

Qiu Shi sat in the back, and the scenery outside the window changed from barren to prosperous.In particular, the towering office buildings in the urban area have sprung up from the ground, which is dizzying.

The Fukang bus runs from the East Second Ring Road to Jianguomen Inner Street.Qiushi finally saw the Beijing Railway Station inevitably.Memories came back suddenly, and 16 years of time united to encircle and suppress Qiushi, making him unable to turn back.

Qiushi recalled Hua Jiahui's saying that life is a river, but he felt more like a bowl of tofu brains served at a stall earlier—no matter how innocent you are, you can't escape the fate of being smashed to pieces with a spoon.

The car stopped at the east entrance of Zhiyuan Hutong.When Qiushi paid the money and opened the door, his legs trembled a little.As long as people are safe, he thought, even if Xu Minghai's child calls him uncle, he can carry it with a smile.

However, this vivid scene was blocked by the thick blue iron fence in front of him.

Walking in the deserted alley, Qiu Shi was a little at a loss.But then he realized that this place should be demolished soon, and the original residents had already moved to other places.No wonder the phone couldn't get through.

Qiu Shi went around a few times and found that there was no neighborhood committee, so he had to go to the police station in the area.When I asked, Xiao Qishu and several other familiar police officers were transferred away, promoted and promoted, and there was no one acquaintance again.

"Then do you know where the original family has moved?" Qiushi asked.

"Yo, this is a child without a mother. It's a long story." An enthusiastic policeman replied.

It turned out that three years ago, a real estate agent lowered the demolition compensation fee privately during demolition, and was sued by local residents.After that, the development qualification was revoked by the court, and the relevant responsible persons were also dealt with.

Today, this group has already closed down, and there has been no next family to take over the business.After the demolition work started that year, the residents found temporary swing houses in order to vacate their houses.Therefore, although the household registration has not been moved, no one knows where exactly who lives now.

Qiushi understood.This so-called demolition is nothing but nothing.Even the basket was gone.

"Then do you know Xu Minghai who used to live in No. 23 courtyard?"

"Hey, don't you know me?" The policeman was immediately amused. "At the beginning, that kid took the lead as a nail household. He was tough, and he wouldn't move no matter how much he paid! His mother is even more awesome, see Sitting on the roof every day, saying that whoever dares to tear it down will jump off. But, after all, this is not a matter that his family can decide. They are not happy, but most people are willing. Later, he really couldn’t bear it. Due to the pressure from the neighbors and the neighborhood committee, they signed and agreed.”

The policeman sighed: "But the developer is unreliable, no one expected it. Everyone said that it would be better to let Xu Minghai make trouble if he knew it earlier. At least he wouldn't even lose his home now!"

Qiu Shi heard what the other party said, but he didn't dare to take the reason why Xu Minghai was a nail in the door at all to himself.That would be too self-indulgent.

"The SARS outbreak a while ago, how is he doing?" Qiu Shi finally asked the question that had been on his mind for several months.

"Hey, you are asking the right person! I ran into him in Wangfujing a few days ago!" The policeman said with a smile, "The young man is much more stable than before, he looks like a boss, and he looks healthy of."

Qiu Shi finally felt relieved.He thanked the police and planned to leave, but he didn't give up when he reached the door.Qiushi thought for a while, and summoned up the courage to turn around and ask, "Then you know he answered..."

"Ah?" The policeman asked with his ears open, "What?"

"It's okay," Qiushi finally swallowed the words back into his stomach.He smiled, "I'm sorry to trouble you."

"No trouble, if you have trouble, find the police!" The other party waved his hand and asked again, "What's the matter, do you want to contact him? I seem to have his mobile phone number in my phone book, how about I find it for you , you try to hit one?"

"No need, we're just... just childhood friends. I'm not usually in Beijing, but I'm passing by this time, so I'll ask when I think about it." Qiushi thanked again, and then left the police station without looking back.

As long as people are healthy and safe.The rest is no longer important.

The purpose of this trip has been achieved, so Qiu Shi wandered around Zhiyuan Hutong by himself.When passing by a cold drink shop on the street, he stopped and went in to buy a cookie-flavored Baxi ice cream.

The cool and sweet taste relieved the heat after the summer solstice, and Qiushi couldn't help but think of the year when he first arrived in Macau.Once Hua Jiahui bought him "Haagen-Dazs".After he tasted it, he said that it was not as good as the "Baxi" he grew up with as a snack, but he was laughed at by the other party on the spot.

Qiu Shi took ice cream in his hand and ate it while walking, and somehow he came to a sales office with colorful flags flying.Behind it are several light gray houses scattered on the lawn.As the sun sets, the tender red afterglow makes the whole community look like a quiet park amidst the bustle.

Such a scene made Qiu Shi feel familiar.When he put the last scoop of ice cream into his mouth, he suddenly realized that this place turned out to be the unfinished building back then.