MMB Chapter 1500 Not like a good person
Chapter 1500 Not like a good person
Chapter 1500 Not like a good person
"What's going on?"
Zhu Xiaolin muttered to himself, "Is someone getting desperate?"
"Aren't you getting angry too?"
Li Huaide glanced at him and grumbled to himself, "A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. The leader is truly farsighted."
"Hehe—" Zhu Xiaolin gave him a "don't pretend" look. "We've been hanging out together for over ten years, we all know each other."
Li Xuewu listened attentively to Director Zhao's speech, which was straightforward and to the point.
Just as Director Zhao was talking about the disciplinary requirements, a voice came from the doorway, and then a secretary walked into the conference room and whispered a few words to Zhao Zhinan behind his ear.
Zhao Zhinan raised his eyebrows, nodded, and then looked at everyone and said, "Deputy Director Li has come to see you all. Let's give him a round of applause."
The crowd clapped mechanically in astonishment, not quite understanding what was happening, until Deputy Director Li appeared at the door.
Then the applause in the conference room really picked up.
Deputy Director Li serves as the deputy head of the State Council's Economic Work Committee, primarily responsible for key areas such as finance, banking, foreign trade, economics, health, and directly affiliated sectors.
His work was praised by later generations as making outstanding contributions to the country's economic stability and development.
His economic wisdom and prudent management provided a solid foundation for the healthy development of the national treasury.
Deputy Director Li is the head of this delegation, which is mainly composed of heads of units in the foreign trade and industrial systems.
Li Xuewu had seen people in the foreign trade system, but he had never dealt with them, and the two lived on different floors and had different areas of activity.
The delegation was divided into two detachments: one for foreign trade and one for industry. Each detachment was further divided into several smaller teams, with one foreign affairs officer in charge of each team.
Li Huaide, Zhu Xiaolin, and a few others formed a small team on their own, and Li Xuewu was naturally among them.
Today's meeting was a large-scale collective gathering, and the representatives from foreign trade and industry even clearly separated their seating arrangements, which made things convenient for each other.
Deputy Director Li walked in with a serious expression, carefully looked at everyone, and then nodded, saying, "Quite a fighting force—"
At this moment, there's no need to be witty or give a reply; just clap your hands.
So even more enthusiastic applause immediately rang out at the scene.
Deputy Director Li, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, gestured to the group of people in suits and ties and said, "Wearing Western clothes is not for you to travel overseas, but for you to bring back the advanced technology and experience from here."
“I see that some people are not quite used to this outfit yet, while others have already put a lot of energy and spirit into it.”
His gaze first swept over the crowd, and finally landed on the area represented by the Red Star Steel Group, clearly referring to Li Huaide and Li Xuewu.
Their suits fit them best and made them look the most energetic.
There was nothing they could do; Li Xuewu's requirements were clear, and tailor Li Guangnian's skills were superb. The two of them stood out like cranes among chickens as they sat in the crowd.
Zhu Xiaolin followed the leader's gaze and glanced around. (Who's the chicken?)
Li Huaide and Li Xuewu really managed to hold back; even if it was harder to suppress their smiles than the 56-style Manchukuo, they had to forcefully suppress them. They really couldn't laugh.
Not only can you not laugh, you also have to put on an expression as if the leader wasn't talking about you and you didn't understand what the leader was saying.
Yeah, it's just a subtle way of showing off.
One on the left and one on the right, the two even sat in the same posture, and their clapping gestures and expressions were almost identical.
Such superb acting skills naturally won the praise of all the attendees: "He's really good at pretending!"
"Good! That's the kind of combat readiness we need!"
Deputy Director Li, having lived through a turbulent era, carries with him a strong spirit and will, and his speech is now powerful and resonant.
"You are the elite soldiers selected from among thousands by the system, the warriors who shoulder the hopes of the nation's industrial and trade work, and this is your battlefield!"
He pointed in the direction of the representative from Hongxing Steel Group, clearly stating his demands.
When explaining foreign affairs and business operations, Deputy Director Li did not use many empty words or platitudes, but conveyed the organization's requirements and decisions to everyone in a straightforward tone, as if issuing orders.
Li Xuewu didn't know if others noticed, but he did: it seemed the leaders' expectations of them had increased significantly.
Has something unexpected happened?
On the plane there, Lao Li had quietly told him that some members of the visiting group had brought contracts with them.
The meaning of this is easy to understand: the preliminary negotiations are over, and regardless of whether these people achieve anything, they will at least save face when issuing the visit announcement.
The number of orders and cooperation agreements signed, and the value of cooperation intentions reached, are key outcomes of this visit.
Otherwise, why would Deputy Director Li bring so many people here?
"Let me tell you something, which you may have already seen."
Deputy Director Li looked at everyone very seriously and said, "The attitude towards us here is somewhat complicated, so we must be very careful."
He pointed to the scene and nodded slowly, emphasizing, "If any problems arise, communicate with the person in charge promptly and don't act impulsively."
At this point, he glanced back at Zhao Zhinan, and seeing the other nod, he knew that this issue had already been emphasized.
Having said everything he needed to say, the serious expression on his face softened somewhat, and his tone became much gentler.
"I understand that it is not easy for everyone to travel abroad once, and they want to experience the local customs and culture."
He nodded and said, "Sure, no problem. As long as we report as required, the organization will provide assistance, right?"
"The logistics team has already prepared the itinerary plan," Zhao Zhinan explained to Deputy Director Li, and then gave a brief introduction to everyone.
The main attractions are in East Berlin, all around the hotel, so there's not much to see.
He knew what everyone was thinking, so he whispered a few words to Deputy Director Li.
Deputy Director Li was quite understanding. He smiled and nodded, saying, "Sure, it's normal to buy gifts for family and friends. It's only human nature."
He looked at everyone and said, "It's not easy to come out here. You are allowed to go out and have some fun during your free time, but please be careful."
"Considering everyone's actual work situation and needs, our colleagues in the Foreign Affairs Department have prepared funds for everyone's travel and currency exchange."
Zhao Zhinan took over the conversation and explained to everyone, "It's 100 yuan per person. The secretary from the Foreign Affairs Department will distribute it to everyone later."
"100 yuan isn't enough, think about it more."
As he was about to leave, Deputy Director Li said a few words to Zhao Zhinan, and then a few words to his secretary.
Having received instructions from his superiors, Zhao Zhinan smiled and said to everyone, "The base amount of 100 yuan remains unchanged. If anyone needs to exchange for German marks, they can ask the foreign affairs secretary for help, but there is a limit of 500 yuan."
The German mark mentioned here is not the Federal Republic of Germany mark, but the German Democratic Republic mark, whose full name is: "German Democratic Republic Mark".
Why is it necessary to emphasize the full name here?
Because the name of the currency of East Germany was changed three times, each time the word "Mark" was included, but the number of words preceding it increased.
The German mark had only two denominations: the mark and the pfennig. One mark equaled 100 pfennigs, while the pfennig was represented by coins.
At that time, the value of the US dollar was still very strong internationally, and exchanges were generally conducted based on the US dollar exchange rate.
Previously, the conversion was mostly done in pounds sterling, but that changed starting last year.
Of course, the dollar won't stay strong for two more years. The gold standard system will collapse soon, and then the dollar will face a devaluation tsunami.
Li Xuewu clearly remembers this point, and he has already asked the think tank to come up with a response plan. Whether the assets of Hong Kong Oriental Times Bank can increase dozens or hundreds of times depends on this.
此时国际汇率稳定，1美元兑换2.4618元RM币，1美元兑换3.66元德国马克，所以1元RM币约能兑换1.49元德国马克。
Zhao Zhinan said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs prepared a welfare gift of 100 yuan for everyone, but what they actually received was 149 German marks.
The ticket costs 140 yuan in full, and you can have 9 yuan in change. They've really thought of everything.
There is an additional 500 mark exchange quota, which you have to apply for yourself from the secretary. What can you buy here with less than 900 marks?
Wow—there are so many good things out there!
Do not judge prices by future prices. Prices in East Germany, like those in Germany, remained at a low level.
With nearly 900 marks, you can definitely buy a lot of nice and valuable gifts for family and friends.
However, it's impossible for you to buy large items, because you can't bring them back. There aren't enough seats on the plane to accommodate large items.
Therefore, small gadgets such as watches, pocket watches, or pens are the best choice.
Zhu Xiaolin was already calculating the money on his fingers. He had come prepared beforehand; he couldn't leave empty-handed for official business, and of course, he couldn't leave empty-handed for personal matters either.
At that time, the level of domestic industry was generally low, and there was a lack of technology for precision instruments and equipment. In the eyes of ordinary people, watches from Europe were still better.
To put it bluntly, as a member of the visiting delegation, you don't need to pay tax if you buy a watch here and take it back with you.
Since they don't follow the proper channels, who will ask them to pay the taxes?
They might say they have plenty of money, but if they were to take the things they buy here back and resell them, they could still make a small profit.
Of course, the leaders wouldn't do that, it would be too embarrassing, but those secretaries are quick-witted.
Some leaders who frequently travel abroad don't care about this small amount of money, so their secretaries will ask for permission to use their leader's credit limit.
There are also people like Zhu Xiaolin who are preparing for large purchases, but their own quota is not enough, so they want to borrow some from the people around them.
"Old Li, did you buy a lot of things?"
After the leader left, the meeting adjourned, and on his way out, he asked Old Li a question.
Old Li glanced back at him but didn't say anything.
Everyone here has a family to support. Don't you have any idea whether this amount of money is enough?
"Please don't look at me—"
Li Xuewu shook his head with a wry smile and said, "We have two children, four brothers and sisters, a whole family."
"Sigh—" Zhu Xiaolin nodded helplessly and said, "You're so young, why are you in such a hurry to get married?"
"What kind of talk is that—"
Old Li was so angry he laughed. He glared at him and said, "Just because of you, our Secretary-General can't even settle down and start a family?"
"Hahaha--"
Zhu Xiaolin was just joking, and when he heard Li Huaide's words, he laughed too.
Li Xuewu didn't mind and said softly to him, "Please use it first, and I'll help you find a way if it's really not enough."
"You have a way?" Zhu Xiaolin looked at him in surprise and asked, "You have influence around here?"
"Heh—" Li Xuewu chuckled and said to him, "I'm here for the first time like you, so I don't have any influence at all."
That's how people in Beijing talk; power doesn't just mean what it seems on the surface, it also implies connections.
"I have some business to attend to tomorrow, so maybe there will be an opportunity then." He raised an eyebrow at Zhu Xiaolin, indicating that it was enough to hint at it.
Zhu Xiaolin understood and replied with a smile, "Okay, I'll remember this favor and repay you when I return to China."
"Don't do things with him, he's too stingy."
Li Huaide glanced at him and said to Li Xuewu, "He's all about making empty promises to get people; his favors are worthless."
"You, Old Li, are you trying to sabotage me?"
Zhu Xiaolin was furious. He looked at Li Huaide and said jokingly, "Are you jealous because Comrade Xuewu is going to help me?"
"Alright, and don't forget about your Director Li."
He was quite eloquent, and with a smile he told Li Xuewu, "Even if you have to go along with him first, don't offend him. He's the kind of person who knows how to make things difficult for people."
"Hehehe—" Li Xuewu listened to their mutual attacks and said with a light laugh, "I'll do my best, but I can only look after ourselves."
He made a specific point, gesturing with his hands to point to the three of them.
"Of course, don't worry—"
Zhu Xiaolin's face became more serious, and he said, "Brother, you can judge for yourself what I'm doing. I'm not going to give you any tasks."
Li Huaide did not express his opinion, nor did he need to express his opinion to Li Xuewu.
He didn't believe what Li Xuewu had just said about going to another city to do business and find an opportunity to exchange for marks.
Inspection missions are always accompanied by staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Even if he is eloquent, how much can he actually get out of them?
There are economic exchanges between the two sides, but there is almost no private remittance business.
Li Xuewu's real connections were with the people who came from Gangcheng, and Old Li was well aware of this.
Because he has no shortage of exchange quotas, and that's the basis for that.
Those people who came from the port city brought US dollars, and exchanging them for marks here was incredibly easy.
He certainly couldn't make that exception for Zhu Xiaolin, otherwise the social obligations would go on endlessly, and no amount of money would be enough to repay them.
The key point is that this behavior is also inappropriate; he came to participate in the event, not to act as a middleman.
Besides, you can't earn a single penny by exchanging money; if you do, people will be extremely fussy about it, and you can forget about saving face.
You say it's not profitable? What about the people from Hong Kong?
Do you think they'd play with you for free?
So it's fine for him to use it himself; he won't ask for trouble.
However, Zhu Xiaolin was a friend, and he couldn't refuse him, so Li Xuewu had to step in to resolve the matter.
Zhu Xiaolin is the only one; how many more could he possibly exchange?
Even without Li Xuewu saying anything, the higher-ups would talk to him if too many people were replaced. I believe Zhu Xiaolin still has the self-control to do that.
****
The meeting ended at 1:30 p.m., and they left the building under the guidance of the group's foreign affairs officer, and boarded a minibus directly.
It's the same car that came from the airport; these minibuses will be used for most of the activities over the next few days.
Li Xuewu had already learned from the secretary he had spoken with that their destination was the world-famous Berlin Wall.
Later, Trump also built a wall along the US-Mexico border, but that wall seemed more like a wall of spite and couldn't compare to the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the Cold War.
"Isn't there anything interesting to see in East Berlin?" Li Huaide asked with a frown after getting into the car. "You came all this way just to see their walls?"
According to the usual practice in foreign affairs exchanges, the first stop should be to lay wreaths at a monument where both sides share common ties, in order to commemorate the past.
But this is East Germany, the place where people were once castrated. There's nothing here for them to reminisce about.
There is a monument here, but it's not worth going there, because it's where more than 2000 Russians are buried.
"Actually, there are many beautiful ones."
The foreign affairs secretary offered to introduce the site, saying, "Today's visit to the Berlin Wall is an event organized at the request of the other party. If you wish to tour East Berlin afterward, I can act as your guide."
What are some good places to visit in East Berlin?
Zhu Xiaolin was utterly disappointed with this place, so he wasn't as stressed as Lao Li. When asked, he seemed to hope for an unexpected turn of events.
"Besides the Berlin Wall we're going to visit now, and Berlin-Schönerfeld Airport where you landed on your way here, you can also see the Palace of the Republic, Alexanderplatz, the World Clock, the Berlin TV Tower, Berlin East Station, Marx-Engelsplatz, Leipzig Gewandhaus, and more."
The secretary rattled off a long list of tourist attractions, sounding as if she frequently "led tour groups," demonstrating remarkable professionalism.
"Where are some good places to eat?" Li Huaide asked directly, "Any restaurants with good food?"
"Sir, you shouldn't have high hopes for the restaurants here."
The secretary smiled and said, "I've worked here for four years, and now my biggest wish is to have a home-cooked meal from my hometown."
"Hehehe—" Zhu Xiaolin chuckled and looked out the car window. The convoy had already started moving. "What do Europeans know about fine dining?"
"People used to think French food was delicious, but I thought it was just a waste of time."
He said to Li Huaide beside him, "The boss will put two pieces of meat on a plate and tell you that the dishes are all ready."
"Hahaha—" Li Huaide couldn't help but laugh out loud, because he had eaten French food at the International Hotel.
That's the good thing about working with Italians; they can bring you everything.
To be honest, Lao Li doesn't like French food either. Eating there feels like a meeting, and you have to follow a set routine.
Li Xuewu pointed to the crowd gathered outside the car window, gesturing to the two men.
The smiles on Li Huaide and Zhu Xiaolin's faces vanished, replaced by serious expressions and deep frowns.
There's no need for a secretary to translate the signs those people are holding up; if it's well-intentioned, there's no need to keep a straight face.
Li Xuewu reached out and pulled the thick curtain of the car window shut, completely blocking the view inside and outside the car.
Li Huaide glanced at him, saw the seriousness and earnestness in his eyes, nodded, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest.
Zhu Xiaolin looked at Li Xuewu with admiration; such a vigilant sense of security was not something an ordinary person could possess.
It's clear that Li Xuewu has accumulated considerable experience in security work over the years.
"I heard you can earn several thousand yuan in royalties for a book?"
He stopped talking about other things and started talking about Li Xuewu, which immediately attracted the attention of most people on the bus.
Even the secretary in the car looked at him in surprise.
"Yes, a book costs several thousand yuan."
Li Xuewu nodded frankly, acknowledging this.
"We purchased both textbooks and professional books, so the royalties were higher and the printing volume was larger."
Like everyone else, Zhu Xiaolin looked at him with envy and asked, "You've published several books at such a young age, you must be rolling in money now, right?"
"Who said that? How come we don't lack any?"
Li Xuewu glanced at him with amusement and said, "My family relies on my meager salary every month to make ends meet."
"Just like you, I'm also busy making a living for basic necessities like firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea,"
"Where's your money? Where did you spend it?"
Zhu Xiaolin looked at him in surprise and asked, "Several books should have earned you tens of thousands, right? Where did all the royalties go?"
"I did receive a lot of royalties, but I didn't get them."
Li Xuewu shrugged and smiled, saying, "My purpose in writing books is not for royalties; I've never thought about that."
"He donated all his royalties."
Li Huaide, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and looked at Zhu Xiaolin, explaining, "Didn't you read the newspapers about the earthquakes a few years ago, the school library, and the children in the mountain villages?"
"Oh, I really didn't know that."
Zhu Xiaolin's gaze towards Li Xuewu instantly shifted from envy to amazement, while the others looked on with a mixture of incomprehension and respect.
"You donated it all? What were you thinking?"
"I didn't donate everything. I donated the royalties from the first few books, but I didn't donate the royalties from the last book. I gave them to my wife because our child needs tuition fees."
Li Xuewu explained with a smile, which made everyone in the car chuckle, as if they completely understood his approach.
Some people breathed a sigh of relief, more like they were relieved for Li Xuewu, as they were worried that it would be a pity if he donated all the money.
This is a typical expression of feeling sorry for and anxious for others.
Li Xuewu did not disclose the amount of the royalties for his last book, which others assumed was only enough to cover tuition fees.
Only Li Huaide, who understood numbers, glanced at him before closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep again.
He wasn't envious at all of the few thousand yuan; he had seen Li Xuewu's progress and hard work over the years.
While it cannot be denied that Li Xuewu is indeed very intelligent, it must also be acknowledged that Li Xuewu is very studious and has a tenacious character.
Last year, there were rumors that Li Xuewu had a special relationship with Shangguan Qi from the research institute. What happened?
Shangguan Qi had been giving him lessons in the office, which gave Li Xuewu a very thorough understanding of aircraft.
At the management committee's office meeting, when Li Xuewu was talking about aircraft business, almost no one could keep up with him.
What is professionalism?
This is called professionalism.
He had read all of Li Xuewu's books carefully, not because he was interested in the content, but because he was interested in Li Xuewu as a person.
He can draw conclusions about a person simply by studying their book.
Reading Li Xuewu's books often involves combining theory with practice, and the arguments and evidence are very well done. Even people who don't understand the business will find inspiration and food for thought in them.
He knew Li Xuewu very well, and these books were indeed written by Li Xuewu; there was no ghostwriting involved.
Li Huaide admires people who can truly make progress in their careers and achieve breakthroughs in their professional fields, and he is not jealous of how much they earn.
On the contrary, Li Xuewu's act of donating his royalties was initially met with incomprehension; he simply donated over two thousand yuan without hesitation.
Just like the initial thoughts of the people on the bus, they couldn't understand it at all.
However, after the university study campaign began, some people raised objections to Li Xuewu's royalties, and he then realized Li Xuewu's foresight.
The objections raised regarding Li Xuewu's royalties naturally came to nothing, so what reason is there to attack someone who has donated all his royalties?
The person who raised the objection also lost face; the insults he received were enough to drive him to suicide out of shame.
But this year, in a book he recently published, he heard that Li Xuewu had stopped donating money.
This actually relieved him.
Those previous donations could be attributed to seeking fame and protecting oneself.
But now is really not the time to donate.
Li Xuewu's reasoning was very appropriate: the child needed tuition fees, and the family needed expenses; therefore, using the money was perfectly legitimate and he felt at ease.
He knew that the money hadn't actually reached Li Xuewu's hands; it had been directly given to Li Xuewu's wife, Gu Ning, and many people knew about this.
He both envied the group's secretary-general for having a good wife who understood him and envied the secretary-general's wife for having a good man who could earn money to support the family.
"Is this the Berlin Wall?"
Zhu Xiaolin's tone was full of disappointment.
That's right, what we see before us is the Berlin Wall, which has greatly disappointed everyone.
Before they arrived, they read in the newspaper that the wall must be twenty or thirty meters high.
The results of it?
Putting aside others, Li Xuewu, who was standing next to Li Huaide, could easily flip over with his bare hands with a running start.
How tall? It's a little over three meters, about three and a half meters.
A height of three and a half meters is not a problem for Li Xuewu, as it is the height he usually trains at.
Of course, this wall is an insurmountable barrier for ordinary people like Lao Li and Lao Zhu, and it is also for ordinary Germans.
If you ask who climbs over this wall the most?
The answer was hilarious: it was those who were afraid of being purged, including DWJ, who failed his art exam.
Only those with professional training can get over it; ordinary people simply don't have that ability.
This has led to the perception that everyone in the past is a former villain, and it's truly baffling what kind of nonsense West Germany is promoting.
This isn't Li Xuewu standing on one side of the wall while also having his back to the other; he's just expressing his personal grievances from a historical perspective.
I must say, Western propaganda is really something.
Just one question: Was the Berlin Wall the dividing line between East and West Germany?
If you haven't studied this history, or if you don't really understand it, you might actually be misled by their propaganda.
The feeling that climbing over this wall will lead to the bright future is a victorious leap, a yearning for freedom.
Bullshit, once you get over this wall, it's an isolated island.
That's right, West Berlin was within East Germany. Berlin was divided in two, and the Berlin Wall completely surrounded West Berlin.
What would happen if we climbed over from here?
Zhu Xiaolin was really good at making people laugh, and asked Lao Li a question.
Old Li was quite resourceful; he glanced at him and said, "You give us a demonstration first."
Zhu Xiaolin glanced at the soldiers on guard post, smiled, and remained silent.
The accompanying secretary was already giving everyone a basic introduction to the Berlin Wall, which Li Xuewu listened to with great interest, even though he had already done thorough research on the famous buildings there.
"The Berlin Wall was started on August 13, 1961, and was 155 kilometers long."
After the secretary led them out of the car, they walked towards the square, and the secretary explained as they walked: "Initially, the border wall was made of barbed wire and bricks. Later, it was reinforced into a border defense facility consisting of watchtowers, concrete walls, open areas, and anti-vehicle trenches."
He explained the significance of the wall according to the definition given in domestic newspapers: "The Berlin Wall is a symbol of the division of Germany and an important landmark of the Cold War."
This period of history is quite interesting. After World War II, Germany was divided into four occupation zones by the four victorious powers: the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France.
In May 1949, the occupation zones of the United States, Britain, and France merged to form the Federal Republic of Germany. On October 7 of the same year, the German Democratic Republic was proclaimed, and Berlin (East Berlin) became the capital of East Germany.
The Federal Republic of Germany was commonly referred to as West Germany, and the German Democratic Republic was commonly referred to as East Germany. Subsequently, West Germany and East Germany respectively embarked on the capitalist and socialist paths.
On October 11, 1949, Wilhelm Pieck was elected President of East Germany, and Otto Grotewohl was appointed as the interim Chief of Staff. On November 11, the Soviet area announced the transfer of administrative powers to the newly established state, and the Soviet occupation authorities were renamed the "Soviet Control Committee".
Li Xuewu suspected that the shadow they were about to face was this organization.
Thus, Germany was formally divided into two sovereign and independent states: the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic.
East Germany was a member of the Warsaw Pact Organization and the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. Its land area was 107,771 square kilometers.
That sounds like a lot, right? There could have been even more.
Art students who failed their college entrance exams even dreamed of seeing all of Europe.
Surprisingly, during the Cold War, East Germany was a leader in the socialist camp in terms of economy, culture, and sports.
The United States only required West Germany to obey it in the major strategic direction. As for West Germany's internal affairs, they were generally not interfered with as long as they did not conflict with the United States' major strategy.
The Soviet Union demanded that its allies not only submit to it, but also adopt its political and economic system.
Therefore, East Germany developed according to the Soviet political and economic model from the very beginning: politically, it implemented a socialist system, and economically, it was dominated by nationalized public ownership.
This was also our original intention in insisting on taking the path of independence and self-reliance, and we could not tolerate such domineering behavior.
Decades later, the importance of upholding independence and self-reliance has been proven.
Contrary to common sense, although the Berlin Wall was built, it did not actually sever communication between the two Germanys.
As mentioned earlier, the Berlin Wall was not built on the border between East and West Germany, but rather within the city of Berlin.
Berlin is now divided into East Berlin and West Berlin, and the entire city of Berlin is located within East Germany.
Due to Western propaganda, many people believed that the Berlin Wall was built on the border between East and West Germany and that East Germany oppressed its people. This led many East German residents living in the socialist bloc to think every day about how to escape to the "free country".
Actually, according to the introduction from the foreign affairs secretary, the situation is not like that, at least not at this time.
It's important to understand that East Germany was a model country created by the Soviet Union to face the West, and for a long time, the people of East Germany lived better than those in neighboring countries.
It is very famous in socialist countries, and even attracts people from other socialist countries to move to its territory.
The low wages and low prices in East Germany even led to Western agents sending people to East Berlin to maliciously purchase goods and disrupt East Germany's financial order, which was one of the reasons for the construction of the Berlin Wall.
But almost all international newspaper reports about the Berlin Wall consciously or unconsciously lead people in the wrong direction, and who would bother looking up a map of Germany?
Only those who have seen the relevant maps will realize that, oh, the Berlin Wall was not the border between East and West Germany.
Clearly, this is a very obvious example of media hegemony.
The West is very adept at this tactic, using partial truths and selective reporting to mislead people and allow them to fill in the gaps in their own minds.
Only after seeing it clearly will one realize that Western media are truly cunning and treacherous.
Although a large number of East Germans moved to West Germany at the time, a large number of West Germans also voluntarily moved to East Germany. However, the Western media only told the outside world that due to the extreme dissatisfaction of the East German people with the social changes brought about by the Soviet Union, a large number of senior experts and skilled workers moved to West Germany. In some universities, as many as one-third of the graduates went to West Germany right after graduation.
Is that really the case?
Li Xuewu relayed this situation to the foreign affairs secretary, hoping to verify it.
"We are just bystanders."
The foreign affairs secretary glanced at him calmly and said, "According to our investigation, from 1944 to 1961, nearly one-sixth of the East German population (2.5 million people) emigrated, leaving through Berlin. By August 1961, as many as 2000 people were leaving East Germany every day."
“Similarly.” Just as Li Xuewu looked at him with a puzzled expression, he continued, “In 44, more than 150 million West Germans fled to East Germany.”
He shrugged and said, "Actually, for a long time, East Germany did not prevent its citizens from entering West Berlin from East Berlin at all; it's just that time travelers needed certain procedures."
Clearly, what the Western media are saying is true, but it is one-sided. They only mention what you have to say and not what I have to say, which is a common propaganda tactic. They have been intentionally or unintentionally misleading readers.
See, this is the power of public opinion.
Moreover, what's the problem if crossing the border isn't allowed?
Isn't it normal for a country to prevent its own citizens and citizens of other countries from freely crossing its borders?
People who arbitrarily use various methods to cross national borders are already suspicious, and those who dig tunnels or the like, are they probably dangerous individuals?
"Did anyone actually escape by climbing over the wall?"
Zhu Xiaolin walked curiously along the cement road with everyone, and asked a question while looking at the scene in front of him.
The foreign affairs secretary turned to look at him, shook his head slightly, and said, "Only a fool would climb over the wall."
“Those who truly pursue freedom don’t need to cross the wall; they can choose to take the route from Hungary to Austria to West Germany.”
He pursed his lips and said, "Or perhaps it's the other way around."
"Hehehe——"
Li Huaide and the others chuckled at his expression; the reversed version of that sentence was remarkably apt.
Similarly, Zhu Xiaolin and others realized from Li Xuewu's question that East Germany still had something to offer.
In fact, Li Xuewu felt more regret. This was the era of the Cold War, and in order to suppress Russia, the United States and the capitalist world did a lot of strange things.
Of course, Russia itself is also not doing well. With the development of the times, due to its own reasons and external competition, it is increasingly unable to keep up with the pace of the United States, and internal contradictions are escalating, with no solution in sight.
When the living standards of East Germans could no longer catch up with those of developed capitalist countries in the West, influenced by their superior living conditions and free atmosphere, some East Germans began to want to cross the Berlin Wall and live in West German-controlled Berlin. However, their numbers were not large, but due to Western claims, it appeared that many people crossed the Berlin Wall.
It was at this time that the Americans and Europeans seized the opportunity of the Soviet Union's weakness and took action. They tried every means to weaken the Soviet Union's national strength and prestige, including the reunification of West and Central Germany.
Li Xuewu remembered this date because he had been tested on this topic in history class. On June 12, 1987, then-US President Reagan deliberately gave a speech at the Berlin Wall, addressing Soviet leader Gorbachev:
"Tear down this wall! This wall will fall in Europe because it cannot withstand faith, it cannot withstand truth, and it cannot withstand freedom."
Freedom is utter bullshit. Freedom is never restricted by a wall; it is the system that restricts freedom.
Western magazines have claimed that the Berlin Wall was built by dictators to block the people of East Germany from traveling to West Germany in pursuit of freedom, and that it divided the country and the nation.
Then, under the extensive propaganda and brainwashing by Western media, many people's misconceptions about the Berlin Wall were reinforced.
If you really put yourself in their shoes, how would you feel if there was a foreign territory in your own country's capital?
I believe that the vast majority of countries would sympathize with East Germany.
Why did Li Xuewu deliberately steer the conversation in this direction?
Of course, the purpose was to make Lao Li and the others realize in advance why ordinary people at the airport looked at them with such complicated and strange eyes when they stepped off the plane.
This is the bad thing about Western media.
They spread propaganda that demonizes, portrays us as intellectually deficient, and depicts us as backward, and yet some people actually believe it—that's truly pathetic.
At 2:30 p.m. sharp, they arrived at a small square led by the foreign affairs secretary. There were no chairs prepared there, but there was a rest area.
Li Xuewu tightened his coat and walked along the Berlin Wall for a while, personally experiencing the sense of division.
When I returned to Lao Li's side, I overheard the two of them already talking about how to pass the long night.
Old Zhu suggested we get some drinks and go to his room to drink. We could brag a bit, and maybe those who were eavesdropping would be so scared they'd wet their pants.
Li Xuewu felt that Lao Zhu was becoming increasingly unruly and unpredictable.
Regardless of who the eavesdroppers were, the image of someone drinking and bragging would give people a sense of distrust.
His words are truly valued by the other party.
Old Li was still sensible; he gestured to the East German personnel who had come with him, and they jokingly teased Old Zhu, suggesting he try to pick up someone to relieve his boredom.
Men really shouldn't get together, or they're bound to have a lot of trouble.
At 2:45, Deputy Director Li arrived at the Berlin Wall, accompanied by Willi Stoff, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of East Germany.
In front of the Berlin Wall, Willy Stoff delivered a passionate yet purposeful speech to a visiting delegation from the industrial and trade sectors.
Li Xuewu listened very carefully because the old man didn't seem like a good person.