Chapter 51

"Hey Wenhai, what is this American saying?" Hu Jiefang, who couldn't even recognize the English alphabet, had no idea what Douglas was saying.

"Dad, Douglas is my business partner in the U.S., and he's inviting you to have dinner with us."

"Oh, oh, let's go then, don't keep him waiting." Hu Jiefang hurriedly stepped forward to shake Douglas's hand and said warmly, "Comrade, my son Jiefang has caused you a lot of trouble."

"Please come in, let's talk inside!" Douglas, who also didn't understand Chinese, could only pull Hu Jiefang into the Central Park Hotel.

The Central Park Hotel has a long history, and its exterior design is reminiscent of the American Civil War era. However, once inside, it's a completely different story.

The marble-polished floor, the opulent decoration, the neatly uniformed staff, and their courteous attitude truly opened Hu Jiefang's eyes, who had never been abroad.

It's unclear how Hu Jiefang and Douglas communicated, as they clearly spoke different languages. But once they entered the hotel, they started chatting away as if they were old friends.

"Hey, Mr. Douglas, you're too kind. Why go to such a grand place? We could have just gone to a small restaurant."

"Mr. Hu, you've come all the way from China, and I hope you've found a place to stay. I have a VIP card at the Central Park Hotel, let me treat you!"

...

Hu Wenhai helplessly watched the two chat enthusiastically, each speaking their own language. He turned around and noticed sonata, oh, no, he's called Clark.

Yes, another Clark. Hu Wenhai also thought of DC's Superman and the generous Mr. Clark from Elkan Company.

It seemed that the name Clark had become his lucky charm. Hu Wenhai couldn't help but feel superstitious—why did he always encounter people named Clark who helped him with what he wanted to do?

"Mr. Clark, after reading 'The Holy King Joffrey,' I had an idea," Hu Wenhai leaned in close to Clark, almost whispering, "As a Chinese person, we have always admired and respected America's strength and wealth, as if it were an ideal holy land."

"No, you're wrong!" Clark immediately became serious, "America is not a holy land; on the contrary, it is a hell that constantly devours the nutrients of other countries in the world!"

Clark looked at Hu Wenhai with a puzzled expression and said, "Mr. Hu may not fully understand the metaphor in 'The Holy King Joffrey.' Joffrey, like America, appears magnificent on the surface, but in reality, it is a den of filth!"

"Ah, how can America be a den of filth? It is so free and enviable!"

"Ha, that's just because you Chinese don't understand America, you only see its surface prosperity!"

Hu Wenhai pretended to be clueless, but inside, he was smiling. He was so interested in Clark because, as he showed, Clark was a rare left-wing intellectual in America at that time.

'The Holy King Joffrey' is similar to the famous '1984.' Those who don't understand think it's a satire of Soviet authoritarianism. But those who do understand will smile knowingly, recognizing that it's a critique of the present, where the 'Holy King Joffrey' treats his people well only under the threat of political enemies, but once those enemies are defeated, he turns on his supporters.

Clark's words clearly suggested that America's current middle class and relatively tolerant social environment are due to the Soviet Union's presence.

Hu Wenhai played dumb for a while before revealing his true intentions.

He pretended to be enlightened and said, "So, America's strength is built on the exploitation of the world? Its democracy is a contest of money, not of public opinion? This, this is really..."

"Ah, I know it's hard for you to accept this conclusion immediately, but unfortunately, it's the truth."

"I still find it hard to believe." Hu Wenhai thought for a moment and said, "How about this, Mr. Clark, have you ever thought about making a film to showcase your ideas?"

"Make a film?" Clark was taken aback.

"Yes, we Chinese have an old saying, 'No picture, no truth.' Why not use a film to prove your points?"

"But, making a film requires a lot of money..." Clark hesitated. Although he was a famous writer, he couldn't afford to make a film with his royalties.

"Don't worry, I'll cover the cost!" Hu Wenhai confidently offered, "I'll use the books I've published with Scholarly Press as collateral. How about you, Mr. Clark, start preparing to make this film?"

Hu Wenhai's books published by Scholarly Press were all high-quality, and the royalties were more than enough to fund a documentary. As the author, Clark knew the value of these words and had no doubt about the return on his labor.

"But I have a lot of work and may not have the time right now."

"That's fine. I just want to introduce the 'real America' that Mr. Clark speaks of to other Chinese people." Hu Wenhai said frankly, "Once my books are published and the royalties meet the requirements for the film, we can start the project. In the meantime, Mr. Clark can do some preparatory work."

"That sounds good!" Clark had long planned to make a film of his ideas and was more than willing to have Hu Wenhai invest.

"Then it's settled. I look forward to seeing Mr. Clark's work soon!"

"Ha, I'll do my best."

"Oh, by the way, what about naming the film 'A Love Story of Capitalism'?"

...

At this moment, Douglas and Hu Jiefang had also finished their conversation. Despite the language barrier, their interaction was just as lively as Hu Wenhai and Clark's.

The chef from the Central Park Hotel's restaurant then pushed in various ingredients, introducing each dish and its unique features to the guests. Hu Wenhai translated in real-time for Hu Jiefang, who was amazed by the Americans' ability to enjoy life.

Douglas had invited Clark to dinner today mainly to discuss the manuscript revisions. With the original author, Hu Wenhai, joining the conversation, the discussion was even more productive.

Clark had already read all of Hu Wenhai's manuscripts and had many topics he wanted to discuss. The four people at the table were all satisfied, feeling they had achieved their goals.

Douglas mentioned that he had already set the release dates for the books, with 'The Da Vinci Code' being the first, as it was the one he was most optimistic about. Once 'The Da Vinci Code' became a hit, he would release Hu Wenhai's other novels, hoping to spark a science fiction craze in 1985.

Hu Wenhai smiled but remained silent. Compared to the royalties, he felt that the most significant gain today was meeting Clark.

This left-wing best-selling author, if he could really make a film with this content, Hu Wenhai was determined to promote it widely in China.

Not to stop the wave of people going abroad in the 1980s and 1990s, but at least to open the eyes of the Chinese people at this time, to see the world and America, and to dispel the naive idea that America is a paradise.

Of course, you can't wake someone who is pretending to sleep. But at least, it could make those who are truly asleep realize what the country is and how America became the world's dominant power.

Thinking about this, Hu Wenhai suddenly remembered someone. Speaking of education, Hu Wenhai recalled a video he was obsessed with when he first started his management career.

This person, whose name many "ambitious" young people in China knew, was Yu Shiwei.

To be honest, after turning thirty, Hu Wenhai lost interest in success studies. However, it was undeniable that Yu Shiwei's teachings were somewhat effective for those just starting in management.

At least, success studies had some positive significance in encouraging personal effort. At this time in China, the main obstacle to reform was the conflict between social and economic instability and the desire for stability among state-owned enterprise workers.

Putting a thorn in the side of the U.S. was one aspect, but more importantly, changing the mindset of the Chinese people. Finding a charismatic speaker to conduct training was a promising endeavor.

Hu Wenhai vaguely remembered that Yu Shiwei was the general manager of a land company in Thailand at this time. Regardless, he was a talent, and if there was an opportunity, he could be recruited to start his "great deceiver" path earlier.

In the end, Hu Jiefang couldn't resist Douglas and ended up staying in a business suite at the Central Park Hotel. Hu Wenhai didn't dare tell him the cost of the suite, but when he saw the massage bathtub in the bathroom, Hu Jiefang's expression was quite interesting.

The look of "I really want to enjoy it" and "No, I must resist the corrupting influence of capitalism" alternated, and Hu Wenhai was genuinely worried that his brain might overheat.

In the end, Hu Jiefang didn't try the massage bathtub. Instead, he filled a basin with hot water from the hotel's 24-hour hot water tap and sat on the sofa, enjoying a foot soak.

When Hu Wenhai returned to the room after seeing off Douglas and Clark, Hu Jiefang had already fallen asleep on the sofa.