The past month has felt both idle and yet strangely hectic. By the end of each day, I’m never quite sure what I’ve been busy with—nothing concrete comes to mind. So, I thought I’d jot down a simple diary to keep track.

A Brief Diary

The Passing of the Village Chief

On April 1st, I arrived in the village only to learn that the chief, whom I had been assigned to assist, had passed away over a week earlier. He was bitten by a venomous snake while working in the fields and didn’t survive despite medical treatment. The incident left a deep impression on me. These days, whenever I step outside, my eyes are glued to the ground. Every evening, when I pick up my child from school, I arrive an hour early to walk around the nearby resort area. The dim lighting and surrounding hills make me extra cautious.

I also looked up hospitals stocking antivenom on WeChat. Turns out, most counties only have one hospital with reserves, and even then, the supply might not be complete.

Universities Still Exist in Their Own Bubble

Over the past month, I’ve accompanied several university professors and deans on inspections and research trips. Despite the tense atmosphere and increasingly strict political climate, they remain oddly optimistic.

During a visit to an industrial park with two professors, we accidentally wandered into a foreign enterprise zone. The high standards of the park were impressive, but one professor suddenly remarked, “All this is just a wasteful vanity project.”

At a formal conference, the organizers distributed speakers’ materials in advance. One professor’s script was written entirely in colloquial language—complete with filler words, particles, and verbal tics—and he even misread some of them during his speech.

In a private chat with a law school professor, I brought up the topic of legal disputes involving foreign entities. The professor visibly bristled, dismissing the issue as “nonsense” and calling for certain institutions to be abolished.

Primary School Enrollment Begins

My younger child is due to start primary school this September. After repeated reminders from the kindergarten teacher, we tentatively registered for a public school, though private school enrollment hasn’t opened yet. This year’s school district zoning has changed, and surprisingly, our assigned school has improved.

Still, my impression of public primary schools has deteriorated over the years. Whether it’s teaching quality, teacher accountability, or administrative efficiency, I’m not impressed—even the so-called “top” schools, which require a lottery for admission, don’t seem worth it. I’m leaning toward sending my child to a private school instead. Though competition among his age group has eased compared to previous years, nothing matters more than ensuring his healthy growth.

The Hardships of Ordinary People

On April 12th, in Longgang, I witnessed a delivery rider get knocked down by an electric scooter running a red light. He fell hard, and it took the guilty rider and a passerby considerable effort to help him up. Without an umbrella, I stood under shelter watching the scene unfold. Nearby, a few other delivery riders were also waiting out the rain, casually discussing the incident:

“He’s out of luck—that kid probably can’t afford to compensate him.”
“He’ll get fined for failing to deliver this order.”
“It’s no big deal. He’ll tough it out and grab the next order.”

Reality vs. Expectations

On April 15th, I attended a meeting with a legal manager from a major corporation. On the way, I joked that their company had a head start by shifting from exports to domestic sales years before U.S. sanctions hit, which should now give them an advantage as the entire industry faces export challenges.

To my surprise, the manager insisted things were harder than ever. If the whole industry loses access to the U.S. market, domestic competition will intensify, making survival even tougher.

The company was sanctioned twice by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Homeland Security. Years ago, nearly 90% of its revenue came from exports—all of which have since collapsed.

COVID Strikes Again

This seems to be my fourth bout with COVID. After the first infection in late 2022, I caught it again in 2023 and 2024. This time, it crept up silently.

Last Thursday night, while driving my child home with the AC on, I suddenly felt chilled. By the next morning at work, I was shivering uncontrollably—despite the 25°C weather. I dug out a winter coat I keep in the office and wore it all morning. At noon, I went home to nap and only stopped feeling cold after an hour under blankets, drenched in sweat.

Initially, I thought it was the flu: severe congestion, fatigue, and chills. I managed with ibuprofen until two days ago, when I lost my sense of taste and smell. That’s when it hit me—COVID again.

Roundup of Zhihu Answers

Why Is It Said, “No Army Is Complete Without Hunan”?

Since 1840, Hunanese have fought in nearly every conceivable war—even those they seemingly had no stake in. During the late Qing Dynasty, Hunan’s soldiers were deployed across 18 provinces, suppressing rebellions, securing borders, and resisting foreign invasions.

Take the Taiping Rebellion: Hunanese were the backbone of the Taiping forces. When Hong Xiuquan fled to Hunan with a few thousand followers, he witnessed a true revolutionary tide. Within months, 150,000 Hunanese joined his ranks—farmers, miners, and anti-Qing secret society members. Their inclusion transformed the Taiping Army into a formidable force.

Meanwhile, Zeng Guofan struggled to recruit even a few thousand men for his Xiang Army. At its peak, he barely mustered 100,000 troops. A single battle with fewer than 7,000 casualties nearly drove him to suicide.

Why Is Harvard Ranked World No. 1?

Simple: money.

On April 14, 2025, Harvard defied U.S. government threats to cut funding over alleged antisemitism on campus, declaring: We refuse to comply.

The message was clear: Keep your money. We don’t need it.

“The government’s demands represent direct regulatory overreach into Harvard’s intellectual independence. We will not surrender our constitutional rights.”

Trump Accused of Market Manipulation—What’s the Deal?

This isn’t insider trading—just capitalism at work. Key defenses:

1. Posting on social media ≠ insider trading.
2. No proof Trump leaked info to his son.
3. Baseless attacks on a sitting president are disgraceful.

PS: At this rate, the Democrats might get wiped out.

China Imposes 50% Tariffs on U.S. Imports—What’s the Signal?

Play the game one card at a time. As the world’s largest industrial power, China holds plenty of cards.

Take semiconductors: Mainland China (26%) + Taiwan (46%) = near-global monopoly. No war needed—just block exports from the island, and the U.S. would reel.

Why Did the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge Close a Lane During Qingming?

A lesson in bridge engineering:

Who knew suspension bridges could face fire risks? Moving forward, main cables might need to be raised to at least 10 meters. Otherwise, a single truck fire could necessitate replacing the entire cable—a timeline no one can predict.

Do Courts Ever Ignore the Law to Deliver a Different Verdict?

Rarely, unless conflicting laws create ambiguity.

Example: Rural illegal constructions. Under Land Management Law Article 83, courts should enforce demolition orders. In practice, they defer to Urban Planning Law Articles 65/68, which grant administrative bodies direct enforcement power.

Result? Courts issue “rejection notices,” letting authorities off the hook while keeping a useless law on the books since 1999.

U.S. Defense Dept. Praises Japanese Soldiers at Iwo Jima—Thoughts?

Waiting for Russia to eulogize the “heroic” German soldiers at Stalingrad.

Xiaomi Car Catches Fire After Crash—Your Take?

A perfect case study:

1. New drivers should buy self-driving cars.
2. New drivers shouldn’t drive—let the AI handle it.
3. Self-driving cars shouldn’t need insurance—sue the manufacturer instead.

Li Ka-shing’s Son Attends China Development Forum—What’s the Message?

Li Ka-shing handed control to his elder son, Victor Li, years ago. Richard Li is just a mouthpiece.

Fun fact: Victor has been a CPPCC member since 1998 (27 years and counting). You’d think he’d grasp basic politics by now.

Yet under his watch, key ports along the Belt and Road were sold to BlackRock—an obvious political play.

“Business is business” is bull****. When the other side plays politics, pretending otherwise is laughable.

Trump Doubles TSMC’s U.S. Investment to $200B—Thoughts?

For context: Over 40 years of China’s reform and opening-up, total U.S. direct investment in China amounts to less than half of TSMC’s single deal.

A $200B standalone investment is unprecedented in global history—by a landslide.

Now, will Samsung be next?

How to Counter Western Criticism of China’s Low Acquittal Rate?

Traditional Chinese legal culture prioritizes “resolving disputes conclusively” over Western-style procedural justice.

This flexibility—seen as arbitrary by some—clashes with liberal ideals. Even Trump’s resurgence hasn’t fully dispelled such fantasies.

In China, criminal defense lawyers often resemble real estate agents—going through the motions with little impact. Few cases end in acquittals, no matter how much clients pay.

The bottom line? Focus on outcomes, not procedures.

Public sentiment and post-trial conduct (e.g., petitions) matter more than legal technicalities.

These days, wrongful conviction appeals are rare—except from corrupt officials like Qu Wan-ting’s mother.

Why Are Manufacturers Like Midea, Haier, and DJI Cracking Down on Overtime?

Hope this sparks another “green revolution.”

In 2008, U.S. embassy air quality reports and mask-wearing athletes shamed China’s pollution. By 2015, the documentary Under the Dome turned environmentalism into a global crisis.

Few believed China could clean up so fast.

Yet here we are.

Similarly, today’s overtime reforms might seem impossible—until they’re not.

(Images and hyperlinks retained as per original.)### Transitioning from Developed Second-Tier Cities to Fifth- and Sixth-Tier Cities
5. Increased environmental protection expenditures directly lead companies to cut labor costs, indirectly harming workers’ rights.

As we all know now, the environmental governance reforms not only failed to cripple China’s economy but instead pushed China to develop the new energy industry and industrial upgrades with unprecedented determination and courage. It also achieved pollution control at a level nearly impossible for other countries at a similar stage of development and industrial scale.

As for the current overtime issue, I boldly predict that the follow-up effects will come faster and better than the resolution of environmental problems! We’ll soon see who’s truly committed!

How to View the U.S. Government’s Halt to All Military Aid to Ukraine?

The U.S. will stop at nothing to counter China, but its fundamental reliance is its dominance in North America, bordered by oceans on both sides, making it hard for ordinary threats to reach it.

However, since 2014, when China surpassed the U.S. in one of the key indicators of national strength (GDP by purchasing power parity), the U.S. has panicked. It began testing every trick from its historical playbook—trade wars, sanctions, instigating conflicts, alliances, and containment—trying all the traditional methods. Yet, none proved effective.

Eventually, the U.S. reverted to its true nature: if it can’t win head-on and traditional tactics don’t work, it will simply flip the table and plunge the world into chaos. If it can instigate World War III, the U.S. might just “make itself great again.” After all, profiting from world wars is the real path to the U.S.’s rise.

Many say the U.S. is now pushing small countries to develop nuclear weapons for self-defense, which isn’t surprising.

But nuclear weapons are essentially only a threat to non-nuclear states. For nuclear powers, they’re just high-yield weapons—when it comes to actual use, quantity matters.

Without 4,000–5,000 warheads, engaging in nuclear warfare with a major power is pure folly.

Would China, the U.S., or Russia truly fear North Korea? No sane person would think so.

Even if North Korea acquired 100 warheads, given South Korea’s density of reinforced concrete buildings, it likely couldn’t even take down Seoul.

Ukraine is even more hopeless. If Ukraine launched one at Russia, Russia would retaliate with 100, achieving nothing.

During the Cold War, the U.S. planned to nuke the Soviet Union with 3,000 warheads in Ukraine alone and at least 20,000 across the entire USSR.

The two sides amassed 70,000–80,000 warheads to ensure mutual destruction.

If small countries rush to develop nukes, nuclear war becomes far more likely to spiral out of control.

In the end, quantity reigns supreme.

Only major nuclear powers can maintain nuclear balance. For them, small nuclear or non-nuclear states make no real difference.

Major powers have comprehensive nuclear strategies—strike capabilities, counterstrike plans, defenses, industrial capacity, and resources—far beyond what small countries can match.

For small countries, nuclear war with a major power is nothing but self-destruction.

Especially since major powers don’t value human life much anyway. The U.S. shrugged off a million COVID deaths, and Russia is even more indifferent. Small countries thinking they can threaten major powers by endangering hundreds of thousands of lives are delusional.

But under the U.S.’s current actions, this delusion might be their only option.

Netizens Claim White House Infighting, Pearl Harbor, and the Star Wars Program Were All U.S. Presidential Conspiracies—What’s Behind This?

Zelensky: Without U.S. security guarantees, there will be no peace in Europe.

Trump: Europe must achieve peace first, then the U.S. will provide security guarantees.

Zelensky: Without security guarantees, Ukraine cannot stop fighting.

Trump: If Ukraine doesn’t stop fighting, the U.S. can’t promise security guarantees.

Behind this infighting is the simple truth: the U.S. lacks the capacity to sustain wars on two fronts simultaneously.

So Trump revived the “America First” slogan, trying to get allies to replay the old game: allies sacrifice their interests to enrich the U.S. first, so the U.S. can then act as the leader.

After WWII, Europe’s technology, talent, and capital flooded into the U.S., and allies piled all their resources onto the U.S., creating a rival to the USSR.

During the IT revolution, allies stepped aside to let the U.S. dominate, buying time for the game to continue.

This worked fine—until the once-in-a-century shift in global dynamics arrived.

How to View Costa Rica’s Urban Per Capita Disposable Income Surpassing Japan’s for the First Time, Despite Urban Residents Making Up 81% of Its Population?

Costa Rica’s statistics are purely the result of creative accounting by its statistics bureau.

According to Costa Rica’s National Statistics Bureau, the country’s 5.3 million people have an average monthly income of 397,083 colones (about RMB 5,672), equivalent to an annual income of RMB 68,040. China’s per capita disposable income for the same period was RMB 41,314.

Costa Rica’s median monthly income (the 2,652,209th person) falls roughly in the top 28% of the third income bracket. Linear calculation puts it at about 198,000 colones (RMB 2,830), or an annual income of RMB 33,960. China’s median disposable income for the same period was RMB 34,707.

Income inequality in Costa Rica is severe: median income (33,960) / average income (68,040) = 49.9%. In China, the ratio is 84.0% (34,707 / 41,314).

Encuesta Nacional de Hogares Julio 2024