Chapter 1952 - Questions (Part One)

Thus, when Feng Nuo submitted a memorandum through proper channels—citing Li Jianai's "outstanding performance in part-time work at the Electronic Equipment Workshop" and "potential for further study and advancement" as justification for officially transferring her personnel file from the Tiandihui to the Machinery Factory—the Political Security Bureau seized upon this convenient solution with relief. Removing Li Jianai from under the noses of Dugu Qiuhun and Lu Xuan would spare those two the daily discomfort of walking around with something lodged in their throats.

Zhou Botao personally traveled to the Tiandihui once again to coordinate the matter and explain the situation. Presented with this face-saving exit, Dugu Qiuhun saw no reason to obstruct his own interests and withdrew his objections to the transfer. Besides, nearly a year had elapsed—even if he blocked it now, Li Jianai would rotate to another region in two months regardless.

For safety's sake, the group agreed that Wu Fu should personally visit Feng Nuo to explain Li Jianai's identity situation, preventing further missteps. Ordinarily, regulations would have permitted handling such matters through a subordinate delivering a note.

Fortunately, Feng Nuo's department was a classified unit with relatively high security clearance and had dealt with the Political Security Bureau on several prior occasions. No further complications arose. He readily agreed to provide accommodation for Li Jianai's work. Additionally, they managed to discuss procurement of the punch card computer system, leaving both parties quite satisfied.

Feng Shan noticed a faint smile on her teacher's face—he was clearly in good spirits. After leaving Store Number 43, her own mind had descended into turmoil. She'd wandered aimlessly through East Gate Market for a long while. It wasn't merely her personal emotional affairs troubling her; more than anything, it was the accumulated thoughts and impressions gathered from everything she'd witnessed and heard while at Feng Nuo's side over the years.

Yet these thoughts, given her status and position, were perhaps too presumptuous—even carried a flavor of ingratitude. Sometimes merely thinking about these issues filled her with guilt.

The recent romantic experience in particular had rendered her feelings even more chaotic. When she'd been with that junior student, he too had spoken of his experiences and observations while studying at the Academy, and the various doubts that had arisen from them.

She summoned her courage. "Teacher, I... have a few questions I'd like to ask you."

Questions? Feng Shan often asked him questions—mathematical ones, of course. Feng Nuo didn't notice that her manner differed today. He nodded for her to continue.

Feng Shan hesitated. She realized she didn't know where to begin. After a moment's thought, she decided to start with something specific.

"One of Jianai's senior sisters works at the General Construction Company. She's... a transmigrator's life secretary. Today she told us about something. There's a cadre at their company who, during a routine Cheka inspection not long ago, was found to have problems with bribery, corruption, and abuse of power. Apparently it was quite serious, with strong public indignation, and he'd been reported before. But because a higher-ranking transmigrator protected him, it wasn't made public, and now he's back at work. The workers have reacted very strongly. Teacher, if this person is so bad, why would the transmigrators protect him?"

This marked the first time Feng Shan had questioned the correctness of the transmigrators. She looked at Feng Nuo with slight nervousness.

Feng Nuo was taken aback—he hadn't expected this kind of question. He recalled that the recent "situation briefing" had mentioned that for naturalized citizen cadres with less serious problems, internal warning and disciplinary action would be taken, with the focus remaining on the "cure the sickness, save the patient" approach. After all, cultivating cadres wasn't easy at present, and they needed to be "protected" and "saved." Sending someone to Fu Youdi was simple enough, but then all the effort and energy invested earlier would be wasted.

Yet this question was difficult to answer. He thought for a moment, then replied carefully, "Well, there are two possible reasons. First, people aren't gods—everyone makes mistakes, and the causes of mistakes are varied. It might be a momentary lapse, or old habits from the Pseudo-Ming that prove hard to break. The Executive Committee must allow them to make mistakes. If the error isn't too serious, they should also be given a chance to reform. As the saying goes, 'water too clear has no fish; people too scrutinizing have no followers.'"

He paused. "Second, all our undertakings currently suffer from severe shortages of capable people. If this person possesses outstanding abilities, or there's temporarily no one to replace him, then even if he's committed relatively serious errors, we might temporarily tolerate and retain him to prevent individual factors from affecting our overall construction plans. This represents the principle of sacrificing the parts to preserve the whole."

He'd hesitated about whether to mention this second point, as it contained elements of pragmatism—and pragmatism was something that could be both good and bad. After careful consideration, he decided to voice it. Feng Shan should already be mature enough to accept such a viewpoint, as evidenced by her ability to ask this question in the first place.

However, he left half a sentence unspoken: this person would probably be reporting to Fu Youdi's establishment very soon anyway. Now that he knew Li Jianai was a "hidden asset" of the Political Security Bureau, the spread of this information would likely be traced by the Bureau before long. Once they judged that this person's "negative influence" outweighed his "positive contribution," the Executive Committee would cast him aside without hesitation.

"Teacher, if this person is corrupt and fraudulent, a bad person—how could he possibly contribute to our construction enterprise?"

Feng Nuo's forehead beaded with sweat.

"First of all, a bad person isn't necessarily an incapable person. If all bad people were incompetent, they wouldn't inflict so much damage. Second, people are complex. This person may have harmed our enterprise through corruption while simultaneously supporting it through construction. His selfish desires may have led him to corruption, but that doesn't mean he lacks the intention to work loyally for the Executive Committee. So we must weigh the pros and cons."

He drew a breath. "Finally—this isn't about that person specifically—but you should recognize that when the Executive Committee employs people, the primary consideration is usually whether they can competently perform their duties. If they cannot, then regardless of their personal virtue, they should not be employed. If they can, then even if they possess some shortcomings and selfish motives that don't violate laws and regulations, they will still be employed. People completely without private thoughts or shortcomings are rare. If we refuse to use people's strengths merely because of their shortcomings, there won't be many usable people left."

This was to prevent Feng Shan, who had received positive education at Fangshaodi since childhood, from falling into the trap of purely moralistic thinking.

"Teacher, do the transmigrators also have shortcomings?"

Here it comes at last. "Everyone has shortcomings," "transmigrators are also people"—with Feng Shan's level of logic, she would naturally arrive at this syllogistic question.

Although he knew the transmigrators would eventually descend from their pedestals, that they would eventually be questioned by naturalized citizens and locals about their vaunted glory and righteousness—and that life secretaries, being closest to the transmigrators, experiencing their emotions and desires, witnessing their strengths and weaknesses, would naturally be the first to have this myth shattered in their hearts—when actually facing such a question, Feng Nuo found himself speechless for a long while.

Feng Shan nervously watched her teacher's reaction, already prepared to apologize immediately if Feng Nuo became angry.

Actually, this question didn't need asking. If judged by the moral standards taught in national schools, the transmigrators certainly had shortcomings—quite a few, in fact. Even without school moral education, judging by simple conscience alone, it was difficult to say the transmigrators were without flaws.

She had already answered the question in her heart. She just wanted to hear her teacher's answer.

Perhaps, deep down, she still hoped her teacher could convincingly refute her conclusion the way he did with those mathematics problems—it was the Executive Committee that had rescued her from hell and brought her into heaven, and she desperately hoped heaven was full of angels.

"Of course, we also have shortcomings." Feng Nuo answered with difficulty. As he spoke these words, he felt like a bystander observing someone else, and his own voice sounded very dry.

A long silence followed. Feng Shan felt her heart pounding. Feng Nuo still hadn't fully returned to himself.

"Ah, I just meant... what I mean is, the transmigrators know everything, they work extremely hard all the time, and they've never been corrupt..." Although her teacher showed no sign of anger, Feng Shan felt compelled to explain, though she didn't know what exactly she was explaining.

Feng Nuo silently said to her in his mind: this is what they call "the emperor has no private affairs and accepts no bribes." The transmigrators' supracitizen status and rights were written into the "Common Program"—that is, the constitution—and guaranteed through the transmigrator state's various laws, administrative systems, and entire power structure. Naturally there was no need for corruption or fraud. The Executive Committee didn't teach naturalized citizens "dragon-slaying arts," so of course you wouldn't be aware of this yet.

As for working desperately, putting in overtime—the reason the transmigrators now all appeared to "walk with wind, speak like bells, shake hands vigorously, and call everyone 'comrade'"—was identical: simply because "power is the best aphrodisiac." Or, put another way, it was the inspiration and stimulation of "the great cause." Feng Nuo himself, having transformed from living like a salted fish in previous years to his changed work enthusiasm this year, felt this particularly deeply.

"Mm... and I think you, Teacher, don't have any shortcomings." Feng Shan added, somewhat embarrassed.

Of course Feng Nuo wasn't without shortcomings, but in Feng Shan's view, her teacher truly lacked noteworthy flaws like "greed," "corruption," "crudeness," or "inability to distinguish right from wrong." Even "lechery"—the most common trait among transmigrators, one that probably every naturalized citizen knew about—he didn't possess.

Heh heh, Feng Nuo thought, the "Tale of Genji" hobby didn't count as a shortcoming? Of course, that kind of shortcoming was of a higher grade...

He couldn't help laughing at himself self-deprecatingly, shaking his head. "How could I not have shortcomings..."

But he didn't continue this topic, and the atmosphere lightened somewhat.

"You said that when the Executive Committee employs people, the first consideration is actually a person's ability, and that some private thoughts and shortcomings won't affect their employment. But in moral education class at school, they always say we should give selflessly, sacrifice everything for the Executive Committee's cause, that the Executive Committee never fails a good person and never lets a bad person off. Why is that?"

(End of Chapter)