Seizing Dreams

The company’s assignment for them was to get them to develop downlines. Fu Liqun wasn’t successful, of course. According to the articles of association, if one doesn’t complete their first business goal within seven days, they would be taken to a centralised training ground. His colleagues started taking turns to persuade Fu Liqun and consolidate the results of brainwashing. Fu Liqun already had thoughts of resisting, but companies had very effective ways to deal with such employees whose ‘weakness has not been uprooted.’

He and many new recruits were dragged away to undergo centralised training. Fu Liqun had already planned to leave, and he told Li Yangming that he would return the hospitality charges he owed in full. Just as he was about to leave, his supervisor came to know about his intentions and locked him in the training ground.

Zhou Sheng said, “That kid must have lodged a complaint.”

“Where is it?” Yu Hao was most concerned about Fu Liqun’s current whereabouts.

Fu Liqun shook his head, “I’m not sure of the exact location. It’s a worker’s dormitory in one of the industrial parks. Two rows of banana trees are planted outside, and there’s no sign on the door. They rented a factory to use as a warehouse, and there are several assembly lines for their pharmaceutical workshop. There are 22 people in total who are being watched by seven people. They said that it’s a militarised management, and there are two dogs on watch…”

Fu Liqun’s phone had been seized. Twenty two people were confined in a factory building. At this time, he realised that his personal freedom was restricted.

“None of you tried to escape?” Zhou Sheng lost his temper.

“We haven’t eaten.” Fu Liqun said wearily, “We’re all hungry, and they didn’t return our phones to us. It’s like a prison. We’re locked up in a room, sleep on one wide bed, with an anti-theft net on the window. This place is walled up, and there’s an electric grid outside as well. There are two dogs at the entrance. People who live together report offences and expose one another; they want to, ‘transform the self and achieve success.’ How do we escape?”

The company only gave them a small bowl of rice and some green vegetables for each meal, described gloriously as ‘toil one’s sinews and bones and expose the body to hunger‘. Fu Liqun tried every method he could think of. However, ‘the law may be strong, but outlaws are ten times stronger’ — this pyramid scheme company has been operating for nearly ten years, what kind of person hasn’t it seen? It had already sealed off any way out in advance.

“What about Li Yangming?” Yu Hao frowned as he asked.

“He’s in the factory.” Fu Liqun said, “The supervisor asked him to help watch people, and he’ll start sales after the New Year. He would buy and deliver some snacks to me from time to time.”

Fu Liqun had tried tearing the windows down but failed. There were people watching him even when he went to the toilet during a brainwashing meeting. Two of his escape attempts failed; the company doesn’t hit people and just locked him up in a small, dark room. After he came up, he had to do a collective review. Fu Liqun almost went mad from being messed around with and promised to make a call to buy the product.

And thus, this led to his first call with Yu Hao. With the call on loudspeaker, Fu Liqun asked for 5,000 and handed it in. At first, he thought that he could take this opportunity to escape back to the city, but his phone was instead kept by them.

“You should’ve warned me earlier!” Yu Hao said.

Fu Liqun said,  “They said that I could go back to work after I bought just one course of treatment, how would I know that they would go back on their words?”

After that, Fu Liqun was locked up again for further training. The supervisor promised that if he bought another course of treatment, it would be regarded as good performance and let him return to the city to work normally. Fu Liqun didn’t trust them anymore, and so there was the second call.

“What’s the supervisor’s name?” Zhou Sheng asked.

Fu Liqun told them his supervisor’s name. Zhou Sheng said, “Okay, wait there. Don’t worry, we’ll come and get you straight away.”

Fu Liqun looked at Zhou Sheng and Yu Hao quietly. He didn’t say words like ‘thank you’ and neither did he sigh or try to absolve himself of blame. He didn’t ask a single thing about anything related to the dreamscape either.

After hearing what Fu Liqun said, Yu Hao couldn’t help but think of another question. What kind of psychological state of mind does this kind of pyramid scheme organisation established on the basis of ‘Mutual Assistance between Losers Salon’ catch ahold of? Everyone was wholeheartedly willing to be brainwashed by the organisation, just like after getting addicted to something to escape from reality and get intoxicated in a dream-like befuddled life.

Yet, that was precisely what most ordinary people who were unaccomplished but dissatisfied with the status quo urgently needed. Once their autosuggestions were formed, in order to prove themselves, they would gradually fall into the trap of pyramid scheme organisations. One by one, they would think of all sorts of ways to get money to fulfil their promises.

“Gege.” Yu Hao suddenly said, “I still remember the first day I met you, but I’m sure you don’t know.”

Fu Liqun raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “The first day?”

Yu Hao nodded and answered, “That day, I went to school with all of my belongings. When I passed by the college’s path, I saw you from afar.”

At the end of August, three and a half years ago, when Yu Hao saw Fu Liqun from afar for the first time, he was filled with surprise.

“Ever since I was a kid, either in school or on the streets, I had never seen anyone who was as bright as you.” Yu Hao said, “I even thought that you were a male model from magazine covers, or a freshman from a Film Academy who had walked to the wrong place. I remember you were helping the cleaning aunt that day. You put a very small bird in your hand, lifted it, and placed it back in its nest on a branch.”

“Did I?” Fu Liqun had forgotten it himself.

“Yes.” Yu Hao said, “You were really bright. That day, I thought that a lot of people would probably like you and that you should be really popular. Just like how in every school, there would always be a cool kid who everyone would fix their gazes on ba.”

Zhou Sheng turned his head sideways to scrutinise Fu Liqun and laughed.

That day, Fu Liqun looked both tall and handsome, and he had very short hair too. He was filled with the vigour of someone who had just graduated high school and was just starting their college life. He was dressed in fashionable brands from head to toe, had a sports bag slung over one shoulder, and a huge BOSE headphones around his neck. He grasped a milk carton in his left hand, while in his right palm sat a small bird that he gently sent back to the nest between the branches of a Gardenia tree.

“I never thought that I would have the honour of being friends with you.” Yu Hao pondered for a bit, then said softly, “Because at that time, I was both poor and old-fashioned, and even I hated myself. While you were an outstanding person, so you should be with other outstanding people. Birds of a feather flock together after all.”

The dining table was extremely quiet. Yu Hao’s nimble fingers fiddled with a pen as he looked at Fu Liqun with a smile on his face.

Fu Liqun said, “Later on, did you realise that I wasn’t as outstanding as you thought I was?”

“No.” Yu Hao said, “To me, you have always been very outstanding. You gave me a chance to enroll in the work-study program; I knew that you pitied me, but I was still very grateful. I would even feel a little terrified when I talked to you.”

Fu Liqun said, “I just thought that you were completely capable of living a better life.”

Yu Hao said, “I know. You were taking care of my ego, the problem lay with me.”

Fu Liqun nodded. Yu Hao continued, “Until the day you carried me to the hospital, I thought that I may never be able to repay you for your grace in this lifetime. I also know that you don’t need me to repay you. But maybe, being a good bro of yours was really something worthy of bragging about outside.”

Fu Liqun’s gaze turned gentle.

Yu Hao said seriously, “It was like an amazing achievement to be accepted by you, by Chen Laoshi…who were like male gods. Obtaining your recognition and walking into your lives was practically the best gratification for my vanity.”

Zhou Sheng couldn’t stop himself from blurting out a “pfft.”

“What about me?” Zhou Sheng and Yu Hao looked at each other, and they started laughing.

“Sorry.” Fu Liqun suddenly said, “I’m sorry.”

Zhou Sheng said, “In the future, you have to continue satisfying our vanity. Pull yourself together ba.”

Fu Liqun said with some regret, “I’ve let you guys see me in such dire straits.”

Chen Yekai smiled encouragingly at him as well.

Yu Hao said, “It’s okay, I know.”

“Being friends with you guys,” Fu Liqun interrupted Yu Hao, “Has also greatly gratified my vanity.”

All four of them laughed. Chen Yekai said, “You always like to tell the truth as it is like that, Yu Hao.”

“Kaikai’s also someone who would greatly gratify a friend’s vanity ba.” Fu Liqun said to Chen Yekai, “Over the past few months, I’ve always felt like all of you were walking farther and farther away, and I’m the only one standing in the same spot, sinking constantly.” With that, he shook his head helplessly and smiled sadly, “I understand now.”

Zhou Sheng snapped his fingers, and that photo appeared between his fingers again. Along with a light flick of his wrist, it fluttered into the air and landed in front of Fu Liqun.

At that time, they shone brightly and looked so happy. Everyone in the photo seemed to have obtained the Goddess of Fate’s favor that had been bestowed upon them.

“I understand now.” Fu Liqun looked up and said to them, “I’ll wait for you guys, and you guys will wait for me too.”

“It’s a promise.” Zhou Sheng said.

After he spoke, suddenly, Zhou Sheng disintegrated into light particles with a bang and dispersed in the air.

Yu Hao and Chen Yekai were stunned. Fu Liqun revealed a look of surprise as he looked at the two of them.

“What happened? “Chen Yekai said.

“He woke up.” Yu Hao thought, someone might have called? Zhou Sheng was used to putting his phone on the bedside table near his side, so he could have been awakened by the noise.

Fu Liqun still thought that this was a dream, and the fact that someone in the dream would suddenly disappear after enlightening him was quite logical. He looked at Yu Hao and was about to say something when Yu Hao suddenly disintegrated into silver-white light particles as well and disappeared.

Fu Liqun, “Yu Hao?”

Fu Liqun frowned, then Chen Yekai disappeared as well. His dreamscape began to blur.

Yu Hao felt pain coming from his fingers. Zhou Sheng was exerting quite a bit of strength with their fingers intertwined, and Yu Hao instantly woke up. Before he could see the situation clearly, Zhou Sheng had already yanked the Golden Crow Wheel away under the blanket and pushed it into Yu Hao’s hand, making him grasp it tight. Then he reached under his pillow.

“Get up!” A man’s voice rang out, “Come with us.”