Editor-in-Chief's Notes

Author: Fan Xian'an
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-01-01
Features: However, is it the fault of money? Chi Zhiqiang once sang a song titled "Tears of Regret," with lyrics that read: "Who invented banknotes? They rule the world with arrogance. Some rob for them, some go to jail for them." It is filled with hatred for money. In reality, what crime has money committed? The key lies in how people view money, how they acquire it, and how they handle it. The famous Tang Dynasty official Zhang Yue once wrote a remarkable essay titled "The Herbal Medicine of Money," vividly describing the pros and cons of money: "Money tastes sweet, is extremely hot, and is poisonous. It can preserve youth, nourish the body, heal hunger, and solve difficulties instantly. It benefits the nation but corrupts the virtuous and fears the honest. The greedy take it, valuing fairness: if not fair, it causes extreme heat and cold, leading to chaos. Its harvest depends on the seasons; if gathered improperly, it harms the spirit. Once in circulation, it can summon spirits and connect with the supernatural. If accumulated without dispersal, disasters like fire, water, theft, and banditry arise; if dispersed without accumulation, hardships like hunger and cold come. Accumulation and dispersal are the way; not valuing it is virtue; taking and giving appropriately is justice; not seeking what is not yours is disorder; helping all is benevolence; keeping promises is integrity; not trusting others is wisdom. Mastering these seven techniques allows one to refine it and take it, leading to longevity. If taken improperly, it weakens the will and harms the spirit—avoid it at all costs." This profound argument offers us enlightenment. A famous Qing Dynasty poet once wrote a poem titled "Ode to Money," which reads: "In life, a salary is ordinary, yet it often troubles me. Using it wisely is not a bad thing; not talking about it doesn’t make one pure. Wasting effort on a beautiful woman innumerable times, I’ve seen copper mountains exhausted in a single night. I’d like to plead with the heavens, adding wealthy lords to the nine provinces." The poem offers insightful perspectives, skillfully uses allusions, and is sharp yet witty, providing great help in understanding money. The poet points out that no one can live without money—don’t pretend to be pure; as long as you use it wisely, it is a good thing. It mocks the calculations of the greedy and the idea that wealth brings disaster. The last two lines, however, are people-oriented, suggesting that instead of worrying about one’s own wealth, one should find ways to enrich the people—this is somewhat similar to today’s demands for officials. I take a neutral stance toward money. I don’t believe it is "revolutionary" or "reactionary," nor do I think it is the source of all evil or all happiness. It is like rain from the sky or water in a lake—capable of nourishing fertile fields or causing disasters, depending on how you use it. A person with substantial wealth may invest it to benefit the people, or it may be used for drugs, prostitution, or organizing crime to harm the people. It depends on the holder’s character, attitude, and actions. Similarly, with money, some people advance, while others fall. Therefore, we must understand money from the perspective of its relationship with people, discussing it in the context of specific individuals and events. Money is dead, but people are alive; money is controlled by people, and discussing it without human action is meaningless. I also take a neutral stance on the role of money. Its role should neither be exaggerated nor minimized. Money is not omnipotent, but it has an omnipotent aspect. Even Mao Zedong, who was reluctant to discuss money, had moments of reliance on it. When leading the Autumn Harvest Uprising, he was captured by the enemy and only escaped by bribing the guards with the few coins in his pocket. In today’s society, the market economy has never been more developed, and the role of money has grown increasingly significant. People worship it, yearn for it, and even go crazy for it, but it is not "omnipotent." It can buy a beautiful wife but not love, a body but not a sincere heart, medicine but not health, a seaside villa but not a free soul. Editor Liu Wenhui compiled a corruption-themed novel titled "Thunderous Strike." The novel is based on the 1998 Central Work Team’s investigation of the "Zhanjiang Major Smuggling Case" and depicts a large-scale and fiercely fought anti-corruption battle. The synopsis is as follows: Nan City is a coastal city where rampant smuggling activities occurred due to the incorrect economic guidance of its main leaders and their own corruption. Mayor Cui Dada, Vice Mayor Hu Siqing, and Deputy Chief of the Public Security Bureau Bao Jianguo, among others, used the guise of economic development to gradually transform into corrupt officials. Huang Shiyang, the former Customs Chief of Nan City, had once been part of the Central Work Team investigating the smuggling issues of the former Customs Chief in Nan City in 1996. Later, he was appointed to the position in crisis. The organization hoped to rely on his integrity and strictness to revitalize the Customs Bureau, but within less than a year, he couldn’t resist the temptations of money and beauty, falling prey to the smugglers. This led to the Customs Bureau becoming virtually non-functional, and the national border was wide open. In just two years, the smuggling group’s illegal goods were valued at over 10 billion yuan, with 6 billion yuan in tariffs evaded. Under the high of the Party Central Committee, a powerful work team led by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, in coordination with the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, Ministry of Public Security, General Administration of Customs, and other provincial departments, was dispatched to Nan to investigate this major smuggling case. The investigators not only engaged in a life-and-death struggle with domestic and foreign smuggling groups but also outwitted internal corrupt officials. Ultimately, the smugglers and corrupt officials were brought to justice, upholding the dignity of the Republic. After reviewing the manuscript, I felt it was indeed a masterful work that panoramically depicts our Party’s struggle against corruption, reflecting the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee in the anti-corruption fight and showcasing the selfless dedication of anti-corruption heroes from the discipline inspection commissions, public security, procuratorates, and customs. The plot is full of twists and turns, suspense, and climaxes, making it highly readable. As a first-time reader, I was not only captivated by its grandeur but also inspired by certain plot points to reflect on the need for a deeper anti-corruption struggle. There is a scene in the novel where the young, beautiful, and capable smuggler Yue Meining is captured, and a set of numbers—"4180106"—are found in her notes. These numbers are crucial to solving the case, but their meaning has long been a mystery, only to be deciphered later. Zhong Yifan: "I have a question that’s been bothering me. May I ask you?" Huang Shiyang smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Ask away! It’s already too late." Zhong Yifan took out a notebook: "On Yue Meining’s notebook, there’s a set of numbers. I think you might know what they mean?" He handed the notebook to Huang Shiyang. Huang Shiyang looked at it for a moment, his emotions complex: "It’s the size of my clothes—my shirt collar is 41, waist circumference 80, and trouser length 106." His lips trembled as he struggled to find words. At that moment, he felt immense regret and profound sorrow. Reading this, my heart also sank into sorrow. I was sorrowful for Huang Shiyang in the book, for many Huang Shiyangs in real life, and for the tragic fulfillment of a great man’s prophecy fifty years ago. Mao Zedong once said: "Our Communist Party members have not been defeated by machine guns and bullets, but after victory, we must be vigilant against the enemy’s attacks with sugar-coated bullets." He worried then that some of us would become prisoners of these sugar-coated bullets, hence his earnest warning to remain extremely vigilant. Now, undeniable facts are before us—his prophecy has come true, with a significant number of leaders struck down by sugar-coated bullets, brought to justice, or even losing their lives. Recently, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced the "results of investigations in 2001." Statistics show that from January to December 2001, national discipline inspection and supervision organs handled 174,633 cases, imposing disciplinary penalties on 175,364 people. Among those disciplined were 6,076 county (division) and deputy county (division) level cadres, 497 prefect (city) and deputy prefect (city) level cadres, and 16 provincial (ministry) level cadres (excluding the military), with 10 of them disciplined for corruption-related issues. Former Yunnan Provincial Governor Li Jiating, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Public Security Li Jizhou, former Executive Vice Governor of Hebei Province Cong Fuquan, former Deputy Director of the General Administration of Customs Wang Leyi, former Deputy Secretary of the Fujian Provincial Committee Shi Zhaobin, former Executive Vice Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Liu Zhibing, as well as former Mayor of Shenyang Mu Suixin and former Executive Vice Mayor Ma Xiangdong, were severely punished. While reviewing the manuscript, I obtained new statistics: from October 1997 to September 2002, national discipline inspection and supervision organs investigated 861,917 cases, imposing disciplinary penalties on 846,150 people. Among those disciplined were 28,996 county (division) and deputy county (division) level cadres, 2,422 prefect (city) and deputy prefect (city) level cadres, and 98 provincial (ministry) level cadres.