4 pm.
Kids are playing in the pool, and the air has a strong smell of chlorine.
Xu Yan adjusted her swimming cap. “There are too many people here. Xiao Dong, let’s swim in the cold pool.”
“Ok.” Dong Xuebing got out of the pool with Xu Yan and walked over to another pool.
But when Dong Xuebing used his feet to test the temperature, he jumped. “Damn! It’s too cold!”
Xu Yan had already gotten into the water, and she laughed. “You are too weak!”
“Err… it’s because you are too fit. We, youngsters, cannot be compared to you.”
“Stop your flattery.” Xu Yan moved about in the water to get used to the temperature and waved her hand. “Don’t force yourself. Just go back to the heated pool. I will swim a few laps first. The water temperature is just nice.” She finished and started swimming. There are also many people in the cold pool, and Dong Xuebing lost sight of her.
Dong Xuebing did not force himself and returned to the heated pool.
Dong Xuebing leans against the pool’s side, observes Wang Bo and that group of Korean investors, and admires Xu Yan’s graceful swimming posture. He can tell that those investors are not from the same company. Park Yongxi is going to invest in a sports complex and is looking around the indoor swimming complex. Still, the other Koreans are asking the Investment Promotion Agency staff other questions through their translators. A young man among the Koreans seems more interested in the swimming complex than Park Yongxi. He kept speaking and asking Wang Bo about this place.
One minute…
Five minutes…
Ten minutes…
Suddenly, there is the sound of camera shutters and a few flashes!
Dong Xuebing’s face changed when he saw that Korean young man holding up a camera and took pictures of the pools. He took pictures of the celling and other facilities of the swimming complex. The swimmers in the pools were also in that photograph. This might be fine at the seaside, but this is an indoor swimming complex. Although there are no written regulations about taking pictures within the swimming complex, it is an unspoken rule. If it’s someone taking pictures of their family members swimming, it is still acceptable. But this young man is not taking pictures of his family members and is not even wearing a swimming suit. Why is he taking pictures inside?
A woman got mad. “Why are you taking pictures of me?! Did I give you the permission to take my picture?”
“You cannot take photographs here!” An older man shouted. “Stop taking pictures!”
Li Xiaoan’s translator translated to him, and he looks at those two as if nothing had happened. He turned and continued to take pictures.
That woman got angrier. “What’s wrong with you?! I am asking you to stop taking pictures!”
An Investment Promotion Agency staff, who is in a suit, shouted at them. “They are investors and are here to look at the facilities. They are not taking photographs of you all!”
The woman shouted. “His camera is facing me earlier! How is it possible that we are not in the pictures?”
Wang Bo and the Investment Promotion Agency need to treat this group of Koreans well and not leave any bad impressions. If not, they will not invest in Da Feng County. Even when they know it is wrong to take photographs in the swimming complex, they did not stop him as it is not a written regulation.
The woman and a few others got frustrated when the government staff ignores them.
Li Xiaoan continues to take photos of the pools and swimmers.
Suddenly, someone shouted. “Who the f**k is taking pictures?!”
Dong Xuebing and other swimmers turned and saw a man in his thirties. His wife and child are standing beside him. His wife is blushing while pulling her swimsuit up and pulling her daughter’s hand away. Her daughter seems to have pulled down that woman’s swimsuit accidentally when they are playing, and Li Xiaoan happened to take a picture in their direction.
The woman is embarrassed and angry. “Delete that photograph! Now!”
Her husband, that quiet-looking man, got out of the water. “Delete that photograph!”
The translator translated to Li Xiaoan, but he ignored that couple and continue to take pictures of the last pool.
Xu Yan’s face changed as Li Xiaoan had taken pictures in her direction.
Dong Xuebing saw that and is furious. He knows the State Security regulations well. When he was still working in the General Affairs Office, someone took a photograph in front of the Western District Branch’s main entrance. Although the photograph is not facing the Branch and is in the other direction, that man was still brought in by State Security for a ‘chat’ for almost half a day. Now, Xu Yan is a City’s State Security Bureau Chief and is a Director-ranked government official. No one can take her picture without permission.
Many people got mad and shouted at them.
“What is wrong with you? The more we ask you to stop taking photographs, the more you take?!”
“Korean investors?! Do you think you can take photographs of anyone just because you are Korean?!”
“Hurry up and delete those photos!”
The other Korean investors might have come together, but they are not very close and chose to keep quiet.
After taking the pictures, Li Xiaoan kept his camera and looked at the pool people with a frown. He is not going to delete those photos. Wang Bo told the translator to speak to him, but Li Xiaoan shook his head and replied in Korean. He said he is here to invest, and even the County leaders have to be polite towards him. What’s wrong with taking some pictures? Furthermore, those people are scolding him. As a young man in his twenties, he is still arrogant and rebellious. The more they don’t want him to take pictures, the more he takes.
Wang Bo felt there’s no way they can continue to tour the indoor swimming complex and said. “Let’s go to the next venue.”
The people got mad when they saw the County Government staff not doing anything to help them!
“You all are leaving?! Delete the photographs before you leave!”
“You had taken a picture of that girl’s accidental exposure! How can you leave without deleting the picture?!”
“What County government is this?! These Koreans are people, and we, citizens, are not human?!”
“That’s right! Investors are all god, and we are their grandsons?!”
Wang Bo looks at them impatiently. “Calm down! It was an accident earlier on. We will delete that picture later.”
The woman’s husband could not remain calm anymore. “Bullshit! If you all are going to delete it, delete it now!”
An Investment Promotion Agency’s staff scolded. “Watch your mouth! Do you know who you are speaking to?!”
Li Xiaoan got mad and points at that man and shouted in Korean. “[email protected]#!$#%@$%$^” although no one understood him, but knows it must be something unpleasant.
Dong Xuebing and the rest of the people got furious.
“F**k! Do you still think you are right to take these pictures?!”
“Bastards! They are too arrogant!”
“Is that man beside Park Yongxi? The last Olympic Gold Medalist for Tae Kwon Do?! This group of Koreans is Tae Kwon Do practitioners?”
“I had watched his matches. It’s him!”
“So what if it is him?! Do you all remember a Chinese tourist who went to Seoul and won against numerous Tae Kwon Do schools not long ago?!”
During Lunar New Year, Seoul’s Tae Kwon Do schools had suffered a humiliating defeat. Now, someone had brought this up again, and everyone joined in. They heard that a Chinese tourist was alone, and one man had won against all the schools in Seoul!
This incident had excited the Chinese, but to the Koreans, it is a humiliation.
Park Yongxi and the other Korean investors frowned when they heard people talking about this incident again.
Especially Li Xiaoan. His eyes changed.
That man had moved closer. “Give me that camera!” He reached out to try and grab the camera in Li Xiaoan’s bag.
But everything changed suddenly!
Li Xiaoan has been frustrated by the Seoul Tae Kwon Do schools defeat. When he saw that man reaching out his arm, he immediately slapped that man and followed with a standard Tae Kwon Do front kick. That man fell backward and rolled on the floor in pain!
“Ah! Dear!”
“Daddy! Sob… Daddy!”
The woman and daughter rushed forward.
That man could not speak as he was vomiting and in pain.
“Daddy!” The little girl cried and shook her father’s hand. “Daddy! Are you ok? Get up!”
No one expects Li Xiaoan to hit others suddenly, and he did not hold back!
Wang Bo and the Investment Promotion Agency staff were stunned. This is going to be troublesome.
Among the Koreans, only Park Yongxi looks at Li Xiaoan with a frown. The other Korean investors thought nothing about it. These people are the ones who brought up Seoul’s Tae Kwon Do schools incident first. Everyone is patriotic, but they did not show it.
The people went mad!
They saw that man was slapped and kicked, and the little girl was crying for his father. All of them are about to explode!
“This group of bastards is too much!”
“F**k! You took pictures of his wife, and you still dare to hit others?!”
“F**k you! Call the police to arrest them!”
Some look at Wang Bo and the Investment Promotion Agency staff. “Aren’t you all government staff? Why are you all still standing there after seeing them beat up that man?! Ah?! Are you all still Chinese?”
Wang Bo and the rest looked at those people coldly and turned to Li Xiaoan. “Let’s go first. We will get someone to settle this.”
Li Xiaoan had vented his anger and was about to leave with the rest.
Dong Xuebing, who is still in the heated pool, took in a deep breath. Damn! Da Feng County is too much! Someone was beaten up and injured. Instead of calling the ambulance, you all are asking the Koreas to leave first!?
F**king bastards!”
