The Versatile Master Artist

Like many similar stories of colonial history, on the previous page of history, the old capital of Myanmar, Yangon, was once a very prosperous city.

It was the center of Southeast Asia, located at the intersection of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

To the north was Dongxia, to the west India, to the east was the Mae Nam River Delta producing strategic materials like rubber and grain, and to the south was the bustling and dense international waterway.

Beautiful treasures naturally attract robbers.

And so, the colonizers came.

European armies occupied this country, and the Red Coat Musketeers under Edward VII, to the stirring melody of ’The Grenadiers March,’ defeated the last monarch of the Myanmar feudal dynasty, forcing him to flee to foreign lands.

For Myanmar, this was the definitive end of a millennia-long feudal dynasty era. For the Sun Never Sets Empire, which was at its glorious peak at the time, this was merely an ordinary victory.

Whether in India, Great Qing, Malaysia, from East Asia to the Middle East and Africa, they had repeated similar things countless times.

War, colonization, plunder...

Arrogant and domineering, day after day.

”Yangon is a city of fallen nobility.”

Chen Shenglin smiled: ”I have heard similar evaluations countless times from European partners or inspection teams who came here.”

”This city, a hundred years ago, if viewed from above, its dazzling lights at night were no less than those of Shanghai, Tokyo, Osaka. At that time, compared to here, Lion City was nothing more than a slum made up of sailor and laborers.”

Chen Shenglin said softly: ”They always miss the Yangon from colonialists’ diaries of the past.”

To be honest.

The colonizers did not plunder here with a ruthless ’scorched earth policy’ but instead carried out a chessboard-like grid city planning and industrial transformation on Yangon, completely changing the city’s appearance.

Not out of European goodwill.

But because the British ambitiously hoped to build Yangon into the ’new Liverpool Port of East Asia.’

As early as the Victorian Era, in the design of the British Parliament, Myanmar would be linked with the Far East India colony to hinder the expansion of the French-eyed guys on the Southeast Asia mainland in the Asian map.

They invested in Yangon as if they were constructing their homeland, making significant transformations.

They brought imported religions and also brought English lifestyle.

It was the first place in East Asia to have electricity, railways, iced beer, and frozen steak for sale.

Many Europeans came to this land.

Maum once resided here, and George Orwell discussed polo games at Eton College, 12,000 miles away, with colonial civil servants while drinking beer, writing his exercise work ’Burmese Years.’

And in the nearby French Colony, the greatest female novelist of the 20th century, Marguerite Duras, was just born.

Decades later, she would write milestone works in literary history, ’Lover’ and ’Hiroshima Mon Amour,’ based on her observations in Southeast Asia as a child.

To this day, Yangon still retains the largest group of English-style buildings in Southeast Asia.

Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Governor’s City Hall, and High Court Building... In Yangon, even the Yangon First Middle School, which is as famous as Fitz International School where Gu Weijing is, was originally a European-style church school.

”They say this city, under the brilliance of the British Empire, once birthed great writers like Orwell and Maum, and was the most prosperous city in Southeast Asia.”

Chen Shenglin said softly: ”And then they ask me. Mr. Chen, after more than half a century since the British left, what do you have left in Yangon?”

”Has the city’s name card become heroin, the Golden Triangle’s meth, corrupt and incompetent police bureaucracy, arrogant warlords, and gangsters? However, the sexual services here are said to be cheap and high-quality, quite memorable.”

The crowd was silent.

”What do you think?” Chen Shenglin turned and asked.

Gu Weijing listened quietly.

He never thought about what kind of city Yangon is from the perspective of such a big entrepreneur.

European business partners say to you—after the colonizers left, your city was nothing, yet your compatriot girls are beautiful, leaving a memorable experience.

Even if it’s likely an unintentional joke, it is actually quite humiliating upon reflection.

However, Gu Weijing did not respond.

The question was directed at Old Dad Koko.

Such a serious topic, he, a middle school student, had no place to interject.

”Uh... Yangon indeed had a very glorious past.”

Old Dad Koko felt a bit embarrassed when he heard ”corrupt and incompetent police bureaucracy.”

At this time, he could only muster up the courage to say: ”It’s our incompetence, we didn’t manage this city well, making Mr. Chen embarrassed.”

”Glorious? I don’t see it that way.”

Mr. Chen gave a sarcastic smile.

”No offense, not aimed at you, but turning the city into this state, you guys are indeed quite incompetent.” He glanced at Koko’s father.

The police officer’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

He wanted to get angry... but didn’t dare.

In Yangon’s business environment, most businessmen, when they see military and police officials, how they fawn over them is never too much.

However, as the saying goes, money makes the mare go.

For an entrepreneur to reach Mr. Chen’s level, the situation is reversed.

Chen Shenglin, when facing a Yangon police officer, is not Yangon Mayor and has no need to care about Koko’s father’s mood at all.