Dissent Is Not Their Cup of Tea

I know, propaganda every day, how can I not know about the Beijing congress. But does this have anything to do with my business in Beijing? Is there a rule that says citizens cannot go to Beijing around these days?

Oh, if it's only for business, then we won't stop you. We just want to remind you, during special times like this, if you go to attend to your business, that's fine, but don't do anything we wouldn't want you to do.

What do you mean? What are the things you don't want me to do? And why is it that I can't do something simply because you don't want me to do it? I'm a citizen, and I'm responsible for what I do. If I break the law, then I'll be punished according to the law.

We are just kindly reminding you. If you break the law, of course there are corresponding punishments, and it will surely not be like this, sitting here drinking a cup of tea.

You mean interrogation. I have gone through that. But what is this reminder, really? A warning, or a threat?

We're friends, and we don't want our friends to run into trouble.

But, as I said, we are not sitting here as friends. We are the ruled and the ruler.

We don't think this way.

It has nothing to do with whether you think so or not. This is a matter of fact, otherwise you wouldn't be searching me out like this. And as I said over the phone, I don't have time to beat around the bush. You said if I didn't accept this invitation, it wouldn't be good for me.

Okay, we just hope you don't invite trouble. Don't always think that you are always right, criticize this, criticize that. Why can't you be a good civilian?

"Good civilian"? This word isn't appropriate, is it? If I recall, this is the word people used to use during the Japanese occupation [of China], when the Japanese issued "Good Civilian Certificates." I am sure this word is a wrong one. If I guess right, you must mean "obedient citizen?"

Exactly. We don't care what thoughts you have. But if you act, then there will be legal consequences.