第一部：“土豪”郭某某和他的“海上皇宫”

[4] 12. “Sea Palace” is crying

In one day, a powerful government department issued three strict orders without leaving any room for negotiation. In particular, the "Notice on Ordering the Restoration of the Sea Area to Its Original State" required the Marine Elite Entertainment Co., Ltd. to either tow the "Sea Palace" out of Shenzhen's sea area or dismantle it within three days of receiving the notice, restoring the sea area to its original state. Given the scale and structural complexity of the "Sea Palace," towing or dismantling it within "three days" was impossible. This shows that the government department, lacking experience in handling public opinion storms, could no longer consider the legality and reasonableness of its administrative enforcement actions.

Thinking that the sea home he had built with his own hands would ultimately face destruction, Guo felt as if his heart was being twisted and was overwhelmed with grief. Around March 4, 2011, Guo published "The Lament of the 'Sea Palace'" on his blog and forums to express his despair and grievance:

My nickname is "Sea Floating Island," but the media gave me a noble name, "Sea Palace." Actually, how dare I be compared to a palace? I'm just a good-looking village girl.

I am a deformed child, neither cat nor dog, perhaps a hybrid of the two. Before I was born, my parents were worried about my household registration. They ran around before my birth, seeking a birth permit from the household registration department. The department had never seen such a non-cat, non-dog creature and didn't know what permit to issue, so they just told my mother to give birth first and figure it out later.

When I turned three, my parents were anxious and went to the household registration department again, asking for an ID card. The reply was that the law didn't provide for it, and they didn't know what card to issue.

When I turned five, a typhoon nearly took my life. To avoid the typhoon, I moved on my own, which caught the attention of a sister. Upon investigation, she found that I was a wild child without an identity. Her well-meaning report immediately attracted countless media attention. Some said I was a bastard without identity and should be put to death; others said I was a rare creature and should be protected like a giant panda and put on public display. Some uncles and aunts stripped me of my clothes and humiliated me in public, while many others stepped forward to protect me. I was terrified and ashamed. Then, a law enforcement uncle arrived, dispersed the crowd, and brought many experts to carefully examine my appearance. They concluded that I could be a pet useful to society, suitable for people to view. The uncles consulted the grandparents, who then consulted the great-grandparents, and they all agreed to issue me a temporary ID first, allowing me to live so that everyone could see me. I was overjoyed—after living for seven or eight years, I finally had a legal identity. To thank the uncles and aunts who supported my survival, I am willing to donate all the ticket revenue from my viewing to the marine environmental protection department.

On the trial opening day, quite a few people showed up, and the fishermen steering boats on the shore were all smiles, with ticket prices soaring several times over. But the good times didn't last long before a journalist sneaked in, furious to see me still alive, and questioned the law enforcement officer: Why haven't I been executed yet? He claimed that not executing me would fail to quell public outrage. The officer was in a tough spot and, under immense pressure, revoked the ID card that had been issued to me, telling me that under pressure, I could choose to commit suicide. I was deeply grieved. Now at eight years old, I desperately want to stay alive. Now facing execution again, I helplessly cry out to uncles and aunties, begging for a chance to live. If I can survive, I will donate all the money I earn to marine environmental protection. If I have to leave Shenzhen, I can only drift to international waters as a lonely ghost. If you neither let me leave nor allow me to donate, but only wish to see me struggle and die in pain, I can only fulfill your wish—the "Sea Palace" will surely become an "Underwater Dragon Palace." A hundred years from now, someone will dive to study my remains and recall that Shenzhen once had such a beautiful village girl. Dying amid everyone's admiration, I hope that by then, through the study of my remains, humanity can realize the beautiful dream of reclaiming land from the sea.

I am deeply attached to this world, but now I have become a wandering ghost.

Farewell, this world that brought me joy and sorrow.

On the other hand, the media and public opinion are so extreme, and government departments are so lacking in responsibility and even rationality, that Guo felt a nameless anger. He couldn't just sit and wait for death; he had to fight for a way out for his painstakingly created "masterpiece" and, more importantly, defend his personal dignity. He wanted to tell the public in an open and aboveboard manner—that he, Guo, was upright and honest, and that in building the "Sea Palace," there was none of the corruption and filth rumored by outsiders. His dream could withstand public scrutiny and the test of the masses!

Guo immediately took action, instructing the Sea Elite Entertainment Co., Ltd. to apply to the Longgang District Oceanic Bureau for a postponement of execution, while also considering administrative litigation to turn the tide. To this end, he mobilized the connections he had built over the years, seeking out legal experts and renowned lawyers, trying to find a quick legal shortcut to defuse the crisis. Naturally, he came up empty-handed and was deeply disappointed.

On March 14, 2013, the Longgang District Oceanic Bureau issued another "Notice on the Deadline for Returning Illegally Occupied Sea Areas and Restoring the Original State" (Figure 56), setting March 24 as the final deadline for compliance, stating, "If you fail to comply by the deadline, compulsory demolition will be carried out according to law, and the costs will be borne by your company."

On March 25, 2013, the Longgang District Oceanic Administration issued the "Notice on Forcibly Restoring the Sea Area to Its Original State" (Figure 57), deciding to forcibly demolish the "Sea Palace" on March 31.

On March 28, 2013, the Longgang District Oceanic Administration issued the "Notice on Self-Handling of Demolished Building Materials" (Figure 58).

These three "Notices," along with the three documents issued on March 1, were later described by lawyer Wang Tengfeng as "six golden decrees"!

　　Figure 56: A copy of the "Notice on Returning Illegally Occupied Sea Areas and Restoring the Sea Area to Its Original State Within a Time Limit" issued by the Longgang District Oceanic Administration on March 14, 2011.

Figure 57: A copy of the "Notice on Forcibly Restoring the Sea Area to Its Original State" issued by the Longgang District Oceanic Administration on March 25, 2011.

Figure 58: A scanned copy of the "Notice on Self-Handling of Demolished Building Materials" issued by the Longgang District Oceanic Administration on March 28, 2011.

　　(待续)