[2] This article is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of the Administrative Procedure Law and its first major revision!

Part One: "Tuhao" Guo Moumou and His "Sea Palace"

6. Dream Come True

Having solved the technical difficulties and found a flexible way to address the legal identity issue, Guo began to go all out, using every means at his disposal to realize his grand vision in the beautiful Dongshan Bay waters. The immense investment of manpower, material resources, and capital goes without saying. More importantly, Guo devoted himself tirelessly to his dream, working day and night and pouring his artistic inspiration into the design and construction of the floating island. He aimed not only to create a technological marvel but also an artistic masterpiece. One detail suffices to prove the effort Guo expended: to embody the characteristics of a Chinese courtyard in the floating marine structure and create the effect of a green home at sea, Guo experimented with planting over a hundred varieties before finally selecting a dozen ideal ornamental plants resistant to sea winds for the floating island.

Hard work pays off, and the results of Guo's years of relentless effort are nearly perfect: technologically, the floating island performed excellently in resisting typhoons and corrosion; artistically, the island and its superstructure showcased symmetry and balance in architectural aesthetics, combined with the use of lightweight materials and Balinese-style decorations, giving this floating marine structure unprecedented visual appeal (Figures 18-23).

Figure 18: Bird's-eye view of Guo XX's overall floating island architecture (Image source: Internet)

Figure 19: Floating island architecture at dusk (Image source: Internet)

Figure 20: Balinese-style decorative details of the floating island architecture (Image source: Internet)

Figure 21: Decorative details of the swimming pool reflecting Guo XX's artistic care (Image source: Internet)

　Figure 22: The spring garden effect created by Guo XX selecting over a dozen wind-resistant ornamental plants from more than 100 species (Image source: Internet)

Figure 23: Interior decoration style of the floating island building (Image source: Internet)

Looking back now at the offshore floating island building that Guo Moumou painstakingly designed and built over many years, objectively speaking, as a novelty, it is too perfect and too luxurious. But perfection is not Guo's fault; it is a natural expression of the artist's temperament and sentiment within him, which was already evident in the decorative design of the entrance to his first influential commercial real estate project—Shenyang Taiyuan Street Fashion Underground Street! Luxury is not Guo's sin either; this decorative luxury is related to Guo's initial business plan targeting high-end tourism, and this positioning itself aligns with economic laws. As we see, in the development of modern market economies, any goods or services start as luxuries at their inception—for example, flush toilets, now common in every household, were luxuries even in developed Western countries over a hundred years ago, and mobile phones, now owned by everyone or even several per person, were just "big brother" phones in the hands of the wealthy a decade ago! Producers and providers of innovative goods and services must charge high prices to cover the enormous costs and risks of innovation, and high profits attract imitation and competition, driving technological progress, quality improvement, and price reduction, eventually turning them into ordinary consumer goods, benefiting society as a whole. Unfortunately, due to severe wealth inequality, social injustice, and polarization caused by corruption and monopoly, a strong atmosphere of resentment against the rich pervades current Chinese society. In the eyes of such resentment, perfection may be a mistake, and luxury could be a crime!

After years of arduous exploration and investment of hundreds of millions of yuan, the offshore floating island building was completed, nearly perfect and arguably luxurious, but Guo did not rush to open it to the public for business to recoup investment and earn profits. If we were to speculate with a petty mind, perhaps Guo did this out of "selfishness." The offshore floating island was a technological miracle and artistic masterpiece born from years of effort, the best intersection of his artistic sentiment and entrepreneurial spirit, and a spiritual home he built for himself after achieving success as an entrepreneur to revisit his artist dreams. Guo once considered developing the offshore floating island into a venue exclusively for elite gatherings and socializing, even coming up with a high-end name, "Jiangshan Club," but this plan was never formally implemented. Thus, for a long time after the completion of the offshore floating island building, aside from serving as a temporary retreat from the mundane world, Guo also liked to bring close friends from his circle for small gatherings, discussing ideals and life, sharing business opportunities and creative ideas. We can imagine life on the offshore floating island: blue water and sky, tides rising and falling, green trees and red flowers, birds flying and fish leaping; tasting seafood delicacies, viewing masterpieces; welcoming the sunrise over the blue sea, seeing off the sunset dyeing the clouds; conversing with learned people, no uneducated visitors. For someone born an artist, what more could one ask for in life? But Guo is still an entrepreneur, and he acted with a certain "economic rationality": his offshore floating island project is unique both domestically and globally, and although it has weathered several storms and strong typhoons, the time is too short. If fully opened to the public, any public safety accident would be an unbearable burden for both him and the fashion enterprise group he founded.

Good wine needs no bush. Even with this low-key informal operation, Guo's offshore floating island project had a strong radiating effect on the Dongshan Bay area. Especially due to its bold creativity and unique artistic charm, it became well-known among more local residents, and through word of mouth, attracted more tourists to Dongshan Bay to visit the floating island, boosting local popularity, and making hotels and restaurants in the area increasingly prosperous, all of which promoted local economic development. On the other hand, the fragrance of flowers inside the wall spreads outside; Guo's high-end tourism model of the offshore floating island also attracted attention from government departments in other regions eager to develop marine tourism economies, and visits to learn from it occurred from time to time. Later, when caught in a media storm, besieged and attacked, facing the unfavorable situation of forced demolition by the Shenzhen local government, many marine tourism sites and local governments extended olive branches to Guo's floating island: "Just tow it over here and park it!" That is a story for later, set aside for now.

Perfection and luxury, combined with a non-open operational model, shrouded Guo's offshore floating island building in mystery for ordinary people. In a social environment filled with resentment against the rich, this veil of mystery inevitably reflected wealth, power, and corruption in people's eyes. On the other hand, the island owner Guo's consistent artist temperament and unconventional, free-spirited, and unruly behavior, long estranged from officials, media, and the general public, made him an easy target for envy, jealousy, and hatred. All this laid the groundwork for later media sensationalism, where the floating island was labeled a private club and dubbed the "Sea Palace," suddenly gaining notoriety and becoming a target of public criticism.

Extended Topic: A Rational Perspective on the Pros and Cons of "Private Clubs"

During the preparation and writing of this book, the new central leadership led by General Secretary Xi Jinping advocated frugality, carried out the Party's mass line education and practice campaign, and took strong measures against corruption, bringing a fresh new look to China's overall political landscape and social atmosphere. In this process, "private clubs" unfortunately became a completely negative concept, synonymous with corruption involving power-for-money deals. Of course, it is indeed inappropriate and infuriating that private clubs encroach on public resources such as parks, historical sites, and even revolutionary memorials. Moreover, government officials frequenting private clubs can easily lead to power-for-money transactions and breed corruption, which should be strictly prohibited. However, as a form of leisure and entertainment for the wealthy class in society, private clubs, like luxury consumption such as villas, luxury cars, and high-end watches and bags, have their own reasons and logic for existing in a market economy. They should not be universally condemned and rejected as if they were a scourge; otherwise, we risk falling back into the quagmire of the extreme leftist ideology of the past. In this regard, we do not need to employ profound modern economic theories and methods to argue this point; our ancestors have already set an example for us. Fan Zhongyan, who famously said, "Be the first to worry about the world's troubles, and the last to enjoy its pleasures," lived a thousand years ago in the Song Dynasty, yet he can still serve as a role model for all government officials who adhere to the principle of governing for the people. This is not only because of his ideological realm but also, more importantly, because of his pragmatic approach to respecting the laws of the market economy. Shen Kuo's "Dream Pool Essays: Official Governance I" contains the following record:

"In the second year of the Huangyou reign (1050 AD), there was a great famine in Wuzhong, with corpses of the starving lying on the roads. At that time, Fan Wenzheng governed western Zhejiang, distributing grain from the state granaries and collecting private funds for relief, with comprehensive measures. The people of Wu enjoyed boat races and Buddhist activities. Xiwen allowed the people to hold races freely, and the prefect himself feasted daily on the lake from spring to summer, leaving the streets empty as residents went out. He also summoned the abbots of various temples, telling them: 'In famine years, labor costs are extremely low, so we can undertake large-scale construction projects.' Thus, temple works flourished, and new granaries and official residences were built, employing thousands daily. The supervisory officials impeached him for neglecting famine relief, indulging in entertainment, and wasting public and private resources on construction. Wenzheng then submitted a memorial explaining that the feasts and constructions were meant to mobilize surplus wealth to aid the poor. Traders, restaurateurs, and laborers dependent on public and private support numbered tens of thousands daily. No famine relief measure was greater than this. That year, only Hangzhou in the Liangzhe region remained peaceful without displacement, thanks to his benevolence. In famine years, distributing grain from the state granaries and mobilizing people for public works later became a law. This not only relieved hunger but also benefited the people, reflecting the virtuous legacy of ancient kings."

This passage describes the great famine that occurred in Wuzhong (present-day Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions) in the second year of the Huangyou era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1050 AD), during which the bodies of the starving lay scattered across the roads. At that time, Fan Zhongyan served as the governor of Zhexi. He distributed grain from state granaries and raised funds from private sources to relieve the victims, implementing comprehensive famine relief measures. The people of Wuzhong enjoyed boat races and Buddhist activities, so Fan Zhongyan encouraged the organization of such events, and the governor himself went out daily to feast and drink on West Lake. From spring to summer, urban residents ventured out in large numbers to enjoy themselves. Fan Zhongyan also summoned the abbots of various temples and instructed them: "During famine years, labor costs are at their lowest, so this is an opportune time to undertake large-scale construction projects." Consequently, temple construction flourished. He also ordered the renovation of government warehouses and official residences, employing thousands of laborers daily. The supervisory authorities impeached him for neglecting famine relief, indulging in excessive entertainment, and wasting public and private resources on construction. Fan Zhongyan then drafted a memorial explaining that the feasting and construction were intended to mobilize surplus wealth to aid the poor. Those engaged in trade, catering, and craftsmanship, as well as laborers, who depended on public and private support, numbered tens of thousands daily. No famine relief measure was better than this. That year, only Hangzhou in the Liangzhe circuit remained peaceful, with no displaced people, all thanks to Fan Zhongyan's benevolence. In famine years, opening the granaries of the Court of Agricultural Supervision to relieve victims and raising private funds for local development has been codified as law in recent years. Such measures, which both alleviate famine and benefit the people during hard times, are the achievements of the ancient kings.

The most common approach to disaster relief by governments (and also the one that aligns with conventional thinking) is for officials to tighten their belts and provide as much aid as possible to victims (distributing relief supplies for free). However, ancient Chinese officials already understood that during famine years, it was best to implement an "active fiscal policy"—undertaking large-scale construction projects and infrastructure development. This would stimulate consumption, boost employment, and increase income, achieving two goals at once: addressing the livelihoods of disaster victims while improving infrastructure. If one fails to grasp this principle, then during a severe disaster, a local official like Fan Zhongyan, who did not lead by example in frugality but instead took the lead in sightseeing and building lavish halls and pavilions, would even today be drowned in online public criticism. Moreover, those self-righteous "upright gentlemen" who believe they occupy the moral high ground would add: "He deserves it, and even death would not be enough!" Yet this pseudo-morality, which defies the laws of market economics, is not only incompatible with modern economic theory but also falls far short of the insights and standards of people from a thousand years ago.

　　(待续)