National Tide 1980.

On March 1988, 3, when most Beijing citizens were still looking forward to having a telephone at home in the near future, an inconspicuous piece of news on the front page of the Beijing Evening News announced the official start of the mobile communications era - "Public mobile phone network starts trial operation today."

From then on, mobile phones officially made their debut in the capital of the Republic.

The people of Beijing, who were the most gifted at language creation, gave it a very impressive name based on the plots in Hong Kong movies - "Big Brother".

Soon, this memorable name spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital.

But to be honest, for those who first use this communication tool, the experience is far from good.

Considering the current level of technology, this thing really doesn't deserve such an inspiring name.

First of all, although this "big mobile phone" only has the function of making calls, it doesn't even have the function of sending text messages.

But it weighs more than one kilogram, which is very inconvenient to carry.

Therefore, it is also jokingly called "brick" by people.

Secondly, Motorola's "big brick" consumes a lot of power.

Although it looks big, it is not durable.

The battery will be exhausted after a maximum of half an hour of continuous talk.

If you are a person with a lot of business, you have to carry several batteries with you every day for replacement.

In addition, at that time, there were only 5 base stations and 73 channels built in the entire capital city, which could accommodate a maximum of 2000 households.

This means that only 73 people can make calls at the same time. If too many people use the service, they will compete for the channel and calls will not go through.

And because it is an analog signal, the call quality is not good.

Intermittent calls were common, and people often had to crane their necks from inside buildings to make calls.

Of course, the most important thing is that the price is too high.

In the entire capital, at this time, only the Jingdong Mobile Fuxingmen Business Hall located on the north side of the road west of the busy street entrance and the southeast corner of the long-distance building exclusively sells this product.

This sales department has just launched a mobile phone on the market, which is priced at 20,000 yuan per unit.

This does not include the 6,000 yuan network access fee, and calls are charged in both directions.

There are also monthly communication fees and frequency usage fees.

Compared with the average worker's monthly salary of only about 100 to 180 yuan, it is a astronomical price.

To be honest, based on the price, before the opening, even the people in this sales department thought that it would be difficult to develop their business and estimated that not many people would be willing to buy it.

But what is the result?

Even though the product has so many flaws and the price is so high, it still can't stop people's enthusiasm for black technology. The "Big Brother" is quickly recognized by the market and is sought after.

On the opening day, the door of the sales office was crowded with people before it opened.

In the business hall converted from a wooden house, many customers came to pay with large and small bags of cash.

After paying the money, you fill out an application form, and the "order runner" will take the application form to the communications room, and it will take two days to activate.

On the first day of opening alone, more than fifty copies were sold.

Millions in revenue!

This good start undoubtedly brought great confidence to Beijing Mobile Company.

But having said that, there were two very special guests among the customers received by the sales department that day.

It left a deep impression on almost all the staff in the sales department, and everyone talked about it for a long time after dinner.

The reason why these two people are special is not only because they are the first customers in line, but also because they are the most generous customers that day.

They actually bought twelve mobile phones right away.

Since "Big Brother" uses phone numbers starting with "9", these two people directly took up all the numbers from 9000001 to 9000012.

Why do they buy so much?

They claimed that in addition to the ones they needed to use themselves, the other ten were obtained by them on behalf of others.

This kind of work is not something that ordinary people can do.

Of course, if they came from some large joint venture or foreign-funded enterprise and were purchased by the company's top management, it wouldn't be surprising.

But the strange thing is that they do not come from any large enterprise.

Their professional backgrounds are almost all in the private sector, and they work in a wide variety of fields.

What about foreign wine companies, clothing companies, cultural and entertainment companies, gift companies, advertising companies, international trade companies, new agricultural technology companies...

It looks like a shell company that brags a lot but actually only has one person and a few official seals.

There was even a small owner of a tobacco and alcohol shop and two self-employed tricycle drivers mixed in.

I have to say, based on the owner's information they filled out, it's completely impossible to find any logical connection.

It's just so weird.

If you just look at the identities of these people, it seems that no one has anything to do with anyone else.

But they happened to know each other, and were familiar enough to help in this way.

This is really puzzling, and one cannot help but wonder whether these people have formed a business fraud gang.

And among these numbers, the most eye-catching one is definitely the number 9000001 which is ranked first, which makes people pay special attention to the identity of the owner.

According to the information filled out by the person who came to handle the procedures, this person seemed even more special.

Because his employment information was blank, with nothing filled in.

Since this was not mandatory information to fill out, and the agent had clearly stated that the owner wanted it kept confidential, the sales department staff didn't want to ask any further questions.

Therefore, they only remembered this person's name - Ning Weimin.

If you are someone who likes to chase stars, you might remember that this name is the same as the composer of two songs by Teresa Teng.

But no one can determine whether they are the same person.

Of course, no one among these people would know that the person who was about to have the "first mobile phone number" in Beijing had also left the territory of the Republic again on this day and flew to Tokyo, Japan.

Even his travels were more ostentatious than ever before, with such grandeur that it could shock passers-by, just like the mobile phone number that others obtained for him, which highlighted his extraordinary identity.

Yes, because I knew that Ning Weimin would go back to Tokyo with Matsumoto Keiko that day.

Early in the morning of March 1988, 3, not only Luo Guangliang and Xiao Tao came to see him off, but also Zou Guodong and Shen Cun, as well as friends from the film and television industry such as Chen Peisi and Liu Xiaoqing, and people from the Temple of Heaven Park, the Cultural Relics Bureau, the Film Bureau and the Television Drama Production Center came to see him off.

Those "lively guys" who had just joined Ning Weimin's camp and resigned from Pierre Caton, except for two people who followed Ning Weimin's instructions to buy mobile phones for everyone, the others also insisted on seeing them off and all rushed to the Yunyuan Hotel to meet up.

Even though Ning Weimin had already made it clear that there was no need for them to see him off.

But these people are all smart people, and the transformation of their subordinates' identities is particularly smooth.

Who can really be obedient and stay calm and miss this opportunity to show loyalty and flatter?

Manager Sha's early success has taught them a lesson that has penetrated deep into their bones. So even if they are criticized and scolded, they must do what they are supposed to do.

So, in the end, a total of ten cars formed a line and escorted Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko to the Capital Airport.

Because there were too many luxury cars, most of which were Mercedes-Benz and Crown, not only did passers-by look at them sideways, but even the traffic police were alarmed.

Seeing that there were no balloons or wedding characters on the convoy, the traffic police along the way might have thought that it was an important foreign guest or leader traveling.

Therefore, even if no relevant notification was received, the light was manually turned to green.

Come to think of it, this is the first time that Ning Weimin has been so ostentatious in his hometown.

Even his wedding convoy wasn't this long.

There's nothing I can do. I can't refuse such a kind invitation.

Now that everyone has arrived, Ning Weimin can't really send them back, so he can only passively accept their kindness.

Perhaps this is the inevitable result of his career building up over time and making further progress.

After all, his personal wealth and abilities have far exceeded the objective constraints of this era.

If only the shackles of the times were loosened a little, even if only the tips of the lotus leaves were exposed, it would be enough to shock the world.

We arrived at the airport very quickly and the actual farewell process was quite smooth.

Since they were used to coming and going so often, this time the couple traveled alone, without any chefs from the Altar Palace or crew members accompanying them.

So Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko both appeared to be very relaxed, without too many emotional fluctuations.

They naturally exchanged pleasantries with their fellow travelers, waved goodbye, and went to the VIP area to wait for their flight.

However, when they walked towards the security door, they saw a scene that was very different from before.

It was at this moment that the latest changes in the airport gave Ning Weimin a sudden spiritual shock, and his heart couldn't help but beat wildly with the pulse of the times.

If for no other reason, it’s simply because there are too many international students.

There were so many that a long queue formed in front of the baggage check-in window at the airport.

In the middle of the long rows, there are piles of suitcases and travel items.

This scene was the most lively one Ning Weimin had ever seen when he took a flight from the Capital Airport. It was a bit like the Spring Festival travel rush in the 1990s.

Especially for these self-funded students, many of them were flying for the first time in their lives and it was very hectic.

Some people lined up but forgot to pay the freight and ran back and forth.

Some people have overweight luggage but have no money to pay the fees, so they bargain like crazy, hoping that the porter will show leniency.

Some completed the check-in procedures, but gave the extra RMB to their relatives and friends waiting outside the security gate.

Of course, every passenger who takes an international flight has left the country once they pass the "security check".

Although we were only a few meters away from our relatives and friends, we could not go in or out.

Even when handing over RMB, there are customs officers supervising.

Therefore, what complement each other are the sharp contrasts between them.

Those self-funded international students usually stand inside the security gate with excitement, no tears, no sadness of parting, and are full of confidence and pride.

In a "victorious escape" gesture, waving goodbye to relatives and friends.

Outside the safety gate, the parents, wives and children of these people were in tears, giving countless instructions and warnings, fearing that this would be a farewell forever.

One of the self-funded students shouted nonchalantly, "Why are you crying? Go back. I'm not going to join the production team to get a permanent residence permit."

One of them said disapprovingly, "If I had known you would cry, I would not have allowed you to come."

Another one said with a smile, "Goodbye, wait for my good news."

However, despite their smiling faces and energetic looks, their loved ones responded with sobs.

Seeing this scene, Ning Weimin inexplicably felt anxious.

There is no need to doubt anything anymore, the real "going abroad fever" has arrived.

The greatest positive significance of the emergence of these self-funded students is that for Chinese people, going abroad is no longer a privilege enjoyed by the social elite, and there is no need to look for overseas connections in order to go abroad.

However, there will also be some side effects.

For example, the loss of talent, the aggravation of cultural inferiority complex, and the further spread of the trend of worshipping foreign things in the country.

Ning Weimin looked at those self-funded students and even couldn't help but think of Xiao Tao's girlfriend and An Wen, an actor from the "Dream of Red Mansions" crew, who asked him to help them sort out the procedures for going abroad during the Spring Festival.

The colorful sea of ​​lights in developed countries shocks every Chinese.

In China nowadays, people probably regard going abroad as the starting point of all luck, and believe that going abroad will definitely make them rich, successful, and better off than they are in China...

But unfortunately, they misjudged the superiority of developed countries.

At least they have forgotten that all the prosperity outside often does not belong to the Chinese people who have just arrived in a foreign country, and a happy life will not fall from the sky.

Although most of these international students who choose to venture into a foreign country have received a good education and are favored children in their own country, the first thing they have to face after going abroad is the anxiety of struggling to survive.

These people went abroad with such beautiful hopes. What kind of blows will they have to go through in the future before they can look at things objectively?

How many people will refresh their cognition outside and give up their original dreams?

From then on, you will become materialistic, inferior, short-sighted, and even give up your faith and change your nationality?

he does not know.

How many of these people will stick to their dreams, return home after completing their studies, and serve their motherland?

Or stay abroad to work after graduation, find your own personal value in a foreign country, and choose to contribute your knowledge and talents to other countries?

He didn't know either.

How many people even feel culturally lost in a foreign country and regret their decision to go abroad?

Or will you embark on a path of betraying your motherland and committing crimes?

He didn't know either.

What he knew was that the country's doors were indeed opening to ordinary people to an increasingly greater extent.

The tide of the times is coming, which is irresistible and irreversible.

This is also a process of sifting through the sand.

No matter who stays, who leaves, who comes back, or who doesn't, in the end, the heroes are washed away by the waves, and they all have to bear the corresponding consequences for their own choices...

No one can help them except themselves...

Just like the lines in the 1990s TV series "Beijingers in New York" that reflected the lives of people going abroad,

If you love him, send him to New York, because it's heaven.

If you hate him, send him to New York, because that's hell. (End of this chapter)