Chapter 119: The Fire Phoenix Stung

Xiao Tianci knew a great deal about this topic, but he preferred not to bring it up; such matters were truly distressing. Huofeng listened quietly, as she had rarely seen the "big pervert" appear so somber and serious.

"Looking back at human history, the era we live in is wealthier than any that came before it. Huofeng, I want you to remember this: every year, millions of defenseless children still die of starvation. Isn't that horrifying? According to the rhetoric of modern development and civilization, a civilized world should not allow a single child to starve, nor should it allow one to suffer from chronic malnutrition that stunts their physical and mental growth. Yet, such things happen every single day. The latest data shows that over 18,000 children under the age of five die daily from hunger-related illnesses. By the end of this year, more than 5.5 million young children will have perished from these same causes. Every day, hundreds of millions of children go without enough food to maintain a normal life, resulting in physical and intellectual disabilities. This is no longer just a matter of morality; under the provisions of international human rights law, this is an illegal act—a violation of the right to food, the right to health, and even the right to life. Compared to this, aren't those who are merely poor actually living in paradise?"

"This world is not what people imagine it to be. It is neither as good nor as bad as some think. However, the saying, 'Behind the crimson gates, wine and meat go to waste, while out on the road lie the frozen bones of the poor,' holds true—only the version changes."

These figures rarely received real attention, yet they were shocking and soul-stirring. Starvation is unimaginable to most people, yet every day, tens of thousands die from hunger, disease, and war. When she heard the line about the crimson gates and the frozen bones, Huofeng looked at Xiao Tianci in confusion.

Xiao Tianci remembered then that she was only half-Chinese, so he offered a brief explanation before continuing: "The one who just left is the president of the world's leading superpower, a nation that loves to preach about human rights. When it comes to ideals, I've known a lot since I was young. Often, people take things for granted. For instance, they say an honest official shouldn't have a car or a large entourage. But without a car, how could he be efficient? Without a staff, could he possibly manage everything alone? Do you expect him to be like the magistrates of old, sitting in an office and deciding everything with a single word? Don't talk to me about donations being the extent of human rights. I tell you, everyone has the right to live with dignity and be free from hunger; that is a human right. The right to food and the right to be free from hunger are protected by international human rights and humanitarian law. Its true definition is that when every man, woman, and child, alone or with others, has the physical and economic access to adequate food or the means to procure it at all times, the right to adequate food is realized."

Perhaps it was too technical; Huofeng looked stunned. Xiao Tianci let out a long breath and said, "Do you know? According to the World Food and Agriculture Organization, the Earth produces enough food to support 12 billion people."

Little Gege had been listening intently. Hearing this, she tugged at Xiao Tianci. "Brother, Brother, there are only seven billion people now, so there's enough to eat! Why do you say so many people are starving?"

"Heh..." Xiao Tianci didn't know how to explain it to Little Gege. Huofeng could grasp a bit more, though her understanding was tied to her own perspective. This question was too profound for a child. Xiao Tianci said, "Little Gege, you will understand when you grow up. To understand, you must study hard and learn from your teachers."

He turned to the Chief Steward, Lin Jian. "Steward, take Little Gege to buy what she needs, and while you're at it, teach her some of the basics about these things."

As Lin Jian led her away, explaining as they walked, Xiao Tianci sighed again. He knew the facts, but explaining them to a child from the ground up was a different matter. It seemed being a teacher was not easy—it wasn't for everyone.

Huofeng stood there, and Xiao Tianci felt it was easier to talk to her. He checked the time; he still had a while before meeting the Russian ambassador. He lit a cigar, took a few puffs, and continued: "In Brazil, because of hunger, no one can sleep. Half the people can't sleep because they are hungry, and the other half can't sleep because they are afraid of those who are hungry. This isn't an exaggeration; it's the reality. Do you know how much money the U.S. and other nations spend annually to destroy surplus or expired grain just to maintain market prices? It's three times the cost of shipping that grain to countries where people are starving every day. And now, everyone talks about terrorists. I think you should know what true terror is now. Can terrorists kill tens of thousands of people every day?"

"The world has an 'Anti-Hunger Alliance,' but compared to the billions of dollars spent on the 'War on Terror,' the efforts and resources dedicated to the international 'Anti-Hunger Alliance' are pathetic. Because funds are diverted to national security and counter-terrorism, aid for development and famine relief continues to decline. Yet, the fight against terrorism should include efforts to reduce hunger, poverty, and inequality. I forget who said it, but there is a saying: 'If the seeds of evil fall on the rock of justice, welfare, freedom, and hope, they cannot take root; but if they fall on the soil of injustice, poverty, humiliation, and despair, they will take root.'"

"I'm telling you, even if I donated all the Xiao family's wealth, it wouldn't change these problems. The number of people starving to death each day wouldn't decrease; it might even trigger riots and wars, making the situation worse. I don't know about others, but I have my own scale. I must first ensure my own survival; that is my right. If I don't even know if I can survive, ha..." Xiao Tianci gave a bitter laugh. "Who could I possibly help? These things are hard to explain clearly. But don't think of things so simply. Look at them clearly first. Believe it or not, by continuing to be wealthy and spending luxuriously, I might be helping more people and doing so more effectively than if I just donated all the money I spend."

Before this, Huofeng would have immediately called him a perverted liar, but after hearing what Xiao Tianci said, she didn't know whether to believe him or not.

"Explaining this would take too long. Of course, society needs love, and I will do my part. The Xiao family donates ten percent of our annual net income to charity, which I feel is enough. For the rest, I would rather open more factories and hire more people. Hiring one person solves the survival problem for an entire family—that is the greatest contribution. Heh. So, eradicating hunger and poverty is not just a matter of money. It is a challenge of structural injustice and power imbalances that allow human rights violations to occur. It is also a challenge of economic inequality and the adoption of fair, principled approaches to global trade. Many government policies have adversely affected the right to food for people in other countries. For example, in international trade, agriculture is the only comparative advantage for farmers in the South, yet Northern countries subsidize their agriculture and sell products below production costs, forcing millions of Southern farmers to abandon farming. There are many more obvious examples, such as when one country imposes unjust sanctions that affect the lives of millions in another."

Huofeng was stunned, standing there as she listened to the data and the professional and non-professional remarks Xiao Tianci made. Much of what he said wasn't new and was easy to look up, but how many people in this society truly cared?

Occasionally saying a few words didn't help. Xiao Tianci actually hated those who shouted all day long. If he had the ability, he would rather hire more people or truly help someone, rather than just saying a few words when he was in a good mood or saw someone else's plight.

Perhaps that was why Huofeng's words had triggered such a long discourse on international resource allocation, social structure, human nature, and the trends of human society.

Hours passed in the blink of an eye. Not until the Chief Steward, Lin Jian, walked in to tell him that time was running out did Xiao Tianci stand up. He looked at Huofeng, who had been standing there as if receiving an instruction, and couldn't help but want to laugh. However, he didn't dare. He had to be a serious, earnest person now. *Sigh*, "big pervert"—that term was becoming his synonym.

*Sigh*, it was a habit now. How had he let her get used to calling him that? No, he had to change his image completely.

Xiao Tianci stepped forward. "What's wrong? You've been standing for hours, go get some rest. I have things to do; we'll talk another day."

"Wait." Huofeng called out softly, looking somewhat downcast. "Is it really that cruel?"

What Xiao Tianci had said today had nearly broken her. She had faced the cruelty of murder—where it was either kill or be killed—but what Xiao Tianci had described later made her feel truly chilled.

Xiao Tianci hadn't expected such a reaction. He chuckled softly. "Heh, not at all. It's just that since we touched on this topic, I spoke about it. There are plenty of good things in this world. One day I'll tell you about them, and you'll think you're living in paradise."

With that, Xiao Tianci checked his watch. "Time's up. I have an appointment with the Russians to continue negotiating the aircraft carrier purchase. You've been standing for so long, go get some rest."

Lin Jian, standing to the side, hadn't expected his boss to talk so fluently for so long. Although it was an impromptu speech and not entirely coherent, it was powerful. After listening for a while, he realized his boss wasn't suited to be a teacher; he should be a professor, preferably of philosophy.

However, his boss probably hadn't realized that even if he had thoughts, he rarely spoke like this, usually wrapping things up in a few sentences. He had never spoken for so long because of someone else's ideas.

Huofeng remained standing there. Upon hearing Xiao Tianci's words, she forced a smile and said, "You think you're something, don't you? Don't forget, I'm your bodyguard. You go on, I want to be alone for a bit."

Xiao Tianci could only nod and leave. He generally didn't like discussing these things with others because everyone's worldview was different. As long as there were no major issues of good and evil, there was nothing else that required agreement.

Like Hitler, who thought conquering the world would make it brighter, or the Japanese, who thought their invasion was for the good of others—if one agreed with such views, they had to be corrected. As for donations, whether spending his own money or other things, he felt indifferent.

Xiao Tianci walked out. Huofeng remained standing there, her mind filled with what he had said. She had never truly thought about or understood these issues before. While she was shocked by the information, the bigger reason for her state was Xiao Tianci himself.

So, he wasn't just a man obsessed with lust and squandering money. He knew so much, and he had such shocking ideas.

What kind of person was Xiao Tianci, really? What was he thinking? Just as she began to think he might be quite decent, she suddenly remembered his wicked smile: "What color is your underwear?" Thinking of that, Huofeng felt her face heating up again. She lowered her head and muttered, "Big pervert."