Luckily, there was no one nearby, otherwise, if they heard their conversation, it wouldn't just be causing trouble, they'd definitely be mobbed, and might need to call the police to protect themselves.

"The Japan Government should strengthen mental health education."

At the Imperial Palace, Boss Jiang was making grand gestures as he talked about the state of affairs.

"It's not about education, it's that the entire social structure is stretched too tight, leaving no room to breathe," Yan Guangyi said. "Once, the internet modem at my house broke down, I called Tokyo's network operator, and they replaced it with a new one in less than two hours. Yet, when I was working in the Netherlands, the wireless internet was down for nearly two months, despite calling several times, no one came to fix it."

Jiang Chen smiled.

The laxness of Westerners is known to everyone.

"Waseda University in Japan and the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands are top universities in their respective countries. However, in terms of replying to emails, Waseda responds within 24 hours on working days, while the University of Amsterdam takes on average 1 to 2 weeks. From my personal experience, Japan almost completely overshadows the Netherlands in service efficiency. However, sometimes an overly efficient society is not necessarily a good thing because humans aren't machines; machines don't get tired, but humans do."

Yan Guangyi continued unhurriedly, "Behind Japan's efficiency lie complicated rules and a highly oppressive societal environment. The Dutch are more relaxed, casual, even to the point of being lax, whereas the Japanese are extremely sensitive, detailed, sometimes even rigidly adhering to rules. The concept of hierarchy penetrates to the bone; most people show a strong herd mentality. Physical hardship is secondary; it's the omnipresent invisible constraints that truly suffocate people."

For instance, in the Netherlands, students can address familiar professors by their first names and even occasionally joke with them. But in Japan, such occurrences are like fanciful tales."

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow, involuntarily thinking of the movie he accidentally came across last night.

Even with just a brief glance before turning off the TV, it was clear it was about teachers,

and it seemed like the Japanese didn't hold teachers in much respect.

Of course.

Jiang Chen certainly wouldn't mention such things, not because of concerns about his own image, but simply to avoid dragging Cao Jinse into it.

"The Japanese are indeed very skilled in business and very good at thinking, but there are pros and cons. The advantage is that they can thoroughly handle various matters, but the disadvantage is that excessive thinking often makes a big deal out of small issues, increasing their mental burden, and working overtime until the last train has stopped running is commonplace. Whereas in the Netherlands, as soon as it's quitting time, the whole company seems like it's participating in a track and field meet."

This point, Jiang Chen quite agreed with.

For instance, that affluent young lady who always called him Mr. Jiang Chen. Wasn't she overthinking and scaring herself, which is why she hurriedly returned to her country?

Jiang Chen chuckled, "This seems to be our regional characteristic, always advocating hard work and struggle."

There is a significant difference between East and West.

Westerners pursue pleasure.

But the East is different.

As Boss Jiang mentioned earlier, labor is the greatest honor.

However, this notion seems to be slowly changing.

Hearing Jiang Chen's words, Yan Guangyi also laughed, "Though similar, Japan is still different from us. The Japanese care a lot about social appearance and others' evaluations, so even if they don't want to work hard, they won't just lie flat but instead show an appearance of effort."

"I have examined Japanese companies before; some employees finish their tasks, then intentionally mess up things they've already organized just to reorganize them. This is something I witnessed myself. Everyone seems busy, but they're just going through the motions. Regardless of how much they dislike their jobs, they won't show it but will always manage to put on a smile. Most of the time, the Japanese endure violent struggles between reality and their inner selves. Life here is convenient, services are attentive, transportation is developed, and infrastructure is complete. But there's one thing, you can't feel happiness."

The two of them looked around.

No.

It should be three of them.

The Taoist sister was the same.

Those visiting the Imperial Palace weren't just foreigners; there were locals too.

After listening to Yan Guangyi, those bright and sunny smiles of the Japanese now seemed somewhat odd.

"The things Mr. Yan mentioned, I seem to have seen them,"

Jiang Chen said softly.

Yan Guangyi looked at him and said with a smile, "In fact, people at the bottom level worldwide are pretty much the same, wearing fake smiles and speaking insincere words. But in some places, people have a more open-minded attitude and know how to comfort themselves, whereas the Japanese lack this ability to be self-appeasing and optimistic. Thus, under high societal pressure, they either become numb and indifferent over time or choose a sunny morning to leap onto the train tracks."

A company's spirit truly runs from top to bottom.

Jiuding Group is certainly not an ordinary private enterprise,

and this senior executive at Jiuding truly speaks candidly.

But thinking about it, Cao Jinse is the same way.

If there's a problem, it's not scary.

What's scary is not daring to face it and blindly avoiding or concealing it, which is akin to self-deception.

Of course.

It's best to leave it at that; Yan Guangyi is not Cao Jinse, and even if he were, some topics aren't suitable for deep conversation.

Walking in the gardens of the Japan Palace, Jiang Chen changed the subject, reflecting, "I remember watching 'Crayon Shin-chan' as a child, and the lifestyle depicted there left a big impression on me. The family often went skiing, played golf, and had steak dinners. His mom, Misae, had a cabinet full of Western-style dresses and jewelry, and even their pet dog, Xiao Bai, was fed Kobe beef once a week. At that time, my family didn't dare use too much oil for cooking, we ate radishes and tomatoes as fruits, and to wear new clothes, we had to wait for the New Year."

Yan Guangyi laughed, "When I was a kid, I had it even worse than Mr. Jiang; all my clothes were high-end patched designs."

The two men, who seemed to have had similar experiences, both laughed.

Times have changed.

Just thinking about watching Japanese anime in front of a tiny TV all those years ago to now casually strolling and chatting at the Japan Palace, the world has undergone dramatic changes.

Of course.

It's still too soon to talk about surpassing them.

"Is Mr. Yan stationed in Japan long-term?"

"Yes, sort of. I spend about half the year here."

"No wonder Mr. Yan has such an in-depth understanding of Japan."

"Mr. Jiang flatters me because it's your first time here. If you stay a little longer, Mr. Jiang, you'll directly experience what I just said for yourself."

"So, as they say, traveling a thousand miles is better than reading a thousand books."

Jiang Chen lamented.

"Exactly,"

Yan Guangyi nodded with a smile.

Neither of them were introverted; they chatted and laughed, discussing Japan's customs and culture, both tacitly avoiding probing other areas.

"I heard from CEO Cao that Mr. Jiang came to Japan to visit a friend? Where is your friend from? I can send someone to contact them."

"This small matter doesn't need to trouble Mr. Yan."

Jiang Chen declined politely.

Yan Guangyi didn't insist either.

The Japan Palace indeed wasn't large, and after strolling through the garden, the three of them planned to leave.

"What's over there?"

Jiang Chen looked at a closed gate to a courtyard.

"That's the inner court of the palace, not open to the public. If Mr. Jiang would like to see it, I can make an appointment next time."

Jiang Chen nodded, understanding; he didn't insist on going in for a look. Just as they were planning to leave from another direction, the gate to the core of the inner court was unexpectedly opened from the inside.

Then out came a stunningly attractive woman who made hearts skip a beat.

She wore gray long pants, thin high heels, and a white shirt, her hair was simply tied up, and she wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on her charming face. Yet this elegant and intellectual attire exuded a vibrant and overwhelming allure.

Jiang Chen almost recalled the fleeting glimpse of the teacher-themed movie from last night.

It wasn't just the movie.

Looking at that naturally alluring face, and seeing her holding several books, Jiang Chen's pupils slightly enlarged, then contracted.

The pure Tanki Liuli seemed to have noticed the woman walking out of the palace's grand interior as well, and she frowned lightly.

Is every encounter in the world a reunion after a long separation?

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