Chapter 142 Solving from a Systemic Perspective

; it was right next to the entrance gate by the art building at the bottom floor.The art building was shaded and secluded with banana leaf trees covering the surroundings densely. The key factor was t...Chapter 142: Addressing the Problem at Its Root

In December, the weather in Shanghai began to transition from autumn to winter, gradually turning from hot and cool spells to a damp chill that could seep into sleeves and collars.

Lin Luoran invited her close friends like Su Cun and An Wan to have a casual meal at the house left behind by her mother in Shanghai after returning from visiting friends in Beijing. This was to celebrate the uneventful return of Su Cun from Nan University. With only about one and a half months until exams, Lin Luoran said she had to quickly cram two books of Standard Japanese for the Japanese exam, review national curriculum mathematics for the math test, and prepare for her professional economics course examination. Because of Su Cun's roots abroad, she asked him to help bring back some journals like "The Economist" and "Financial Economics," which were authoritative overseas but niche in China, as references. Then she plunged into a hectic exam period.

Life suddenly became busy again.

After Su Cun's trouble during Nan University’s Homecoming Festival was quelled by the university president, nearby universities continued to pay attention to the matter.

In 2002, college students generally adhered to rules and regulations, even in prestigious schools like Nan University. Whenever someone stood out, it sparked widespread discussion. In benchmark institutions such as Nan University, topics related to student quality education, moral orientation, educational system, values, worldviews, etc., were often discussed by the public.

This was no exception. If media influence had not been restricted by Nan University, this might have become a national news item featured prominently in newspapers, becoming a societal focal point. Naturally, due to the authoritative power of Nan University's administrative influence, although there were no reports from the media, there were gradually emerging voices reflecting on issues like fraudulent donations, lack of oversight, unclear boundaries, and even government coercion for charitable contributions.

Scholars began discussing the establishment of supervisory mechanisms in public charity donations, independent finances for charitable organizations to enhance credibility, among other feasible measures. Hot discussions about the charitable system started to take shape, with people tracing this trend back to Su Cun's attack on the Senkawa Corporation during Nan University’s Homecoming Festival, which nearly caused a PR disaster for the corporation.

However, before this targeted criticism could cause damage, it exposed various issues within the current charitable system.

"Check out The Southern Weekend newspaper; there are comments about charity. Really, no one talked about this earlier; media reports only mentioned who donated how much money or what activities a certain fund was holding. It seemed like everything was going well, but we don't know the truth. Now many voices are coming up with criticisms and reflections, which is at least a good start." Zhang Xiaobridge, while flipping through newly arrived magazines in their dormitory, noticed that media had quickly produced some voices discussing the deeper reasons behind the Senkawa Corporation's fraudulent fundraising scandal. Renowned experts were calling for improvements to charity work, while others from civil society were arguing against it and questioning how Nan University handled its own charitable activities.

When Zhang Xiaoqiao was reading through the comments, he glanced at Su Cun and thought that perhaps no one would believe that such widespread social discourse had initially been sparked by him, a roommate from the same dorm in Nan University.

Life often has its peculiarities. Before stepping into this university he had grown so familiar with since childhood, Zhang Xiaoqiao never imagined he’d end up rooming with the founder of an American social network platform.

Nor did he ever imagine that he could become friends with a strong woman like Song Zhen—someone most people can only look up to and admire. After the Homecoming event, it seemed that Song Zhen had started getting close to them; she came twice to Nan University during which both times she took the initiative to eat street food from stalls along with them, no longer maintaining her aloofness as before. Instead, she made an effort to mingle and build relationships. Her experience at Nan University apparently didn’t leave a negative impression on her, nor did it deter her from returning; this speaks volumes about her inner strength despite her attempts to appear approachable. Most people simply don't possess such qualities.

The failure of the public opinion offensive against the Senchuan Group by Nan University, which was intended to put them in a precarious position, undoubtedly triggered a new round of confrontation. In some respects, both sides were now engaged in battle. Su Cun met Wei Yuanhu at Song Zhen's mother’s dinner party where he then learned from Yan Lüwei of the Information Industry Ministry that the Senchuan Group had also mobilized influential figures within their network to counteract. This clearly indicates how intense the situation has become, with major conflicts between both parties' factions now unfolding.

No matter whether the Song family declines or the Jianhua line suffers significant setbacks after this, those are not Su Cun's concerns. He still needs to deal with his own academic and career-related issues at Nan University.

On that day, Su Cun spent most of it in the library studying. When he noticed the time, he packed up his things and stepped out of the library stairs while calling Tang Wu a concerned phone call. Then he walked leisurely out of school to an elegant Chinese restaurant where he was led inside by the manager. He knocked on the door of a private room, only to find Wang Xiaoyi and his teaching assistant Yang Yiming already seated inside.

It had been over a week since their last heart-to-heart talk in Biyuan Park. This time, Wang Xiaoyi formally invited Su Cun for dinner, an invitation he made yesterday and had relayed through Su Yi.

"I noticed you spoke about charity on stage quite convincingly; have you considered participating in some of Nan University's upcoming charitable projects Could you perhaps serve as an advisor to the university’s charitable efforts" Wang Xiaoyi was direct. It wasn't unusual for schools to rehire students for various positions, mostly due to recommendations from professors who would keep them on after graduation, either for research or transitional teaching roles; however, it's rare for a school like Nan University to directly offer such an advisory role.

"I don’t think I’m qualified yet to be an advisor. But there are some ideas I have."

"Being able to stand on stage and refute critics so effectively isn't something just any student with 'some' ideas could do," Wang Xiaoyi smiled, "Tell me what you think about Nan University's charitable efforts."

Wang Xiaoyi will be supervising Nanyang University's charity projects next, and he will likely need some advice. Since the reflection on domestic charities originated from Nanyang University, it naturally attracts more external attention regarding its charitable activities. Everyone seems eager to see how far Nanyang University can go in reforming their charity programs, rather than just engaging in theoretical discussions.

When mentioning this matter, Su Cen did not deliberately act coy and modest; unnecessary humility is hypocrisy. Since Wang Xiaoyi invited him to dinner today, he must want to hear honest opinions instead of empty pleasantries. Therefore, Su Cen said, "A notable feature of domestic charity work is that it focuses on emergency relief rather than addressing long-term poverty issues. Most donations come from wealthy individuals and large corporations, with little participation from ordinary citizens. Such a charitable system means that once financial crises strike, the scale of charitable activities will be affected, leading to stagnation or regression in the development of such projects. Even if ordinary people donate small amounts, their sheer numbers can consolidate these efforts and minimize external impacts. The essence of charity is ensuring that it doesn't appear as something exclusive to the wealthy."

"Nanyang University certainly lacks the capability to get all citizens involved in our charity activities," Wang Xiaoyi smiled.

"We don't necessarily need everyone's direct financial contributions; this principle should be based on voluntarism. Domestic charitable donations annually account for only a few thousandths of GDP, amounting to less than three or four hundred billion yuan. The number of domestic foundations and organizations does not exceed two thousand. While the country's GDP grows every year, compared with countries like America and Britain, where charitable donations usually constitute percentages of their GDPs, involving tens of thousands of charity organizations and billions of dollars in donations, our journey is still long and arduous. For China to be considered normal according to developed nations' standards, annual donation amounts should reach three or four thousand billion yuan. This isn't due to a lack of willingness among Chinese people to do good; there are many who have the enthusiasm but lack an effective system to channel it."

Su Cen knew that since entering the new millennium, China had endured several large-scale disasters almost every year, which also spurred rapid expansion in charity donation scales and public enthusiasm. No one would mind donating a hundred or a thousand yuan annually to support education in impoverished mountain villages or help those affected by natural disasters overcome their hardships. Everyone understands how helpless and insignificant humans are when faced with forces beyond control.

But the key issue is what makes them trust that their hard-earned money, donated out of goodwill, will be used efficiently rather than wasted through inefficient bureaucratic systems.

"Public donations in domestic charity activities are increasing day by day. However, there's widespread skepticism about the charitable system. There’s a lack of transparency and public trust, meaning donors don't know where their money goes, while beneficiaries aren’t sure which contributions are genuine. This leads to many viewing charity events as showpieces rather than effective aid."

"At the core is still the issue with our current charity system. Without improvements, it will stifle people's goodwill. Looking at advanced international practices, in America’s Foundation Center website, one can immediately see details of donations: who donated what and to whom, all clearly presented. Behind such transparency lies a powerful monitoring framework and efficient charitable operational methods."

Wang Xiaoyi thought carefully about this and nodded in agreement.

The Dean of Students, Yang Yiming, quickly proposed several points from Nanyang University: aspects worth adopting from America’s and Hong Kong's charity practices. For instance, the financial authority of Nanyang University's charity institutions would be relatively independent, with only auditing oversight by university authorities and the government. Regular public disclosures about fund flows would occur, along with clear legal trust relationships between donors and Nanyang University’s charitable bodies. This isn't just a simple legal relationship but one akin to stockholders' connection with securities firms. The university side takes on concrete trust legal responsibilities for donors. Due to this being a trust relationship, donors could reclaim their donations or demand compensation when they believe the university has breached its obligations.

Su Cen was unsure whether Wang Xiaoyi intended to gain political capital through university charity activities, but if Nan University were to initiate reforms in this area, it could have a considerable impact.

The public's charitable donations are substantial sums. Rather than waiting for disasters to occur and expose various shortcomings that cause distress to many people, it is necessary to be prepared beforehand.

Nan University's Center for Social Sciences also undertakes research on relevant State Council projects. The voices emerging from Nan University can influence the formulation and implementation of national policies at certain levels. Starting with such reforms could provide new perspectives and policy directions for addressing these issues.

Humans cannot avoid natural disasters, even Su Cen feels powerless against them, let alone the unpredictable future. Without a way to address both symptoms and root causes, China's charity efforts will only ever be able to provide emergency assistance but not alleviate poverty.

Su Cen had seen children in some mountain villages in western China who received charitable donations. They wore tattered clothes that were always dirty and studied at broken desks in dilapidated schools, eating instant noodles provided by charity for every meal. Ultimately, they kept eating instant noodles day after day, whether it was beef-flavored or spicy-flavored. They wore donated clothes, accepted慰問關心 from TV stations and related leaders who accompanied them, and were asked to give speeches on how they would repay these kindnesses, even if they didn't know who had helped them.

It's just a formality; what remains unchanged are the endless highlands, scattered school buildings, and flags. And those expressions of bewilderment as one batch after another of慰問teams leave and disappear into the distance. Their dilapidated schools, their teachers, and the mechanism for breaking free from poverty in the future remain unchanged.

Only by addressing these issues at a systemic level can society's ability to resist natural disasters and improve human-caused hardships be maximized.

Su Cen felt that he inadvertently moved some gears of historical progress.

From the 11th to the 15th, from start to finish, I was busy with moving into a new home—installing air conditioners, setting up desks, changing pipes, cleaning, moving sofas, installing curtains, cleaning, installing water heaters and cabinets, cleaning, and so on. Each day, I carried my laptop over but couldn't write many words; sitting down in the evening made me fall asleep instantly. Writing is both a technical and physical job; with poor state of mind and feeling, it's hard to force out a good outline for the story ahead. I am shamelessly informing everyone about this.

A few days ago, I mentioned that I was renovating my place. This prolonged renovation has finally been completed, but it left me completely exhausted. Given how miserable I look, please spare me from further torment and stop criticizing or attacking me; I can't take much more of it.ss beauty' from their class. He's considering whether to make his move during the May Day holiday. This news immediately sparked excitement in Class 602. Everyone knew that Su Zhan was strong and stur...