I still clearly remember that the morning light in Nanchang always carried the moisture of the Ganjiang River, gently seeping into the editing room of Jiangxi Satellite TV. In those mornings filled with the aroma of ink, I carefully polished every news release, leaving no room for error - for I knew well that every word carried the voices that longed to be heard.
As a political reporter for Jiangxi Report, I independently completed two in-depth reports: "The Story of the Drug Rehabilitation Center" and "Where Do the Homeless Go?" In order to obtain first-hand information, I delved into drug rehabilitation centers and rescue stations, directly facing the most genuine corners of society. These vivid stories of people's livelihood are like seeds deeply planted in my heart, teaching me to feel the pulse of society with the tip of my pen. This profession has endowed me with far more than just the skills of news gathering and editing; it has also shaped my unique perspective on observing the world - in the grand narrative of The Times, always remember to search for those humanistic glimmers folded in the creases of time.
The journey of a cross-border traveler
Standing by the window of Vanke's headquarters building in Shanghai, I watched the planes passing through the clouds at Hongqiao Airport. The familiar roar seemed to be cheering me on during my transition from a media person to a business manager - my heart was filled with excitement, yet every step was firm. From a media person who writes about The Times to a manager in charge of real estate projects, I have been wandering through the concrete jungle of Shanghai. Over the past ten years, Vanke has not only provided me with a broad platform for development, but also honed my all-round business capabilities. This experience shaped my systematic business thinking and laid a solid foundation for my later entrepreneurship.
Since 2012, I have founded "Vanke Fifth School" and "Imagination Training School", attempting to integrate real estate thinking with community education and exploring a new model of public welfare community education under the business model. During this period, my footprints covered the Innovation Laboratory of Stanford University, the Children's Learning Research Center of Northwestern University, and several influential NGO organizations in Hong Kong. In these cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary practices, I began to deeply reflect on: When enterprises possess resources and organizational capabilities, how can they promote the social responsibility of integrating education with the community, business with public welfare?
This decade-long entrepreneurial practice of "education + public welfare + business" has continuously injected energy and value into my subsequent career direction. After coming to the United States, I still hold fast to this original aspiration and adhere to the belief of "empowering people and creating value for society". I always believe that no matter where one is or how one's identity changes, the resonance of responsibility and value is the most genuine and touching common language between people.
The lens of a stranger in a strange land
The morning mist in Los Angeles had not yet dissipated. I drove through the already bustling Los Angeles 210 Highway. As the sales director of an international logistics company, I am on the front line of international trade. I am well aware that behind the flow of every shipment, what is involved is the reconstruction of the supply chain, the competition of costs, and even more so, the tacit understanding of cross-border cooperation. I not only provide transportation solutions for customers, but also am committed to seeking certainty in the changing economic environment.
The enterprises I serve span various industries. They are not only under the pressure of global market fluctuations but also actively seeking a "second growth curve". The stories of these Chinese entrepreneurs deeply touched me. I realized that beyond the data and the volume of boxes, what is more worthy of being seen are the figures of these Chinese people who are wandering yet determined. So, I came up with the idea of creating a Chinese story series, named "LUCY's Western American Perspective". I want to record the tenacity and brilliance of every overseas Chinese. They are not abstract groups but vivid individuals that truly constitute the "strength of the Chinese people".
Cultural ferryman
On the stage of the "Global Star" International Cheongsam Competition, in an instant, I touched the exquisite Suzhou embroidery buttons on the cheongsam. The texture of my fingertips seemed to be tugs at the pulse of culture. At that moment, I realized that this was not only a presentation of Eastern aesthetics, but also an expression of cultural identity deeply rooted in the blood.
When hosting the China-Us Economic and Trade Forum, smooth simultaneous interpretation came through the headset, but familiar local accents echoed in the audience. This moment of interweaving Chinese and English and resonating between the East and the West makes me feel even more firmly that our generation is destined to dance at the intersection of the two cultures, using bilingual thinking and cross-border postures to build a bridge of mutual understanding and respect.
At the California Chinese National Day ceremony, when the melody of "Jasmine Flower" began to play slowly, all the Chinese in the audience sang along softly in unison, and the fair-haired and blue-eyed audience stood up and applauded. At that moment, I truly experienced what it means to have the deepest and most natural surge of cultural resonance.
These moments are all reminding me that cultural dissemination is never a one-sided display, but a two-way dialogue. When foreign friends try to say "Great" in stiff Chinese, what I see is not only one successful display of Chinese culture after another, but also the communication path paved by generations of overseas Chinese with sincerity and perseverance - this path we have walked for decades, and now we finally see the light of understanding on the other side.
A new beginning
In the evening of the SAN Gabriel Valley in California, I often recall the steaming hot earthenware soup on the streets of Nanchang when I was a child, and also think of the freshly baked pan-fried buns in the alleys of Shanghai. That is the memory of taste, and even more so, the root system of culture. Perhaps some people's destiny is to pack their bags, bring Chinese stories to the world, and cook homesickness in the kitchen of a foreign land, maintaining an emotional connection with their native land with a spoonful of soy sauce aroma and a touch of local accent.
It is comforting to note that in this era of the rise of self-media and the reconstruction of global business, those cross-cultural expressions are being listened to and resonated with by more people. Those stories that carry the resilience of The Times have finally found their own stage. Just as I often hear Chinese entrepreneurs say in interviews: "It's easy for goods to reach the world, but it's hard for hearts to reach the world." And I have always firmly believed that true communication is more about understanding and recognition. What I need to do is to record every Chinese story worth seeing with authenticity and empathy.
