The Troubleshooters,' by Wang Shuo

52 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
BAO KANG: Would you give me your number, too?
DING XIAOLU jots down a series of numbers.
BAO KANG: (Addressing the group) I’ve already got yours so I don’t need to ask
for it again.
BAO KANG: Bye, dudes!
LIN F%I waves to BAO KANG.
48 TAXI /EXTERIOR / NIGHT
The occupants in the taxi are quiet except for LIN PEI, who is loquacious.
LIN PEI: I think Bao Kang is a pretty cool guy. you fooled him tonight; he didn’t
even get angry about the mistakes.
MA QING: That doesn’t count for much. You naively believe everyone is
good.
LIN PEI: You’re right; I think everyone is good except for you.
MA QING turns to the perpetually quiet YU GUAN.
MA QING: Where do you think we should go now? How about all of us going
somewhere together? We’d better get out of the cab, because our depresseed
“master” is just driving in circles.
The cab driver does not reply and continues to drive.
DRIVER: Oh, so now you have sympathy for me, eh? It doesn’t matter. We can
continue to go in circles for all I care, just don’t try to strangle me when it comes
time to pay the bill.
MA QING: That’s not very suitable, but it’s kind of you. We really need to make
a decision.
DING XIAOLU: Okay, well, why don’t we go to my house if you still want to talk.
Yu GUAN: No, I don’t think so; I think I’ll just go home.