In Chinese history, there are significant cultural differences between the North and South. The North has primarily been the political center, with a strong Confucian cultural tradition throughout history, where society particularly emphasizes status, relationships, and order. However, many regions in the South have taken different historical and cultural paths. They are inherently more free and pragmatic, less fixated on strict hierarchical order, and have thus developed a more flexible and down-to-earth social character.

The same applies to modern society. When you go to Beijing, everyone you meet talks about relationships, grand narratives, and political philosophy. If you want to do business there, it's harder than reaching the heavens. They're all telling stories. After ten drinks and meeting many "impressive people," not a single genuine cooperation materializes—it's all about gathering crowds and brokering deals, without actually getting anything done.

Once, I met some "impressive" people in Beijing at their private siheyuan clubhouse. Inside, I found several people playing ghuai dan (a card game similar to how ancient officials and wealthy young lords might have played with crickets). After finishing the game, they moved into a drinking session with a large round table seating 10 people. The person organizing the gathering would gradually summon other people.

Even the seating order was particular—who's the host, who's the co-host, who's accompanying, who's serving, who's the main speaker. During the meal, each person had two pairs of chopsticks—one for dipping into shared dishes, one for their own plate. Nearly every dish came with serving spoons or tongs, with designated people doing the serving.

When drinking, each person had a small wine cup and there was a wine dispenser. Besides Moutai, there were various branded spirits with their own stories. Each dish had stories too. One dish was an entire fried ribbon fish, exceptionally long—approximately 1.5 meters or so, about 5-7 centimeters wide, stretching across the entire table. The main speaker explained that they had just arranged someone to catch it sea fishing yesterday. Sea fishing depends on weather and luck, and he spent half the time talking about the fish.

Before the meal began, there would be rounds of introductions, then the main speaker would introduce various topics, and eventually, after everyone had drunk their fill, they'd start toasting each other. Whoever appeared to have higher status would be toasted in rotation. But frankly, such people are basically useless from a business perspective—their role is simply to elevate the overall "status."

Now, when you go to the South, especially Guangzhou or Shenzhen, most people you meet talk about concrete business deals and communication efficiency. Many don't bother with these preliminaries or necessarily need to drink and exchange pleasantries. They just go straight to the office, wear slippers, sit by the tea table, skillfully pour you tea, and start discussing cooperation. As for whether cooperation will happen—one meeting basically clarifies everything.