After Xi Jinping placed Hu Chunhua under house arrest, is he targeting Wen Jiabao and Jia Qinglin? Peking University students rebel: holding up diplomas to say no! "Letter to the Nation" appears on Hangzhou university campus, housing market has been falling for four years, Hegang is everywhere in China! (Lao Beijing Teahouse/Episode 1790/2026/10/31)
This episode mainly discusses current political events, the socio-economy, and trending hot topics. First, it reports news following the Fifth Plenary Session that Hu Chunhua is rumored to be under house arrest with his relatives implicated, and mentions that anti-CCP slogans have appeared at Hangzhou Foreign Languages School and several other universities. Next, it analyzes Xi Jinping's strict monitoring of phone calls and gatherings involving retired senior officials such as Wen Jiabao and Jia Qinglin. Subsequently, it explores the nationwide sharp drop in house prices, the "Hegang-ization" phenomenon, and the trend of young people giving up on buying homes. It then focuses on the legal and social repercussions triggered by a case in Shanghai where a half-share of a 200-million-yuan inheritance left for an only daughter was taken. Finally, it reports on Kevin Tsai's public stance after facing suppression in Mainland China and the relevant response from the Taiwan Affairs Office.
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Speaking of the Fifth Plenary Session, the entire process maintained reverse selection and operated inside a black box. Although the meeting is over, the remaining black holes continue to engulf the intelligence, logic, vision, and patience of the Chinese onlookers. At 8:37 PM Eastern Time yesterday, the X account "Sino-US Stories" pushed two images: one showing a small red booklet placed to the left of Hu Chunhua during the voting at the Fifth Plenary Session, and the other a close-up photo of the cover of a CPPCC work notebook, which was basically the same model as the one in front of Hu Chunhua. This time, the Goldbach conjecture of the Fifth Plenary Session has finally been solidified—what was placed in front of Little Hu was not the Party Constitution. "Sino-US Stories" left a line: stop making wild guesses, he doesn't have the mind for it, let alone the courage. If Hu Chunhua could circumvent the Great Firewall and see this line, he would certainly deliver a monologue from the heart: Does this fucking have anything to do with whether I have the mind or courage? I went to the meeting without even combing my hair, deliberately acting like a down-and-out coward. But Emperor Steamed Bun's paranoia is terminal; he feels that even my breathing is a threat to him.
At 6:13 AM Eastern Time today, October 31, former CCP official Du Wen posted a piece of news: according to the latest reliable domestic sources, Hu Chunhua has been placed under house arrest, his wife has been detained, and Hu Chunhua himself is undergoing investigation. His contact with the outside world has been completely severed. Since Hu Chunhua affects the overall political stability, he is allowed to appear in public and attend events, but is not allowed to speak. The Ministry of Public Security and state security (MSS) have dispatched 600 police officers to Inner Mongolia. After reading this news, I was bewildered again. Is the CCP leader Xi the Steamed Bun really going to ruthlessly execute the seemingly harmless Hu Chunhua? If Xi Jinping is fully in power, why is it necessary to make a big fuss against a former successor who has completely yielded, losing public support in the process? If Xi Jinping is not fully in power, he wouldn't provoke trouble for himself by pushing a former crown prince who has surrendered into a swimming pool and triggering a collective backlash, unless Xi has entered a psychotic state of "late-stage tyrant cancer" and must put the former crown prince Hu Chunhua to death just to catch his breath. Well, who knows.
Shortly after posting this message, Du Wen posted an update: "Latest news: more than 100 of my relatives in China and Du-surname relatives connected to old Du have been taken away for investigation by the state security (MSS) and police (Public Security). They were subjected to prolonged interrogation, had their mobile phones confiscated, and so on. Many of these people are still children. Since I left China again after being released from prison, I haven't met any of them." Old Du said, "Here I solemnly warn Chen Yixin, Minister of State Security; Wang Xiaohong, Minister of Public Security; and the master behind them, Xi Jinping: Old Du no longer has any relation with his family. If you have the guts, come at me." If what Du Wen said is true, just how terrified is Xi Jinping in his heart? The sound of the wheat-carrying man's heavy breathing echoes in his ears. You bunch of leeks talk big while standing comfortably, do you even know that rebels are already everywhere under heaven?
Do you know that a "Proclamation to the Compatriots" has shockingly appeared on the lawn of the Hangzhou Foreign Languages School, directly pointing out that the CCP is the root cause of all problems, tearing off the CCP's fig leaf completely? It really tore it to shreds, and the opening is deafening: Why do you break your back working 996 yet still struggle to survive from day to day? Why do you pay the heaviest taxes and fees in the world, yet live in fear that a single illness will ruin your family, while some people lie in cadre hospital wards built with your blood, spending tens of millions trying to live to 150 years old? Why do you live like ants in misery while they lord it over others, enjoying all-inclusive special provisions for food, clothing, housing, and transportation, and even collecting pensions far greater than your salary after retirement? It is because you are supporting the largest vested interest group in human history. The Party exercises overall leadership over everything, and everything is completely rotten. Their hands have always been stained with the blood of our compatriots, but they are habitual liars who permit neither the truth to be spoken nor the truth to be known, turning the divine land of China into a huge concentration camp with only one voice. The dictatorial and corrupt Chinese Communist Party is the root cause of all of China's problems, the total obstacle preventing China from moving toward a civilized society, and the ultimate demon sucking the future and destiny of the entire country dry. Wake up, Chinese people; only without the Communist Party will there be a new China.
Meanwhile, another piece of news went viral. An X account named "Water Flood Across the World" posted a message: "The big one is really coming. Our fellow students in major universities across the country can't wait anymore. Today we received frontline activity photos sent by members of the organizations from Peking University, Harbin Institute of Technology, and Hunan University. 'Say NO,' the 'You are not worthy' movement has really arrived." Then there is a photo of a raised Peking University student ID logo and a Peking University diploma, in the middle of which a Lennon Wall small paper note from the Hong Kong anti-extradition movement has appeared on the diploma, with a huge "NO" printed on it. Also, at the main campus gate landscape wall of the Harbin Institute of Technology, someone pasted a piece of white paper printed with "Say NO, you are not worthy." And on the base of the Mao Zedong statue at Hunan University, someone pasted a piece of calligraphy written with a soft brush saying "Say NO, you are not worthy." To be honest, my eyes are really dazzled. Is the world outside the wall wonderful, while the world inside the wall is helpless? Through the efforts of the Chief Accelerator, Emperor Steamed Bun Xi Jinping, has this heartbreaking contrast in the compilation been completely reversed? What do you think, almighty tea-drinking friends?
Recently, The Epoch Times received an exclusive leak from a Beijing source. Now, due to Xi Jinping's unspeakable inner panic, the central authorities are keeping tighter and tighter control over officials. To what extent is it strict? Retired high-ranking officials must report when making phone calls to each other. The Beijing source, using the pseudonym "Tang Ming," said that one manifestation of Xi Jinping's promotion of "strict governance of the Party" is the continuous tightening of private interactions among high-ranking officials. The restricted scope has extended from private dinners and home-visits among current members of the Political Bureau to phone calls between retired members of the Standing Committee. For example, if Wen Jiabao wants to make a phone call to Jia Qinglin, this must be reported to the General Office of the CCP Central Committee (Banning). In addition, meetings and gatherings of these retired high-ranking officials at certain events are no longer allowed, and even former subordinates visiting their old leaders must report it. Furthermore, this is not just an [oral] request; it has already formed an internal document. "Tang Ming" gave an example: some normal private dealings in the past—for instance, Jia Qinglin's subordinate going to visit Jia Qinglin's home—are no longer allowed now, and all must be reported to the General Office.
Come to think of it, in the eyes of Xi, these retired political elders "retiring without truly stepping down" is roughly equivalent to "not dying in old age is a form of banditry." Aside from restricting private gatherings and home visits, Tang Ming also mentioned that the daily communications of high-ranking officials are strictly monitored. Regarding whether these retired heavyweights could bypass official communication channels to contact each other, Tang Ming believes that individuals could only privately communicate through family members delivering personal letters, and there are no other secure ways of communication. Moreover, to what extent is this daily monitoring? Tang Ming gave an example: even the words spoken by Ma Xingrui and Zhang Youxia at a dinner table were reported to Xi Jinping. Wait, this is completely chaotic; Ma Xingrui is a hardcore Xi Jinping loyalist, and his downfall was also orchestrated by anti-Xi factions, so what kind of reactionary remarks could he possibly have uttered behind closed doors? Anyway, regardless, one thing is certain: the CCP system is truly a meat grinder, and the moment you swear your life to the party, your ending is already written as "no rest until death."
Speaking of "no rest until death," looking back over 600 years, someone had already set an example for old Xi: the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang. Back then, to consolidate imperial power and suppress the scholar-bureaucrat group, the Ming emperors built the most rigorous and pervasive secret service intelligence network in ancient Chinese history. The Jinyiwei (Embroidered Uniform Guard) and the Eastern and Western Depots made all officials tremble in fear and horror. A very typical and widely circulated story from that time involves Song Lian, a minister known as the "foremost of the founding scholar-minerals" during Zhu Yuanzhang's reign. One day, he hosted a banquet at home where the host and guests enjoyed themselves thoroughly. To his surprise, the next day Zhu Yuanzhang cordially asked him, "Old Song, I heard you hosted a banquet yesterday. Who did you invite? How did you arrange the seating? What dishes were served? How is your cook's skill, and how did the food taste?" Hearing this, Song Lian fell to his knees and answered every detail meticulously. Then, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and produced a "banquet seating chart" secretly drawn by the Jinyiwei, and finding no errors, he was satisfied with Song Lian's absolute loyalty.
I wonder if the supreme leader of the CCP mafia, Xi Jinping, would smile faintly and hide his achievements and fame: absolute loyalty requires absolute loyalty, and monitoring officials is an absolute must. But you, old Zhu, are inadequate—your Ming dynasty backbone ministers still dared to hold dinner parties! Look at what I do: banquets, and even private phone calls between officials, are completely out of the question. Doesn't that beat you by eight hundred miles? Let me ask you, isn't the advantage of my Xi era over the Great Ming blatantly obvious? After all, "with big data monitoring in hand, the world is mine." According to Tang Ming's description, private banquets, visiting friends, or other contacts not easily subject to organizational supervision have become political risks that need to be avoided. "Private gatherings are completely eradicated from then on," otherwise it is very easy to be labeled as defying the wind and committing offenses, weaving "networks of relationships," and engaging in "small circles" or "factions." Anyway, there is always a label suitable for you. Isn't that terrifying enough?
However, after sharing the source's news, let me finally offer my own judgment: has Xi Jinping really driven the highest echelons of the CCP and the entire party into a state of panic where every tree and bush looks like an enemy? Of course he has. He will undoubtedly use the most advanced technology, such as big data, to high-pressure intimidate former leaders, retired cadres, and political elders. The question is, can he pull it off? If he truly had his way and controlled the party like an iron bucket, he wouldn't need to keep upgrading these methods. Constantly ramping things up and repeatedly escalating precisely proves that he cannot control the massive bureaucratic system, so he can only rely on constantly making fierce threats to discipline his own people and scare his opponents. And will his opponents sit ducks and wait for death? Of course not. Therefore, an even greater bloody storm will surely arrive soon. Alright, an emergency poll: do you think Xi Jinping can control the covert maneuvers of the high-ranking party elites? Optional answers: 1. Yes, 2. No, 3. Don't know, anything is possible. Hurry up and type the number in the comment section.
Tea friends, do you remember the trending topic from a few years ago about buying a house in Hegang? Where did this all start? It began with the 2019 viral article, "I Spent 50,000 Yuan to Buy a House After Wandering to Hegang." Later, in 2020, there was news about a food delivery rider buying a house after working for three months, and similar stories were reported in 2021. In the first half of 2022, the story of a girl buying three houses for 170,000 yuan went viral. In the second half of 2022, another 25-year-old girl escaped the big city, bought a 46-square-meter house for 15,000 yuan, and spent 1,000 yuan a month hiring a housekeeper to cook for her, achieving a happy relocation, and so on. At that time, the average price in Hegang was less than 2,200 yuan per square meter. This housing price shocked many people, who flocked to say they wanted to go to Hegang to achieve housing freedom and live a lying-flat life. Hegang attracted people to settle down, boasting Grade-A tertiary hospitals, high-quality middle schools, beautiful scenery, and a low overall cost of living, with average restaurant spending at only 30 yuan per person. Hegang's housing prices were not only low but also offered incredible value. Thus, Hegang seemed to become the end of the universe, the ultimate destination for lying flat and avoiding the rat race, a paradise for the working class.
Four years later, Hegang's housing prices have dropped even further. But you no longer see media talking about going to Hegang to buy a house. Why? Because now, housing prices across the country are aligning with Hegang. First, look at Fuxin, Liaoning: it's a 1-hour high-speed train ride to Shenyang and 2.5 hours to Beijing. It also has Grade-A tertiary hospitals, key middle schools, and the Liaoning Technical University. It's warmer in winter than Hegang and cool in summer. And what about Fuxin's housing prices? The cheapest is 300 yuan per square meter; you can buy a small house for 15,000 yuan, and a 100-square-meter three-bedroom property for 30,000 yuan. In 2026, a two-bedroom apartment with full renovation and floor heating costs only 38,000 yuan—the cost of the floor heating is basically just the price of the renovation. Of course, some might complain that the Northeast is too cold and ask if there are warmer places. The answer is yes: Ezhou, Hubei. It's a half-hour subway ride to Wuhan, the city's per capita disposable income is 40,000 yuan, and the education, medical care, and greenery are all quite good. A 93-square-meter house there costs a total of 61,800 yuan, which is 659 yuan per square meter.
If you think these are small cities far from home and ask if there are cheap houses in "big cities," the answer is yes: Zhengzhou, Henan. With a permanent population of over 13 million, it is considered a megacity by global standards. You only need to drive 40 minutes to an hour toward the suburbs to find a subway-accessible house for 200,000 yuan. And this price isn't even the final transaction price; I checked the actual sales, and an 80-square-meter apartment can be sold for less than 170,000 yuan. If your budget is a little higher, there are even more choices. For example, you can buy an 80-plus-square-meter house in Wuzhong District, Suzhou for 390,000 yuan. A 92-square-meter property in Pukou, Nanjing can be had for 120,000 yuan, and the renovation is quite decent. In Qiaobei, near the Yangtze River Bridge, you can also buy a 60-square-meter house for 180,000 yuan. If you have a budget of 1 million yuan, as long as you are willing to spend time searching and negotiating, you can definitely buy a very good house outside of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. In fact, if you look carefully in Guangdong, you can also find cheap houses; for example, Zhuhai is also quite good with 100,000-yuan houses. Some new houses in Yangxi County, Yangjiang City, Guangdong are only 3,800 yuan per square meter, and it takes less than half an hour to drive to the high-speed railway station. Are you tempted? Keep looking and you will find even more "Hegang alternatives," because currently, housing prices in a large number of cities are continuing to fall. These places are warmer than Hegang, have better supporting facilities, more job opportunities, and a more pleasant climate, while the housing prices are not much higher.
In the past, if someone asked, "What is your biggest dream?" many would answer, "For housing prices to drop." Now that housing prices have finally fallen, one might have expected transaction volumes to increase significantly and more people to buy homes, but the reality is complicated. That didn't happen. After housing prices fell again and again, the group that used to clamor about "rigid demand" disappeared. Fewer and fewer ordinary people are buying or upgrading homes. Whether it's the entry-level homes under 90 square meters favored by workers or the 100-square-meter-plus upgrade homes, prices are dropping. First-time homes are no longer a rigid demand, and replacement homes are even less so. In big cities, a single apartment costs at least 1 million, so the mantra for potential buyers has become, "Waiting one more year saves 50,000." Since many people only earn about 50,000 a year, why not wait a year and save a year's salary? Thus, the so-called "rigid demand" has become a pseudo-concept. Those who shouted they must buy a house have accepted renting; those who wanted to upgrade think they can just endure living in their old, small apartments. Only then did everyone realize that buying a house is not a rigid demand; having a place to live is. Since that seems basically satisfied, why make life difficult for oneself? Anyway, dating, marriage, and having children are not rigid demands either. So, having said all this, do you suddenly feel enlightened? As long as you haven't lost your money in the stock market, just lying flat is making money. However, no one considers one question: when the common people are no longer anxious, will the CCP, which rides on their necks, become anxious instead?
Recently, the Party and the government have been so anxious about the "cattle and horses" (the masses) refusing to have children that they are making loud, empty promises again. This time, they are bluffing about accelerating the construction of a "fertility-friendly" society, continuously improving policies on marriage, childbirth, child-rearing, and education, and optimizing support measures for families in terms of finance, taxation, social security, and housing, blah, blah, blah. But these policies, which look quite beautiful, are really only beautiful "on the surface." Their effect in encouraging marriage was crushed to dust by a recent high-profile divorce case. On October 24, the topic "Only daughter in Shanghai has half of her 200 million inheritance taken away" suddenly topped the Weibo trending list. A lawyer told the story of an only daughter who was "stripped of her family assets" (chi jue hu) in 2023. After her parents died suddenly in a car accident and her grandparents and maternal grandparents had long since passed away, she became the sole legal heir and successfully inherited 200 million in assets. Here is the key point: her parents did not leave a will before they died. So, just as the inheritance procedures were completed, the melodramatic plot unfolded: her husband of only one year filed for divorce on the grounds of personality incompatibility and demanded a division of this inheritance. The husband was particularly self-righteous, citing the relevant provisions of the Civil Code of the CCP, which state that property inherited during the marriage is considered joint marital property: "We have a marriage certificate."
Do you know the final outcome? The woman later negotiated and reached a settlement with the man, and he withdrew the lawsuit after receiving a small portion of the assets. This "small portion" amounted to tens of millions. One year of marriage in exchange for money that might take a lifetime to earn—no matter how you look at it, it is a big "good deal." Some people stood up for the woman and asked, "Are men with marriage certificates all this arrogant?" The lawyer replied that the Civil Code of the CCP has explicit provisions; Article 1062 clearly states that property inherited or gifted during the marriage belongs to the couple jointly. In this case, the inheritance was statutory, and since it occurred during the marriage, the money is indeed presumed to be joint marital property under the laws of the CCP. The man's claim that "I have a marriage certificate" sounds harsh, but the woman has to accept her fate. However, if you look at the rest of the world—or even just the rest of Asia, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and even Vietnam—the legal bottom line and social common sense in these places are to protect the private property of the original family and prevent wealth plundering through marriage. Yet, these common sense principles do not work in the CCP's China. It is said that the only psychological comfort the only daughter had left was this: "That's fine. Even if it were all in my hands, it would eventually be snatched away by the skin-peeling Communist Party anyway. Since we were married, let him have a share." Look at this mindset—is it high-level or what? Reconciling with her ex-husband as quickly as possible and then uniting against the outside world—divorcing the husband but not the ambition, and still having to work hard to destroy the CCP. The so-called "rule of law" country talks a better game than it sings, but this one case has directly discouraged countless young people who wanted to get married. Can you handle the intensity of this "Great Nation" shooting itself in the foot?
After Kevin Tsai was forced to terminate all his financial interests in Mainland China and posted an apology on Weibo, the CCP Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) finally stepped in fashionably late. However, truth be told, Brother Tsai is a man of principle. Although it was an apology, it was actually just a few words to express gratitude to his concerned fans and offer an elegant farewell. Moreover, he only admitted that he has always hoped for friendly exchanges across the Taiwan Strait and holds no stance supporting Taiwan independence; additionally, he acknowledged that his parents were from Shanghai. The entire text contained no phrases like "One China" or "I am Chinese." The TAO was exceptionally "thoughtful," immediately doing a good deed anonymously by smoothly adding that meaning for Kevin Tsai. On October 28, Chen Binhua, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, stated at a regular press conference that maintaining national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the common obligation of all Chinese hard-working cattle-and-horse people, including those in Taiwan. We always claim to respect and guarantee Taiwan's legitimate speech and freedom of expression, but there is zero ambiguous space on major issues of right and wrong. He expressed hope that Taiwanese entertainment figures would take pride in uprightly being Chinese cattle and horses, doing more good deeds beneficial to cross-strait goodwill, cross-strait cooperation, cross-strait united front operations, and turning the two sides into one. Thank you so much! They blatantly drew an equals sign between "not supporting Taiwan independence" and "being a citizen of the CCP country," mainly focusing on pulling off a slick trick to fool you without discussion.
Looking back at history, after the second Chinese Civil War in 1949, the government of the Republic of China relocated to Taiwan, losing actual governance over the provinces of Mainland China. However, it claimed to still be the "sole legitimate government" of all China in terms of "constitutional legitimacy." Of course, given the pragmatic attitude toward the status quo of cross-strait non-subordination, current Taiwanese official and civilian maps have gradually shifted to drawing maps centered around the area under actual effective governance—that is, the Taiwan region. Isn't that why we say Brother Tsai is a man of principle? After the CCP TAO tried to seal the deal with their final verdict, Kevin Tsai spoke out publicly once again. He said he didn't care about being ruined: "What is the point of clutching onto your reputation?" The implication being that coercive tactics using fame and fortune won't work on him. On October 29, Kevin Tsai appeared as a guest on host Wang Weizhong's interview program to talk about his experiences and mindset during this period. Regarding the boycott and suppression he faced in Mainland China, which forced the cancellation of his commercial activities, Tsai admitted his losses were severe. Although it was painful, his overall mood during this time was quite OK. Tsai said, "Because I don't want to emerge unscathed, I don't want to be a wealthy idle person, and I don't want to play it safe. I have already suffered huge losses, but if I can handle the turmoil, I might as well embrace it; otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste?" To his fans in Mainland China, Kevin Tsai said, "I owe them too much, so before I suddenly had to disappear, I at least had to tell them that I won't be able to meet them again, but I will always be grateful to them."
Tsai said, "What's the point of clutching onto your reputation? Why not burn it to exchange for some warmth and change? What do you need it for?" Regarding Taiwan's nine-in-one local elections, Tsai left a message for the audience: "The important thing about voting is whether you yourself win. When you cast your vote for the life you want, you win." Let's gently ask the Little Pinks: have you even figured out what a ballot looks like?
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