He dearly wanted to be surprised at the events unfolding around him. Sadly, this was not the case. Alone in his office the young man sat, shocked, processing what it all meant. The sound from the TV affixed to the wall lay muted, even as the broadcast video stream played on. Not unexpectedly, the local anchors carried quite a different tone than that of their American journalistic counterparts. Beijing's official statements spoke of "national glory" and the "natural and destined expansion of the superior Chinese culture and life." Junjie's personal response turned out to be something altogether less positive, having vomited twice so far in his private washroom. The aftertaste of bile, still present in his mouth, only underscored the horrified feelings he held in his heart. I could have stopped this from happening. I should have stopped this from happening. The merciless self-beating was neither constructive nor fair. Still, the what-if scenarios flowed unabated, like wildfire over dry timber, carrying his mind ever further toward despair.
