The Bird People in China (Chûgoku no chôjin)

Since my birth, I've slept more than 10,000 times.

But I've never dreamt of being able to fly like a bird.

THE BIRD PEOPLE IN CHINA

This is the sound of a moving train in Yun Nan, China.

The news is: this is where I am now.

Ah... for the past few days,

I had to cope with

both my former assignment and a new one which jumped in.

It's been so chaotic that I haven't had time to record my diary.

Things have finally settled a bit now.

That's why I'm recording this.

This business trip was decided about a week ago.

Ah... I guess it was about then.

Originally, concerning the stones in Asia,

Mr. Okamura was in charge.

But, with this and that,

Mr. Okamura was rushed to the hospital.

What fed to that concerns Mr. Okamura 's privacy,

so I will refrain from recording it.

The fact is, I've been chosen to replace him,

and have been sent to Yun Nan.

I don't know how it'll turn out,

but when the manager begged me,

I couldn't refuse.

But concerning stones such as jade,

I have very limited knowledge about them.

I would be lying

if I said I were confident about it.

I've been busy as hell

and don't exactly remember what I've been doing the past few days.

I even had a wild wish that the airplane would fly slower.

Anyway, I came to China for the first time,

and am now on a train.

If I keep riding this train, it would go to Cheng Du.

I am...

I'm supposed to get off at...

I don't know how to pronounce it.

I'm supposed to meet the guide there, who knows about the vein of jade.

I hear his English is hopeless, but he's fluent in Japanese.

I'll ask him to record later.

Bye for now.

P.S. Judging from what I ate a while ago

the food here seems to be high in fat.

I might have to watch the calories.

Maybe...

Japanese? It's a Japanese song.

What?

From your fine attire, I presume you are Mr. Wada.

Mr. Shen?

Please speak into it.

It's running.

I'm Shen.

I've met Mr. Wada for the first time.

I'll give him a whole-hearted welcome.

Is this okay? I'm bashful.

Thank you very much.

You're a pervert.

Mr. Wada has arrived.

Mr. Shen...

Please. Please get in.

Thank you.

Hey, you. When do you expect to eat?

Oh, ah...

Whenever you two are hungry.

Okay. Okay.

What? Stop.

Move over.

You're the one.

My, my, how nice to see this.

Best memory of that summer.

So you brought along a companion with you after all.

You must tell me beforehand, or else I would be confused.

Close it.

Excuse me. Who are you?

My Companion?

Mr. Shen.

Get out.

Don't be fucking cute.

You're supposed to welcome me and show me around, huh?

Why're you doing this?

I don't know what's going on.

I really don't know.

I heard you. I know what's going on.

But I don't.

You guys...

I came to make sure you're not eating the candy alone.

Candy...?

That's a metaphor, dummy. ls your brain fucked up?

Because your company hasn't paid back the money we loaned,

I've come to collect. Get it?

I have to deal with this idiot.

Okamura isn't faking his illness, is he?

No. He's really in the hospital.

I've got one of my men watching him,

so if you're lying...

I'm telling the truth.

It's the truth.

Why did he suddenly get the hernia?

If you're lying, I'll give you a hernia, too.

I'm telling the truth.

Excuse me...

What?

What is this debt you're talking about?

Your company kept stalling the payment with some fucking excuses.

But finally gave us word that you'd pay us back

with this precious stone or something.

You brought us this story about a vein of precious stones.

Then you suddenly said it was no good.

"Wait a bit more" my ass.

- Are you talking about jade? - Yeah, that.

You know about it.

But, listen to this.

After a while,

in the same area where they found the stones

a major jeweler found a different vein, a big one.

Oh, yes. You mean that American jeweler.

Did you sell the information and get the kick-back?

No, of course not!

I don't give a fuck,

but my boss and other members of the family firmly believe so.

He doesn't want that to happen again.

That's why I ended up here.

Hey, Ujiie.

You like Chinese food, don't you?

Don't you?

Get it? Huh?

Think of it as a chance to enjoy genuine Chinese food.

Chinese food.

Hey. The door is gone.

What's happened to the...?

It's this car's door.

The door.

The door.

Door. Door.

Terrific way to start out.

Hey, that...

Hey, why's he starting the car?

What about the door?

The door. The door.

It's because he has no rope today.

Rope?

Hey. Hey. Wait a minute.

Wait. Dammit.

Okay. Okay.

Nobody will steal that door. Possibility very low.

Dammit.

I'm not worried about the fucking door.

What the fuck? I saw that.

Did you see what I saw?

I saw it, too.

The dead-beat driver is whistling.

Change the car. How can I ride in this?!

God damn!

Can you believe it?

This is Yun Nan, and my butt is sore.

Now, behind a thin wall

a yakuza is taking a shower.

I must sleep with him in the same room.

The piece...

The piece...

There's no hot water.

Shen. Shen.

Dirt-bag.

The water's cold.

You came all this way. Why don't you look around a bit, you tasteless bastard?

I'm here to work. Must study a bit.

They're only stones.

You don't care about the quality of...

Fuck you.

Watch your mouth.

Any complaints?

Take it easy. This town will soon have an airport.

Then work will be easy.

More ethnic costumes, more tourism.

Then, you can look after him better next year.

There's one thing I'd like to confirm.

Our so-called destination...

For us foreigners,

it's in the restricted area, isn't it?

In such a place, would it be possible to do business?

Okay. Okay.

It's restricted, but it's not a military zone.

Go and see if it's worth business.

If you think it's good then, anything's possible in recent China.

Then how come foreigners can't go in?

Because it's a real remote place.

The committee doesn't know it well, either.

There's an old man who doesn't know about Mao Tse-tung.

About him being dead?

No, about such a man existing.

Good evening.

Are you here on business?

Good luck.

Hey. He's Japanese.

You forgot something?

Thank you very much.

What's this?

A man with wings.

Is it from ancient times?

Yes, it was found in the upper part of Hokkaido.