Speech at the HKUST MAE farewell party for four old leaving old cannons

Kai Tang

June 21, 2022

I do have prepared a written note for my short speech at this evening’s farewell party for Profs. Cai Lilong, Qiu Huihe, Ricky Lee, and myself. I remembered very vividly that almost 20 years ago, in 2003, at Prof. Zheng Ping’s retirement farewell party, Prof. Sun Qingping gave a very long and touching speech; but before he went to the podium to speak, he drank two full cups of red wine, just to 壮胆. Today, when I speak here, I don’t need to drink that much wine.

First, I would like to say, four of us colleagues have been working together for more than 21 years. Actually, for the other three, i.e., Cai Lilong, Qiu Huihe, and Ricky Lee, they have been working together for more than 28 years. 28 years is a very long time in a man’s life, just remember that in 1949 the average life expectance of men in China was under 50. Using a fitting Chinese word, this is 缘分. Maybe I can add one adjective, 四个老炮儿的缘分. So, here, I want to say it sincerely to Lilong, Huihe and Ricky: it’s been really a great pleasure to be your colleagues in the past 21 years, it’s been a great enjoyment, a great run, and most importantly, a great fun. I wish the best to you three for the future to come, and also to myself.

This is a bit sentimental time, but also a happy time, so let me tell a true story about one of us, 一位真正的老炮儿, 蔡李隆, so to enlighten the atmosphere and throw in some laughs.

The story began on one day in Sept. of 2001 when I just came to HKUST. On that day we had our department PG orientation in room 2404. Ricky was the PG coordinator that year, and he was at the podium introducing our dept to the new PG students, while we faculty members sat in the front 3 rows. Ricky was saying something like “you students are so young, just in your early 20’s, you are the future and hope.” Suddenly, I heard Lilong’s voice:

“Shit, I am 45 years old now, I can’t believe it.”

Ten years later, in the year of 2011, our dept had a retreat in Foshan, I think at Ricky’s LED Lab. In the evening, we had a very fancy dinner. After drinking some 白酒plus 红酒 plus 香槟，Lilong’s face gradually turned into a red tomato. Suddenly, again, we heard his voice:

“F***, I am 55 years old now, I can’t believe it.”

Actually, in my view, every man will feel the same, as what Lilong did, when he goes through his life, particularly at epoch times such as 45, 55, 65 years old, etc. Except, Lilong as a 老炮儿just cried his feeling loudly, while most of us simply mutely bite it to ourselves. You know, mid-life is the toughest time in a man’s journey of life. Because, while that is the time when a man begins to enjoy the true color of life, that’s also the time when he feels this mountain-like pressure from life itself, such as peer competition, money issues, loss of youth, the fading attractiveness to ladies, and most of all, after seeing his white hair in the mirror and passing away of his elder relatives or even some classmates, he finally begins to realize that life is short. Put it bluntly, a man’s life is a journey designed for him to lose:

· To lose that soft touch on the cheek from his touching mother.

· To lose that jittering first kiss from his first lover.

· To lose his youth, the time when every day is filled with excitement and vibrancy.

· To lose his prime, the time when every day he gets up and believes he can write a 《Science》paper.

· To lose his hair, which used to be as thick as the deep blue ocean in Clear Water Bay in a bright spring morning.

· To lose the fire of love.

· To see his beloved parents age, day by day, year by year, becoming weaker and weaker, older and older, and finally lose them.

· To lose more and more ……

But, through all these losses, 涅槃重生, a new man is reborn!

Recharged, with a different horizon of vision, with a deeper understanding of himself, a more compassionate attitude towards his fellow men, and most importantly, a more appreciation of life itself, this man now embarks on a new phase of his journey at 65 years old.

So, let me hypothesize what Lilong would say at his future epoch times. Actually, let me use the generic name Old Cannon (老炮儿) to replace the name of Lilong, as he could be any one of us four old cannons, or more generally, he could be any man in this room.

First, today, at this party, we will no longer hear Old Cannon shout “shit” or that four letter word. Instead, I guess he will say something like this:

“All right, I am 65 years old, so what, that’s not too bad. I should thank God to let me have those past 30 years to do things that I am interested in, brought up two beautiful and successful kids, a loving wife, no worry about food on the table and medical insurance. What else more should I ask for? Am I already fortunate enough compared to other fellow men?”

Then, 10 years later, at 75, still swimming 2000 meters every day, touching the heads of his four grandchildren, Old Cannon exclaims:

“Wonderful, how good life is! I have never felt this piece of mind as I am feeling now. Now, when I see a beautiful girl, my heart no longer 七上八下, my breath no longer waves; instead, it’s like I am looking at my own beautiful granddaughter, the more beautiful she is, the happier I am, and how wonderful this is. Now, I almost forgot what SCI stands for, what H-index is, is it health index? Now, when I hear the news that some 30-something has just received 中国国家科学技术一等奖, I don’t feel any jittery or envy but a genuine happiness for him, as I am hoping that his work will make our children’s lives better. Isn’t it wonderful that you feel happy when other people are happy?”

Then, 10 more years later, at 85, still swimming but reduced to 200 meters a day, touching the heads of his 8 great grandchildren, Old Cannon smiles and says to himself:

“Great, I am 85 years old now, I have already lived longer than 99% of 7 billion Chinese men. I still swim; occasionally I still study my Cai Control Theory; on my birth days, my 4 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren send their congratulation emojis to my WeChat account; my fasting glucose is only 5.9; when I go out wearing sunglasses, I sometimes still hear ladies whispering behind me ‘这老头儿还挺有范儿的’. What else should I ask for?”

Then, 10 more years later, at 95, still swimming but further reduced to 20 meters another day, Old Cannon looks at the sky and prays:

“谢谢你，老天爷！I remember once I read a pop science article, it said so far there are a total about 100 billion human beings who have lived on Earth. How many of them have lived to see their 95th birthday? 1 in a million? Or 10 million? And that includes both men and women, and you know women unfairly live longer than men. So, as a man, how lucky I am to be at 95 years old! More than half of my PhD students have already died, but I am still alive, shouldn’t I thank God? I am no longer contributing to the society, but the society still cares for me. Look, I just had first great great grandson last month; my living PhD students just held a birthday party for me yesterday; even the Chinese Society of Control Theories remembers me, last week sent me a post card to show their appreciation of my Cai Control Theory. You know, at 95 years old, being loved by my family, still interacting with the society, am I blessed?”

Finally, 10 more years later, Old Cannon has arrived at the grandiose age of 105 years. By this time, Old Cannon no longer lives in Hong Kong, but in 河南商丘, which is his ancestors’ origin and he relocated to it at his centennial birthday. He still swims, but now only 2 meters a week, and in a bathtub. On his 105 years birthday, in his backyard, there hangs a huge banner, on which shine eight huge Chinese characters “一百零五，耄耋翘楚”, and below there are more than 50 signatures, which are from Old Cannon’s 2 children, 4 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren, 22 great great grandchildren, and more than 15 God grandchildren.

There is an absolute tranquillity on Old Cannon’s face. Eyes closed, he holds two hands into a soft fist and puts under his chin, and then whispers softly to himself, or seemingly to someone above:

“Oh, this world, so many wars, so much suffering, so many pains, so much hate, so many evils, so much injustice, so much inequality, and so many problems …… But, at the same time, how beautiful this world is, and, no matter what, how strong human beings have been keeping up their hope on this world, and trying to make this world work, to make it better, to make it more peaceful, to make it more benevolent, and to infuse more kindness and love into this world. Oh, my fellow human beings, please, please cherish this 地球村, because this is the only home of our species, we only have a single 人类共同体啊. Oh, my fellow human beings, the closer to the time of departing forever from you, the deeper love and caring I feel for you. All of you are my children, I want you to continue, I want this 地球村 to continue to exist in the universe, God bless you all.”

At this very moment, in the remote western corner of sky, a huge and beautiful seven-color rainbow has appeared, wherein a soft and benevolent voice floats in:

“Old Cannon, my son, come, please come to home!”

Tears in eyes, Old Cannon opens his arms towards the rainbow:

“Yes, I am coming, I am coming to home.”

And that concludes a man’s journey of life.

God bless you all!