Weng had been assured by Mr. Yi’s accountants that

he now possessed a fortune large enough

for a hundred lifetimes.

“Or a hundred people over one lifetime,” Weng said.

For his neighbors Weng’s unemployment

had become a great mystery they were happy to live with.

Each day was a new good deed: find workers to fix leaky roofs;
hire tutors to help children learn English; put up a wall for old
people to grow flowers against;

the communal hutong bathrooms were now

the only facility in Beijing with heated toilet seats,

deluxe rain showers, steam rooms (with eucalyptus infusers),

part-time attendants, and nightly golf-cart shuttle service.

When people asked how Weng had become so rich,

he told them about his success with competitions.

Soon everyone in his hutong was entering competitions,

and a month later someone won a Jet Ski.