Fiction: Group 4
New Tales of the Pearl River Delta
Puikiu College, Ko, Max - 12, Fiction: Group 4
he president of China was angry.
By the year 3015, China had become the head of the world. To celebrate the birthday of
the president, Tom’s birthday, the authorities threw a huge party. Unfortunately, the Earth had
been so polluted that there is only a skinny strip of land from the once flourishing Pearl River Delta, which
is only suitable for growing fungi. It is so tiny that only ants can live there, so humans have to move to the
moon in order to survive, and the only food people can eat are pills. So when all the dancing and games are
over, president Tom boomed,
“I am starving! What is for dinner tonight?!”
His right hand man and best friend, Jerry, said,
“My president, the main course for tonight is… fried ants with mushrooms!!!!!!!”
Tom was struggling to keep his temper under control as he asked his next question,
“My friend, isn’t there anything else to eat?”
Jerry shrugged and said,
“Well, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that dish, but if you don’t want to eat that, then
there is always the Rainbow Pills!!”
“What! Again! This dish might be the reason that we are the rulers of the world, but that doesn’t
mean it has flavor!!! I want REAL food, not just a dish of ants or pills!! For thousand of years, the Pearl
River Delta had been called the Food Heaven, and yet now we don’t have anything heavenly to eat!!!!
Somebody better give me the answer to this situation in ten seconds, or else I will cut all of your salaries!
Ten, nine, eight, seven … “
The officers shifted around nervously. It isn’t every day your boss wants to cut your pay.
Fortunately, Jerry thought of an idea in the last second, so he said right before Tom finished shouting
“On …”
“Mr. President, stop that countdown, for I have just thought of the most brilliant solution to our
problem. Our scientists have just invented a time machine. Then we can use it to go back in time.
However, the drawback is that only the first 2 digits of the year can be changed.”
“Let’s go to 2015, according to the history books, the Pearl River Delta region then was modern
and prosperous.”
“But Mr. President, there were unprecedented levels of pollution in 2015, as well as a lack of food
supply regulations. The illicit dumping of chemical wastes caused the contamination of soil and water with
acid and heavy metal. We are still enduring the consequences. There were numerous records of food scares
during that era. Think of the gutter oil scandal, the melamine tainted milk, the rodent BBQ lamb, and the
bleached bean sprout...”
Jerry was getting quite frustrated over the fact that their ancestors were so reckless in their ways of
treating the environment, the calm manner he so often adopted was slipping away from him.
“Stop! That’s enough,” the President ordered in a steely voice. He knew his friend was stressed and
sympathized with him, but he could not afford for Jerry to lose it in front of other his colleagues and friends.
“How about we try to go to one of Master Jiang’s scrumptious feasts in about 1915?” A bit of
humor crept back into Jerry’s eyes, they twinkled with the playful mischief the President and him shared
once upon a time, when no such
food
problems plagued them.
“Who is Master Jiang?” Tom was genuinely confused as he couldn’t recall such a historical figure.
“He was the most famous food critic in the Pearl Delta River of all time. All Chinese celebrities,
like Sun Yat Sen, in his era enjoyed a Master Jiang banquet in his manor. All food was served from farm to
table.”
“Great idea! If that works, then your jobs are safe.” A delighted smile lit up Tom’s face.
***
Tom and Jerry walked quickly towards the Lab de Tom Company, which was the largest science
base in the world. Computers hung on the walls, each with a scientist behind it, furiously typing or
searching for ways to sustain the wasting land. In the middle of the room, a large ball was proudly presented
T
