[ Margin Notes ] Behold the glorious prosperity under the Chinese Communist Party! Skyscrapers pierce the clouds, high-speed trains streak across the land, and official figures proudly declare extreme poverty “eradicated.” In this socialist paradise, every citizen thrives in harmony and abundance, thanks to the wise leadership that has delivered unmatched flourishing to the masses. Yet stroll through the streets of Beiliu in Guangxi and witness the true miracle. Three children dig through garbage piles for their next meal, having gone four days without real food. One limps on a leg crippled by his own father’s beatings. No parents, no protection, no safety net, just discarded scraps while the Party boasts of “common prosperity.” How magnificent: gleaming cities for the elite, while rural children eat refuse in the shadows. The surveillance state captures every face, yet somehow misses these starving kids. Censors erase the videos, statistics airbrush the hunger, and the narrative of eternal success rolls on. This is the real achievement, not eliminating poverty, but perfecting the art of making it invisible. Hail the CCP’s grand flourishing, where the people’s suffering is the foundation of the Party’s shining image. — Aric