He didn't pull out a manuscript, and his pockets were empty. He didn't use a PPT, and the big screen behind him had only one line: "Ambassador of Hope — Chen Jianguo."
He was silent for a few seconds.
Then he began speaking, using Chinese.
"Hello everyone, I am Chen Jianguo."
An English translation came through the simultaneous interpretation headsets for the audience. Over two thousand people put on their headphones at once, creating a rustling sound in the venue, like the wind blowing through an autumn forest.
"Twelve years ago, I started sitting in a wheelchair. Back then, I often lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking to myself, this is my life now."
His voice was not loud, but very clear, each word spoken slowly, as if weighed in his heart before being spoken.
"Last year I came to Sanbo Research Institute, where I met Professor Yang Ping. He said something to me that I remember to this day. He said, 'Jianguo, you can stand up.'"
