Golden Peacock - Phatthana Saya Thein

Chapter 1

After passing the IA examination from Rangoon College in 1911, I was one of the government selections sent to study forestry at Dehradun, India in 1913. After passing the government forestry examination in 1916, I served as a forest assistant and in Pyinmana, Mogok and Katha for about 7 years.

During that time, he was frequently afflicted with malaria, which he contracted in the Pyinmana forest, and because he was not in good terms with his superiors, he was punished by having his annual salary increment withheld for three years. He became disillusioned with serving the government, and after taking a four-month leave, he finally resigned.

The reason I was at odds with my superiors was not because I was negligent in my duties. It was because I was a member of the forest department, but because I imitated other members of the forest department, especially when I had a heated argument with a forest officer who was very respectful, and I fought back with my fists and arms, but I was stubborn and did not apologize for my mistake. I was punished like this.

My father was a Chinese merchant and my mother was Burmese. My father sent me to China when I was young and taught me Chinese and the Chinese language. My appearance was indistinguishable from that of a real Chinese. I was able to speak, write, and read Chinese fluently, which was difficult because of the Chinese language. After I left work, at my father's urging, I traveled to various cities in China for more than 2 or 3 years to investigate the trade of goods between Myanmar and China. My father's goal was to directly deal with merchants from the original regions and import and sell Chinese goods to Burma.

In the meantime, my mother and father suddenly died of a sudden illness, both of them within a month. At that time, I, who was in Shanghai, was not only unemployed, but also faced great difficulties in finding money to return to Burma. In fact, I had no desire to return to Burma. I had to ask my father’s old friends in Shanghai for money. However, I had become so disappointed in Burma by working in the forest that I decided to find a job in the Chinese provinces as much as I could.

So, using the money my younger brother sent me from Yangon for rent and food, I continued to look for work in Shanghai. Except for the occasional temporary job, I had little free time, and in the end, my landlord had to pay me three months' rent.

One evening, I went to a restaurant with my last remaining silver coin and, as I walked away, feeling disappointed, unsure if this would be my last dinner, I ran into a classmate from college in Yangon.

" That's a good time, Ko Kyin Sein. I've been looking for you since morning. What are your jobs?"

" I haven't fallen anywhere yet, what are you looking for?"

"I found a job for you, you don't know I'm here, but I know about you."

" What kind of work?"

" I still remember you saying since school that you wanted to do a risky job. So when Teacher Thein said he needed someone this morning, I immediately thought of you."

" Where is the first million?"

"Among the people behind this, there is only one person who is practicing incantations, mantras, hand-made amulets, and other practices along with worldly knowledge. Haven't you heard of him?"

“ I’ve heard of him before, but I don’t remember where he was. I heard about him once in Shwe Li when I was working as a forest ranger in Katha. He’s a very special person, isn’t he?”

" What's strange is what I have to say. In addition to pursuing ancient obscure sciences, this man is also a man who speaks multiple languages, from Chinese, English, Kalaallisut, Kachin, and Shan."

" Wait a minute, what kind of work can he give me?"

" So I don't know for sure, he told me this morning that he wanted someone who spoke good Chinese, was brave, unemployed, and of good age. So I thought it would be a good idea to connect with you two, so I'm looking for you."

" Let's try it out"

" Come on, follow me. He often comes to the common house near the market. This man speaks Chinese and is very friendly with the Chinese."

" Why is this person in Shanghai?"

" Don't mention Shanghai, sir. This man has also been to Beijing. He has traveled all over India, and they say he has even been to Bali."

" I want to meet you, whether it's at work or not, it would be great if you could meet him. Come on, let's go."

Then Ko Jin Hou and I went to the house in a lan-chi. Although we did not see Than Lai at first, we continued on in the lan-chi on the instructions of a Chinese merchant who knew the house he was renting. When we arrived at the house, we met a Chinese servant who told us that his teacher would be back at 7 p.m.

" I'm sorry, it's 7 o'clock, so I can't do it because I have a small matter. But if you do this, I'll write you a letter. If you leave with this letter, it's okay. Just go. This person will already like you if he sees you. You just need to think about whether you like his work or not. What's the difference?"

Then, unemployed and having no food for the next day, I agreed to meet him on a trial basis. So we went to Ko Jin How's house, and Ko Jin How wrote a letter as he had promised, and told him to reply to him the next day, and then we parted ways.

I was walking near the market, thinking about what kind of work I would do, and as soon as 7 o'clock struck, I couldn't help but walk. When I got to Phat Than Thein's house, I met the servant before and delivered the letter that Ko Kyin had sent me. The servant went up to the house and after about 5 minutes, he came down and took me away.

The servant placed me in a room, and while I waited alone, I looked at the state of the room. It was very different from the old masters' style. I saw tables, chairs, and large sofas, all arranged in a manner resembling the homes of European officials. I guessed that the first monk was not only very fashionable, but also quite powerful in terms of wealth.

A minute later, the inner door suddenly opened, and a very slender, tall, and handsome man entered the room with a very gentle step, like a cat. If you thought that the name Phat Than Thein was a man of a loose and elegant appearance, wearing a bag and a long cloth, you would be mistaken. He was wearing a pair of wide silk trousers, a dark blue blazer, and Pei Bin shoes, and his coat was neatly pulled back and he had a very fair complexion, which the English call bronze, and the Burmese call golden. Between his dark, straight eyebrows and his hair, which was neatly combed until it was almost black, his broad forehead stood out very much because of his fair complexion. The most remarkable part of such a unique creature is its bright eyes. When the first one looked at me, it seemed as if it had pierced through my entire head, and it seemed as if it could see through my entire stomach, including my thoughts and feelings. Its lifespan is difficult to estimate, so I think it would be around 40 years old.

When I entered the room, Phat Than Thein sat down on the sofa opposite me with a dignified demeanor and slowly.

" Yes, Mr. Kin Sein."

"that's true" .

" I can't tell you how much you've judged me. I liked you the moment I saw you. I'm not a person who talks long. Let's get straight to the point. I know you speak Chinese. As for the risk, how much risk will you take?"

" If the job is worth the risk, I'll risk my life."

“ Very well, I believe it too, but there are some things that are worth risking or not. Well, Ko Kyin Sein, there are different things that are worth risking, such as for the country, for the nation, and for your own benefit. Very well, the nation will benefit, and you will benefit a lot. In that case, how far will you risk?”

" If this happens, I won't spare my life, I will surrender."

" Well, the world is in a state of flux. People these days think that knowledge has improved in this era. It has never been like this in the past. In fact, it is not like this. There are many kinds of knowledge that have improved and become obscure, Ko Kyin Sein."