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After forty years of martial law, Taiwan finally saw its end. The summer following its repeal was not only scorching hot but also filled with a tense political atmosphere as the wave of political liberalization swept through the island. "Down with the eternal legislature! Old thieves, get out!" The streets of downtown Taipei were packed with protesters. Waving banners of opposition and marching in long, organized lines led by command vehicles, the demonstrators stretched across multiple streets. Traffic was completely paralyzed—even a mouse couldn't scurry across the road. Taxi driver Lao Wang found himself trapped in the protest for nearly half an hour. Growing anxious, he checked his watch and wondered how much longer it would take to get past the mere ten-meter stretch of road ahead. "You can protest all you want, but don’t block traffic!" Unable to hold back his frustration, Lao Wang stepped out of his taxi and complained to the marchers. His words were met with a torrent of curses and a wave of rough shoves. Reacting instinctively, Lao Wang raised his hands to defend himself, shouting, "Can't you be reasonable?" But his protest only enraged some of the more aggressive demonstrators. Fists and kicks rained down on him, forcing the poor driver to cover his head and flee, yet he couldn't escape the relentless beating. Caught in the same traffic jam, Ashan saw the attack and rushed forward to help. He called out to the violent mob, "Stop fighting! We're all on the same side!" However, his words only made things worse. Seeing his strong build, tanned skin, and military-style buzz cut, some protesters mistook him for an undercover government agent. They turned their aggression toward him, shouting, "Beat this KMT lackey to death! Take down this secret police dog!" Outnumbered and overpowered, Ashan couldn't withstand the flurry of blows. Eventually, his vision blurred, and he collapsed under the assault. In the hospital room, Ashan's mother stood beside his bed, calling his name over and over again, her voice filled with worry. He remained unresponsive, his head wrapped in bandages, with traces of blood still seeping through the gauze. 《Epilogue》 Modern China endured a century of turmoil, and even after the victory against Japan, the civil war between the Nationalists and Communists made lasting peace elusive. For centuries, migrants from mainland China have crossed the sea to settle in Taiwan, and this continues today. The prosperity and stability Taiwan enjoys now owe much to the contributions of past and present immigrants. Ashan’s story is not unique. There are countless untold stories like his, reflecting the struggles and milestones of Taiwan’s development in our era. 台灣經過了長達四十年的戒嚴時代，終於落幕結束了。解嚴後的夏天，隨著政治開放的熱潮，似乎更加的炎熱，空氣中也帶著令人緊繃的氣氛。 「打倒萬年國會！老賊滾蛋！」在台北鬧區的一條街上，擠滿了抗議的人潮。隨著鮮明反對旗幟，指揮車的前導，抗議的人群行列，拉長了好幾條街。交通當然也就堵塞，連老鼠也過不了街。 計程車司機老王在無意中陷入此人潮，已經近半個小時了。他焦急地看著錶，心想不知還要過多久，他才能穿過這不到十米的街道。 「你們遊行可以呀！但是不要妨害到交通嘛！」憨直的老王終於忍不住走下車來，向遊行的隊伍抱怨。不料到隨之而來是一陣惡罵及粗魯的推擠。 老王自然反應地伸出手去阻擋，口中不停地喊著：「你們到底講不講理啊！」想不到，這反而更加激怒了遊行中的暴力份子的拳打腳踏。可憐的老王只得抱頭鼠竄，但是仍然無法逃離無情的追打。 此時也陷在車陣中的阿三為了幫助計程車司機解圍，挺身而出向暴力群眾喊道：「不要再打了，大家都是自己人嘛！」幾個追打老王的持棍份子見到了身體結實，膚色棕黑，留著平頭的阿三，像是發現了潛藏在人群之中的軍警便衣份子，轉而圍向阿三大聲叫著：「打死你這個國民黨的走狗！打死你這個情治爪牙！」雙手難擋四拳，阿三在多人棍棒齊下，無法抵抗的情況下，終於眼前一黑，倒了下去。 在醫院的病房裏，焦急的阿三媽一聲又一聲地叫著「阿三！阿三！」躺在病床上的阿三似乎沒有什麼反應，只見得平頭纏著的紗布中還滲透著些許血漬。 《後記》 中國近代經歷了百年的戰亂，抗日勝利後，因國共戰爭仍和平難以一求。 台灣多世紀以來一直就有唐山移民跨海而來，至今亦然。台灣人能有今日之平安快樂的日子，過去的移民及今日的移民都有很大的貢獻。 阿三不是單一的故事，其實在我們的身邊一直有許許多多阿三的故事，記載著我們這個時代台灣發展的點點滴滴。

On December 10, 1979, a significant political event took place in Taiwan. Since December 10 is International Human Rights Day, opposition figures organized a rally and speeches in Kaohsiung, advocating for democracy, freedom, and the end of martial law and party restrictions. However, unidentified individuals infiltrated the crowd, inciting chaos and provocation, which led to riot police surrounding the demonstrators and ultimately triggering violent clashes between the police and civilians. Because this political conflict occurred in Kaohsiung and was led by members of the Formosa Magazine, the media referred to it as the "Kaohsiung Incident" or the "Formosa Incident." This event had a profound impact on Taiwan’s political landscape, prompting the general public to take a greater interest in political affairs. At the time, Chiang Ching-kuo had just assumed the presidency of the Republic of China and enjoyed strong public support. However, with martial law still in place and the National Assembly representatives remaining unelected for decades, his efforts to implement reforms and appoint more native Taiwanese officials could not immediately resolve the political tensions. Violent clashes between the ruling party and the opposition continued until the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was officially established in 1986. In 1987, the Taiwanese government announced the lifting of martial law, signaling a loosening of political restrictions. However, since parliamentary reforms had yet to be fully implemented, the DPP and overseas dissidents continued to push for immediate action from the ruling Kuomintang government. As a result, protests, demonstrations, and mass gatherings persisted, occasionally leading to minor disturbances and conflicts, creating a tense atmosphere in society. 就在一九七九年十二月十日，台灣發生了一件重大的政治事件。因為十二月十日是國際人權日，黨外人士在高雄組織群眾進行遊行及演講，訴求民主與自由，終結黨禁及戒嚴。由於一些不明人士混入群眾造混亂及進行挑釁，導致鎮暴部隊包圍，最後引爆了警民衝突。 由於這次的政治衝突事件是發生在高雄，由美麗島雜誌社人士主導，故報界稱之為「高雄事件」或「美麗島事件」。此事件對台灣往後的政局發展有著重大的影響，台灣居民也開始關心台灣政治事件。 這時蔣經國初任中華民國總統，在民間有很好的聲望，但由於仍處戒嚴時期及國民大會代表一直沒有改選等問題，雖然有心改革及選用台籍人才，但遠水救不了近火，朝野政治暴力衝突不斷，直至一九八六年民進黨宣佈成立。 台灣政府在一九八七年宣佈解嚴，政治氣氛看似鬆綁，但因國會改選仍未落實，民進黨及海外異議人士則更進一步要求國民黨政府立即有所作為，所以還是會有遊行示威及聚眾演講，難免有時會發生少許失序及衝突事件，而在社會上造成一些不安的氛圍。

Just as Taiwan completed the Ten Major Construction Projects and was poised for a new era of comprehensive development, an unexpected blow struck. In 1979, the United States, Taiwan’s most important ally, officially established diplomatic relations with mainland China. The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and its people responded with strong protests, but rather than succumbing to despair, they redoubled their efforts—focusing on economic growth, strengthening national defense, rallying international allies, and striving for self-reliance to build a foundation for sustainable development and peaceful survival. As life in Taiwan gradually regained stability, Ashan’s family received joyful news—Ashan and his wife welcomed a healthy baby boy, whose loud cries filled the house with happiness. The elders were overjoyed and hosted a full-month celebration, inviting close family and friends to share in this rare and precious moment of joy. At the banquet, Ashan reunited with Dachuan, his childhood best friend. The two had been so busy with their respective careers that they hadn’t seen each other in a long time. After the gathering, they found a quiet place to sit down and talk. Through their conversation, Ashan realized that Taiwan’s political landscape was undergoing a major shift. For years, Taiwan had been under one-party rule, which had sparked dissatisfaction among those who felt excluded from the political process. In response, a group of like-minded individuals formed the "Dangwai" (outside-the-party) movement, advocating for political reform and greater democratic participation. Dachuan was an active member of this movement. Ashan, who had dedicated his career to Taiwan’s physical development, struggled to understand why Dachuan chose to stand in opposition to the government rather than contribute to Taiwan’s progress in a tangible way. To this, Dachuan simply replied, "You understand engineering, but you don’t understand politics. There’s no point in arguing. Just pay attention to Taiwan’s future political direction—we’ll talk another time." As they parted ways, Ashan grabbed Dachuan’s hand and spoke earnestly: "I’ve endured hardship since childhood, but coming to Taiwan finally gave me a happy life. I am deeply grateful for everything I have today. Though we may not share the same beliefs, you will always be my best friend." Hearing this, Dachuan’s eyes welled with emotion. He responded, "Ashan, rest assured—you will always be my best friend, too." 正當台灣在完成十大建設，眼看將邁入一個嶄新全面發展的時代，沒想到一直是台灣最重要的盟友美國，卻在一九七九年與大陸的中國正式建立外交關係。當時在台灣堅強的中華民國政府及人民，除了對美國提出強烈的抗議外，更是全力投入經濟發展，加強國防建設，爭取國際友人支持，更努力自力更生以建立永續發展及和平生存的基石。 在台灣的生活經此重擊而漸趨平靜之時，阿三家帶來了好消息，阿三小倆口喜獲麟兒，是個健康的寶貝，哭聲響亮，老人們都欣喜異常，高興的為寶貝辦了滿月酒，邀請至親好友來分享這個難得的喜悅。 阿三與大川這兩位自小就是好朋友，卻因各自忙於事業，都好久沒有碰面了。這次阿三與大川在酒席後，找個地方促膝長談。在與大川的聊天中，阿三才驚覺台灣的政治環境，也起了重大的變化。 由於台灣多年都是一黨獨大，相對的也引起黨外人士的不滿。他們覺得沒有公平參政的舞台，所以結合了相同理念的人士，形成一個「黨外」團體，大川也是其中的活躍份子。阿三覺得自己一直都是為了台灣做出實體的貢獻，實在不明瞭為何大川卻是因理念不同，不但沒有對建設台灣做出實質的貢獻，反而是站在與政府對立的立場。大川說阿三只懂工程、不懂政治，多談無益。要阿三多注意台灣未來政治發展的方向，改日再說。 臨別前，阿三拉住大川，認真對他說：「我自幼歷經苦難。到了台灣之後，才過到快樂的生活。對於現在擁有的一切，都充滿感恩的心情。雖然我們的理念不全相同， 但你仍是我一生最好的朋友！」大川聽了眼也紅了說「阿三請你放心，我也會一生認你這位好朋友。」