Zhang Ming, the central character of “Hot and Cold, Measure for Measure,” is the medium through which the author, Wang Shuo, can idealize and defend the idea of liumang culture – a broadly defined but notoriously known term that symbolizes hooliganism, eroticism, crime, and anti-social / against-the-norm behavior.
Zhang Ming displays a contradictory, dual behavior. He has many vices as a blackmailer, pimp, deceiver, and seducer. The business he runs involves pimping prostitutes, then blackmailing the male clients as he storms into the room disguised as a police officer, forcing the men to pay him large sums of money. He seduces Wu Di with his confidence and wit, and closes the deal with lies of love for her—but he seems to care nothing for her. In this sense, he is a liumang.
Yet he also has a sense of morality. He displays kindness and generosity towards certain individuals – he gives up a seat on the bus to a woman and her child, and he freely gives away a concert ticket to strangers, even after they have offered him double the listed price. His other ‘admirable’ qualities: he has the wisdom of a cynic and realist – a wisdom directly implanted by Wang, who grew up dismissing the ideas of the Cultural Revolution, refusing to enlist to its call. Zhang has a mind that does not listen to the regimented commands of the education system, and for this he seems to be above everyone else.
Throughout his seduction of Wu Di, Zhang seems so cool and clever. He is dangerous but charming, insulting yet flirtatious, and seems to have a wisdom that has ascended above that of the well known educators, speakers, and students. This attitude of his wins over Wu Di and, according to him, he ‘gets her into the sack’ after lying to her with words of love. For the readers, he shows us how it’s done.
With all these qualities, he seems to be a hero with flaws, but he faces no consequences for having them. His vices are justified and even glorified by his confidence and wit. His lifestyle is freestyle – making a living off the vices of men, unbound by the structured labor force, and seeking pleasures anytime he wants. This glorification calls out to the youth of China to follow suit.
But this story makes a larger statement than how to be cool, how to seduce women, or how to pull off a crime. It tells the people to not accept how they are told to think, live, and love.
