Here is another conversation between the ruler and the ruled again. The following account is from Sina blogger yxmermxy on his dian3dao4luan7zao8 (癫3倒4亂7遭8) blog. The author signed Charter 08, and wrote this post entitled “What happened over tea before Spring Festival”, translated by CDT:
The principal participants of the “tea” included myself and three public security officers, one of whom was taking notes:
1) Where did you learn about Charter 08?
My answer: Online. They asked what website. I said you can find it using Baidu.com. There are several websites that posted it, but they’ve already been shut down, like Bullog.cn.
2) Why did you sign [Charter 08]?
My answer: Democracy and the republic are concepts consistent with the constitution. Also, I agreed with it very much, so I signed.
3) What are the main points of Charter 08?
My answer: The main principals of democratic-republicanism.
4) Did someone coerce you into signing? (They seemed to suspect a pyramid scheme.)
My answer: I did it voluntarily. No one forced me to. I haven’t met any of the other people who signed it, but I do know some of them by name. I’ve read some of their articles.
5) Did you benefit in any way [from signing]? (Meaning: If there aren’t benefits, what point is there in signing.)
My answer: There weren’t any benefits in your sense of the word, i.e. monetary, but if the charter is carried out then the country as a whole will take giant steps forward.
6) Have you disseminated the ideas of the charter to others?
My answer: I don’t remember, but now that you’re asking me about the charter I guess I’m disseminating the ideas to you.
7) Do you have any plans to organize public actions around any important national events in 2009 — like reviewing troops for example?
My answer: Nothing concrete. The charter lays out a general way of thinking.
8) When and where did you graduate from college?
My answer: I graduated from Yangzhou University in 1990. After I told them that, one of the officers said: No wonder you’re so radical, you lived through that time.
9) Have you been in touch with any foreign forces?
My answer: No, I’m just a regular guy; I’ve never been in contact with any foreigners, unlike well-connected government officials who send their kids to foreign countries.
10) Who lives with you?
At first I refused to answer the question, but since they came to my house in the middle of the night I said, there’s my parents, my wife and my kid. They also wanted to talk to my siblings, but I refused, and they didn’t ask again.
The interrogation was rather friendly. All told it took about two hours. After it was over I read through the transcript; there were large portions missing — they’d written whatever interested them, but they hadn’t added anything or misrepresented me. After I signed it, the guy in charge stood up and said: We brought you into the station this late and to seriously warn you for your own good [ the Chinese phrase here literally means “to cure the sickness in order to save the patient”]. I hope you won’t participate in similar activities again …
(I smiled and shook hands to say good-bye to them.)
It was past 2:20 in the morning on Jan. 22, 2009, when I left the station (that’s when the public security officer finished taking notes; I probably arrived at the station around midnight.)
我的喝茶主要内容包括（三位公安在场，一人能做笔录）：
1）从哪里知道08县长？（我回答：网络，他们问什么网，我回答百度可以搜索，有些网站有介绍，已经被关闭，比如牛博网）
2）你为什么参与签署？（我回答：民主共和符合宪法，我也非常认可，所以签了）
3）08县长主要内容是什么？（我回答：主要是民主共和的理念）
4）有没有人拉你进来？他们怀疑传销手段。（我回答：志愿，没有人强求，我也不认识其他人，有些人我知道，读过文章）
5）有好处没？意思是没好处签了干嘛。（我回答：没有你们所说的经济好处，但落实县长好处是国家进步）
6）你有没有对外传播？（我回答：记不清了，但现在你们问我县长主要内容，我在向你们传播）
7）对09年重大国事（如阅兵）是否有行动安排？（我回答：没有具体安排，县长是一个总的理念）
8）文凭及何时哪里毕业？（我回答：90年扬州大学毕业，说完，其中以公安说，怪不得，你是那时期的，比较激进）
9）有没有与国外势力联系？（我回答：一介平民，与国外无往来，不像高官把子女都送到国外，有很多关系）
10）你的家庭成员？（开始我拒绝回答，后来只回答父母、爱人和小孩，因为他们深夜来我家，就是这些人在.还想问我兄弟姐妹，我拒绝了，他们也就不在问）
。。。。。。
问话过程还比较友好（前后约2个小时），然后看完笔录，但笔录有很大一部分没有按我说的，他们根据喜好少录很多，但没有增加和歪曲内容，我于是签字，签字后，其中一个头站起来说，其大意是：我们抱着治病救人的态度正告你，这么晚来找你，希望你以后不要参与此类活动。。。（我一笑了之，握手再见）
出派出所时间已是超过2009年元月22日晨2点20分（此为笔录完时间，我也是大概0点进入派出所）
