Li Ka-shing was never a "good person." He was the white glove of China, rising through colonial order and power collusion, connecting Hong Kong's prosperity with mainland China's cheap labor force, completing round after round of exploitation.

When China changed generations, he also withdrew accordingly. His assets were transferred cleanly, leaving behind an image of a "patriotic entrepreneur." The logic of whitewashing is simple: today's enemies make yesterday's exploiters look like friends.

Ridiculously, now that many Chinese people are living in hardship, they have actually begun to miss Li Ka-shing, even praising him. It's as if comparing today's evil makes yesterday's exploitation seem like goodness.

This is dog eat dog. When a new dog comes along, people think the previous dog was more gentle. But the logic of biting has never changed.