It's already 2026 in the blink of an eye.

Yesterday, after watching the fireworks and ringing in the New Year, I reflected on many things while having fun. Especially when comparing the New Year’s scenes over the past two years, I truly felt the change in economic rhythm.

I still remember the night of New Year’s Eve 2024, when fireworks went off from 11 PM until 1 AM, and even into two or three in the morning, you could still hear the popping sounds. The entire city was releasing energy in that way.

This year? For the 2025-2026 New Year, the fireworks only started after the clock struck midnight, lasting less than 20 minutes in total, and then everyone went back to their own homes.

The same city, the same tradition, but the rhythm is completely different. This is the real-world reflection of the incremental theory I mentioned before—when growth slows down, the manifestations of consumption and social vitality will show visible changes. It’s not about right or wrong; it’s the economy telling you what’s happening in a concrete way.