by+Chu+Jiwang

On the morning of May 21， 2015， as I was entering a Peking University auditorium to give a lecture， my cell phone rang. It was my son， Chu Jiang， informing me that Howard Bernstein， former chairman of the Atlas Companies， had passed away. I was shocked.

I returned to Minzu Hotel after the lecture and recalled with my wife the days I spent with Mr. Bernstein. “If hes such a leader in logistics， why dont you write something in commemoration of him？” my wife asked.

After returning to my company， I couldnt help but open letters from him： Everything came back to me as fresh as yesterday. I still felt him with me. The only difference was that we were talking through space and time.

I first met Mr. Bernstein 20 years ago. He was tall and strong， full of energy. He marched like a soldier but spoke meekly.

After formalities， I got right to the point： “If I may ask， you served in the military， right？” “Oh！” he laughed. “You are good！ Yes， I was in the U.S. Air Force.”He told me that after retiring from the air force， he established his own business， the Atlas Companies， which specializes in logistics and warehousing. “I can still fly a plane，” he grinned. “And I love it！”

I also shared my story. “I served as a transport sailor in the army during the 1960s. After retirement， I started working in a factory. Since Chinas economic reform and opening up， I have been running my own business. I can still sail， and I love the sea！”

We shared a lot in common as far as work experience and hobbies. We talked freely and openly on many topics ranging from the smoke of the battlefields to competition in business.

After we got acquainted， we met each other several times a year. We were rivals as well as friends. Whenever and wherever there was an exhibition or logistics fair， I would see Atlas products alongside mine. Despite being competitors， we cooperated and helped each other develop.

Well into his eighties， he still walked into every international exhibition vigorously with the drive of a young man. I never found a trace of fatigue on his face. He was well known in logistics circles around the world， a man who had built his company into an industry leader with painstaking effort over decades.

Each time he came to China， he brought a camera. He hung huge pictures of the Great Wall and West Lake in the meeting room of his company.

As it so happens， I enjoy photography too. Both soldiers and businessmen， we also shared the same hobby.

But I was 18 years younger. The difference in age didnt hinder our communication， nor did language or culture.