Buddha Bless America
(Taiping Tienkuo)

In the late 1960s, life in a coastal village in southern Taiwan is still that of a traditional agricultural society. Ex-teacher LinWen-sheng (“Brain”) is the only resourceful man of the village ; his younger brother has had his right hand crushed in a Japanese factory. One day, in a magazine, ‘Brain”finds an article on microsurgery. He tells his brother that American technology might one day help fix his fingers. Days later, the villagers are told that a US/Taiwanese joint military maneuver will take place in the area. “Brain” is asked by the government to use his influence to persuade villagers to cooperate. A bar moves in for future GI business. With fields razed and crops trampled before their very eyes, the villagers turn their anger on “Brain”. They retaliate by stealing US army supplies and resell them to the owner of the bar. Feeling insulted, “Brain” swears to steal something big to regain his reputation among the villagers. With his brother’s help, he steals two big metal chests but finds two dead American soldiers inside.