The Great Wall: China's First Overreaction

In ancient China, Qin Shi Huang was obsessed with fortifying his empire. His top strategist, Li Bing, presented the usual defensive plans, drawing lines on maps, talking about fortresses, and generally trying to sound important. And then there was Sark—a man so lazy he made clouds look busy, a genius so sarcastic his words could cut stone.

Sitting in the royal court, barely awake, Sark muttered, "Sure, sure... or, I don't know, why not just build a single, giant, never-ending wall? Maybe throw in a gift shop, too. That'll keep 'em out."

Silence fell over the court. Li Bing, the ever-serious strategist, suddenly lit up like a lantern festival. "Wait. A giant wall? That's... actually brilliant!"

Qin Shi Huang, never one to ignore a grand idea (or sarcasm, apparently), slammed his goblet on the table. "Yes! A wall so massive, no enemy shall pass! Make it happen!"

And so began the greatest construction project in history. Laborers toiled, mountains were carved, and bricks were stacked higher than anyone had dared dream. What started as a sarcastic suggestion transformed into a wonder that would span generations and eventually continents.

Centuries later, tourists from all over the world show up to take selfies on what was basically the world's most exhausting overreaction. The gift shops? They actually happened too, proving that sometimes the most sarcastic suggestions have a way of coming true.

As for Sark? Legend has it he just went back to sleep, completely unaware that his lazy quip would become one of the most recognizable structures in human history. Sometimes the biggest ideas come from the smallest moments of snark.