Cycle of Redemption

Liu Jian, who had just regained consciousness, felt very depressed, extremely so. He stared at the poster of Andy Lau on the wall, a poster he had seen countless times before. On his desk, the calendar for July 1st, 1997, gleamed brightly. He knew he had won, and not just any prize, but the grand prize of the 21st century's biggest lottery: rebirth. For something so eagerly anticipated by countless people, when it was his turn, Liu Jian didn't feel any happiness, excitement, or the bliss of being enveloped in luck. All he felt was depression. He had finally gotten a job, a house, and was about to have a wife soon, but with a bang, it was all gone, just like that. And with a snap, he was thrown back more than ten years, being told that none of those things existed anymore, and that he should start all over again. What more could he say after feeling depressed? Liu Jian raised his middle finger towards the sky, thinking, "Am I just a cup on a tea table?" Before Liu Jian could wallow in self-pity, he heard his mother's voice from outside, "Xiao Jian, come out quickly, it's time to raise the national flag, come take a look." Already feeling quite down, hearing those familiar words "Xiao Jian" made Liu Jian even more uncomfortable. "Xiao Jian" equaled "little scoundrel" in his mind. These two words seemed to have been with him for longer than Liu Jian himself. How could his parents have thought of giving him such a name? Liu Jian reluctantly agreed and went out. In the living room, his parents were sitting on the sofa watching the grandeur of the Hong Kong handover ceremony. Seeing his parents' familiar faces again, Liu Jian felt particularly excited. In his previous life, after graduating from university, the family's fortunes declined. He stubbornly stayed in the provincial capital for the sake of his reputation. His parents worked hard to buy him a house for marriage. They both worked, even though they were in their fifties, just to earn money for their son. But in those days, he mostly blamed his father for not leaving him any money when he was wealthy. Every time he came home, he complained to his parents. Wasn't he just one of those experts' so-called "parasites"? It was only after he distanced himself from the extravagance and returned to work in an office that he truly understood and appreciated the greatness of parental love. Now his parents were only in their forties, the golden age of life, looking spirited and radiant. It was the most glorious moment in his parents' lives. His father, Liu Fu, looked like a big boss, even at home he dressed neatly and sat upright, always with a straight posture, a mark left by his military career. His mother, Zhang Huan, was also well-off, a bit plump, but compared to others in their fifties, she was much thinner. At this time, the family's conditions were at their best. In just a few more years, their fortunes would decline, and he would go from being "Young Master" Liu Jian to being a worthless "little scoundrel". While Liu Jian was sighing, he was watching TV. This TV was a top-of-the-line 29-inch Panasonic, which was considered top-notch in the present day, but in 2012 when he was reborn, the family still had this TV. It wasn't until his parents renovated his new house for his marriage that they bought a 42-inch domestic TV. The TV his family bought in 1997 cost over ten thousand, but after more than ten years, they could only afford a domestic TV for over three thousand. This decline in family wealth could be seen from here. After watching the flag-raising ceremony, the atmosphere at home became much calmer. Liu Fu looked at his son Liu Jian, feeling a bit troubled. Liu Fu had served in the military for several years. When he was discharged, he had no money or connections. He joined the city's first construction company. He had been working there for many years, without any education or connections, not understanding anything about technology. He only earned a meager salary of a few dozen yuan a month, and life was tight. Later, with the advent of the country's reform and opening up, Liu Fu, being a thoughtful person, saw it as an opportunity to get rich. He took an unpaid leave from work and started his own business. While it sounded like starting a business, in reality, he contracted a construction team, transitioning from a formal employee of the construction company to a contractor. At the time, many people laughed at Liu Fu, but they didn't expect that after a few years, he would become wealthy. With favorable policies and economic conditions, Liu Fu's wealth grew more and more. Life became better and better, but the only thing that troubled him was his beloved son. Liu Fu had Liu Jian when he was in his thirties, and he cherished him dearly. He felt like he would melt with just a word, afraid of holding him too tight or dropping him. So Liu Jian had never suffered much since childhood, living in a sheltered environment. This worried Liu Fu, who had endured hardships and toils himself, about his son's future. Indeed, conditions were getting better, but Liu Jian's academic performance was getting worse. Every day, he either skipped school to watch videos and play games or got into fights. Liu Fu didn't hesitate to scold him when necessary, but when it came down to it, he couldn't bear to punish him severely. Liu Fu invited teachers for dinner, hired tutors for extra classes, and for a while, he even made Liu Jian's mother accompany him to and from school every day, but his grades didn't improve. After the high school entrance exam, Liu Jian achieved a shocking score. He could go to a prestigious high school, but it would cost money. Despite his poor grades, Liu Jian, who cared about face, insisted on going to a key high school. A few days ago, Liu Fu asked the principal of the city's No. 1 High School through a friend. When he heard Liu Jian's grades, the principal frowned heavily, thinking that with such scores, going to a key high school was a stretch. Out of respect for his friend, he reluctantly said, "Prepare ten thousand yuan, and I'll see what I can do." At this time, ten thousand yuan was not a small amount. For Liu Fu, it wasn't a large sum, but hearing that his son would need to spend so much money just to go to high school made him feel indignant. Liu Fu switched the TV to the sports channel. It was Liu Jian's favorite program. While watching the game, he asked, "Xiao Jian, there shouldn't be any major problems with your high school. Study hard." After some thought, he added, "Forget it, as long as you don't cause trouble, I'll be satisfied. As for university and such, I don't think there's any hope." There was a hint of desolation in his tone. Upon hearing about his son, Liu's mother, who had planned to cook, sat down again, intending to listen to her son's opinion. Seeing this long-lost scene, Liu Jian remembered his previous life when, for the sake of face, he insisted on attending high school and aimlessly spent three years there. Afterwards, he spent tens of thousands to attend a third-tier university, but gained nothing. He wasted money and time, and he didn't even have the talent or interest in studying. It was all just to preserve a bit of his self-esteem during his youth. Now, having been reborn, although he hadn't figured out what he wanted to do in the future, repeating past experiences was definitely not his choice. Thinking this, Liu Jian said, "Dad, I don't want to go to school anymore." Then he stopped talking, unsure how to explain. Liu Fu and his wife were taken aback. Although their son had poor academic performance and often skipped classes, saying he didn't want to go to school was definitely just a tantrum. What was going on today? Did he cause some trouble again? Liu Fu asked, "Tell me, what trouble did you get into this time?" His mother, Liu Jian's mother, came over and touched Liu Jian's head, saying strangely, "Son, aren't you feeling feverish? Just a few days ago, you insisted on attending a prestigious high school and going to college. Why the sudden change? Did something upset you?" Liu Jian was puzzled by his parents' reactions. He couldn't just say, "I've been reborn," could he? He realized that continuing his studies was completely meaningless. After thinking for a while, he found a reason and said, "You both know my grades. I've thought about it for a few days, and I really don't have a talent for studying. Instead of wasting time in school, I might as well go out and make some money. By the time those guys graduate from college, I might already be a big shot." Liu Fu and his wife exchanged glances, then looked at Liu Jian together, and said in unison, "Son, are you serious, or is this just a whim?" Liu Jian thought to himself, "I'm already in my thirties mentally, having experienced so much. How could this be a whim?" Liu Fu also became interested and asked, "Xiao Jian, what are your plans then? If you don't want to study, how about joining the military? It's a place for toughening up. You can't just laze around all day." Before Liu Jian could respond, his mother intervened, saying, "Join the military? It's too hard there. How about finding a job in a government office instead?" Liu Jian shook his head and said, "Dad, I can't handle the hardships of being in the military. How about I work with you? Maybe I'll become a big boss like you in the future." Liu Fu furrowed his brow and said, "Learn from me? What kind of big boss am I? I'm just a contractor, not some big shot." Though he said that, Liu Fu was also thinking about what his son could do. It wasn't easy to get into a government office, especially considering Liu Jian's low education level. It was uncertain when he could secure a position. If it didn't work out, he might as well let Liu Jian follow him first to avoid wandering around in society. Liu Jian knew it wouldn't be easy to arrange something for himself, so he suggested, "Dad, how about I become your driver? You don't have a chauffeur, and you have so many social engagements. It's not safe to drive after drinking." Liu's mother thought it was a good idea. Liu Fu often drove after drinking, and she often worried until late at night. It was hard to find a trustworthy driver, and Liu Jian was someone they could trust. Liu Jian was skilled at driving, having driven around during holidays more often than Liu Fu. Thinking of this, Liu's mother stood by her son's side, seeing the vote as two against one. Liu Fu didn't object and agreed. Back in his room, Liu Jian lay on the bed excitedly. As long as he was by his father's side, he would have the opportunity to prevent his father from losing all their assets in the construction project, as happened in his previous life. As long as he didn't lose that money, with his father's abilities, their family would definitely become better and better. He could continue being a second-generation rich rather than a dependent on his parents. At this moment, Liu Jian hadn't fully recovered from the confusion of being reborn. He hadn't realized how powerful a weapon rebirth could be; he was just immersed in the joy and excitement of changing the future. After the high school entrance exam, Liu Jian achieved a shocking score. He could go to a prestigious high school, but it would cost money. Despite his poor grades, Liu Jian, who cared about face, insisted on going to a key high school. A few days ago, Liu Fu asked the principal of the city's No. 1 High School through a friend. When he heard Liu Jian's grades, the principal frowned heavily, thinking that with such scores, going to a key high school was a stretch. Out of respect for his friend, he reluctantly said, "Prepare ten thousand yuan, and I'll see what I can do." At this time, ten thousand yuan was not a small amount. For Liu Fu, it wasn't a large sum, but hearing that his son would need to spend so much money just to go to high school made him feel indignant. Liu Fu switched the TV to the sports channel. It was Liu Jian's favorite program. While watching the game, he asked, "Xiao Jian, there shouldn't be any major problems with your high school. Study hard." After some thought, he added, "Forget it, as long as you don't cause trouble, I'll be satisfied. As for university and such, I don't think there's any hope." There was a hint of desolation in his tone. Upon hearing about his son, Liu's mother, who had planned to cook, sat down again, intending to listen to her son's opinion. Seeing this long-lost scene, Liu Jian remembered his previous life when, for the sake of face, he insisted on attending high school and aimlessly spent three years there. Afterwards, he spent tens of thousands to attend a third-tier university, but gained nothing. He wasted money and time, and he didn't even have the talent or interest in studying. It was all just to preserve a bit of his self-esteem during his youth. Now, having been reborn, although he hadn't figured out what he wanted to do in the future, repeating past experiences was definitely not his choice. Thinking this, Liu Jian said, "Dad, I don't want to go to school anymore." Then he stopped talking, unsure how to explain. Liu Fu and his wife were taken aback. Although their son had poor academic performance and often skipped classes, saying he didn't want to go to school was definitely just a tantrum. What was going on today? Did he cause some trouble again? Liu Fu asked, "Tell me, what trouble did you get into this time?" His mother, Liu Jian's mother, came over and touched Liu Jian's head, saying strangely, "Son, aren't you feeling feverish? Just a few days ago, you insisted on attending a prestigious high school and going to college. Why the sudden change? Did something upset you?" Liu Jian was puzzled by his parents' reactions. He couldn't just say, "I've been reborn," could he? He realized that continuing his studies was completely meaningless. After thinking for a while, he found a reason and said, "You both know my grades. I've thought about it for a few days, and I really don't have a talent for studying. Instead of wasting time in school, I might as well go out and make some money. By the time those guys graduate from college, I might already be a big shot." Liu Fu and his wife exchanged glances, then looked at Liu Jian together, and said in unison, "Son, are you serious, or is this just a whim?" Liu Jian thought to himself, "I'm already in my thirties mentally, having experienced so much. How could this be a whim?" Liu Fu also became interested and asked, "Xiao Jian, what are your plans then? If you don't want to study, how about joining the military? It's a place for toughening up. You can't just laze around all day." Before Liu Jian could respond, his mother intervened, saying, "Join the military? It's too hard there. How about finding a job in a government office instead?" Liu Jian shook his head and said, "Dad, I can't handle the hardships of being in the military. How about I work with you? Maybe I'll become a big boss like you in the future." Liu Fu furrowed his brow and said, "Learn from me? What kind of big boss am I? I'm just a contractor, not some big shot." Though he said that, Liu Fu was also thinking about what his son could do. It wasn't easy to get into a government office, especially considering Liu Jian's low education level. It was uncertain when he could secure a position. If it didn't work out, he might as well let Liu Jian follow him first to avoid wandering around in society. Liu Jian knew it wouldn't be easy to arrange something for himself, so he suggested, "Dad, how about I become your driver? You don't have a chauffeur, and you have so many social engagements. It's not safe to drive after drinking." Liu's mother thought it was a good idea. Liu Fu often drove after drinking, and she often worried until late at night. It was hard to find a trustworthy driver, and Liu Jian was someone they could trust. Liu Jian was skilled at driving, having driven around during holidays more often than Liu Fu. Thinking of this, Liu's mother stood by her son's side, seeing the vote as two against one. Liu Fu didn't object and agreed. Back in his room, Liu Jian lay on the bed excitedly. As long as he was by his father's side, he would have the opportunity to prevent his father from losing all their assets in the construction project, as happened in his previous life. As long as he didn't lose that money, with his father's abilities, their family would definitely become better and better. He could continue being a second-generation rich rather than a dependent on his parents.