Cycle of Redemption

3.The Collapsed Teacher, the Melodramatic Life

Liu Fu's transformation was much faster than Liu Jian had imagined. Watching Liu Fu socializing with the grain depot director over drinks and meals every day, Liu Jian didn't know what to say. He felt both happy about Liu Fu's change and saddened by the distant sense of justice.

After a period of time, Director Wang from the Heishi Grain Depot frequently went to the city's grain bureau to demand project funds. Liu Fu didn't intervene, instead, he worked with the depot's accountant to prepare additional budget reports, distancing himself from the matter. With the introduction of benefits, everything became easier. Liu Fu, who had been unable to obtain project funds, finally saw the power of a professional debt collector and realized that some matters weren't solely decided by the bureau chief.

The project funds quickly reached the grain depot's account, and the money soon found its way into Liu Fu's hands. In line with Liu Fu's thinking, he decided to give each official a thousand or two thousand, as officials in those days weren't as corrupt as in later years. Getting a thousand as a gift was considered generous given their meager monthly salaries.

Liu Jian intervened, knowing the intricacies involved. Compared to Liu Fu's naivety, Liu Jian understood the complexities. Perhaps it wasn't that Liu Fu didn't understand, but rather that he rarely considered the dark side of things, which made some actions inappropriate.

Liu Jian said, "Dad, it's not about giving too much, it's about whether they dare to accept it. It's not just about the previous project funds, but also about the additional budget for the project. How the additional budget will be divided in the end is clear to everyone. The depot will keep a portion, which is tacitly understood. As for how much they'll keep, that's not entirely up to them. Moreover, they're not just keeping it for themselves but also for potential bonuses. For example, if they plan to keep a hundred thousand from the additional budget, and this hundred thousand ends up being distributed among all the depot's staff, how much will actually reach the hands of these officials? If we privately give them fifty thousand, will they still demand the remaining fifty thousand? If not, then it's ours. So, who loses out?"

After Liu Jian's explanation, Liu Fu also understood what to do. Giving such a large gift was unprecedented, and Liu Fu was worried that the money might be spent in vain. But out of trust in Liu Jian, Liu Fu gritted his teeth and sent the gift.

These days, corrupt officials still valued their reputation. The benefits were immediate. For a project that was only halfway completed, not only did they receive two-thirds of the project funds, but they also received an additional budget of nearly two hundred thousand. Originally, it was a project worth just over eight hundred thousand, but now it had exceeded one million. As for how much more budget would be added in the future, no one knew for sure. Regarding the additional budget, the grain depot accountant privately informed Liu Fu that it was all his, as the depot wouldn't make any surplus.

Exiting the financial office, Liu Fu sighed as he watched Liu Jian leaning against his "partner" and smoking a Red Pagoda cigarette. He didn't know if his son was growing up too fast or if he was just getting old. With so much happening, he was surprised by Liu Jian's recent behavior. Liu Fu wondered why Liu Jian's academic performance wasn't better. Perhaps Liu Fu didn't understand that intelligence and emotional intelligence are two different concepts.

That night, while chatting with his mother, Liu Fu received a summary: "You're getting old. Listen to your son. Just talking about the additional project funds alone means you've netted over a hundred thousand, more than what you'd earn from completing a project."

Standing at the entrance of City First Middle School, Liu Jian felt a sense of collapse. He realized that Liu Fu, who had never expected much from his academic performance, attributed all of Liu Jian's recent ideas to his education. Without an education like Liu Jian's, Liu Fu insisted that it was only after so many years of schooling that Liu Jian could grasp the essence of many problems. So, after discussing it with Liu's mother, Liu Jian was reluctantly sent back to school.

What made Liu Jian even more distraught was that because all the new students had already registered, he became a shameful transfer student. What a situation!

In retrospect, Liu Jian's life was quite good. A few days ago, he persuaded his mother to buy him a set of Nike clothes, he held a Motorola phone in his hand, and he had a pack of "Sanwu" brand cigarettes in his pocket. An eighteen-year-old social youth, in this era, it was rare not to have a stable job, let alone to have such possessions.

Little did Liu Jian know that his days of happiness were short-lived, as he found himself back in the grind once again. He remembered the intense argument that day, and Liu Jian couldn't help but shiver at the thought. If he hadn't run away fast enough, he might have been beaten by Liu Fu. Despite Liu Jian being a teenager, facing Liu Fu, who had a background in military intelligence, meant only one fate – a severe beating!

As Kong Xianrong stepped out of the principal's office, his face still somewhat pale. Being a graduate, he detested students like Liu Jian, not only for their poor academic performance but also for their disruptive behavior, which not only hindered their own learning but also that of others. Moreover, it had already been a month since the start of the school year, and suddenly introducing a new student, especially one with such low grades, was infuriating for him.

Liu Jian didn't even realize he hadn't attended classes yet and was already on the bad side of the homeroom teacher. Even if he did know, he wouldn't care. He had already made a deal with Liu Fu beforehand. His sole purpose in coming to school was to learn as much as he could, and as for going to college in the future, Liu Fu had decided to ensure Liu Jian's admission, even if it meant paying for it. So, the father and son had reached an agreement: Liu Jian's grades wouldn't be brought up, and he wouldn't be forced to attend classes every day.

As Liu Jian looked at the doorplate of Class 6, he marveled at the inertia of fate. Despite his late start in attending school, he was still assigned to this class.

Seeing Liu Jian behind him, Kong Xianrong didn't know what to say. Remembering their conversation in the office just now, Kong Xianrong was at a loss.

Originally, he had intended to assert his authority over this new student to make him behave, so Kong Xianrong sat on his chair, correcting papers, ignoring Liu Jian. However, after waiting for a long time without a word from Liu Jian, he almost lost his temper when he finally looked up.

Liu Jian took out a novel from his schoolbag and was reading it with great interest. In his previous life, although Liu Jian didn't perform well academically, he didn't cause trouble either. Apart from playing basketball, soccer, and occasionally skipping classes, he didn't do anything excessive. As a result, his relationship with the teachers was good, especially with Kong Xianrong, who understood him well.

Regarding this assertion of authority, Liu Jian was prepared for it when he found out he was assigned to Class 6. Liu Jian was forced to attend school this time, and having spent so many years in society, he no longer feared teachers, so he didn't take it seriously.

Seeing Kong Xianrong's face turn pale with anger, Liu Jian smiled and said, "Teacher Kong, I'm forced to come to school, and you're forced to accept me. So, we're in the same boat."

Kong Xianrong was stunned by Liu Jian's words and didn't know how to respond.

Liu Jian continued, "Teacher Kong, how about we make a deal? I've decided not to cause trouble at school and not to disrupt the teaching of other teachers. You can treat me as if I'm not your student and just an auditor. I'll get a high school diploma, and who knows, maybe I'll even make it to college. If by the time I'm in Grade 12, you're worried about affecting the class's pass rate, I can enroll in another school."

Through the light, Kong Xianrong looked at the student who was speaking confidently to him and was suddenly shocked. What kind of student was this? How could he have such mature thoughts? Was he really the same student who scored just over 400 points on the exam?

Kong Xianrong rubbed his eyes and asked, "If that's the case, why bother coming to City First High School? Wouldn't it be better and freer to go to a private school like Yucai High School? Besides, since you're in my class now, you're my student. How could I let you have your way?"

Liu Jian slapped his forehead in frustration. How could he forget? This teacher's favorite thing was to lead a low-performing student onto the right path. In his previous life, to make himself turn over a new leaf, this homeroom teacher had kept a close eye on him for three whole years, until the end of the college entrance examination. Did he still think he could have his freedom?

Liu Jian accompanied his words with a brilliant smile and said, "Teacher, please spare me. I'm really not cut out for studying. There are so many classmates in the class, and they are all more important than me. You should focus on them instead. Let me tell you the truth, I'm currently helping out at my dad's company. Even if I'm in school now, if there's something going on at the company, I still have to deal with it. I simply don't have the time to study properly, and I don't know how all this studying for the college entrance exam will help me in the future. So, please, just let me off."

On the way from the office to the classroom, Kong Xianrong was still pondering over Liu Jian's words, especially the part where he questioned the usefulness of studying for the college entrance exam. He wanted to refute Liu Jian's viewpoint, but after thinking for a while, he didn't know what to say. So, by the time he reached the classroom door, Kong Xianrong's face was even darker than when he had come out of the principal's office.

In the end, Kong Xianrong didn't agree to Liu Jian's request and assigned him to the corner of the room. Kong Xianrong knew that this transfer student was different from all the other students in the class. He had a clear aversion to studying. What's more, Liu Jian's logical thinking and language expression abilities were clearly superior to those of other students. So, how could he give up on such a student? How could he let him go unchecked? Kong Xianrong secretly made up his mind to bring Liu Jian back on the right track.

Zhang Ying sat in the fourth row, looking at Liu Jian below the platform. Her eyes lit up when she saw his familiar face and his usual indifferent attitude. However, there was a change in his demeanor – he no longer had the restlessness of the past. Zhang Ying breathed a sigh of relief and silently said to herself, "Liu Jian, you finally came. I knew we would meet again. How could such a proud person like you tolerate being left behind by others? How could you not attend the best high school in Panshi? Although I don't know the reason, you've finally come after all this time."

Liu Jian also spotted the girl who always stood out in the crowd. Her eyes were still bright, her hair was still long and dark, her nose was still high, and her cherry-like lips were still perfect on her fair, oval face. Who wouldn't be amazed by her beauty? Who wouldn't be crazy about her? He remembered the phone call he received late at night many years later, "Liu Jian, I'm leaving, going abroad. Wait for me, you must wait for me. When I come back to China, we'll get married."

Just for this sentence, he had waited patiently for ten years. Even when his parents couldn't bear it anymore and brought him back to Panshi, arranging work and marriage for him, he still hadn't received any news from that girl.

Before his rebirth, Liu Jian had always wondered if Zhang Ying had gotten married abroad in a dramatic fashion, or if she would show up on his wedding day and drag him away, or if she had already met with an accident, leaving him with just a glimmer of hope to survive. But he never got confirmation of any of these scenarios before he was reborn.

Perhaps the reason he had been avoiding going back to high school was because he was afraid of facing this girl again. Liu Jian asked himself this question silently, then looked out of the window at the playground, feeling speechless about this melodramatic life!