Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

At the entrance of the state-run restaurant, Liu Kun and Hu Jiao personally escorted Liang Jianjun to the door. Liu Kun patted Liang Jianjun's pocket and said to him, "Section Chief Liang, go back and think carefully about how to get started. This promising future is all in your own hands."

Liang Jianjun touched the pocket that Liu Kun had patted, which contained the ten thousand US dollars Liu Kun had given him. He frowned and nodded, then took out his car keys and stared blankly for a while. Looking at the "horse" seal on the car keys, he recalled that the company had indeed treated him well. He felt a pang of guilt, lowered his head, and got in without saying a word.

Throughout the journey, Liang Jianjun was engaged in an internal struggle, trying to convince himself that he was merely acting as a go-between and that he hadn't stolen the information himself.

Another voice, however, directly attacked his conscience, saying that he was betraying his own people and that if this had happened in the early days of the People's Republic of China, he would have been executed!

Fortunately, there weren't many red lights or cameras these days, and since it was already night and there were no traffic police at the intersection, Liang Jianjun drove back to the Xiaochi factory dormitory building in Jinbu, stopping and starting along the way. He parked his car in his parking space and then pressed the floor button, looking somewhat lost.

Ding Xiangzhi, the wife, was knitting on the sofa when she heard the door open. Looking up, she saw her husband, Liang Jianjun, slumped on the sofa, looking utterly miserable. He hadn't even changed his shoes. Ding Xiangzhi turned to look at him and asked, "What's wrong? You went to ask about the details of studying abroad, and you look like this? Is it too expensive?"

"I'm a little thirsty, could you pour me a glass of water first?" Liang Jianjun didn't answer his wife's question, but continued to sit on the sofa with his head tilted back, the two voices in his heart still tormenting his conscience.

Liang Guocai, who was reading in his room, heard his parents' conversation and knew that his father had returned. He came out with a nervous heart and asked his father, "Dad, how did things go with the study abroad thing?"

"Guocai, come here, Dad has something to ask you," Liang Jianjun beckoned his son over, patted the sofa next to him, and after his son Liang Guocai sat down, Liang Jianjun said, "Guocai, Dad talked to that person your mother mentioned today. He said that instead of going to America, it's better to go to Japan. He has acquaintances there, and they can help with tuition and other things through applications, which would be much cheaper."

"Japan," Liang Guocai's face, which had been somewhat apprehensive, immediately turned reluctant upon hearing this. "Dad, all the good students in my class say they want to study in America. Chen Rongfei, the eldest son of General Manager Chen of Guangdong Company, went to America. Dad, I still want to go to America!"

"Guocai, don't worry. Listen to your father. It's not that I necessarily want you to study in Japan, but you know our family's financial situation," Liang Jianjun tried to persuade his son, and in doing so, he was also trying to persuade himself.

"The person your mother mentioned has connections in Japan that can help you get your tuition reduced or waived. That would be a huge relief for our family," Liang Jianjun continued, "Besides, the prestigious universities in Japan are no less prestigious than those in America. You're going there to study, not to immigrate and never come back. Let's see which one is better and cheaper, and go there."

"Yes, Guocai, your father is right. We can't compare ourselves to Mr. Chen's son. Since we're about the same, if the tuition in Japan can be reduced or waived, we should go to Japan to study," Ding Xiangzhi added, helping to persuade her son.

Liang Guocai's reluctance did not lessen in the slightest despite his parents' persuasion. The reason he wanted to study in America was because Chen Rongfei had mentioned in class that he had visited America with his aunt and uncle in New York during the summer vacation, which inspired him to study in America.

In Chen Rongfei's words, America was a place full of modern high-rise buildings, where everyone traveled by car, there were upscale restaurants and banquets, everyone spoke elegantly, and the streets were full of a thriving scene.

Chen Rongfei spoke without thinking, but Liang Guocai and the others took it to heart. Chen Rongfei, who was always with his aunt Zhang Yi, a wealthy woman, was chauffeured around and saw the elite circles of New York. His classmates thought that this was the life of ordinary people, and compared to their own lives, they naturally longed for it.

Liang Guocai was one of them. He thought that if he went to America, he could live the kind of life that Chen Rongfei had experienced in New York. So he was particularly resistant to his father making him go to Japan because he had never heard anyone talk about what he had seen and heard in Japan.

Japan was a completely foreign country to him, and given the natural hostility stemming from ethnic hatred, if he were to mention in class that he was going to study in Japan, his classmates would likely look at him strangely and exclude him from their circle.

This is the real reason why Liang Guocai didn't want to go to Japan.

"I'm not going to Japan, I want to go to America," Liang Guocai said, then got up and went back to the bedroom, slamming the door shut.

"Tsk! This stubborn child, why is he so obstinate?" Ding Xiangzhi glanced at her husband's face. "Old Liang, don't worry, I'll try to persuade Guocai again tomorrow. You've had a long day, go take a shower first."

"Um!"

That night, the couple lay in bed, but Liang Jianjun tossed and turned as if he had worms crawling all over him, unable to fall asleep, which also kept Ding Xiangzhi awake.

"Old Liang, what's wrong with you? You've been so distracted since you came back tonight. Is something wrong? Tell me, don't keep it to yourself and make yourself miserable," Ding Xiangzhi thought her husband was troubled by their son's studies abroad, so she wanted to help comfort him.

To everyone's surprise, Liang Jianjun's words startled Ding Xiangzhi so much that she sat up abruptly. "What? Old Liang, how could you be so foolish? How can you accept this money?!"

"Where's the money?!"

"It's in my pocket," Liang Jianjun pointed to the pants hanging on the clothes rack. Ding Xiangzhi got up and went over. She reached into her pocket and actually pulled out a bundle of green banknotes. Looking at the ten thousand US dollars in her hand, Ding Xiangzhi felt like she had a hot potato and threw it directly in front of Liang Jianjun.

"Old Liang, you're making a mistake," Ding Xiangzhi said. Although she only had a junior high school education and was assigned to a warehouse keeper position by the company, she knew that what her husband was doing was wrong.

"Mr. Chen has treated us very well. Look at the dormitory we're living in now, and the car you drive. Put your hand on your heart, don't you feel guilty taking this money?"

"Xiangzhi, I'm doing this for our son's future..."

"You've gone mad," Ding Xiangzhi hissed at her husband. "If our son's future is secured by such heartless means, I'd rather not have it!"