1994: Starting with unpaid leave

Chapter 154 An Unchangeable Fate (Part 2)

When people get old, they always like to recall the highlights of their youth.

However, Dong Jianguo's early life was filled with despair and despondency.

In contrast, the brawl he lost on the playground in high school became one of his few shining memories.

Although we lost badly.

But whenever I think about it, a smile always creeps onto my face, while I secretly mutter to myself, "Damn, so naive!"

Therefore, Dong Jianguo truly felt a bit sorry for his old classmate, Wei Daguo.

Now that the opportunity has arisen to pull this guy out of his predicament, I'm naturally happy to lend a helping hand.

Just as Dong Jianguo was about to catch up with Wei Daguo, the other male classmates walked over with mischievous grins and wine glasses.

Knowing they were there for him, Dong Jianguo didn't put on airs. Instead, he stood up and greeted them.

Before he could even recall the names of the people, a large glass that could hold three ounces of liquor was shoved into his hand.

The "Lao Bai Gan" liquor in the glass swayed gently, emitting a pungent smell of alcohol.

"Jianguo, you're late, shouldn't you be punished with a drink?!"

The leader was named Sun Qiang. He was a troublemaker in school, and although he wasn't doing very well now, his gangster-like manner had only intensified. "We were classmates, and now you're a factory manager who's made the newspapers, but we can't break the rules between classmates!"

"This first drink has to be downed! Otherwise, I'm disrespecting my brothers!"

Northeastern liquor is strong; one gulp and you're downing three ounces. Who can handle that?!

If it were someone like Director Wang or Director Zhang who had helped me, refusing to drink would be considered utterly disrespectful.

But when classmates who have barely kept in touch since graduation make such a request, it's basically a prank.

Dong Jianguo frowned, refusing the glass offered, and asked in confusion, "When was this rule made? I didn't know about it."

He looked around at the former classmates who had gathered around him. At that moment, their eyes all reflected the same thing: a complex emotion mixed with jealousy, greed, and resentment.

Sun Qiang smirked: "Latecomers are punished with a drink; everyone knows that rule!"

"Wow, now that he's a star factory manager, he's gotten too cocky!"

"Jianguo, what you're doing isn't fair!"

"Exactly, they've forgotten their roots!"

"Don't talk nonsense! Jianguo just came in and hasn't even had a bite to eat yet. I think you're the ones deliberately trying to embarrass him!"

Li Wan couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward to stand next to Dong Jianguo.

Dong Jianguo was already handsome when he was in school and had a lot of female admirers. Li Wan and the girls at the first table immediately responded and began to criticize these boys with ill intentions.

Sun Qiang, feeling a little embarrassed by the girls' comments, patted Dong Jianguo on the shoulder: "Alright, let Factory Director Jianguo have a couple of bites of food first, then we'll toast him later!"

Having said that, he led the others away dejectedly.

After they sat down again, the girls at the table couldn't help but be curious about Dong Jianguo.

"Hey, Jianguo, how big is your factory now?" a female classmate asked curiously.

"Yeah, it's written so miraculously in the newspaper, is it really true?" another chimed in.

Dong Jianguo wiped his mouth, about to give a casual reply, when Li Wan interrupted him.

"Newspapers can't write about how great the founding of the nation was."

Li Wan's tone carried a hint of pride that she herself didn't realize: "My uncle gets his goods from Jianguo Factory. Not only are the prices affordable, but the quality is also excellent."

"In the passenger feedback forms collected by their airline, many customers said they should provide more Tsurugi-flavored snacks on board!"

Her words were both factual and an affirmation of Dong Jianguo's abilities.

Upon hearing this, the female students' eyes lit up even more, looking at Dong Jianguo as if he were a glittering gold mine.

"Wow, Jianguo, you've really struck it rich!"

"Jianguo, is your factory hiring? Do you think I'm suitable?"

"Yeah, yeah, I want to go too!"

"Jianguo, my husband is looking to attract some investment. Would it be convenient for you to come along?"

In an instant, seven or eight mouths crowded around, each offering their own opinion. Some wanted to work, while others simply wanted to borrow money.

Dong Jianguo was surrounded by a group of women, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He subconsciously looked at Li Wan, who was also looking at him. Their eyes met, and Li Wan understood the helplessness in his eyes.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing? Are you worshipping Jianguo like a god of wealth?"

Li Wan clapped her hands, her clear voice drowning out the noise. "The country is just starting out, and the factory needs money right now. Where would we get so much spare cash to hire people? Besides, are you all cut out to be factory workers? What would you do there?"

Although her words were a cold shower, they were the truth, and she spoke from the perspective of helping Dong Jianguo shield himself from disaster.

The students were somewhat disappointed, but they couldn't refute it.

Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open.

A man wearing a black leather jacket and with his hair slicked back walked in.

He held a cigarette between his fingers, his eyes sweeping around with disdain before finally settling on Li Wan.

"Wow, it's quite lively here."

The private room fell silent instantly.

"Zhang Wei!" Squad leader Zhao Yahui exclaimed in surprise.

Zhang Wei was a name synonymous with a prominent figure during his high school years.

He came from a wealthy family and was just as good-looking as Dong Jianguo.

Back in school, he was Li Wan's ardent admirer.

However, when he was pursuing Li Wan, she ignored him and always liked to follow that poor boy Dong Jianguo around.

Zhang Wei walked over to Li Wan and naturally wanted to pull out the chair next to her to sit down, only to find that the seat had already been taken by Dong Jianguo.

"Hey, isn't this Jianguo? Long time no see! I didn't expect you to still be alive!" Zhang Wei squinted at Dong Jianguo.

"Hmm, I'm still waiting for you to die so I can go to your grave and burn newspapers for you." Dong Jianguo replied coldly in response to the provocation.

He and Zhang Wei didn't get along.

This guy always inexplicably targeted me when we were in school.

Now he realized that it was probably because she couldn't win Li Wan's heart, so she took her anger out on him.

Although he now finds the reason childish, there's no reason to tolerate the other person's foul mouth as soon as they walk in.

Li Wan frowned; she had always disliked Zhang Wei's domineering style: "Zhang Wei, today is a class reunion, don't go looking for trouble!"

"I'm looking for trouble?!" Zhang Wei exclaimed as if he'd heard a joke. "After all these years, you're still taking care of him like this?!"

Zhang Wei's words were like a needle, piercing through the fake liveliness of the class reunion and also striking at Li Wan's most secret feelings.

Li Wan's cheeks burned. She glanced guiltily at Dong Jianguo, only to find him fiddling with the chopsticks in his hand, seemingly oblivious to Zhang Wei's sarcasm.

This nonchalant attitude is more powerful than any rebuttal.

Seeing that Dong Jianguo remained unmoved, Zhang Wei became even more enraged.

He shoved the chair away, the screeching sound startling everyone.

"Dong Jianguo, what are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty?" Zhang Wei pointed at Dong Jianguo's nose. "You think you're something special just because you made it into a lousy newspaper and started a lousy factory? In my eyes, you're still that poor wretch you used to be!"

Dong Jianguo finally raised his head. His eyes were calm, as calm as a deep well, revealing no emotion.

"Zhang Wei," he began slowly and deliberately, "whether I'm someone important or not is none of your business to judge. But you, after all these years, besides relying on your family's wealth to put on airs, what progress have you made?"

"You—" Zhang Wei trembled with anger.

"Alright, Zhang Wei, shut up!" Class monitor Zhao Ya Hui finally couldn't stand it anymore and said with a frown, "We're all old classmates, it's not easy for us to get together, do you have to ruin the occasion?"

"Squad leader, don't worry about it!" Zhang Wei waved his hand. "Today I'm going to teach him a lesson he won't forget!"

He turned and pushed open the door to the private room, whereupon three or four thugs stood up.

Zhang Wei pointed at Dong Jianguo and shouted sternly, "Drag him out!"

The men immediately agreed.

They rushed into the private room in a swarm.

Just as he was about to rush to Dong Jianguo's side, a huge figure suddenly stood up.

It is Wei Daguo.

He stood like a wall in front of Dong Jianguo, his bloodshot eyes wide open, staring intently at the group of thugs.

"Who dares to make a move?" Wei Daguo's voice was deep and hoarse, carrying a ruthless edge.

Zhang Wei was taken aback by Wei Daguo's imposing manner, but he quickly recovered and sneered, "Oh ho, you even hired a bodyguard? Wei Daguo, who do you think you are? You want to meddle in other people's business?"

Wei Daguo didn't say anything, but silently rolled up his sleeves and picked up a beer bottle from the table.

His thick, muscular arms were exposed, with bulging veins.

"Da Guo, sit down." Dong Jianguo patted Wei Da Guo on the shoulder from behind. "Fighting with this kind of person will only dirty your hands."

.

Wei Daguo hesitated for a moment, but listened to Dong Jianguo and sat down again, though his eyes remained warily fixed on Zhang Wei.

Dong Jianguo stood up, took out a box of Hongtashan cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and took a deep drag.

His face appeared somewhat blurred in the swirling smoke.

"Zhang Wei," Dong Jianguo exhaled a smoke ring, "do you think you're all that great now?"

"Isn't that right?" Zhang Wei sneered.

He failed his college entrance exam and, after graduation, with the help of his family, started a soil excavation business in Hecheng.

Over the years, its scale has grown several times over.

And the business has spread from earthwork to other industries.

He wasn't very interested in legitimate industries, and aside from indulging in extravagant spending, he invested all his earnings in shady businesses like billiard halls and arcades.

Although it's a gray industry, it can really make a fortune.

As one's career becomes increasingly successful, one naturally becomes more and more arrogant.

Zhang Wei didn't take ordinary people like Dong Jianguo seriously at all.

Dong Jianguo remained completely calm.

He turned to look at Sun Qiang and the others who had just forced him to drink, but were now cowering in the corner in fear.

"Sun Qiang, didn't you say that those who are late should be punished with a drink?! Zhang Wei arrived even later than me, why didn't you punish him?"

Seeing Zhang Wei's sharp gaze, Sun Qiang's face fell, and he shrank back, saying, "That's not true, Jianguo, don't make things up!"

Seeing the current situation, Zhao Ya Hui's face darkened: "Zhang Wei, tell your men to get out!"

"What if I don't?!"

"Then I guess your earthmoving business will be over by tomorrow!"

Zhang Wei was taken aback. Looking at the furious female class monitor, he realized that he had indeed been a bit too flamboyant today.

Not everyone comes from an ordinary family like Dong Jianguo.

In this private room, besides Li Wan, whose family was well-off, Zhao Ya Hui's family was also quite well-off.

His father used to be a secretary for officials in Hecheng City and is now the head of Tiefeng District.

While it might not actually force them to close their businesses, it wouldn't be difficult to cause them some trouble.

Thinking of this, Zhang Wei snorted and told the few followers who rushed into the room to leave.

"And you, I didn't invite you tonight either, so who let you in?!"

Zhang Wei was stunned for a moment, glared at Zhao Ya Hui resentfully, and left without saying anything.

As soon as he left, the students in the private room breathed a sigh of relief.

They were genuinely afraid that Zhang Wei and Dong Jianguo would suddenly start fighting.

Who wants to get covered in blood after attending a party right after the New Year?!

Seeing this, Sun Qiang and the others shoveled down a few more mouthfuls of food and got up early to say goodbye.

Once they took the lead, the others in the private room also had their own ideas and found various excuses to leave.

Soon, only four people remained at the two large tables in the private room: class monitor Zhao Ya Hui, Li Wan, Dong Jianguo, and Wei Daguo.

"Wait, did they pay the bill?!"

Dong Jianguo ate the food on the table, completely unaware that his classmates were leaving.

"This meal was split equally among everyone, with refunds for overpayments and additional payments for underpayments. But you, Director Dong, haven't paid yet since you walked in!"

"Squad leader, please don't bring up money every time you talk to me! It hurts our relationship! I run a small business and I'm looking for investors!"

Li Wan frowned and couldn't help but ask, "Really?"

"Fake!"

Dong Jianguo sighed, looking at Li Wan's concerned eyes, and couldn't help but feel a little sad.

This life is for atonement.

I don't want to incur any more debt.

But when he saw Li Wan's eyes, the words Dong Jianguo wanted to say stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say them at all.

Zhao Ya Hui rested her chin on her hand, watching the two of them with great interest.

"Jianguo, you seem to have changed a lot since we last met—"

"Of course! I'm a father now, how could I not change a bit!"

Dong Jianguo patted Wei Daguo on the shoulder: "Daguo, go with the squad leader to pay the bill—"

"Hmm!"

After the two left the private room, Dong Jianguo turned around and looked at Li Wan's still beautiful face, a trace of pain and helplessness in his eyes: "Wanwan, you've helped me so much, even going so far as to use your uncle's connections. I know very well what you want."

Li Wan's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"Founding the Nation—I—"

"But I can't give it to you."

Dong Jianguo interrupted her, his voice as soft as the wind, "Because I'm someone who's died once. My heart was buried with my past life long ago."

"Everything I'm doing now is not for my own enjoyment, not for glory, and certainly not to find a new woman."

.

"I did this for my wife and my children. They've suffered so much with me. I owe them, and I'll spend my whole life repaying them."

"So, Wanwan, don't waste your time on me."

"9

"This is fate, it can't be changed."

Li Wan stood frozen in her seat, letting her tears fall silently.