Returning to '97, creating a new life

Inside the interrogation room.

Zhao Jian trembled, his voice trembling slightly with tears. The oppressive atmosphere and the seriousness of the situation explained to him and his parents by the investigators were enough to break down his psychological defenses, causing him to blurt out all the truth.

In such a trivial matter, the truth is laid bare before an experienced veteran police officer, who easily grasps the key figure. Xu Kai, on the other hand, is quite interesting. He doesn't hide his intention to deliberately determine the nature of the incident, directly seizing the initiative. If he really holds on to this, we'll have to deal with him properly.

Zhao Jian's voice trembled slightly, and his eyes were a little moist. He was frightened. Even though he was nearly 1.9 meters tall and almost an adult, he was still just a hothouse flower. When something really happened, he was completely stunned.

"I just don't like him. He hasn't even entered the school yet, and the teachers and coaches are spoiling him, and the teammates are fawning over him. Does he really think he's a savior? That's why I wanted to find someone to teach him a lesson. I didn't intend to do anything serious to him. That 'Iron Bro' (the leader of the six) was carrying a knife, probably just to scare him. I heard this kid is pretty tough, so it's better to be prepared. Seriously, I told Iron Bro to slap him a few times, kick him a few times, and give him a warning so he won't be so arrogant..."

"I gave Brother Tie a total of three hundred yuan, plus a carton of cigarettes for my dad..."

"I do like Yunshang, but she has nothing to do with this, and she doesn't know anything about it. I was just upset, so I hired someone to teach Xu Kai a lesson. What right does that poor guy have? He carries a thermos and even goes to the basketball team to sell sweet soy milk to make money. He usually sets up a small stall to earn a pittance. Who would care about his meager earnings? To rob him is pure nonsense..."

The more Zhao Jian talked, the more excited he became. Gradually, he lost his fear and his tone returned to normal. It wasn't until the investigators opposite him tapped on the table that he realized what was happening. He shrank back, bent over, and looked at them with a struggle in his eyes.

On what grounds?

What does this have to do with robbery? How did it escalate to this point?

"Brother." After understanding the cause and effect of the incident, Yunshang looked at her older brother who had come with her, her eyes filled with raging anger.

It's true that I didn't know Zhao Jian. I only knew he existed after meeting him. He's 1.9 meters tall, timid as a mouse, and doesn't even have the courage to confess his feelings. Who would know who you are?

Now that Xu Kai is involved, and because of her, he's even injured, Yunshang felt a surge of guilt. She looked at her older brother and made her stance clear: we must step in and not stand idly by; we must help Xu Kai.

Yun Sheng looked at his younger sister with doting eyes and nodded without any psychological burden. He had always been an outsider, but now he was getting involved.

How to characterize it?

It seemed that a fair and impartial approach was no longer sufficient to resolve the issue. Soon, the professional lawyer that Yun Sheng had hired put pressure on the matter. The investigators directly told Zhao Jian's parents and the guardians of the other individuals that they should try to resolve the matter privately, as going through the normal procedures would be very troublesome.

Some things weren't said directly.

If you've been hit, stand up straight. Now, to resolve this trouble, are you willing to pay up? If so, don't be afraid of being overcharged. Go and resolve this quickly. This matter can still be resolved through mediation. Don't think the medical expenses are too expensive. You don't want your child to have a stain on their record, do you?

From then on, Xu Kai only needed to lie in the hospital bed. No matter how many ideas he had, he could make decisions for his mother. But once his uncles arrived, he lost control.

The uncles' thinking was simple: their child had been bullied, and they were in the right. They couldn't accept a solution that didn't satisfy them. As for Xu Kai's opinion? It didn't matter. They were his uncles; would they let him suffer? He was still a child, incapable of handling this himself. They were happy to take care of it.

Xu Kai cooperated one last time, facing the investigators, doctors, and his family members with a calm expression and unwavering eyes. He simply raised his hand and gently placed it on his head, which was already wrapped in gauze: "Headache, dizziness. Doctor, could you examine me again?"

Wang Jianshe, who has worked at a local police station for more than 20 years, looked at Xu Kai with great interest. Their eyes met, one deep and the other unwavering.

What can we do even if we know the truth?

I have a headache, and everything makes sense.

Wang Jianshe didn't think Xu Kai had done anything wrong. He was simply interested in this young man. Having worked at the grassroots level for many years, he had seen all sorts of young people get into similar conflicts, fights, and even more serious incidents. This Xu Kai was truly different; he was quite resourceful. In that situation, he reacted instantly and set a trap for the other party, which was no small feat.

"You're Xu Kai's uncles, right..." Wang Jianshe informed everyone. When he mentioned that the incident stemmed from a girl, he deliberately paused, remaining neutral and stating that based on his experience, settling the matter privately was better for everyone. "There's no need for you to be so adamant. After all, the cause of the incident isn't exactly pleasant to talk about, and it's impossible to definitively say who started it."

The best approach is to minimize the impact of a major issue and resolve it altogether.

Wang Jianshe held the same attitude towards Yun Sheng and his lawyer: a private settlement was best; if the matter were to escalate further, it would inevitably involve Yun Shang as well.

Most importantly, Wang Jianshe was too soft-hearted. Zhao Jian was at most spoiled and immature, which wasn't a serious mistake. There was no need to condemn him outright. It would be too much to let the child be unable to go to school. He confided in Park In-ji, hoping that as a teacher, he could persuade Xu Kai's parents to ask for a little more money for medical expenses. They would take responsibility for disciplining those naughty kids and ensure they wouldn't dare cause trouble for their child again. They wanted to settle the matter privately.

Xu Kai knew this would be the outcome, which was in line with the characteristics of the current mainstream era. Such matters should be resolved privately, and in the end, both sets of parents would feel sorry for their children. They would also feel bad if their children were left with a criminal record.

He felt guilty for worrying his mother and couldn't avoid the situation, so he decided to make a big fuss about it.

When he was surrounded, the way an adult would handle the situation would definitely be to establish an invincible image for himself, or at least for the other party.

Yunshang slipped into his ward and looked at Xu Kai, whose head was wrapped in gauze. She didn't know what to say, but Xu Kai spoke first: "It's hardest to bear the kindness of a beautiful woman. I feel much better now."

Yunshang chuckled: "You're injured and still being so cheeky. What do you want to eat tomorrow? I'll bring it to you."

Sa.

Not pretentious.

Xu Kai likes it.

"Actually, it's nothing. I was just pretending."

"Hmm, what do you want to eat?"

"How about braised pork ribs?"

"OK."

Outside the door were many parents. Yunshang's ability to enter already showed a maturity far beyond her years. She would feel embarrassed to stay any longer, especially since her brother was watching them intently.

He understood, but didn't mention it. However, that doesn't mean he was unaware of the potential troubles brought about by class differences. Today's events are just a microcosm of the problem.

Yunshang knew he understood, and she was beginning to understand why he said the hardest thing to bear was the kindness of a beautiful woman. Being with her meant that some unknown troubles were inevitable. Troubles that couldn't be understood through normal logic would suddenly descend upon her. If it was an undeserved disaster, would it still happen if they maintained their own lives?

The gap between fictional relationships depicted in novels and movies actually exists in reality; a relationship isn't just a matter between two people.

So that's why he stared at me the first time, with that complex look and expression—he wanted to say that. Thank goodness he didn't say it; that's pretty manly.

"The gap between us is too great; it's not appropriate for us to be together."

........................

Five thousand yuan was a large sum of money for a working-class family in Northeast China in 1997.

In addition to the normal hospitalization medical expenses, Zhao Jian's parents compensated Xu Kai with 5,000 yuan, thus achieving a private settlement. Two or three thousand yuan is not a small amount. The Zhao family is financially well-off, and their Achilles' heel has been exploited. The lawyer hired by Yun Sheng also put some pressure on them. They also consulted friends and found lawyers, with similar results.

Wang Jianshe's suggestion was the most timely. From the Zhao family's perspective, paying money to avoid further trouble was the best solution. Taking more money and quickly settling the matter was far more appropriate than worrying about the amount of money. These words also made the Zhao family abandon their idea of ​​"bargaining." They picked up Zhao Jian, who had been slapped, and left the police station. Back home, they received another beating before they felt satisfied.

The school turns a blind eye, and the fact that it didn't happen at the school is consistent with this attitude.

Xu Kai's uncles were satisfied. The incident had happened, and in the adult world, dealing with similar situations is never about ruthless elimination. The ultimate solution is to ensure that both the immediate gains and the absence of subsequent troubles complement each other, especially given the premise that the other party actually suffered more losses than they did in Xu Kai's case. Standing by his bedside, his uncles had to say, "This kid is smart."

"Mom, I'm really fine, don't worry. It's only mediocre people who aren't envied. Don't overthink it. Buy more groceries this weekend. Your uncles have been busy all day, so let's add a few more hearty dishes."

Sun Xiuyun didn't like hearing this, and even the money felt like a burning hot potato. Although it was more than she had saved up over the years, she didn't care about the cost of her son's injury.

Why do brothers need to ask for any compensation for taking care of their own children?

Xu Kai noticed his mother's awkwardness and smiled, "Mom, don't be like that. Just consider it a thank you to our uncles."

Sun Xiuyun said angrily, "Who cares about their filthy money?"

Xu Kai joked, "I like it. I need to stock up on goods for Christmas soon, and I need the capital."

Sun Xiuyun subconsciously slapped her son before realizing he was injured. She quickly looked at him with concern, wanting to confirm whether her unconscious slap had hurt him.

Xu Kai shook his head to indicate that he was fine. The mother and son didn't talk much. Actually, after receiving the money, they could have gone home, but the uncles felt that they should at least stay for one night, as they still had to maintain appearances.

Worried about her son staying there, Sun Xiuyun insisted on staying with him at the hospital. Xu Kai suggested she rent a folding bed downstairs, but she couldn't bear to part with it.

In the end, the mother and son, upside down, head to toe, squeezed together on the hospital bed to get through the night.

In the darkened ward, listening to the snoring of the other patients and his mother on the other side of the bed, Xu Kai chuckled to himself. It was good that his mother was more easygoing and could live a long life; otherwise, with her low tolerance for stress, she would have lived a tiring life.

[I never expected that I would make so much money after being reborn.]

Setting up a stall near the school gate with some facial recognition technology, although it wasn't as popular as it was initially, was still stable, earning about two thousand yuan in just over two months.

Two things have shattered Sun Xiuyun's preconceived notion that she had spent her entire life working for a government-run institution and earning a wage.