Chapter 1

"Embrace the sea that holds a hundred rivers, for it is vast and can accommodate all; stand firm like a thousand-foot cliff, for without desire, one remains strong."

In this world, everyone has their own principles for survival. Although this saying may not become a universal life creed, it is a timeless warning for those in public office. Everyone has desires, but those in high positions are often swayed by them, leading to a lack of fairness in their actions.

In the autumn of 1996, the early morning air was refreshingly crisp. Gao Jue walked alone on the road, listening to the pleasant chirping of birds, a clear and refreshing smile on his face. At that moment, he was incredibly excited, as it was his first day reporting to his new job at the county women's federation, a place often referred to as a "clear water office" where there was little to do, mostly dealing with middle-aged and elderly women. However, Gao Jue saw this as a turning point and an opportunity in his life.

Gao Jue was a recent college graduate from Chunjiang University, the top institution in Jinhua Province. With a bachelor's degree, he was in high demand, and finding a good job should not have been difficult. However, he decided to take the civil service exam. He had ranked third in the written test, and during the interview, he had answered questions calmly and steadily, but was unexpectedly given a low score and not hired. Such a setback left him disheartened, but just as he was planning to look for another job, a turn of events occurred.

The county women's federation was not initially part of the civil service exam recruitment, as they had not secured a position. After the written test, a federation staff member broke a leg and would be bedridden for a year or more, possibly even on sick leave. The federation director was in a panic and personally went to the personnel bureau to argue, finally securing a position. She promised that after the interviews, she could choose one of the candidates who had not been selected.

Among the top ten in the written test, almost all had been hired except for Gao Jue. The federation director reviewed the resumes and transcripts, noting that Gao Jue had ranked third and was a graduate of Chunjiang University. His photo showed a spirited young man. Considering that the federation was mostly composed of middle-aged and elderly women, and the only male colleague was not to her liking, she decided to choose Gao Jue.

Revived from his setback, Gao Jue was both surprised and delighted. He decided to work hard and not辜负 the trust placed in him by the federation leadership.

Gao Jue's home was on Xingwu Road, a relatively remote area in Beian County, but it was the terminal stop for the No. 2 bus. In the early morning, there were many people waiting for the bus, and fortunately, there were plenty of seats. Gao Jue managed to get one. As the bus started, his heart soared, imagining his future at the county women's federation.

After three stops, the bus became more crowded. At the Maluwan stop, a pregnant woman slowly boarded. Seeing her, Gao Jue quickly stood up and gestured to her, "Ma'am, please come and sit here!"

The pregnant woman smiled and nodded at Gao Jue, walking toward him, though not very quickly. More people boarded the bus, and a young man in fashionable European-style casual clothes, with sharp eyes, saw the empty seat. He took three steps in two and, before the pregnant woman could reach Gao Jue, he plopped down, bumping her arm and nearly causing her to stumble. The young man didn't notice and sat down, then raised his arm and called out loudly, "Yan Bing, come over! There's a seat here!"

Gao Jue was taken aback by such behavior. Seeing that the pregnant woman was unharmed, he looked at the young man and politely said, "Sir, please stand up."

"What's the matter?" The young man glanced at Gao Jue. Seeing his simple, almost white, light yellow jacket, he assumed Gao Jue was poor and sneered.

"This seat is for the pregnant woman," Gao Jue said, his tone less friendly this time.

"So what? What's it got to do with me? Who's first and who's last? Why should I give up my seat for her when so many others are sitting?" the young man said indignantly.

"I'll say it again: this seat is for the pregnant woman. Please stand up," Gao Jue said firmly.

"I won't stand up. What are you going to do about it?" the young man continued to provoke.

"What do you think?"

"Whoosh!" Gao Jue suddenly reached out, grabbed the young man by the collar, and with a strong pull, lifted him up.

Despite being a graduate of Chunjiang University, Gao Jue was not someone to be trifled with. He was a reincarnated soul with a unique past. In his previous life, he had spent the most time in prison. He was a man of great loyalty and passion, often getting into fights, but his academic performance was always good. In high school, he had beaten someone severely while defending a friend, leading to his expulsion and a hefty medical bill. The friend, upon hearing about the costs, backed out, blaming Gao Jue and leaving him to bear all the responsibility. With no money, his parents considered selling their house. Gao Jue, seeing this, took full responsibility, telling the police that they had no money and that his parents should not be left homeless. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. After his release, he still had a strong sense of justice and, upon seeing an elderly person being bullied, stepped in and beat the bully. The elderly person, grateful, gave him a family recipe, but Gao Jue never had the chance to use it. The person he beat had connections and sent him back to court. The elderly person, who was supposed to testify for him, died in a mysterious car accident. Based on the other party's testimony and Gao Jue's criminal record, he was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. By the time he was released, he was in his forties, his parents had passed away, and he had to work in the south, eventually dying in despair.

The young man on the bus was less than 1.7 meters tall and skinny. Gao Jue, being tall and strong, lifted him up as if he were a chick. He noticed the young man had very pale skin, small eyes, and a bruised left eye, suggesting he had been hit.

Startled by being lifted, the young man stammered, "W-What are you doing..."

"What do you think? Stand over there!" Gao Jue said, swinging his arm and throwing the young man to the side, nearly making him fall.

"What's wrong with you? So rude! You actually hit someone over a seat!" A young woman suddenly squeezed through the crowd, walked to the young man's side, and glared at Gao Jue.

"Who's taking his seat? This seat was mine. I saw the pregnant woman and offered it to her, but this guy was quick on his feet. He rushed over and even bumped her. Everyone here can be a witness!" Gao Jue said loudly, pointing to the pregnant woman.

"That's right, have some public morals! He took the seat from a pregnant woman, he deserves a beating!" "Young people these days have no manners, dressed nicely but with no conscience." "Don't generalize, this young man is quite considerate." ...

The older people on the bus spoke up in support of Gao Jue, criticizing the young man, making him increasingly embarrassed. The young woman also felt ashamed. She looked at the pregnant woman, then at Gao Jue, and pouted, saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't know the whole story. I apologize."

The young woman was about twenty-two or twenty-three, not fashionably dressed but very pretty. She had a heart-shaped face, big eyes, double eyelids, long lashes, black hair, a tall and slender figure, and long legs, a true beauty.

Gao Jue, who was used to being reasonable, said politely, "It's okay."

But the young woman seemed unsatisfied and turned to the young man, saying, "It's all your fault. Why don't you apologize?"

"I... I was just trying to get a seat for you..." the young man said, flustered.

"That's no way to do it. It's only three stops. If there's a seat, take it; if not, stand. You're really something." The young woman pouted, muttering, "If the boss finds out, I'll be in trouble again." She then turned away, ignoring the young man.

The bus continued, and the pregnant woman sat in the seat Gao Jue had offered, thanking him repeatedly. Occasionally, older people would scold the young man, making him clench his teeth in anger. He had never been so humiliated. What infuriated him most was that the woman he was pursuing had criticized him for this. Damn it, if it weren't for getting a seat for her, this wouldn't have happened.

After three stops, the conductor announced, "County Government." Gao Jue got off the bus, and to his surprise, the young couple also got off at this stop. The young man got off first, turned to look at the young woman, and seeing Gao Jue also getting off, seemed to want to save face. He glared at Gao Jue and said, "Kid, I'm busy today, so I can't deal with you. Just wait, don't let me see you again."

"Sure, I'll wait, anytime," Gao Jue chuckled. He had seen many such people in school, who were only good at talking.

The county women's federation was in the county government compound. Gao Jue got off the bus and headed there, only to find that the young couple was going the same way. They walked into the compound confidently, and Gao Jue was taken aback, thinking, "Could they work in the government?"

This place was not easy to enter. When it was Gao Jue's turn, an uncle stopped him.

"Comrade, what are you here for?"

"Hello, I'm here to report to the women's federation. This is my appointment letter," Gao Jue stopped and handed the letter to the uncle.

Upon hearing this, the young couple stopped and turned to look at Gao Jue.

The uncle looked at Gao Jue's letter, then at his photo, and said, "You can go in. The women's federation is on the second floor. By the way, the two people in front are also from the federation. Just follow them."

*****************************************************

The first few chapters may be a bit slow, but the story structure is complete. Although it's not a fast-paced novel, I am confident it will be a top-notch work in the genre of officialdom literature. Especially in character development and emotional portrayal, it will captivate you. Here, I sincerely thank all the readers for your support. I hope both new and old friends will continue to support me. If you find it interesting, please click the "Add to Favorites" button, and I promise you won't regret it. Thank you!

{Piaotian Literature www.PiaoTian.com Thank you for your support, your support is our greatest motivation}

Previous Page AD Start

Previous Page AD End