Chapter 1

"Chen, are you really going to resign?" Martin Winterkorn frowned, unwilling to let Chen Geng go so easily, even though he knew Chen Geng had made up his mind. "If it's about the company's benefits, we can discuss it further..."

"Mr. Winterkorn," Chen Geng interrupted, his tone not very polite, "You should know that what I want isn't money. My current income is sufficient. What I want is the recognition that matches my abilities."

"I understand," Martin Winterkorn grimaced, unsure of what he was trying to convey, but after a few minutes of struggle, he finally managed a dry smile, "Alright, Chen, I promise you that within two years, at most three years, you will definitely become the chief designer for Volkswagen's mid-to-high-end models. How about that?"

Looking at Martin Winterkorn with a mocking expression, Chen Geng suddenly smiled brightly, "Mr. Winterkorn, you used this excuse before the New Year."

Five years ago, Martin Winterkorn had confidently told Chen Geng that within three years, he would become the chief designer for Volkswagen's B-segment cars. Two years ago, Martin Winterkorn had again promised Chen Geng that within two years, he would definitely become the chief designer for B-segment cars. Now, Martin Winterkorn was using the same tactic... How familiar it all was.

It was one thing to deceive others, but it was another to be called out on it. Martin Winterkorn couldn't help but feel embarrassed, "Alright, I admit I lied before, but I promise you, this time it's the real deal."

"Maybe," Chen Geng shrugged casually, "But I've decided to change my environment."

"Chen, seriously, I really suggest you reconsider," Martin Winterkorn slowly shook his head, rejecting Chen Geng's request again, but this time with a sincere tone, "You should understand that you are the most valued talent at Volkswagen. Even I don't have the authority to approve your resignation request..."

Pausing for a moment, Martin Winterkorn seemed to make a big decision, "How about this: starting next month, your monthly salary will be increased to 60,000 euros, after tax; your annual bonus will increase by 30%; and you will get an additional 10 days of paid leave each year. How does that sound?"

"Very tempting, but I still want to resign," meeting Martin Winterkorn's gaze, Chen Geng pushed his resignation letter forward again, "If you can't approve it, please have the board do so as soon as possible."

Without waiting for Martin Winterkorn to say anything else, Chen Geng walked out of his office with a determined stride.

Watching Chen Geng's sharp, spear-like back, Martin Winterkorn took a deep breath, the gloom in his eyes lingering for a long time. Finally, he picked up the phone, "Chen is leaving... Yes, he insists on leaving, and I can't stop him... A full industry blacklist?... Alright, I'll arrange for the news to be spread..."

Leaving Martin Winterkorn's office, Chen Geng felt as if he had escaped from a huge cage. He felt like he could fly. He couldn't wait to return to his beloved homeland. With this excited feeling, he pressed the gas pedal harder and harder, and his speed increased. When he saw the truck slowly turning out of the intersection, it was too late to take any evasive action.

A sharp sound, Chen Geng felt his body floating lightly in the air. His life flashed before his eyes like a silent movie, with a lingering sense of regret...

...

Opening his eyes, Chen Geng found himself lying in a room with snow-white walls, the air filled with the smell of disinfectant. Where am I?

"Third Brother, you're awake?" A voice full of surprise came from behind Chen Geng, "How do you feel? Is your head still hurting?"

Chen Geng instinctively turned his head to see who was speaking, but the next moment, a sharp pain hit his head: It hurts so much!

"Still a bit, I see," the surprised and familiar voice said with relief, "Third Brother, don't try to get up yet. The doctor said you might have a concussion. Lie down for a while."

Me?

Concussion?

Third Brother?

What's going on? I was hit by a car, so this must be a hospital. But why am I being called 'Third Brother'?

He tried to turn his head to see who was speaking, but his head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, and he couldn't move it no matter how hard he tried. His vision was blurry. Could this be a side effect of the concussion? And... my head really hurts.

Chen Geng couldn't help but groan.

Hearing Chen Geng's groan, the familiar voice immediately panicked, "Third Brother, why are you so stubborn? I told you not to move... Lie down for a while. I'll go get the doctor..."

Before Chen Geng could say anything, the nagging voice, like an old lady, ran off.

Chen Geng was speechless: Can you be a bit more reliable? But who is this familiar voice?

Just as he was trying to sort out the situation, a commotion came from outside the window.

The speaker was deeply distressed, but the voice was familiar to Chen Geng, "Comrade Chen Hongjun, although you are Chen Geng's father, what right do you have to treat a university student, whom the state has worked so hard to cultivate, like this? Do you know how much it costs the state to cultivate a university student? Do you know how many positions across the country are in urgent need of their contributions?

Do you know what time it is? It's a crucial time for students to graduate and find jobs! It's a critical moment that will affect their entire lives! And have you thought about what would happen if Chen Geng's brain was damaged by your slap? As Chen Geng's father, would you be able to face the state and the party?"

Chen Geng was breaking out in a cold sweat: A slap on the head could be elevated to the level of betraying the state and the party? Is this joke a bit too big? And what happened after I was hit by the car?

"Teacher, Chen Geng is awake," the nagging voice said with great surprise, "The doctor said to call him if Chen Geng wakes up for a re-examination..."

"Chen Geng is awake? How is he?"

"My son is awake? How is he?"

Two voices full of surprise almost simultaneously reached Chen Geng's ears.

"My son is awake? How is he? Is... is there any aftereffect?" After the initial surprise, the increasingly familiar voice asked urgently, even with a noticeable tremor.

This familiar voice was like a thunderbolt in Chen Geng's mind! Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

Could it be any less familiar? The greatest luxury he once had was to be hugged by this voice, but he hadn't spoken to this voice for five years. This voice... was his father.

The next moment, a new question arose in Chen Geng's mind: Where am I? How long have I been unconscious? Why is my father here? Who are these familiar voices?

Before Chen Geng could figure it out, a group of people, led by a man in a white coat, clearly a doctor, came over. The doctor standing by Chen Geng's bed observed him carefully and nodded in satisfaction, "Hmm, it seems there's no major problem. Student, do you feel any discomfort now?"

"No." Without thinking about why he was called a "student," Chen Geng answered instinctively.

"Do you feel nauseous or want to vomit?"

"Just a headache, nothing else... Ouch..."

This sudden intake of breath was because Chen Geng instinctively touched the back of his head, which hurt unexpectedly.

Chen Geng's action made a man in green military uniform, standing behind the doctor, tense. He quickly asked the doctor, "Doctor, my son..."

"Stop interrupting," the doctor scolded him irritably, then took a step back and pointed to the people behind him, "Student, do you recognize these people?"

"Big Brother, Second Brother, Fourth Brother, why are you all here? Teacher Ma, why are you here? Dad... why are you here?"

His gaze swept over the people in front of him: his Big Brother, Second Brother, and Fourth Brother from his university dormitory, his counselor Teacher Ma, and finally, his father, dressed in a green military uniform.

Chen Geng hadn't realized that everyone in front of him looked much younger.

The doctor was clearly satisfied with Chen Geng's response and said to everyone in a relaxed tone, "The student is doing well. Everyone can rest assured. There won't be any aftereffects."

"Good, good..." Teacher Ma let out a long sigh of relief, but the next moment, he turned into an angry lion, turning around and pointing at Chen Hongjun, "Comrade Chen Hongjun, look at what you've done! If this incident affects Chen Geng's future work and studies, how will you face your wife? How will you face the party and the state? What right do you have to hit people so casually..."

Hit someone?

Deep in his mind, a flash of light suddenly appeared, and a memory that Chen Geng had deeply etched in his mind suddenly surfaced, overlapping with the scene in front of him:

In the summer of 1985, just before he was about to graduate from the Automotive Engineering Department of Huqing University, his father came to the school to ask him to return to the Third Military Equipment Repair Factory in East China. However, because he had participated in the localization of the Volkswagen Santana in his senior year, he insisted on going to Volkswagen Santana.

At that time, he was young and impulsive, and his way of speaking and communicating was not very considerate, which infuriated his father, who slapped him to the ground, causing his head to hit the steps at the entrance of the dormitory building.

Because of that slap, he not only went to SAIC Volkswagen but also didn't speak to his father for five years...

So what's happening now?

It seems I've returned to 1985, just before my graduation?