Chapter 1

On July 2, 1982, at the platform of the Jingcheng Railway Station.

As the train slowly pulled out of the platform, a series of sobs finally echoed inside and outside the green train, sounding so jarring amidst the rumbling of the train.

Xu Junran silently looked out the window, his reflection clearly visible in the glass. Standing at about 1.8 meters tall, with thick eyebrows, not particularly large eyes, a pair of old-fashioned Russian glasses, slightly thin lips, and short hair, he was a very spirited young man.

"Yeah, just like Dad's photo when he was young!"

With a self-deprecating smile, Xu Junran's lips twitched, a smile that was not much better than a cry, which drew curious glances from the two girls across from him who were also leaving school after graduation.

The train slowly passed through the mountains, but Xu Junran's heart remained unsettled for a long time.

Anyone in his position would find it hard to remain calm, because he had been reborn!

No, to be precise, he had become his adoptive father in this life.

Xu Junran couldn't help but recall his last memory from his previous life. At that time, as the Party Secretary of a prefecture-level city, he was giving a speech to all the city's officials. Suddenly, everything went black, and the next moment, he found himself in the dormitory of Jinghua University. Three days later, Xu Junran boarded the train back to his hometown, Jiangnan Province.

It was 1982, and his adoptive father, as one of the first graduates after the restoration of the college entrance examination, did not stay in the capital. Unexpectedly, he was assigned to the Wude County Party Committee in Quanzhou City, Jiangnan Province. From then on, his adoptive father rooted himself in Wude County, serving as the director of the Policy Research Office for over twenty years. It was during this time that he adopted Xu Junran, and the reason for the adoption was simple: Xu Junran, an orphan, had the same name as him.

For the next few decades, his adoptive father never mentioned his past. It wasn't until Xu Junran graduated from university that his adoptive father mobilized all the resources he could to help him enter the political arena. Ten years after the old man's death, Xu Junran had already become a full-time Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and had the potential to become a vice-provincial governor.

Until the moment of his rebirth, he was still confidently giving a speech to the officials. But at this moment, Xu Junran felt no joy. Reborn as his adoptive father, did he still exist in the original world?

Thinking about this, Xu Junran's mood worsened.

What made his mood even worse was that by accepting his adoptive father's body and memories, he finally understood why his adoptive father, as one of the first graduates of the 1980s, had to stay in the small town of Wude for decades.

Most of the first graduates after the restoration of the college entrance examination in 1977 either entered central government agencies or various ministries. Even those who couldn't enter these places became highly sought-after talents in various regions. Only Xu Junran's adoptive father had to leave the capital in disgrace and spend the rest of his life in a county town.

The reason for this was a woman!

As the top talent in the Chinese Department of Jinghua University, his adoptive father naturally received the admiration of many women. But in a cliché, the woman he considered his lifelong partner ended up with the son of a high-ranking official. That well-known troublemaker in the capital only needed to make a call, and his adoptive father, a graduate of Jinghua University, had to pack his bags and return to his hometown. Of course, to humiliate his adoptive father, the other party even left him his Beijing hukou (household registration).

Xu Junran was not clear about his adoptive father's past. Not long after he reached the deputy-hall level, the old man passed away. The remaining time, those who helped him were his adoptive father's classmates, the uncles and aunts in various central departments.

In his previous life, Xu Junran never understood why his adoptive father, who could provide him with such significant political support that even years after his death, those connections still helped him reach a high position, had spent his entire life as the director of the Policy Research Office. His adoptive father had many opportunities to change his life, but he gave them all up. Even when asked several times, the old man remained silent, never revealing his true feelings until his death.

Now, he knew that his adoptive father had such a deep-seated pain in his heart.

"Huang Zexuan!" Xu Junran repeated this name in his heart. This was the man who had taken away his adoptive father's beloved woman and caused him a lifetime of pain. In this life, he would not let him off!

But what should he do now?

As a seasoned adult with many years of political experience, Xu Junran found it hard to believe in rebirth. At first, he thought it was a dream, but after three days, reality told him that this bizarre thing had truly happened. Besides feeling lost and helpless, Xu Junran sometimes felt as if he had offended the heavens.

To be fair, having reached the position of Party Secretary in his previous life, Xu Junran's mental fortitude was unquestionable. But the concept of rebirth was too strange. It was like someone often saying that if they had made a different choice at a certain point, things would have been better, but if they were really given the chance to go back to that moment, the first reaction would be fear and unease, not joy.

"Whatever, since I'm here, I'll just have to make the best of it. From now on, I am the new Xu Junran!" After a while of aimless thoughts, Xu Junran had no good plan and could only comfort himself this way.

With this thought in mind, Xu Junran fell into a deep sleep as the train continued its journey toward Jiangnan Province, his hometown in both his past and present life...

...

...

When the train slowly pulled into Quanzhou, Xu Junran opened his eyes. After over twenty hours on the train, he was extremely tired, but his long experience in the political arena made him accustomed to such situations. Apart from being a bit less energetic, he was otherwise fine.

Stepping out of the railway station, he looked around and gave a self-deprecating smile. "Really not used to it. I thought someone would come to pick me up."

At this moment, he vaguely remembered that his adoptive father had once mentioned that he was a posthumous child, and his parents were intellectuals who were sent to Quanzhou during the anti-rightist struggle in the 1950s. His father passed away in the 1960s, and his mother died when he was in his teens. He had grown up eating from the kindness of others.

"It seems I still need some time to get used to this." Xu Junran shook his head and muttered to himself.

For him, the concept of rebirth was still unfamiliar, and even more unfamiliar was the challenge of adapting from the carefree 21st century to the 1980s, where even making a phone call required a lot of effort. This was the biggest challenge for a modern person.

As for his plans for this life, Xu Junran had already made up his mind on the train.

Since heaven had given him a second chance as his adoptive father, he would definitely pursue a political career. One day, he would change his wretched fate and reach the pinnacle of power in China!

(First chapter of the new book, please recommend, collect, and click!)

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