Chapter 39

Xu Junran did not think that living again would solve all his problems; he had known this answer for a long time. His years in office had taught him that no matter how confident one was in a plan, anything could change before it was all settled.

For him, the idea of raising fish in rice paddies and starting a construction company was the first step to opening up the situation in Wude County. It was not only economically beneficial but also helped to establish his authority. After all, in the era where the economy was the priority, a cadre with ideas, culture, and the ability to develop the economy would be treated differently from a leader who only knew how to work hard.

Saving Lin Yuqing today was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but Xu Junran had an idea.

"Yuqing, as you know, I'm about to take up my post in Lijia Town," Xu Junran said, looking at Lin Yuqing.

Lin Yuqing's delicate brows furrowed, unsure what Xu Junran meant by bringing this up.

Xu Junran smiled. "If you trust me, you can close this restaurant and come to Lijia Town's commune. I can arrange a job for you."

He paused and continued, "Although the workplace might be in Pengfei City, I think you would be happy there."

Lin Yuqing remained silent, unsure whether she should trust this young man. Though he was seven years younger than her, the calm and presence he exuded were no less than those of the important figures she had met in the county, and perhaps even more so.

What kind of person was he?

"Yuqing, don't worry. No one will bully you in Pengfei City. My university classmate is there, and you will only be responsible for some liaison work," Xu Junran said, seeing Lin Yuqing's hesitation.

Lin Yuqing thought for a moment and finally made up her mind. "Alright, I'll find you after you start working in Lijia Town."

Xu Junran smiled. "Alright, I'll wait for you."

Seeing that it was getting late, Xu Junran got up and bid farewell to Lin Yuqing's restaurant. As she watched his back, Lin Yuqing felt a glimmer of hope for her future, something she had never felt before.

...

...

"Junran, what happened?"

Seeing Xu Junran return home with his arm wrapped in bandages, Li Yifeng jumped up immediately.

In his view, Xu Junran wouldn't have been injured for no reason; it was most likely due to a fight with Cheng Hongfa.

Before Li Yifeng could finish his sentence, Xu Junran shook his head. "Brother Huzi, it's nothing. I just cut my hand while drinking."

Li Yifeng gave Xu Junran a suspicious look but didn't say anything more because, upon hearing his shout, Grandma Li and Li Dongyuan had hurried out of their room to surround Xu Junran, with the old lady showing genuine concern.

Xu Junran smiled and comforted the worried elders, giving Li Yifeng a meaningful look. He knew Li Yifeng's temper all too well. Though he wasn't speaking now, he was probably plotting something. If Xu Junran had been injured for no reason, Li Yifeng would definitely blame Cheng Hongfa and might gather a group to fight him, seeking revenge.

Seeing Xu Junran's gesture, Li Yifeng, despite his confusion, stopped. He knew that Xu Junran was much smarter than him, and whenever Xu Junran gave him advice, he never lost a fight.

In the countryside, fights were different from those in the city. Everyone had their own small group, and the side with the right reason was more likely to be forgiven by the adults. With Xu Junran around, he could always find a problem with the other side, making it hard for the adults to scold them.

So, despite his desire to go out and beat up Cheng Hongfa, Li Yifeng stayed.

"What really happened?" Once the elders were busy with their own tasks, Li Yifeng pulled Xu Junran aside and asked in a low voice. He didn't believe that Xu Junran had accidentally cut his hand; that was a lame excuse.

Xu Junran smiled bitterly and explained the situation to Li Yifeng.

Li Yifeng's face grew darker, and he clenched his fists. "Damn it, I'll call up Ergouzi and break Qin San's leg!"

He wasn't just saying this out of anger. Li Yifeng was the kind of person who valued his friends and family deeply. If his loved ones were hurt, he would go berserk. In the previous life, Xu Junran had seen Li Yifeng curse a county party committee member who had bullied his adoptive father, showing no respect for the man's position.

Xu Junran shook his head and whispered, "Brother Huzi, don't do anything stupid!"

Seeing Li Yifeng's hesitation, Xu Junran felt a warm current in his heart. This was his true family, the people who would always stand by him.

"Brother Huzi, don't worry. Qin San won't be arrogant for long. I promise, within a year, he will be dealt with," Xu Junran said calmly. "Not just him, but all the hooligans in our county will be caught. That's when Uncle Liu will become the police chief again. So, remember to keep the young people in our town in line. I've heard that you and Ergouzi have been in many fights these past few years."

He was speaking from the heart. In the previous life, during the severe crackdown, many people in Lijia Town lost their lives or were imprisoned, including Ergouzi, who was jailed for over a decade for making inappropriate remarks to a woman on the street, and came out a broken man.

"Junran, what are you talking about? Why are you being so scary?" Li Yifeng was clearly frightened by Xu Junran's words.

Xu Junran smiled bitterly. "You don't know, but when I graduated from Beijing, the movement had already started there, targeting criminal activities. Any mistake was severely punished without a chance to appeal. A classmate of mine, whose family was in the Beijing police, told me that someone was sentenced for chatting with a girl on the street! In Mingzhu, even the families of officials were not spared!"

He had no other way to convince Li Yifeng, so he used the authority of Beijing to scare him. At this time, Beijing still held a high status in the hearts of the Chinese people, unlike the later years when it was criticized for issues like异地高考 (异地高考 refers to the practice of taking the college entrance exam in a different province, which has been a controversial issue in China).

Sure enough, hearing this, Li Yifeng was genuinely afraid.

"Alright, I'll listen to you and spare Qin San for now," Li Yifeng said to Xu Junran.

Xu Junran nodded. "I'll talk to Uncle Liu. Brother Huzi, you should apply to the police academy and become a police officer!"

"Ah?"

Li Yifeng was stunned, pointing at himself in surprise. "Me? Become a police officer?"

He seemed shocked by the news and then said with a bitter expression, "Junran, are you joking? Me as a police officer? That's too ridiculous."

Xu Junran shook his head. "Brother Huzi, based on your current path, you have only two choices: become a hooligan or a police officer. I suggest you follow in Uncle Liu's footsteps and become a police officer."

He smiled. "And that way, you can beat up the bad guys every day."

Li Yifeng was taken aback and took a while to recover. "You..."

Xu Junran laughed lightly. "Brother Huzi, I'm definitely going to pursue a political career. Grandpa Yan and Uncle Liu will eventually retire, and when that time comes, you need to help me."

Li Yifeng didn't hesitate and nodded immediately. "Don't worry, anyone who tries to harm you, I'll be the first to deal with them!"

At that moment, the two young men, both in their early twenties, made a lifelong pact!