"What are your plans for the future?"
"I'm preparing for the civil service exam. I've already passed the provincial written test."
"I heard you scored first place in the whole province on that written exam. Not bad."
In the living room of a lavish, high-end apartment in Liaonan City, Liu Fusheng sat across from a man nearing fifty, radiating authority. This was Zhang Zhenting, father of his college girlfriend Zhang Wenwen, and it was Liu Fusheng's first time visiting the family home.
But strangely, Liu Fusheng felt no nervousness—only a strange sense of déjà vu.
Because he had been through this exact scene once before. More precisely, over twenty years ago.
He had just been reborn, returning to one of the most pivotal turning points of his life.
In his previous life, at this very moment, he had made a decision he regretted until the day he died.
Back then, fresh out of university and stepping into society, his rural background and financial hardship had filled him with deep inferiority.
It was during this meeting that he had agreed to nearly all of the Zhang family's harsh demands—signing a prenuptial agreement, notarizing property rights, and even becoming their live-in son-in-law.
From that day forward, he lived under the Zhang family's shadow. Even when his own hard work earned him a position as secretary at the provincial party committee, he could never lift his head in front of them, enduring endless humiliation.
Eventually, Zhang Zhenting used him as both a political bargaining chip and a sacrificial pawn. Fusheng took the fall for a colossal scandal, his career destroyed, and he died a bitter man in his forties.
Fortunately… there had been no children.
That was the one thing Liu Fusheng was most grateful for in this second life.
He and Zhang Wenwen had been married less than a year when she grew tired of him. She openly sought pleasure outside, eventually suffering an ectopic pregnancy that left her unable to have children.
No children meant no lingering ties to his past life.
Glancing toward the tightly closed study door, he knew that at this very moment, Zhang Wenwen and her mother were hiding behind it, eavesdropping—part of a scheme the Zhang family had arranged in advance.
Zhang Zhenting's voice broke the silence.
"A top score on the written test only proves you've got a decent grasp of theory. The interview is what really matters. I know you've been with Wenwen for two years, but that doesn't mean I'm satisfied with you."
Fusheng looked at the smiling man in front of him and sneered inwardly.
He knew better than anyone how shameless this influential official could be—and exactly what outrageous demands were coming next.
"Do you know what 'a proper match between families' means?" Zhang Zhenting got to the point.
"Of course," Fusheng said with a faint smile. "Uncle, you're the executive deputy director of the Municipal Party Committee's Organization Department, a division-level leader, holding real power…"
Zhenting smirked. "Good, you know—"
"But I don't mind," Fusheng cut him off lightly.
Zhenting's smile froze. "What? You don't mind?"
"That's right," Fusheng said, nodding. "Although your position isn't very high and your family's conditions are just average, I've been with Wenwen long enough to have some emotional foundation with her."
Silence.
From the study came a faint thud, but in the living room, not a sound.
Zhang Zhenting was utterly thrown off. He—a dignified division-level leader—was almost being looked down on? Was this kid insane?
"You dare to look down on my family? And what's your family background?"
"Rural," Fusheng answered calmly. "Farmers for generations."
Zhenting snorted with contempt. "Farmers? You think this is decades ago? Young man, you're naïve! Society has classes! A country bumpkin like you is at the very bottom—what right do you have to look down on me?"
Fusheng chuckled. "There's an old saying—never bully the old, but never underestimate the poor youth. Yes, society has classes. I agree. But I don't agree that country folk are the lowest, and I believe it won't be long before you have to look up to me. If your daughter marries me, it wouldn't be marrying down—it'd be marrying up."
His tone was light, but his eyes brimmed with absolute confidence.
With over twenty years of memories from his previous life and a wealth of political experience, if he couldn't rise to the top this time, he might as well have lived in vain.
And of course, he had no intention of marrying Zhang Wenwen now—this was just toying with Zhang Zhenting.
In his past life, Zhenting was one of the people who had driven him to his tragic end. In this life, Fusheng would make him pay.
Zhenting slammed the table, roaring, "My daughter marrying up? Me having to look up to you? You're nothing but a stinking peasant! Less than an ant! And you dare to shout in my face?"
Unruffled, Fusheng rose, brushed off his clothes, and said, "Since we clearly can't have a pleasant talk, let's leave it here for today."
When he actually turned to leave, Zhenting grew even more enraged. "Liu Fusheng! Don't think being first in the written exam means you've got a bright future! In my eyes, you're nothing! I could crush you in a heartbeat! I'll give you one last chance—apologize!"
"Apologize?"
Fusheng turned back. "If you apologize to me now, I might consider giving you a chance in the future."
"You—outrageous!" Zhenting's face turned green with fury. "Just wait, boy. You'll cry soon enough! You want to be an official, join the system? I'll make sure you don't even get an interview! I'll send you back to your village to be a farmer!"
Fusheng's expression finally cooled. "You think you can stop me?"
With that, he strode to the door, slammed it behind him, and left.
In this second life, no one would stop Liu Fusheng from soaring to the heavens. Life is but a dream—and anyone who stood in his way would be crushed beneath his feet, never to recover.
"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! Wenwen, this is your boyfriend? This is the timid, spineless man you said you could control?"
Two minutes after Fusheng's departure, Zhenting finally snapped out of it, fuming at his wife and daughter as they emerged from the study.
Even Wenwen looked stunned.
"H-he wasn't like this before! He used to listen to everything I said. Even when I insulted his parents, he didn't dare talk back! It's like he's a completely different person today…"
The dominance and presence Fusheng had shown just now had genuinely shaken her. Was this really the same man who used to be so meek?
Her mother shrilled, "Letting him be our live-in son-in-law was already more than generous! He should be thanking his lucky stars! People like him need to be put in their place! Wenwen, don't be upset—our family's conditions are good enough that you can have any man you want."
Wenwen pouted. "Who said I'm upset? I only liked him because he was more obedient than a dog! I'm just annoyed. If anyone's doing the dumping, it should be me—not him!"
"That's right!" her mother said approvingly, turning to Zhenting. "Why are you still standing there? Go teach that brat a lesson! Make him crawl back to Wenwen begging for forgiveness!"
"Of course I know what to do!"
Zhenting pulled out his phone. "Chief Wang, has the provincial exam's interview qualification review been completed yet? The higher-ups are taking this year's exam very seriously—make sure the vetting is strict. Oh, and I just received an anonymous tip from the public: the written exam's first-place scorer, Liu Fusheng, might have issues with his interview eligibility. Look into it carefully—we must not betray the people's trust."