1959Siheyuan, a Turnaround

His eyes began to wander and he didn't dare look the police in the eye. He was thinking about how to cover up his lie, but his brain was in a mess and his usual cleverness was completely useless at this moment.

The interrogation room was so quiet that the only sounds could be heard: his rapid breathing and heartbeat, which was getting faster and faster, as if it was about to burst through his chest.

"Yang Qiming, you'd better tell the truth."

The young policeman spoke again, his tone unquestionable, "What exactly did you want to do by stealing this information? Is there someone behind you directing you?"

Yang Qiming raised his head in panic, his eyes full of fear and pleading. He shook his head desperately: "No, no one ordered me to do this. I... I was just confused for a moment... I hate Li Weiguo and wanted to trip him up..." As he spoke, tears flowed uncontrollably from his eyes and slid down his cheeks.

The police looked at each other and saw a hint of understanding in each other's eyes.

The older policeman slowed down his tone and continued to ask, "Then tell me in detail, what exactly happened between you and Li Weiguo? Why did you do this?"

Yang Qiming sobbed and recounted the grudge between him and Li Weiguo in a halting manner.

From the beginning when the two of them were assigned to the same dormitory, to later when he was publicly humiliated by Li Weiguo for plagiarizing in a competition, to later when Li Weiguo beat him up because of Lin Wanqing, to later when several people came back late and left early caught his attention, and so on.

He became more and more excited as he spoke, his emotions almost out of control: "I can't accept this. Why should he be valued for being so smart, but I should be looked down upon..."

The police listened quietly, took notes, and asked questions from time to time.

Under their relentless pressure, Yang Qiming completely confessed his motives, process, and stupid ideas for committing the crime.

As the truth gradually surfaced, the fear in his heart became stronger and stronger. He knew very well that the mistake he made this time could never be easily erased.

In the police station, the lights were on all night. After several hours of arduous interrogation, the police comrades finally got to the bottom of Yang Qiming's actions.

Detailed interrogation materials were neatly compiled into a book and handed over to the director.

The director knew very well that although this case seemed to be just a student dispute on campus, it actually involved serious consequences. The higher-ups took this matter very seriously, and if it was not handled carefully, it could trigger a chain reaction.

The director sat behind his desk with a serious expression. He carefully looked through the documents, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

After reading it, he took a deep breath, picked up the phone on the table, and dialed the number of the top leader of the Ministry of Industry.

After the call was connected, the director briefly and clearly reported the ins and outs of the matter, including Yang Qiming's motive for committing the crime, the detailed process of stealing the information, and the complicated grievances between him and Li Weiguo and others.

The big boss listened quietly on the other end of the phone for a long time before he let out a long sigh of relief.

I finally felt relieved, thankful that this incident did not cause irreparable damage.

But when he thought of what Yang Qiming had done, his tone became serious again: "This time, we must teach this kid a good lesson and let him understand that the bottom line of law and morality cannot be trampled upon."

According to regulations, Yang Qiming was detained for three days.

During these three days, he stayed alone in the small, dim detention room, with regret in his heart hitting him in waves like a tide.

The water stains on the wall were like twisted ghost faces, mocking his stupidity; the cold ground chilled his body to the bone, but it could not overcome the despair in his heart.

He recalled the days when he was full of vigor and vitality on campus, the scenes of laughing and playing with his classmates, and the eager eyes of his parents. Now, all of them have become a bubble, and he can only shed tears silently in the darkness.

Three days later, Yang Qiming was sent back to school.

The campus at this time was still sunny and shaded by green trees. Students came and went, discussing academics or exchanging ideas about life. Everything was full of vitality, but he was the only one who didn't fit in.

He knew that the mistake he made this time could not be forgiven with a simple review.

Sure enough, the school made a decision quickly.

In view of the extremely bad nature of Yang Qiming's behavior, which seriously violated school rules and regulations and even almost broke the law, the school expelled him without hesitation.

In this era, getting into university is not an easy thing. It is an opportunity that countless students dream of, and it carries the hopes of their families and their personal future.

It’s a pity that Yang Qiming destroyed it with his own hands.

Yang Qiming returned to the dormitory silently and began to pack his things.

There was no one in the dormitory today, and Yang Qiming felt inexplicably relieved.

He began to sort out his belongings. Each item brought back a memory. The books that he once treasured now seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.

The motto that I posted on the headboard of my bed to motivate myself has become the biggest irony at this moment.

His hands were shaking as he stuffed clothes and stationery into the worn suitcase one by one. His movements were slow and weak, and the whole dormitory was filled with an atmosphere of decadence.

After cleaning up, he looked around the dormitory again.

It was as if the scene when I first walked into this dormitory appeared in front of me again, everyone just met and happily introduced themselves...

When he dragged his heavy suitcase and walked out of the school gate step by step, his anxious parents were already standing at the gate.

The moment Yang's father saw his son, the anger in his eyes instantly burned to the extreme.

He rushed forward, raised his foot, and kicked Yang Qiming twice. The force was filled with deep disappointment and anger, as if he wanted to vent all the worry and hatred that had accumulated over the past few days.

"You little bastard, I'll beat you to death! I told you not to learn your lesson... I told you not to learn your lesson... You've made me lose all my face!"

Yang Qiming staggered and almost fell to the ground, but he didn't dare to say a word. He lowered his head and let the tears well up in his eyes.

Yang's mother followed closely behind, and seeing her son's miserable appearance, she felt very disappointed.

She rushed forward, her finger almost poking Yang Qiming's nose, and scolded him: "Look at what you have done! We worked hard to support your studies and hoped that you would have a bright future, and this is how you repay us? How can our family go out in the future!"

Her voice was sharp and trembling, with a tearful tone, and every word was like a sharp blade, piercing Yang Qiming's heart.

Yang Qiming opened his mouth and wanted to explain, but found that his throat was so dry that he couldn't make a sound.

He knew that it was all his fault and no amount of words could make up for the damage he had brought to his family.

He raised his head and looked at his parents' wrinkled faces, which were full of vicissitudes and pain, and the guilt in his heart became stronger.

"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry..." Yang Qiming said this with a sob, and his tears could no longer be held back and burst out.

However, the words of apology seem so pale and powerless at this moment.

Father Yang snorted coldly and turned his head away, unwilling to look at his son again.

Yang's mother covered her face and burst into tears.

The family of three just stood at the school gate. Passers-by looked at them sideways and gave them strange looks, but they had no time to pay attention.

At this moment, Yang Qiming truly felt that he had fallen from the clouds to the bottom of the valley. His former pride and dreams had all left him, leaving only endless regret, which followed him like a shadow, accompanying him on the unknown road ahead.

And he must spend the rest of his life slowly paying for the mistakes he made.