Chapter Two: A Different Shen Guodong

Sun Hongmei stood with her hands on her hips, brimming with pride. Her fierce temper was well-known far and wide. She refused to believe that Liuyue, timid as she was, could withstand her aggressive demands. “I’ll make her pay back the money, one way or another!” she thought gleefully, only to find her vision suddenly blocked. A tall figure loomed in front of her.

“You—what are you doing?” Sun Hongmei instinctively stepped back.

Shen Guodong remembered. Just a couple days ago, after drinking too much, he’d knocked over the bicycle Sun Hongmei kept in the hallway. Then Sun Hongmei demanded Liuyue pay for repairs. He’d caused the trouble himself, yet his wife was forced to take the blame—he couldn’t accept that.

“Shen Guodong, drank a couple shots of cat urine and thinks he can scare me?” Sun Hongmei, recognizing him, relaxed, her bravado returning. He might look tall and strong, but everyone knew he was timid. Living so close together, pots and pans bumping, friction was inevitable. Liuyue’s gentle nature made her an easy target. Shen Guodong had never stood up for her. Among the neighbors, his reputation was that of a man who cared only for drink and gambling. Thanks to Liuyue’s endurance, no one knew about him beating his wife. Good-natured people are bullied; gentle horses are ridden. Over time, no one took Shen Guodong seriously.

“Well, are you going to pay or not? If you don’t, I’ll keep scolding you, shameless thing!” Sun Hongmei ignored Shen Guodong and pointed at Liuyue, launching into another tirade.

Liuyue trembled all over with anger but dared not raise her head.

At that moment, Sun Hongmei heard a rush of wind.

A sharp crack rang out.

Her vision blurred, and her face felt as if it had been seared with a branding iron. Her mind buzzed. The slap was powerful; Sun Hongmei staggered back two steps and landed heavily on the floor.

Shen Guodong had actually slapped her!

“You—you!” It took Sun Hongmei a full five seconds to process what had happened. “You dare hit me? I’ll fight you to the end!”

She clawed at her own hair, preparing to lash out. Rising to her feet, she charged at Shen Guodong. Her brash character and knack for making scenes made everyone wary of her. But today, she faced a different Shen Guodong.

After decades navigating the business world, Shen Guodong lived by one principle: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!” When dealing with the wicked, you must be even more ruthless!

He was unmoved by Sun Hongmei’s shrieking. Seizing the moment, he delivered another slap.

With a spin, Sun Hongmei stood frozen.

“If you keep acting up, I’ll beat you to death!” Shen Guodong stepped forward, locking his gaze onto hers.

Sun Hongmei had never seen such terrifying eyes! They conveyed dominance over all, an overwhelming aura. If he said he’d beat her to death, she believed it.

“The hallway is a public space. Who told you to park your bicycle here? And you dare ask me for compensation? Try parking here again and I’ll dismantle your bike.”

“Get out!”

A chill ran through Sun Hongmei. Her eyes darted, but she dared not say another word. She pressed her burning cheek and left.

Liuyue stared in disbelief at Shen Guodong’s display of authority. In her memory, Shen Guodong only bullied her at home, but was spineless in front of others. What had gotten into him today? He’d actually defended her?

With a bang, Shen Guodong closed the door.

“I’ll go make dinner for you,” Liuyue murmured, fearfully, as she returned to her senses.

Shen Guodong shook his head helplessly. The poor reputation his previous self had built would have to be slowly repaired.

Since Shen Guodong had squandered all their assets, dinner consisted only of hard-to-swallow corn cakes and dark, salty pickles.

That night, Liuyue washed up early and lay in bed. When Shen Guodong got in, the iron bed creaked, making him self-conscious. Liuyue faced the wall, curled into a tight ball—a sign of her lack of security.

Shen Guodong gazed at her slender silhouette, unable to sleep for a long while. Decades of hard work, all gone in an instant; his vast fortune vanished. Yet, his foresight and experience in the business world were his greatest assets. In this life, he had a wife who would never abandon him—a responsibility, but also a comfort.

“Tomorrow marks the beginning of my era!”

The next morning, Liuyue rose early and went to work. All the while, she avoided speaking to Shen Guodong, her distance obvious. He didn’t force things—he’d take it slow.

Shen Guodong got up, took a couple bites of corn cake, found it too unpalatable, and set it aside.

“I must change my circumstances as soon as possible,” he mused, stroking his chin.

He recalled that he worked at the lathe factory. Having lived another life, he wouldn’t settle for being an ordinary worker, wasting his days in mediocrity. In this northern city, openness was limited; state-owned enterprises still dominated.

And in this era, having a state enterprise position made many things easier. He’d familiarize himself with the situation, develop in his current unit for now, and gradually seek more suitable ventures.

With his plan in place, he stepped out of the house.

When he and Liuyue married, they’d owned a Phoenix bicycle, but Shen Guodong had gambled it away. Fortunately, the factory wasn’t far. Half an hour later, he arrived at the gates.

“Fengcheng First Lathe Factory.”

The bright sign proclaimed the factory’s prestige. This enterprise, under the provincial State Assets Commission, had a glorious history. In the planned economy era, it epitomized heavy industry, supplying reliable lathes to the nation.

In those days of material scarcity, industrial equipment like lathes couldn’t be bought just because you had money. At its peak, lines of cargo trucks waited outside the gates to pick up goods. Buyers from across the country pondered daily how to purchase a lathe as quickly as possible.

With such demand, the factory thrived. Workers enjoyed excellent benefits. In 1986, an ordinary worker at the lathe factory could earn eighty-five yuan a month, plus bonuses ranging from twenty to forty yuan.

Shen Guodong, a technical school graduate, was assigned to the factory as a cadre, arousing much envy. However, due to his drinking and repeated mistakes, he’d offended the leadership and been demoted to the workshop.

Entering the workshop, Shen Guodong spotted a stern-looking middle-aged man in a gray uniform: Workshop Director Jiang Weiguo.

“Director Jiang,” Shen Guodong greeted him proactively.

“Hmm…” Jiang Weiguo was surprised. Shen Guodong had shown little ambition; since his demotion, he seemed to have given up, always shirking his duties. Usually, he avoided Jiang Weiguo, sneaking off by the wall. Today, he had come over to greet him.

“Director Jiang, have a cigarette.”

To Jiang’s surprise, Shen Guodong produced a filter-tipped “Mudanjiang” cigarette and offered it.

“You’re not trying to ask for leave, are you?” Jiang Weiguo eyed him suspiciously.

“Not at all, you’ve misunderstood,” Shen Guodong chuckled.

Jiang Weiguo finally accepted the cigarette, but tucked it behind his ear instead of lighting it. With all the mixed oils in the workshop, fire was strictly forbidden.

“Behave yourself today—don’t cause trouble. Get to work,” Jiang Weiguo said, his tone softening slightly.

Shen Guodong nodded and headed into the changing room.