I, Su Xing, am the son of a farmer. Thanks to my excellent grades, I got into Kyoto University. After graduation, I defied the objections of my family and friends, left behind the comfortable life of the bustling city, and chose the difficult path of returning to my hometown to start a business. An honest, straightforward, bookish young man like me faced obstacle after obstacle when entering government service and found it impossible to get a foothold. I poured my heart and soul into changing the poverty-stricken face of my hometown, working day and night. Corrupt officials launched one attack after another, both overt and covert, and there was no way to guard against them. I would rise to the top one moment, then plunge to rock bottom the next, repeatedly teetering on the brink of death. I learned from my failures and gradually established myself in the bureaucracy, finally turning the tables and gaining control of real power. During the reform and overhaul of the cadres, corrupt and incompetent officials were dismissed, while outstanding people of both virtue and talent joined the party and government leadership. But in the process, I threatened the vested interests of the leaders above me. Corrupt officials came to hate me bitterly, doing everything they could to frame me, hunt me down, and assassinate me. With no other choice, I fled my hometown and went into hiding in a mountain region thousands of miles away..
This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Please do not imitate.
