The novel takes Bai Hui's personal growth and spiritual transformation as the main line, showing the spiritual struggle and transformation of idealistic intellectuals under the pressure of officialdom rules and reality. It presents the complete process from the hardships of studying to the obstacles of ideals, to compromise and transformation, and finally struggling near the core of power. "Keeping the truth" is Bai Hui's original intention in his notebook, and it is also a proposition he repeatedly asks in the system. "Ups and Downs" accurately summarizes his life state: counterattacks while studying, obstacles in grassroots law enforcement, and struggles in the power field. He always maintains upward buoyancy in the waves of ideals and reality, directly hitting the spiritual core of the story.
Purpose: The spiritual struggle and transformation of an idealistic intellectual under the pressure of officialdom rules and reality, showing his complete process from the hardships of studying to the obstacles of his ideals, to compromise and transformation, and finally struggling near the core of power.