Chapter 3, The Reversal of Fate

"It's good to know you're hungry..." Zhang Zhixing uttered, tossing his briefcase onto the sofa. His brow furrowed in distress, he sank heavily into the sofa, his gaunt body almost disappearing into it, and it was evident that his eyes were filled with a sense of despair.

The symptoms of high fever have subsided, but I am feeling extremely hungry without any desire to eat. Zhang Ke glanced up at the quartz clock hanging above the wall opposite him; it was almost time for the evening news. He turned on the television, which was playing an advertisement for Lux shampoo featuring Zhang Manyu. By 2008, Lux had already fallen into decline, and many people had even forgotten this brand. However, in Zhang Ke's memory, the advertisements for Lux shampoo included not only the one featuring Zhang Manyu but also those featuring Liu Jialing, Zhong Chuhong, MAGGIE, and Li Ruotong. Zhang Ke's favorite was the MAGGIE version of the Lux shampoo advertisement, in which MAGGIE appeared incredibly charming, like an elegant orchid, exuding a blend of Eastern and Western qualities that even women found irresistible. It is said that after this advertisement aired, the sales of Lux surged threefold, and many women in supermarkets, holding Lux products adorned with MAGGIE's image, appeared exceptionally delighted, as if using it would make them as beautiful as her. Of course, this is a very beautiful wish.

Oh, were you not sleeping at that time

The sky gradually darkened, and my parents have not yet returned

Zhang Ke also looked out the window; the streetlights outside were dim, and the shadows of the treetops were reflected on the glass. What Dad said was probably out of concern that this incident might have a negative impact on his future life

Zhang Ke recalled that he was only sixteen years old at that time

Zhang Ke was increasingly excited as he found himself back in his sixteen-year-old body, yet his mind held experiences that others had not yet encountered. He also knew the truth about the Tang Xueqian case, which the vast majority of people were unaware of, and that this case would alter the fate of his family in the future

What has happened with Uncle Tang?" Zhang Ke asked tentatively.

"Nothing much has happened, you don't need to worry..." Zhang Zhixing, feeling heavy-hearted, gently patted his son's head and sighed, then asked, "Zhang Ke, what do you think of Uncle Tang?"

The news did not broadcast the photo of the little girl. Zhang Ke recalled the delicate face of the girl and thought to himself that if such a beautiful little girl, who resembled the one in the picture, truly died in a car accident, it would be a great pity.

Zhang Ke learned Go from a young age, but until the fifth grade of elementary school, his mother, Liang Gezhen, prevented him from continuing, claiming that studying Go would hinder his academic performance and that those who study Go tend to have a more introverted personality. However, after a significant change in the family circumstances, Zhang Ke picked up Go again during high school, and his current skill level is quite impressive.

"Hearing Secretary Ye say that Uncle Tang wants you to go out and avoid for a while, why do you need to go out and avoid?" Zhang Ke pretended to be confused and asked

At present, the memories with Chen Ning belong to events that have yet to occur

Around 4:15 PM, a major traffic accident occurred on the east side of the Daijia Bridge bus station on Beijie Road in Xicheng District, resulting in 4 fatalities and 3 injuries, 2 of which are serious. The incident took place at the Daijia Bridge bus station, where a dump truck with the license plate Hai A48854 lost control while making a U-turn from Dongsheng Road onto Beijie Road. The truck veered onto the sidewalk, breaking a poplar tree with a trunk the size of a bowl and knocking down four men who were playing cards in the shade. At the same time, a young man nearby was also struck by the dump truck. According to witnesses, the young man's daughter was falling right in front of the truck, prompting a brave teenager to rush over to save her. Witnesses recalled that the dump truck nearly brushed against the teenager's body as it veered off the sidewalk and collided with a Jetta car traveling west on Beijie Road. It has been confirmed that the dump truck driver was driving under the influence of alcohol, having entered the city from Beiguan and was speeding. The driver has since been detained by the police in accordance with the law.

Just sneak it down...

Oh... Zhang Zhixing simply responded with a sound, without speaking further or turning his head to take a glance.

Zhang Zhixing saw his son Zhang Kuo bring out a bowl of noodles. He took a bowl, endured the heat, and quickly finished it. Pushing the bowl away, he leaned back, closed his eyes, and pondered over his thoughts, but his mind was a tangled mess, with no clues at all, unable to think of anything. He brought the chess box from the study and placed it on the glass table in the living room, also taking a chess manual to prepare for a game. Whenever his thoughts reached a dead end, Zhang Zhixing was accustomed to inviting someone over for a game of chess to refresh his mind. In the current situation, it was likely that no one would be willing to come over, so playing through the chess manual could also help quiet his mind.

Although I do not know what has happened, it is beyond doubt that I am in the real world. In terms of time, I have returned to fourteen years ago, specifically the summer of 1994

Entering the city from Beiguan to Beijie requires passing several important intersections. If the driver were to drive under the influence of alcohol or exceed the speed limit, they would certainly be stopped by the traffic police under normal circumstances. However, on this particular day, due to nearly one hundred employees from Xinguang Paper Mill causing a disturbance at Bell Tower Square, more than half of the traffic police in Xicheng District were dispatched to maintain order, which may also be a contributing factor to this traffic accident

Your mother doesn't forbid you from playing Go ... ...

First, let the two pieces, Xu Hongbo only allowed me two pieces

Let me do it... Liang Gezhen rubbed her hands together, preparing to head to the kitchen

It is already so late... Zhang Zhixing glanced at the window, "I still lose to you by half a move. Your skill is not inferior to the players at the Haizhou Chess Institute, so you need not worry about your future. If it really comes to it, you could become a professional chess player. Professional players are all cultivated from a young age..."

Liang Gezhen saw her son Zhang Ke holding a bowl of noodles while sitting on the sofa, momentarily forgetting the troubles outside, and joyfully asked: "Have you recovered from your fever?"

Zhang Zhixing looked up at his son Zhang Ke, then glanced at the game record. He said nothing and placed another black stone. Noticing that his son made another precise move, he asked in confusion: "Have you played this game before?"

Facing parents who are more than ten years younger feels somewhat awkward. Zhang Ke, while swallowing noodles, replied indistinctly, "Alright, I'm hungry"

Zhang Ke knew that his Go skills were a notch above his father's at that moment. Throughout the game, whether in the opening, middle game, or endgame, Zhang Ke's advantage was quite evident. Zhang Ke licked his lips and glanced at his father: "Do you want to count the points?"

The impact of the car accident had thus diminished considerably, and Zhang Ke felt a sudden hunger, lacking the energy to contemplate more complex matters. There was nothing ready to eat in the kitchen, so he boiled a pot of water and, once it came to a boil, added half a bag of noodles.

Zhang Ke knew that in his father's eyes, he was still that ignorant sixteen-year-old, not yet someone who could engage in discussions. Zhang Ke placed the bowl on the glass table, stood up, and said: "I don't know what time you will be back. I haven't prepared noodles for you yet, so I will go make some now..."

Zhang Ke was contemplating how to steer the conversation towards the Tang Xueqian case; perhaps directly telling his father that he had experienced the next fourteen years would suffice. In about five years, the truth of the Tang Xueqian case would likely be revealed, but his father might not accept such a reality and might even send him to a mental institution.

Zhang Ke smiled and said, "Do you want me to give you three children?"

Zhang Ke's lips curled slightly, yet he did not smile, as his thoughts momentarily struggled to catch up.

Of course, since he can start over, Zhang Ke does not wish to become a professional chess player: "Uncle Tang plays quite well too. Last time, when the municipal government and the chess academy organized a competition, I heard that Uncle Tang even won against the professional player from the chess academy..."

The passage of time was hardly felt; when the second game ended, the quartz clock had just struck eleven.

Although Xu Hongbo is only an amateur 5-dan, he is known as the "Go Master" in Haizhou City. He single-handedly established the Haizhou Chess Academy. After my father was dismissed from his public position, he also learned Go again from Xu Hongbo. Later, when he could not get by at Haizhou University, it was Xu Hongbo who took him in.

In another world, Zhang Ke even contemplated becoming a Go teacher after graduating from university; however, after his father began working at the city government, he had very little time to engage with Go. His father's skills in the game were exceptional, but that was only after he was dismissed from his public office. Yet, in the current world, none of these events have occurred.

Zhang Ke returned home still in a state of shock. He changed out of his blood-stained T-shirt and shorts, stuffing them into the washing machine. The old-fashioned Little Swan twin-tub washing machine started to spin, making a clattering sound.

As Zhang Ke reminisced about events that had not yet occurred, the Haizhou evening news began, featuring content about meetings and inspections that left no impression on him; incidents such as the Bell Tower Square event and the provincial inspection team's investigation into Tang Xueqian were completely omitted from the evening news. Zhang Ke was indifferent to these matters; he was only interested in how the social news reported the car accident that had taken place on North Street

Jiang Mingcheng is the general manager of Xinfeng Group. He and the person mentioned by his mother, Xu Si, are key figures in the Tang Xueqian case. Before the Tang Xueqian case, Xu Si served as the deputy manager of the Human Resources Department at Xinfeng Group and later became the woman contested by Tang Xueqian and Ding Xiangshan in the rumors. In 1994, Xu Si disclosed to the provincial inspection team that Tang Xueqian had received bribes from Jiang Mingcheng through her, which led to Tang Xueqian's imprisonment. In the Tang Xueqian case, she was exempted from criminal punishment, but in 1999, she was imprisoned alongside Ding Xiangshan, and after a year in prison, news of her suicide while incarcerated emerged. Zhang Ke first saw Xu Si during the trial of the Ding Xiangshan case in 1999. At that time, Xu Si had already been detained for several months, and what remained in Zhang Ke's memory was her haggard face, which bore a destroyed beauty.

The scene displayed the aftermath of the car accident: a broken poplar tree, a Jetta car with its roof nearly torn off, a dismembered small table, a scattered deck of playing cards, and congealed bloodstains. Compared to Zhang Ke's recollection of the accident he saw in the news fourteen years ago, aside from the little girl escaping from under the wheels, there was nothing else that was different.

Zhang Ke tapped his temple with his fingers, recalling that it was after seeing the MAGGIE advertisement that Chen Ning switched to using Lux shampoo. Thinking of Chen Ning, Zhang Ke felt a pang in his heart, reflecting that at this moment, Chen Ning had no memories of him, and it would not be until four years later that they might meet again in another city

Zhang Ke scooped up some noodles with a bowl and was about to sit back on the sofa in the living room to satisfy his hunger when his parents came in through the door from outside

"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Liang Gezhen came out of the bedroom and walked over to tidy up the chessboard. "You don't know what kind of person Tang Xueqian is, yet you want to ask your son? You can't possibly be unaware of the organizational procedures. The inspection team is isolating and investigating Tang Xueqian; it is impossible that there is no substantial evidence. They are merely collecting more incriminating evidence now. It has spread outside that the HR manager of Xinfeng Group, is her name Xu Si? She is Tang Xueqian's mistress. Jiang Mingcheng is funneling money to Tang Xueqian through this enchantress. The reason that enchantress was able to work at Xinfeng Group before was also due to Tang Xueqian's intervention... It has spread outside that the HR manager of Xinfeng Group, is her name Xu Si? She is Tang Xueqian's mistress. Jiang Mingcheng is funneling money to Tang Xueqian through this enchantress. The reason that enchantress was able to work at Xinfeng Group before was also due to Tang Xueqian's intervention... These matters are being discussed with great detail; do you really think it is just baseless gossip?"

Liang Gezhen did not speak to stop it and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes and chopsticks

***

"You rascal..." Zhang Zhixing reached out and gave Zhang Ke a light slap on the back of his head, surprised by his chess skills, yet he laughed, "When did your level get so high that you can play against Xu Hongbo?"

Tang Xueqian is still the deputy mayor, and he is also the honorary president of the Haizhou Chess Academy. His skill is even inferior to mine; he just enjoys playing Go..." Zhang Zhixing sighed, "I fear he has no mind for playing chess at the moment..."

Zhang Ke helped to unfold the folding chessboard. Upon seeing his father drop a dozen black and white pieces, he realized that his father was setting up a famous game played by Xu Fengzu in 1983. Zhang Ke was very familiar with the game record in his father's hands; when he resumed playing Go in high school, he learned from this very record and had a deep impression of several of Xu Fengzu's games, being able to set them up almost without looking at the record. After his father placed a black piece, Zhang Ke picked up a white piece in response. Zhang Ke was very familiar with the game record in his father's hands; when he resumed playing Go in high school, he learned from this very record and had a deep impression of several of Xu Fengzu's games, being able to set them up almost without looking at the record. After his father placed a black piece, Zhang Ke picked up a white piece in response

Zhang Ke pressed his mother's shoulder, guiding her to sit on the sofa: "Making noodles is not difficult at all."

Zhang Ke was in a state of turmoil, unsure of what expression to wear in the face of the impending events

Hmm, I remember some aspects of Xu Fengzhu's game in this match

Oh, Zhang Zhixing did not doubt it, after all, his son only stopped formally learning chess in the fifth grade, having picked up all the pieces on the chessboard and returned them to the box. "Since you haven't given up, let's play a game..."

Zhang Ke has always been unclear about his father's thoughts during the incident in 1994. At that time, he was still young, and it was only many years later that he gradually came to understand the truth of the Tang Xueqian case

Sprinkling chopped green onions over the noodles, and having specially fried a sunny-side-up egg to place on top, Zhang Ke brought out two bowls of noodles. He noticed that his parents were sitting on the sofa, hardly moving, troubled by the matter concerning Tang Xueqian.

The world does not simply repeat itself; an accident occurred, yet the little girl escaped from under the wheels. With this thought, Zhang Ke felt somewhat better, realizing that since he could save the little girl from under the wheels, he could also reverse the fate of the entire family in the days to come

Zhang Ke curled up on the sofa, his memories of when he was sixteen somewhat hazy. He thought to himself that he should have received his high school entrance examination results before coming down with a high fever. The results were quite good, ranking third in the Xicheng District in 1994. On the day the examination results were released, the provincial inspection team happened to arrive to investigate issues related to Tang Xueqian, so the family hardly felt the joy brought by the examination results.

In a daze, I heard one or two sentences. Zhang Ke said, "I didn't see anyone with my eyes open, but I heard Secretary Ye's voice..."