Chapter 538 The road to officialdom is difficult to climb

Chapter 538 The road to officialdom is difficult to climb

The quarrel between the two broke out again, and the noise became louder and louder. The surrounding villagers gathered around and looked at them curiously.

Gao Yuliang saw this and rushed over with a hoe in his hand, "Stop it, all of you! Isn't this embarrassing enough?"

Hou Liangping looked at Gao Yuliang and said, "Teacher, I can't let him slander the law."

Gao Yuliang sighed helplessly, "What's the point of you arguing like this? Things have come to this point, we should let it all go."

Qi Tongwei shouted, "I can't get over it! My life has been ruined by you, how can I get over it?"

Hou Liangping stepped forward and looked Qi Tongwei straight in the eye. "Brother, you ruined your own life. You could have used your talent and ability to serve the people, but you chose the wrong path."

Qi Tongwei clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly, as if he wanted to attack again. Seeing this, Gao Yuliang quickly stood between the two of them, "Calm down! If you continue like this, more people will get hurt."

At this time, an old man walked out of the crowd. He looked at Hou Liangping, Qi Tongwei and Gao Yuliang and said slowly: "Young people, don't be blinded by hatred and obsession. In life, you should do more good deeds and follow the right path. You are all educated people, and you should understand this truth even more."

Gao Yuliang stood between the two, his heart full of resentment and helplessness, he was really disappointed. He looked at the chaotic scene in front of him, he could never have imagined that the two students he had taught carefully and had high hopes for would now quarrel over past disputes like street hooligans on this rural path, and even almost fight again. He, a professor with great prestige in the academic field, has always been proud of his rigorous attitude towards scholarship and his attention to students' moral character, but at this moment he felt like a complete loser.

"Look at yourselves, what do you look like!" Gao Yuliang's voice trembled slightly with anger, and his knuckles turned white from clenching the hoe so tightly. "I was imparting knowledge and principles eloquently on the podium, hoping that you would become the pillars of the country and contribute to the progress of society. But now? You are here blaming and resenting each other for things that cannot be changed, and you have thrown your own identity and dignity behind your back."

Hou Liangping lowered his head slightly. He understood the teacher's pain, but his deep commitment to justice made him unable to compromise easily. "Teacher, I know you are disappointed with us. But I can't sit idly by and watch Qi Tongwei's wrong remarks. The law is the cornerstone of society and no one can slander it. Everything I did was not out of personal grudges, but to maintain the dignity of the rule of law."

Qi Tongwei's face flushed red, veins popped out on his forehead. He ignored Gao Yuliang's attempts to stop him and shouted, "Hou Liangping, stop pretending to be righteous. Do you think you are clean? You have been tracking me down just to help yourself in your career, so that you can climb higher on the so-called road of justice."

Gao Yuliang was so angry when he heard Qi Tongwei's unfounded accusation that he stamped his feet. "Qi Tongwei, you are hopeless! You yourself have committed a series of crimes such as corruption and abuse of power. The evidence is irrefutable, but you are still blaming others. Liangping handled the case according to the law and his behavior was aboveboard, but you are still obsessed with it and try to blame others for your own mistakes."

Qi Tongwei sneered, "Teacher, you always favor him. In your eyes, I am the bad student, and he is your favorite student. But have you ever thought that I have come to this point today because of the reality of this society. When I was struggling at the bottom, where was the so-called fairness and justice?"

Hou Liangping took a step forward and said with a firm look in his eyes: "Brother, you are wrong. There may be some dark sides in society, but this is by no means a reason for you to commit crimes. Everyone has the right to choose. You could have stuck to your original intention and pursued your ideals in a legal way instead of choosing to go along with the darkness."

Gao Yuliang looked at the two with mixed feelings. He recalled that in the classroom, they were both so high-spirited, actively participated in discussions, and were full of hope for the future. Qi Tongwei was quick-witted and often came up with unique insights; Hou Liangping was full of justice and had a great passion for law. But now, all of this has changed beyond recognition.

"Shut up!" Gao Yuliang shouted angrily, and the air around him seemed to freeze because of his anger. "I don't want to hear you accusing each other anymore. The past is the past, and no matter who is right or wrong, the status quo cannot be changed. What we should think about now is how to learn lessons from this series of events and how to prevent more people from going astray."

However, Qi Tongwei and Hou Liangping were both immersed in their own emotions and could not calm down for a while. Qi Tongwei's resentment was like a blazing fire. He felt that his life was completely ruined, and Hou Liangping was the culprit; Hou Liangping adhered to his own beliefs and could not tolerate Qi Tongwei's slander of the law and himself.

At this time, the old man slowly stepped forward, his eyes revealing a wisdom and calmness that comes from years of experience. "Young man, hatred will only make people lose their minds, and obsession will only put people in trouble. You have all received higher education, and you should understand that you will encounter all kinds of setbacks and temptations on the road of life, but only by having good intentions and following the right path can you go far."

Gao Yuliang looked at the old man, and a sense of gratitude welled up in his heart. He knew that the old man's words might be the key to breaking the current deadlock. "You two, the old man is right. We can't go on like this. Qi Tongwei, you must accept the sanctions of the law. This is your only way out. And Liangping, you should also reflect on the way you handled this matter and whether you really did it perfectly."

Hou Liangping nodded silently, "Teacher, I will reflect on it. But I will not give up the pursuit of justice."

Qi Tongwei remained silent, with a fierce struggle in his heart. On the one hand, he was unwilling to be brought to justice; on the other hand, he knew that he had no way to escape.

Gao Yuliang sighed, "Qi Tongwei, you were once an ambitious child. I still remember that when you first entered school, you were determined to change this society and let more people live a good life. But now, you have lost yourself. I hope that you can find your conscience at the last moment and face your crimes bravely."