Late morning.
It was eleven o'clock.
The minibus should have arrived in Jiaolin County long ago, but after Dong Xuebin's little stunt on the highway, it was naturally more than half an hour behind schedule. They had gotten off the highway ahead, and they were already within Jiaolin County's borders. The road signs made that very clear.
"We're here."
"Young man, you..."
"Why don't you get off and lay low for a while?"
"Yeah. That would be best. Don't let things get worse later."
Su Yan and several other passengers tried to persuade Dong Xuebin a few more times.
Yet Dong Xuebin still did not listen. "Thanks for worrying about me, everyone, but there's no need. As they say, soldiers come, generals block them; water comes, earth dams it. I refuse to believe they can turn the world upside down."
The old man said, "You don't understand the situation. They really might..."
"Turn the world upside down? That'd be perfect." Dong Xuebin said defiantly, "I really want to see what they're capable of. At least my trip here won't have been for nothing."
Su Yan looked at him. "You're just acting out of spite. There's no point."
Dong Xuebin found that amusing, but he did not tell him that he was simply the combative sort. Ever since entering the system, Dong Xuebin had been fighting people—fighting colleagues, fighting leaders, fighting officials from other departments. He had never stopped. It was Dong Xuebin's hobby. Though he did not particularly want to admit it, he had to admit that he was indeed a belligerent man. Sometimes, only this could give Dong Xuebin a bit of enjoyment and mental excitement. It might sound awkward, even perverse, but that was just the kind of person Dong Xuebin was. He loved competing with people; it