Li Jun

Biodata

Background / History

Room 404 and the aftermath of Zhou Tao’s death

Li Jun is the oldest of the four roommates. He describes his parents as ordinary people approaching retirement who cannot arrange his future employment. Near graduation, he admits that he has spent his days gaming and watching short videos while depending on money from home, leaving him afraid that he will not earn his diploma or find work 2 10.

Zhou Tao’s suicide leaves him trembling, crying, and repeatedly recalling the fall and Zhao Weiqiang’s laughter. Li Jun tells Wang Xiaoliang that Zhou Tao’s breakup was the first blow, but his expulsion was the decisive one. He condemns the university for revoking the expulsion only after Zhou Tao’s death and attempting to distance itself from responsibility 2.

Li Jun helps pack the roommates’ belongings and clean Room 404. When Wang Xiaoliang nearly falls while cleaning the window, Li Jun catches him and fears that he may be suicidal 3.

Dormitory award

Li Jun assists Wang Xiaoliang in measuring the washroom doorway and hanging curtains made from Zhao Weiqiang’s bedsheet. He proposes the inscription “For Tough Guys Only,” which Wang writes alongside “Three-Wash Pavilion” 4.

During a surprise inspection, Li Jun improvises respectable explanations for both inscriptions: the “three washes” cleanse the body, clothes, and heart, while the other phrase expresses the hope that male graduates become dependable contributors to society. The vice president approves, and both roommates receive an environmental-hygiene honor and 500 yuan each 5.

Testimony and the failed bargain

At a celebratory dinner, advisor Feng Yuan offers help with failed courses and future job recommendations before asking the roommates to support the university in its dispute with Zhou Tao’s parents. Li Jun agrees to attribute the suicide to the breakup, despite knowing about the expulsion, and attempts to secure Wang Xiaoliang’s agreement as well 6.

Wang refuses to testify. Li Jun nevertheless obtains printed revision notes for him and brings him to the library to study. Their disagreement deepens when Li Jun discovers the hidden Book of Fate, mocks its teachings, and argues that testimony could secure them permanent jobs. Wang again refuses to lie against his conscience 7 8 9 10.

At the hearing, Zhou Tao’s final phone message establishes that the university announced his expulsion in front of a roommate. Li Jun reports being accused of perjury and receiving a court warning. The parties subsequently agree to mediation, with the university paying Zhou Tao’s parents 50 percent more compensation 15.

Li Jun also sees Zhao Weiqiang’s father advising Zhou Tao’s parents. He suspects the man expects a share of the compensation, but this remains Li Jun’s interpretation rather than an established fact 15.

Huang Xueli later recounts Feng Yuan’s success in persuading Li Jun to blame the suicide on the breakup, contrasting it with Wang Xiaoliang’s refusal to cooperate. His account also confirms that the discovery of Zhou Tao’s unsent message forced the university to increase its compensation 78.

Graduation pressures

Although Li Jun remains dismissive of the Book of Fate, he helps Wang Xiaoliang carry stock for his drink business and warns him against becoming obsessed with the book 14.

Li Jun fears that he has failed his makeup exams. Later, he enthusiastically takes Wang to a campus job fair, but their grades and lack of internship experience rule them out of the companies they prefer; the available alternatives fall below Li Jun’s expectations 26 37.

At Liu Xinyu’s farewell dinner, a drunken Li Jun reveals that he passed his makeup exam by threatening to report Feng Yuan for inducing false testimony. Resentful of Liu’s family-business fallback, he lashes out about unemployment and the advantages enjoyed by people who take shortcuts. He leaves despite Wang’s attempt to stop him 38.

Arrest and departure

That night, Li Jun is arrested for soliciting a prostitute. Wang Xiaoliang accompanies a campus security officer to the police station and pays his 2,000-yuan fine 39.

Vice Principal Song Yi arranges for the matter to be settled quietly, explaining that one mistake should not ruin a young person’s entire life. However, Li Jun is told to withdraw voluntarily and that he will receive neither a graduation certificate nor a degree. A story about a fight conceals the actual incident from the dorm attendant 39.

Back in Room 404, Li Jun cries beneath his quilt. Wang tries to stay awake to watch over him but falls asleep. By morning, Li Jun has left, folded his bedding, switched off his phone, and sent a farewell message thanking Wang for helping him without hesitation. His message expresses shame over losing his qualifications and being unable to face others 39 40.

Return as a Daoist

Li Jun eventually reappears at Wang Xiaoliang’s newly opened media company wearing Daoist robes, a topknot, and a beard, accompanied by a sunglasses-wearing assistant carrying a case of cash. Wang greets him enthusiastically, and the former roommates embrace. Li Jun offers 200,000 yuan as repayment of principal and interest on his old debts, but Wang refuses the extravagant sum 665.

Li Jun says that his debt to Wang was an important reason he entered religious life. He admits that, throughout his years of Daoist practice, he continued thinking about making money and eventually developed a profitable method combining Daoist thinking with traditional culture. He claims that settling his debt will resolve an outstanding spiritual obstacle and allow him to return to secular life, which he believes will give him greater freedom to pursue wealth 666.

The repayment is ultimately settled at the 2,000-yuan principal rather than the offered 200,000 yuan. Li Jun declines Wang’s invitation to lunch, saying that he must return to his temple and complete the ceremony for leaving religious life that day. Huang Xueli, who questions him about Daoist rules and dual cultivation, subsequently tells Wang that he suspects another motive behind the visit 666.

Li Jun later encounters Wang and Wei Zijin in a parking garage and announces that he has changed his name to Li Xiude. At the university reunion, he appears in a Zhongshan suit with his long hair tied back and a beard, presenting an image markedly different from his student days 666 668.

Three-Wash Pavilion and alumni recruitment

As Li Xiude, he displays considerable wealth and cultivates connections among his former university acquaintances. He offers Wang Xiaoliang a hundred-million-yuan endorsement arrangement, which Wang declines, and invites the group to his Three-Wash Pavilion. Wei Zijin also refuses his request to appear on her show. Li Xiaoman’s doubts about his wealth diminish after seeing him leave in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce Phantom 670.

Li Xiude’s hospitality generates photographs and praise in the alumni group. After the group falls quiet following Xiao Weijin’s announcement that his wedding has been canceled, Li Xiude revives it by inviting alumni and their families to another weekend gathering at the pavilion 671.

In a speech, Li Xiude credits Wang Xiaoliang’s guidance for his success and presents himself as someone willing to provide opportunities to less successful alumni. Wang rejects this portrayal and privately calls him a professional scammer who attaches himself to other people. Wang and his associates bring forward media content distancing themselves from him 673 676.

Li Xiude holds an advanced Money-Making Principles class for Jiang University alumni. Although Li Xiaoman, Fang Dongxu, and Xiao Weijin express doubts about his reliability, they remain interested in attending. Fang notes that Li Xiude has some physical businesses but treats his claims about government support and preparations for a public listing as unverified 676.

An account of the class reveals advice about cleaning one’s home and avoiding filthy places. Wei Zijin identifies it as the First Fate-Changing Art from the Book of Fate. She and Wang recall Li Jun’s earlier access to the book and worry that he is using its teachings to harm others 676.

Business connections and conflict with Wang Xiaoliang

Li Xiude’s relationship with Wang Xiaoliang develops into open conflict. During a confrontation, Wang dismisses his threats, invokes the Book of Fate, and warns that previous people who targeted him met disastrous ends. Wang also contrasts Li Xiude’s intimidation with an earlier armed robbery he survived 679.

Wei Zijin’s investigation establishes that Zhao Shichang holds 60 percent of Sanmu Group, while Li Xiude and Situ Hui each hold 20 percent. Chen Zhifei confirms that Zhao Shichang is Zhao Shengkai’s father 680.

Li Xiude tells Ouyang Hai to suspend their Jiang University plan because Wang knows the source of his “mind method” and could make it public. They agree to avoid provoking Wang for the time being, continue expanding into other provinces, and prevent Zhao Shengkai from acting recklessly 680.

Captivity and flight

Li Xiude is later held captive by Li Lanxiang. She visits him nightly, drugs him, provides alcohol and food, and uses their phones to fabricate flirtatious exchanges suggesting a consensual relationship. On the fifth day, she cleans the basement, removes evidence, and leaves him behind 711.

Severely weakened, Li Xiude crawls toward the door. He recalls his parents, acquaintances, former roommates, and the photographs he took of the Book of Fate. A voice calls him by his original name, Li Jun, before intense pain overwhelms him and he loses consciousness 711.

By Chapter 724, Wang Xiaoliang reflects that Li Jun has fled because of financial fraud. Wang regards his eventual imprisonment as only a matter of time; the passage does not establish that he has already been arrested 724.

Connection to Zheng Wang

Hu Yang reveals that his dreams contain the memories of Wu Ming and identifies Wang Xiaoliang with Zhou Wu, a man betrayed by Zheng Wang who died in prison. He identifies Li Jun as Zheng Wang’s counterpart in the present life. Fan Qishan confirms Hu Yang’s account to Wang 724.

Wang interprets his own survival and changed circumstances as evidence that his fate has changed, while viewing Li Jun’s flight over financial fraud as evidence that Li Jun’s fate has not 724.

Personality

Li Jun combines concern for his friends with a volatile temper. He helps Wang clean, supplies revision notes even after an argument, and carries drink stock without being asked. His farewell message acknowledges Wang as a brother he can trust 3 8 14 40.

His outlook becomes increasingly fatalistic and transactional. He argues that family connections determine people’s prospects, treats a secure job as justification for favorable testimony, and concludes after the hearing that money is the most useful solution to worldly problems 10 15.

He is quick-witted when dealing with authority, but also susceptible to flattery and promises of security. His polished explanations impress the vice president, while Feng Yuan’s offers rapidly turn his earlier anger at the university into declarations of support 5 6.

Wang comes to regard him as proud and envious: he rules Li Jun out as a delivery partner and hides the value of a calligraphy commission to avoid sarcasm or gossip. These are Wang’s assessments, rather than actions Li Jun demonstrably takes in those scenes 30 31.

His later religious identity does not displace his desire for wealth. He openly admits that his mind has remained occupied with making money and explains his wish to leave religious life partly in terms of the restrictions it places on business and personal freedom 666.

As Li Xiude, he carefully cultivates an image of success through clothing, expensive transport, lavish hospitality, and promises of opportunity. Wang views this as calculated self-presentation and exploitation of relationships rather than genuine religious attainment 668 670 673.

Despite threatening Wang, Li Xiude is capable of strategic restraint. Once he recognizes that Wang can expose the source of his teachings, he chooses to suspend the Jiang University plan and pursue expansion elsewhere rather than continue provoking him 679 680.

Relationships

• Wang Xiaoliang — Roommate and trusted friend. Their dispute over testimony and the Book of Fate strains their bond, but Wang pays his fine and attempts to watch over him afterward 8 10 39 40. Wang later categorizes their former friendship as one based on affection and loyalty rather than shared commercial interests 94. Their reunion is initially warm, but Li Jun’s use of Wang’s reputation, appropriation of the book’s teachings, and subsequent threats turn the relationship antagonistic 665 673 676 679 680.
• Zhou Tao — Roommate whose death deeply traumatizes him. Li Jun knows about the expulsion but later gives testimony emphasizing the breakup 2 6 15.
• Zhao Weiqiang — Roommate whose breakdown haunts him. Li Jun criticizes Zhao’s father’s cold treatment of his son, then later suspects him of profiting from Zhou Tao’s lawsuit 2 3 15.
• Feng Yuan — Student advisor who offers academic and employment assistance in connection with testimony. Li Jun later threatens to expose Feng’s role in the false testimony to obtain help passing an exam 6 38.
• Liu Xinyu — Neighbor and friend who invites him to a small farewell dinner. Li Jun resents Liu’s ability to return to a family business rather than face unemployment 14 37 38.
• Song Yi — Vice principal who intervenes after his arrest to keep the incident quiet and limit its long-term consequences 39.
• Liang Yanni — Zhou Tao’s former girlfriend, whom Li Jun initially blames and insults. Wang later challenges his hostility toward her 2 7.
• Huang Xueli — Acquaintance who recognizes him upon his return, questions his professed Daoist practices, and suspects an ulterior motive behind his attempt to repay Wang 665 666.
• Wei Zijin — Wang’s partner, who declines Li Xiude’s request to appear on her show, recognizes his class material as teachings from the Book of Fate, and investigates his business connections 670 676 680.
• Li Xiaoman, Fang Dongxu, and Xiao Weijin — Former university acquaintances drawn into his alumni gatherings and interested in his money-making classes despite reservations about his credibility 668 670 671 676.
• Ouyang Hai — Business associate with whom he discusses suspending the Jiang University plan and continuing expansion into other provinces. Li Xiude also teases him about his lingering feelings for Wang Fen 680.
• Zhao Shichang and Situ Hui — Fellow Sanmu Group shareholders. Zhao holds the controlling 60 percent stake, while Situ and Li Xiude each hold 20 percent 680.
• Zhao Shengkai — Son of Sanmu Group’s controlling shareholder. Li Xiude and Ouyang Hai agree that he must be kept from acting recklessly toward Wang 680.
• Li Lanxiang — Later captor who drugs him and fabricates messages to make their relationship appear consensual before abandoning him in a basement 711.
• Zheng Wang — The figure Hu Yang identifies as Li Jun’s previous-life counterpart, responsible for betraying Zhou Wu 724.

Abilities and Methods

Improvisation and persuasion

Li Jun demonstrates an ability to improvise persuasive explanations, most notably when he transforms the dormitory curtain inscriptions into statements about moral cleanliness and social responsibility. His answers win the vice president’s approval and contribute to the roommates receiving an award 5.

His later activities rely on public speaking, alumni connections, displays of wealth, and the promise of access to profitable opportunities. His portrayal of Wang as an inspiration for his success also attempts to associate his ventures with Wang’s reputation 670 671 673 676.

Daoist knowledge and the Book of Fate

Li Jun identifies his training as Zhengyi Dao and distinguishes it from Quanzhen Dao, explaining that his own branch does not require celibacy but does require restraint. He dismisses “dual cultivation” as a deviant practice unrelated to orthodox Zhengyi Dao. These statements establish his professed religious knowledge, not independently demonstrated supernatural ability 666.

He claims to have developed a profitable method from Daoist thought and traditional culture. His money-making instruction demonstrably repeats at least the Book of Fate’s First Fate-Changing Art, which Wei Zijin recognizes from his lesson on cleanliness and avoiding filthy places 666 676.

Although he originally mocks the book, he has photographed its contents and later treats Wang’s ability to reveal the source of his “mind method” as a serious threat to his plans. The available accounts do not establish that he possesses genuine Daoist powers or has mastered the book’s teachings 10 680 711.

Notable Quotes

“You! Me! Our parents are ordinary people. They're about to retire and live on those measly pensions. They can't do a damn thing to help with our futures! We have to fight for everything ourselves, claw our way toward it! That's fate, too!” 10

“Having a brother like you has made my life worthwhile.” 40

“All these years practicing Daoism, my mind hasn't been pure-I've kept thinking about how to make money.” 666

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