Chapter 42: Big Trouble, The Press Release Is Out

Lin Junsheng was hunched over his desk, having spent the past two weeks completely immersed in the world of his manuscript, weighing every word and striving for perfection.

A good work requires not only the spark of inspiration, but even more so, meticulous crafting.

Of course, he was mostly just relying on his memory to imitate.

He had finished writing it within those two weeks, and he would soon ask Li Yonggang when he was heading to town.

He needed to mail *To Live* to *Shanghai Literature*.

However, just when he thought he could finally breathe a sigh of relief and wait for the results of the writing competition to be announced, life caught him completely off guard.

A letter from afar was delivered to his hands by the postman.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Junsheng also slipped *To Live* into an envelope and handed it to the postman.

At present, only his mother and younger sister knew about him writing novels.

And now, this postman as well.

Lin Junsheng looked at the envelope on the table.

Scrawled prominently across it was the name "Wang Yuanwen."

Tearing open the envelope, he found not only a letter but also a newspaper inside.

When Lin Junsheng unfolded it, he saw a photograph right in the center of the paper.

In the picture, he was speaking with great passion and eloquence, his eyes flashing with an unyielding light.

Lin Junsheng's heart tightened abruptly; this was no ordinary interview.

That unorthodox fellow Wang Yuanwen had actually plastered the contents of their conversation on the front page headline of the news.

The headline was shockingly exaggerated—*Even If We Poor Peasants Are Lame, We Must Strive to Be Heroes!*

That headline was more attention-grabbing than any clickbait title on the internet; Lin Junsheng couldn't help but offer a wry smile.

He thought to himself, "If this guy isn't working for a sensationalist clickbait factory, it's truly a waste of his talent."

He read through the report carefully.

In the article, every single word he had uttered was endowed with extraordinary significance, making him sound like a pioneer of the era and a beacon of light in the hearts of impoverished peasants.

Evil forces were nothing more than paper tigers in front of him.

Yet Lin Junsheng knew very well in his heart that these were merely remarks made in a moment of righteous indignation; he had never expected them to be magnified to this extent.

He had wanted to deal that local hoodlum a heavy blow, but he hadn't anticipated Wang Yuanwen playing such a card.

Right there on the front page headline was his photograph.

Clearly displaying his features, it was as if it were proclaiming to the world: "Look! This is the hero who dared to speak out!"

Lin Junsheng began to feel anxious.

In this small town, news traveled faster than the wind, especially negative news.

What if the town's leaders saw this report, or worse?

He knew that once the town's Public Security Bureau tracked him down, he would no longer have any peace in his life.

His greatest fear was that the town mayor wouldn't be taken down.

Lin Junsheng silently cursed Wang Yuanwen for lacking basic decency—an interview was an interview, why did he have to go and paste a photo along with it?

He never expected that he would accidentally become a "figure of the moment."

Lin Junsheng began to consider all possible consequences, even plotting several contingency plans in his mind.

For instance, temporarily "disappearing," or coming up with a plausible excuse to brush off any potential inquiries.

Though those seemed rather clumsy.

Even if he could run away, weren't his family members still living in the village?

Next, he would have to see how much weight this newspaper carried and whether it could force the town mayor to step down.

Evasion was not a long-term solution; the key lay in how to face this sudden "glory."

After waiting for a whole day, everything remained calm and peaceful.

This allowed the heavy stone in Lin Junsheng's heart to drop slightly, but he knew deeply that under this superficial tranquility, undercurrents were surging.

He decided not to wait passively anymore and to take the initiative, so he set off early in the morning for the old Party secretary's house.

Sunlight filtered through the sparse tree leaves, dappling the muddy path.

As soon as he reached the old Party secretary's doorstep, he saw him about to swing his leg over a Phoenix-brand bicycle.

The bicycle bell jingled softly with the movement.

"Old Party Secretary!"

There was a hint of urgency and anticipation in Lin Junsheng's voice. Hearing this, the old Party secretary turned back, his brows furrowed slightly, clearly preoccupied with something.

"Junsheng, what's the matter in such a rush? I'm just about to hurry over to town."

Lin Junsheng stepped forward quickly, pulled the newspaper that he had repeatedly fingered from his pocket, and handed it to the old Party secretary.

The old Party secretary took the newspaper, his gaze lingering on the headline for a moment before slowly moving down, reading it word by word.

Time seemed to freeze at that very moment; Lin Junsheng could clearly hear the beating of his own heart, along with the occasional crowing of a rooster in the distance.

Finally, the old Party secretary raised his head.

"You reported this?"

His voice was deep and stern, making Lin Junsheng shiver involuntarily.

"No, no, Old Party Secretary, please listen to my explanation."

Lin Junsheng quickly spoke up.

He recounted everything from his conflict with the hoodlum that day to the accidental interview, telling the old Party secretary the whole truth without missing a detail.

Upon hearing this, the old Party secretary's furrowed brow gradually relaxed, a flash of understanding passing through his eyes.

"So that's how it is."

The old Party secretary smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Do you know why I'm in such a rush to go to town?"

He paused for a moment.

"The town mayor has been labeled a capitalist roader; he'll probably have to do time in prison, or perhaps even be paraded through the streets in public humiliation."

"Is it really that serious?"

Lin Junsheng was startled upon hearing this.

He had never imagined that an unintentional action of his own would stir up such massive ripples.

"Serious? That's not even the most serious part."

The old Party secretary's voice was low and heavy.

"Under certain circumstances, he might even face a firing squad."

These words pressed down on Lin Junsheng's heart like a massive boulder, leaving him momentarily struggling to breathe.

Originally, he had only wanted to knock the town mayor down so that his good-for-nothing nephew wouldn't be so arrogant and despotic.

Now, it might actually cost a human life.

This certainly exceeded his expectations.

Yet, looking at it the other way around, his portrait was already published in the newspaper.

If this town mayor didn't fall, he himself might die an even more miserable death.

And it would implicate his family as well.

The old Party secretary looked at him in a daze.

With earnestness and deep meaning, he said, "You brat can be considered to have performed a meritorious service. Once I go to town and figure out the situation clearly, I'll talk it over with you in detail when I get back."

"Oh, and one more thing. Junsheng, help me check on how those rabbits are doing."

Lin Junsheng nodded, watching the old Party secretary ride away on his bicycle until he gradually disappeared along the winding path.

His mood inexplicably lightened a great deal, as if the heavy boulder pressing on his heart had been lifted away.

The downfall of the town mayor was indeed something worth celebrating for him.

What he needed to worry about now was that hoodlum.

That fellow's crimes would likely be settled and liquidated now; he was someone who might face severe punishment under the law due to his accumulated offenses.

"According to the current laws, this guy is probably going to be executed by firing squad too," Lin Junsheng pondered inwardly.

He realized that he might have inadvertently gotten himself involved in a deeper level of revolution, and this revolution might claim two lives.

Perhaps someone had been eyeing the town mayor's position for a long time, and he had merely provided a helpful push.

Otherwise, the town mayor wouldn't have collapsed so quickly.

Thinking of this, Lin Junsheng couldn't help but smile slightly.

He felt that he had seen through things much more clearly now.

With a smile on his face, Lin Junsheng entered the old Party secretary's house. The secretary's wife, Wang Cuihua, was busy inside feeding alfalfa grass to the rabbits.

Lin Junsheng smiled and greeted her, "Auntie, the old Party secretary asked me to come and check on the rabbits."

He was met with Wang Cuihua's warm hospitality.

"Ah, Junsheng is here. Come on in, sit down, and drink a sip of water before looking at the rabbits, there's no rush."

Lin Junsheng smiled and shook his head. "It's fine, Auntie, I'll go take a look at the rabbits first."

As he spoke, he walked toward the rabbit cages. Those fluffy little creatures were happily nibbling on the alfalfa grass.

Their carefree appearance made Lin Junsheng's mood lighten along with them.