The workers had long resented the boss known as "Half-a-Drop of Oil." One day, Gao Zhongming was suddenly summoned by him and warmly shaken by the shoulder: "Old Gao! I've heard your son has been admitted to university—what a promising achievement! Do you want to earn some money? I'm here to help you cover his tuition fees!" "Of course I do!" Gao Zhongming replied, stirring his tongue thoughtfully. Anyway, the labor market is currently oversupplied, and employers are in a strong position. Gao Zhong mentally calculated: if he could carry 100 packages a day, and each package was priced at 5 yuan, that would amount to 500 yuan—two to three times his usual income! If he could do this every day, Liang would be able to cover his tuition at Kyoto University, and his wife wouldn’t have to keep washing dishes and clearing tables at the restaurant anymore. That day, Gao Zhong worked hard, though exhausted. When he finally received the 500 yuan cash, he was so delighted he couldn’t stop smiling. He stumbled back home, shouting, “I’ve made money! I’ve made big money!” But then, all at once, he collapsed to the ground. His wife, Shen Hanfu, had just finished her duties of washing dishes and clearing tables and returned home. Seeing her husband unconscious, she was frantic, yet Gao Zhong, full of excitement, told her, “I’ve never once earned 500 yuan in a day—I’m actually happy to have fainted! I’ll be going again tomorrow!” “You’re making money at the expense of your Shen Hanfu blamed him, yet Gao Zhongming chuckled and said, "For Liang's tuition fees, I'd be willing to give up my life!" The next day, disregarding his wife's objections, Gao Zhongming went to the warehouse and continued working hard, hauling goods. According to his physical capacity, he could carry 100 bundles a day at most, so when he had finished hauling 100 bundles, he stopped. At that moment, the half-empty warehouse manager urged him, "Oh, Old Gao! Why are you resting so soon? There are still 100 bundles inside. If you'd like, I can offer you 10 yuan per bundle!" "Really?" Hearing that such a high price was being offered, Gao Zhongming instantly became enthusiastic, his eyes shining brightly. He slapped his thigh and said, "Great! Great! That's exactly what you said. Now, you must keep your word!" "At once, he pulled out a stack of one-hundred-yuan bills from his pocket and held them up in front of Gao Zhongming, saying, 'If you can carry them all continuously, here's 10,000 yuan—yours!' Gao Zhongming was moved—money truly is a good thing; it immediately sparked his enthusiasm! For Liang's tuition fees and for the happiness of the family, I'm willing to risk everything. This time, Gao Zhongming moved with great difficulty, exceeding even the human limit. Added to yesterday's exhaustion, he finally collapsed during the 118th bundle, when his legs could no longer move. At that very moment, Zhou Chao appeared, facing Gao Zhongming who lay on the ground with only a faint breath, and said, 'Poor guy! What a miserable fate! As long as you crawl under your pants, I'll give you 10,000 yuan!' Gao Zhongming wasn't a timid man. If he had to work tirelessly for money, that was fine—but he couldn't bear to be humiliated by someone. It was exactly the same as his son's character. So he firmly replied, Zhou Chao smiled thinly. "You poor people always say that. Your son, Gao Liang, says the same thing. But have you actually changed your fate? Can you alter the fate of being poor? Hah!" High Zhongming, already exhausted from physical strain, was further jolted by Zhou Chao's deliberate provocation. He felt both mentally and physically drained, writhing on the ground, clutching his head, and crying out in agony, "Ah! Ah!" with white foam gushing from his mouth—his condition looked dire. Half-Drop-of-Oil, who knew that even a single drop of oil could be fatal, was instantly alarmed and trembled, urgently asking Zhou Chao, "What should we do, Lord Zhou?" "How cowardly of you! When the sky collapses, I'll be there to bear the weight! Dispatch a few workers and carry him back while he's still breathing!" As soon as Zhou Chao spoke, Half-Drop-of-Oil quickly sent several workers to lift High Zhongming onto a vehicle and drive him toward his home. Watching the vehicle recede into the distance, Zhou Chao's sly smile deepened. "Hah! Now comes the real What a mess! Don't blame me—blame your family's fate, born and bred to be poor! That's exactly what's due! After being brought home by several unrefined workers, Gao Zhongming immediately collapsed onto his bed and began vomiting blood. Seeing the workers fade into the distance, Shen Hanfu stomped her feet and cried out to the heavens, "What a pity! What a pity!" Gao Zhongming soon grew worse, vomiting blood and blood clots, severely wounded both physically and mentally—his life was surely at risk. Without earning a single coin, he had lost his life. What could they do now? "Hanfu! Don't tell Liang yet! After I'm gone, take good care of Liang. Don't blame the heavens or the earth—blame only our family's poverty! We are truly poor!" "Zhongming! How can you say such a thing? Don't you see that Liang has the potential to earn a fortune?" Shen Hanfu replied. "I can't wait any longer! I'm going! Just take good care of Liang for me!" With these words, Gao Zhongming's face turned as pale as ashes, and he was soon Gao Liang and Zhang YuPing had just returned from school, finally managing to turn Liu Heigu over once again. Under persistent appeals, Liu was spared from dismissal, though Fang Bin, the headmaster, had set three conditions: if he violated them again, he would be removed from the teaching staff without mercy. They'd go all the way to their doorstep and then turn around and come back, simply because although they were in a romantic relationship, both parties wanted to avoid any unnecessary complications. So they had agreed to postpone meeting each other's parents for now—though Gao Liang had already met Zhang Yупing's parents.