After listening to Principal Chen, Ye Jian remained quiet for a long time before replying, "Uncle Chen, did you find it a pity at that time?" He was so capable but he had to retire without a choice… He could have gone further on this path but in the end, even his identity was gone. He had to live with another identity, the principal of a middle school in a town.
Had he ever felt helpless or regretful?
Principal Chen didn't feel helpless at all when he had to retire in this way. He accepted the military's arrangement calmly.
He laughed heartily and answered, "There's nothing to feel pity about. We will all retire but I retired a little earlier. However, it isn't too early either. I retired in 1987. Until now in 1997, only ten years passed. I might be retired but I've always been helping the military with small matters. I don't feel that I have ever left the military. I just changed my position."
