A Prodigal Son Reborn - Reunion - The End of the World Bombshell - The Gift of Dyslexia—

Oct 6, 2026

A Prodigal Son Reborn presents a childhood-to-young-adulthood narrative of disconnection, rebellion, and gradual confrontation with consequences. The author recounts being left unsupervised in Beijing, escaping care during the night, later moving to Hong Kong, and being shaped by music while struggling with school discipline and religious influences. As he joins criminal circles and commits destructive acts, achievements are followed by gambling and reckless spending, driving a downward spiral.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time37 min

AccessFree to download

A Prodigal Son Reborn

Reunion

The End of the World Bombshell

The Gift of Dyslexia—

A Prodigal Son Reborn / Reunion / The End of the World Bombshell / The Gift of Dyslexia— A Homeschooler’s Graduation Speech / The Divine Cell Tower challenger JAN-MAR 2019 A Prodigal Son Reborn by Jackson Zhao* A Little Rascal Before age four, I lived with my grandparents in Soochow, China, and have no memory of what my parents were like. Later, our family was reunited in Beijing where my parents worked as engineers for the Department of Communication. Because they were superbusy people, they left me, a ive-year-old boy, from Monday to Friday each week in the care of a nursery operated by a government agency. With almost no supervision or discipline from my parents, I was a spoiled kid! The downtown Beijing nursery was quite a distance from where we lived. One biting cold night, I longed so much for the shelter of my parents that I successfully left the nursery with a companion. We escaped the watch guard on duty at the gate and nudged our way onboard a city bus without purchasing tickets. When we passed the zoo, I knew we were nearly home! It was a serious offense of negligence by the teachers and the guard that children could go missing from the nursery! To their relief, at 12 midnight they were informed by phone that the two missing children were found, safe and sound at home with their parents. This incident clearly depicts my childhood—I was wild and uncontrollable, living without family rules or supervision. By the time I was in primary school, our family had immigrated to Hong Kong to live with my grandfather and grandmother. I studied in a Christian school and met a teacher who inluenced my life, though she never knew it. She would invite me and my classmates to her home for visitsand to sing hymns, with the intent of sharing the Gospel with us. I wasn’t touched by the love of Jesus, though I studied in Christian primary and secondary schools and was exposed to the life and teaching of Christ. I was, however, touched by music. I loved to sing! I would listen to contemporary hit songs and dress like the stars with unconventional tight pants and fancy hair styles, creating an image of myself far removed from what was appropriate in mainstream social norms. During my last year in secondary school, my academic work was average but my conduct was extremely bad. I broke so many school regulations that the school expelled me. One of the Christian teachers tried to help me stay, but I was not spared the school’s irm decision to expel me. My parents sought out a new school for me—one where the former principal happened to be my uncle. But as a new Form V student, I did not change to become a good student. At this time, I was living in Discovery Bay and hung around with a bunch of bad kids like myself, some from very wealthy families in China. I joined a ring of hoodlums (a gang) and became a member of the Triad society, an organized crime group. Because I failed to pass the public Hong Kong Secondary School Certiicate Examination, I could not be admitted into Form VI in my original secondary school. My parents then arranged an alternative, enrolling me in the international school located in Kowloon Tong. Nevertheless, my behavior problems persisted and grew worse. With a bunch of other gang members, I lived a wanton life of heavy drinking and wild parties, squandering my family’s money. Known as a threatening, egotistic bully, I was reputed to bea troublemaker in Discovery Bay, and my notorious presence was everywhere. When I was 18, I along with several others broke into the clubhouse of Discovery Bay at midnight and removed every item in the clubhouse just for kicks. That night, after my A Prod iga l Son Reborn 3 4 challenger JAN-MAR 2019 parents had gone to sleep, I lowered my bike down from the second loor, rode to the clubhouse, and—knowing the front gate was equipped with an alarm system—broke a rear window and climbed through the air-conditioning vent. Climbing to the main loo

FAQs

Why did the author describe childhood as wild and uncontrollable?

He was left with almost no supervision or discipline during weekdays, and his lack of family rules allowed him to become spoiled and act impulsively.

How did his education and conduct change after moving to Hong Kong?

He studied in Christian schools, was influenced by music, but also developed serious conduct problems, ultimately leading to expulsion and further attempts to find a better school.

What role did gambling and nightlife play in the author’s later decline?

After early academic success and awards, his money was quickly spent on drinking and gambling, and he became hooked on bets he had learned earlier through connections in criminal and affluent circles.

Oct 6, 2026

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