The Hope Episode 18 Recap
> The Hope Recaps
In 2005, at Xingzhou No. 1 Middle School, a frustrated teacher, who seemed to be in a volatile mood, began scolding students for a forgotten task. When it was revealed that Sang Xia, then a high school student, was the student on duty, the teacher discovered an "adult book" in her possession. Accusing Sang Xia of trying to seduce someone, the teacher escalated the confrontation by threatening to cut Sang Xia's bangs, claiming they obscured her eyes and ears.
Overwhelmed and weary of being "hit and scolded," Sang Xia defiantly pulled out a knife. Her teacher, Mr. Lei Lizhou, intervened, disarming her with a calm promise to give her better books to read, telling her, "It's good that you love reading, but the books you pick aren't very interesting." He comforted her, assuring her everything would be "okay" and not to worry. Following the incident, the abusive teacher was expelled, and Sang Xia received a serious demerit.
However, Mr. Lei continued to mentor her, providing free tutoring after school. He instilled in her the belief that "how you see yourself is a thousand times more important than how others see you," encouraging her to write and read "many more wonderful and great stories."
When it came time to choose her college major, only Mr. Lei supported her ambition to study psychology, affirming that those in mental health are "both doctors and teachers, and curing and educating are both life-saving skills." This deeply impacted Sang Xia. Later, Sang Xia sought advice from a friend who read her tarot cards. The reading painted a bleak picture for Class 11, indicating it was "beyond redemption."
However, for Sang Xia, who desired to "turn the tide," the cards also suggested rebirth and that while individual power was limited, "it depends on your effort," urging her to act "sneakily" rather than confront directly. Following this, Sang Xia discovered Class 11 had been suspended and the classroom lock changed. Determined, she attempted to open the room, only to find Li Ran, Cheng Yushan, Yu Yang, Bian Xiaoxiao, and Jiang Qinglang already inside.
They explained it was Jiang Qinglang's idea: though the school had suspended the class, they would not stop. They had made a duplicate key and were taking turns keeping watch at Zhiyuan Building, where the classrooms were usually empty. Sang Xia was heartened by their initiative and revealed that through her "persistent persuasion," their subject teachers had agreed to help them complete the semester's curriculum through unconventional means.
With curtains drawn to ensure secrecy, Sang Xia officially declared the formation of "the underground Class 11," where students continued their studies diligently, even watching video lectures from their teachers. Sang Xia herself contributed by moving office plants to the corridor to give them a "sunbath." In a more recent timeline, Sang Xia desperately tried to locate Mr. Lei Lizhou, calling hospitals but being denied information due to patient privacy.
She then posted in her high school alumni group, asking for any news, but received mostly unhelpful or even insensitive responses, such as a classmate sarcastically asking if their teacher was "still alive." Her own mother's inquiries also yielded no results. It was later revealed that Mr. Lei Lizhou was suffering from advanced Alzheimer's disease. Li Ran, who had been following Lei Ming out of lingering anger, stumbled upon Lei Ming at a hospital.
There, he witnessed Lei Ming tirelessly caring for his critically ill father, Mr. Lei Lizhou, who was in critical condition with severe complications, needing a catheter inserted. Mr. Lei Lizhou passed away. At his memorial service, a disoriented Lei Ming stood, staring out at a cuckoo bird, seemingly detached from the solemnity. His aunt gently nudged him, urging him not to be distracted. Sang Xia, however, was inconsolable, weeping openly.
Many former students, some from as far back as 1993 and others from more recent years, including Wu Wenjing, He Qiguang, Liu Jinping, Sun Zhiping (whose wife Deng Linlin called in from the UK), Xu Jie, Hou Yongliang, Zhao Hong, Wang Yuxia, Kong Xianghao, Du Jianan, Zhang Jin, Yang Zhen, Liu Yin, Xie Dai'an, and Zhang Huanhuan, came to pay their respects.
They each expressed profound gratitude for Mr. Lei Lizhou's teachings and life-changing guidance, with Liu Jinping tearfully recounting how Mr. Lei's encouragement saved him from dropping out. Amidst the outpouring of grief and appreciation, Lei Ming privately grappled with his own complex feelings.
He felt his father had built a "shrine" of the "People's Teacher" for himself, adorned with the "handcuffs and shackles" of "mission," and in doing so, never once glanced at the "lonely little boy" (himself) standing in the corner. Seeking to provide comfort, Sang Xia approached Lei Ming, revealing that she had taken the Class 11 students to visit his father just two days before his passing.
She shared that Mr. Lei Lizhou had been mumbling incoherently, and after listening carefully, she realized he was expressing worries about Lei Ming—concerned he might not become a good teacher and could potentially mislead others. The Class 11 students then chimed in with their own heartfelt words about Lei Ming's positive influence on them.
Yu Yang recounted how Lei Ming had "privately" encouraged him, assuring him he would "definitely pass the exam," and stated that without Lei Ming and Class 11, he would "not be studying anymore." Bian Xiaoxiao excitedly shared that many students in school were now inquiring about Class 11 and wanted to join, even revealing that "many female teachers secretly admire Mr. Lei."
Jiang Qinglang admitted that while Lei Ming's words could be "quite disheartening," his methods were "truly effective," enabling him to achieve his "highest score" without cheating, and he believed Lei Ming was sincere when he promised to help them win their most important exam. Li Ran and Cheng Yushan proudly declared that Class 11's average monthly exam score had risen from 450 to 500 points, with a goal of 600, concluding that despite their past frustrations, they "miss him."
Later, Zheng Qian's mother approached Lei Ming at her food stall. She revealed she had paid her respects at his father's funeral from a distance, standing outside the hall. She then recounted that after Lei Ming had "ran away" following an incident, his father, Mr. Lei Lizhou, repeatedly came to her to apologize. Despite her anger, even slapping him once, he continued to visit her every month for a year, offering support.
Mr. Lei Lizhou had not only helped her set up her skewer stand but had also paid for her hospitalization for an acute gastric ulcer two years prior. Her story, shared "because of your dad," deeply moved Lei Ming, bringing him to tears.
The story then fast-forwards to the Zhixiang Education live press conference, where they were launching their "College Entrance Exam Turnaround Class," touting it as a revolutionary online education project leveraging big data and AI to help students with "less ideal grades" achieve academic comebacks. Lei Ming, introduced as a "renowned lecturer" and the "founder of Yiming Company," walked onto the stage conspicuously without wearing the formal attire expected for the event.
He began his speech by disagreeing with the preceding introduction, humbly stating, "I'm not a creator of miracles. I'm just a porter for potential students." He then observed that the five Class 11 students, whom he sarcastically called "the real stars," were absent, jokingly relieved that "no one will disrupt the event."
Lei Ming then boldly proclaimed himself a "scammer," recalling his past assurances to the Class 11 students, such as "Every one of you can get into Qingbei," and "This tree looks dead, but once you plant it back in the soil, it will come back to life," and "As long as you dare to dream, miracles will happen." He challenged the audience, asking if his claims sounded "unbelievable."
He then revealed that according to Zhixiang's own big data model, the Class 11 students' probability of getting into Qingbei was a mere "nine in a hundred thousand," effectively meaning "they won't have a chance." At that very moment, Sang Xia and the Class 11 students arrived at the remote location Lei Ming had sent them via his phone.
There, they found the small, seemingly dead tree from their Class 11 classroom, now replanted and thriving, a stark visual contradiction to the statistical hopelessness Lei Ming was describing on stage. Lei Ming continued his speech, interweaving his father's profound philosophy that "education is not a business. . . it's about having a clear conscience" and that "you have to look at students' growth," contrasting it with his own past, admittedly "unscientific, irrational, and too artistic" views.
He argued that big data "can't calculate whether a tree has its own will to survive," nor can it predict how "a group of seemingly hopeless kids" can "clench their fists, bite their teeth, step by step, break through the obstacles. . . and run towards that goal that big data says is hopeless."
Lei Ming then fiercely denounced Zhixiang, stating they had "never believed in my students" and had "never given them trust, or dignity," because they failed to believe "that hard work can really change their destiny." He revealed that Class 11's "progress and score improvement" were achieved "solely on their own efforts," not through "AI teaching and big data calculation." He exposed Zhixiang's "AI teaching achievements" and "success rate in the college entrance exam" as "all fake," fabricated merely for "advertisement."
With a final, decisive statement, Lei Ming announced, "today, I'm not here to endorse, I'm here to lift the endorsement," apologizing for his "personal misconduct" and declaring himself "ready for challenges." The revelation sent shockwaves through the audience, as President Wang and other Zhixiang executives watched in dismay while reporters clamored for answers.
