HARD WORK DELIVERS SUCCESS

Gao Shuaiqi was apologetic when he couldn't take the 2 pm phone call for an interview to which he agreed on July 16.

"Things became a bit hectic, and I just arrived home and didn't have the chance to eat," says the 26-year-old from Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan province.

After being assured there was no hurry and it was all right for him to finish lunch, he rushed through the meal in five minutes.

It was a testament to his time commitment, a vital requirement in his trade of delivery service.

Gao was the subject of a wave of public attention when he received official notice of admission to the Koguan School of Law, Shanghai Jiao Tong University in early July.

His persistence in preparing for the demanding test while taking care of his family after his father suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in August last year, has been an inspiration to many.

Gao seems to make every minute of his life count and his life goes like clockwork.

He opens his delivery app at 10 am on the dot, when delivery demand usually begins to surge.

He rides across the city's highways and byways on a motorcycle till the late afternoon when orders peter out.

Gao then uses the space of less than two hours to run some errands for his family before going back up online at 4 pm.

His second shift mostly lasts for five hours and finishes at 9 pm.

Yet, Gao doesn't call it a day, since he has insisted on studying for two or three hours for the legal qualification test before going to bed.

"I want to prepare myself early, so I will have more time for things like internships," he says.

Born in a village in Kaifeng, about 80 kilometers away from the provincial capital, Gao was deeply influenced by the down-to-earth spirit and determination of his parents.

"They were peasants and worked very hard to keep our family afloat," he says.

To ensure their two sons received a good education, Zhang's parents moved to Zhengzhou and made a living by first delivering furniture at a local building materials cluster and then set up a small shop selling furniture.

"I've come to where I am on their shoulders, and now it's time for me to look after them," Gao says.

In 2015, Gao was admitted to Zhengzhou University of Light Industry and he chose to study marketing management.

He says it was more like a haphazard choice since neither his parents nor himself knew much about college courses.

After spending the first year studying all the fundamental courses, Gao felt he was not interested in the subject. "I was at a loss and not quite sure how I wanted to do with my life," he says.

An opportunity for a twist of fate came up in the sophomore year, when Gao knew he could serve in the army in the northwestern region of the country for two years before coming back to school.

He immediately signed up before even consulting his parents for approval. "It was a bit impulsive, and I guess I was just desperate for a change," he says, adding that he had always admired the military forces with the patriotic education he had in primary school.

The military experience immediately put Gao through his paces.

"The wind was so strong, sending the stones running and the sand turned the air yellow," he recalls.

The dry climate also gave Gao nosebleeds.

That's not to mention all the strenuous drills he had to go through every day.

Yet, Gao made it through, and was toughened by the experience. Most importantly, Gao felt something that was close to his heart.

"I wanted to do something chivalrous," he says.

"Sometimes I would imagine myself acting bravely for a just cause, even if I got hurt in the process."

After he got back to college in 2017, Gao got a few internships in the field of market management.

They only reinforced his determination to change the course of his career to law.

"I hope I could reach out to more people in need," he says.

His first attempt for a postgraduate law school failed in 2020, but he continued to reach his goals after graduation in 2021.

However, his father's sudden stroke last year made things worse for his family, which had already been struggling to make ends meet.

It was right during when he was preparing for the postgraduate entrance test for law school with the Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

He used to put his study preparation on a halt, but his mother talked him out of it.

"She held down the fort at the furniture shop on her own, while I cooked for my father at home," Gao says.

During his father's hospitalization, Gao made use of the time to study at the hospital whenever he could, while tending his father.

His efforts paid off.

In April, he got the admission news from the university. That was when he asked his mother to shut down the shop and he began to support his family by becoming a delivery driver.

"I didn't want her to strain herself too much, and she could also spend more time at home with my father," Gao says.

Although the delivery job is only meant to be temporary, since Gao has just been admitted to the postgraduate law program that is set for September, he has delivered what is expected of him with no half measures.

He works more than nine hours a day and deals with more than 30 orders on a daily basis.

He can bring in 200 yuan ($30) a day, which he says is enough to maintain the family outlay for necessities.

Gao's colleagues have affectionately been calling him A Gan, the Chinese nickname for Forrest Gump.

"He has got zero bad reviews, and has been very meticulous and persistent," says Feng Chao, who is in charge of the delivery station where Gao works.

Some of the toughest orders Gao has taken included delivering a takeout that weighs 40 kilograms and climbing the staircase to the 14th floor of a building when the elevator was down.

So far, the officials from the Koguan School of Law have contacted Gao and introduced various subsidy policies to him.

Gao's experience in supporting his family and delivering excellent academic performances has been shared by several other students who have been admitted to the Koguan law school this year.

Their independence and perseverance in the face of challenges and adversity have also become an example for their peers, says Guan Hannan with the law school.

The school authorities say they will provide all kinds of support for these students.

They include Huang Jiadong who comes from a village hidden in the depth of the mountains and Fang Chao who has made outstanding contributions to communities during the pandemic.

"Each of them has encountered difficulties and setbacks, but they all pursue their dreams with enthusiasm," Guan says.

"I hope their stories can bring encouragement to more candidates," Guan adds.

Gao plans to keep his delivery job until the school starts, so he can raise more money for his family.

"I will seek more job opportunities when I get in and take care of my studies," he says.

Gao has taken pride in his nickname A Gan, which he believes is an encouragement for him to deliver more value to his family and the society through hard work.

"I will try to enrich my experiences and contribute to meaningful causes that can help more people," he says.