Chapter 72: You Actually Know the Man in Overalls?!

He was even made to stand facing the wall as punishment.

Hearing his son's voice, Lu Tian turned slightly, forcing a dry smile toward him, then glanced nervously at his two elder brothers before speaking up, "Qiuqiu is awake. Can I go see him?"

Such an unusual way to address him… As these two words left his father’s lips, Lu Yuanqiu felt a shiver run down his spine.

Second Uncle turned his head, his sharp gaze fixed on Lu Tian. "You’ve got the nerve to see him? Keep facing the wall and reflect on what you’ve done!"

Lu Tian immediately turned around and stood up straight, his face to the wall.

Only then did Second Uncle draw back his fierce look and approach the bed, his tone softening with concern as he addressed Lu Yuanqiu, "I’m asking you something, why aren’t you answering? Does it still hurt?"

Lu Yuanqiu nodded. "A little."

Second Uncle’s name was Lu Xuan—a tall, thin man with a notoriously short temper. In the family, however, his wrath was usually reserved for the fourth brother, Lu Tian.

The eldest uncle, Lu Cheng, smiled kindly. "Don’t be afraid, Qiu’er. The doctor said you have a hard skull. It’s just a minor injury and a slight concussion. Rest for a week and you’ll be discharged."

Lu Yuanqiu nodded, smiling back. "Thank you, Uncle."

Eldest Uncle Lu Cheng was a plump, genial middle-aged man, gentle and benevolent in manner. But Lu Yuanqiu knew that people in the business world liked to call him the “smiling tiger” behind his back.

Yet that “smiling tiger” side never showed itself to his family. With Lu Yuanqiu, he was almost like a father.

Noticing one person missing from the room, Lu Yuanqiu asked, "Where’s Third Uncle?"

At this, Second Uncle Lu Xuan glanced at his watch, his tone turning cold. "He should be here any moment."

As they spoke, Lu Cheng walked to the foot of the bed and raised it up.

With the bed rising, the young man slowly sat up, reaching to touch the bandage wrapped around his head. Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind.

"Little monk! Don’t die! Little monk! Don’t die!"

Lu Yuanqiu remembered what had happened just before he lost consciousness.

He frowned slightly and blurted out, "Where’s that man in the overalls?!"

Eldest Uncle patted his hand gently, asking, "Slow down—who in overalls?"

Lu Yuanqiu answered seriously, "The one who carried me to the hospital! A middle-aged man, seems a bit unstable, wearing blue overalls!"

At this, the two uncles exchanged a surprised glance, then turned toward Lu Tian in the corner. "How did Qiu’er get to the hospital?" they asked.

Lu Tian replied, "I only found out my son was in the hospital when Xiaoya called me, but…"

He paused, turned around, and pointed out toward the hallway. "Just earlier, I think I saw a man in overalls sitting in the corner outside. I didn’t pay much attention at first—he startled me."

Lu Yuanqiu anxiously tried to sit up. "That’s him! Bring him in! He’s the one who carried me all the way here!"

Second Uncle quickly pressed Lu Yuanqiu back down and barked at Lu Tian, "What are you waiting for? Go!"

Lu Tian nodded and hurried out of the ward.

In the hallway, he looked around and sure enough, spotted the shadowy figure huddled in a corner.

If he had brought Lu Yuanqiu in at noon, had he really been sitting here until dusk?

The whole afternoon, not a word spoken…

Thinking this, Lu Tian hurried over and bent down. "Brother, come on, let’s go inside. I’ll help you up."

As he got closer, he noticed the man was covered in blood—clearly, he had indeed saved his son.

"No! No! No! It’s scary in there! Scary! I’m afraid!"

The man in overalls shrank back, clutching his head, refusing to move. Remembering what his son had said about him being “mentally unstable,” Lu Tian squatted down, patiently coaxing, "Brother, you saved my son. He’s awake now—he wants to see you!"

"Little monk mustn’t die!"

Little monk? Did he mean the buzz cut? Lu Tian couldn’t help but smile wryly and reassured him, "The little monk didn’t die, he’s awake and wants to see you!"

In the ward, Lu Yuanqiu sat on the bed, his feelings in turmoil.

He had never really believed in fate, but right now, he was wavering.

Back in middle school, he had protected the man in overalls for a long time, even becoming the butt of jokes among his classmates for befriending a “fool.”

To be honest, Lu Yuanqiu had sometimes doubted whether he was doing the right thing.

After all, being friends with the “fool” meant having no other friends—a situation he hadn’t wanted.

But the day he saw the man in overalls being bullied by a group of students at the school gate, Lu Yuanqiu’s mind went blank.

To hell with whether he would have friends in the future—bullying a helpless fool was not something a decent human would do!

So, he stood up for the man in overalls, teaching the bullies a harsh lesson.

From that day, he became known as a troublemaker who fought in public. No one cared about the truth—only that Lu Yuanqiu had thrown punches.

But Lu Yuanqiu never regretted it.

Back then, he had protected the man in overalls. Now, the man in overalls had saved him.

Perhaps this really was fate.

A commotion sounded at the door, and Lu Yuanqiu looked up to see his father leading the man in overalls inside.

The moment he saw Lu Yuanqiu, the man burst into a wide grin, excitedly pointed over, and shouted, "The little monk is alive! The little monk is alive!"

Watching his joy, Lu Tian couldn’t help but smile as well. "He may be a bit simple, but he’s got a good heart."

But the two uncles were staring at the man in overalls in astonishment.

Eldest Uncle stayed where he was, observing, while Second Uncle walked closer to inspect him. The two exchanged a glance, their expressions confirming their suspicions.

"It’s him?"

"It is."

"It really is him. My god."

Lu Yuanqiu, puzzled by their cryptic exchange, asked, "You know the man in overalls?"

Second Uncle turned and explained, "About ten years ago, he was featured in the Luzhou Evening News. His name is Bai Songzhe—the owner of Bai Xi Foods. He was quite famous."

"We’ve dealt with him before, back when our company was just starting out in the food industry. He helped us a lot. The guy… he hasn’t really changed much, still striking in appearance."

"But…"

Staring at Bai Songzhe’s current state, Second Uncle frowned, unable to hide his regret.

Back in the 1990s, the man in overalls had been a major businessman—Lu Yuanqiu remembered the sanitation worker mentioning it.

Eldest Uncle continued, "But later, we heard he was set up by his second-in-command, lost everything, and Bai Xi Foods changed hands. Never thought we’d see him again today… Qiu’er, was he really the one who saved you?"

Lu Yuanqiu nodded. "It was him."

Eldest Uncle broke into a smile. "How interesting. Life really is a circle, isn’t it? Qiu’er, did you know? The biggest competitor of your Second Uncle’s branch company right now is Bai Xi Foods."

(End of chapter)