The hospital director hurried forward to greet the middle-aged man, but the latter simply waved his hand, in no mood for pleasantries.

The director was nervous—he hadn’t even known the VIP’s wife was hospitalized here.

Earlier, when the nurse checked on her, her phone had rung. Answering it, she realized it was the patient’s husband. After explaining the situation, the call ended abruptly.

Moments later, the director received a call from the municipal government office, revealing the woman’s identity.

His heart sank. If anything happened to this influential woman under his watch, he’d be held accountable. That’s why he’d rushed over with the department head and doctors.

Thankfully, by the time they entered the ward, the photography enthusiast had regained consciousness, though her face remained pale.

"Xinyi!" The man rushed to her side, assessing her condition.

Finding nothing serious, he scolded her gently. "I told you to be careful during your photo shoots—stay out of the mountains. If not for that Good Samaritan, what would’ve happened to you?"

Zhao Xinyi, still dazed, blinked. "You’re right... but where’s the man who saved me? Why isn’t he here?"

The man turned to the director. "Who saved my wife? I must thank him properly."

The director looked to the department head, who looked just as baffled. He made a call, then sighed minutes later. "A young man paid the fees and left."

After a pause, he added, "He’s a good kid. The cashier mentioned he saved an elderly woman yesterday too—no name left behind. The old lady even pulled security footage, but we couldn’t identify his workplace from it."

The man’s expression shifted slightly. "In this day and age, such kindness is rare. Show me the surveillance stills—I’ll ask around. If I know him, I’ll thank him in person."

With those words, the staff sprang into action.

Soon, the screenshots arrived. Sure enough, it was a young man.

Zhao Xinyi studied them and nodded. "That’s him. While I was shooting, I saw him smoking on the other side of the lake. No one else was around—must’ve been him."

The man zoomed in on the photo, his brow furrowing as he muttered to himself, "...Could it really be him?"

...

Exiting the hospital, Zhang Yuanching drove back to the funeral parlor. Without returning to his office, he headed straight to his assigned dormitory.

The room was surprisingly decent—more like a small hotel.

He chuckled at the irony: funeral parlor and hotel sounded almost identical—both places for sleeping. Though one’s occupants woke up, while the other’s... didn’t.

This dark humor felt eerily like something Su Li would say.

Zhang Yuanching napped through the afternoon, then grabbed a quick dinner in the cafeteria, mingling with the staff.

Being one of the few "living souls" here, he naturally drew attention.

But he didn’t flaunt his status. Since this was a research assignment, he immersed himself in conversations, gathering firsthand material that would shape his report.

Still, thinking about this so-called "report," he sighed. No matter how well he wrote it, no one would read it seriously.

At dawn, the crackle of firecrackers shattered the silence as the funeral parlor resumed operations.

Unable to sleep, Zhang Yuanching grabbed a bite and headed to the site to see if he could help.

Chaos reigned near the morgue, so he volunteered to assist with crowd control.

As he emerged from the morgue, a rough voice called out: "Zhang Yuanching... what are you doing here?"

Turning, he spotted a chubby man with a slicked-back haircut and a gold chain around his neck—gangster vibes.

Recognition hit instantly: Jin Jun, his college classmate.

Bad luck. Of all places, he ran into this jerk here.

Back in university, they’d been classmates, but their rivalry over the class beauty had turned toxic.

Though Zhang Yuanching had won her heart with his merits, Jin Jun never let up, constantly harassing him.

Poor but proud, Zhang Yuanching had challenged him to a fight on the basketball court one night, beating him into submission.

Jin Jun, a local, had disappeared after graduation, and they’d lost touch.

Now, here he was—of all times.

Sure enough, Jin Jun glanced at the staff, then at Zhang Yuanching’s mask and gloves, smirking. "Working here now?"

Zhang Yuanching nodded impassively.

Jin Jun’s grin widened. "Who’d have thought? The top student in our department, ending up here. I heard the benefits are decent—quite the upgrade."

Zhang Yuanching shot back, "If you’re envious, I could pull some strings for you."

"Save it. I’m just a small-time businessman—I couldn’t handle life in the system."

The jab was obvious.

Ignoring him, Zhang Yuanching turned away—but Jin Jun’s voice slithered after him. "If Jinyu saw you like this, she’d regret choosing you. But hey, maybe it’s for the best. Breaking up was her smartest move."

Normally, Jin Jun’s words wouldn’t faze him.

But mentioning Jinyu—his first love—stirred something raw.

Back then, her family had targeted him for being poor, tearing them apart. Jinyu had been sent abroad, and they’d lost contact.

His civil service exam had been his way of proving himself—to show he could rise above scorn.

Yet now, facing Jin Jun, he couldn’t refute the words. If Jinyu’s family saw him now, they’d probably laugh and deem their decision justified.

His gaze turned distant.

"Do you even know where Jinyu is now?" Jin Jun taunted.

Silence.

Jin Jun chuckled. "There’s a reunion this weekend. Wonder if you’ll dare show up?"

After a beat, seeing Zhang Yuanching still silent, he scoffed, keys to his Mercedes in hand, striding toward the exit.

The broke kid who once beat him into submission has been tamed.

Would he really attend the reunion?

But Jin Jun hadn’t gone far when a voice cut through: "Location."

He froze, turning to see Zhang Yuanching’s face—calm, resolute.

"I asked you—where’s the reunion?"

Jin Jun blinked, as if seeing the defiant youth from years ago flicker back to life.

Gritting his teeth, he spat out the address, then whirled around, face twisted with malice. swear, if this bastard dares come... he’ll learn what real cruelty looks like.

Translation Notes: Cultural Nuances:

Funeral parlor vs. hotel: The dark wordplay reflects Zhang Yuanching’s grim humor amid adversity.

Class reunions in China: Often serve as status-checking events, amplifying the tension between past and present. Characterization:

Zhang Yuanching’s restraint: His silence before Jin Jun’s provocations shows maturity, contrasting with his past impulsiveness.

Jin Jun’s cruelty: His targeted jabs reveal deep-seated resentment, masking his own insecurities. Symbolism:

The Mercedes keys: Represent Jin Jun’s material success—a shallow metric he uses to assert superiority.

The surveillance footage: A recurring motif, symbolizing how small acts of kindness ripple unpredictably. Tone:

The shift from gallows humor to simmering tension keeps the reader engaged.

Jin Jun’s parting threat lingers, foreshadowing confrontation at the reunion.

This passage deepens Zhang Yuanching’s arc, forcing him to confront his past while hinting at future reckoning. The juxtaposition of his quiet resilience against Jin Jun’s bravado highlights the story’s core theme: dignity in the face of humiliation.