Chapter 29 Protection

Ge Lai couldn't help being furious; he still considered him a good brother, but when trouble arose, he was worthless.

At that moment, Liu Haiguo was also apologizing following Ge Lai's lead, having escaped under the excuse of his uncle but inherently knowing he was in the wrong—his standing was untenable. If word got out, he'd be labeled a deserter and despised.

Now, Liu Haiguo faced Ge Lai with guilt, and Liu Yue and Luo Mingzhe were not people he could afford to offend, so Liu Haiguo began to regret his actions.

Liu Yue, seeing that Liu Haiguo had finally recognized his fear, immediately lifted her chin proudly and turned her face away in a haughty gesture.

"You guys covered some expenses; I will pay you back and you guys get the hell out of Red Star Production Team, or I'll beat you up every time I see you," Ge Lai, clearly a hot-tempered man who valued loyalty and disdain for enemies, was angered by Liu Yue's attitude.

Liu Haiguo then hurriedly said, "Ge Lai, don't be rash. Their words may sound harsh, but haven't you already taught them a lesson? We're all from the same team, why the need for this?" he continued, "Besides, these two are children of high-ranking officials, we can't afford to mess with them."

It wasn't just that they couldn't mess with them; even his father, a small production team leader, wasn't enough compared to them.

Ge Lai, dissatisfied, looked at Liu Daguo, "Why are you afraid of them? Look at them coming to the production team and doing nothing but holding us back, pampered and not wanting to work. They should stay in the city if they don't want to work, instead of coming down here and taking our food. I can't stand them the most. Let their family come; I'll still beat them up nonetheless."

"Educated Youth Xia, you talk some sense into them," Liu Haiguo looked toward Xia Xiao, standing to the side.

Xia Xiao sighed. A person like Ge Lai, who seemed rather like a gangster, was certainly not someone she wanted to provoke, and his tone revealed his discontent with city people—perhaps she was the type he despised. Moreover, helping Luo Mingzhe and Liu Yue out of their predicament was definitely not something she was willing to do.

However, the hospital they were in wasn't far from Gao Jiaxing's ward, and the current hospital wasn't like the large ones from her previous life, with several big buildings. Now, they were simple tiled houses with rudimentary facilities and equipment, where the soundproofing wasn't great.

"Brother Ge, just let them go back. Since they are reluctant and don't appreciate your help, there's no need to force them or have them come over. As for the money, the captain has already given it to Brother Gao. It will be refunded in due time," Xia Xiao thought about how Gao Guoqiang had given the money to Gao Jiazhi, instructing him to refund everyone's advances, and she spoke out.

Liu Yue glared fiercely at Xia Xiao, clearly holding a grudge, but at this time, she was also wary of Ge Lai.

Now, Liu Yue's face was severely red and swollen, tears streaked across her face, completely devoid of any beauty, clinging closely to Luo Mingzhe.

Luo Mingzhe also had anger in his eyes but managed to restrain himself. Being far from the Capital, where the mountain was high and the Emperor far away, even a powerful dragon couldn't suppress a local snake, let alone a hooligan like Ge Lai.

The name Ge Lai wasn't given lightly.

Having lost all his family, Ge Lai grew up eating other families' food; in the Red Star Production Team, he was famously unruly and formidable in fights, even well-known in the county above.

Gao Jiaxing also got to know Ge Lai through fights, a person both righteous and wicked. If there was someone to constrain him, it was good; without anyone, he might easily take the wrong path.

"Educated Youth Xia, this is the food made for Uncle Gao and Aunt Gao, can you help me take it to them?" Ge Lai then took the food from someone else's hands.

Xia Xiao looked at the new iron lunchboxes and immediately said, "Brother Ge, why did you buy new lunchboxes? That must have cost quite a bit of money?"

"It's fine, can money compare to a life? As long as I'm alive, I can make money. If it weren't for Gao Er this time, my life would have been dragged down by those two cowards." Ge Lai said, and specifically glanced at Luo Mingzhe and Liu Yue.

Luo Mingzhe's face reddened slightly—he wasn't sure if it was out of anger or shame. After all, had it not been for Ge Lai's rescue, Luo Mingzhe and Liu Yue would have been dead by now.

But Liu Yue, like a spoiled and brainless girl, seemed irritated by Ge Lai's words and even adopted a money-is-no-issue attitude, saying, "If you think you need more money, I have some. I can ask my mom to send me some."

Xia Xiao shook her head inwardly. Having money sure is impressive, but not everyone buys into that. Liu Yue's habit of using money to solve problems would lead her into trouble eventually.

However, recalling Shitou's words that these two would still end up together and were still alive and well before her death during those special times, they probably hadn't suffered much.

Ge Lai raised his hand as if to slap Liu Yue, but Xia Xiao spoke out, "Brother Ge, I'll take these inside."

Xia Xiao didn't like seeing men hit women. Although she did indeed dislike Liu Yue and felt Liu Yue deserved a lesson, Ge Lai had just scolded her. Hitting her again seemed pointless and might cause trouble if Liu Yue's influential family decided to get involved. That could potentially affect both production teams.

Xia Xiao didn't care about the Red Star Production Team, but she felt a sense of belonging to the Guangming Production Team—she was going to spend over a decade there. With Guoqiang as the team leader and people like Zheng Xianghong, Gao Jiazhi, and Gao Jiaxing, who all seemed decent in Xia Xiao's view, she didn't want any trouble coming to the Guangming Production Team.

Thus, after reminding Ge Lai, Xia Xiao carried the lunchboxes towards the hospital.

"You dare to hit me, and I'll report you to the police," Liu Yue glared, seemingly emboldened by the knowledge that everyone was wary of her family background. Her voice trembled with fear despite her defiant stance.

From a distance, Xia Xiao heard Liu Yue's quivering voice and couldn't help but turn back to look. Luo Mingzhe stood by silently, while Ge Lai seemed ready to charge and teach Liu Yue a lesson, yet Liu Haiguo was the one holding him back.

Xia Xiao shook her head, grateful that Luo Mingzhe and Yang Xuehua had called off their engagement. Otherwise, Yang Xuehua's future looked bleak. Luo Mingzhe, despite being handsome, refined, and having a gentle demeanor, was not a reliable person.

"What the hell are you doing, Ge Lai?" A shout erupted.

Xia Xiao saw Liu Haihua approaching, standing in front of Luo Mingzhe and Liu Yue as if ready to fight Ge Lai.

"Who allowed you to touch them?" Liu Haihua demanded.

Ge Lai touched his nose and replied, "People with sharp tongues deserve a beating. What's it to you, you're all chummy with them, acting all mother-hen?"

"Liu Yue is my sister, and you better not touch her again," Liu Haihua threatened.

"As long as they don't piss me off again, I won't hold a grudge. This time, for your sake, I'll let them go," Ge Lai said and turned around to leave.