The Midlife Resurgence

Stepping out of the prison gate, Liam Thorne instinctively paused, turned around, and glanced at the imposing high walls topped with electrified barbed wire. He couldn't help but shrink his neck.

It wasn’t entirely out of fear; it was more because of the cold.

At the end of October, Lutetia City was already in the depths of autumn, not to mention that it was drizzling today.

Though it wasn't the bone-chilling cold of winter, it still exuded a bleak, forlorn chill.

Scanning his surroundings, Liam’s eyes revealed a hint of disappointment.

There wasn't a single car nearby.

On the day of his release, not a single person had come to pick him up.

His wife, friends, relatives, subordinates—none of the familiar faces were there, which felt like a bucket of cold water poured on his initially excited and joyful heart, making him feel even colder.

"Liam, go out and live well, and don't come back."

The voice of the prison officer who escorted him out rang from behind.

Liam shook his head, thinking to himself that only a fool would want to come back to this hellish place.

"Officer Thomson, I'll treat you to a drink someday."

He finally waved his hand. Over the past two years in prison, Officer Thomson had treated him fairly well.

"Liam, someone will call you in the next couple of days. I'll repay you for saving my life. I always keep my word."

Another familiar voice came from the prison gate. It was one of Liam's fellow inmates, known only as Old Brown.

Two years ago, Old Brown had a conflict with a few small-time thugs in the prison and was almost beaten to death. It was Liam who couldn’t stand it and stepped in to save him.

Since then, the two had become friends. Old Brown often bragged about his successful business and promised to repay Liam for saving his life when Liam was released. However, Liam had never taken it to heart.

The reason he saved people was simply because of his nature. He never expected any repayment.

So now, he didn't bother to look back, only shouting, "Old Brown, I appreciate your kindness. Cooperate with your rehabilitation, and when you get out, I'll be there to pick you up."

With that, he didn't delay any further. Shrinking his neck and hugging his shoulders, he pressed his thin clothes closer to his body. Liam hunched over and quickly walked towards the nearest street corner.

As his pace quickened, his body warmed up a bit, but memories started flooding in, accompanied by the occasional autumn rain slapping his face. A trace of bitterness slowly welled up in his heart.

Two years ago, his net worth was nearly ten million.

Although in Lutetia City, he was far from being considered wealthy, for someone in their thirties, without any prominent background, just from an ordinary rural family, to have reached this point through his own efforts was barely enough to be considered a successful person.

Unfortunately, misfortune struck unexpectedly. Two years ago, in an effort to help his best friend out of trouble, Liam, although not using any illegal means, still made a mistake in the process.

Not only did he lose a large sum of money, but he also went from being a successful entrepreneur to becoming a convict.

Saying he had no regrets about ending up like this would be a lie, but Liam also didn't feel much resentment.

He had been taught from a young age that one must be righteous. Ability was secondary; character was the foundation that ultimately determined a person's success.

In fact, he had always lived by this principle. In just a few years, he turned a small restaurant into one of the few chain brands in Lutetia City. Besides his hard work, his straightforward and righteous character played a crucial role.

And it's not a big deal anyway. Life cannot always go smoothly, and one cannot avoid making mistakes.

If you fall, just get up.

Wind and rain, hardships and setbacks, are all unavoidable parts of life.

However, on the day of his release, his best friend Frank didn't come to pick him up, which inevitably left him feeling a bit disappointed.

Maybe he was preparing to surprise him? That guy loved playing these kinds of tricks.

Liam comforted himself, especially since his wife Karen Hawthorne also didn't show up. He had even more reason to believe that the two of them had deliberately planned this, preparing to give him an unexpected surprise.

But more than anything else, what Liam was most eager to see now was his children.

Before he was imprisoned, Karen was pregnant again. Unfortunately, Liam had not yet seen his chubby son.

His daughter, Lucy, should have grown into a young girl by now. Kids at that age grow so fast.

With this thought, Liam suddenly felt a burning warmth in his heart, and the cold didn't seem so unbearable anymore.

Beep beep...

As Liam was lost in thought, a horn suddenly sounded.

Then, a somewhat old gray Jetta drove up from behind and stopped beside him.

"Liam, I'm really sorry. I took a shortcut to get here early, but who knew that damn GPS led me to a road that was impossible to pass, so I ended up being late..."

A familiar voice came out as a tall man in his thirties opened the car door and got out, limping.

"John?"

Liam’s face lit up with surprise, then suddenly frowned, noticing the obvious difference in the man’s legs: "What's with your leg..."

"It's nothing, just a little accident. Hurry up and get in the car, you're wearing so little, you'll catch a cold."

John took Liam’s backpack while smiling and opened the car door.

The two had been classmates and childhood friends, always maintaining a good relationship.

But as Liam's business grew, he became busier, and the two of them had less and less contact. Meeting once or twice a year was already good.

Unexpectedly, today John was the first one to show up and pick him up.

"John, what's wrong with your leg?"