My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 135 Tea House
"Brother Dong, where are we going?"

Once in the car, Zhou Jiye couldn't help but ask.

"Just come with me." Cheng Jiandong said this casually, started the car and drove away from his residence. In the car, Cheng Jiandong, who was driving, did not say a word, and Zhou Jiye, who was sitting in the passenger seat, also did not speak. The atmosphere in the car was somewhat heavy.

Suddenly, Cheng Jiandong asked, "Aye, tell me, how have I treated you, Brother Dong?"

“Great!” Zhou Jiye replied with a smile without hesitation, “If it weren’t for Brother Dong taking me in, I would have been arrested by the cops long ago. Moreover, Brother Dong also introduced me to the business of making big profits. I never thought I would get so much money in my life.”

"Hehe..." Cheng Jiandong chuckled, picked up a cigarette from the side, and put it in his mouth. Zhou Jiye, ever observant, lit it for him.

Taking a drag of his cigarette, Cheng Jiandong glanced at Zhou Jiye on his left and asked, "If I asked you to leave, would you be willing?"

"Brother Dong, what do you mean? Are you telling me to leave? What did I do wrong? If I've done anything wrong, just tell me, and I'll definitely correct it. Please don't send me away!" In an instant, Zhou Jiye's hair stood on end, and his heart pounded wildly. Could it be that Cheng Jiandong was going to punish him? Was he deliberately testing him with these words?
Yes! That's very possible! Otherwise, why would only Cheng Jiandong take him out today? He didn't bring Liangzai Jun, who is almost always with Zhou Jiye, and then suddenly asked such a question, which made Zhou Jiye's face very unpleasant.

"Hahaha!" Cheng Jiandong laughed, "Ah Ye, don't be afraid. I'm just asking you. You didn't do anything wrong. It's just that I think you might not be suitable for our line of work. If there's a chance to let you leave, with the money you've already received, whether you stay in Hong Kong or find a way back, you can definitely live a peaceful life. If that's the case, what would you choose?"

"I'm not leaving! I'd rather die than leave!" Zhou Jiye answered resolutely. Was he kidding? Was Cheng Jiandong really that easy to talk to? When did such a ruthless man start eating vegetarian food, chanting Buddhist prayers, and becoming a benevolent person?

Having spent so much time with him, Zhou Jiye had long since figured out Cheng Jiandong's personality. This guy was not only ruthless but also extremely suspicious. Heaven knows whether what he said was true or false, and Zhou Jiye didn't dare to test him at all.

The safest answer would be to insist on pledging allegiance to Cheng Jiandong. But what if Cheng Jiandong was testing him? If he foolishly revealed his true feelings, wouldn't that be courting death?
Thinking of this, Zhou Jiye adopted a determined attitude, insisting on sticking with Cheng Jiandong to the bitter end, and refused to leave Cheng Jiandong no matter what.

Seeing his expression, Cheng Jiandong was slightly surprised. He tilted his head and looked at Zhou Jiye, then suddenly laughed.

"Alright, Ah Ye, Dong Ge, thank you for saying all this, regardless of whether it's true or false..."

"I swear to God! Brother Dong, I'm telling you the truth! If you don't believe me, I'll pull my heart out and show it to you!"

"Really?" Cheng Jiandong's pupils suddenly constricted, his sharp gaze fixed on Zhou Jiye's chest.

Zhou Jiye shivered instantly. Cheng Jiandong's eyes were terrifying. Was this guy really going to tear out his heart and liver?

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Zhou Jiye's temple. His expression froze. Just then, Cheng Jiandong's gaze snapped away, and he burst into laughter again. He even slapped his right hand, which was gripping the steering wheel, twice with glee: "You little rascal, you really don't know what's funny. Your face was all pale just now. Hahaha, you didn't think I was really going to rip your heart out, did you? You're killing me with laughter..."

"Hehehe..." Zhou Jiye scratched his head awkwardly, forcing a smile, but inwardly he cursed, "Is this guy crazy?! How can he make a joke like that? He's scaring people half to death!"

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore." Cheng Jiandong sighed and said, "All good things must come to an end. It's enough that you remember the good things I did for you. I'm taking you to meet someone later. After that, you won't be mine anymore. You'll be with someone else. Be smart and don't embarrass me. Who knows, maybe one day when you'll be successful, I'll need your help."

"Brother Dong, I don't understand what you're saying. Take me to meet someone? Who? What... what's going on? My mind is confused. Could you explain it to me in detail?" Zhou Jiye asked blankly. Cheng Jiandong could tell that Zhou Jiye really didn't know anything. This was something he couldn't fake, which reassured Cheng Jiandong a lot.

"Don't ask anymore, you'll know when we get there." Reaching out and patting Zhou Jiye's shoulder, Cheng Jiandong didn't say anything more. Zhou Jiye pondered Cheng Jiandong's words, still unable to understand what had happened. Seeing that Cheng Jiandong didn't intend to continue, and not wanting to ask, he could only patiently sit in the car and think deeply. Soon the car arrived at a teahouse, and Cheng Jiandong pulled over and told Zhou Jiye to get out.

This teahouse looks no different from many others in Hong Kong, but once you go inside, you'll find it's quite a hidden gem. It's actually quite spacious, and the waiters are all burly and have a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry).

The people in the teahouse clearly knew Cheng Jiandong. When they saw him arrive, they greeted him warmly. Some called him Ah Dong, some called him Brother Dong, and some simply called him Dongzai. No matter who it was, Cheng Jiandong greeted them with a smile and courtesy. As for Zhou Jiye, who came with him, everyone just glanced at him with curiosity but didn't ask any questions.

"Uncle Zhen!" Upon reaching the second floor, Cheng Jiandong was greeted by a middle-aged man with graying hair. He quickly stepped forward and bowed. "Dongzi's here," Uncle Zhen said casually, his gaze then falling on Zhou Jiye behind Cheng Jiandong: "Is this your henchman, Aye?"

“Yes, Uncle Zhen, I brought him.” Cheng Jiandong replied respectfully. Uncle Zhen nodded slightly: “Come with me, let’s go see the big boss.”

"Yes!"

Zhou Jiye understood their conversation. Meeting a big shot? Could this be Cheng Jiandong's boss's territory? Zhou Jiye knew that Cheng Jiandong had a triad background, but he had never met Cheng Jiandong or any other members of the triad. Why was Cheng Jiandong bringing him here today to meet his boss? What was going on?

Filled with doubt, Zhou Jiye followed Cheng Jiandong and Uncle Zhen, and soon they arrived at a private room on the second floor. Uncle Zhen pushed open the door and said inside, "Dongzai is here," and a voice inside told him to come in. Then, Uncle Zhen stepped aside, gesturing for Cheng Jiandong to go in. Cheng Jiandong stepped inside, and just as Zhou Jiye was about to follow, Uncle Zhen suddenly raised his hand and blocked Zhou Jiye's way.

"Brother Dong!" Zhou Jiye was taken aback and called out subconsciously.

Cheng Jiandong, who was walking in front, turned around, frowned slightly, and looked at Uncle Zhen.

“The boss wants to see you, so Ah Ye doesn’t need to go in. I’ll take him over there to sit for a while,” Uncle Zhen said casually, pointing to the other end of the corridor.

Cheng Jiandong nodded and said to Zhou Jiye, "You go with Uncle Zhen, don't worry about me." After saying that, Cheng Jiandong went into the private room. Uncle Zhen closed the door behind him, then looked at the bewildered Zhou Jiye and said with a smile, "Come with me."

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Zhou Jiye followed Uncle Zhen out of the private room and headed down the corridor. However, at the end of the corridor, Uncle Zhen didn't open any of the private room doors. Instead, he continued leading Zhou Jiye forward, leaving Zhou Jiye puzzled.

Didn't I tell him to sit down for a bit? Why are we still walking? Where are we going? Just as Zhou Jiye was wondering, Uncle Zhen took a few more steps forward and went straight down the stairs. Then he turned around and looked at Zhou Jiye, who had stopped in his tracks, and called out, "What are you standing there for? Let's go!"

"Yes, yes, yes..." Zhou Jiye hurriedly responded and followed quickly, his doubts growing, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

Uncle Zhen went straight down the stairs to the first floor without stopping, heading directly towards the back door of the teahouse.

Upon reaching the back door, they pushed it open and found themselves in a quiet back alley. A black Crown was parked in front of the door. Uncle Zhen stopped and turned to call out to Zhou Jiye, "Get in!"

"Uncle Zhen, where are we going?" Zhou Jiye asked anxiously.

Uncle Zhen said calmly, "Just go up. Don't worry, nothing will happen. You'll see once you get on the bus."

Since the other party said that, Zhou Jiye had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk. As soon as he got to the car, the back door was opened. Zhou Jiye peeked inside and saw that there was already a person sitting inside. He recognized the person as Uncle Lin, whom he had met twice and spoken to on the phone once.

"Hurry up and come up!" Uncle Lin said to Zhou Jiye with a smile, while also craning his neck to call out to Uncle Zhen who was not far away, "Thanks, Zhen. Tell your boss that I'll treat him to tea another day!"

Uncle Zhen smiled and nodded, making a gesture of acceptance. At this moment, Zhou Jiye came to his senses, got into the car, and after the door closed, Ah Kun, who was driving, steadily started the car. The car drove out of the alley and headed into the distance.

"Uncle Lin, Brother Kun, what's going on...?" Sitting in the car, Zhou Jiye still couldn't figure out what was going on. How did he end up being taken to a teahouse by Cheng Jiandong and then inexplicably getting into Uncle Lin's car? What was going on?
"You rascal, it really wasn't easy to find you." Uncle Lin said with a smile, looking Zhou Jiye up and down with a broad smile on his face.

"It was my arrangement to have A-Dong bring you here. Now that you're in my car, you don't need to worry about A-Dong anymore. His big boss will handle things between you and him. From now on, you'll have nothing to do with him anymore. Are you relieved now?"

These words only confused Zhou Jiye more. He still didn't understand what had happened. Seeing his confusion, Ah Kun, who was driving, smiled and explained a few things, which made Zhou Jiye understand that it turned out that Uncle Lin had asked Cheng Jiandong, the gang leader, to intervene and use gang rules to force Cheng Jiandong to hand over Zhou Jiye. In other words, from the moment Zhou Jiye stepped into that teahouse, he was now a member of the gang, not Cheng Jiandong's underling.

(End of this chapter)