The sky collapsed, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself transported to Nanluoguxiang.

After listening to Hu Laoliu's story for more than ten minutes, Li Kaixin was speechless.

In these extraordinary times, right here in the heart of the capital, anyone daring to shuffle such large quantities of grain is bound to get into trouble.

For a moment, the courtyard fell silent.

Li Kaixin coughed lightly, breaking the silence first:

"Brother Hu, has Boss Guan's other black market been affected?"

"No, not at all!" Old Hu said with a hint of relief. "This was my first time getting involved with this line. Before I could even report it to the boss, the higher-ups took us all down."

"That's good, that's good!" Li Kaixin breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, does Boss Guan know about the trouble in your black market?"

Hu Laoliu nodded and replied, "Boss, I'll be over in a bit. I'll personally discuss the deal with you tonight."

"Brother Hu Liu, now that the black market is gone, what will you do?" Li Kaixin continued to press.

Throughout the year, he traded with black markets in many places, but Hu Laoliu was the one who made him feel most comfortable.

"I...I don't know."

Hu Laoliu couldn't help but tear up, "Brother Zhou, this time I not only lost more than a dozen brothers, but the black market is also gone."

Looking at him like this, Li Kaixin opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

Just then, the courtyard gate was pushed open again, and a deep voice rang out: "Little Six, has Brother Zhou arrived yet?"

The moment he finished speaking, Guan Yue strode into the courtyard from outside the door.

He first glanced around the courtyard, his gaze finally settling on Li Kaixin.

"Hey, Brother Zhou, long time no see!" Guan Yue immediately put on a smile and took a few steps to greet him.

Li Kaixin quickly stood up: "Boss Guan, you've come at just the right time! Brother Hu and I were just talking about you!"

"Really, Brother Zhou? Then I'm truly honored!"

As Guan Yue spoke, he turned to look at Hu Laoliu, only then realizing that something was wrong with him: "Xiao Liu, what's wrong with you?"

"Boss, I'm fine." Hu Laoliu wiped away his tears and forced a smile.

Guan Yue frowned, his voice turning somber: "What exactly happened?"

"I...I..." Old Hu stammered, but swallowed the words back down his throat.

"Let me explain!" Li Kaixin took over. "Boss Guan, here's the thing..."

He then voiced Hu Laoliu's concerns.

Guan Yue's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty. He stared at Hu Laoliu for a long while before slowly speaking, "Xiao Liu, how many years have you been with me?"

"Seven, seven and a half years!" Hu Laoliu replied, lowering his head.

"Yes, it's been over seven years." Guan Yue's tone was indifferent, revealing no emotion. "Xiao Liu, all these years, have I treated you badly?"

"Boss, your kindness to me is immeasurable, I will never forget it!"

Old Hu suddenly raised his head, his eyes resolute: "If you hadn't picked me up from the street back then, I, Old Hu, would have starved to death long ago!"

"Then why are you still putting on this act?" Although Guan Yue's face was still tense, his tone had clearly softened.

"I...I'm afraid you won't want me anymore."

Old Hu's eyes reddened even more, and he knelt down with a thud: "Brother, you can punish me however you want this time, just please don't send me away!"

"Xiao Liu, get up first."

"Brother, I..." Old Hu was already in tears.

"Didn't you hear me? I told you to get up!"

Guan Yue raised his voice and stepped forward to grab his hand: "Xiao Liu, a man's knees are worth gold; he only kneels to heaven, earth, and his parents. What kind of nonsense is it for you to kneel to me?"