From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

First and foremost, the first thing to do tomorrow is to accompany Su Qing to redeem the family heirloom bracelet.

There is no room for negotiation on this matter. It is her wish, and it is also a thorn in my side that must be removed immediately.

Secondly, I need to reassure the brothers who work with me.

This time, the courier station was taken back, and everyone who worked with me for nothing must be feeling frustrated.

The extra thousand yuan I gave each person yesterday was a token of my appreciation, but it's far from enough.

Once I stabilize the situation, I must provide my brothers with a new way out; I cannot let down those who trust me.

Finally, and most importantly.

Counterattack Fang Heng!

He can control everything for a time, but not forever.

Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, I went over everything that had happened recently in my mind over and over again.

From meeting Su Qing to taking over the courier station, from the business booming to being targeted by Fang Heng at every turn?

Then, when Brother Luo was implicated and the site was taken back, all the details were connected, and everything suddenly became clear.

This is not bad luck or bad fate.

From beginning to end, it was all Fang Heng's deliberate targeting.

I tossed and turned all night, barely closing my eyes.

With a lot of worries weighing on my mind, I sometimes feel lost, wondering how I can make a living next.

After a night of quiet reflection, I gained a clearer understanding of many aspects of human nature and solidified my inner convictions.

The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, a faint glow peeked through the hazy gray.

I got up early to wash up, changed into clean clothes, went downstairs for a simple breakfast, and immediately dialed Su Qing's number.

The phone was answered after two rings, and her voice, just waking up, came from the other end:

"Feeding? Lin Ye? What are you doing so early?"

"Get ready as soon as you wake up. I'll come find you right away. Let's go redeem the bracelet today."

Su Qing on the other end of the phone was clearly still half asleep, mumbling incoherently with a heavy sleepiness.

"So rushed? I wanted to sleep a little longer. I thought I could get up later... Okay, okay, I'll get ready right away. Come pick me up."

"Hurry up! That thing is too important to you, we can't delay."

"Okay, okay, I'll be downstairs in five minutes!"

She hung up the phone immediately after speaking, and a busy tone came from the receiver.

I didn't linger and hailed a taxi on the roadside, heading straight to the residential area where Su Qing lived.

I didn't sleep a wink last night. My eyes were bloodshot and I felt a little tired, but my mind was clearer than ever before.

There is absolutely no room for delay in this matter.

That family heirloom bracelet was passed down through generations of Su Qing's ancestors; it was a cherished item that no amount of money could buy back.

She mortgaged it without hesitation to help me back then. If I can't redeem it for her intact, I will never have a clear conscience for the rest of my life, and I will never be able to get over this hurdle in my heart.

The car arrived at the entrance of the residential area quickly, and I didn't have to wait more than a few minutes before a nimble figure jogged out of the complex.

Su Qing was wearing a clean white sweatshirt and jogger pants, with her long, black hair tied up in a high ponytail.

The morning sunlight fell on her face, making her skin appear fair and radiant. She had shed the affectation and fuss of the previous night, and gained a clean and pure cuteness.

She jogged up to me, stretched as usual, her eyes still sleepy, her face showing a lazy, half-asleep look.

Looking at her like this, I couldn't help but laugh and tease her, "Five minutes is a bit too long for you."

Su Qing pouted instantly, her face full of indignation: "Who knew you'd be so quick! I thought it would take at least another ten minutes. Besides, it's so early in the morning, the pawnshops might not even be open yet. What's the rush?"

"Let's go check if it's open or not."

Then I asked her, "Did you bring all the mortgage contracts and receipts?"

"I brought it with me, let's go."

I took a taxi with her and we headed straight to the mortgage bank.

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of the mortgage bank.

Looking up, the pawnshop in front of me was closed, the glass door was dark, and the entrance was quiet and deserted, with no sign of it about to open.

Su Qing immediately shrugged, looking helpless: "See! I told you it was too early. They weren't even open yet. It was a complete waste of time. Look how anxious you are."

I glanced at the time; it was 8:30 in the morning, well past the normal opening hours of shops.

Most shops were open for business before 8 a.m., but this pawnshop was locked up and looked lifeless.

A vague sense of unease rose within me, but I suppressed it, turned to look at Su Qing, and said to her:

Have you had breakfast?

"No, I was woken up by your phone call, so I quickly got ready and went downstairs."

I glanced around at the surrounding streets and saw a noodle shop not far away. I immediately said, "There's a noodle shop over there. Go grab something to eat and I'll stay here and wait for it to open."

Su Qing shook her head dismissively, saying, "No need, no need. I'm not hungry. I often skip breakfast, so I'm used to it. I'll wait with you."

"Who skips breakfast every day?" I frowned. "If I don't want noodles, there's a bakery nearby. I can eat a bite or two."

"Ugh, you're so long-winded! You're even more controlling than my housekeeper!" Su Qing sighed helplessly and simply stood still at the door.

Seeing her resolute attitude, I stopped trying to persuade her and could only wait quietly with her at the door.

Time flew by, and half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

All the shops on the street were open for business, and the place was bustling with people.

This pawnshop, however, remained closed and completely silent.

At that moment, the last glimmer of hope in my heart vanished completely, replaced by a strange unease that surged up wildly.

I immediately turned to Su Qing: "Do you have the owner's private phone number?"

Su Qing shook her head blankly: "No."

I was stunned for a moment: "You didn't even leave the boss's contact information when you pawned something so valuable?"

"I just happened to pass by this store. The decor looked legitimate. How could it have run away? Who would leave their phone number here?" Su Qing said confidently.

I was completely speechless.

No wonder, she had never had to worry about food and clothing since she was a child and had never been exposed to such wickedness. She never imagined that someone would swindle her out of her collateral and run away in broad daylight.

Logically speaking, a legitimate street-side noodle shop like this shouldn't have any problems.

Even if the bracelet is extremely valuable, the owner wouldn't abandon his long-established shop and run away for a single sale.

But the bizarre situation before me left me no choice but to panic.

After waiting for another ten minutes or so, there was still no movement from inside the store; it was the only store on the entire street that remained closed.

I finally couldn't sit still any longer and said to Su Qing, "Let me see the mortgage contract. The contract should have the other party's contact information on it."

"Okay, okay!"

Su Qing finally realized something was wrong, and quickly opened her phone, pulled out the original electronic contract, and handed it to me.

I quickly scanned the contract terms and sure enough, I found a reserved mobile phone number at the end.

I immediately took out my phone and dialed quickly.

A cold, mechanical voice came through the receiver:

The number you dialed is currently switched off. Please try again later.

I tried calling from another phone, but it was still switched off.