Gao Wu: I'll enjoy the benefits, but you'll bear the side effects.

Gao Jie joked around for a while, using all his skills, and finally managed to dispel some of the gloom in Huang Xu's heart, making him feel a little better.

However, neither of them expected that so many thorny problems would arise during this process.

But since we've already come all this way, what can we do now?

Is it possible to turn back time?

They stayed in this place for almost a month. In the days that followed, the arguments continued unabated, like an endless tide, one wave after another crashing against everyone's eardrums.

Gao Jie felt that the situation had improved and was no longer as bad as before, so he secretly embarked on his journey home, eagerly anticipating giving his parents a big surprise.

When he returned, he found Wang Fang and Gao Zhanlin sitting in the living room, leisurely watching television. Upon seeing their son's sudden return, their faces instantly lit up with bright smiles, their joy overflowing. They quickly invited Gao Jie to sit down, their eyes filled with concern and curiosity, eagerly asking him what he had been busy with lately.

Gao Jie knew that if he told his parents the truth about all the hardships he had experienced outside, it would definitely make them very worried.

So, his eyes lit up and an idea came to him. He casually said that he had taken a friend back to sketch, and that there was nothing else special about it, trying to get away with this nonchalant excuse.

Gao Zhanlin coughed softly, breaking the brief silence.

"Oh, you're sketching. I heard that you only do sketching for painting, right? That's good. Becoming a painter is a great career path. By the way, if you have some free time these next few days, stay home a little longer. Your mom and I miss you terribly."

Before he could finish speaking, he coughed twice more, the coughs sounding particularly jarring in the quiet room.

Gao Jie, being naturally perceptive, immediately sensed something was amiss. His two sword-like eyebrows furrowed tightly, his eyes filled with worry and confusion, and he immediately pressed for an answer:

"What's wrong? Why are you coughing so much? Are you feeling unwell?"

A hint of panic flashed across Wang Fang's face. She quickly tried to make excuses and cover up the matter.

Unexpectedly, before Gao Zhanlin could finish speaking, Gao Jie keenly noticed a sheet under the table.

He grabbed the form, took a closer look, and was instantly struck dumb, freezing on the spot.

It turns out that Gao Zhanlin contracted an extremely rare metal disease due to working long hours in the factory.

This disease is no ordinary ailment; its treatment costs are astronomical, practically sky-high.

Gao Jie's face turned deathly pale instantly, devoid of any color. He suddenly realized why his parents had hesitated to speak when they saw him; it turned out that their family had suffered such a major upheaval.

"Why didn't you two tell me about this sooner? If I had known something so terrible had happened at home, I would have come back immediately. Besides, our family can afford medical treatment now, and I don't need to go to school anymore. Why are you still treating yourself like this?"

Gao Jie's voice trembled slightly, but it conveyed an undeniable firmness.

"Stop talking, everyone. Now just follow my instructions. We'll go to the city to see a doctor as soon as possible. If they can't find a doctor there, we'll go to Nanjing. Do you understand?"

At this moment, he was filled with the urgent desire to relieve his parents' pain as soon as possible. As for other things, he had completely forgotten about them and did not want to think about them at all.

Hearing him say this, Gao Zhanlin felt both moved and gratified, and his eyes couldn't help but redden slightly.

However, he knew that the situation was not so simple and it was not appropriate to see a doctor immediately.

But Gao Jie disregarded all that; in his heart, his father's health was of paramount importance. A stubborn glint flashed in his eyes as he spoke firmly:

"Don't worry about it too much. I have tuition fees now, so it won't cost much. In addition, I have about 40 Alliance Coins on hand."

Upon hearing this number, Gao Zhanlin's face was filled with disbelief, his mouth slightly agape, unable to close for a long time.

"Having been to big cities really makes a difference. You've managed to accumulate 40 Alliance Coins in such a short time. It seems you're quite a talent."

Gao Jie looked at his parents with deep affection and said resolutely:

"Let's go out for a meal today. I'll arrange for you to go to Nanjing for medical treatment within the next couple of days. I'll contact my friends there."

After saying that, he took out his phone without hesitation and dialed Heilong's number, his voice loud and authoritative:

"Heilong, send a car over. I want to take my parents out for a good walk, at least to clear their heads."

Before long, the car arrived. Gao Jie drove his parents around the neighborhood at a leisurely pace, enjoying this rare and heartwarming moment.

Afterwards, he enthusiastically took his parents to Wangyuelou, the best restaurant in Jincheng City.

Upon entering Wangyue Tower, Gao Jie immediately found a seat. The family had just sat down and were about to order when a waiter rushed over, looking apologetic, and said:

"Excuse me, everyone, this seat is reserved."

Gao Jie was slightly taken aback, then scratched his face, thinking that it wasn't a big deal. So he got up and politely asked the manager to move him to another place.

Unexpectedly, the manager looked troubled. He pulled Gao Jie aside and cautiously said:

"I'm really sorry, I understand you want to have a good time, but as you can see, we've run into a little trouble here today."

Gao Jie looked puzzled, then followed the manager's gaze and realized that there was a group of people negotiating on the other side.

Gao Jie didn't really feel anything about this situation; he just wanted his family to have a nice meal together.

However, considering there were so many people around, he decided not to make a fuss and intended to let the matter rest.

But just then, he saw his parents pointing curiously at the restaurant's luxurious setting and talking about it, their eyes full of novelty and excitement.

Gao Jie's thoughts suddenly returned to the shock and grief he felt upon discovering his father's illness. He secretly vowed to do everything he could to give his parents a better life and free them from the torment of illness.

So he took a deep breath, turned to the manager and said, "Manager, I understand what you mean, but I came here just to have a meal because we're going on a long trip and we don't know when we'll be back, so could you please make arrangements for us?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a young thug with dyed yellow hair swaggered over.

The blond-haired man, looking arrogant, glanced sideways at Gao Jie. Without a word, he reached out and shoved Gao Jie hard, cursing under his breath.

"Where did you come from, kid? Can't you see we're busy here? Get lost!"

Gao Jie was so startled by the sudden push that he stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

He steadied himself, slowly raised his head, and a surge of anger instantly ignited in his eyes, like a volcano about to erupt.

He gritted his teeth and said, word by word:

"What are you doing? How dare you hit someone in broad daylight? Do you think this is a place for you to run wild?"

The blond-haired man snorted disdainfully:

"So what if I pushed you? What can you do to me? We've booked the entire Wangyue Tower today, so you idlers shouldn't be in the way!"

Gao Jie took a step forward, closing in on the blond-haired man. His imposing manner was in no way inferior to his opponent's, and he shouted loudly:

"So what if you've booked the whole place? This is a restaurant, a public place. I brought my parents here to eat, why should I be kicked out? If you don't apologize, this isn't over!"

Huang Mao was startled by Gao Jie's tough attitude, but not wanting to lose face in front of everyone, he raised his fist again and swung it at Gao Jie.

"You dare talk back? I'll teach you a lesson today!"

Gao Jie dodged the punch easily by sidestepping, then grabbed Huang Mao's wrist and twisted it forcefully.

The blond-haired man immediately winced in pain, repeatedly begging for mercy: "Ouch, ouch, ouch! Let go, let go!"

Gao Jie showed no sign of letting go; he coldly stared at the blond-haired man.

"It's not too late to apologize now, otherwise you'll regret it!"

People around were drawn to the sudden conflict and gathered to watch the spectacle.

The manager was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet, but he didn't know what to do.

Just then, the people at the negotiation table seemed to notice the commotion. One of them, dressed in a suit and tie and looking like a minor leader, walked over. He looked at Gao Jie, then at the blond-haired man, and frowned as he said:

"What's going on? Making such a racket here, what kind of behavior is this?"

As if he'd seen a savior, the blond-haired man cried out, "Brother Zhang, this kid insisted on eating at our private venue and even hit me!"

Gao Jie sneered, "You're quite adept at twisting the truth. You were the one who pushed first, and you're trying to play the victim?"

The leader sized up Gao Jie and noticed that although he was dressed plainly, his eyes revealed a resolute and courageous spirit, making him seem like someone who was not easy to bully.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Brother, we really have the whole place booked today; we have important matters to discuss. How about this: this meal is on me, and you can take your family somewhere else to eat. Just to save face for me."

Gao Jie did not back down; he looked directly into the leader's eyes:

"I don't care what your business is. I only know that my parents rarely get to come out, and they just want to have a meal at Wangyue Tower. You can book the whole place, but you can't deprive us of our right to a proper meal. If you insist on kicking us out, then I won't be polite!"

The squad leader hadn't expected Gao Jie to be so tough. His expression changed slightly, and a hint of anger flashed in his eyes.

But having been in the underworld for many years, he knew it wasn't wise to escalate the situation in this setting. So, suppressing his anger, he said, "Brother, you're refusing a polite offer and now you're asking for trouble."

"You want to eat? You might as well go eat shit! Do you even know where you are?"

"Listen to me, you brat, this isn't a place for you to eat, understand? Get the hell out of here right now, or I'll teach you a lesson."

"And this place is where we're negotiating today, understand?"

Seeing how fierce he was, the manager quickly grabbed Gao Jie's hand and tried to leave, but Gao Jie pushed the manager's hand away and stared at him coldly.

In that somewhat noisy place, the blond-haired man and the gang leader were filled with surprise and anger. They hadn't expected that this seemingly ordinary young man would stubbornly refuse to leave even after being threatened like this. This situation filled them with doubt and resentment.

"Hmph, I didn't realize you were such a tough nut to crack. So you're really determined not to leave today, huh?"

The leader's shrill voice betrayed a hint of undisguised surprise, and his eyes were like two sharp blades, trying to pierce a hole in Gao Jie.

Gao Jie simply stared at him coldly, his gaze seemingly coming from the depths of an ice cellar, devoid of any warmth, yet possessing a chilling resolve.

"You're absolutely right. I'm not leaving today. I'm going to eat here. What are you going to do about it? I've seen plenty of tough guys, but this is the first time I've seen someone come up and threaten me like this. Of course, if you don't want me to eat here, then beat me, and I'll leave you immediately. You dare?"

Gao Jie's words were forceful and resounding, each word like a bombshell, exploding in the tense atmosphere.

The leader seemed to have heard something utterly ridiculous. He was stunned for a moment, then a ferocious smile instantly bloomed on his twisted face. The smile was full of mockery and disdain, and he almost burst out laughing.

Suddenly, he grabbed Gao Jie's clothes, his hands like eagle claws, and said viciously:

"Fine, I'll show you what happens when you offend me. Since you want to play games, let's play to the end. I'll show you just how powerful I am, and you'll regret coming here!"

At this moment, the manager was extremely anxious. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He quickly ran over with a smile on his face to explain, trying to get the three of them to get along and defuse this imminent crisis.

Unfortunately, the small-time leader known as Brother Zhang was blinded by anger and completely ignored the manager's advice.

Neither of them would give in, and they eventually went outside.

A resolute glint flashed in Gao Jie's eyes. He seized the opportunity and, like a cheetah pouncing on its prey, suddenly moved and punched Zhang Ge directly in the face.

This punch was as fast as lightning, full of power, and carried the anger and dissatisfaction that Gao Jie had been suppressing for a long time.

Before Zhang could even react, he felt a blur before his eyes, followed by a sharp pain in his face. He was completely stunned and it took him a long time to stagger to his feet.

Gao Jie showed no sign of stopping. He unleashed the "Swift Wind Shadow-Breaking Fist," his fist shadows attacking Brother Zhang like a whirlwind.

Before Zhang Ge could regain his footing, Gao Jie struck again swiftly, first with a fierce low sweeping kick, a technique called "Iron Chain Across the River," which swept fiercely towards Zhang Ge's ankle like an iron broom, intending to disrupt his lower body balance.

Zhang Ge couldn't dodge in time and was hit, causing him to stagger. Gao Jie immediately followed up with a powerful kick, his heel shooting out like a cannonball. This was a move from the "Crushing Mountain Leg Technique" that he had practiced, and it accurately kicked Zhang Ge in the abdomen. The powerful impact sent Zhang Ge sprawling to the ground again, unable to get up for a long time.

"If you don't have the strength in the future, speak less. Do you hear me? Talking too much will only get you into trouble."

Gao Jie stood there looking down at him, coldly issuing a warning. Then, he turned and went back into the hotel, calmly instructing the manager to hurry up and serve the food, emphasizing that it had to be delicious, as if the fierce conflict just moments before was nothing more than a trivial interlude.

Huang Mao hadn't returned after following Brother Zhang out for so long, which finally caught the attention of their boss.

The leader sat in the dimly lit room, his brows furrowed, a hint of doubt and unease in his eyes.

After thinking for a moment, he decisively sent someone out to check the situation.

The dispatched men rushed to the scene, but when they saw that Brother Zhang and Huang Mao had been beaten so badly, both sides immediately stopped arguing and stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with shock and anger.

Then, like a pack of enraged wild beasts, they snapped out of their shock and came out aggressively to demand who had messed with their good brother.

Seeing that everyone around them was too frightened to utter a sound and no one answered, they became enraged and began to smash things around them. In an instant, chaos and noise filled the space once again.