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

Gao Jie's heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, each beat accompanied by indescribable torment.

Xu Rourou's lively and playful appearance kept flashing through his mind.

The thought of that girl, as pure as the first snow, who had never seen the filth and wickedness hidden in the shadows of this world, sent a chill down Gao Jie's spine. He was so anxious that he took off running. The wind whistled past his ears, making his clothes flutter loudly.

He ran while panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the road ahead, as if he wanted to see through the layers of streets and alleys and pinpoint Xu Rourou's location.

Sweat seeped from his forehead and temples, pooling and trickling down his cheeks, wetting his collar.

Each step he took kicked up a small cloud of dust, and the friction between his shoes and the ground produced a rapid "tap tap tap" sound, as if drumming up a frantic rhythm to express his anxiety at that moment.

At this moment, Gao Jie was completely unaware that his reckless and hasty actions had already caught Huang Xu's attention.

Huang Xu had just strolled out of the dormitory and was loitering aimlessly in the corridor when he suddenly saw Gao Jie rushing out like a madman. His usual laziness had vanished without a trace, instantly piquing his curiosity.

After Gao Jie had run a distance, Huang Xu casually tossed aside the snacks he was holding and tiptoed after him.

Before he had gone far, Gao Jie’s keen intuition sensed something was amiss. It was as if there was a pair of eyes watching him from behind, making his back tingle with unease.

He suddenly stopped, and the stones under his feet were sent flying far away by inertia.

He quickly turned his head, his eyes sharp and piercing, like an enraged cheetah, instantly locking onto Huang Xu, who was hiding in the corner.

Huang Xu was seen leaning against the wall, most of his body hidden in the shadows, with only a small part of his shadow showing. His cautious manner was as sleazy as could be.

Gao Jie was furious. He slammed his backpack, which had slipped slightly off his shoulder, back up, crossed his arms, and yelled at the top of his lungs:

"Hey bro, what are you doing over there?" The voice echoed in the empty corridor, tinged with annoyance.

Huang Xu was startled by the shout, shrinking his neck like a frightened quail, yet still stubbornly maintaining his composure:

"Come over here right away, I have something to talk to you about."

As she spoke, she shrank further into the corner, trying to avoid Gao Jie's scorching gaze.

Gao Jie snorted coldly, strode over, and with lightning speed, grabbed Huang Xu by the collar. With a sudden burst of strength, he yanked Huang Xu out like a chick.

"Hmph, still pretending? You think you can hide it?"

Huang Xu was pulled so hard he almost fell flat on his face. After regaining his balance, his face turned as red as a ripe tomato, and he was so embarrassed that he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.

He raised his hand and scratched the back of his head haphazardly, chuckled dryly twice, and then cleared his throat in a mocking manner, trying to cover up his embarrassment:

"Actually, I didn't mean anything by it. I just saw you acting like you were possessed, sneaking around like that, and I was really wondering what was going on. You're usually a total homebody, always holed up in your dorm playing games and never leaving the room. But today, you suddenly ran out like you were on fire. I was wondering if you'd finally figured things out and were going to pick up girls, but it turns out you had something important to do."

As Huang Xu spoke, he grinned and moved closer to Gao Jie, nudging Gao Jie's chest with his elbow. Raising his eyebrows, he asked with a gossipy expression:

"But speaking of which, I'm quite surprised you actually have something important to say. Tell me, what is it you want?"

Gao Jie frowned deeply, sighed heavily, and his eyes were full of worry. He then told Huang Laosi everything, like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

Huang Xu was initially nonchalant, but as he listened, his mouth opened wider and wider, his eyes almost popped out, and he nearly rolled his eyes at Huang Xu.

He paused for a moment, then suddenly slapped his thigh, jumped high into the air, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"What's going on? How did you get involved with him? This guy is our cousin, a street urchin who idles around all day, doing nothing but petty theft. Everyone in the neighborhood shakes their heads when they talk about him. I never thought he would be so heartless as to kidnap our classmates."

Huang Xu was so angry that he spun around on the spot, waving his arms wildly in the air like a runaway windmill, while cursing under his breath:

"If I ever see him, I'll grab him by the collar and give him a good scolding. What a piece of trash he is! He doesn't do anything productive all day long and he's completely disgraced the Huang family!"

Gao Jie seized the opportunity, darted forward, grabbed Huang Xu's shoulders tightly with both hands, and shook him violently twice, urgently reminding him:

"Alright, stop getting angry. What's the point of venting? We need to talk about something practical. Look how big this has gotten. This isn't child's play. If something goes wrong and something happens to Xu Rourou, who among us can take responsibility? Besides, your cousin has always been a reckless and irresponsible person. Do you think he'll give you any face just because you're family?"

Huang Xu puffed out his chest like a victorious war drum, his face beaming with smug satisfaction. His lips curled into a wide smile, revealing a set of uneven teeth, and he patted his chest with muffled "thump-thump" sounds as he laughed.

"Don't worry, if someone else went, it would be like throwing money down the drain with my cousin; who knows where it would go. But it's different with me. If I step in, he'll definitely give me that face."

As he spoke, Huang Xu narrowed his eyes slightly, lost in thought, a hint of smugness on his face.

"You don't know, my cousin was really naughty when he was a kid. Once, he climbed a tree to steal a bird's nest, slipped, and fell. If I hadn't been quick-witted and caught him from below, he would have been dead. Ever since that incident, he's felt guilty towards me. He'll never forget that kindness."

Huang Xu shook his head, the few stubborn strands of hair on his head swaying with it, making him look even more spirited.

"In short, as long as I'm involved, there's nothing I can't accomplish. You can rest assured, there won't be any problems with this matter."

Immediately afterwards, as if struck by inspiration, Huang Xu extended one index finger and slowly waved it in the air, as if he had mastered some decisive weapon:

"There's another crucial thing. To handle this, we need to prepare some special props. My cousin doesn't have any fancy hobbies, but he's obsessed with sweet duck. He has to eat it every few days. He's so greedy; his eyes light up when he sees a sweet duck. Go buy one later. Make sure it has glossy feathers and a wonderful aroma. When you put the sweet duck in front of him, he'll be happy and will naturally give you face."

Gao Jie stared wide-eyed at Huang Xu's overly confident demeanor, his brows furrowed so tightly they could have trapped a fly.

In his mind, this matter concerned Xu Rourou's life and safety, and it was not something to be joked about. However, Huang Xu treated it as if it were a casual chat.

But now there's no other way out. The crux of the matter is right here. We can't just stand by and watch the clues die out here, leaving Xu Rourou in danger.

Gao Jie sighed deeply, feeling utterly helpless, and could only grit his teeth and agree:

"Let me make this clear first: if this situation can't be resolved, don't blame me for fighting you to the death. I don't want to come here to treat your cousin to a duck meal for nothing."

After saying that, Gao Jie stretched out his index finger and poked Huang Xu's shoulder hard, his eyes burning like two small flames, conveying a strong warning.

Huang Xu nonchalantly slapped Gao Jie's hand away, then raised his hand and patted his chest several times, making a series of "slap slap" sounds, as if making a solemn promise:

"Don't worry, if this matter can't be resolved, just treat me like that duck and eat me—steamed or braised, it's up to you!"

Without delay, the two rushed to the market. The market was bustling with people, a cacophony of noise and vendors' cries.

They moved among the various stalls, their eyes searching for sweet ducks like searchlights.

Finally, in an inconspicuous corner, I found a long-established cooked food stall. The sweet ducks hanging on the stall looked tempting, with their skin roasted to a golden brown, glistening with oil, and emitting a faint sweet aroma.

Gao Jie hurriedly stepped forward and carefully selected the fattest one. The stall owner quickly wrapped it up, and the two of them carefully carried it. Following the winding route in their memory, they jogged all the way to find Huang Laosi's residence.

As soon as they arrived at the location, they were both stunned, as if they had been frozen in place.

A large group of people stood in front of Huang Laosi's door, each wearing a hat askew, their chests exposed, revealing either ferocious or flamboyant tattoos. They had cigarettes in their mouths, their eyes scanning passersby with hostility, and they would occasionally spit out a spittle. Their thuggish demeanor was intimidating.

Gao Jie couldn't help but nudge Huang Xu's arm, his voice unconsciously lowered, tinged with nervousness:

"He suddenly has such a big presence, could it be that he's really made it big now?"

Huang Xu didn't answer. He just stretched his neck, looked left and right, and stared with his eyes wide open, as if he wanted to gouge his eyes out and stick them on those people to find his cousin. He was so tired that his neck ached and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, but he still couldn't see anything.

Just as Huang Xu was filled with doubt and anxious as an ant on a hot pan, suddenly, a burly figure appeared in front of him.

This man was at least 1.85 meters tall, as strong as a bear, his face full of fat that trembled with his movements, his cheeks bulging, as he roared at the top of his lungs:

"You two are lurking around here suspiciously, are you trying to steal our stuff?"

The roar was so loud it made people's ears ring; he was just like a vicious gatekeeper.

Huang Xu's eyes lit up, and he immediately put on a big smile, his face crinkling into wrinkles, and said ingratiatingly:

"You must be Brother Biao, don't you recognize me? I'm Huang Xu. How's my fourth brother been these past few days? I have something to say to him."

Upon hearing this, the other person tilted their head, their eyes scrutinizing Huang Xu from head to toe. From his messy hair to his dusty sneakers, they finally slapped their forehead, as if remembering something:

"Oh, it's Ah Xu! I heard you got into a good university in Jinling. What brings you here to see your cousin all of a sudden? Didn't you find any girls at university that you liked?"

As he spoke, he winked maliciously, leaned closer to Huang Xu, and nudged him with his elbow.

"Let me tell you, if you want to make a name for yourself, you'll naturally have to stick with your cousin. Your cousin has connections everywhere. If you follow him, you're guaranteed to live a life of luxury. Why don't you join him and do something big?"

Huang Xu was extremely anxious and had no time to listen to his rambling. He stamped his feet in frustration and hurriedly interrupted him:

"Brother Biao, then tell me, where is my cousin? I'm really anxious right now, there's something that only he can do."

Ah Biao curled his lip, then pointed to a dilapidated factory building not far away. The building's walls were peeling, and several windows were broken, exuding a gloomy and decaying atmosphere.

"Go ahead, your fourth brother is over there. You two can have a good chat when you meet."

Huang Xu was feeling smug when he tossed his head back, grabbed Gao Jie, and strode into the dilapidated factory, as if it were his backyard, where he could go without any hindrance.

Before they could take their second step, the two thugs standing at the door slammed shut like doors, stretching out their arms to block them completely. Startled by the sudden obstruction, the two men froze for a moment, then hurriedly introduced themselves.

The two thugs guarding the gate exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter. One of them, a tall, thin man, spat his cigarette butt onto the ground and tilted his head mockingly:

"You dare pretend to be our boss's brother? Does our boss have a bunch of brothers? Who do you think you are?"

These words were spoken in a sarcastic tone, and the other thugs around them joined in the laughter, their laughter full of contempt.

Huang Xu's eyes widened in disbelief. He never imagined that someone would not recognize him on his cousin's turf.

He angrily leaned forward, almost shoving his face against the tall, thin thug, and yelled at the top of his lungs:

"Look at yourself more closely. Don't you even recognize me? Are you kidding me?"

As he spoke, he jabbed his own chest hard with his finger.

"I'm warning you, my fourth brother is inside. You'd better let me in right now, or I'll turn on you, and nobody's going to get away with it!"

They looked like they were about to charge forward and fight to the death at any moment.

No sooner had they finished speaking than a group of people swarmed around them, each holding a steel pipe or a wooden stick, their eyes fixed on the two of them fiercely.

Huang Xu felt a chill run down his spine, and his arrogant demeanor vanished instantly. He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, then slunk off, dragging Gao Jie along with him. His back looked utterly pathetic.

As Gao Jie ran, he couldn't help but shake his head repeatedly, his cheeks puffed out in anger.

"You bragged about me so much, I believed you and thought you really had some skills. Turns out, they didn't even take you seriously. What on earth are you up to?"

He was panting heavily, his steps unwavering, and he took a moment to glare fiercely at Huang Xu.

"It's my fault too, how could I have been so foolish as to believe your nonsense? You bastard, if you ever dare to talk nonsense to me again, I'll teach you a lesson!"

After running quite a distance, Gao Jie abruptly shook off Huang Xu's hand, too lazy to pay him any more attention. He angrily turned back, clutching the somewhat deformed sweet duck, and walked to the factory gate. Taking a deep breath, he shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Old Huang, could you come out here for a moment? I have something important to discuss with you!"

After shouting, feeling it wasn't loud enough, he raised his voice a few notches and added:

"I'm not joking with you. I've come to see you today because I have something serious to discuss. Could you please come out for a moment?"

The sound echoed in the empty space, carrying an undeniable urgency.

Huang Laosi, who was sitting inside shouting orders, found it interesting that someone dared to call him by his name. He raised his eyebrows, gave a wink to his underlings, and then led a large group of people out in a grand procession.

The moment he appeared, he sized Gao Jie up and down, his eyes revealing undisguised disdain. After all, he didn't recognize this young man at all. But who knew that the next moment, Huang Xu came running over, panting.

"Fourth Brother, it's been a while since we last met. How are you?"

Huang Xu bent over, his hands supporting his knees, panting heavily, staring longingly at Huang Laosi.