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

Hou Youcai was glared at fiercely by Xu Wenfeng for his reckless behavior. The look in Xu Wenfeng's eyes was like a sharp blade, instantly sending a chill down Hou Youcai's spine.

He quickly shut his mouth, his body trembling slightly, not daring to utter another word, like a docile pet scolded by its owner, not daring to breathe.

Xu Wenfeng then waved his hand, signaling his men to take Huang Muran away, and solemnly instructed the others.

"This little girl is my daughter's classmate. There's no need to push things too far. After all, they're just a group of kids. There's no need to make things so awkward. Besides, we don't know when this little girl arrived. Normally, she shouldn't be able to understand what we're saying. Alright, take her away. Let's handle this matter like this for now."

Huang Muran was taken to another room, where she was given water and some food, but nothing else was special.

Because of Xu Wenfeng's clear instructions, no one dared to act on their own, fearing that they might inadvertently anger Xu Wenfeng and bring trouble upon themselves. Everyone was walking on thin ice, carefully guarding their respective duties.

Coincidentally, this day happened to be Monday, which is the start of a new week of learning for students. Everyone was in a hurry to get ready to go to class, and the first class is usually very important, as it determines the start and rhythm of the week's learning.

In the morning, Xu Rourou, Huang Xu, and Gao Jie went to the cafeteria for breakfast together as usual. However, strangely, Huang Muran did not show up.

Gao Jie couldn't help but wonder, and asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Where did he go? He should be in class after lunch, but he's still nowhere to be seen. Could he have gone off somewhere to play? Haven't you seen Huang Muran since this morning?"

Xu Rourou nodded gently, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

"I haven't seen her since I woke up, and I don't know where she went. I asked other classmates, and they all said they didn't know either. It's just very strange. But I think you shouldn't overthink it. Huang Muran is always like this; he's like a dragon that appears and disappears without a trace."

"Sometimes she'll hide in the library reading, and sometimes she'll go to a nearby coffee shop to stay quietly. In short, she's very mysterious."

Xu Rourou secretly felt that there was no need to take this matter too seriously anymore. She always thought that the little girl had probably just found another interesting place to play.

After all, Huang Muran has always had this unconventional style of doing things, so why worry too much about this matter?

However, Gao Jie had a vague feeling that things were not so simple. After all, they had gone through so many complicated and dangerous things before, and now Huang Muran had disappeared without warning. If things continued like this, it would definitely cause even bigger trouble.

"I have a feeling something's not right. Let's go to class first, and then go look for it right after class."

Fortunately, the content of this lesson was relatively simple, and the knowledge points were easy to understand, so there wasn't much important content that everyone needed to take notes on.

As soon as the bell rang, everyone rushed out as if it were a tense competition.

Xu Rourou suddenly received a phone call midway through her journey. It seemed that there was an urgent matter on the other end of the line that required her help, so she was hurriedly called away.

Huang Xu looked at Gao Jie with a strange expression on his face and asked, somewhat at a loss.

"Now it's just the two of us, what should we do? Should we go find someone else? If you ask me, we should just find somewhere to stay. I have a feeling something's not right."

Gao Jie's brows were furrowed tightly, as if they were tied in knots, and several deep lines appeared on his forehead. His heart felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on it, and a strong sense of unease surged up like a raging tide.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this matter was not as simple as it seemed on the surface, and that it was probably connected to Hou Youcai and Xu Wenfeng in many intricate ways.

However, they were completely baffled as to what kind of unspeakable secret lay hidden behind it, as if they were in the dark.

Where exactly is Huang Muran right now?

Has she already encountered danger?

These questions, like layers upon layers of thick, impenetrable fog, weighed heavily on their minds, keeping every nerve taut with worry and anxiety.

"Now that things have escalated to this point, we can't just leave them here unattended. So let's not stand around any longer and go find them right away."

Gao Jie gritted his teeth, his tone revealing an undeniable determination.

"Finding him as soon as possible is the right thing to do. Every minute we delay could put Huang Muran in greater danger."

Huang Xu, who was also anxious, nodded repeatedly in agreement. Without saying a word, the two of them ran out of the school.

Their footsteps were so hurried, as if something terrifying was chasing them. They dared not delay for a moment, their only thought being to reach the place where Huang Muran might be hiding as soon as possible.

After leaving the campus, they quickly came to the roadside, and fortunately, a taxi slowly stopped in front of them after a short while.

The two quickly opened the car door, jumped in, and shouted their destination to the driver. The taxi then sped off like an arrow towards the mysterious and dangerous villa outside the city.

Throughout the journey, Gao Jie and Huang Xu kept their eyes glued to the scenery rushing past the car window, their hands unconsciously clenching, their palms sweating profusely. They were filled with tension and trepidation, unsure of what awaited them.

Meanwhile, in the courtyard outside the villa, Hou Youcai was like a mad and out-of-control beast, in a fit of rage. His eyes were wide open like copper bells, full of bloodshot veins, as if they were about to spit fire.

He then unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks on the two bodyguards, each blow and kick delivered with tremendous force, accompanied by dull thuds and the bodyguards' screams of pain.

His fierce appearance would send chills down anyone's spine, as if they were in a scene from a horror movie.

The two bodyguards were beaten black and blue, covered in wounds, and collapsed on the ground groaning in pain. Their bodies were convulsing, and they didn't even have the strength to struggle to get up. They could only lie there helplessly, letting Hou Youcai vent his anger.

Hou Youcai himself was also panting heavily, his chest heaving violently like a broken bellows, making a "whooshing" sound.

He was covered in sweat, with large beads of sweat rolling down his cheeks and soaking his clothes.

He was burning with rage and desperately needed to cool down, so he grabbed a bottle of natural snow water worth 200 Alliance Coins from the side.

This water is incredibly precious these days, and most people wouldn't even dare to take a sip. But he didn't care about that at the moment. He pointed the bottle at his head and poured the water over his head.

With a "splash," cool water poured down, flowing down his hair and cheeks, wetting his collar and taking away some of the heat from his body, calming his agitated emotions slightly.

Once the sweat on his face had mostly dried, he slowly took a few breaths to calm himself down. Then he turned around, reached out and forcefully opened the door. He looked up and saw Gao Jie and Huang Xu standing at the door with serious expressions.

When Hou Youcai saw them, the expression on his face, which had been distorted by anger, remained unchanged. He still looked extremely displeased and gloomy, as if the storm had just subsided, but new dark clouds were gathering, ready to erupt again at any moment.

"Why are you two here again? What do you mean by this? What do you want? I gave you a way out yesterday, and now you're back? Are you still looking for your own death?"

Hou Youcai glared at them fiercely, his voice full of warning and threat.

"I'm warning you two young people, don't think you can act recklessly just because you have someone backing you up. Don't think you can do anything big just because you know Miss Xu, understand? We have a deep-seated hatred between us. If I lose my temper, you two are finished. So, tell me, what are you two up to?"

Gao Jie frowned deeply at Hou Youcai's arrogant and domineering demeanor, his heart filled with disgust and vigilance.

Huang Xu, standing to the side, was so angry that his face turned red. The saying "enemies meeting each other are especially hateful" was perfectly embodied in him at this moment.

Huang Xu never expected that Hou Youcai would be so arrogant as to attack him. Moreover, the beating he received last time almost killed him, and the painful experience was still vivid in his mind. How could he not be furious?

Hou Youcai glanced at Huang Xu, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Kid, you still seem a bit unconvinced. What do you mean? Are you two planning to fight me again?"

Huang Xu was already seething with anger, and when he heard Hou Youcai's provocative words, his anger flared up and he immediately rolled up his sleeves, took a few steps forward, and shouted.

"Gao Jie, I consider you a brother. Now you want me to have a good fight with this old bastard today. I think he's asking for a beating. He even dared to challenge me for the revenge I got last time. I haven't gotten my revenge yet. Today, I'll settle both the old and new scores."

Seeing this, Gao Jie quickly stepped forward to stop him and tried to persuade him.

"Forget it, Huang Xu. Look, when we came in, there were two bodyguards lying on the ground. This is no joke. I've heard that Hou Youcai seems to be proficient in Hou Family Kung Fu. Although I don't know if it's true or not, there's a saying, 'If you believe it, you should believe it.' Once you believe it, it means that this matter must be quite powerful. So why be reckless?"

However, Huang Xu was blinded by anger and wouldn't listen to Gao Jie's advice. He insisted on settling scores with Hou Youcai and was determined to fight the old man to the end, resolutely stating that he would definitely take action.

Seeing his stubbornness, Gao Jie felt helpless and speechless. In the end, he simply let go of Huang Xu's hand and let him try it himself.

"Go ahead and give it a try. The way this guy punched just now, he's clearly a trained fighter, and a seasoned one at that. If you don't believe me, challenge him now. But let me give you a heads-up, the way he throws punches is anything but simple; he's very likely using internal martial arts techniques. Anyway, good luck."

Just as Huang Xu was about to rush forward and make a move, Hou Youcai suddenly bent down, grabbed a bottle next to him, and with a gentle force, the seemingly sturdy bottle was instantly crushed in his hand, with glass shards scattered all over the ground.

Hou Youcai gave a cold laugh, a laugh filled with disdain and arrogance, as if he were demonstrating against Huang Xu, or perhaps mocking his overestimation of his abilities.

"So, how do you want to fight me? Shall we go somewhere else, or stay right here?"

Hou Youcai slightly raised his chin, his eyes full of provocation and mockery, his arrogant demeanor suggesting that he was certain that the young man in front of him was no match for him.

"I'm a very easy-going person. If you don't like it here, we can always go somewhere else. Is that alright?"

As he spoke, he cracked his wrists, the joints making a jarring sound that seemed particularly jarring in the quiet atmosphere, like a silent intimidation.

Hou Youcai's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Huang Xu's head, completely silencing the furious man.

He, who had just been so aggressive and eager to rush up and fight the other party, was now like a deflated balloon, no longer uttering a word.

Huang Xu avoided eye contact with Hou Youcai, then made an excuse to go and see other places.

He then turned away sheepishly and walked to the side, pretending to look around at his surroundings.

However, his slightly hurried back view still revealed his guilt and unease at this moment.

Seeing that the two had calmed down, Gao Jie cleared his throat and solemnly stated his purpose.

His gaze was firm and sharp, fixed on Hou Youcai without the slightest intention of backing down.

"I'm not here to waste time talking to you. I just want to discuss the relevant issues and hope to find an answer here."

Gao Jie's voice was steady and powerful, each word resonating clearly in the air, demonstrating his determination.

"I'll say it again, I'm here to find someone. Did you arrest Huang Muran?"

He took a small step forward, emphasizing his words further.

"Your son brought this on himself; you can't blame anyone else. But you arrested my friend, and that's wrong of you!"

At this point, Gao Jie's brows furrowed tightly, his eyes filled with dissatisfaction and questioning towards Hou Youcai.

He secretly vowed to himself that he would get the whereabouts of Huang Muran from Hou Youcai no matter what.

You must never leave your friends in danger.