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

"So you don't need to worry about this. I will do my best to find a way to resolve it and deal with it."

Xu Wanwan looked at her father with a firm gaze, her eyes revealing an undeniable determination. She tried to reassure him with this attitude, as if as long as she expressed her stance, the thorny problem at hand would be easily solved.

"Don't worry, there's absolutely no problem with this."

She added, her voice soft yet carrying a persuasive power, attempting to dispel the gloom that lingered in her father's heart.

After hearing all this, Xu Wenfeng already had a good idea of ​​what was going on. He knew that his daughter would have to suffer a lot in this matter.

He looked at Xu Wanwan with a complex expression in his eyes, a mixture of guilt, helplessness, and a touch of indescribable heartache.

"Wan'er, Dad knows that I haven't been paying enough attention to you all these years."

Xu Wenfeng's voice was somewhat hoarse, as if it had been sanded, and every word was filled with deep self-reproach.

"Dad is always busy with his work, socializing, and dealing with people, but he has neglected every little detail of your growth. He hasn't spent enough time with you and hasn't fulfilled his responsibilities as a father."

"But now even Dad can't do anything about it. If we don't solve this problem, things will get really complicated, you understand?"

He frowned slightly, and the wrinkles on his face deepened, as if they held endless sorrow.

"The Qin family is serious this time. The wedding supplies they sent are putting pressure on our family. If we don't handle this well, our whole family could be ruined."

"So Daddy has to ask you to help me this once, to take care of everything that needs to be taken care of, okay?"

Xu Wenfeng's eyes held a pleading look. He was a father who was usually aloof and superior, but at this moment he had put aside all his airs and was just asking for his daughter's help. His hands were also trembling slightly, showing his inner tension and unease.

Xu Wanwan's face changed instantly. Her face, which had been gentle and firm, turned pale in an instant. How could she not understand the meaning behind her father's words?

Asking her for help is simply a way to get her to take her sister's place in this unwanted marriage.

She felt a pang of pain in her heart, but after a brief silence, she thought about it and seemed to understand her father's helpless actions. The situation was indeed extremely critical, and her father had been forced into a corner.

"It's alright, go ahead and tell me. I've seen all the hard work you've done for this family."

Xu Wanwan took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound as steady as possible.

"No matter what happens, no matter what I'm required to do, I will never stand idly by; I will do my duty without hesitation."

She bit her lip, as if she had made up her mind.

"Even if you asked me to take my sister's place, I would do it without hesitation."

Upon hearing his daughter's words, Xu Wenfeng immediately understood that this time he might really have to make things difficult for his poor daughter.

His eyes instantly reddened, and his throat felt like it was choked by something; it took him a long time to manage to utter a few words.

"I'm so sorry, it's all because your dad is incompetent, I can only leave you to suffer..."

His voice was choked with sobs, a father's deep remorse for his daughter.

"Because we really can't afford to offend the Qin family. Once we offend them, do you know what problems we'll face? We'll face a complete collapse. If it really comes to that, we'll absolutely not be able to escape our fate. So I hope you won't blame your father, because everything is destined."

At this point, even if Xu Wanwan was slow-witted, she understood the meaning behind the words.

She couldn't help but sigh softly, a sigh filled with helplessness and heartache. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she quickly raised her hand to wipe them away, not wanting her father to see her vulnerable side, but the tears still streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably.

"Since Dad has said so, I will certainly give you face. No matter what you do, I will listen to you."

Xu Wanwan suppressed her grief and forced a smile, but the smile was more painful than tears, yet it was the greatest comfort she could offer her father at that moment.

Meanwhile, Gao Jie, burdened by too many thoughts, tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Images flashed through his mind: Xu Rourou's predicament, Xu Wenfeng's coercion, and his parents far away in his hometown.

After thinking it over, he simply sat up, picked up his phone, and dialed Heilong's number.

"Brother Gao, it's been a while since you called me. I was worried that you were busy with your studies and that you were taking care of the Xu family's little girl, so I didn't dare to contact you. I sent you a message a couple of days ago, but you didn't reply."

As soon as the call connected, Heilong's cheerful yet slightly complaining voice came through.

"Isn't it fun? Let me tell you, I've already teamed up with a few other bosses, and we're ready to pull off something big. When are you coming back?"

Black Dragon's tone was full of excitement, as if he could already see his gang's future success.

Gao Jie felt a mix of emotions as he listened to Hei Long's words. He remained silent for a moment to calm himself before slowly speaking.

"I might not go back for now. Also, I'd like to know how my parents are doing lately?"

His voice carried a hint of worry; having been away from home for so long, his biggest concern was for his parents' safety.

"As for our gang's affairs, you can handle them yourself. You're the boss too, you're no worse than me, you're even stronger than me, so of course you're suitable."

Gao Jie continued, saying that he knew Black Dragon's abilities and believed he could manage the gang's affairs well.

Heilong chuckled, a smug look in his voice. After laughing for a while, he quickly recounted what had happened to Gao Zhanlin and the others recently.

"To be honest, your parents did encounter a little trouble these past two days, but it's nothing serious. It's just that someone threatened your dad."

Black Dragon's tone turned serious.

"I don't know which blind guy it was. He probably thought he could bully his uncle since you weren't home. He ran up to your uncle, acted tough, and said a bunch of harsh words, trying to scare your uncle."

"Brothers, let's go to his place and beat him up. He'll be sorry to see that we came so quickly."

Heilong laughed smugly again as he said this.

"Our brothers are all very loyal. As soon as they heard that Uncle was being bullied, they grabbed their weapons without saying a word and went over to beat that guy so badly that he probably won't dare to cause trouble again."

"Anyway, the problem is solved. Your parents recently moved as well. I heard that your old house was demolished and they got a new house, but they didn't receive any money."

Black Dragon paused, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Those bastards who are involved in demolition, they must be deliberately not paying us, trying to take advantage of us. So we were going to deal with that jerk, but your parents stopped us. They said they didn't want to cause trouble. Your aunt and uncle are just too kind, always afraid of causing trouble for everyone, but they're the ones who are being wronged."

Gao Jie sighed softly, feeling both moved by his brothers' righteous help and helpless and heartbroken for his parents' plight.

"I'm too far away now, so there are many things I can't help with, but thankfully I have you guys as my brothers. Thank you."

He said with heartfelt gratitude, "No matter what it is, just tell me and I will definitely do it for you."

"By the way, what exactly happened with Xu Wenfeng?" Gao Jie recalled the scene of Xu Wenfeng causing trouble today, and his heart was full of doubts. He wanted to ask Heilong to see if he knew anything about the situation.

Upon hearing this, Black Dragon suddenly lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard, and said mysteriously, "Boss Gao, this Xu Wenfeng isn't as simple as he seems. There's more to this than meets the eye..."

"Boss Gao, you don't know yet? Xu Wenfeng got into a really big mess a while ago. Oh my, it caused quite a stir. A lot of people have heard about it by now."

"Let me tell you the truth, Xu Wenfeng is in deep trouble now. He's not as simple as he used to be, and I suspect that kid must have messed with someone he shouldn't have. Otherwise, how could he have gotten himself into this mess?"

Gao Jie frowned, his face full of puzzlement and confusion. He really couldn't figure out the reason.

"What you're saying sounds a bit strange. Who did he offend?"

Gao Jie asked with suspicion. In his impression, Xu Wenfeng was usually quite assertive, but he would never provoke any powerful figures for no reason. How could a perfectly normal person fall into such a thorny predicament?

Moreover, Xu Wenfeng is highly regarded in the local area and holds a pivotal position in both the business world and certain social circles. How could he possibly run into trouble?

Seeing Gao Jie's confusion, Hei Long cleared his throat and carefully explained the situation.

"About a month ago, Xu Wenfeng and the new sheriff somehow became very close. Perhaps they got too close in some business dealings or social engagements, and thus he intentionally or unintentionally neglected the current sheriff. You know, in officialdom, interpersonal relationships are complicated, so the current sheriff naturally felt uncomfortable. In addition, the two of them already had some disagreements, and the conflict accumulated little by little."

"The current sheriff wasn't one to back down either. After being snubbed and provoked by Xu Wenfeng, how could he let it go? He started plotting against Xu Wenfeng, gathering a group of people who had nothing to do all day but kept a close eye on Xu Wenfeng's every move. Any slight disturbance would be used to launch a massive attack on his behavior, trying to ruin his reputation and make it impossible for him to stay in the area. Xu Wenfeng, who had a fiery temper, couldn't stand this kind of treatment. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and suddenly found something on the current sheriff's nephew. This nephew ran a place for people to vent their anger, ostensibly for entertainment and relaxation, but in reality, he was doing some shady business, mainly beating up his employees and using them as punching bags, wantonly torturing and abusing them."

"Later, this incident was exposed by someone, causing a huge uproar in the local area. The public condemned this heinous behavior, and the pressure from public opinion was overwhelming. Under these circumstances, the current sheriff was directly dismissed, losing his former power and status. But unexpectedly, this matter was not over yet. For some reason, the mayor believed that Xu Wenfeng was inseparable from this incident. In his view, the behavior of Xu Wenfeng and the current sheriff was like two vicious dogs fighting each other. Neither of them were good people, and they would do anything for their own benefit."

"The newly appointed sheriff, whose relationship with Xu Wenfeng was only superficial, saw how the mayor viewed the matter and, for the sake of his own future, didn't hesitate to sever ties with Xu Wenfeng, fearing he would be implicated. Thus, Xu Wenfeng became a complete pawn, ruthlessly discarded in this game of officialdom and social maneuvering. He couldn't stay in the area any longer; the district leaders all changed their tune, no longer giving him face and avoiding him. Left with no other choice, Xu Wenfeng decided to leave temporarily, but the mayor forbade him from leaving, effectively pushing him to the brink. With no other option, he painstakingly persuaded his wife to sell some of their property and use the money to bribe officials and grease palms. After much trouble, he was finally able to leave Jincheng."

"However, this matter is not over yet. I heard that Xu Wenfeng still has many things to settle. Those he offended and some lingering problems are like time bombs that could explode at any time. So they are planning to settle accounts with him again. I heard a few days ago that he went to Nanjing. As for what he did in Nanjing and what he might encounter there, I don't know anything else."

After listening to Heilong's story, Gao Jie suddenly realized that Xu Wenfeng had made such a huge mess that he ended up like this and was forced to leave Jincheng.

Actually, upon closer reflection, no one is to blame. The blame lies with Xu Wenfeng for his lack of caution and his needless provocation, which has led to all this trouble.

How did he manage to turn such a perfectly good situation into this?

Moreover, even if someone has a dispute or conflict with another person, it shouldn't escalate to this point. But this guy just likes to act impulsively, and he's made things worse. He only has himself to blame.

It's truly lamentable that Xu Wenfeng is now forced to resort to arranged marriage in an attempt to salvage his family's predicament, but who can he blame?

Gao Jie sighed inwardly. Life is unpredictable. Xu Wenfeng used to be incredibly powerful in the area. The bosses of various districts flattered him and tried their best to curry favor with him, hoping to get a share of the profits or some benefits or protection from him.

But now that he has lost power, those who once surrounded him have instantly changed their tune, all of them avoiding him like the plague, fearing that they will be implicated and suffer collateral damage.

After thinking silently for a while, Gao Jie spoke to Heilong on the other end of the phone.

"Then I won't talk to you about these things for now. I have a lot of troubles to deal with, so I have to go and take care of my own things."

His tone carried a hint of weariness and helplessness; the recent events had left him overwhelmed and exhausted, both physically and mentally.

"Come visit Nanjing when you have time. I'll treat you to a meal then, and we can have a good get-together and catch up."

Gao Jie tried to end the call with such relatively relaxed words, temporarily putting these troublesome and complicated matters behind him and focusing on the problems he was facing at the moment.