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

In that dimly lit room, which was filled with a somewhat oppressive atmosphere, Black Dragon looked as if all his energy had been drained, his face etched with exhaustion and deep helplessness.

He lowered his head slightly, staring at an inconspicuous corner on the ground, and spoke to Gao Jie on the other end of the phone in a hoarse voice, revealing an undeniable sense of powerlessness.

"Boss Gao, thank you for treating me to dinner, but actually I'm not doing much better now. When Xu Wenfeng was around, our territory was thriving, every place was well-managed, and the brothers all had a bright future. But Xu Wenfeng is gone, do you know how big of a problem we're facing now?"

The black dragon's voice seemed to be entangled in endless predicaments, each word as if squeezed out with great difficulty from the depths of his heart.

"I'll be honest with you guys, things are even worse now than before."

As he spoke, he frowned slightly, the wrinkles between his brows like deep furrows etched by time and sorrow. His eyes were full of melancholy, the spirited and proud demeanor of the past long gone, replaced by endless sorrow for his current difficult situation.

Upon hearing this, Gao Jie was slightly taken aback, his mind instantly filled with doubt.

He stood there, staring blankly ahead, wondering to himself, "How did things turn out like this?"

What kind of violent and turbulent changes did they encounter to turn their lives into this state?

Gao Jie's mind was like a high-speed projector, flashing through countless possible scenarios in an instant: was he being suppressed by other gangs?

Or is there some hidden force manipulating everything in the shadows?

But he dismissed these thoughts one by one after a brief moment of thought, unable to understand what had happened.

In reality, since Xu Wenfeng left, the entire city has been swept into a huge and fierce storm, and a new batch of senior executives has been completely replaced.

Today, almost all the important positions that play a key role in the operation of the city, such as the mayor, have been replaced.

With the changing of these key figures, new forces emerged like bamboo shoots after spring rain, and various forces intertwined and clashed fiercely. Each side racked its brains and fought openly and secretly for its own interests and territory, making the situation as complicated as a tangled mess.

Figures like Heilong, who grew up within the old order, appear out of place amidst the surging tide of this new force.

Those newly emerging forces are all arrogant and self-important. They have new ideas and ambitions and basically look down on Black Dragon, a representative of the old forces, believing that he is just a conservative remnant and someone who will be eliminated by the times.

Therefore, the Black Dragon is on the verge of being faded into obscurity, its situation is precarious, as if it is standing on the edge of a cliff, and if a slight breeze blows, it will teeter and fall into the endless abyss of darkness.

If things continue like this, it's estimated that it won't be long before he's completely erased from the stage of power and interests in this city, like a shooting star that once shone faintly, eventually disappearing from everyone's sight, becoming a forgotten corner, buried by the dust of history.

The development of this matter far exceeded Heilong's expectations. He originally thought that with the connections and resources he had accumulated over the years in the underworld, he would be able to maintain his foothold in this city no matter what. Even if he could not develop further, he could at least keep everything he had.

But no one expected the problem to escalate to such a serious level, spreading rapidly like an out-of-control fire, ultimately leading to this situation.

Moreover, as things stand, these situations are far more troublesome than he imagined; they are a complete mess, with every thread intertwined and impossible to untangle.

These troubles are no joke; they are far more troublesome and difficult to deal with than he imagined. They are like impregnable walls of copper and iron, trapping him inside, leaving him with no way to break through.

Gao Jie knew Hei Long's personality well. He knew that Hei Long was always a strong-willed person with a strong sense of self-respect. He would not easily tell him such unpleasant things. It must be because he was really desperate and his heart was tormented to the extreme, as if he was being burned by a raging fire, that he would confide in him.

For a moment, Gao Jie felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on his heart, making him feel uncomfortable. His breathing became heavy, as if the air in the whole room had become thin, making it hard for him to breathe.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say a few words of comfort, but found that his throat felt like it was choked by something, and he couldn't say anything.

Now that things had come to this, he understood that no amount of words could help in the face of such a cruel reality, so he could only sigh softly. The sigh echoed in the silent room, as if it too was mourning the current plight of Black Dragon and his companions.

"I understand what you're thinking right now. How about this, when you have some free time, come to Nanjing, and we can all sit down and have a chat."

After a moment's thought, Gao Jie spoke, his eyes revealing a hint of concern and expectation, hoping to offer Heilong some support and comfort in this way.

"I've met a really nice older sister here. She's incredibly resourceful and has a wide network of connections. Getting the brothers fed shouldn't be a problem. I'll leave this to you for now. Let me know when you've thought it through."

After the two hung up the phone, Gao Jie slowly walked to the window and looked into the distance with a deep gaze.

The world outside the window was bustling with traffic and people, but his heart was filled with confusion and unease.

His mind kept replaying Black Dragon's words, trying to find some clues to the problem from those few words, but he found himself completely at a loss.

He didn't even know what to say; he felt somewhat bewildered by this sudden turn of events.

For him, the current situation is clear as it is, and as for what will happen next, he has no idea, nor can he say in which direction this matter will develop.

Gao Jie is constantly reflecting on and weighing all of this, even though everything he has anticipated is a real and tangible reality right in front of him.

As for what will be left, the unknown variables and hidden dangers are far beyond what he can consider at this moment.

Thinking of this, Gao Jie couldn't help but shake his head, as if trying to shake these chaotic thoughts out of his mind.

After all, things that he considered more deeply—the conspiracies and schemes hidden behind those complex situations—always flashed by unexpectedly like shooting stars, leaving him unable to grasp them.

After making the call, Gao Jie returned to his room, looking somewhat dejected.

His steps seemed unusually heavy, each step feeling like it was treading on his heart.

He was mainly surprised that Black Dragon and his comrades had ended up in such a sorry state. His brothers, who had once fought side by side and enjoyed great glory, had now fallen to such a state. How could he not feel sorry for his former brothers?

He sat silently on the edge of the bed, the room filled with a suffocating atmosphere. For a long, long time, he was immersed in memories of the past and worries about the future, unable to extricate himself.

In that slightly tense atmosphere, Gao Jie was about to step into a certain place when Sister Wen's clear voice suddenly called out to him.

"Come here, I have something to tell you, hurry up."

A look of puzzlement instantly appeared on Gao Jie's face. He wondered to himself, "What is Sister Wen up to?"

Why would they suddenly call me over? What are they up to?

Filled with doubt, he still followed her instructions and went to the room where Sister Wen was.

Upon entering the room, Sister Wen's actions took him completely by surprise. She gently took Gao Jie's hand, her eyes revealing a unique seriousness, and began to speak her heart.

"Actually, I won't hide it from you. Now you and I are on the same side. We might have a match tomorrow that requires your participation. Don't worry, this person's overall strength is nowhere near as strong as yours."

Sister Wen paused slightly, then changed the subject, her expression becoming serious.

"The problem is that this person was sent by the Qin family. I hope you'll give me face. In other words, you absolutely mustn't win against him."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jie's face immediately turned ashen, as if a dark cloud had gathered around him. Wasn't this blatantly asking him to throw the game?

This is a violation of sportsmanship and moral principles.

Sister Wen's face was full of anticipation. She knew very well that offending the Qin family would be like stirring up a hornet's nest, causing huge trouble. Therefore, it was essential to find a proper way to handle this matter.

Gao Jie struggled internally for a moment, but finally couldn't help but sigh and nod helplessly.

"No problem, I promise you."

When Sister Wen saw that he agreed, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and nodded vigorously to show her relief.

"We've finished discussing the previous issues; let's move on to something else."

As she spoke, Wen Jie's eyes softened with tenderness and shyness. She slowly moved closer to Gao Jie, gently pressing her face against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.

This intimate contact intensified Wenjie's feelings for him. It seemed that in her heart, this way she could feel all of Gao Jie's love and warmth, and she became more and more intoxicated by this feeling, unable to extricate herself.

Sister Wen cupped Gao Jie's face in her hands, raised her head slightly, and her eyes sparkled with a burning light as she slowly leaned in. At this moment, the ambiguous atmosphere between the two became increasingly intense, as if they were about to cross that last line of defense and push their relationship to a whole new level.

Just at this crucial moment, Gao Jie's phone rang abruptly; it was Wang Fang calling.

Wang Fang missed her son terribly because she hadn't called him in a long time.

Gao Jie was startled by the sudden ringing of the phone and had no choice but to leave his room to answer it.

On the other end of the phone, Wang Fang's voice carried a hint of resentment.

"It's been so long, and you haven't even made a phone call. Your dad and I are worried sick. We don't know what kind of life you've been living in Jinling. Heilong will be sending us some things in the next couple of days, so don't worry too much. He's alright. You've found a decent brother."

My eyelids have been twitching a lot these past couple of days, and I was worried about you. Have you been bothering anyone lately?

Wang Fang's tone was full of concern and worry.

Gao Jie nodded quickly and said into the phone, "Don't worry, with my temper, who could I possibly offend? I would never cause trouble, you can always trust me on that."

"Oh, right, Mom, I received a scholarship fund. I'll send it back to you."

Gao Jie suddenly remembered this and said it to Wang Fang.

Upon hearing this, Wang Fang seemed quite incredulous at Gao Jie's words, since the scholarship was only available to the most outstanding students, and her voice instantly filled with joy.

"My son is amazing, he even got the scholarship fund. I'm so happy for you."

"It's getting late, let's hang up now. Your dad still needs me to brew his medicine; his old ailment has flared up again these past few days."

Wang Fang said helplessly. Gao Zhanlin had been suffering from chronic stomach pain for a long time, and every time it flared up, the pain was excruciating.

Now, Gao Zhanlin's illness has clearly worsened considerably. Hearing his mother say this, Gao Jie was filled with worry and sighed.

"Then you go ahead and get busy. Call me when you're done, and we can chat. Also, tell Dad not to worry. Once things are settled here, I'll bring you all over."

After chatting for a few minutes, the call ended. Gao Jie wanted to go to Sister Wen's place again, but he didn't expect that Sister Wen was also on the phone. He had no choice but to go back to the dormitory. But as soon as he got back, he found that Huang Muran was there too.

For a moment, Gao Jie looked at Huang Muran in front of him, his mind filled with doubt, his brows furrowed slightly, and he couldn't help but ask.

"What are you doing here? Where's that kid Huang Xu?"

He really couldn't understand how he could run into Huang Muran here, while Huang Xu was nowhere to be found, which he found quite strange.

Huang Muran listened to his words, then shook his head slightly, pointed outside, and said as he pointed.

"I heard he went to take care of some business. Apparently, some classmate came to see him. By the way, do you have time? Could you take a look at this?"

As he spoke, he took something out of his pocket and handed it to Gao Jie.

Gao Jie looked puzzled, wondering what Huang Muran was up to, but he still reached out and took something from the other's hand.

Upon closer inspection after receiving it, I discovered that it was actually a very small ornament.

These little ornaments are small and exquisite, and they feel quite substantial in your hand.

Gao Jie subconsciously rubbed it with his fingers and felt that it felt like silver, but when he looked up again, the color was actually golden, which was really strange.

Gao Jie's eyes widened in disbelief, his face filled with even more confusion, and he muttered to himself.

"What is this thing? What's going on?"

He really couldn't understand why this little trinket looked like this; the texture and color of the material were so contradictory, making it seem even more mysterious and unpredictable.

"Take a closer look, let me see what this thing is."

Huang Muran urged him on from the side, his eyes revealing curiosity and a sense of inquiry.

Upon hearing this, Gao Jie placed the small ornament under the lamp and examined it carefully in the bright light.

He was shocked to see that there were faint runes engraved on the small ornament.

The runes were crooked yet seemed to follow a certain pattern, exuding a mysterious aura, as if they were hiding unknown secrets.

Gao Jie's face was full of surprise, his eyes were fixed on the runes, and countless questions flashed through his mind: Where did this little ornament come from?

What do these runes mean?