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

Qin Xianglong's face was so gloomy it seemed like it could drip water, veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes burned with anger and disbelief.

He clenched his teeth and forced out the words:

"My older brother is in trouble. To be honest, I didn't expect them to do that to him. It seems I underestimated them. Did you see them run in that direction?"

His men exchanged glances, not daring to breathe. After a long while, one of them, as if summoning immense courage, hesitated for a long time before stepping forward tremblingly, his body still shaking slightly, his voice tinged with fear:

"I...I saw them running towards Boss Qi's territory."

A flicker of surprise crossed Qin Xianglong's face; his eyes widened slightly, and his brows furrowed even more deeply.

"I didn't expect these young people to go after Qi the Crab's territory. Hmph, this isn't as simple as it seems."

He remained silent for a moment, as if considering a solution, before giving the order:

"Let's keep this matter quiet for now. Send someone to investigate Qi Da Pang Xie to see if he knows anything about it. If I find out he did it, I will definitely take his life to avenge my brother! My brother has been with the Qin family for many years and it wasn't easy for him to build this empire. We can't let him be schemed against like this without any explanation."

After saying that, the Qin family searched around Sister Wen's factory for a long time.

They were like a pack of wolves, ransacking every corner, dumping everything from the filing cabinets onto the floor, moving the tables and chairs around, and even taking the trash can in the corner.

After confirming that there were no traces left behind, they stopped getting into the car and prepared to leave.

Before they could even set off, a younger brother rushed over, his face showing a hint of doubt and unease, pressing them for details about Sister Wen:

"That woman hasn't been killed yet, what do we do?"

A glint of ruthlessness flashed in Qin Xianglong's eyes. He stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then said fiercely:

"Keeping that woman around is pointless, and she hasn't listened to the Qin family in a long time. Since that's the case, let her go and keep my brother company. Since she dared to betray the Qin family, she should have expected this fate."

After saying that, the car started and drove towards the Qin family's residence. Qin Xianglong sat in the car, his hands clenched into fists, silently calculating in his mind:

What we need to do now is to take over all of the Qin family's businesses as soon as possible; we don't plan to consider anything else for the time being.

With my elder brother gone, there will definitely be turmoil within the Qin family. I must strike first and suppress those who may have disloyal intentions. I absolutely cannot allow the Qin family to decline in my hands.

Meanwhile, the younger men were working hard at the factory, preparing to throw Sister Wen into the sea.

One of the henchmen gripped Sister Wen's arms tightly with both hands, pulling her up forcefully, his face flushed red, muttering incessantly:

"This is exhausting! How come this woman is so heavy? Tell me, what did she eat to grow up like that?"

Another henchman chimed in, wiping sweat from his brow and panting as he said:

"I also find it strange. How could a woman be so heavy? I've carried heavier women before, and none of them are this heavy."

At this moment, a younger brother who always liked to overthink things rolled his eyes and voiced his thoughts:

"Do you think it's because this woman knows she's going to die that she's become so heavy? Maybe there's something sinister going on."

Upon hearing this, the others were immediately enraged, feeling that he was talking nonsense and disrupting morale.

One of the hot-tempered henchmen slapped him hard across the face and shouted a warning:

"You idiot, stop spouting nonsense! If you keep talking like that, I'll beat you so badly you won't be able to get up!"

However, this matter is quite strange. Everyone seems to feel that this force is not quite right. After all, they have all held women before and know how much a woman weighs, but this one in front of them seems particularly heavy.

One of the more clever-looking underlings came up with an idea:

"In a moment, the four of us will each lift one leg and one arm. I refuse to believe we can't lift them."

After saying that, they immediately got to work. The four of them stood in their positions, bent down, grabbed Sister Wen's limbs tightly with both hands, and lifted her up with all their might.

They gritted their teeth, their faces flushed red, the veins in their necks bulging, and they kept shouting work chants:

"One, two, three, go!"

But Sister Wen was as if she were nailed to the ground, and was only lifted up slightly.

Just as they were struggling to throw Sister Wen into the sea, they discovered that several fishermen were fishing below.

The fishermen were sitting there leisurely, focused on their fishing rods, completely unaware of what was happening.

One of the henchmen frowned, gave the others a look, and then they exchanged glances, walked over menacingly, and shouted loudly at the fishermen:

"Hey, you guys, get out of here! This isn't a place for you!"

The fishermen were startled by the sudden shout. One of the older ones stood up and said with displeasure:

"What are you doing? We're fishing here peacefully, why are you telling us to leave?"

The henchmen didn't care about any of that. One of them stepped forward and shoved the fisherman, saying menacingly:

"Enough talk, or we'll get rough!"

Seeing that things were not going well, the fishermen had no choice but to pack up and leave.

The underlings then threw Sister Wen directly into the sea. Watching Sister Wen splash water in the sea, the group didn't wait there any longer and turned to run away.

They kept looking back as they ran, afraid that something might happen.

The next moment, Sister Wen immediately floated to the surface. Luckily, one of the fishermen dropped something and ran back to look for it; otherwise, she would have been dead.

When the fisherman returned and saw Sister Wen floating on the water, he was startled at first, then quickly ran over and pulled her to the shore.

At this moment, Xu Rourou was like a fragile leaf swaying in the autumn wind, her body trembling violently uncontrollably.

Her once rosy cheeks were now as pale as paper, devoid of any color. Her eyes were filled with fear and confusion, as if swallowed by endless darkness. She could only mutter unconsciously to herself:

"What to do, what to do..."

Xu Wanwan was equally disheveled, slumped on the cold ground, her eyes vacant and lifeless, as if she had lost her soul.

Her once neat and smooth hair was now scattered messily on both sides of her face, and her whole state was extremely bad, as if all her life and vitality had been drained away.

Seeing this, Gao Jie coldly snorted, his voice filled with undisguised contempt and mockery.

He slightly raised his chin, staring sharply at Xu Wenfeng, and said:

"Mr. Xu, you always think you're such a great person, putting on an air of superiority and mastery in front of everyone. But look at the mess you've made of everything. At the very least, you shouldn't have pushed your own children into suffering, but you did exactly that. I'm very curious why you did it. It's not that I'm angry about certain aspects of you, or that I don't think highly of you, but the way you are now makes me feel that you are unworthy to be their father!"

Hearing Gao Jie's sharp words, Xu Wenfeng's face flushed with shame. He slowly lowered his head and couldn't help but sigh heavily, his voice filled with helplessness and regret.

"You're absolutely right. I also think I'm not a good father, but could I have predicted what would happen? I never expected the Qin family to turn things out this way. Actually, I really intended to maintain a friendly relationship with them at the beginning, you know? In recent years, the fortunes of our Xu family have been getting worse and worse, and I'm very puzzled as to why it has come to this. I've searched everywhere, trying to find a way to turn things around, but to no avail."

"But I eventually discovered that the situation was much worse than I had imagined, especially as I had anticipated. The Qin family's methods were so ruthless that they completely exceeded my expectations. In short, I have nothing more to say about the Xu family. You have seen everything, so I have nothing more to say."

Gao Jie snorted coldly, knowing that he had nothing more to say.

After all, things have come to this point, what excuses could he possibly offer?

Furthermore, what exactly is the situation now?

He knows better than anyone else!

"And I won't hide it from you, I should have been promoted a long time ago, but I just didn't know how to curry favor with my superiors. I only knew how to bury myself in work and stick to my so-called principles, which led to this situation. I often reflect on this late at night, and I regret it. I shouldn't have ended up like this, but what's the use of my regret now? Actually, I think it's useless for me to regret it now. Anyway, things have already turned out this way. As for who can understand what I've been doing, that's beyond imagination, don't you think?"

As Gao Jie spoke, he leisurely picked up a can of beer from the somewhat dilapidated table next to him, which was piled with clutter.

He gently shook the beer can in his hand, making a soft "clink" sound, then casually handed it to Xu Wenfeng, staring intently at him, and said:

"So what are your plans next? You've really angered the Qin family now, do you think they'll let you off the hook?"

Xu Wenfeng was still immersed in his regret and confusion when he heard these words. It was as if a fuse had been lit, and his body tensed up instantly. He immediately lost his temper.

A flash of anger and resentment crossed his eyes. He suddenly stood up, and the chair behind him creaked and fell backward.

He held the beer can high with both hands, as if it were an outlet for all his anger and helplessness, and slammed it heavily onto the table.

The force was so great that the beer can collided violently with the table, making a loud "bang," like a thunderclap exploding in the oppressive atmosphere.

The foam in the beer can gushed out instantly, splashing everywhere, with a few drops even landing on Xu Wenfeng's face, which was trembling slightly with anger.

"I wasn't so upset when you didn't bring it up, but now that you've mentioned it, I'm even more devastated. Do you even know what kind of mess you've made?"

Xu Wenfeng's voice trembled noticeably, and his chest heaved violently, like a trapped wild beast making its last struggle.

"I had everything in perfect order. I was carefully maneuvering between the Qin and Xu families, like walking on a precarious tightrope, every step fraught with danger. I was trying to find a balance, to secure a glimmer of hope for the Xu family. I dared not give up even if there was only a sliver of hope. Every day I was strategizing how to deal with the Qin family's difficulties and how to protect the Xu family in this complex situation."

As he spoke, he paced back and forth in the room, his steps hurried and disordered, as if he were racing against his inner anxiety and helplessness.

"But you've made all the problems worse. Those delicate relationships I'd worked so hard to maintain have been completely ruined by you. Did you even consider the consequences? Now everything's destroyed. All my efforts have been in vain, leaving me utterly helpless. Tell me, isn't this your fault? Anyway, I've already made things this bad, what's the point of going on and on? No matter how much I struggle, I can't find a way out, so what's the point anyway?"

Seeing Xu Wenfeng's near-out-of-control state, Gao Jie sighed inwardly. He knew that Xu Wenfeng was now blinded by despair and self-blame.

He quickly stepped forward, reached out and grabbed Xu Wenfeng's arm tightly, pulling him back forcefully, fearing that he might do something rash.

"I hope you don't overthink things. After all, you should be aware of the situation. The Qin family's methods are ruthless, but we're not without a chance. You should know what will happen next. Although the situation is critical, we can't just give up like this."

Gao Jie paused briefly, looked firmly at Xu Wenfeng, and continued:

"Alright, don't take it to heart. You have to find a way out for your daughters. Look at them now. Can you bear to let these two live in fear and uncertainty all the time? They are still young and have a bright future ahead of them. As their father, you can't just abandon them like this."

Upon hearing this, Xu Wenfeng seemed to be suddenly awakened, and a trace of rationality gradually returned to his eyes.

He nodded slowly, his body no longer trembling as violently as before, though his tone still carried a hint of weariness and helplessness:

"You're right. I'll find a way out for my daughter. But my mind is too confused right now. I need to be alone and think about what to do next."

Seeing that Xu Wenfeng had calmed down a bit, Gao Jie didn't say anything more. He knew that Xu Wenfeng needed some time and space to sort out his thoughts. So, he turned around and silently left the room, gently closing the door behind him.

The room fell silent, leaving only Xu Wenfeng standing there blankly, staring at the beer can he had slammed on the table, his eyes empty and lost.

But not long after Gao Jie left, a sudden commotion of shouts erupted outside.

Someone shouted at the top of their lungs, their voice filled with terror and surprise.

Gao Jie was walking slowly down the corridor, still thinking about Xu Wenfeng, when he heard the shout and was startled.

Without a second thought, he turned around and hurried after him. When he reached the outside of the room, he found that Xu Wenfeng had vanished.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Xu Wenfeng had jumped into a car parked in the yard.

Xu Wenfeng's movements were somewhat flustered, yet also resolute. He quickly started the engine, the car emitted a low roar, and then sped away, leaving Gao Jie standing there, watching the departing car with a furrowed brow and a worried expression.