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

"We're all in this together now, there's really no way to distinguish between you and me anymore, so I think you shouldn't take this too seriously."

Gao Jie leaned forward slightly, looking at Sister Wen with sincere and firm eyes. His gaze seemed to carry a power that could penetrate people's hearts, trying to dispel any gloom and unease that might exist in Sister Wen's heart.

"Look, the current situation is like a turbulent sea, where we, a few lone boats, have been mercilessly swept into the same whirlpool, our fates already inextricably intertwined. Those petty grudges and conflicts of the past are utterly insignificant compared to this life-or-death crisis. The only thing we can do now is to set aside our past grievances, join hands, and focus all our energy on overcoming these difficulties."

"Don't worry, I know the situation, and they know it too. They definitely won't let you suffer too much. Don't keep this to yourself, and don't keep it bottled up inside."

Gao Jie's voice was steady and powerful, each word like a reassuring pill, slowly settling into Sister Wen's heart.

His expression was serious and earnest; his slightly furrowed brows and tightly pursed lips showed how much he valued and was determined to handle the matter.

He knew that Sister Wen had just gone through a terrifying ordeal, and was exhausted and frightened. What she needed most at this moment was the comfort of security and trust.

After saying that, Gao Jie asked A Bao and the others to come in and keep Sister Wen company for a while.

Meanwhile, the Xu sisters, Huang Xu, and Huang Muran had been waiting for quite some time.

The Xu sisters huddled together in a corner, like two frightened fawns.

Xu Wanwan's eyes still held a deep sense of fear and unease. Her once bright eyes now appeared somewhat empty and lifeless, as if her soul had been ripped away by fear.

Xu Rourou held her sister's hand tightly, her small hand trembling slightly, as if she was trying to pass on a sliver of strength to herself and her sister, attempting to find a trace of warmth and support in this cold fear.

Huang Xu leaned against the wall with a helpless expression, his face full of fatigue and frustration, as if he felt extremely confused and helpless about this sudden change.

Huang Muran stood quietly to the side, her eyes deep and calm, as if she were thinking about something important. Beneath her calm face seemed to lie a undisturbed heart, silently planning a countermeasure.

After Gao Jie sat down, his brows furrowed slightly. His fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound, as if it were the accompaniment to his rapidly working brain.

"Now here's the problem: we need to take one more person with us. It was already difficult for the five of us, but now that there are six of us, it'll probably be a bit more challenging."

His voice was low and solemn, his gaze slowly sweeping across everyone's faces, as if assessing each person's reaction. "The hardships along the way are far beyond our imagination."

Adding one more person means adding another burden, another risk, and another variable.

But Sister Wen is a partner who fights alongside us, a friend who shares our joys and sorrows, and we must not abandon her at this critical moment.

Even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, we will overcome them together.

"In addition, my grandfather has a house near Jincheng, where we can stay temporarily."

Gao Jie slightly raised his head, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Although the house is located in a remote area, surrounded by overgrown weeds and with inconvenient transportation, it has the advantage of being extremely secluded. The house is surrounded by a dense forest, which acts as a natural barrier, isolating it from the outside world. Moreover, I lived there for a period of time when I was a child, so I am quite familiar with the surrounding environment. I still remember the nearby paths, hills, and streams very well. This will help us temporarily evade the Qin family's relentless pursuit and buy us some breathing room."

Gao Jie paused slightly, his eyes becoming even more serious, like stars in a cold night, gleaming with a cold light.

"However, we must avoid any infighting along the way, otherwise no one will be able to leave, and we will all die without a burial place. The Qin family is watching our every move closely, hoping that cracks will appear within us so they can reap the benefits. We must be as united as a clenched fist, thinking and working together to have any chance of survival. Any small conflict or dispute could be the last straw that breaks the camel's back, leading to our utter destruction."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Huang Muran's eyes lit up, as if a flash of inspiration had suddenly struck him, and he quickly reminded him:

"When we leave, we must not make any noise. Also, we need to make it seem like we're going in the opposite direction. What do you think? This might confuse the Qin family and prevent them from figuring out our true intentions. We can pretend to be heading in the opposite direction to create some illusions, such as deliberately leaving some traces at the wrong intersections, or having some unimportant people spread some misleading information to make the Qin family think we are fleeing to another place, thus diverting their attention."

Gao Jie shook his head slightly and sighed helplessly, his sigh filled with fear and resignation towards the Qin family's power.

"I know, the Qin family is probably already watching us. Going against their will won't work. Their spies are everywhere, like an invisible net, tightly enveloping us. Any trick we play could be seen through by their keen observation. Let them watch us head to Jincheng openly; they might think we're going somewhere else. Sometimes, the most dangerous place is the safest. By deliberately revealing our destination to Jincheng, we might arouse their suspicion, making them think it's a trap, and thus change their tracking direction. It's like a psychological game; we need to understand the Qin family's thoughts while keeping them guessing about ours."

Upon hearing this, the group nodded thoughtfully, seemingly agreeing with what he said.

Huang Xu suddenly sighed, his face full of regret, his expression like that of a child who had lost his beloved toy.

"What a pity! I worked so hard to earn so many credits, and now I can't use any of them. Can you tell me if the school can refund my tuition? I was looking forward to a wonderful campus life, thinking I could graduate smoothly, find a good job, and live a stable and peaceful life. But now everything has vanished, and all my efforts over the past few years have been in vain."

His voice carried a hint of self-mockery and helplessness, and his helpless smile was full of bitterness.

When Gao Jie and the others heard this, they were first taken aback, and then suddenly laughed. Gao Jie walked up and patted Huang Xu's big head, the action carrying a hint of intimacy and teasing.

"Dude, what time is it now? You're still thinking about credits? You're completely delusional. The school has probably already been threatened by the Qin family, and they'll be receiving news of our expulsion soon. The Qin family's influence is everywhere; they have deep roots in both the legitimate and criminal worlds. How could the school dare to disobey them? In their eyes, we're nothing but ants. They can easily control every aspect of our lives, leaving us nowhere to escape."

Gao Jie was right; sure enough, they were fired soon after.

When Gao Jie received the dismissal notice, he had a bitter smile on his face, a smile full of bitterness and helplessness.

He stared at the cold notification message on his phone screen, his heart filled with emotion:

"I don't understand how things got to this point. It's really terrible. We were just ordinary people living ordinary lives, but we were dragged into this thrilling and unpredictable conflict, and our fates have been completely changed. Like an innocent little bird suddenly caught in a storm, we can only struggle helplessly."

However, their plan is already very well prepared, and they can escape in the next couple of days.

Gao Jie meticulously examined every detail, like a meticulous craftsman carefully sculpting a work of art that concerned life and death.

From vehicle preparation to route planning, from material reserves to contingency plans for possible emergencies, he carefully considered everything, daring not to be careless in the slightest.

He rehearsed every step in his mind, considering all possible contingencies and devising countermeasures. As for other issues, they were temporarily irrelevant to them. Once everything was prepared and Sister Wen's condition had improved considerably, they quietly drove onto the highway in one car.

Meanwhile, Boss Qi kept a close eye on their situation. He stood on his own turf, his eyes revealing a hint of worry and determination.

He knew the Qin family's power and understood the dangers of Gao Jie and his group's trip, but he still chose to trust them and arranged for reliable brothers to ambush near the Qin family. They would attack the Qin family immediately if anything seemed amiss.

In this way, it would inevitably become a case of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao".

Old Qi clenched his fists tightly, his eyes fixed firmly on the distance, silently praying in his heart:

"I hope they can reach Jincheng safely and escape this calamity. That's all I can do; the rest is up to fate. May heaven take care of these poor children and give them a chance to survive in this chaotic world."

However, the Qin family remained inactive, which puzzled Qi Laoda. He frowned, his eyes filled with doubt and confusion.

Logically speaking, the Qin family would never let Gao Jie and his group off easily, but the current calm is quite unusual. Gao Jie and his group have returned safely, though they were on tenterhooks the whole way, fortunately without encountering any pursuit or interception from the Qin family.

Later, Qi Laoda sent someone to investigate privately. It turned out that Qin Xianglong and Qin Hailong's wives were fighting over the inheritance, and the two were having a huge argument.

Qin Xianglong displayed ruthless methods in this dispute. He showed no mercy and forced his sister-in-law to hand over all her inheritance. If she refused, he would arrest all of her family members to threaten her.

His cold and ruthless demeanor made it seem as if kinship was worthless in his eyes, and he did things that were utterly immoral.

Many members of the Qin family condemned his behavior, shaking their heads and sighing, pointing and whispering behind his back. However, they only condemned him and did not take any other substantial action.

After all, Qin Xianglong's power in the Qin family is growing, and he is ruthless, so no one dares to provoke him easily.

Qin Xianglong was indeed no simple man. After acquiring the property, he actually used a portion of it to shut up his uncles. His generous gesture left his uncles, though still dissatisfied, with no room for further discussion.

Then he meticulously orchestrated a staged adultery case, kicking his sister-in-law out of the family and leaving her with no place in the clan.

The tragic thing is that Qin Hailong's wife was run over and killed by a truck shortly after she walked away. This sudden accident shocked everyone and became the talk of the town, with all sorts of speculations and rumors circulating.

But if the problem ended there, it would be easy to resolve. Unexpectedly, Qin Hailong's sister came back and argued with Qin Xianglong.

Qin Hailong's sister was also a stubborn person who refused to give up the family's rights easily and argued fiercely with Qin Xianglong.

Unfortunately, Qin Xianglong was too shrewd. He used his power and connections within the family to send his sister to prison as well, depriving her of the ability to resist.

In this way, the Qin family's affairs finally came to an end, and the family temporarily returned to a state of apparent calm, but beneath that calm, undercurrents were surging.

However, the Qin family's problems do not lie in this, but rather in many other issues.

Qin Xianglong is currently mired in family affairs and has no time to deal with his grievances with Gao Jie and others.

Because he still had many businesses to deal with, which were like a tangled mess that required him to spend a lot of energy to sort out and integrate, he didn't think about that for the time being. Instead, he wanted to win as soon as possible and consolidate his position in the family and his power in the business world.

More than half a month has passed since then, not to mention that his business has not yet been fully stabilized, and he is exhausted and in a mess.

He looked haggard, his eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was disheveled. He often worried about piles of documents and accounts late at night, and his body and mind were in a state of extreme exhaustion.

Meanwhile, Gao Jie and his group had already returned to Beijing, a journey that took five days by car.

Although everyone was exhausted from the journey, they were filled with relief at surviving a disaster. Upon their return, they went straight to the old house.

The area around this old house is quite quiet, almost entirely nestled in the mountains, like a secluded paradise.

There is a crystal-clear stream at the entrance, and the babbling water sounds like a beautiful symphony played by nature.

The surrounding area is filled with lush forests, birds sing merrily in the branches, a gentle breeze rustles the leaves, and the air is filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.

This is the small house left by my grandfather. Although it is not big, it is full of rustic charm.

Just enough for the two of them to share a room, while Huang Xu and Gao Jie had to share another room. Sister Wen would have her own room, and the Xu sisters would share a room.

After settling everyone in, Gao Jie got some water and tidied up the house, pulling out all the weeds.

He rolled up his sleeves, picked up a hoe, and vigorously cleared the weeds from the yard. Sweat streamed down his face, but he didn't care. He only wanted to restore some life to the house.

Upon receiving the news, Wang Fang and Gao Zhanlin rushed over as quickly as possible to bring their son a lot of food and drink.

They hurried along the winding mountain road, their hearts filled with worry and concern for their son.

The couple were a little confused by the sight of a large group of girls, especially when they saw Xu Wanwan.

A hint of doubt flashed in Wang Fang's eyes as she secretly pondered the relationship between these girls and her son.

Wang Fang then went over and spoke to the Xu sisters. Although she couldn't tell which was Wanwan and which was Rourou, she remained very polite. With a kind smile, she asked warmly:

"Girls, you must be tired from your journey. Are you settling in well here?" Wang Fang was particularly enthusiastic because she was certain that one of them would be her future daughter-in-law.

As for other matters, Gao Zhanlin didn't care. He only reminded them that there was supposedly treasure in the nearby mountains, and they should be very wary of others. His expression was serious, and his eyes revealed a hint of vigilance.

"The economy has been bad these past few years, and many people have come to this mountain to search for treasure. You must be very careful. Don't be fooled by how polite this person is to you. If necessary, you can turn against them and drive them out of this valley. Most of those treasure hunters are greedy people who will do anything for profit. You must not let your guard down."

"In short, you must not let your guard down. That's all I have to tell you. Also, please be very careful. Wild animals sometimes appear in this area at night. Wild animals roam these mountains, especially at night. Wolves, wild boars, and the like can all pose a threat to you, so try not to go out at night and make sure to lock your doors and windows."

Gao Jie nodded and said:

"Alright, Dad, I understand. You don't need to worry about it anymore. You should go back with Mom now. We'll come to you if we have any problems later, okay?"

Gao Zhanlin nodded and secretly left him 1000 Alliance Coins. He knew his son was in a difficult situation and wanted to give him some financial support.

Gao Jie refused outright, because he currently had several hundred thousand yuan in his hands, given to him by Sister Wen.

He smiled and said to his father, "Dad, I have some money here. You can keep it for yourself."

Gao Zhanlin and Wang Fang didn't stay long before turning back. They looked back every few steps, their eyes filled with reluctance and worry.

Huang Xu, on the other hand, insisted on getting a wooden stick to prepare for fishing; his excited appearance was just like that of a child.

Gao Jie almost burst out laughing, teasing, "You're supposed to be an expert, why would you need to go fishing? I'll show you how."

The three women looked over curiously, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Gao Jie held his breath, holding something about 20 or 30 centimeters long in his hand, and quietly looked into the distance.

His gaze was focused and resolute, as if he were one with the surrounding nature.

It wasn't until it noticed something amiss that it suddenly hurled the object. The movement was swift, precise, and executed in one fluid motion.

The next moment, a large fish was pierced through the belly and slowly floated towards the shore.

"Brother, you're amazing!" Huang Xu exclaimed, his mouth agape in surprise, his eyes filled with admiration and envy.