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

After Gao Jie safely escorted the person back to their destination, he looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, and tried to ease the tension in his nerves caused by the series of events.

He silently sorted out his plans in his mind, and after a moment, he decided not to delay any longer and immediately embark on a new journey.

Just then, Huang Xu, who was standing next to him, showed a very strange and inappropriate silly smile. The smile was distorted and exaggerated, and in Gao Jie's eyes it was like an unsolvable riddle.

"Are you alright? Did you eat something you shouldn't have?"

Gao Jie asked with a look of suspicion, his brows furrowing slightly, his eyes filled with worry and deep confusion.

Huang Xu shook his head slowly, his movements as deliberate as a slow-motion replay in a movie, yet his eyes gleamed with an indescribable excitement.

"No, I just saw two mice fighting. Don't you think it's funny?"

Huang Xu's tone carried a strange hint of cheerfulness.

Gao Jie looked on in surprise. He instinctively scanned his surroundings and found the place to be peaceful and tranquil, with no signs of rat activity, let alone any fighting.

He couldn't help but wonder to himself if the kid had accidentally eaten some kind of hallucinogenic mushroom, which was why he was having such absurd hallucinations.

Huang Xu's current demeanor was far too abnormal, and Gao Jie really didn't want to waste time and energy on this meaningless matter. In his mind, continuing to communicate with Huang Xu like this would not only consume a lot of time, but would also likely annoy him with his illogical and inexplicable words, disrupting his original plans and rhythm.

So Gao Jie resolutely turned around and strode away, his steps firm and powerful, each step carrying a determination to get rid of the current situation, wanting only to get away from this confusing situation as soon as possible and return to his predetermined schedule.

Gao Jie strode steadily out of the mountains. Along the way, his mind was like a projector, constantly replaying the various complicated events he had recently experienced. Those people and events flashed by like movie clips, plunging him into deep thought.

After arriving at the roadside, he stood there quietly and patiently waited for the bus for a while.

As the bus slowly pulled up, he boarded and quickly and carefully put on a mask, then neatly changed his clothes. He thought to himself that being more cautious was much better than being completely careless before.

He sat on the bus seat, his eyes occasionally drifting to the window, watching the ever-changing street scene, but his thoughts had already wandered far away, immersed in reviewing past experiences and imagining the unknown future.

However, not long after, Gao Jie inadvertently noticed that there seemed to be a car following the bus closely in the distance.

A sense of surprise welled up in his heart, and his brows furrowed slightly involuntarily, but he only paid a little attention to it and did not investigate further.

After all, his mind was occupied by too many other important things at the moment, and he really couldn't spare the energy to carefully consider the purpose and intention of the car.

The bus finally arrived at the terminal. After getting off, Gao Jie hurried off and headed straight for Hei Long's residence without hesitation.

He thought to himself, at this time of day, that kid should be sleeping comfortably at home, right?

Relying on his memory, Gao Jie navigated the familiar streets and quickly found Hei Long's residence.

To his surprise, Heilong, who usually seemed carefree, was actually playing cards with his girlfriend in the house.

Of course, we were playing a proper poker game.

Gao Jie went up and knocked on the door. After knocking for a while, Hei Long slowly came to open the door. He thought it was his underlings coming to deliver something.

When Heilong saw Gao Jie, a delighted smile instantly appeared on his face, and he hurriedly and warmly invited Gao Jie into the house.

"Boss, I didn't expect you to come back. What's your situation? When did you get back here?"

As Heilong spoke, he looked Gao Jie up and down with curiosity, his eyes full of concern and excitement.

"Let me tell you, the situation is really complicated now, and things aren't simple either. I didn't let you down with the brothers before; we actually accomplished something."

As Gao Jie walked into the house, he spoke, his eyes revealing a hint of pride and exhaustion.

"By the way, do you know how many times we've expanded our original territory?"

As they were talking, Heilong's girlfriend obediently went to get Gao Jie some food and beer. Gao Jie only politely took a sip of water and didn't accept anything else.

His gaze inadvertently fell on Black Dragon's girlfriend. The girl was tall with long, slender legs and fair, snow-white skin. Her eyes, in particular, were clear and bright, as if they held endless stories and could speak. Just a glance from her was enough to exude a unique charm.

Gao Jie looked at her and felt that this girl looked somewhat familiar, so he kept searching his memory.

Just then, Black Dragon laughed, a smile tinged with smugness and sweetness.

"Boss, I won't lie to you, my girlfriend goes to the same school as you, so you should know her."

Black Dragon said with a smile, his eyes full of doting affection as he looked at his girlfriend.

"Her name is Guo Furui."

Upon hearing the name, Gao Jie tried hard to recall it in his mind. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead, and the name came to mind instantly.

Isn't that the prettiest girl in the class next door?

Back in school, I often heard my classmates mention her name; she was the goddess in the hearts of many boys in the school.

"Interesting. How did you end up with her? I didn't realize you were so capable!"

Gao Jie joked, a rare smile appearing on his face. He chuckled, scratched his head sheepishly, and then sat closer to Gao Jie, seemingly wanting to share his sweet love story with his boss.

"Our story is quite complicated. His parents owed me a lot of money, and it wasn't a small amount. Later, they were really desperate, so they simply had their daughter work for me to pay off the debt. At first, I didn't pay much attention to it and just thought of it as having an extra helper. But who would have thought that after spending a lot of time together, we would find that our personalities were actually quite compatible, and before long, we just ended up together in a daze."

As Heilong spoke, a happy smile spread across his face, and his eyes were full of love for his girlfriend.

"Xu Wenfeng has been transferred, and his nemesis has now climbed up the ranks. I went to great lengths to prevent him from taking his anger out on us and trying to wipe us out!"

Black Dragon's smile faded, his expression turned serious, and his eyes revealed a hint of relief and helplessness.

In fact, Gao Jie had already guessed this situation; such things are inevitable in the vortex of power transition.

After all, on that stage full of conflicts of interest and power struggles, who wouldn't eliminate dissidents first after taking power?

Those who harbor ambitions, once they gain power, will inevitably ruthlessly eliminate their former rivals or potential threats, all in order to consolidate their position and clear obstacles from their path.

However, the person on the other side was promoted, which was a bit unexpected for him.

Gao Jie thought to himself, "Logically speaking, we really gave them a hard time back then."

In their past open and covert struggles, the two sides were unwilling to give in to each other, which created a lot of animosity between them.

Now that they've climbed up, don't they just come back down? It's like a hidden bomb that could explode at any moment, bringing them utter destruction.

Thinking of this, Gao Jie couldn't help but frown slightly, because he felt that there must be a lot of trouble hidden behind this matter, like undercurrents surging beneath a calm sea, seemingly calm but actually full of dangers.

Moreover, as things stand, the situation is far more complicated than we imagined.

In the end, it all comes down to that territorial dispute. If it weren't for that trigger, things probably wouldn't have turned out this way.

In the struggle for that territory, the various forces were at each other's throats, using all sorts of means, with open and covert struggles and conspiracies emerging one after another.

Now, all these consequences haunt them like a ghost, refusing to dissipate.

"Actually, things were quite difficult back then. By the way, how's your relationship with your arch-enemy now?"

Gao Jie asked with a frown, his eyes filled with concern and worry, after all, this concerned their future situation.

Heilong rubbed his chin, seemingly recalling the details of his interactions with his mortal enemy.

"It's not bad. Although we're mortal enemies, he still gives you face most of the time. Besides, I took action before he could mess with me, taking care of all his people and then handing over their profits to him."

A sly glint flashed in Black Dragon's eyes. This preemptive strike not only demonstrated his decisiveness and wisdom but also mitigated the immediate crisis to some extent.

Black Dragon is quite quick-witted; compared to the average boss, he is exceptionally outstanding.

He was very clear about what all of this represented, and he also knew what problems he had anticipated when he took action.

In that complex and ever-changing world of martial arts, every decision is like a gamble, and Black Dragon is always able to make a relatively wise choice after weighing the pros and cons.

He knew that when facing a powerful opponent, one could not act recklessly; one had to know how to use strategies in order to survive in a perilous environment.

He also had to try his best to consider what was hidden beneath the surface of the current situation.

Moreover, once the other party has accepted the benefits, it won't be so easy for them to cause trouble.

It's like a delicate balancing act, with both sides testing and restraining each other.

In the end, this matter was resolved, and the situation was much simpler than imagined.

But at that moment, Gao Jie suddenly seemed to remember something, because Xu Wenfeng had three mortal enemies: the mayor's nephew, and another businessman who had also climbed up the ranks.

But he told Black Dragon before he could even ask him.

"The mayor is in trouble too. I heard he was ousted because he failed to handle problems properly. After he left, everything in this city really changed. Your parents probably know this best. Now their salaries have shrunk by another 3%."

Heilong's tone carried a hint of helplessness and sigh. The change of power in the city was like a storm, sweeping through and affecting everyone's life.

"If this continues, everyone will be driven to the brink of despair, and at that point, I'm afraid no one will survive."

Gao Jie said with deep concern, his eyes revealing worry for the city's future and sympathy for the lives of ordinary people.

"By the way, boss, are you planning to leave again after you come back this time? If you're not planning to leave, I'll take you to meet the new mayor. He's quite capable, and he's recruiting people right now, so it seems like he needs more manpower."

Heilong looked at Gao Jie with a hint of expectation in his eyes. He hoped that his boss could stay and continue to make a name for himself in this ever-changing city.

Gao Jie fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

On the one hand, he knew all too well how deep the waters of this city ran, and that once caught in the vortex of power, it would be difficult to escape.

On the other hand, he was also thinking about his future direction and how to conduct himself if he stayed here.

He really didn't plan to leave this time, but he had no interest in the new mayor's recruitment efforts.

Having worked his way up in this city for many years, he had developed a unique style of doing things and principles that he did not want to easily break.

Moreover, Gao Jie could foresee the awkwardness and predicament he might face if he rashly sought refuge without understanding the situation, and he might even find himself in a dilemma.

Seeing that Gao Jie was hesitating, Heilong quickly reminded him.

"It's okay, as long as you go, leave everything to me. Everything will be fine, okay?"

Heilong patted his chest and assured him, his eyes filled with confidence and anticipation. He was determined to bring Gao Jie to his side and work with him to seek greater development in the city.

Gao Jie gently patted his shoulder and said earnestly:

"Thank you for this, but it's not necessary right now. I can still live, so there's no need to cause trouble for others, right?"

Gao Jie's tone was firm; he didn't want to get into unknown trouble because of a momentary impulse.

"I only came here to see you. I'm also planning to buy some things to take back with me. Don't worry, I'll come see you again when I have time. Also, you have to be careful these days. I'm worried that some people might try to harm you."

Gao Jie's eyes revealed his concern for Heilong. In this complex situation, no one knew what would happen next.

Black Dragon, however, seemed indifferent, waving his hand dismissively.

"Don't worry, no matter how powerful they are, would they dare mess with me? But speaking of which, your good brother has been quite formidable lately. I remember his name is Ah Niu, right?"

Black Dragon raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise and envy on his face.

"He's now a high-ranking official in charge of education. You should go and meet him when you have time. He's a hundred times better than before."

Heilong's words contained both praise for A Niu's achievements and a hint, seemingly reminding Gao Jie that the people around him were constantly changing and evolving, and that he should also consider making new choices.