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

Upon hearing Black Dragon's words, Gao Jie's face instantly showed an expression of disbelief, his mouth slightly open, and his eyes full of surprise.

Ah Niu, that kid, seemed to be doing just fine before, how come he's climbed to such a high position in such a short time?

Gao Jie kept recalling what A Niu used to be like. Back then, he was just an ordinary person, struggling and working hard with everyone in this complicated city. But who would have thought that he would achieve such great success now?

Before he could figure out the reason, Gao Jie couldn't contain his curiosity and eagerness, so he got up and prepared to leave to find out.

Seeing this, Heilong quickly handed him a phone number, his eyes filled with concern and caution, and instructed him:

"Boss, take this. Contact me if anything happens. The situation is very complicated right now, and no one can guarantee what problems might arise next. We might as well make plans in advance so we have a backup plan."

Gao Jie patted Heilong on the shoulder gratefully, then turned and strode out.

Using his memories and information from others, he quickly found where Ah Niu was.

Upon seeing Ah Niu, Gao Jie thought to himself, "This kid is indeed much more impressive than Hei Long described."

Ah Niu was dressed in a well-fitting and prestigious suit, exuding confidence and authority that only someone in a high position could possess.

He has now become a very important official at the nearby university, responsible for a wide range of affairs. He has absolute say in many aspects, including teaching management, faculty allocation, and campus construction. He is a very authoritative figure at the university.

Upon seeing Gao Jie arrive, A Niu's eyes lit up, his face beaming with excitement and joy. He quickly and warmly invited Gao Jie to sit down, saying:

"Oh, boss, you've finally arrived! Please, have a seat!"

He then hurriedly turned around and retrieved his treasured tea leaves from the office, quickly and skillfully brewing them with great enthusiasm.

"It's been almost half a year since we last saw each other. How are you doing? By the way, when did you come back?"

As Ah Niu brought the brewed tea to Gao Jie, he asked with concern, his eyes full of worry for his old friend.

Hearing these words, Gao Jie sighed helplessly, a bitter smile appearing on his face, and slowly said:

"Don't even mention it. I haven't been back for very long. Anyway, things are pretty much the same now. I came back here to start over, otherwise there's not much else I can do, right?"

Gao Jie's words carried a hint of helplessness and vicissitude. After all he had been through, it was no easy task for him to get back on his feet.

Ah Niu nodded in deep agreement, then, as if recalling something amusing, a slight smile appeared on his lips as he said:

"Heilong mentioned you to me yesterday, saying you hadn't called in a long time, and I didn't expect you to come back now. Let me tell you, that guy and Guo Furui got together. Isn't that a coincidence? I never would have guessed that the two of them would have anything in common. I never thought they would end up together."

"What exactly are their motives for getting together?"

Ah Niu pressed on with curiosity, looking like a child who wouldn't give up until he got to the bottom of things, his eyes sparkling with gossip.

Seeing this, Gao Jie couldn't help but reach out and pat him on the head, pretending to be angry as he said:

"Look at you, still so gossipy! By the way, how much do you earn each month? Is it much better than before?"

Gao Jie also wanted to change the subject and not get too entangled in other people's love affairs.

Ah Niu chuckled, scratched his head, then nodded smugly and said proudly:

"Of course! My salary is much higher now, at least seven or eight times more than before. Life is much more comfortable now than it used to be."

As he said this, Ah Niu's face was full of satisfaction and relief. His smile revealed a heartfelt joy. After all, the increase in income was not just a change in numbers. It truly represented the reward he deserved for his hard work over such a long period of time.

Moreover, his annual salary is now around 200,000 yuan, which is already a considerable income. In addition, with the various bits and pieces of extra income he earns every day, he can basically reach 500,000 to 600,000 yuan a year.

When Gao Jie heard him say that, his expression changed instantly. His brows furrowed tightly, and his eyes were full of doubt. He wondered if this kid had done something he shouldn't have done to earn so much money.

After all, in this complex social environment, the desire to earn such a high income in a short period of time inevitably leads people to think in the wrong way.

But to everyone's surprise, Ah Niu seemed to have seen through Gao Jie's thoughts. He smiled slightly, a smile that was frank and confident, and quickly explained:

"Don't worry, there's absolutely no problem with this. The main thing is that I've taken on a little side job outside, teaching those students who aren't doing well academically, so they can learn our kung fu as quickly as possible."

Ah Niu spoke casually, but his eyes revealed his seriousness and importance towards this part-time job, after all, it was a business he had put his heart into.

Gao Jie suddenly realized that this was how he was making money in a legitimate way, and a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders.

In this way, it doesn't seem like a bad thing. It allows one to utilize their strengths and increase their income, which is indeed a good method.

Gao Jie patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction and said with a smile:

"Now your parents can finally rest easy, at least they can arrange things for you properly. By the way, how are your parents doing? Are they alright?"

Gao Jie asked with concern, after all, his brother's family was also someone he cared about.

Ah Niu nodded, a happy smile spreading across his face, and said:

"My parents are doing quite well. They've already taken care of everything that needed to be done. One student's parent, in an attempt to curry favor with me, even offered to help my dad find a job at the factory where he works."

As Ah Niu spoke, his eyes were full of gratitude, seemingly very grateful for the help from the student's parent.

"My dad can earn money even without working. Now he just walks around and takes walks every day. He lives a very leisurely life."

Listening to A Niu's story, Gao Jie felt that his good brother was living a really good life now, and was genuinely happy for him. So he reached out and patted him on the shoulder, saying earnestly:

"As long as you're alright, that's enough. I don't have anything important to do. I mainly came to see you, and also to wander around and buy some things to take back."

Gao Jie's words revealed his deep appreciation for this brotherhood. Although they all have different life paths, their profound feelings have never changed.

Upon hearing this, Ah Niu immediately and enthusiastically took something out of the cabinet next to him, pushed it in front of Gao Jie with both hands, and said:

"This is plum candy my mom just made a couple of days ago, it tastes amazing! Take it home and try it. Also, give me a call when you're free, I'd love to treat you to dinner, okay?"

Ah Niu's eyes were full of anticipation; he genuinely hoped to spend more time with Gao Jie.

Gao Jie smiled and nodded, then accepted the plum candy, said goodbye to A Niu, and left the school. As he walked, he reminisced about the moments he had spent with A Niu, his heart filled with emotion.

But he hadn't gone far when Gao Jie looked up and saw a familiar car in front of him. He looked at it carefully and was secretly surprised. He remembered that this was Xu Wenfeng's car.

How did I end up here?

Before he could even figure out why, the car slowly pulled up in front of him. Then, the other person rolled down the window, a knowing smile spreading across their face, and said:

"I really didn't expect to run into you here. Aren't you busy with your studies? What brings you back?"

There was a hint of mockery in his tone.

Gao Jie stared wide-eyed in disbelief, because the person speaking was the one who replaced Xu Wenfeng after he was taken away. In fact, this guy was one of Xu Wenfeng's subordinates at the time.

A complex mix of emotions welled up in Gao Jie's heart. He was surprised by the sudden appearance of the person in front of him, and he also recalled all the entanglements of the past. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.

This kid's nickname is Jin Laosan. As for his real name, no one seems to care much. Over time, no one can remember it anymore.

Upon seeing him, Gao Jie, though harboring some thoughts, remained polite and greeted him with a slightly distant smile, saying:

"Oh, it's Manager Jin. I didn't have anything important to do, so I was just wandering around. I didn't expect to run into you like this."

"I didn't expect Commander Xu's car to be yours now. How's it going? He said it was a gas guzzler. What do you think of it driving?"

Gao Jie asked casually, but his words carried a hidden meaning, as if he was intentionally or unintentionally teasing Jin Laosan about it.

Jin Laosan was a shrewd man; he immediately sensed the veiled barb in Gao Jie's words. His face darkened instantly, and he coldly snorted:

"Gao Jie, you always have a sharp tongue. I haven't even started any trouble for you yet, and you're already going against me, huh?"

His eyes showed a hint of annoyance, clearly indicating his dissatisfaction with Gao Jie's words.

"Alright, I won't stoop to your level. Xu Wenfeng, where are you now? I heard that guy got into quite a bit of trouble and has run away."

Jin Laosan suppressed his anger and changed the subject, seemingly casually asking about Xu Wenfeng, but his eyes were fixed on Gao Jie, as if trying to see some clues from his expression.

Gao Jie quickly shook his head, looking completely innocent, and hurriedly said:

"I know nothing about Xu Wenfeng's affairs. I've been busy with my own things lately, and other matters have nothing to do with me."

He didn't want to get involved in this troublesome matter for no reason, since Xu Wenfeng's affairs involved too many things, and he might end up getting burned.

Jin Laosan gave a cold laugh, a laugh tinged with disdain and suspicion, and said in a sarcastic tone:

"You're an interesting kid. Actually, I don't really have anything to say to you, I just want to chat with you for a bit."

Although he said he was just chatting casually, his expression didn't seem like he was just having a casual chat at all.

"But let me tell you the truth, Xu Wenfeng, that guy has gotten himself into a lot of trouble. If you know his situation, you'd better get things done for him as soon as possible. You mean, you absolutely mustn't get involved with him, otherwise you'll definitely suffer too, understand?"

Jin Laosan's tone carried a hint of warning, and his eyes revealed a fierce edge, as if he were giving Gao Jie an ultimatum.

"My main question is, where did Xu Wenfeng's two pretty girls go? Why haven't we heard anything about them yet?"

A glint of greed flashed in Jin Laosan's eyes. The moment he uttered those words, his intentions became crystal clear: he clearly harbored ulterior motives towards the two girls.

Upon hearing this, Gao Jie's face immediately turned ugly, a surge of anger rising within him, and he cursed inwardly:

That bastard actually dared to covet those two sisters! Gao Jie knew those two girls; they were both kind-hearted and good girls. Now, seeing Jin Laosan's true colors made Gao Jie extremely unhappy.

However, he couldn't talk about it now. After all, the situation was beyond his control, and there was no point in acting rashly. He could only swallow his anger for the time being.

Seeing that he remained silent, Jin Laosan didn't bother arguing with him anymore. Instead, he made up an excuse and said impatiently:

"Alright, I'm really busy right now, so I won't waste any more time chatting with you. Come find me sometime when you have time, and I'll show you something different, you hear me?"

As he spoke, he started the car, stepped on the gas, and the car sped away with a "whoosh".

Gao Jie subconsciously looked in his direction, his eyes revealing a complex emotion, a mixture of disgust and wariness, but he didn't say anything.

He thought to himself, "This guy is really something else. I'll have to be careful of him from now on. Who knows what kind of trouble he might cause next?"

Following Xu Rourou's suggestion, Gao Jie quickly turned around and went to buy the items. He wandered back and forth between the store shelves, comparing them with the list he had memorized, and put the snacks into his shopping basket one by one.

After all, they are a group of energetic young people who have a special fondness for snacks. How could they not buy more?

As Gao Jie imagined everyone gathered together, eating snacks, creating a lively scene, his hands moved even faster.

He was so focused on choosing snacks that he didn't notice the passage of time. By the time he realized it, it was already pitch black outside and very late.

Gao Jie had a bad feeling. He didn't care about anything else at the moment. After paying, he carried the bags of snacks and hurried back as fast as he could.

By the time he had traveled swiftly and finally returned to his original location, it was already completely dark, and the surroundings were shrouded in darkness with only a faint glimmer of light.

However, to his utter surprise, he saw a group of people gathered there from afar, and Huang Xu was the one surrounded in the middle.

Gao Jie hurried forward, taking three steps at a time, and asked loudly with a puzzled look on his face:

"What are you all doing? What's wrong with Huang Xu?"

As he spoke, he struggled to squeeze to the front of the crowd, wanting to see what was going on.

Gao Jie was shocked to see Huang Xu looking very strange. He was lying on the ground with his arms bent and outstretched, and his legs were also bent. His posture looked exactly like a big crab. He was also moving sideways from time to time, and he was muttering some words that no one could understand. He looked both funny and baffling.

Huang Muran looked helpless, shrugged, and said speechlessly:

"Don't even mention it. We don't know what he ate when you left, and he ended up like this. We wanted to find out what happened, but the kid is like this now, and he can't explain anything. Everyone is worried and doesn't know what to do."

Huang Muran's tone revealed a hint of anxiety and helplessness, clearly indicating that he had no clue about Huang Xu's current situation.