Brother Jie，Good morning

"Ajie," Xia Yunjie replied.

"Alright, wait here for a moment." The female clerk nodded at Xia Yunjie and turned to walk toward the office at the back.

Inside the office, Bald Strong was lounging on a sofa, a cigarette dangling from his lips and his legs crossed. Behind him stood his most trusted subordinate, A Biao, the driver of his Jinbei van. Next to Bald Strong sat a middle-aged man with a bushy beard—Li Chengxin, the owner of the bicycle shop. Despite his shop's name, "Honest Bike Store," honesty was the last thing Li Chengxin was known for. At least half of the bikes sold in his store were stolen goods, many of them taken from Jiangzhou University. After a quick touch-up, these stolen bikes were resold to unsuspecting university students.

As the leader of a small theft gang, Bald Strong naturally had his own fencing network, with Honest Bike Store serving as a dedicated hub for stolen bicycles. Today, Bald Strong was here to collect payment.

Bald Strong and Li Chengxin settled accounts monthly.

"Brother Strong, it's summer break, and most students have gone home. Business has been slow. Plus, I lost quite a bit gambling recently. Could you give me a little more time? I'll pay last month's amount along with this month's when school starts," Li Chengxin said with an ingratiating smile.

"Damn it, you sit in this office all day counting money and playing cards. Do you have any idea how hard it is for us to make this money? We're risking jail every single day. Do you know what my guys would think of me if I couldn't bring them their cut after all their hard work and danger? They'd rebel against me!" Bald Strong replied, his dissatisfaction written all over his face.

"Come on, Brother Strong, everyone knows you're the most loyal guy around, and your men respect you more than anyone. I promise, this is a one-time thing," Li Chengxin said, continuing to flatter him.

"Loyalty? My men? They're the best!" Bald Strong said, puffing out a smoke ring and looking rather pleased with himself.

"Of course, of course! Who in all of Jiangzhou doesn't know that Brother Strong is the epitome of loyalty?" Li Chengxin added, relieved that his words were hitting the mark.

Bald Strong, clearly enjoying the praise, was about to continue boasting when the female clerk walked in.

Seeing her, Bald Strong squinted and gave her a once-over, his gaze lingering on her ample figure. He then turned to Li Chengxin and said, "Old Li, with a pretty girl like Ah Qing working here, it's no wonder your business does so well."

"Ah Qing, what's the matter?" Li Chengxin asked, frowning slightly at the clerk. Though Ah Qing knew about the stolen goods being sold in the shop, Li Chengxin didn't like her interrupting discussions with Bald Strong.

"There's a young man outside who says he's looking for Brother Strong. His name is Ajie," Ah Qing said quickly, sensing Li Chengxin's displeasure.

"Ajie? Looking for me?" Bald Strong frowned deeply.

Not only did Bald Strong not have anyone named Ajie under his wing, but even if he did, very few people knew he would be here today to collect payment. Moreover, it was unheard of for someone to casually barge into a business meeting uninvited.

Li Chengxin, familiar with the unspoken rules of the underworld, looked puzzled and turned to Bald Strong for guidance.

"Brother Strong, if you don't know him, should I just send him away?" Ah Qing asked, her quick wit kicking in.

"No rush. Ah Biao, go with Ah Qing and take a look," Bald Strong instructed, waving his hand.

"Yes, Brother Strong," A Biao replied, following Ah Qing out.

The moment A Biao stepped outside and saw Xia Yunjie standing in the shop, he shuddered uncontrollably. His skin crawled as he thought, This guy again? He's like a ghost that won't go away! Yesterday evening, I ran into him at dinner, and now, here he is, walking into our meeting spot like it's nothing!

Despite his internal panic, A Biao didn't dare show any hesitation. To Ah Qing's astonishment, he rushed forward, plastered a nervous smile on his face, and greeted Xia Yunjie, "Brother Jie! Good morning!"

"Brother Jie?" Ah Qing's eyes widened in shock. This casually dressed young man was someone even A Biao, Bald Strong's trusted lieutenant, was calling "Brother Jie"?

Xia Yunjie walked past the stunned Ah Qing and directly into the office, sitting down on the sofa without a word.

Seeing Xia Yunjie's stern expression and hearing the cold tone in his voice, Bald Strong instinctively reached for the gold chain around his neck. His mind flashed back to the terrifying scene of Xia Yunjie casually bending a steel pipe like it was a toy. Beads of sweat started forming on his shiny bald head.

"Brother Jie, there's no need to call me that. If you need anything, just say the word," Bald Strong stammered, wiping his forehead and forcing a smile.

Both Ah Qing and Li Chengxin were stunned. Bald Strong, the feared gang leader, was trembling like a schoolboy in front of this young man. Li Chengxin, who considered himself well-versed in underworld affairs, couldn't recall any notorious "Brother Jie" in Jiangzhou, let alone one so young. He was utterly baffled.

Seeing that Bald Strong was being cooperative, Xia Yunjie's expression softened slightly. "Don't flatter yourself. Do you think I enjoy coming here in this scorching heat just to see you?"

Bald Strong wanted to cry. Big brother, I'd rather you didn't come to see me either!

Out loud, he quickly said, "Of course, of course. Please, have a seat. I'll get you some water."

"I'll do it!" Ah Qing, eager to diffuse the tension, hurriedly grabbed a cup of water and handed it to Xia Yunjie. "Brother Jie, here's your water."

Xia Yunjie, still holding onto some irritation, took the cup with a slight smile. "Thanks," he said, his tone softening.

Ah Qing's heart raced as she looked at Xia Yunjie's boyish grin. This was no ordinary young man—this was "Brother Jie" of Jiangzhou's underworld! Flustered, her face turned bright red. "You're welcome, Brother Jie," she stammered.

Sipping the water, Xia Yunjie set the cup down on the coffee table and got straight to the point. "I bought a new bike yesterday, a Yongjiu brand. Last night, I parked it outside Blue Night Bar on Nanshan Road. When I finished work and came out, it was gone."

Li Chengxin and Ah Qing, overhearing this, felt like they were watching a slapstick comedy. Seriously? This intimidating "Brother Jie" came all this way over a stolen bike? And a Yongjiu brand, no less? They couldn't believe their ears.

But Bald Strong felt like crying. Does this mean every time something of his gets stolen, it's automatically my fault? What if he loses a car next time? Will I have to replace that too?

Despite his despair, Bald Strong immediately cursed loudly, "Which blind fool had the guts to steal Brother Jie's bike? Don't worry, Brother Jie, I'll find that bastard and skin him alive! As for the bike, Old Li here has plenty of top-brand models like Giant. Pick any one you like—it's on me!"