The end of the world is approaching, I'm handing myself over to the country.

Chi Zhengyang's gaze swept over Xiao Wang's anxious face.

Then the gaze fell upon Chen Feng, who stood like a pine tree by the door, and a soft laugh suddenly escaped his lips.

"You two arrived just in time."

He waved to the guard at the door and pointed to Zhan Wenyao on the sofa next to him.

"Help Elder Zhan to the rest room next door. No one is allowed to disturb him without my order."

"yes!"

The guards immediately stepped forward and carefully helped Zhan Wenyao, who was still in a state of great emotional turmoil, to his feet and led him to the lounge next door.

Once the door to the lounge was closed, Chi Zhengyang looked at the two people still standing there.

"Come in, all of you."

Xiao Wang and Chen Feng entered the office one after the other.

"Click".

Chi Zhengyang closed the heavy office door behind him and locked it.

This made Xiao Wang, who was already a little out of breath, jump in surprise.

Chen Feng stood there without saying a word, but he was already on high alert.

He keenly sensed that the atmosphere in the air had completely changed the moment the door lock clicked shut.

No, perhaps even earlier, but he's only now realizing it.

A sudden, inexplicable sense of unease arose within me.

"Elder Chi, what brings you here?" Chen Feng spoke first, breaking the silence.

Chi Zhengyang didn't look at him, but turned his head and stared intently at Xiao Wang on the other side.

He just watched, without saying a word.

Time passed by, second by second.

The office was eerily quiet; the only sound was the soft breathing of three people.

A bead of cold sweat slowly slid down Xiao Wang's forehead, dripping onto his collar and leaving a small, dark stain.

This silent oppression is more suffocating than any harsh interrogation.

Xiao Wang could no longer bear this torment.

He even forgot why he came to find Chi Zhengyang.

He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, turned his body slightly to the side, and made a gesture as if he wanted to leave.

"Mr. Chi, I... I have other matters to attend to. If you have nothing else to attend to here, I'll take my leave now. Please feel free to contact me if you need anything."

As he spoke, he carefully moved toward the door.

"Xiao Wang."

Chi Zhengyang finally spoke, interrupting Xiao Wang's actions, his words as calm as if he were chatting with an old friend.

"Do you remember how long you've been following me?"

This sudden expression of concern made Xiao Wang's heart feel as if it had been gripped tightly by a large hand, causing it to suddenly contract.

However, he dared not show it at all, and tried his best to remain calm. After thinking for a few seconds, he answered with a smile.

"Reporting to Elder Chi, I have been following you ever since I first arrived at the army."

"Later, when you were transferred here, I followed you here."

"If you do the math, it's been a full thirteen years now."

Upon hearing this, Chen Feng, who was standing quietly to the side, glanced back and forth between Chi Zhengyang and Xiao Wang.

He didn't speak, but his feet subtly shifted half a step to the left.

He positioned himself precisely between Chi Zhengyang and Xiao Wang, while also getting closer to Chi Zhengyang.

Chi Zhengyang seemed oblivious to Chen Feng's subtle actions; his attention remained fixed on Xiao Wang.

With a nostalgic smile on his face, he slowly said, "Yes, time flies. Before we knew it, thirteen years have passed."

"I still remember when you first came here, you were just a clueless kid who didn't know anything, only had a foolish spirit of daring to fight."

"That winter, during a mission in the North, you dislocated your arm to protect me without uttering a sound. I only found out later when I noticed you looked unwell and had to hold you down."

Chi Zhengyang chatted about the past in a leisurely manner, mentioning Xiao Wang's past achievements, as if he were reminiscing about the past.

"It's all what I should do."

Upon hearing these words, Xiao Wang's body grew increasingly stiff, and the smile on his face completely vanished.

Large beads of sweat seeped from his forehead and the tip of his nose, which he then casually wiped away with the back of his hand.

He understands Chi Zhengyang.

The man in front of me was never one to readily discuss the past.

He's not even someone who reminisces about the past.

He lived with greater clarity than anyone else; the past cannot be changed, he only cared about the future.

If someone talks to you about the past like this, something big must have happened.

Every word was like a branding iron, searing his heart.

Chi Zhengyang seemed completely oblivious to his strange behavior, talking to himself for a while before letting out a long sigh.

The expression on his face suddenly changed at this moment; all the warmth and nostalgia vanished without a trace, leaving only a glacial chill.

"Yes, thirteen years of relationship."

"I've long considered you as my family, even as my younger brother."

Chi Zhengyang's tone changed abruptly, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop a bit.

"I don't think I've done anything to wrong you, but you've used me as a bargaining chip to cash out."

"I'm really curious, why did you do this?"

Xiao Wang trembled violently, and the words of explanation blurted out: "Elder Chi! What...what are you saying! I didn't!"

"I didn't do anything."

Chi Zhengyang raised his hand, stopping him from saying anything more.

"The doctor later told me that my wife had a difficult childbirth because she had been exposed to a very rare, slow-acting poison. Long-term, minute-level ingestion of it led to that result."

"This kind of poison requires long-term, continuous use to take effect, so the person who poisoned me must be someone close to me."

"Also, why was it such a coincidence that all the blood in the hospital's blood bank was contaminated on the day she gave birth?"

Xiao Wang's lips began to tremble, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Chi Zhengyang stared intently at him; that once incredibly familiar face now seemed so unfamiliar.

"You know, these things should be no problem for me to investigate, so why has it taken me so long?"

Xiao Wang: "..."

Chi Zhengyang: "Because I doubted everyone."

"The only thing I've never doubted is you."

"..."

The air seemed to freeze, making it difficult to breathe.

"No!"

Xiao Wang practically shouted it out. He took a step back abruptly, his body trembling violently with excitement.

"It wasn't me! Old Chi, my sister-in-law has been so good to me, how could I possibly harm her!"

He was still trying to argue, but his face was completely drained of color, and every word he uttered was filled with hysterical panic.

"Besides, I... I don't have time for that. I've been by your side the whole time! There must be some misunderstanding!"

"You have time."

Chi Zhengyang said calmly, "Don't forget, when one of my phones ran out of battery, you were the one who voluntarily borrowed a charging cable for me."

"As for the misunderstanding you mentioned."

Chi Zhengyang repeated the two words, his voice devoid of any emotion.

He turned around, walked behind his desk, opened a drawer, and grabbed a thick stack of papers.

"Splash!"

Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his arm, and the stack of papers flew through the air like snowflakes, scattering onto the ground in front of Xiao Wang.

That's a bank statement.

"Are all these overseas remittances also a misunderstanding?"