The Rise of a Special Forces Soldier Abandoned by a Wealthy Family

In the eastern suburbs of Beijing, there is a courtyard house that has weathered many storms and exudes a profound sense of history.

The place appears peaceful, but today there is an unusual tension permeating the air.

There were several times more sentries, both visible and hidden, than usual, silently keeping watch, and the air seemed to be thick with solemnity.

The main hall inside the courtyard was brightly lit.

At the head of the table sat an elderly man with white hair, dressed in an old-fashioned Zhongshan suit, sitting upright.

His face was gaunt, etched with the lines of time, but his back was ramrod straight, and his deep eyes still shone with an undeniable majesty and a sharp glint forged in the crucible of blood and fire.

He was the pillar of the Zeng family, General Zeng Rong, and next to him was his wife, Lin Fen.

The lower seat was filled with the core members of the Zeng family.

Zeng Sheng sat in the seat closest to the elderly man.

His wife, He Jing, a middle-aged woman with a gentle demeanor but pale face and her hands tightly twisting a handkerchief, stood close to him.

Also present were Zeng Ting, Zeng Ling, and Zeng Qiang.

In addition, there are Zeng Lingyu and her siblings, Zeng Wen, Zeng Xuan, and Zeng Ke.

And several of his uncles and cousins ​​who held important positions in the military and political circles.

Everyone's face was filled with tension, anticipation, and a tremendous fear of their hopes being dashed.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; only heavy breathing could be heard.

"Squeak—"

A sharp screech of brakes broke the silence outside the courtyard.

Almost immediately, Minister Li Weiguo rushed in.

He didn't even have time to salute the old general, nor did he have time to greet everyone.

He rushed straight to the tea table in front of General Zeng—

He carefully placed the photo, which he had been holding so tightly that it was almost hot, in front of the old man.

"Old commander...you...you should take a look at this..."

Li Weiguo's voice was filled with the excitement of driving all the way—

He was breathing heavily and trembling.

All eyes instantly focused on that small photograph!

General Zeng's cloudy yet sharp gaze slowly lowered and landed on the photograph.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The old man's originally steady figure swayed almost imperceptibly.

His hands, covered with age spots and once commanding thousands of troops, began to tremble slightly uncontrollably.

This book was first published on 2020s.com, providing you with a reading experience free of errors and disordered chapters.

He reached out to pick up the photo, but his fingertips recoiled sharply as soon as they touched its surface, as if the photo were burning hot.

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, reached out again, slowly picked up the photo, and brought it close to his eyes.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

The old man stared at the photograph without moving, as if trying to imprint the person in the photo into the depths of his soul.

Everyone in the hall held their breath, their hearts pounding, staring intently at the old man's every subtle reaction.

Sudden--

A single, murky tear slipped unexpectedly from the old man's deep-set eye, landing on the mahogany coffee table and splashing into a tiny water droplet.

Then came the second drop, the third drop...

The old man didn't make a sound, but his silent tears were more heartbreaking and shocking than any loud wailing.

"Dad!" Zeng Sheng stood up abruptly, his voice choked with emotion.

"Old man!" Everyone gathered around anxiously.

General Zeng raised his other hand and waved it slightly to indicate that he was alright.

He tried hard to control his emotions, but his lips trembled violently.

He gently stroked the cold, young face in the photograph with his fingertips, again and again, as if touching a priceless treasure that had been lost and found again.

"So alike...so very alike..."

The old man's voice was as hoarse as a broken bellows, and every word seemed to be uttered with all his might:

"Those eyebrows..."

"The stubbornness in those eyes..."

"With Xiao Sheng when he was young..."

"Exactly the same..."

"And this bridge of the nose..."

"Like his grandmother..."

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes brimming with tears yet his gaze sharp as he looked at Li Weiguo:

"Weiguo! Where is this child?! Where did this photo come from?! How... how has he been all these years?!"

Seeing the old man struggling to suppress his emotions, Li Weiguo felt a lump in his throat, took a deep breath, and calmed himself before reporting to his superior:

"Old Chief, please don't get agitated, let me explain slowly. This kid... his current code name is 'Zero'."

"Zero?" Zeng Sheng frowned, seemingly finding the code name somewhat familiar. He then recalled a video of an airport hostage rescue that Zeng Ling had received, which had always been the Zeng family's top secret. Could it be the same person?

"Yes!" Li Weiguo's tone turned serious.

"He is Zero, the ace of the infamous 'Hellfire' mercenary group, feared throughout the international underworld, and the soul of Squad Zero!"

"What?! It's him?!" Zeng Sheng exclaimed in shock, his expression changing instantly!

As a high-ranking military officer, how could he not have heard of the legend of "Zero"!

That's a taboo name, comparable to a humanoid fighter jet!

The other people in the hall who knew the weight of "Zero" also gasped in shock!

His face was filled with disbelief and shock!

The child who went missing from the Zeng family... could very well be that evil spirit?!

Li Weiguo nodded emphatically and continued:

"This photo was sent to me by Baroque, the leader of Hellfire."

"That was around the time Professor Lin was rescued and brought back to China."

"Baroque was video calling me just now and he was talking about Zero..."

"He is about to come to our Dragon Kingdom's capital alone, his purpose being to find out about his origins."

"According to Baroque, eighteen years ago, he found this child in a garbage dump in the capital, around this time!"

"Garbage dump..." Upon hearing these three words, He Jing could no longer hold back and let out a mournful cry. She covered her mouth tightly with her hand, tears streaming down her face, and her body went limp as she collapsed into her husband's arms.

Zeng Sheng held his wife tightly, his eyes bloodshot, his jaw clenched, and his facial muscles twitching. He was almost overwhelmed by immense heartache and anger!

Their great-grandson was abandoned in a garbage dump?!

How did he survive those eighteen years in such a bloody and dark environment?!

They simply couldn't believe it!

"Is there...any other...more specific evidence?"

"Judging solely by appearance and the passage of time... this old man's heart... is truly unsettled!"

"Yet I fear this hope..."

The old man didn't finish his sentence, but his intense longing and fear of disappointment were clearly evident.

Li Weiguo immediately understood the old general's caution, and he replied promptly:

"Old Chief, I understand! Baroque only provided the time and place. I'll contact him again on the spot to ask carefully if there are any other clues or characteristics!"

"Quick! Ask now!"

General Zeng urged impatiently, gripping the armrests of the armchair tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force.

All the Zeng family members held their breath, their eyes fixed on Li Weiguo.

Li Weiguo took a deep breath, took out another satellite phone with a higher level of encryption, and solemnly pressed Baroque's number.

"Beep...beep...beep..."

The monotonous waiting tone echoed in the utterly silent hall, each note striking everyone's heart like a heavy hammer blow.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely, each second filled with torment and anticipation.

General Zeng's breathing became heavy, and He Jing gripped her husband's arm tightly, her nails almost digging into his flesh.

Finally, the call was answered.

"I'm saying, Minister Li!"

Baroque's voice, tinged with obvious confusion and a hint of impatience at being interrupted, was in English:

"What are you doing? You hung up the video call like a madman, and now you're calling back from a different number?"

"Mr. Baroque, please speak Chinese."

Li Weiguo said in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the Zeng family members whose eyes were full of expectation.

There was a pause on the other end of the phone, followed by a switch to fluent Mandarin with a slight Beijing accent (as an international mercenary leader, being proficient in several languages ​​is a basic skill):

"Sure, I can manage a few sentences in Cantonese if you ask me. Minister Li, what's going on? I'm busy right now."

Li Weiguo steadied himself and tried to keep his tone calm:

"Mr. Baroque, to be honest..."

"After our video call, based on the information you provided about Number Zero—"

"He was found in Beijing eighteen years ago, and his approximate age closely matches the situation of a child that my old friend lost years ago."

"Moreover, when I look at his photos, he does look about 70% similar to my friend when he was young."

"That's why I lost my composure a bit and hung up the phone in a hurry."

"Now, my friend's family and I are here, and they are very eager to know: when you found that child, besides the time and place, was there anything else... that could identify him?"

"Or any specific details?"

"Identity symbol? Or special details?"

Baroque pondered on the other end of the phone, seemingly trying to recall:

"Well... there really isn't one."

"I heard a noise near the garbage dump. When I went over, I saw a tiny baby wrapped in a tattered blanket. He was already dead."

"I'm just a roughneck, all I was thinking about was how to save this brat, I didn't have time to carefully examine whether there were any signs or not..."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall felt their hearts sink, and their faces showed immense disappointment and frustration.

He Jing's tears fell silently again. Zeng Sheng hugged his wife tightly, his brows furrowed into a knot.

General Zeng's eyes dimmed slightly, and his grip on the armrest loosened a little.

Li Weiguo also felt immense pressure. Looking at the expressions of everyone in the room who had fallen from the peak of hope, he almost couldn't bear it.

"Sigh..." He sighed helplessly.

Just then, Baroque's voice came through the phone again. This time, his tone was unusually low and serious, even carrying an unprecedented solemnity:

"Minister Li..." Baroque's voice was very low:

"Actually... this matter isn't entirely unverifiable."

"Originally, this was a top secret agreed upon by me, Jianmo, Xue Yan, and the other two old guys."

"Originally, I planned to create this as a... memorial after Zero had settled down, started a family, and fully matured!"

"Or rather, a wake-up call was given to him."

"Let him know that the path of the strong is destined to be paved with thorns and hardships."

He paused, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, before finally making his decision:

"Since Minister Li says it's very likely that his family has been found, given your position and the nature of your work, I believe you wouldn't do anything reckless. Fine, I'll do one last thing for that kid and help him find his roots."

The people in the hall held their breath instantly, their hearts leaping into their throats once more!

Baroque's voice was extremely serious:

"Minister Li, what I'm about to give you are photos that Zero has been taking intermittently since the moment I found him, as well as video footage of his later growth, training, and even... some of his combat missions!"

These words shocked everyone present! Photos! Videos! This was an unimaginable and enormous twist!

"But!" Baroque's tone suddenly became extremely stern:

"I need to make this clear to you!"

"These things are not just his personal growth records, but also involve the most core and confidential training system and methods of my 'Hellfire'."

"It even contains images of some legendary figures who have long since retired!"

"More importantly, this is entirely related to Zero's most real and brutal past!"

"Minister Li, you must assure me of your honor and responsibilities as Minister of State Security."

"These materials must be sealed and processed with top-secret clearance; you know the consequences of leaking them."

"I did this partly because I hoped to find his family."

"On the other hand, it's also because he's from China, which is perhaps a special 'gift' I'm giving to China, to help you better understand this potential 'national treasure.' But!"

Baroque emphasized his words again, warning almost word by word:

"I strongly suggest that it's best not to let people who might be his family members watch, especially those training and combat videos."

"Because what's inside... is too cruel! Far beyond the psychological limits of ordinary people! Remember! Remember!"

At this moment, the Zeng family members in the hall were already overwhelmed by the huge surprise of "having photos and videos," and their excitement and desire completely overwhelmed Baroque's warning.

They desperately wanted to see every little detail of that child's past, even just a glimpse!

"Email! Give him a secure email address with the highest access privileges!"

General Zeng's voice trembled, but he gave the order urgently.

Li Weiguo had mixed feelings, both excited to have obtained crucial evidence and deeply worried about Baroque's warning.

He quickly provided an extremely complex encrypted email address.

"Received. I'll organize it and send it to you as soon as possible... Remember my words, Minister Li."

Baroque emphasized it one last time and then hung up the phone.

The phone call ended, but an eerie silence fell over the lobby.

Hope was rekindled, but Baroque's words, "It's too cruel," hung like a dark cloud over everyone's hearts.

What kind of eighteen years will they be witnessing for a child?

Holding the scalding phone, Li Weiguo looked at the excited yet uneasy Zeng family members before him. He knew that he was about to open a Pandora's box.

It contains both the hope of confirming blood ties and the unbearable pain of truth.

The arduous wait begins again.

This time, however, they will be presented with visual evidence that strikes straight to the soul.

A word from the editor: the next few chapters will be the most exciting, and may even be a bit tear-jerking and sentimental. We suggest you have some tissues ready while reading, so don't miss it!