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

The laughter gradually faded away in the study of the Zeng family's courtyard house, leaving only the lingering aroma of tea.

General Zeng sat alone in his armchair, squinting, his fingers tapping his knee absently.

He even started humming the long-forgotten Peking Opera piece "Dingjun Mountain":

"...This letter came at just the right time; Heaven is helping Huang Zhong to achieve his goal..."

His aged yet powerful voice conveyed a sense of ease and joy after shedding a heavy burden.

The huge weight that had been pressing on his heart for the past few years seemed to have been shattered by his grandson's reckless yet sharp-edged style of doing things, making him so happy that he just wanted to drink three cups of wine.

The study door was gently pushed open. Old Madam Zeng, Lin Fen, walked in carrying a small teacup, her face showing a mixture of worry and surprise.

"Old Zeng?"

She called softly, placing the teacup beside her husband.

"What's making you so happy?"

"It's been so many years since I've heard you sing opera."

"What great news brought Wei Guo and Sheng'er here just now?"

She looked at her husband's face, which was almost beaming with joy. His wrinkles had smoothed out, and his eyes were brighter than those of an elderly man. She was even more puzzled.

The old man opened his eyes, saw his wife, and his smile widened. He grabbed Lin Fen's slightly thin hand and patted it firmly.

"Fen! Our grandson! Linglong! He's back! Back to the Dragon Kingdom! Hahaha!"

"You're back? Really?!"

Lin Fen's eyes lit up instantly, and she excitedly grasped the old man's hand in return.

"Where is he? Where is he? Is he alright? Is he thin?" A barrage of questions rushed out.

"Great! Absolutely fantastic!"

The old man was beaming, as if he had become ten years younger.

"A dragon among men! This is definitely it!" He gave a thumbs up. "Our Zeng family has a worthy successor! No, a true dragon has emerged!"

He pulled his wife down to sit and recounted, in detail and vividly, the situation that Li Weiguo had just reported.

From the "buddy uncle" at the airport to the "firepower reconnaissance" in the car.

From the hotel's "lavish spending" and "thunderous strike," every detail is explained clearly.

Lin Fen covered her mouth and laughed in surprise after a while, laughing until tears came out.

"Oh my, this little rascal! Just as mischievous as his dad was when he was a kid!"

A moment later, she gasped for breath, her heart aching, and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.

"This child... how much hardship must this child have endured to develop such skills and cunning...?"

When she heard Zeng Long's cold killing intent and the words "dead parents," her heart felt like it was being pierced by needles, the pain almost suffocating her, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

But in the end, all the emotions transformed into unparalleled pride and excitement.

She gripped her husband's hand tightly, her voice choked with emotion yet unwavering:

"Good! Good boy! This is the kind of person our Zeng family has! Courageous and resourceful, with a clear sense of right and wrong! Just like you! And just like his father!"

The old man nodded smugly, as if all the credit belonged to him.

Lin Fen wiped away her tears, let out a long sigh, and her tone became gentle and full of hope.

"So, old man, let's not rush things now."

"It's good that the child is back. He's in the capital, and Xiao Weizi is taking care of him. We can take it slow and he'll eventually feel the warmth of home and accept it."

"He was suffering inside..."

Her words were full of love and rational planning.

However, the instant she finished speaking—

General Zeng's smile suddenly froze!

He looked as if he had been struck by lightning, his pupils suddenly contracting!

The excitement and exhilaration of the moment receded like the tide, replaced by a rapidly rising, almost terrifying, awakening!

"No...that's not right!"

He suddenly stood up, his face instantly becoming extremely serious, even showing a hint of panic!

"What's wrong, Lao Zeng?"

Lin Fen was startled by his sudden change and stood up as well.

The old man seemed not to hear, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth on the blue brick floor with fast and heavy steps.

It felt as if what they were stepping on wasn't the ground, but rather burning red-hot charcoal.

The old man muttered to himself:

"We were wrong...we were all wrong...that kid led us astray! We overlooked...the most crucial thing..."

He abruptly stopped, his cloudy old eyes flashing with a sharp, knife-like light as he stared directly at the red secure telephone on the table.

He practically lunged forward, grabbed the receiver, his fingers trembling slightly with urgency, and quickly dialed Li Weiguo's number.

The phone rang four or five times before being answered. Li Weiguo's slightly tired and puzzled voice came from the other end, with the faint sound of traffic in the background.

"Old Chief? You're still not resting? We just parted ways not long ago, is there something urgent?"

The old man didn't bother with pleasantries at all; his tone was so urgent, almost to the point of losing his composure, and he spoke extremely quickly:

"Weiguo! Where are you now? Stop the car! Pull over immediately!"

Li Weiguo, on the other end of the phone, was clearly taken aback by the old man's tone and instinctively replied:

"Oh, okay, okay!" Then came a sharp screech of brakes.

"Commander, what's wrong? What happened?" Li Weiguo's voice also became tense.

The old man took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, but the anxiety in his words was undeniable:

"Wei Guo, listen up! We, including me, have all been tricked by that brat!"

"I was completely fooled by his joking, lawless facade!"

"We overlooked the deepest and most fatal temptation behind all his actions."

Li Weiguo held his breath on the other end of the phone, his heart inexplicably pounding wildly.

The old man analyzed the situation at lightning speed, each word like a hammer blow to Li Weiguo's heart.

"Your behavior today was extremely unusual."

"You are not receiving an important overseas returnee in your capacity as Minister of State for Security."

"You are receiving your long-lost nephew, who has suffered greatly, as an uncle and an elder."

He calls you "bro".

Instead of getting angry, you bargained with him to call you "uncle"!

"He joked that he'd make you kneel on a keyboard, and you were just resigned to it!"

"He even stealthily took your identification and wallet right in front of you—the Minister of State Security's identification! This is a huge deal!"

"This is something that could immediately trigger the highest level of security alert!"

"But what about you?"

"You're just pretending to be upset about your wallet!"

"I just feel ashamed!"

"You showed no anger or willingness to investigate as a minister."

Why?

"Just because you know he's my grandson!"

"It's your brother Zeng Sheng's son!"

"You feel in your heart that the Zeng family owes him something!"

"You personally feel sorry for him too!"

"So you indulged them without limit, you could even say... spoiled them."

The old man's words were like ice water poured over Li Weiguo's head, instantly chilling him to the bone!

His palms were covered in cold sweat as he gripped the steering wheel!

Yes! How could he not have thought of that?!

His reactions were completely unlike those of a security minister!

This is a complete dereliction of duty by an elder who dotes on their younger relatives.

"And then there was more!"

The old man's voice grew increasingly heavy:

"He deliberately went on a spending spree, ordering a table full of dishes that would cost more than your annual salary. You were just heartbroken, but didn't stop him!"

"His conflict with Wang Tianhao unleashed such terrifying killing intent."

"Your first reaction was not to take control of the situation and clarify responsibilities, but to unprincipledly favor him, appease him, and even promise to 'explain' to him."

"Weiguo! Tell me!"

"What if it wasn't Zeng Long who returned today, but another 'Zero' with the same background and the same abilities?"

"Would you react this way?"

"Just because he saved Professor Lin, would you condone his violation of safety regulations, challenge the minister's authority, and disregard the bottom line of the law?"

"No! Absolutely not!"

The old man answered his own question, his voice resolute:

"You will be highly vigilant, and you will handle matters strictly according to the law."

"You will secretly assess his danger level and may even take necessary monitoring and restriction measures!"

"Instead of acting like a spoiled, clueless parent who indulges their bratty child, as I am today."

There was a deathly silence on the other end of the phone, broken only by Li Weiguo's heavy, suppressed breathing.

"so,"

The old man's conclusion fell coldly, like a final judgment:

"He sensed something was off from the moment you told Baroque you would personally pick him up from the airport."

"His deepest test was not the overt security measures, surveillance, or China's attitude."

"He reacted through your unusual, emotionally charged, and overly formal manner."

"I've already tested whether you want to know about his past."

"Either you know his background and have a deep emotional connection with the elders who are connected to his background."

"And I think he's already ruled out his past, so there's only one possibility—"

"He probably already guessed it!!!"

"You know more or less about his background; at least you should have some information about it."

"He will definitely use his resources, such as that 'little sparrow'."

"Take a thorough investigation into your background, your social connections, and who you have ties with!"

"He doesn't need to tap your phone; after all, you're the Minister of State Security, and he won't take that risk."

"Because he just wanted to find clues about his background. If he secretly wiretapped your phone, that would be a different matter."

"Since he has already understood your concern and good intentions towards him, he won't hurt you and can only look for clues through other channels."

"So all he needs to do is find out who you have an unusual relationship with."

"Then the investigation will eventually reveal that you have close ties with the Zeng family, and coincidentally, my Zeng family's grandson went missing eighteen years ago..."

"Trust me, Weiguo."

The old man's voice carried a hint of weariness and lingering fear:

"He'll definitely contact you within an hour."

"Not as the Minister of Security, but as an 'elder,' I'm confronting you face-to-face!"

What he wants is final confirmation!!!

pat!

On the other end of the phone, I heard the sound of a cell phone slipping and hitting the floor of the carriage.

Immediately following was Li Weiguo's near-collapse, tearful muttering, filled with endless regret and horror:

"I...I actually...I actually...exposed his biggest weakness to him with my own hands..."

The old man sighed and said:

"This is not your problem."

"It's because you care about him too much and value him too much that you're completely unprepared."

"And wouldn't his monstrous mind sense it?"

The night was deep, and Li Weiguo, inside the car, seemed to have all his strength drained away, leaving only endless helplessness and a bitter smile.

Inside the study of the courtyard house, General Zeng slowly put down the phone. His body swayed slightly, but Lin Fen, who rushed forward to support him, held him firmly.

The elderly couple exchanged a glance, both seeing the fear and unspeakable heaviness in each other's eyes.

The game of chess never stops.

The young chess player had already seen through the true nature of all the pieces on the opposite side of the chessboard.

At that moment, he was on the phone with Little Sparrow, investigating and checking all the clues.