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

The busy tone after the call ended was like a cold needle, piercing Li Weiguo's eardrums again and again.

He slumped in the driver's seat, remaining motionless for a long time.

Before the tears on her face had dried, new cold sweat seeped out.

"Come pick me up in your car at eight o'clock tomorrow morning..."

Zeng Long's calm, almost cold voice echoed repeatedly in his mind, each word carrying immense weight.

To go or not to go?

What should we say when we get there? Should we just lay our cards on the table?

"That's right, you're the child our Zeng family has been missing for eighteen years?"

He wouldn't dare! Without the explicit instructions from the old man and Zeng Sheng, how could he dare to ask?

If the child is provoked, the consequences could be disastrous!

Not going? Absolutely not!

Since that kid has already become suspicious and pointed it out directly, there's absolutely no way to avoid it.

Given his abilities and stubbornness, if I break my promise, who knows what more intense and uncontrollable methods he might use to seek an answer!

Panic, hesitation, fear, and a hint of indescribable excitement...

A mix of emotions churned and surged within him, almost tearing him apart.

He suddenly started the car and, almost instinctively, drove it wildly back to the Zeng family courtyard in Dongshan.

He had to report this to his old superior immediately; he couldn't wait a minute longer!

It was already late at night, but the Zeng family study was still brightly lit.

When Li Weiguo, pale and disoriented, staggered into the study and incoherently recounted Zeng Long's phone call and his own speculations, the air in the study instantly froze.

General Zeng's hand, holding the purple clay teapot, froze in mid-air, his brows furrowed.

Zeng Sheng suddenly stood up from the sofa, his fists clenched, his knuckles making a soft "crackling" sound.

He Jing's face turned deathly pale in an instant. She clutched her chest, swayed, and almost fainted before Zeng Sheng caught her.

"He...he really asked that? Call you...call you Uncle Li?"

He Jing's voice trembled uncontrollably, and tears instantly filled her eyes, brimming with immense anticipation and even greater fear.

"Yes...yes, sister-in-law...he...he must know..." Li Weiguo's voice was choked with sobs.

A deathly silence.

All eyes were on General Zeng.

The old man slowly put down the teapot, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, sweeping over the panicked group of people.

The silence lasted a full minute before he slowly spoke, his voice deep and steady, yet carrying an undeniable authority:

"What's the panic!"

In short, it acted like a stabilizing force, slightly stabilizing the situation that was on the verge of collapse.

His question was both a probe and a way of giving us a starting point.

This shows that he is not completely sure, or rather, he has not figured out how to deal with it.

The old man's mind raced. "What he needs now is not a family that rushes to claim kinship, but... an attitude."

"Dad, what about tomorrow..." Zeng Sheng asked anxiously, his eyes filled with worry.

"Go! We have to go!"

The old man said firmly:

"Weiguo, be sure to pick him up on time tomorrow."

"It's like taking in an ordinary junior, a nephew or niece you need to take care of."

Answer whatever he asks.

"But remember, only say what you know, only say what you should say."

"Do not bring up his background, and do not make any explanations or promises on our behalf."

"What if... what if he asks directly?" Li Weiguo's voice was weak.

"If he asks directly..."

A complex and extremely painful expression flashed in the old man's eyes, which ultimately turned into a sigh:

"Then tell him that some answers require him to come to the Zeng family in person so we can explain them to him face to face."

"Tell him that the Zeng family's doors will always be open to him."

"But whether he comes in, and when he comes in, is up to him to decide."

This was an extremely difficult decision.

This is tantamount to handing over the initiative of choice entirely to that child whose heart is filled with ice and scars.

Upon hearing this, He Jing's tears flowed even more fiercely, but she bit her lip tightly to prevent herself from crying out loud.

She knew that this was the only, and most respectful, way to do things for her son.

Zeng Sheng hugged his wife tightly, his eyes heavy, and finally nodded heavily.

No one in the Zeng family slept that night.

The next day, at 7:50 a.m.

Li Weiguo's car stopped precisely in front of the state guesthouse.

He was dressed casually, but the bruises and haggard face betrayed his anxiety from a sleepless night.

He kept glancing at his watch, his palms sweating profusely.

At 8:00 sharp, the hotel's revolving door began to turn.

Zeng Long came out.

He was still dressed in simple black casual wear, carrying that tactical backpack, and wearing sunglasses that concealed all his emotions.

He walked steadily to the car, naturally opened the passenger door, and got in.

"Good morning, Minister Li." His voice was flat and emotionless.

"Good morning." Li Weiguo felt his throat tighten and could barely speak.

He took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound normal, "Have you...have you had breakfast?"

"I've already eaten." Zeng Long fastened his seatbelt, glancing through his sunglasses at Li Weiguo's tense profile. "Let's go."

The car smoothly merged into the traffic.

The atmosphere inside the car was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Li Weiguo gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands, staring straight ahead, not daring to turn his head, feeling that every breath he took was incredibly difficult.

Finally, Zeng Long broke the silence first, speaking as if in casual conversation, but posing the most crucial question:

"Minister Li, I forgot to ask yesterday. Are you very familiar with General Zeng Sheng of the Zeng family?"

Here it comes! Li Weiguo's heart skipped a beat, and he almost stepped on the wrong gas pedal.

He forced himself to remain calm and answered in as natural a tone as possible:

"Yes, we're very close. We...we're childhood friends, we grew up together, and we joined the army together. He's like a brother to me."

"Oh," Zeng Long responded, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the car window, as if he were thinking or waiting for more information.

Silence descended once more.

A few minutes later, Zeng Long spoke again, this time with a more direct question:

"I heard that the Zeng family...lost a child eighteen years ago?"

Li Weiguo felt his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

His Adam's apple bobbed, he swallowed hard, and cautiously answered as instructed by the old man:

"...Yes. Many people in Beijing's social circles know about this. The child was switched at birth in the hospital. It's a deep-seated worry for the Zeng family."

"Did you find it?" Zeng Long's voice remained calm, but Li Weiguo seemed to be able to feel the sharp, knife-like gaze behind the sunglasses.

"...It was only discovered in recent years, and we currently have some clues."

Li Weiguo's voice was hoarse:

"But...the situation is complicated."

"That child... has suffered a lot outside."

"The Zeng family... especially Zeng Sheng and his wife, are feeling extremely pained and guilty."

"They dare not confirm, let alone acknowledge... they are afraid... afraid that the child will not be able to bear it and will drift further away."

As he spoke, his voice involuntarily betrayed genuine emotion—the heartache he felt for his brother.

Zeng Long fell silent. He turned his head and gave Li Weiguo a deep look through his sunglasses.

Li Weiguo was so nervous that he could almost hear his own heartbeat.

However, Zeng Long did not continue to ask "Is that child mine?"

He simply turned his head slowly, looked back at the endless stream of cars in front of him, and said calmly:

"Pain and guilt... solve nothing."

These words were like a cold pebble thrown into a still lake, causing Li Weiguo's heart to sink.

He didn't know how to respond.

After a while, Zeng Long spoke as if to himself, his voice so low it was almost inaudible:

"Some doors... are not so easy to knock on. Some roads... once you see the end, you don't know which way to go."

For the first time, his tone revealed an extremely subtle sense of bewilderment and weariness that was completely out of character for his age and temperament.

Li Weiguo was deeply shocked!

He understood instantly!

The old man was absolutely right!

This child, he guessed the truth, and may even be close to confirming it!

But he stopped! He wasn't ready!

That mental defense, built up over eighteen years of hardship and vigilance, is too thick and too heavy!

What he needs is not an answer, but time and... courage.

A long silence fell over the car once again.

This time, Li Weiguo no longer felt suffocating pressure; instead, he felt a deep, indescribable heartache.

Looking at the young man beside him, who seemed to carry the entire world on his shoulders, he finally mustered his courage and whispered a sentence, no longer as an order, but from the bottom of his heart:

"Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, or... just want some peace and quiet, Uncle Li... I'll be there."

Zeng Long's body seemed to stiffen very slightly.

He didn't turn around, nor did he answer.

But behind those sunglasses, his eyes churned with a turbulent struggle and confusion that no one could see.

The car continued moving forward.

The destination seemed clear, but the road ahead was shrouded in a thick, impenetrable fog.