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

The night at Jingqing University, devoid of the daytime hustle and bustle, appears tranquil and profound.

The moonlight, like quicksilver, gently spilled onto the ancient buildings and lush tree canopies. A gentle evening breeze carried the moist scent of the distant lake and the faint sound of reading aloud.

The streetlights cast a warm glow on the path, where students strolled in twos and threes, enjoying their leisure time after a day of classes.

Everything was filled with the beauty and peace unique to the ivory tower.

However, in this tranquil night, in a secluded corner, hidden by tall bushes.

However, a dialogue that is completely out of place with the campus atmosphere is taking place.

Zeng Long leaned against the cold wall, the cigarette butt between his fingers flickering in the darkness.

He had a Bluetooth headset on his ear and was complaining in fluent English in a low voice, his face full of helplessness.

"Hey, little sparrow! I said, can we change our way of communicating? Or can you fucking keep your voice down?"

Zeng Long complained into the earpiece:

"I'm in a dormitory right now!"

"Not our base, which has soundproofing comparable to a bank vault!"

"With that awful voice of yours, when you get excited you want the whole world to hear it!"

"They're always saying things like 'I just hacked into the internal network of such-and-such country,' or 'We worked with our fraternal forces to take down the stronghold of such-and-such African warlord'..."

"How are my three roommates supposed to live? They think they're living in the same room as a terrorist leader."

In the headphones, the little sparrow's voice suddenly rose in pitch, sharp and filled with discontent:

"WTF?! Boss! You actually look down on me?! Then buy a house and move out!"

"Are you saving those hundreds of millions of dollars in your bank account to have babies?! Don't think I don't know your account balance."

Zeng Long scoffed, "Oh ho? You've gotten bolder, haven't you? You even dared to hack into my account to check my balance?"

The little sparrow immediately became smug:

"Tch~ (Disdainful tone) With your paltry skills, I wouldn't bother to go out of my way to criticize you!"

"Whenever you made a large sum of money, wasn't I there to count it for you? Oh wait, I meant to help you with encrypted fund transfers! Do you even need to smear me? Seriously."

Zeng Long was taken aback and shook his head helplessly.

At this moment, the little sparrow seemed to remember something, and its tone became somewhat strange:

"Oh right, boss, that idiot Tie Hanhan called me the other day, saying he wanted to borrow some money."

Zeng Long frowned and subconsciously straightened his body:

"Iron-headed fool? Why is he calling to borrow money? What happened?"

There was a hint of tension in his voice.

Although he always complains, each of these brothers who had once shared life and death with him is his Achilles' heel.

"What could possibly happen to him? (Are you kidding me?)"

The little sparrow spoke in an exaggerated tone:

"Boss, you have no idea, out of our group, he's the most damn troublesome! Didn't he go to that godforsaken place in the Middle East to 'maintain world peace'?"

"And what was the result? Before he arrived, the government forces were being soundly defeated by the anti-government forces, suffering repeated defeats but never giving up."

"The Presidential Palace almost had to be renamed!"

"After that idiot went there, I don't know if he had some kind of breakthrough or what."

"One phone call was all it took to lure Jiang Tianhua, Wu Lei, Liu Feng, Guo Wei, Tang Long, and Fang Rong—those guys who are all muscle-bound but brainless—to be his vanguard and charge into battle."

"They've summoned that repressed, brooding guy, Cold Thorn, to carry out assassinations behind the scenes again."

"And you want me to be his ears and eyes from a distance, and also provide electronic warfare support?"

The little sparrow grew angrier and angrier, her speech coming out at a machine gun speed:

"Good heavens! As soon as he arrived, he and those war gods like Jiang Tianhua led the government troops like they were on steroids."

"First came a heavy firepower assault, then a surprise attack and assassination, resulting in several brilliant victories that left the anti-government forces crying for their lives!"

"His influence over there is growing, and military leaders and the president are practically treating him like their own father. It's said that they all want to marry their daughters to him to solidify their relationship."

Zeng Long's lips twitched as he listened; the plot development was just too damn surreal.

The little sparrow continued to complain:

"And guess what happened to that idiot?"

"He actually looked at his brothers with a 'I'm doing this for your own good' expression and said:"

"Brothers, you need to build your own businesses and influence. You can't always rely on me, or you'll be too ashamed to face anyone when the boss calls!"

"So, farewell. Go do whatever you need to do!"

"Damn! What a fresh and ingenious excuse for discarding someone after they've served their purpose, for kicking them while they're down!"

"Jiang Tianhua and the others were completely stunned!"

"Cold Thorn was so angry that he sharpened his knife every night for the next few days. I suspect he really wanted to give Iron Idiot a 'permanent silence' once he fell asleep."

Zeng Long sighed, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. This was indeed something only a complete idiot would do.

He may look simple-minded, but he's more cunning than anyone else. He's only a simpleton when he's with us; outside, he's a fierce beast.

"So what's he up to this time by borrowing money?" Zeng Long asked.

"He said it was for buying weapons and equipment! He's now the second-in-command in the military, in full charge of procurement!"

"But the government is dirt poor, it has no money!"

"He wanted to pay for it himself first, as a loan to the government, and then repay it with interest later. More importantly, it would increase his influence!"

"After all, he's a foreigner, and many people have doubts about him!"

"He was calculating that once the anti-government forces were completely wiped out, he would be the biggest hero, and then he would have power, money, fame, and everything else!"

"Boss, look at him, he's as shrewd as a monkey outside, he's completely shrewd now."

The little sparrow angrily concluded:

"So! He asked me to borrow 5 million US dollars! That's all I have!"

"Damn it! After lending him the money, I'll have to hack into those terrorists' accounts to steal money to buy snacks! I'm so poor!"

After listening, Zeng Long pondered for a moment. Although Tie Hanhan's actions were a bit flashy, his approach was correct.

He began:

"Alright. At least this kid has some serious business to attend to. Here's what we'll do: I'll transfer another 3 million US dollars to you, and you can put together 8 million for him. Consider it our investment."

"Really?! Boss, I love you!" Little Sparrow's expression changed instantly, and she cheered with joy.

"Don't give me that." Zeng Long said with a laugh, then his tone became more serious.

"I roughly know what's going on with Tie Hanhan. What about the other brothers? How are they? Where did Jiang Tianhua and the others go after they left?"

The little sparrow switched to reporting mode, recounting everything as if it were its own treasure:

"Those three killers, Jiang Tianhua, Wu Lei, and Liu Feng, ran off to Africa and joined some kind of 'Imperial' armed organization. Now they seem to have become captains, leading a bunch of black guys to cause trouble every day. I heard their territory has expanded quite a bit."

"Guo Wei joined a long-established European mercenary group and became the vice-captain based on his own abilities; he's considered a skilled player."

"Those two violent maniacs, Tang Long and Fang Rong, went to a training camp in Siberia to become devilish coaches. I bet they beat those rookies so badly they can't even take care of themselves."

"Li Wuguo and Zhang Zheng are quite ruthless. They went directly to the Middle East and joined the Saipan armed forces. One became the chief of staff and the other became the deputy regimental commander. They are both powerful figures."

"Qi Liang went to North America and started a mercenary group with a North American comrade who had retired from a base. I heard that it's growing rapidly and is very well-equipped."

"And those foreigners," Little Sparrow paused:

"Danny (Italian national) went back to join the Italian Mafia and is now the head of intelligence. He's incredibly powerful, and I occasionally have to help him with some technical problems."

"Nader (French national) – even more outrageous, he went to Mexico and joined the Carter Group, and he's almost become the number two. He's ruthless and vicious!"

"Lawrence (handsome nationality) – returned to his hometown and joined the Bino family, where he's also the second-in-command!"

"But this guy is the most ambitious. He's busy fighting for territory and battling people every day, and he also secretly contacts me all the time!"

"He said that one day he'll take down his father-in-law (presumably the boss), and then he'll let you, the boss, become the leader! That's hilarious!"

Zeng Long's mouth twitched as he listened, and he almost choked on his smoke.

"What the hell... then have him help me get elected president of the United States!"

"Why be a gang leader..." He shook his head helplessly.

"But for the three of them, the days of fighting and gunfire on the battlefield were suddenly replaced by street gang fighting and wielding knives and guns."

"It's like using a cannon to kill a mosquito—a huge waste of resources, purely bullying children."

Although he was complaining, Zeng Long was actually quite pleased.

None of the brothers were idle; each of them carved out their own niche in their respective fields.

This power, when scattered, is like countless stars in the sky; when gathered... it becomes a terrifying force capable of shaking any corner of the world.

"And there's Cold Thorn, that brooding, expressionless guy!"

The little sparrow's tone became somewhat wary, yet also carried a hint of exaggeration:

"He's the strongest assassination expert after you, 'Boss,' a synonym for death!"

"He went and joined the 'Shadow' assassin organization. And what happened? Good grief!"

"He's so powerful now that even the leader of 'Shadow' doesn't dare to raise his voice in front of him, let alone give orders."

The little sparrow lowered its voice, as if afraid of being overheard:

"Why? Because everyone in the organization is afraid of him!"

"It's said that the leader had to change sleeping spots several times a night, fearing that he might accidentally have his throat silently slit by a cold thorn, only to wake up the next day to find his head and body separated!"

"Cold Assassin is now a walking nightmare in the Shadows, a true emperor of assassins!"

None of the assassins inside dared to meet or speak to him, fearing that even a glance would cost them their lives.

"Why?" Zeng Long asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because Cold Thorn himself made that statement!"

The little sparrow mimicked a cold, eerie tone:

He said... he was learning from a mentor of 'silence'.

"And that mentor's rule was—anyone who has seen his true face has gone to meet death!"

"So now, everyone in the 'Shadow' has to take a detour when they hear his footsteps!"

"He's currently ranked number one on the dark web's commission leaderboard as a 'nominal assassin,' and his prices are shockingly high."

"But very few people actually dare to place an order, for fear of accidentally displeasing him and becoming his target instead! (Honestly, that guy gives me the creeps!)"

He took a deep breath, his tone becoming serious: "Little Sparrow, please pass on a message to all my brothers."

"What's wrong, boss?"

"There might be a mission coming up in a while. Please prepare in advance and keep in touch."

The little sparrow's voice was instantly filled with surprise:

"Oh my god! Really?! Boss, are you going back to base?!"

"That's great! Without you guys, the base is as quiet as a temple, I'm so bored."

"No," Zeng Long denied, his gaze fixed on the lights of Jingqing University in the distance, his eyes deep.

"There will be missions, but I won't return to base. This time... it's for my country."

He paused, organized his thoughts, and spoke in a low voice, yet with a firm strength:

"Tell the brothers, most of us are rooted in China!"

"Returning to one's roots is inevitable!"

"Serving the country is not only an honor, but also a way for us to build up our future."

"Only when our motherland is strong can it better protect us. And when we ourselves are strong, with power and influence, we will be able to better safeguard our motherland in the future."

"This mission is an opportunity. An opportunity to demonstrate our value and let our country see our capabilities."

"If we handle things well, even if our identities are exposed later, so what? We have the powerful Dragon Kingdom standing behind us! Who dares to disagree?" Zeng Long's lips curled into a sharp smile, and his tone instantly became arrogant: Let's take them down.

On the other end of the earpiece, Little Sparrow was silent for a few seconds, then her excited voice, tinged with a hint of sobs, came through:

"Understood, boss! I'll definitely pass on the message!"

"For our motherland! And for our future!"

The call has ended.

Zeng Long stubbed out his cigarette, stepped out of the shadows, and re-entered the tranquil and beautiful night at Jingqing University.

His figure remained upright and relaxed, as if he were just an ordinary college student.

But no one knew that that phone call had stirred up a hidden and powerful undercurrent across the globe.

A grand plan for the future of the nation and the return of brothers and sisters has quietly begun on this ordinary night.