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

Under the same sunlight, as Zero struggled and honed his skills amidst the bloodshed of his overseas fortress—

In the Zeng family mansion in the capital of the Dragon Kingdom, the boy who took his place is sliding into the abyss along a completely opposite trajectory.

Zeng Linglong—we'll still call him that for now—

Under the complex emotions of the Zeng family's powerful influence and the doting affection of Zeng Sheng and He Jing!

He has grown into a complete spoiled brat.

He is like a plant that has been over-fertilized but whose roots and stems are rotting; it looks good on the outside but is already corrupt inside.

In that private school in the capital city, where the children of the powerful and wealthy gathered, Zeng Linglong was a little tyrant whom no one dared to mess with.

During class, he openly slept and played on his phone. If the teacher dared to remind him, he would glare at them sideways and lazily say:

"What's all the noise about? Believe me or not, I'll have my grandpa talk to the board and you won't need to come in tomorrow!"

Once, a new young teacher tried to criticize him for not completing his homework. Zeng Linglong grabbed the inkstone on the table and threw it at the teacher, splashing ink all over him.

Not only did he show no remorse, but he also pointed at the teacher's disheveled appearance and laughed at his classmates:

"Look! Doesn't it look like a crow that's fallen into a stinking ditch?"

The school contacted the parents multiple times, but the matter always ended without resolution.

The Zeng family's contributions to the country and its people acted as an invisible barrier, keeping all blame and punishment at bay.

The principal could only express his opinion to Zeng Sheng in a tactful way:

"Linglong...has a rather strong personality, so we hope his family can provide him with more guidance."

In Zeng Linglong's view, the so-called "guidance" was nothing more than meaningless preaching.

Within the family, Zeng Linglong displayed this arrogance to the fullest extent.

He lacked basic respect for his grandparents.

Although the old man still retained his authority, he restrained himself somewhat, but often sneered behind his back:

"That old man is so long-winded."

He took his grandmother's love for granted and even disliked her nagging and avoided talking about her.

He was even more domineering and arrogant when interacting with his cousins.

When playing with models together, he has to have the best one;

If he lost a game of chess, he would overturn the chessboard.

At the slightest disagreement, they resort to fists and kicks, letting the wicked accuse first.

He relied on his father's favor and never paid attention to his other brothers and sisters.

What's most chilling is his attitude towards his twin sister, Zeng Lingyu. He snatched her toys, broke her cherished dolls, and deliberately disrupted her piano practice by making noise.

Once, just because his younger sister received a compliment from an elder at a family gathering, he secretly poured ice water down her neck and laughed triumphantly as he watched her scream and cry.

He Jing tried to stop him, but he retorted, "She's a woman, she'll get married someday, what's the point of praising her? I'm the future of the Zeng family!"

Grandpa Zeng and Grandpa Yan were sworn brothers. As early as when Zeng Linglong was born, they arranged a marriage between him and Yan Ruge, the granddaughter of the Yan family.

Yan Ruge is still a simple and kind-hearted girl. She was already a beautiful girl when she was ten years old. Because of this, she often comes to the Zeng family to play.

Despite his young age, Zeng Linglong already knows how to utilize this relationship.

He was extremely fond of Yan Ruge and regarded her as his "possession" and "tool".

He frequently made unwanted physical advances towards Yan Rugo, ostensibly to "cultivate feelings," but in reality, it was to satisfy his twisted possessiveness and curiosity, which frightened the young girl into constantly dodging him.

What's even worse is that he often tricked Yan Rugo into taking the blame for him.

"Ruge, you're the best! Help me say that the kitten knocked this (broken antique vase) over, okay? Next time I'll take you to buy the biggest strawberry cake."

"Ruge, if Grandpa asks who hid his pipe, just say you didn't see it, okay?"

Yan Ruge often nodded in confusion because she was sensible and was fooled by the "benefits" he promised, resulting in her being blamed innocently many times.

Although Grandpa Yan doted on his granddaughter, he didn't investigate further at first, out of consideration for their old friendship and the fact that it was just children "playing around".

How could all of this be kept from the experienced and discerning old master of the Zeng family?

He had hit him, whipping Zeng Linglong's buttocks hard with a rattan cane used in family discipline;

He scolded Zeng Linglong so harshly that Zeng Linglong dared not raise his head.

But after being punished, Zeng Linglong appeared meek and submissive on the surface, but he quickly reverted to his old ways and even became more outrageous.

He had a precise grasp of the family's bottom line—as long as he didn't cause an uncontrollable mess, the Zeng family would ultimately protect him.

As Grandpa Zeng looked at his increasingly outrageous grandson, his eyes grew deeper and more filled with disappointment.

Sometimes he would be alone in his study, lost in thought, looking at the military knife and old photographs hanging on the wall, muttering to himself:

"My Zeng family was known for its iron will and valor, how could it all end like this...? I was full of hope that I could contribute to the country, but is it just the end of my Zeng family's fortunes...?"

The most painful thing was for Zeng Sheng and He Jing.

Zeng Sheng, as a father, was authoritative yet powerless. He tried to discipline his child strictly, but He Jing always couldn't help but protect him.

"The child is still young, we can teach him slowly! Why are you yelling at him!"

Zeng Linglong had long since figured out his mother's weakness. Every time he made a mistake, he would run into He Jing's arms and cry and complain about his grievances, shirking all responsibility, which made He Jing's heart even more biased.

He Jing's pain was even more complex and profound.

She doted on her son to the point of blindness, making excuses for him time and time again, and not believing the "bad things" others said.

But when the night is still and quiet, looking at her sleeping son's features, which don't resemble her, her husband's, or her daughter's, a strange emptiness and palpitations always come over her.

Especially when her son displays extreme selfishness and cruelty, the excruciating pain of having her heart inexplicably pierced and her internal organs being torn apart will recur.

She hugged her son tightly, trying to dispel the unfounded panic with her body heat, but deep in her heart, there was a question she dared not even touch herself:

Is this... really my Long'er?

Why can't I feel that blood connection? Instead, I only feel endless exhaustion and a... indescribable sense of unfamiliarity?

Her maternal love had nowhere to go, turning into indulgence and protection, which instead became a breeding ground for Zeng Linglong's malignant growth.

The Zeng family's magnificent mansion, though outwardly glamorous, is secretly harboring an unspeakable anxiety and crisis due to the imposter heir.

The true gem, meanwhile, is currently mired in a distant quagmire, forging its resilience and character—the very qualities necessary to inherit it all—in blood and fire. Such is the irony of fate.