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

Inside the palace, in a heavily guarded conference room.

The air in the room was so heavy it felt as if it had been sucked out, and every breath felt like a heavy burden.

The heavy curtains blocked out the sunlight, with only a few soft yet penetrating overhead lights casting their glow.

It illuminated the mahogany table that symbolized the core of the nation's highest power.

Grandpa Chen and Grandpa Liu slumped into their chairs at the head of the long table, as if their spines had been removed.

His once meticulously styled white hair now appeared somewhat disheveled, and his forehead was covered with fine, constantly seeping cold sweat!

Their faces were ashen, their eyes unfocused; all their dignity and composure had vanished.

All that remained was immense fear and unbelievable despair.

They didn't even dare to look up at the elderly people in the main seats.

Grandpa Wu and Grandpa He sat on the other side, their faces equally serious, their lips tightly pressed together, their eyes shifting between Grandpa Chen and Grandpa Liu and the head of the table with complicated expressions.

Their hands unconsciously clenched slightly, revealing the intense turmoil within them—

It was a feeling of relief at surviving a disaster, mixed with shock at the current situation and a lingering fear of the choices I had made.

Because they had just witnessed a top-secret document marked "SSSS" (higher-level access)—

Although their rank allowed them access, the contents of the document still struck them like a thunderbolt, leaving them shaken and feeling as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

The file title is cold and jarring:

[Decision on awarding Comrade Zeng Long the honorary title of "Hero of the Dragon Nation" and a Special Merit Citation]

[Attachment: Report on the Meritorious Service of Comrade Zeng Long (code name: Adjudicator, Special Military Personnel of the General Staff of the Army - Lieutenant Colonel) in the "Dragon Returns" Military Operation in Country D, Middle East]

Every word in the report carries immense weight.

It clearly describes how Zeng Long commanded that mysterious squad of military elites called "Dragon Return" (the squad members were not disclosed, only referred to as elites of the Chinese military) —

With near-impossible efficiency and zero casualties, they achieved a brilliant record of successfully rescuing 47 compatriots in a complex overseas war zone, recapturing two important oil fields, and annihilating an elite mercenary brigade.

These words, like red-hot branding irons, burned deeply into the hearts of Old Chen and Old Liu, leaving them utterly devastated!

They felt that all their careful planning during this period of time was worthwhile!

All power exchanged!

All manipulation of public opinion!

Faced with this weighty achievement and the honor of being a "Hero of the Dragon Nation"—

How ridiculous, pathetic, and even shameful it is!

They actually tried to frame and smear a hero who had just made outstanding contributions to the country and was fighting a bloody battle abroad!

If they push this matter to the point of no return, the consequences will not only be a political failure, but will also ignite the raging anger and contempt of the entire nation!

They will be utterly overwhelmed by the anger of the nation and its people, and will never be able to rise again!

Several elderly men who truly steered the course of the Dragon Kingdom sat in the main seats, their expressions calm and serene.

The several high-ranking military officials accompanying them, such as General Liu, sat ramrod straight, their eyes sharp as eagles.

A chilling killing intent, seemingly emanating from a hail of bullets, silently permeated the conference room, making the oppressive atmosphere almost tangible.

The top-secret document and a thick investigation report detailing the entire incident were placed silently on the smooth mahogany table, as if they weighed a ton.

An elderly man in the main seat spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable and authoritative power.

Every word struck a chord in the hearts of everyone present:

"The matter is already very clear."

His gaze swept over the two elders, Chen and Liu. His gaze wasn't sharp, yet it seemed to pierce through all pretense, reaching the very depths of their souls.

"For personal gain and the expansion of their family, they resorted to such despicable means to frame their comrade, to frame a hero who had just shed blood for the country and returned with honors!"

"Manipulating public opinion, fooling the people, and even attempting to undermine the stability and prestige of national security agencies and the military..."

The old man paused slightly, and the air in the conference room almost froze.

"...You have disappointed us greatly. You have betrayed the organization's trust and the people's expectations."

These words, like a final judgment, caused Old Chen and Old Liu to tremble uncontrollably, their heads bowing even lower.

At this moment, General Liu added in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping across everyone present like lightning:

"The secret identity and achievements of Comrade Zeng Long are classified as top state secrets."

"I think everyone here should be very clear about its confidentiality and seriousness."

"What I have seen and heard today, I hope that you seniors will strictly keep to yourselves after we leave this place."

An hour later, Mr. Chen and Mr. Liu, as if they had lost their souls, staggered out of the suffocating conference room and got into the same car that returned.

The car was deathly silent. The two slumped in the back seat, speechless for a long time, still unable to recover from the immense shock and blow they had just experienced.

After a long while, Old Chen seemed to have used up all his strength to take a slow, deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions.

His eyes were vacant as he stared out the car window at the rapidly receding street scene. His voice was dry and hoarse, filled with endless self-mockery and bitterness, as if he were talking to himself:

"I originally thought... we were chess players, hunters... strategizing and setting up our moves... haha..."

He let out a bitter, bleak laugh.

"So...so those guys up there...we were the real players after all...we...we weren't even pieces, just...just self-important pawns who had crossed the river..."

He turned his head and looked at Old Liu, whose face was also ashen, his eyes filled with a belated despair:

"No wonder...no wonder the positions at the front and back have been changed so frequently, yet the higher-ups haven't given a clear answer..."

"So...so that's what they were waiting for..."

"Wait until we all jump out, wait until all the demons and monsters surface..."

"This thunderous strike... this thunderous strike has rendered all our plans, all our ambitions, a joke..."

"It's all for naught..."

"Not only will it all be for nothing, but we'll also suffer huge losses..."

He rubbed his throbbing temples hard, his voice tinged with weariness and helplessness:

"Old Liu... your youngest son... this time... he's probably going to have a hard time keeping his position."

"I'm lucky if they don't get investigated further."

"I think... the problem might not be so big as to be out of control. A disciplinary action or demotion is the most likely outcome."

"We'll think of a way later...we'll see if there's any chance...to get back to our original positions."

"As for Jianjun..." Old Chen's tone became even more bitter when he mentioned his son:

"There shouldn't be much of a problem with him returning to his original position. After all, he wasn't directly involved in the whole thing; he just... went along with the trend."

"The most troublesome one right now... is Ichika..."

Mentioning Chen Yifeng, Old Chen's brows furrowed deeply:

"Although the existing evidence points to him, most of it is indirect and one-sided; there is no irrefutable evidence that can definitively convict him..."

"Now, we can only see... see if Li Weiguo has any more lethal... backup plans."

"His tone was full of uncertainty and deep worry."

"Yes..." Old Liu finally spoke, his voice equally hoarse, carrying a nightmarish, dazed quality:

"I always felt that... from the very beginning of our planning... we had already... fallen into someone else's carefully designed trap."

"The other side...they seem to know our every move perfectly, they know where our next move will be..."

"And then...and then every single time, they were able to pinpoint our weaknesses and strike at our Achilles' heel."

Fear was evident in his eyes:

"Their tactics... are all open schemes! They're luring the enemy out of their hole! They're trapping them in a snare!"

"Every time we strategize, we lose... the more strategize, the more devastating the losses!"

"And the other side... the other side just stood behind us, coldly watching our performance..."

"This is far more than just a matter of higher-ups wanting to enforce discipline..."

"Those above...those above seem to be waiting for an opportunity, a catalyst...waiting for us..."

"Let's wait for the people behind us to light this powder keg themselves!"

"The depth of this scheme... the far-reaching calculations..." Old Liu closed his eyes in anguish.

"It makes me reflect on it and I can't understand it. It makes me feel...fearful."

He suddenly opened his eyes, looked at Old Chen, and his tone was filled with extreme confusion and a sense of absurdity:

"The most outrageous thing is! Yifeng's initial intentions and their implementation should have been extremely covert!"

"He didn't actually do anything himself; he just used that idiot kid from the Wang family as cannon fodder to charge into battle!"

"How...how did they find out?"

"How could they have devised such a precise scheme... this elaborate plot that made us willingly walk into it step by step?!"

"Until now...until the entire army was wiped out...we haven't even...not even fully realized what's happening."

"The Zeng family and the Yan family..." Old Liu murmured.

"They probably weren't the ones who orchestrated this... but I suspect they definitely knew some inside information beforehand!"

"Otherwise, how could they have stood by and watched as we cooperated with the Wu and He families to take over so many important positions one by one, without doing anything?"

"This is completely contrary to the interests and operating style of both companies!"

"But the locations have already been decided!"

Old Chen couldn't help but raise his voice slightly, his tone filled with resentment and doubt:

"Aren't they envious? Are they really willing to watch us and the Wu and He families rise to power and become even stronger?"

"Unless..." Old Liu's eyes turned deep and terrifying as he slowly uttered the guess that even he himself found chilling:

"Unless...like what you said when you were smug before, Old Chen—"

"A good chess player doesn't painstakingly plan where to place the pieces, but rather lets the pieces automatically and willingly return to their desired positions, acting as pawns to charge into battle..."

His voice trembled slightly:

"Now that I think about it...aren't we...were we just pathetic pawns?"

"Automatically, eagerly... we took the positions the players wanted us to stand in, and then..."

"And then they willingly became their pawns, charging into battle for them..."

"In the end...in the end, we ourselves...have completely sunk into this quagmire of no return!"

"What a profound...how subtle...and what a terrifying conspiracy this is!"

Old Liu's voice was filled with helplessness:

"And we... until now... we have absolutely no idea who the other side is... or what their next moves are!"

This feeling of being completely controlled, yet unable to even see the opponent's figure, sent a chill down his spine.

At the same time, another special car drove away from the palace.

Grandpa Wu and Grandpa He also fell into a long silence, their faces equally grim, still reeling from the profound shock of the brief yet weighty meeting they had just attended.

After a long while, Old He suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with surprise and uncertainty, and shook his head repeatedly:

"No...no...Old Wu, we might have made a huge mistake from the very beginning! A terrible mistake!"

Old Wu looked at him, his brows furrowed: "What do you mean?"

"Have you noticed?" Old He's voice became urgent.

"Just now, in that conference room in the inner palace... from beginning to end, we didn't see Old Zeng or Yan Fushan at all!"

After being reminded of this, Old Wu suddenly realized this as well, and his pupils contracted slightly.

Mr. He continued his analysis, speaking at an increasingly rapid pace:

"This incident involves a military hero being framed and Li Weiguo being suspended from his duties!"

"Li Weiguo was one of Old Man Zeng's former students and subordinates—"

"It even involves the reputation of the Ministry of State Security and the military!"

"Whether it's for public or private reasons, given Old Zeng's temper, how could he possibly not show up?"

"How could he not slam his fist on the table and demand an explanation?!"

"And Yan Fushan, he and Old Zeng are practically inseparable!"

"Even if there was some friction before because of the younger generation's marriage, he will absolutely stand with Old Man Zeng on this major issue involving the top leadership!"

"But what about them?"

Mr. He's tone became agitated:

"Until now! The storm has almost subsided!"

"They not only haven't shown up, but they haven't even made a single public statement!"

"This is so abnormal! It completely contradicts their personalities and illogical behavior!"

He suddenly grabbed Old Wu's arm, his eyes sharp:

"Think further back! When we agreed to cooperate with Lao Chen and Lao Liu to divide up those vacant, important positions—"

"Although both families voiced some opposition, they didn't show any particularly vehement or desperate attitude towards stopping it!"

"This is completely contrary to their core interests! When did they become so 'generous'?"

Old Wu's expression changed completely, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

"you mean…"

"There's definitely something fishy going on here!"

Old He said with absolute certainty,

"There must be a mastermind behind it all, playing a game far more complex than we can imagine! We...we might very well all be pawns on his chessboard!"

His face showed regret and lingering fear:

"Originally... I thought your eldest grandson had gotten advance notice and was sitting back calmly, a shrewd strategist..."

"Now it seems... now it seems, damn it! We weren't us at all! We were used by the real player!"

"We thought we had succeeded, that we had plucked the peach... but in reality..."

Old He's voice trembled slightly:

"...But in reality, we were most likely treated like laborers!"

"First, help him pick these tough peaches... then... then you have to obediently, with both hands, present the picked peaches to him!"

"This plan...this open scheme..."

Old He murmured to himself, his eyes filled with shock and a hint of awe:

"It's dazzling and chilling... Old Chen and Old Liu... they must have even more fatal weaknesses that the chess player holds in their hands! The reason they haven't revealed them yet..."

He looked at Old Wu, and both of them showed a mixture of understanding and fear in their eyes:

"...The next step should be...the player behind the scenes will negotiate with them privately."