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

Just then, his personal cell phone, which he had swept to the corner, stubbornly lit up and continued to buzz.

The buzzing sound, like an annoying fly, kept burrowing into his frantic eardrums.

Chen Yifeng glanced at it with extreme impatience, his gaze so fierce it seemed to pierce through the phone.

But when the word "Grandpa" appeared on the caller ID, his violent expression suddenly froze.

Hesitation. Prolonged hesitation.

The phone rang and then dropped, dropped and then rang again, stubbornly persisting like a death knell.

He finally shook his head violently, as if trying to temporarily shake off the anger and confusion in his mind.

He took a few deep breaths, suppressing the hatred that was about to burst forth, and tried to make his voice sound calm, even with a deliberately feigned weariness, as he answered the phone:

"Grandpa, is something the matter?" His voice was steady, even a little too calm, which formed an extremely eerie contrast with his twisted and ferocious face.

On the other end of the phone, Old Master Chen's voice came through, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue and a deeper worry:

"Yifeng, why did it take you so long to answer the phone? Are you... alright?"

The old man was a man of great stature; as soon as the news broke, he foresaw the impact his proud and arrogant grandson would face.

"It's nothing!" Chen Yifeng immediately denied, his tone even deliberately sounding relaxed.

"I was talking to someone about something important, and my phone was on silent, so I didn't hear it."

As he spoke, he unconsciously dug his nails into his palms, trying to maintain this damned calm through pain.

After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, as if carefully choosing his words, Old Master Chen slowly spoke, his voice aged yet carrying a calm composure born of worldly wisdom:

"Yifeng, I think... you should already know the full content of this afternoon's news."

Chen Yifeng did not answer, but his breathing became slightly heavier.

The old man continued, his tone like that of a teacher imparting life lessons to his students, attempting to transform a crushing defeat into nourishment for growth:

"My child, you must remember that the winter wind of this incident, though biting and chilling, is also the one that most clearly allows people to see the true nature of things."

"Any scheme or game is always accompanied by risk."

"When you confidently believe you are the hunter, you may very well have become the target of someone else's more cunning prey."

"So," the old man's voice became a few decibels higher.

"Don't treat this incident as a stumbling block that stops you from moving forward, or as something to blame others for. Instead, treat it as... a whetstone."

"A whetstone?!" Chen Yifeng finally couldn't hold back any longer. Like a wild beast whose tail had been stepped on, his voice was distorted from the effort he was putting down.

"But Grandpa! I don't even know who's pulling the strings behind the scenes this time! I lost without even knowing why! I'm not reconciled!"

"I've never lost so badly in my entire life!"

Why did things turn out like this?! Why?! The anger and resentment that had just been forcibly suppressed surged up again, almost bursting through his throat.

"Yifeng!" Old Master Chen's voice suddenly turned stern, interrupting his low growl.

"You're still too young! Your perspective is too limited and superficial!"

"I know this blow has affected you greatly, but it's not a time for you to wallow in regret and anger at your own inadequacy!"

"It makes you more clear-headed, calmer, and more insightful!"

The old man's tone softened, carrying a guiding implication:

"Therefore, you need to broaden your horizons and take a longer-term view in the future."

"When you stand on the tenth floor and look down, people are still people, trees are still trees, and animals are still animals."

"You'll group people by their kind, judge them by their social class, and feel like you have everything under control."

"When you stand on the 50th floor and look down..."

The old man's voice became ethereal.

"Your perception will be completely different."

"Everything below became small and indistinct."

"So small and indistinct that you feel all of this is dispensable and unimportant."

"Personal gains and losses, and grudges, may seem insignificant from a higher perspective."

"And when you stand on the hundredth floor, or even higher in the clouds, and look down..."

Old Master Chen's voice carried a cold, penetrating quality.

"Everything below, whether people or things, becomes an ant in your eyes, an insignificant pawn that can be easily erased or used at any time."

"Yifeng, from what perspective have you been viewing this incident?"

"The 'floor' you are on determines how much your psychology will be affected, and it also determines your fate."

Chen Yifeng held his phone and remained silent.

Grandpa's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, temporarily extinguishing the raging fire of anger, but making him feel a deeper chill that emanated from his very soul.

He involuntarily looked up, as if trying to penetrate the ceiling and see the view from the so-called "hundredth floor".

However, the old man's next words instantly brought him back to a crueler reality.

The old man did not hide anything and presented all the "nuclear bomb" level evidence that Zeng Sheng had brought.

Especially the clear video of Chen Yifeng personally directing the layout at the West Suburbs Club.

And the only precondition proposed by Zeng Sheng—

It was imperative that Old Master Chen personally lead Chen Yifeng to apologize to Zeng Long in person and obtain his forgiveness—he told him the whole story.

When he heard the words "video" and "recording," a flash of extreme fear crossed Chen Yifeng's eyes, as if his most secret corner of his soul had been exposed.

But then, that fear was replaced by an even stronger, more boundless hatred! So that's how it is!

It turns out that everything about me was exposed to the other party from the very beginning!

The humiliation of being completely seen through and monitored throughout was more unbearable for him than failure!

When Chen Yifeng heard the prerequisite of "apologizing in person," he felt as if his heart was being gripped tightly by an icy hand and then violently torn apart!

"Apologize... to Zeng Long?! And get his forgiveness?!"

He practically spat out those words through clenched teeth, his voice hoarse, filled with unbelievable hatred and overwhelming humiliation!

He gripped the phone tightly in his left hand, his knuckles trembling from the force.

His right hand clenched into a fist, and the violent energy that had just subsided suddenly erupted again!

He turned around abruptly and, with all his might, punched the hard, cold wall beside him!

A muffled thud! The wall remained completely still.

Crimson blood instantly seeped from his broken knuckles, slowly sliding down the snow-white wall, drop by drop.

Chen Yifeng seemed oblivious to the excruciating pain in his hands, for the humiliation, resentment, and hatred in his heart were ten thousand times stronger than the physical pain!

That was an extreme pain that trampled and crushed all his pride and dignity under his feet!

On the other end of the phone, Grandpa Chen seemed to hear the muffled thud and his grandson's heavy breathing. After a moment of silence, his tone unexpectedly became unusually calm, even carrying a sense of calm born of acceptance.

"Yifeng, don't always think about hiding, and don't let anger cloud your judgment."

"When you encounter setbacks, don't lose confidence and stay calm."

"You should think of setbacks as the fierce fire that tempers steel. As long as you face them bravely, you can forge a stronger and more resilient version of yourself."

"Don't get angry about the 'apology' itself; that's not the mindset of a mature chess player."

Anger will only cloud your judgment.

"Zeng Sheng's tough stance, his insistence on this seemingly humiliating premise, has actually revealed a lot of information to us."

The old man analyzed calmly, his voice even carrying a hint of sneer:

"Furthermore, when he finally suppressed the people we supported, he avoided the most serious issues, only eliminating those who were truly unworthy of their positions, without completely eliminating them..."

"I'm almost certain now that there's a deep relationship between Zeng Long and the Zeng family that we hadn't investigated before, and that we couldn't even imagine!"

"Hehe... Zeng Long... the Zeng family... Li Weiguo... they all have a connection!"

A cold, venomous glint flashed in the old man's eyes:

"That would be for the best... In that case, let's go and meet this person who could make Zeng Sheng and the Zeng family so reckless—"

"It's Zeng Long who's willing to resort to such drastic measures to avenge him and seek justice."

After saying that, the call ended.

Chen Yifeng slowly put down his phone, his arm hanging limply at his sides.

He looked down at his bleeding hand, then glanced around at the office he had personally destroyed, now a ruin.

This chaotic scene is the truest and most naked reflection of his inner world.

He silently murmured those two names, each word seemingly carrying blood and hatred:

"Zeng...Long..." "Zeng...family..."

Then he let out an extremely cold, complex laugh.

The blood on his hands was still dripping silently, spreading a small, shocking dark red stain on the expensive carpet at his feet.

All the hatred and anger seemed to have found a more specific and focused target at this moment, firmly locking onto the man named Zeng Long.

Almost at the same time, Zeng Sheng, sitting in his car driving away from the western suburbs, dialed Li Weiguo's number.

"Wei Guo, it's me. The negotiations over there... have been completed."

Zeng Sheng's voice carried a hint of weariness, but more so a sense of relief and unwavering resolve.

"The preconditions remain the same: they must apologize to Xiaolong in person. Everything else... will proceed as we agreed. You... find a suitable opportunity to inform Xiaolong, so he... can be mentally prepared."

Upon receiving the call, Li Weiguo's expression turned serious: "I understand, I will tell him immediately."

After hanging up the phone, Li Weiguo didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately dialed Zeng Long's hotel room number.

In his hotel room, Zeng Long stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the lights of Beijing gradually illuminate the city outside. His eyes were calm and deep, as if the media storm that had just swept the country had nothing to do with him.

The phone rang, and he went over to answer it: "Uncle Li."

"Xiao Long," Li Weiguo's voice came, tinged with complex emotions.

"Just now, Zeng... that (Li Weiguo almost accidentally mentioned Zeng Sheng). We've reached an agreement with the Chen and Liu families."

Li Weiguo briefly explained the terms and results of the negotiations to Zeng Long, including the condition that the Chen family must apologize in person.

Zeng Long listened quietly, his expression unchanged.

Only those deep eyes trembled slightly upon hearing the condition of "apologizing in person," like a tiny pebble thrown into a calm lake.

He paused for a few seconds, then spoke, his voice still steady:

"Uncle Li, what exactly is the Chen family's background? And what is the connection between Old Master Chen and the one you mentioned? Is it very deep?" He asked hesitantly, as if he wanted to confirm something.

Li Weiguo paused on the other end of the phone, seemingly considering his words, before briefly and objectively informing Zeng Long of the Chen family's background, status, and possible historical connections and recent power struggles with the Yan and Zeng families.

He did not mention Zeng Sheng's possible relationship, only the overall situation.

After listening, Zeng Long fell silent again.

After a long pause, he slowly said, "Okay, Uncle Li, I understand. Thank you."

After hanging up the phone, Zeng Long walked back to the French windows. But his state of mind was no longer as calm as before.

Apologize in person?

Such a tough, even humiliating, premise!

They are willing to confront behemoths like the Chen and Liu families head-on!

In the end, however, some leeway was left in the distribution of benefits, rather than driving the other side to extinction.

This approach carries a very distinct personal style and emotional coloring—

It's purely about venting anger and seeking justice, yet it also involves consideration for deeper political balance and... a possible emotional bond.

To be able to stand up for him like this, and to have the power to force the Chen family to bow down to this extent...

In China, such cases are extremely rare. Those generals in the army, like General Liu, perhaps neither had the ability nor the need to do so.

This goes beyond the realm of pure justice and carries a strong element of personal protection.

Moreover, to have almost broken ties with a senior figure like Mr. Chen to this extent is not in line with the usual way people at that level handle things.

So, it seems there's only one answer left...

That possibility that he had always avoided, dared not think about deeply, yet had a vague suspicion in his heart.

Zeng Long's heart clenched suddenly. Beneath that icy exterior, something seemed to be struggling to move.

Is it warmth? Is it resistance? Is it longing? Or is it a deeper contradiction and confusion?

He thought that after returning to China, he could completely say goodbye to the past and live a quiet life for a while with a completely new and ordinary identity.

Unexpectedly, the vortex of fate was so powerful that it not only drew him into the heart of the conspiracy, but also seemed to be pushing him into a blood-related mystery and emotional entanglement that he was not yet prepared to face.

Could it be them who swiftly intervened and sought justice for him behind the scenes?

Zeng Long closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

That heart, long accustomed to coldness and loneliness, was now filled with a complex and indescribable emotion: entanglement, contradiction, and even a hint of... inexplicable panic.