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

In the eastern suburbs of the capital of the Dragon Kingdom, in that heavily guarded area with towering ancient trees, sit several courtyard houses that have weathered the storms of time.

The most secluded and heavily guarded residence, with numerous sentries both visible and hidden, was the Zeng family mansion.

This place holds an immortal legend in the military of the Dragon Kingdom, but it is also quietly giving rise to a hidden worry for a powerful family.

The current head of the Zeng family, Old Master Zeng Rong, is one of the few remaining founding generals of the Dragon Kingdom.

Although he is advanced in years and has retired to the second line, his body is still as upright as a pine tree, his eyes are as sharp as an eagle, and his brows are filled with the majesty forged by gunpowder and iron blood.

Every morning, he still maintains his military habits, practicing a set of powerful military boxing in the courtyard, rain or shine.

His very existence is a banner and a beacon for the Zeng family.

Grandma Lin Fen was once a pillar of the General Political Department's Cultural Troupe. Although her hair is now white, she still maintains elegance and composure, and is a gentle bond that holds together the emotional connections of this large family.

Her gaze always held a clear understanding of the world, and few things, big or small, could escape her notice.

Zeng Rong and Lin Fen have three sons and two daughters, a truly large and prosperous family.

(Eldest son) Zeng Yong —

The Chief of Staff of the Fifth Force, a very mysterious force in the Dragon Kingdom, holds the rank of Major General.

He lives in the shadows year-round, handling special missions and crises that are inaccessible to the regular army. He is the sharpest dagger the Zeng family extends into the darkness.

He has a cold demeanor and sharp eyes; even his family often feel they can't see through him.

His wife is a technical expert at a military research institute.

They have two sons:

The eldest son, Zeng Wen, is 21 years old this year. He is precocious and taciturn, but his eyes reveal his intelligence. He is currently the squad leader of a special forces unit.

Zeng Rong's youngest son, Zeng Xuan, is 19 years old and a freshman at the National Defense University. He is lively and active and is the source of joy for his grandfather, Zeng Rong.

(Second child) Daughter Zeng Ting —

The vice president of Kyoto Military General Hospital is a highly skilled doctor with a gentle yet firm personality.

Her husband is a senior colonel in the General Logistics Department.

Her son, Gao Lin, grew up in a military compound. He is calm, academically excellent, and has inherited his mother's qualities.

(Third son) Zeng Sheng —

That is, Zeng Linglong's biological father.

He is currently the deputy commander of the Beijing Military Sub-district, holding the rank of major general, and has inherited his father's resolute and decisive military temperament.

He was tall and had a face that resembled Zeng Rong by seven-tenths. He was stern and decisive, and was a mainstay of the Zeng family army.

His wife, He Jing, is Zeng Linglong's biological mother. She comes from the He family, a second-tier wealthy family in China, and has considerable influence in both political and business circles.

He Jing herself is not a delicate heiress, but a perfect combination of business acumen and political savvy, leading a large state-owned enterprise and is an iron lady in the business world.

The couple's busy work schedules inevitably meant they couldn't spend as much time with their children, but this did not diminish their deep love and high hopes for them.

(Fourth son) Zeng Qiang —

The Vice Governor of Haining Province, he has a relatively mild personality and is one of the few members of the Zeng family to be involved in politics.

His wife is a university professor. They have two daughters, Zeng Yuan and Zeng Ke, both of whom are well-behaved and adorable.

(Fifth daughter) Zeng Ling, editor-in-chief of the Longguo Military Channel, is cheerful and quick-witted. She serves as the Zeng family's mouthpiece for external communication and a bridge between the military and civilians. Her husband is a senior reporter for Xinhua News Agency. Their daughter, Liao Siya, inherited her mother's artistic talent and her father's eloquence; she is intelligent and quick-witted, and the family's source of joy.

In addition, there is Zeng Linglong's younger sister, Zeng Lingyu, who was born on the same day as him.

The young girl inherited her mother He Jingxiu's beautiful appearance and her father Zeng Sheng's tall and upright figure. She already has a heroic air about her, excellent academic performance, and a well-behaved personality with the unique tenacity and sense of justice of a military family. She is the apple of the Zeng family's eye.

However, Zeng Linglong, the third generation who should have been a source of pride for the Zeng family like Zeng Lingyu, became the biggest embarrassment and heartache for this glorious family.

Now 14 years old, he has a long history of misdeeds, especially this latest incident which has become widely known in the capital. His behavior is completely contrary to the standards of a military family and has reached an outrageous level.

This incident angered Grandpa Zeng Rong so much that he almost resorted to family discipline, but He Jing eventually pleaded with him in tears before he was reluctantly let go.

His presence, even in appearance, was out of place in the Zeng family, and this sense of incongruity only increased as he grew older.

The Zeng family has strong genes; both men and women are mostly tall, with broad shoulders and backs, high noses, and deep-set eyes, exuding an aura of righteousness and heroism.

Look at Zeng Sheng, Zeng Yong, Zeng Qiang, and then look at Zeng Lingyu, Zeng Wen, Zeng Xuan, and even Gao Lin, who is related to Zeng Rong. You can see the shadow of Grandpa Zeng Rong or Grandma Lin to some extent.

Only Zeng Linglong.

At 14, he was barely tall enough, but he was thin and had narrow shoulders, showing no signs of the natural military build and explosive potential of the Zeng family men.

His skin was a pale white, as if he had never seen sunlight; his eyes were unfocused and wandering; and he often looked at people with a hint of calculation and evasion.

His facial features could be considered fairly regular, but when put together they appeared cramped. His thin lips and habitually downturned corners of his mouth revealed dissatisfaction and meanness.

Standing next to her father Zeng Sheng's imposing, square face and her sister Zeng Lingyu's bright and spirited face, the contrast was so stark it was almost jarring, making it arguably the biggest visual paradox in the family.

"Like begets like." This old saying has long been a classic line of private banter about the Zeng family in Beijing's top elite circles.

At every family gathering or event in the compound, Zeng Linglong's appearance always stood out the most.

When the other family elders saw him, they would always pat Zeng Sheng on the shoulder meaningfully and say, "Young Zeng, your son... he's quite handsome, like his maternal uncle?"

The teasing and suspicion in his words made Zeng Sheng's face grow darker with each passing moment.

He Jing felt a mix of emotions. Sometimes she would stare blankly at the photos of her brothers, but no matter how she looked at them, she could not completely reconcile her son's appearance with that of her family. That inexplicable sense of alienation made her restless and unable to eat or sleep.

If appearance is just a cruel joke played by God, then Zeng Linglong's character has completely cemented his reputation as a "bastard from a military family".

His evil deeds escalated gradually with age:

Early childhood (3-6 years old): spoiled, domineering, selfish.

Snatching toys and snacks from his younger sister Zeng Lingyu is a common occurrence for him. If he is not satisfied with anything, he will throw a tantrum, cry, and break things.

They showed no respect for Zeng Rong's collection of military medals and model guns, throwing them away carelessly.

She resisted Zeng Sheng's attempt at military enlightenment education and cried and made a scene.

Childhood (ages 7-10): aversion to school, bullying, and constant lying.

After enrolling, he quickly became a headache for the teachers. He disrupted classes, copied homework, cheated on exams, and even submitted blank papers.

Using his family background, he gathered a few sycophantic classmates at school to form a small group, bullied classmates from ordinary families, and extorted pocket money and stationery.

When He Jing was first called to the hospital for assaulting a classmate, she tried to believe that he had been "led astray," but similar incidents continued to occur afterward.

He began to lie skillfully, shifting the blame for his mistakes onto others with convincing acting, but the flicker in his eyes was always caught by elders such as Zeng Sheng and Zeng Yong.

Adolescents (11-13 years old): addicted to pleasure and morally corrupt.

During this period, his evil deeds intensified:

• Neglecting academic studies:

He consistently ranked at the bottom of his grade in exams, and even recorded several subjects with zero scores.

He had been harassed by no fewer than ten tutors who were graduates of prestigious universities, and he openly slept and played on his phone in class.

• Extravagance:

They have an extreme pursuit of material enjoyment, only wearing designer brands and engaging in high-end activities.

At the age of 12, he pestered He Jing for a supplementary credit card with a considerable limit, frequently visited high-end consumption venues, and spent lavishly on entertaining guests, euphemistically calling it "building connections."

• Bullying escalates:

At the age of 13, after seeing a competition trophy won by a boy in her class who had excellent grades, she asked for it but was refused. She then instructed her followers to corner the boy in the equipment room, not only snatching and smashing the trophy, but also insulting and beating him, and threatening him not to tell his teachers or parents.

This incident had a very negative impact. The other party's parents were also government officials, and the situation almost spiraled out of control. In the end, Mr. Zeng Rong had to swallow his pride and apologize and offer severe compensation to barely calm things down.

That night, Zeng Sheng locked Zeng Linglong in the study and used family discipline, even breaking the belt. Zeng Linglong's cries and pleas for mercy alarmed the entire courtyard, but afterwards he continued to do as he pleased.

• Precocious misconduct:

At only 13 years old, he began secretly browsing inappropriate websites and even attempted to harass female classmates, for which he was severely warned by their parents.

Zeng Ling accidentally discovered obscene chat logs and money transfer records on his phone. Shocked, she told her brother and sister-in-law, triggering a family upheaval.

Zeng Sheng flew into a rage, while He Jing struggled to defend herself by saying that "boys are curious during puberty," and the rift in the family deepened day by day.

• Disregard for family ties:

His jealousy of his younger sister, Zeng Lingyu, reached its peak. He not only stole her things and broke her beloved possessions, but also spread rumors about her sister.

He lacked basic respect for his grandparents, outwardly complied with Zeng Rong's teachings but inwardly defied them, and treated Grandma Lin's concern perfunctorily.

He was extremely hostile towards his uncles' and aunts' outstanding siblings (such as Gao Lin, Zeng Wen, and Zeng Xuan), and his words were full of sarcasm.

Fourteen years is enough time for the initial joy and anticipation to turn into profound disappointment, deep doubt, and unspeakable humiliation.

Uncle Zeng Yong was away from home most of the year, but every time he returned, his eyes, which could see through life-or-death crises, could always accurately detect the incongruity between Zeng Linglong and the Zeng family.

He had said to his younger brother Zeng Sheng in a stern voice more than once:

"Second brother, this boy has crooked eyes and a twisted mind. Even if someone from our Zeng family is useless, they should still have some backbone and responsibility. All I see in him is greed and cowardice."

My second aunt, Zeng Ting, had the deepest doubts from a medical and genetic perspective.

Mom and Dad, my second brother, Xiaojing, this is really too abnormal.

The twins, Xiaoyu, perfectly inherited all the best traits in terms of appearance, physique, intelligence, and personality.

But Xiaolong... seems to have undergone a negative transformation in every way. And have you noticed that he not only doesn't resemble his older brother, but upon closer inspection, he only bears a slight resemblance to Sister Jing?

This doesn't make sense!

Her words pierced He Jing's most feared corner like needles.

My aunt, Zeng Ling, is outspoken and is almost the only one in the family who dares to openly satirize Zeng Linglong.

What kind of feng shui problem has occurred in our Zeng family? To have raised such a wicked ancestor!

He's neither good at academics nor martial arts, but he's proficient in everything from eating, drinking, gambling and whoring (though he's young, he's already showing signs of it)!

I think he'll be lucky if he doesn't bring honor to his ancestors or even sell his grandfather's and father's military medals for money!

Every time she "fired a tantrum," the family atmosphere plummeted to freezing point, but she also voiced the unspoken thoughts of everyone.

The grandparents' disappointment was silent and heavy.

The huge military map and sand table in Zeng Rong's study had long been closed to Zeng Linglong.

He spent most of his time instructing Zeng Wen and Zeng Xuan, or listening to Gao Lin recount interesting stories from school, and watching Zeng Lingyu demonstrate the newly learned military boxing.

Only then will his eyes reveal genuine satisfaction and anticipation.

Grandma Lin would still secretly slip Zeng Linglong some snacks and pocket money, but what she would get in return was her grandson complaining that the money was too little or impatiently urging her to hurry up. The old woman's heart was hurt by indifference time and time again.

The father, Zeng Sheng, was enduring immense torment and humiliation.

He was a general commanding thousands of troops, his men all hot-blooded young men. Yet his heir was like this!

The gossip from his rivals in the army and the hesitant sympathy from his colleagues felt like silent slaps to his face.

His feelings towards Zeng Linglong had long since shifted from angry beatings to a deep sense of powerlessness and near-desperate indifference. The father and son spoke less and less, and their relationship had become like that of strangers.

The mother, He Jing, always harbored a complex, almost obsessive, doting and protective instinct.

She was the only one still trying to find excuses for Zeng Linglong—"He's still young," "He's going through a rebellious phase," "We haven't spent enough time with him," "The school environment is bad," "Someone has led him astray."

She built a fragile wall with endless material possessions and feeble excuses, trying to block the doubts and attacks from the outside world and within her family, but the wall was full of cracks and was on the verge of collapse.

In the dead of night, that unspeakable doubt, stemming from the depths of her maternal instincts, often sent chills down her spine.

In Beijing's top elite circles, this "grandson" of the Zeng family has long been a source of amusement and gossip.

"Have you heard? Commander Zeng's precious son has set a new record again; this time, his fight has become the talk of the town!"

"More than that, I heard that she started praising internet celebrities at a very young age, and the tips she received in one night were enough to buy me a handbag."

"Tsk tsk, the old hero Zeng was a man of great renown, and Commander Zeng was also a tough guy. It's really... sigh, a tiger father and a dog son, nothing could be better."

"I think the future of the Zeng family's third generation will depend on Gao Lin and Zeng Wen, or maybe Zeng Lingyu will find a son-in-law to live with them? This second grandson is completely useless."

These discussions, like maggots clinging to bones, kept burrowing into the ears of the Zeng family.

Every time I hear it, it's like another deep mark is etched onto their proud medals.

The Zeng family's glorious history and Zeng Linglong's decadent reality form an extremely sharp and cruel contrast.

When the fake is taken for the real, even the real becomes fake. This counterfeit, mistakenly placed in a military family, is like a living irony, eroding the family's honor and tormenting the nerves of every relative.

Fourteen years have passed, but the doubts have not only not dissipated, but have grown even stronger:

What exactly is going on? Why does the grandson, who is the focus of so many expectations, seem so out of place in this family?

Unbeknownst to them, the true prodigy of the Zeng family was undergoing the most brutal tempering—

Having fought and grown on the bloody battlefield thousands of miles away, its brilliance has begun to show in the world, and it is about to return as a king to sweep away all this gloom.

At that moment, the 14-year-old imposter Zeng Linglong was holding the latest high-end mobile phone that He Jing had just given him—

Comparing the photos of the internet celebrity on the screen, he glanced disdainfully at the domestically produced military-plated sedan that the driver had brought!

Muttering "So tacky," he was already planning how to get his mom to get him a more "cool" sports car (even though he couldn't drive it yet).

He was oblivious to the heavy disappointment that permeated his family and the unbridled ridicule from the outside world, or rather, he simply disregarded it.

In his distorted value system, all of this seemed to be what he deserved, and the glory of the Zeng family was nothing more than capital for him to squander.