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

The night in the capital was deep. Two figures, separated by fate for eighteen years, shared a brief recollection of their past and then silently walked back to Yueting Garden under the cover of night.

Upon entering the lobby, Teng Ao, the eldest son of the Teng family, sat on the floor without any regard for his image, leaning against a Roman column.

His bespoke suit was covered in dust, and his meticulously styled hair was a mess. He stared at the ceiling with a mournful expression.

The exquisite ceiling and Italian-imported light fixtures there were riddled with bullet holes, resembling an abstract work of art.

"My ceiling...my crystal chandelier..." he muttered to himself, utterly despondent.

Meanwhile, Yan Hai, as if injected with adrenaline, was using both hands and feet, spitting as he spoke, to Teng Fei, who had just returned after escorting the students to safety, gesturing and describing him.

"Brother Fei! You didn't see that!" Yan Hai exclaimed excitedly, his face flushed red, gesturing wildly.

"At that moment, I did just that! Like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey! No, like a dragon swinging its tail! I slapped that bastard Wu Chen right across the face! He was completely stunned on the spot!"

He imitated his own chaotic "wild punches," making exaggerated movements:

"Then I smoothly swept my leg—no, I meant a spiraling upward kick! It took down the two next to me instantly! That was swift and clean!" He patted his chest, beaming with pride.

"I really went above and beyond tonight! Under Brother Long's brilliant leadership, I beat those arrogant guys so badly they were crying for their parents and running away like their tails between their legs! It was definitely the highlight of my life!"

Tengfei's eyes lit up as he listened, his face filled with envy and regret. He pounded his chest and stamped his feet, saying:

"Oh dear! What a huge loss! If I had known I could stay and see such a spectacular scene, and even get to beat them up myself, I would never have left!"

Zeng Lingyu, Zeng Xuan, Zeng Ke, Zeng Yuan, and other younger members of the Zeng family did not leave. They gathered together, and although they still looked a little tired, they showed more concern for Zeng Long.

Hao Shuai, Du Ziteng, and their fathers Hao Yuan and Du Yiming were also present.

Hao Yuan and Du Yiming breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Zeng Long return safely, their eyes filled with indescribable gratitude.

They stayed here partly out of concern for Zeng Long, and partly to express their gratitude in person.

Zeng Long's gaze swept across the lobby, and his mood had calmed down considerably.

When he saw the three "nuclear bomb" members in the corner, the corner of his mouth twitched again.

Ye Feng, Tie Zhu, and Lin Xiaoya were sitting on the ground in a rather unrefined manner, with a piece of velvet cloth, which they had found from somewhere, spread out in the middle, with a deck of cards scattered on it.

"Call me the landlord!" Xiaoya shouted in a clear voice, her little face full of slyness.

"Rob the landlord!" Ye Feng said expressionlessly, but his eyes were sharp.

"I...I want to rob it too!" Tie Zhu shouted in a muffled voice, his face covered with long strips of colorful paper, which fluttered gently with his breath, making him look utterly comical.

Judging from the notes all over his face, you could tell he was losing every single game, and losing miserably.

This relaxed and playful scene contrasted absurdly with the somber atmosphere that had just shaken the entire capital's top echelons, as if the tumultuous storm had nothing to do with them, as if they had merely watched an insignificant movie.

Zeng Long shook his head helplessly, quickly walked to Teng Ao who was sitting on the ground, and said with a hint of apology:

"I'm so sorry, Young Master Teng. You treated everyone to a free meal and personally toasted everyone tonight, and now you've made such a mess of the lobby."

He spoke sincerely, "Please calculate the losses, and I will compensate you immediately."

As soon as Teng Ao saw Zeng Long coming over, he sprang up from the ground as if his buttocks had springs in them, frantically patting the dust off his backside.

How could he dare accept compensation from this ruthless man? He was too busy currying favor with him! In his heart, however, he was mostly blaming himself—

Why didn't I realize that I was also a "victim" just now?

If he had been a bit tougher back then, and taken advantage of Zeng Long's influence, he could have gone up to Old Wu and those other old men to "complain" and "demand an explanation," and he might have gotten a lot of benefits!

Now look what's happened, everyone's gone, and it's all too late!

He put on a warm (even slightly obsequious) smile and waved his hands repeatedly:

Using a respectful title befitting their status in the martial arts world, he said, "Brother Long, you're being too polite! Forget about compensation; it's an honor for Yue Ting Yuan to serve you and all our friends! This little loss is nothing, not worth mentioning at all!"

His eyes lit up, and he immediately offered a new suggestion:

"I see you've all been up to something for so long tonight, you must all be hungry. How about this, I'll prepare a lavish late-night snack for everyone to calm your nerves. It's just a small token of my appreciation. What do you think?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a huge black shadow appeared in front of him as if it had teleported!

Tie Zhu's large face, covered with colorful paper strips, looked like a ghost from the underworld in the dim light, almost scaring Teng Ao out of his wits and causing his heart to stop!

Immediately afterwards, a large, fan-like hand, imbued with terrifying power, slammed heavily onto Teng Ao's relatively thin shoulder.

"Thump!" Teng Ao was almost knocked to the ground by the slap, grimacing and gasping for breath.

"Hehe! I like your boss! He's sensible and knows what's good for him!" Tie Zhu grinned, his smile innocent, but the combination of the notes covering his face and his massive size made him look terrifying no matter how you looked at him.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" he urged, his mouth practically watering. Chicken legs, pig's trotters, beef trotters, lamb legs, dog legs... no, all legs! Bring them all on!

I hadn't felt hungry until you said so, but now I feel like my stomach could swallow two cows! No! Three!

He had barely finished speaking when another petite figure darted over like a nimble swallow—it was Lin Xiaoya. Her eyes sparkled as she said:

"Mmm! Your lobster is delicious too! Hurry up and bring it on! We want lots of it!" She and Tiezhu truly lived up to their reputation as the two biggest foodies in the team.

Surrounded by these two "foodie bombs," one big and one small, Teng Ao felt no trouble at all; on the contrary, he was overjoyed!

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make connections! These people in front of us are mysterious figures whom even the commanders of several major military regions look at with "favor"!

Not only were his skills terrifying, but his aura of disregarding the powerful and wealthy and setting up deadly traps with ease was both frightening and enviable.

Being able to establish connections with them would bring unimaginable benefits in the capital... no, on a much broader scale!

He immediately seemed to have received a top order, straightened his back, and looked radiant. He turned around and sprinted to arrange the late-night snack, his enthusiasm even greater than if he had just closed a multi-billion dollar deal.

At this moment, Yan Hai, who had sharp eyes, noticed that his sister had returned with Zeng Long.

His gossipy nature instantly ignited, and his small eyes scanned Zeng Long and his sister back and forth, gleaming with shrewdness.

"Holy crap! No way? My sister and Brother Long... are having an affair?" In his mind, an eighty-episode drama unfolded instantly. "If this really happens, then Brother Long will be my brother-in-law, won't he?"

"My dear brother-in-law!" Thinking of this, Yan Hai felt like he was about to float away.

He could almost see himself swaggering around the capital in the future:

If you don't like someone, all you need to do is casually extend your index finger, flick it lightly, and say it in a lazy yet domineering tone—

"You, come here!" The other person would be so scared that they would immediately kneel down! Just thinking about that scene is enough to get your blood pumping!

Holy crap! Where's Yang Li? Where did that kid go? I'm dying to share this amazing news with anyone!

Unable to contain his excitement and curiosity, Yan Hai scurried over to Yan Ruge, winking and asking in what he thought was a very quiet voice, but which everyone around could hear:

"Sis! You and Brother Long were running so fast just now...were you going to...um? Go to a hotel?"

He scratched his head and muttered a denial to himself:

"Wait a minute? Our Yue Ting Yuan also has top-tier suites, there's no need to go out..."

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp "smack" rang out on the back of his head! "Ouch!" Yan Hai cried out in pain, clutching his head and jumping away.

Yan Ruge's pretty face was flushed red, all the way to her ears. Her clear, cold eyes were filled with a mixture of shame and anger as she glared at her outspoken younger brother with her right hand, which she had just used to commit the crime.

"Yan Hai! What nonsense are you spouting?! Did you not get enough of a beating just now, and now you're itching for me to loosen your skin?!" Yan Ruge said through gritted teeth, her tone filled with murderous intent.

Startled, Yan Hai shrank back like a frightened rabbit, and swiftly hid behind his so-called "ultimate refuge"—Sister Xiaoyu.

Only half of its head was sticking out, and it was still muttering under its breath, seemingly unafraid of death:

"Just say you didn't... You're hitting people all the time... You must be feeling guilty..."

Zeng Long completely ignored Yan Hai's banter, filtering it out automatically.

He glanced at everyone present, a gentle smile appearing on his face, and said in a clear voice:

After a whole night of running around, everyone must be quite hungry. Also, I have some important things I'd like to discuss with you all now.

Since Mr. Teng is so insistent, let's join him. It's a way to calm our nerves tonight, and also to thank everyone for your trust and company."

Everyone was overjoyed upon hearing this. To be able to spend even a short time with such a mysterious and powerful being as Zeng Long was a rare opportunity and an honor for them.

So, filled with joy, excitement, and an indescribable sense of luck, everyone followed the attentive waiter toward the most luxurious and spacious private room in Yue Ting Garden.

The air was filled with the relief of surviving a disaster, the anticipation of delicious food, and a faint, budding atmosphere of ambiguity and gossip.

The night is still long, and their story seems to be just beginning a new chapter.