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

The deathly silence in Wu Jun's tomb-like office was broken by the sound of light footsteps.

The assistant, who was like a shadow, bowed again and silently approached Wu Jun, stopping three meters away.

His head was bowed, and his voice carried an undisguised fear:

Young Master... We've used every informant we can, but... Zeng Long and his three companions have vanished into thin air since leaving Yue Ting Garden.

All transportation hubs, hotel records, and even some secluded clubs yielded no trace of them. We... have temporarily lost track of them.

As soon as the assistant finished speaking, Wu Jun, who had been slumped in his office chair, suddenly opened his eyes. In the absolute darkness, his eyes gleamed like two will-o'-the-wisps that had suddenly been ignited, flashing with a bloodthirsty and icy light.

He slowly rose to his feet, like a lazy cheetah, and walked step by step toward the trembling assistant. He leaned close to the assistant's ear, so close that he could almost feel the other's muscles stiff with fear.

His voice was as deep and cold as the winds of hell, each word piercing his assistant's eardrums:

"Then... let's keep looking." "Or... start with the people around him, or... anyone who might have some connection with him."

His tone suddenly turned incredibly cold, carrying a suffocating threat:

"If we still can't find it... then you... won't find it either..." "Do... I... understand?"

The moment the last word was uttered, Wu Jun's arm lashed out like a venomous snake!

"Slap!!!" A resounding slap landed hard on the assistant's face!

The force was so great that the assistant staggered several steps to the side, a clear red five-finger mark instantly appearing on his face, and even a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

The assistant endured the excruciating pain and dizziness without daring to utter a sound. He immediately regained his balance and bent his waist even lower, like a lifeless puppet.

Wu Jun didn't even glance at him, his lips barely moving as he uttered a single, cold word: "Get lost...!"

The assistant, feeling as if granted a pardon, maintained his respectful, even humble, posture, and silently backed away from the office, disappearing back into the darkness outside as if he had never been there.

After the door closed, Wu Jun stood there, his chest rising and falling slightly. The ferocity and anxiety in his eyes did not subside; on the contrary, they became even more intense because of the "disappearance" of his prey.

He enjoys hunting, but he enjoys even more the feeling of having his prey firmly under his sight.

Zeng Long's "disappearance" was like a fine thorn, piercing his vain heart that yearned to control everything.

Meanwhile, in that quiet villa in Beijing, Zeng Long stood by the window of his room, his brow furrowed.

He was on the phone with Baroque.

The news brought by Baroque made him realize the gravity of the situation.

"You little bastard," Baroque's voice was still rough, but with a rare hint of solemnity:

Did the four of you stir up a hornet's nest in China, or offend some ruthless character?

During this period, an unknown force, like a hyena smelling blood, has been secretly investigating your background. Following some extremely secret clues, they almost managed to reach our 'Hellfire' base!

Baroque spat and continued:

Damn it, thankfully my men discovered it early and managed to stop it and remove some key traces in time.

However, the danger is far from over! You have carried out too many missions around the world in the past, leaving traces like footprints on the beach. Although most of them have been washed away by the tide, no one can guarantee that there are still some corners that have not been cleaned up.

I have no idea where you might still be!

Zeng Long tightened his grip on the phone slightly, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

"Oh?" He was quite surprised. Someone had actually managed to trace things so deep? Almost touching their core cover identities and connections to the base?

His brain, like a high-speed supercomputer, began rapidly analyzing all possibilities. Who was most likely?

Aside from the top few bigwigs who control the overall situation, theoretically no one in China should have such a clear understanding of their specific situations and connections abroad.

How did the investigation so quickly lead to "Hellfire"?

Judging from the depth and efficiency of this investigation, the person behind this must have a deep-rooted and powerful influence in the international underworld and an extremely efficient intelligence system!

But domestically... who could possess this level of overseas illicit resources? Chen Yifeng? Wu Jun?

The images of these two scions of wealthy families in Beijing, with whom he had previously clashed, flashed through his mind.

But he immediately dismissed that notion. Although Chen Yifeng was arrogant and Wu Jun was ruthless, they were both descendants of the Communist Party with impeccable revolutionary credentials, and their family influence was mainly concentrated in the political and business circles of the country.

Such a vast network and power, requiring long-term operation and infiltration into the global dark world, is something that people like them, who have almost never left China for extended periods, could not possibly establish or control.

Moreover, if such forces were truly active domestically, given the capabilities of the Ministry of State Security under Li Weiguo's leadership, it would be impossible for them to remain completely unaware. Uncle Li had also never revealed any related intelligence to him.

Zeng Long felt a sense of unease. The enemy was lurking behind the fog, not only possessing superb skills, but also with an unknown background and purpose, which made him sense an unusual and dangerous atmosphere.

After ending his call with Barov, Zeng Long stood by the window for a long time, his deep gaze seemingly trying to pierce the night sky and see the hidden hand behind it all.

He repeatedly went through and ruled out all the clues and all the possible enemies in his mind. In the end, the ominous premonition became clearer and clearer—the eye of the storm was very likely in China!

He took a deep breath, no longer hesitated, took out his encrypted phone, and dialed Li Weiguo's number.

When the call connected, Zeng Long didn't exchange any pleasantries; his tone was more serious than ever before.

Uncle Li, I just received an urgent message from Baroque from abroad.

An unidentified foreign force is relentlessly investigating the backgrounds of me, Xiaoya, Ye Feng, and Tiezhu. Their intelligence source is almost at the edge of the 'Hellfire' base when it was discovered and intercepted by Baroque in time.

He paused, then continued his calm analysis:

Judging from the other party's investigation path and timing, the source of this trend is most likely in China.

Because the only recent public appearance of the four of us together has been in China.

It's illogical that the other side wouldn't investigate while we were still active in Hellfire, but instead waited until we were all gathered in China before making their move.

Li Weiguo on the other end of the phone was clearly stunned by the news. After a few seconds of silence, he responded in an incredulous tone:

Domestically? That's impossible! Even our Ministry of State Security faces immense difficulties in investigating your exact overseas activities.

Otherwise, why are so many hostile forces and countries abroad that hate you to the bone still completely unaware of your true identity?

"So, this is what confuses and waries me the most." Zeng Long's voice was low:

If the other party is only investigating me, or a member of Squad Zero, they might not be able to determine the direction yet.

But they are targeting all four of our core members at the same time! Based on my experience and intuition, the individual or force that initiated this investigation must be located in China.

He emphasized:

"But I really can't understand it. Besides the power of the state, what other individual or force in China could possess such a vast, efficient, and covert network of influence in the overseas underworld as our Zero Team? This is completely beyond common sense!"

Li Weiguo's voice also instantly became extremely serious and solemn:

"Xiaolong, if what you say is true, then this matter is very serious and very troublesome!"

He quickly pointed out the crux of the problem:

the first,

If there really is such a person or force in China that can build such a powerful intelligence network in the dark world abroad and hide it so well that even we are unaware of it, then what are their intentions?

This is itself a huge, unknown time bomb!

second,

If your "Squad Zero" identity is truly verified and exposed by the other side, the consequences will be unimaginable!

The fact that the other party has gone to such great lengths to investigate suggests that they could not possibly be doing it merely to make friends; they must be driven by a strong sense of hostility.

This is a huge threat to both you personally and to the country!

Zeng Long agreed:

Uncle Li, Xiaoya is currently focused on managing her finances and can't spare any time for him.

Please immediately utilize the resources of the Security Department to conduct a comprehensive, thorough, and secret investigation of everyone, places, and individuals that Ye Feng, Tie Zhu, Xiao Ya, and I have come into contact with since returning to China.

There were very few occasions where the four of us appeared together: when I picked them up at the airport, at the shopping mall where I took them to buy clothes, and at Yuetingyuan.

The previous business meeting can be temporarily ruled out, because information provided by Baroque indicates that the investigation began before the meeting.

"Okay! I understand!" Li Weiguo immediately agreed, his tone resolute.

"I'll immediately assign tasks and initiate the highest-level internal screening! We must find this guy hiding in the shadows!"