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

As Lin Xiaoya, Tiezhu, and Ye Feng, like stars surrounding the moon, cautiously yet excitedly escorted He Jing back—

He Jing had pieced together from their animated and dramatic descriptions the unprecedented tension and concern her son Zeng Long had shown just now.

"Auntie, didn't you see? The way the eldest son looked just now, he was practically spitting fire with anxiety!"

"Exactly! He was yelling so loudly the house almost shook! He was worried you'd get cold!"

"The boss has never lost his composure like this before; he's absolutely heartbroken!"

Every word was like a spoonful of sweet, warm honey, poured into He Jing's originally cold and broken heart;

It was like rays of brilliant sunshine, dispelling all the sorrow and gloom around her.

She felt light as a feather, as if she had been reborn. A dizzying and blissful feeling of returning from hell enveloped her.

Her tear-streaked face radiated an indescribable glow—hope, the immense joy of something lost and found—making her glow with happiness.

My heart felt as if it were filled with the sweetest honey and baked by the warmest sunshine, with every corner overflowing with unprecedented warmth and satisfaction.

As the villa's outline drew closer, and the tall, familiar yet slightly stiff figure at the entrance came into view, He Jing paused slightly, her heart involuntarily racing.

Zeng Long stood at the door, his figure somewhat blurred against the increasingly bright morning sunlight, but He Jing could clearly feel his complex gaze falling on her.

She mustered her courage, raised her eyes, and met her son's gaze. An unconscious smile, tinged with a hint of ingratiation yet utterly sincere and loving, bloomed on her face.

That smile seemed to encapsulate all her longing, guilt, and the ecstatic joy of regaining what she had lost. Bathed in the golden sunlight, it appeared so warm and so penetrating.

Zeng Long stood there, looking at his mother's warm smile that could almost melt ice and snow!

Look at the undisguised, almost overflowing love in her eyes!

He felt as if his heart, which had been closed for eighteen years, cold and hard, had been struck heavily by something, and a crack had appeared in it.

A warm current, uncontrollably flowing in through the crack, tried to warm his frozen emotions.

Conflicting thoughts continue to struggle.

Could it be... that he really has to be so heartless as to cruelly deprive his own mother of her almost humble, guilt-ridden, and lovingly caring approach and attention?

Over the years, hasn't she also been suffering in pain and self-blame?

He recalled the details Yan Rugo had told him that night about his mother's years of tears and her unwavering search for him...

Zeng Long let out a deep, almost imperceptible breath, his chest rising and falling slightly.

Perhaps, it's time for these people, who have suffered in pain for too long, to... be free.

At this moment, He Jing, accompanied by Xiao Ya and the other two, walked up to Zeng Long.

She stopped and looked up at her son, who was more than a head taller than her, her eyes filled with caution, as if afraid that this hard-won closeness would vanish like a bubble.

She dared not speak, but stared unblinkingly at Zeng Long with her eyes filled with humility and endless hope, awaiting his "verdict".

That look was like a needle, gently pricking Zeng Long's heart, not fatal, but carrying a subtle pain.

He took a deep breath, as if making a decision, his Adam's apple bobbing, before he spoke with difficulty in an extremely hoarse voice, even with a slight stutter:

"You...don't...work so hard...going back and forth...in the future."

These words were like a pardon, causing He Jing's eyes to widen instantly, and a surge of joy welled up in her heart once again.

But Zeng Long wasn't finished speaking. He slightly turned his head, avoiding his mother's overly intense gaze—

Looking at Lin Xiaoya, who was trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, he regained some of his usual calmness and instructed:

"Let's find a room where we can rest later."

Having said that, as if he had exhausted all the courage to deal with the situation, Zeng Long did not linger, turned around and walked straight into the villa.

His back was still upright, but it lacked some of the absolute coldness it had before, and had gained a hint of something less noticeable... haste.

However, these few words were like heavenly music to He Jing!

He personally told her not to go through all that trouble! He even asked Xiaoya to prepare a room for her!

This means... she can stay here! She can be closer to her son! She can take care of him openly and legitimately!

An overwhelming happiness overwhelmed her instantly, like a tsunami.

Her hands trembled slightly, and for a moment she didn't know where to put them, fearing that this was just another beautiful illusion, and that her son would change his mind at any moment.

"Okay...okay...okay!" she replied repeatedly, her voice choked with excitement, as if afraid that Zeng Long would change his mind. She turned around quickly, almost frantically, and walked into the kitchen. Then, with a "click," she gently closed the kitchen door.

The moment the door closed, He Jing leaned against the cold wall, her body feeling as if all her strength had been drained, and slowly, softly, slid down to the ground.

She didn't make a sound, but covered her face tightly with her hands, her thin shoulders trembling violently.

That wasn't a cry of sorrow, but a silent, heart-wrenching outpouring of pain, guilt, longing, and immense happiness and excitement that had been suppressed for years!

Scalding tears welled up from between her fingers; they were the tears of finally seeing the dawn after countless agonizing days and nights, the weight of happiness that she could hardly bear.

Outside the door, Zeng Long did not immediately go upstairs.

He listened to the faint, suppressed gasps coming from the kitchen, his eyes flickered with a complex expression, and then his gaze, like an icicle, shot sharply and coldly at Lin Xiaoya, Tiezhu, and Ye Feng, who wished they could shrink into the ground.

The air pressure around him instantly dropped, and his tone carried the chilling cold of an Arctic wind:

"You lot...you're something else," he said slowly, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "You're getting bolder and bolder, aren't you!"

Lin Xiaoya and the other two felt a chill run down their spines, a cold sensation shooting from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads.

"It's been a long time since we've 'practiced'," Zeng Long said, a chilling smile playing on his lips. "Let's go out and practice."

After saying that, he didn't give the three of them any chance to explain or beg for mercy. He turned around first and walked with steady and imposing steps toward a relatively open lawn next to the villa.

Lin Xiaoya looked at Tie Zhu and Ye Feng with a bitter expression, her voice trembling with resignation: "Let's go... it seems we can't avoid this hurdle..."

Tie Zhu had a mournful face, and his massive body looked unusually "delicate" at this moment. Ye Feng, on the other hand, had a "bitter face," and the slight twitching of his eyes revealed his inner turmoil.

The three of them, like elementary school students who had made a mistake and were being punished by their homeroom teacher, hung their heads and followed Zeng Long step by step to the open space.

Zeng Long stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the three of them like a scanner, his tone "gentle" yet infuriating: "What? Weren't you guys very capable? You've been deceiving me for so many days, is that fun?"

He stretched his neck, making a crisp "click" sound, and his "smile" became even "brighter":

"Then let's play some... fun activities that belong to Hellfire Citadel. Come on, show me your best and let me 'test' you."

He emphasized the words "fun" and "test," saying, "You've been working from dawn till dusk every day lately, and your spirit of perseverance is commendable. Your eyes are all panda-like from staying up so long, so you must be much stronger than before. Now, let's have a go."

"Huh?!" The three of them looked up at the same time, their faces filled with horror.

Tie Zhu was the first to wail:

"Boss! No! Go easy on us! We're no match for you, and we wouldn't dare!"

Lin Xiaoya quickly begged for mercy, her voice soft and sweet, trying to evoke some sympathy:

"Boss~ We know we were wrong! Can you go easy on me? I promise I'll never do it again!"

Ye Feng didn't speak, but his eyes clearly expressed his desire to "refuse to spar".

Unfortunately, Zeng Long, enraged, wouldn't listen to reason!

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Before he finished speaking, Zeng Long's figure had already disappeared from the spot, like a ghost, bringing a sharp gust of wind, and instantly rushed in front of the three of them!

The first one to be hit was the most conspicuous iron pillar!

"Boss, don't hit my face! Ouch—!"

A dull thud echoed, followed by Tie Zhu's pitiful howl. His massive, bear-like body was thrown away like a sack of potatoes.

Without any fancy moves, he was hit hard by a seemingly casual yet powerful side slam, slamming onto the grass, which even made the ground tremble slightly and splash some grass clippings.

Next up is Lin Xiaoya!

"Boss! Be gentle! I'll never do it again—!"

Her voice stopped abruptly as Zeng Long's hand gripped her wrist like an iron clamp, executing a clean and swift over-the-shoulder throw!

Lin Xiaoya felt dizzy, then her back ached, and she collapsed face down next to the iron pillar, groaning and unable to get up.

Ye Feng reacted the fastest, retreating the instant Zeng Long moved, attempting to use his speed to maneuver around him.

However, Zeng Long was even faster!

As close as a leech, a fierce and swift whip kick swept out, accompanied by the sound of air being torn apart!

Ye Feng only had time to cross his arms to block! "Bang!" An irresistible force came, and he was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing precisely into the ornamental grass not far away!

Then came a series of loud rustling sounds. He tumbled and rolled several times in the grass before finally managing to stop, his hair and clothes covered in grass blades, making him look quite comical.

So, for a period of time afterward, this vacant lot in the villa area, which should have been quiet in the early morning, became the stage for an extremely unequal "exchange of skills".

Zeng Long's figure was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, his movements were fast, accurate and ruthless, yet he skillfully controlled them to cause only superficial pain and a little embarrassment, without causing real harm.

The dull thuds of fists and feet hitting flesh, the cries of the three men begging for mercy and screams of agony filled the air.

Ouch! My butt!

"Boss! We were wrong! We were really wrong!"

"Be gentle...your back will break!" "Don't hit my face!"

Tie Zhu was thrown around in a daze, Lin Xiaoya was knocked down again and again, and Ye Feng was like a human punching bag, being knocked down and thrown from various angles... The scene was quite "tragic" at one point, with a strange comedic effect.

About ten minutes later, or maybe a little longer, the villa's door was gently pushed open a crack. He Jing heard the incessant screams outside and anxiously peeked out.

Just then, Zeng Long swiftly threw Tie Zhu, who was trying to "resist," to the ground again, then clapped his hands as if he had just done a warm-up exercise. He caught a glimpse of his mother's head peeking out and paused slightly.

"Get up now!" he hissed at the three people lying on the ground, "Go help them!"

"Whoosh!" The three people who were just groaning on the ground, seemingly seriously injured, suddenly sprang to their feet in perfect unison, their movements incredibly fast.

They quickly brushed the grass clippings and dust off their bodies and bottoms, their faces contorted in pain, but their eyes held a relieved, smug look.

"Okay, boss!"

"Auntie, we're here!"

"Come on, let's go help with the cooking!"

The three of them, practically carrying a bewildered He Jing, quickly "escaped" the "crime scene" and rushed back into the villa.

Their speed and posture were exactly like those of a group of elementary school students who had just been severely punished by their homeroom teacher and were finally granted "early release," filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and the eagerness to make a quick getaway.

Zeng Long stood there, watching their hurried retreating figures!

I glanced again in the direction of the villa's kitchen!

The cold, stern expression on his face finally melted away, and the corners of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. A hint of helplessness mixed with a sense of relief ultimately turned into a barely audible sigh, which dissipated in the warm morning sunlight.

The morning light was just right, and the villa, both inside and out, seemed to be truly warming up.