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

In the eastern suburbs of Beijing, there stands the Zeng family courtyard, a symbol of power and heritage—

Tonight, the lights are on full display, and unlike the usual solemn atmosphere, the air is filled with an almost overflowing excitement and anticipation.

Inside the living room, Zeng Rong, the current head of the Zeng family, a veteran general who was a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield and remained calm even when Mount Tai collapsed before him in the political arena, paced back and forth in the spacious living room like a young boy, unable to sit still at all.

His weathered face, usually imposing and dignified, was now filled with excitement, eagerness, and barely suppressed exhilaration; a faint trace of tears could even be seen on his face.

His large hands, which had once commanded thousands of troops, were now trembling slightly, as if they had nowhere to go.

Beside him, his wife, Lin Fen, sat in a sandalwood chair, her eyes also moist, looking at her restless husband with a mixture of relief and emotion.

She gently advised:

"Old man, stop wandering around like that, you're making me dizzy. What Xiaojing said on the phone is definitely true. Our good grandson Xiaolong has already accepted the Zeng family and will be coming home soon to call you grandpa!"

The word "Grandpa" seemed to possess a magical power, causing Zeng Rong to abruptly stop in his tracks.

He turned to look at his wife, his chest heaving violently, and uttered a few words, his voice trembling with barely perceptible sobs:

"Good! Good! Good! My grandson Xiaolong... he's finally coming back! Coming back home! Hahaha...!"

He burst into laughter, a loud and clear laugh filled with the exhilaration of triumph and the ecstasy of regaining what was lost!

However, under the bright lights of the living room, a murky yet shimmering tear finally slid silently from the corner of his resolute eye, which he quickly wiped away with the back of his hand.

His gaze swept urgently towards his son, Zeng Sheng, who was equally agitated beside him:

"Why hasn't Xiaojing arrived yet? My heart is pounding so hard, it feels like my old bones are about to fall apart!"

Zeng Lingyu, her face flushed with excitement, linked arms with her grandmother Lin Fen and exclaimed joyfully:

Grandpa! What Mom said must be true! Lin Xiaoya, who's always with my brother, also secretly texted me. She didn't say it explicitly, but the meaning couldn't be clearer!

She said her brother has... has already accepted their mother and their Zeng family!

And did you know? My brother even specially arranged for Xiaoya, Tiezhu, Yefeng, and Anna from America to come back with Mom to get her luggage!

Doesn't this attitude and this arrangement explain everything?

Inside the house, Zeng Long's two aunts, Zeng Ting and Zeng Ling, were also present, their faces beaming with genuine smiles.

Even his uncle Zeng Qiang, who works far away, made a special trip back.

At this moment, this man, who held absolute authority in the local area, smiled and advised like a child:

"Dad, why don't you sit down and rest? You've been walking back and forth for almost half an hour now, and you're practically wearing holes in the floor."

Zeng Rong glanced around at his children and grandchildren, a rare, childlike, bright smile spreading across his face. He waved his hand.

"I'm not tired! Not at all! Just thinking about Xiaolong letting Xiaojing stay with him fills me with energy, I feel like I've become ten years younger!"

Just then, the long-awaited footsteps and voices finally came from outside the door.

He Jing, accompanied by the silent salute of the guards outside the door, hurriedly entered the living room, making a gust of wind around her.

Lin Xiaoya and the other three followed Zeng Long's instructions to "escort" them, and considerately stayed outside the courtyard to wait, leaving this moment of reunion entirely to the Zeng family.

As soon as Zeng Rong saw He Jing enter, he immediately strode forward, disregarding any semblance of dignity or composure, his voice filled with unprecedented urgency:

"Xiaojing! Quick, tell me! What you said on the phone, is it all true? Xiaolong... he really..."

Looking at the expectant gazes of her relatives filling the room, especially her father-in-law's burning eyes, He Jing's own eyes instantly reddened, and her voice trembled with barely suppressed sobs and emotion:

Yes! Dad, Mom... it's true! Xiaolong... although he hasn't called me "Mom" yet, he's already allowed me to stay by his side and take care of him!

He even told me personally not to work too hard... That's why he had a few of the people he trusted most escort me back to get a change of clothes...!

Then, He Jing, fighting back tears of emotion, recounted everything that had happened that day—

From Zeng Long's shock and struggle when he caught her in the kitchen!

Finally, he rushed downstairs and ordered Xiaoya and the others to chase after her!

And that clumsy yet sincere concern... He told all the details to the whole family in their entirety.

The living room was silent, except for He Jing's choked-up narration.

When Zeng Long heard about his intense inner struggle, Zeng Sheng, a middle-aged general known as an iron man in the army, couldn't help but tear up and clench his fists tightly.

When they heard that Zeng Long finally relented because he felt sorry for his mother and asked her to stay, Grandpa Zeng Rong and Grandma Lin Fen were already so excited that they clasped their hands tightly, laughing and wiping away the tears that were streaming down their faces with their handkerchiefs.

When Zeng Long instructed Tie Zhu and the others to escort her, Zeng Lingyu was so happy she almost jumped for joy. She hugged He Jing tightly, her voice sweet and soft:

"Mom! If you're moving in, I want to move in with my brother too! Xiaoya and I chose that villa together, and it has so many empty rooms! I want to go too!"

He Jing looked at her excited daughter and patted her head with a mixture of helplessness and affection:

Xiaoyu, this is a decision your mother can't make now.

It's already incredibly kind of Xiaolong that his mother was willing to move in.

Weren't you already quite close to your brother and Xiaoya?

Next time, find an opportunity to talk to your brother and Xiaoya in person, okay?

"Uh... I know!" Zeng Lingyu pouted, but quickly cheered up again, full of confidence. "I'll talk to them, brother and Xiaoya will definitely agree!"

The spacious living room was filled with laughter and warmth that hadn't been present in eighteen years. The gloom that had shrouded the Zeng family for so many years seemed to have been completely dispelled by this ray of dawn named "Zeng Long".

Meanwhile, in the western suburbs of Beijing, at the highest point of the mountain in the "Yunding Tengyuan" luxury villa complex, the atmosphere inside the most magnificent Teng family villa was completely different from the warm reunion of the Zeng family.

Old Master Teng, Teng Tian, ​​the pillar of strength who had been involved in politics and business for decades and had long since retired behind the scenes, was sitting in his antique-style study.

On the mahogany desk in front of him were several gold-embossed visiting cards and a pot of top-grade Longjing tea that had long since gone cold.

He looked at Changsun Tengao in front of him, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions and worry.

"Xiao Ao," Grandpa Teng spoke slowly, his voice carrying the steadiness characteristic of the elderly:

"Grandpa, this is truly... unexpected. In such a short time, our Teng family has become the most sought-after family in the entire capital city."

He pointed to the visiting cards on the table and the landline phone next to it, which was silent but constantly flashing:

Now, some of the elders from these families are calling me directly, indirectly asking me to plead their case on your behalf.

Among them are those who are trying every means to cooperate with you, and those who are trying to figure out the policy direction from above and want to use you to test the waters and pave the way for their family's future generations in the officialdom...

Because now, your every move represents more than just the Teng family in the eyes of many people; it represents an opportunity and a trendsetter that they cannot see clearly but are extremely eager to seize.

He sighed and continued:

Although you temporarily deflected the question with excuses such as the company still being in the preparation stage and trade secrets, these old guys are all shrewd and experienced, having spent their entire lives navigating the world of fame and fortune.

Their sense of smell is more accurate than anyone else's. Look at our house, from this afternoon until now, has there been a single moment of peace?

Teng Ao sat opposite the old man, his young face showing a weariness beyond his years, with obvious dark circles around his eyes, but his gaze was unusually clear and firm.

He met his grandfather's gaze, his tone resolute:

"Grandpa, you absolutely mustn't open this door. Help me hold it together." He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice:

Zeng Long has made it clear that the current "Longyu Group" is still in a highly confidential and planning stage. Any form of cooperation negotiation is simply not realistic at the moment and must be rejected!

As for those official investment promotion and policy inquiries, I can't pay attention to any of them! I feel that Zeng Long is playing a bigger game.

A deep sense of awe was revealed in Teng Ao's arrogant gaze:

Grandpa, to be honest, the longer I spend with him these days, the more I feel his...terrifying nature.

It wasn't the kind of ferocity that was terrifying, but rather the grand scale of his vision, the depth of his planning, and the precision of his calculations that made people shudder upon closer examination.

Therefore, at present, no matter who comes to talk to me, I will give them all the courtesy they deserve, but I will not reveal a single word about any substantive plans or information, nor will I make any explicit promises.

Looking at his grandson's tired yet resolute expression, a pang of heartache flashed in Grandpa Teng's eyes. He pondered for a moment and then advised:

But Xiao Ao, if you do everything yourself and try to handle everything by yourself, can you really manage?

Look at you now, your dark circles are practically falling to the ground.

Or... Grandpa can step in and help you find a few absolutely reliable and top-notch elite assistants to help you with some of the routine administrative work?

"No! Absolutely not!" Teng Ao objected without hesitation, his tone unusually resolute.

"Grandpa, all matters involving 'Longyu' at present, from framework construction to resource integration, and even the flow of funds in the early stage, are top-level business secrets!"

Take this financial market operation as an example. Even I, the so-called "person in charge," may not be fully aware of the details of some core arrangements and key operational points. I was just strictly following Zeng Long's instructions and responsible for executing the part I was in charge of.

He took a deep breath and continued:

From this, you can see how strict Zeng Long's requirements for confidentiality are.

If he felt the need for teamwork, he would have let me form one long ago.

Conversely, the fact that he entrusted me with so many important matters under such confidentiality is itself the greatest trust he has placed in me and the Teng family! I must not betray this trust!

His gaze swept across the dark night sky outside the window, as if he could feel the countless prying eyes hidden in the darkness, and he added in a heavy tone:

Besides, the powerful families that have come knocking on our door these days are not ordinary people; they are either core members of their families or influential figures with real power.

People who haven't grown up within our circle, whom we know intimately and whom we can absolutely trust, simply can't participate, nor can they control the situation. Bringing in outsiders rashly is far too risky!

A brief silence fell over the study, and even the aroma of tea seemed to carry a hint of solemnity.

The Teng family was enjoying immense prestige and had been propelled to the forefront of the times. However, only Teng Ao, who was at the center of the vortex, knew that everything he stood on was given to him by Zeng Long.

The future and secrets carried by the "Longyu" Group are cold and heavy, testing the wisdom, loyalty, and nerves of every participant.