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

The restroom at the end of the guesthouse corridor was lit with cold, white light.

Hao Yuan leaned against the cold tiled wall, his phone pressed tightly to his ear, each tick of the waiting tone from the receiver striking his taut nerves.

finally--

"Uncle Hao, is something the matter?" Zeng Long's voice rang out, steady and clear, like a pillar of strength.

Hao Yuan felt as if he had been granted a pardon and swallowed hard, his throat dry.

Use language that is as concise yet comprehensive as possible.

She quickly and clearly recounted how Wu Jun arrived, how he used metaphors of "soup and meat" and "cake and knife" to exert pressure at the dinner table, and his undisguised desire to take from her.

His voice was low, his tone revealing an anxiety he could not fully conceal and an urgent need for guidance.

At this moment, inside Zeng Long's private room at Yuetingyuan.

The lighting is soft.

Zeng Long was originally discussing the details of financial investment returns at tomorrow's exchange meeting with Teng Ao and Yan Ruge.

Upon receiving Hao Yuan's call, he gestured for the two to wait a moment, then got up and walked to the tea table.

He listened to Hao Yuan's account without showing any expression.

He simply reached out, picked up the small purple clay teapot, and slowly poured himself a cup of hot tea.

The amber-colored tea rippled gently in the cup.

When Zeng Long heard that "I am used to eating meat, especially fatty meat, and I have a big appetite," his hand holding the teacup paused slightly.

When Zeng Long heard the words, "The cake and the knife are right in front of you. It's up to you how much you get, or whether you can have it all to yourself," a slow smile crept onto his lips.

That wasn't a smile, but a cold, mocking, and sarcastic laugh.

"It seems this young master of the Wu family," Zeng Long said into the microphone, his voice not loud but clearly transmitted, "has quite the big mouth."

He didn't offer comfort or immediately provide a concrete solution; instead, he first addressed Hao Yuan's deepest concern:

Uncle Hao, since Wu Jun has come directly to you, it means he has his eye on Long Yu, this juicy target.

I understand your concerns about letting the wolf into the house and your fear of not being able to withstand the pressure.

He took a sip of tea, his tone suddenly shifting to a chilling composure:

"However, things are getting... more and more interesting."

"Didn't Wu Jun claim to have a good appetite? Let's see if he really has the teeth to digest this piece of meat."

Zeng Long lowered his voice, speaking slowly but with a confident air of mastery:

"Let's play along and put on a show."

"As for whether this play will end up as a comedy or..." He paused, a chill creeping into his voice, "...it will be a horror-tragedy that he will never forget, and that will be out of his hands."

Then, Zeng Long explained things to Hao Yuan in a soft but clear voice over the phone. His words were concise and logically rigorous, as if he had already rehearsed each step countless times in his mind.

Hao Yuan, who was on the other end of the phone, gradually relaxed his initially furrowed brows and his tense shoulders.

As he listened, the anxiety in his eyes was replaced by astonishment, then transformed into a sense of sudden enlightenment and shock, and finally, an indescribable excitement emerged.

Wu Jun's strategy was to treat Hao Yuan as a chess piece on the board.

Zeng Long's strategy was to have him jump out of Wu Jun's chessboard!

The initiative seems to be in Wu Jun's hands, but in essence, it has become: you play your game, and I'll play my part.

My moves may be on your chessboard, but in my drama, you are the "protagonist" driven by the plot.

Ultimately, I am the true "director".

Zeng Long is the screenwriter behind the scenes.

Hao Yuan took a deep breath and, speaking into the phone, sincerely exclaimed in admiration:

"Young Master Long... he really is Young Master Long."

"So this is how you can play games."

"Been taught a lesson!"

After hanging up the phone, Hao Yuan looked at himself in the bathroom mirror.

The panic and helplessness in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a calm composure and a hint of sharpness as if he were about to participate in a high-level intellectual game.

He straightened his suit and tie, splashed cold water on his face, and dried it.

Then, he straightened his back and walked back to the oppressive private room with a steady and relaxed gait, completely different from when he came.

"Click".

The door to the private room was pushed open.

With a perfectly appropriate apologetic smile, Hao Yuan went inside and sat down again opposite Wu Jun.

"Young Master Wu, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting." He spoke naturally, as if he had just left his seat casually.

Wu Jun looked up at him, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment.

His keen intuition told him that the Hao Yuan in front of him was subtly different from the Hao Yuan who had left in a hurry a few minutes earlier under the pretext of "having to pee".

I can't quite put my finger on the differences.

"Let's continue our conversation," Hao Yuan initiated, his expression calm, even somewhat candid. "I understand the deeper meaning behind Young Master Wu asking me to 'divide the cake.' I really understand."

He abruptly changed the subject, adopting a humble posture, yet subtly conveying a sharp edge:

"But I, Hao Yuan, am just a nobody. Although this cake is now in front of my Jingtong District, in reality... I am not the one who made the cake. The one who handed over the task to me is 'above'."

He pointed towards the ceiling, his tone both helpless and sincere:

"Therefore, the higher-ups are watching very closely and strictly. How to make each cut, who to cut, and how much to cut are not decisions I can make on my own."

He shrugged, feigning difficulty yet trying his best to be considerate:

"But I can't refuse to give you face, Young Master Wu. This is really... putting me in a difficult position."

Wu Jun listened quietly, his fingers gently stroking the rim of his teacup, his eyes deep and unreadable.

Hao Yuan seemed to have gone through a difficult "inner struggle" before finally making up his mind. He reached out and gently, steadily, pushed the beautifully packaged cake on the table in front of Wu Jun.

Then, he picked up the cheap plastic cake cutter and placed it next to the cake, with the handle facing Wu Jun.

Having done all this, Hao Yuan leaned back slightly, a look of relief and complete cooperation on his face:

"Young Master Wu, as you just mentioned, you like to eat fatty meat and have a big appetite."

"But I really don't know exactly how big your appetite is, or which part you prefer."

"So, I came up with a compromise—"

Hao Yuan looked at Wu Jun with clear eyes and said, word by word:

"Now, the cake and the knife are in front of you."

"You can have as much as you want, without having to lift a finger. There are servers outside who will professionally cut it up."

"You just need to ring the bell to call the waiter in, tell her which piece you want and how big you want it. She will cut it up exactly according to your request."

He concluded with utmost sincerity:

"As for how much to divide and how to divide it, I, Hao Yuan, personally have no ideas or opinions."

"Everything will be as you, Young Master Wu, would like to decide."

Quiet.

An eerie silence fell over the private room.

A slight crack finally appeared on Wu Jun's calm expression. He narrowed his eyes, his gaze piercing Hao Yuan like a tangible needle.

He understood.

Hao Yuan's move seemed to give them plenty of face, even relinquishing the "right to allocate" the prize money, showing an utterly humble attitude.

In reality, Hao Yuan executed an extremely ingenious escape and transfer of responsibility.

The cake and knife are for you, Wu Jun, so you can divide them yourself.

But the "actor" who divides the cake becomes the "waiter"—a neutral, irresponsible third party.

Hao Yuan, on the other hand, went from being a forced "allocator" to an "observer" and "rule enforcer".

What does this mean?

This means that if the Wu and He families want this piece of the pie, they can no longer simply obtain it by pressuring Hao Yuan, the "person in charge".

They have to face the scrutiny from "above" on their own.

They must compete and vie for this piece of the pie with other forces that also covet it.

All the contradictions, conflicts, and pressures will be transferred from Hao Yuan to a broader battlefield.

Hao Yuan's meaning couldn't be clearer:

You can have the meat, but how you manage to get it into your mouth is your own business.

Whether you can digest what you've got is your own business. I, Hao Yuan, am just a minor local official; I can't decide how to divide the spoils.

It was like a powerful punch landing on the softest cotton. All the force was neutralized, leaving nothing to hold onto.

Wu Jun disliked this feeling intensely. It was the feeling of a piece suddenly breaking free from invisible threads and jumping out of the board's control. It was the feeling that the situation seemed to be achieved, but in reality, the objective had failed.

He stared at Hao Yuan, trying to find a flaw in the other's face and the reason behind his sudden "slippery" demeanor.

Did someone give him guidance? Or did Hao Yuan suddenly have a breakthrough?

The current situation is: Wu Jun, you continue playing your game and setting up your strategy.

I, Hao Yuan, will just stand by and watch, doing my job of providing service.

We seem to have some overlap (the cake is in front of you), but it also seems like we don't have any real overlap (how you take it is your business).

The deal seems to be done (you can go and get it), but the initiative has actually become blurred.

Wu Jun took a slow breath in and then slowly exhaled. His face once again wore that inscrutable, faint smile, but deep in his eyes, there was no warmth left.

"Secretary Hao," he began, his voice unreadable, "indeed...extraordinary."

He stood up and straightened the hem of his suit jacket, which had no wrinkles.

"Since Secretary Hao has made his stance clear, then I, Wu, will not linger any longer."

He walked to the door, grasped the doorknob, paused for a moment, and without turning around, spoke in a calm voice:

"I hope Secretary Hao can truly do what you said today."

After saying that, he opened the door and disappeared into the corridor lights without glancing at the cake and knife on the table again.

Inside the private room, only Hao Yuan remained, along with the untouched cake box on the table.

Hao Yuan slowly approached the back of the chair and then realized that the back of his shirt was soaked with cold sweat.

Did he win this round? Not really. He merely temporarily escaped Wu Jun's direct control and kicked the ball back.

But Wu Jun's last sentence was clearly a warning, and also a threat. It meant: You'd better remain "neutral," otherwise…

Hao Yuan let out a soft breath, his gaze complex.

He knew he was only temporarily safe. A bigger storm might brew elsewhere in another form.

Wu Jun arrived carrying a chessboard and chess pieces.

Zeng Long, however, had already dug a pit outside the chessboard.

Now, the piece (Hao Yuan) has voluntarily jumped off the chessboard.

So, will there be any "smart" people who will willingly jump into that dug pit?

Everything is full of unknowns.

But Hao Yuan knew that he was no longer facing this game alone.

He picked up his phone and sent Zeng Long a short message:

[The play has begun. Wu Li.]

The reply came quickly, containing only one word:

【wait.】