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

"That's right!" Old Liu nodded emphatically. "Loyalty and righteousness! These four words are engraved in the Zeng family ancestral hall, but they should also be engraved in the very bones and blood of every son of the Zeng family!"

He turned his gaze back to Zeng Linglong, looking directly at him:

"To be honest, from the moment you were born!"

"Your grandfather, and us old subordinates, had a vague expectation in our hearts."

"We look forward to you carrying on the Zeng family tradition!"

"We expect you to shoulder more than just the future of the Zeng family!"

"It is also a heavy responsibility for this country in a specific field!"

"Later, you had an accident and disappeared. This expectation turned into the greatest regret and pain."

"Your cousin Zeng Wen joined the army, to some extent—"

"It's also a choice made by the family to continue this responsibility."

Old Liu's voice carried a hint of excitement:

"Now! Heaven has eyes!"

"Not only are you back!"

"and……"

He looked Zeng Linglong up and down, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration and amazement:

"The abilities, mindset, perspective you demonstrate, and the resources and experience you have access to—"

"Even we old folks have to admit it."

"You, Zeng Linglong—"

"This is the best candidate we've been waiting for for years, one who has even exceeded our initial expectations!"

"It's the best choice, absolutely unique!"

"so..."

Old Liu's tone turned extremely solemn as his gaze swept over Yan Fushan, Old Teng, Old Zhao, and General Zhang present!

Finally, let's return to Zeng Linglong.

"Today, taking advantage of your return home, General Zhang and I will represent the higher-ups!"

"Witnessed by your grandfather, Elder Yan, Elder Zhao, Elder Teng, and other highly respected elders."

"We would like to formally hear your opinions and thoughts."

"This future 'national weapon,' are you willing... to forge it with your own hands and wield it?"

Zeng Linglong fell silent.

He did not answer immediately.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and all eyes were on him.

He could feel the heavy expectation, the weight of family honor and national mission.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze not meeting anyone's, but fixed on the powerfully written plaque above the hall that read "Loyalty and Courage." Light and shadow flickered in his deep eyes.

After a moment, he spoke, asking a crucial question, his voice calm yet cutting to the heart of the matter:

"Why...me?"

Old Liu seemed to have anticipated this question. He stepped forward, his words clear, logical, and resolute:

"First, your loyalty!"

"Your roots are in the Zeng family, and your blood flows with the simplest and deepest loyalty to this country."

"The loyalty and courage of your grandfather and father are already ingrained in your bones."

"More importantly, you and your teammates have provided crucial assistance to the country unconditionally on numerous critical occasions!"

"He carried out many extremely difficult and dangerous missions for the country and resolved several major crises."

"Your loyalty has been tested and is beyond question!"

"Secondly, your abilities!"

"Whether it's individual combat effectiveness, command capabilities, large-scale tactical deployment, or countering unrestricted warfare, information warfare, and infiltration warfare—"

"You've proven yourself to be among the best in every other special operations mission, through countless life-or-death situations!"

"Your battlefield instincts, your on-the-spot decision-making, and your 'monstrous' control over maximizing the effectiveness of all resources are currently unmatched in the military!"

"Thirdly, and this is your irreplaceable advantage—your power and resources!"

Old Liu's eyes became incredibly sharp.

"You grew up, survived, and fought abroad from a young age."

"The network of contacts, intelligence channels, and logistical support system you've built!"

"Even having intricate connections with certain special forces abroad—these are invaluable assets that could never be acquired by simply working in isolation within the country!"

"This team will inevitably be tasked with carrying out unrestricted missions on a global scale in the future. Your background and resources will be your most powerful 'logistical support' and 'protective shield'!"

He paused, then concluded:

"Loyalty as the foundation, ability as the blade, resources as the wings. With these three combined, you are the most suitable, and the only, candidate capable of building and leading this future 'Dragon Shadow'!"

"Other advantages such as your age and strategic planning ability are icing on the cake and need no further explanation."

"The reasons are sound and irrefutable."

Zeng Linglong fell silent again.

This time, it took even longer. His gaze slowly moved, meeting the eyes of each elder in the hall—his grandfather's eyes held earnest expectations and complete trust.

His father and uncle saw pride and support in him.

In the eyes of Mr. Yan, Mr. Teng, and Mr. Zhao, this was encouragement and recognition.

In the eyes of Elder Liu and General Zhang, it was a solemn entrustment and a deep reflection on the future of the country.

Finally, his gaze fell back on Old Master Zeng.

Grandpa Zeng didn't speak, but looked at him intently, and then, very slowly but firmly, nodded.

That nod carried the weight of family tradition and the entrustment of elders.

A surge of passion, mixed with a sense of responsibility, mission, and a feeling of being completely trusted and entrusted, welled up in Zeng Linglong's heart.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, all hesitation and deliberation had vanished, leaving only a clear and resolute glint in his eyes.

"OK!"

One word, crisp and clean, yet as heavy as Mount Tai!

But then, he abruptly changed his tone, becoming forceful and specific, with an undeniable sense of planning:

"I can take on this responsibility. However, there are a few prerequisites and supplements that must be made clear, and explicit authorization from above is also required."

"First, the team members have the final say."

"The selection process can proceed as usual, but the final decision on whether someone is selected will be made by me personally."

"I need to comprehensively evaluate not only physical fitness and military skills, but also mentality, adaptability, loyalty, and compatibility with my future combat system. I would rather have none than a bad one."

"Second, absolute independent command and personnel authority."

"What I need is command authority, not just battlefield command."

"Instead, I am fully responsible for the team's organizational structure, personnel allocation, training methods, and even future task assignments."

"I know there are other excellent special forces units in the country, but the one I'm building must break free from all existing frameworks!"

His voice rose, carrying a pioneering sharpness:

"I don't want my team members to be just a group of 'professional soldiers'."

"What I want is for them to lay down their guns, leave the military, and be able to seamlessly integrate into any corner of society."

"He might be an ordinary white-collar worker with a nine-to-five job, a small shop owner, or a taciturn technician..."

"However, the moment the nation needs them, the moment their duty calls, they pick up a gun—"

"They must be Asuras who can crawl out of purgatory!"

"He is a war god who strikes fear into the hearts of all enemies!"

"It is the ultimate weapon, capable of anything and indestructible!"

"Hidden beneath the earth, moving above the heavens! This is the true form a future shadow force should take!"

This description is bold, avant-garde, and full of subversive imagination.

However, upon hearing this, General Liu not only did not frown, but his eyes suddenly shone with an astonishing light!

"Hahaha...Good! Well said!!"

He couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh, his laughter filled with joy and excitement!

"Xiao Long! The conditions you requested and the ideas you proposed perfectly align with the future form of special forces that the top executives privately discussed and envisioned!"

"A perfect match! Even bolder and more insightful than we imagined!"

Old Liu turned to Zeng Xu, General Zhang, and the others, excitedly saying, "See? These are the people we've been looking for! They not only have the ability to execute orders, but also the courage and vision to define the future!"

He turned around and patted Zeng Linglong's shoulder forcefully, his tone resolute:

"Rest assured! All your conditions are approved in principle! Specific details and authorization documents will be sent to you as soon as possible in top-secret form!"

"From this moment forward, you are the supreme creator and commander of the 'Dragon Shadow' force, which carries an infinite future!"

"This sword is entrusted to you! I hope you... will live up to your country and your life!"

Inside the hall, the old men exchanged smiles, their eyes filled with satisfaction and anticipation.

Outside the window, the night in the capital was deep, but a shadowy blade destined to have a far-reaching impact had quietly laid its first foundation stone in this solemn room.

Zeng Linglong straightened his back, his gaze piercing through the windowpane, looking towards the boundless night sky.

He knew that a road more arduous and glorious than ever before was unfolding beneath his feet.