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

Inside the intensive care unit of Presbyterian Hospital.

Chief Roni Roni's vital signs are gradually stabilizing.

Although he remains unconscious, Dr. Blake's team says it is already a huge medical miracle.

Subsequent recovery requires time and careful nursing.

Under Robert's strong reorganization, the Luo family has temporarily stabilized, but undercurrents are still surging.

Everyone is waiting for the old man to wake up, while also remaining vigilant for the possibility of another attack.

Inside the safe house.

Ling Ye and Lin Que shifted their focus to the mysterious middleman—"Carrier Pigeon".

"This 'homing pigeon' is very cunning!"

Lin Que chewed on an energy bar, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

He confiscated it from "The Hound" and Boyle—

The communication devices are all disposable mobile phones with highly encrypted, self-destructing email systems.

The IP address jumper travels around the world more than a dozen times, ultimately pointing to public network nodes, making it impossible to trace the source.

Ling Ye stood in front of the whiteboard, on which was written a diagram showing the relationship between "Scorpion", "Carrier Pigeon", Boyle and "Hound", and drew a big question mark on "Carrier Pigeon".

"He was responsible for contacting the hitmen, killers, and drug suppliers."

This is the core hub of the entire chain. Such a person must be extremely cautious, but also have contingency plans in place to ensure the transaction is completed and to control risks.

Ling Ye analyzed:

"Little Sparrow, let's change our approach. Don't track the information he actively sends out; instead, investigate the sources of information he might passively receive or have to access."

"Passively received?" Lin Que tilted her head.

For example, Ling Ye narrowed his eyes slightly; he needed to confirm whether Boyle's payment had been received.

Although the Monero blockchain is anonymous, transaction records are public, requiring monitoring of specific addresses.

He needs to assess whether the "hound's" mission was successful.

This might require access to local news, police radio, or even some non-public information streams within the hospital.

Although it is difficult, he may need to communicate with the "scorpions" further upstream to confirm the effects of the venom and follow-up matters.

Lin Que's eyes lit up:

"I see! He wasn't completely submerged!"

"He will inevitably need to 'shine' to gather information at some point!"

"As long as he accesses the network to obtain specific information, I can analyze it through data traffic characteristics and access time—"

"And to perform reverse localization and behavior prediction based on its correlation with other events!"

"That's right." Ling Ye nodded.

"Set up monitoring triggers:"

"Focus on monitoring information flows containing specific keywords related to Ronnie's illness, Boyle's arrest, and 'The Hound's' disappearance."

"And the changes to those Monero wallet addresses that may be related to 'Carrier Pigeon' and 'Scorpion'."

"Once any unusual access or transaction is confirmed, immediately pinpoint the source, even if it's just a general geographical area."

"Leave it to me!" Lin Que seemed to have his meridians opened up, and once again immersed himself in the crazy world of code.

Ling Ye then carefully examined Boyle again—

They tried to find out the possible behavioral patterns or preferences of the "homing pigeon" by gathering fragments of information from the "hunting dog".

Just then, his personal cell phone vibrated.

It was a message from Anna.

[Anna]: Lingye, will you come to the hospital today?

Grandpa's condition is stable, which Dr. Blake said is a good sign.

I...I want to see you.

Looking at the text message, Ling Ye could imagine Anna's expectant yet somewhat cautious expression.

During this time, she stayed at the hospital and became noticeably thinner, but she always tried her best to appear strong in front of him.

He was silent for a few seconds before replying.

[Lingye]: I'll be there in a bit.

He put down his phone and said to Lin Que:

"I'm going out for a bit. Let me know immediately if you find anything."

"Okay, boss, go keep Anna company, I'll stay here!"

Lin Que waved his hand without looking up.

The smell of disinfectant was still strong in the hospital, but the atmosphere in the VIP ward area was much more relaxed.

Anna's eyes lit up when she saw Ling Ye appear at the end of the corridor, and she ran to greet him.

"You've come." She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Hmm." Ling Ye looked her over. "You haven't rested well."

His tone was declarative, with a hint of barely perceptible concern.

"I'm fine."

Anna shook her head and naturally reached out to take his arm, but hesitated, afraid of disturbing him.

Ling Ye glanced at her and then raised his arm slightly in an arc.

Anna's face instantly lit up with a smile. She gently took his arm, feeling the reassuring strength emanating from the firm muscles of his arm.

The two walked to the rest area outside the ward and sat down.

Anna spoke softly about some of her grandfather's subtle reactions that day—

For example, if her finger twitched or her eyelashes trembled, even though the doctor said it was a normal nerve reflex, she was still full of hope.

Ling Ye listened quietly, nodding occasionally.

He didn't say anything comforting, but his very presence was the greatest comfort to Anna.

"Ling Ye," Anna suddenly asked in a low voice, her voice tinged with lingering fear.

"Without you... I really don't know what I would have done... That night, I thought I was going to lose Grandpa..."

Ling Ye turned his head and looked at the seemingly weak but resilient girl beside him.

His long, golden hair was loosely draped over his shoulders, and his azure eyes, like a lake shimmering with water, clearly reflected his features.

He raised his hand and, somewhat awkwardly and stiffly, gently brushed away a stray strand of hair from her forehead.

This subtle movement made Anna's body tremble slightly, and her heart race.

There are no "what ifs".

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable certainty:

"I promised to take you home and I will protect your home."

These weren't sweet words; they even sounded somewhat cold, like a promise, yet they brought tears to Anna's eyes.

These are not tears of sadness, but rather an outpouring of immense security and dependence.

She lowered her head, gently resting her forehead on his shoulder, her voice choked with emotion: "Thank you... thank you, Ling Ye..."

Ling Ye's body stiffened for a moment. He was not used to being so close to people, and he always understood that he was just a passerby and that everything here was temporary.

But I felt a warm, damp sensation on my shoulder and the girl's slight trembling.

He ultimately did not push her away.

He simply let her lean against him, and the hand that had just brushed her hair hesitated for a moment before awkwardly and gently patting her back.

At this moment, the usual wicked teasing and the coldness of a battlefield slayer were gone, leaving only a silent companionship and protection.

Anna's suppressed emotions were almost overflowing. She wanted to tell him that he was not only her benefactor, but also an irreplaceable figure in her heart.

But she knew it wasn't the right time yet.

Grandpa has not yet woken up, the crisis has not yet been resolved, and it seems that there is something even heavier locked in Ling Ye's heart.

Just then, Lin Que's deliberately lowered, excited voice came through Ling Ye's miniature earpiece:

"Boss! The fish has taken the bait!"

"There is a very well hidden IP address."

"Traffic disguised as Italian through seven layers of proxies."

"But within a very short timeframe, I simultaneously queried news details of Boyle's arrest (not the headline version) and a confirmed transaction for a specific Monero address!"

"Although it was running very fast, I still managed to capture the data packet characteristics!"

"The source has been roughly identified—near the Honggou District!"

Ling Ye's eyes sharpened instantly, and the barely perceptible gentleness from before vanished without a trace.

He gently straightened Anna's shoulders, looked at her teary-eyed face, and whispered:

"I have some things to take care of. You stay here with the old man and don't go anywhere. The security personnel are all outside, so it's very safe."

Anna noticed the change in his expression and knew he must have discovered something again. Although worried, she obediently nodded.

"You...you must be careful."

"Hmm." Ling Ye stood up, took one last look at Grandpa Ronnie in the ward, turned and strode away, his back once again filled with the alertness and danger of a cheetah.

Anna watched his retreating figure and clenched her hands tightly.

She knew that he was going to fight again for her, for his grandfather, and for this family.

All she could do was wait and pray for his safe return.

The abandoned docks and warehouses in the Red Hook District are all located here, and the clues point to the hiding place of the "carrier pigeons" which seems to be right in front of us.

As Lingye merged into the night, a new round of hunting began.

This time, he hopes to uncover this even more deeply hidden venomous snake.