Xu Yaoyao and Chen Jinzhao exchanged a look.
The excitement in their eyes gradually faded. They were too preoccupied to listen to the rest of what Xu Hanchen had to say, because they knew Xu Hanchen had not recovered his memory. He even believed the current timeline was four years ago, when he had specifically traveled from the capital to Ninghai to ask Chen Jinzhao to come out of retirement.
Xu Yaoyao's gaze dimmed. Holding Xiao Sinian, she said to Chen Jinzhao, "Brother Jinzhao, why don't you chat with Grandpa for a while longer? I'll take care of Xiao Sinian."
"I won't disturb you any further."
Chen Jinzhao nodded. "Alright, thank you for your trouble."
After watching Xu Yaoyao leave the backyard with her daughter, Chen Jinzhao turned to Xu Hanchen and said, "Chen Jinzhao, requesting to rejoin the team!"
Xu Hanchen let out a hearty laugh. "Good, good, good! Our unit cannot be without a fierce general like you. You are the bedrock of our Zhulong Special Operations Team."
Chen Jinzhao outwardly agreed with Xu Hanchen's words, but a wave of sorrow washed over him.
A once-renowned general had fallen to such a state.
He hesitated for a moment, then asked in a hoarse voice, "Elder Xu, have you truly forgotten everything?"
"I am Chen Jinzhao, Chen Jinzhao who has been missing for three years."
"I have returned now."
Xu Hanchen looked at Chen Jinzhao curiously, furrowing his white eyebrows. "Little Chen, what nonsense are you talking about? I remember you only left the team two years ago. How could it be three years? I think your mind is a bit fuzzy."
Chen Jinzhao was speechless.
It seemed Xu Hanchen had indeed forgotten a great deal.
The silver lining in this misfortune was that Xu Hanchen still remembered him.
Chen Jinzhao asked Xu Hanchen to sit down, but Xu Hanchen refused to, claiming he was not so decrepit.
In reality.
Xu Hanchen was already trembling as he walked, to the point where he needed someone to support him.
As the saying goes, "Famed generals, like beauties, are not allowed to grow old and white-haired."
Xu Hanchen's memory was fragmented. Perhaps he had forgotten the unpleasant memories; in any case, he was happy now. He held Chen Jinzhao's hand, earnestly admonishing his former subordinate to remember his mission, whether for himself or for the country.
"I understand," Chen Jinzhao nodded.
At this moment, Xu Hanchen seemed to have not lost his memory, explaining everything to Chen Jinzhao in great detail.
"Oh, right."
"Little Chen, I have something else to ask of you," Xu Hanchen said with a smile.
"What is it?" Chen Jinzhao instinctively asked.
Xu Hanchen said, "You remember my granddaughter, don't you? When I saw you last, she was only twelve or thirteen, named Xu Yaoyao. She's studying at Ninghai University now. That girl seems quite fond of you. I'm old now, and I hope you will take good care of her in the future."
"Elder Xu, you..." Chen Jinzhao stared into Xu Hanchen's eyes.
He tried to detect any flicker in Xu Hanchen's gaze, hoping to prove that Xu Hanchen's Alzheimer's was a pretense.
In the end, Chen Jinzhao was disappointed.
There was no trace of emotion in Xu Hanchen's eyes, only deep concern.
Before Chen Jinzhao could finish speaking, Xu Hanchen said meaningfully, "I only have this one relative. You must help me take good care of her. This is the only person I am worried about."
Chen Jinzhao fell silent for a moment before agreeing, "Alright, I promise you."
Xu Hanchen suddenly fell silent.
No matter what Chen Jinzhao said, he remained unresponsive, making Chen Jinzhao wonder if Xu Hanchen had fallen asleep.
"Elder Xu?"
Chen Jinzhao called out softly.
Xu Hanchen did not respond. Just as Chen Jinzhao was about to get up and leave, Xu Hanchen's eyes opened again, and he looked at Chen Jinzhao.
Chen Jinzhao saw a sharpness in Xu Hanchen's eyes that made his hair stand on end.
Xu Hanchen coldly demanded, "Who are you?"
"Why are you in my house?"
Chen Jinzhao hesitated to speak.
Xu Hanchen's gaze quickly softened. He stood up, looked Chen Jinzhao up and down, patted him on the shoulder, and laughed, "Good, good, good! You must be Chen Jinzhao, the rising star of the Zhulong Special Operations Team, right? Su Xiao betrayed us, and the higher-ups plan to invest resources in you. Don't let down the trust the military has in you."
"Young man, do a good job."
Chen Jinzhao was bewildered and gradually became disheartened.
Xu Hanchen's condition was indeed very severe, his memory shifting between three years ago and five or six years ago.
The entire afternoon.
Chen Jinzhao patiently chatted with Xu Hanchen. Sometimes, Xu Hanchen's thoughts shifted so rapidly that Chen Jinzhao could barely keep up.
It wasn't until six in the evening that Xu Hanchen fell into a light sleep in his chair.
Xu Yaoyao appeared in the backyard, still holding Xiao Sinian's hand. She walked up to Chen Jinzhao and said, "Brother Chen, I'm sorry for troubling you this afternoon. My grandfather's condition is getting worse. Sooner or later, he will forget all of us."
"What did the doctor say?" Chen Jinzhao was in a bad mood.
Xu Yaoyao sighed. "The doctor said the same thing, and that this process is irreversible."
Chen Jinzhao looked up at the sky. "Heaven is unfair."
Both fell silent.
"Yaoyao, please take care of Xiao Sinian for me again. Mengzhi will come to pick her up later. I need to attend the welcome banquet that Qin Fengwu has arranged for me." Chen Jinzhao said. Xu Yaoyao agreed without hesitation, but also said with some worry, "Brother Jinzhao, do you really have to attend this banquet? I'm afraid Qin Fengwu might be setting a trap for you..."
Chen Jinzhao said indifferently, "If he intended to harm me, he wouldn't have offered me help that day."
"Then, you must be careful," Xu Yaoyao added.
Chen Jinzhao nodded in agreement.
After hugging his daughter, Chen Jinzhao left the Xu family's courtyard.
As he reached the entrance, Chen Jinzhao paused and looked back, his gaze gradually sharpening.
...
Unknown to anyone, several small surveillance cameras were hidden in a corner of the Xu family's courtyard.
The conversation between Chen Jinzhao and Xu Hanchen was observed by Qin Jianguo and Li Buyan.
Only after Chen Jinzhao left the Xu family's courtyard did the two look at each other.
Qin Jianguo chuckled, "Old Ghost Li, what do you think?"
Li Buyan pondered for a moment and said, "I have no opinion. Xu Hanchen has dementia, it's a tragic end for him."
"Perhaps one day we will follow in his footsteps and become patients of dementia."
Qin Jianguo's smile didn't fade. "I don't want to get this illness. If you want it, you can have it."
Li Buyan raised his eyes to look at Qin Jianguo. Their gazes clashed in the air, neither giving way to the other. Qin Jianguo feigned ignorance and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? You don't think the situation of Old Ghost Xu has anything to do with my Qin family, do you?"
"How Xu Shaoan and his wife died, I think you know better than I do?" Li Buyan sneered.
"Some things are fine for deceiving outsiders, but why deceive me, an old man?"
Qin Jianguo's eyes instantly turned sharp.
A chill emanated from him, making the atmosphere in the entire conference room heavy.
"Old Ghost Li, what else do you know?"