Gongye stood erect at the entrance of the Gong family residence.
Above his head was a plaque honoring his contributions as a hero, and to his left, smaller plaques symbolizing lineage and heritage.
His face was stern and defiant, his eyes brimming with suppressed killing intent, and an aura of lethal coldness emanated from him.
Beneath his cold, sword-like brows, his nose was high and proud, his thin lips pressed into a tight line. A long scar ran across his entire face, lending him an air of harshness and making him appear unapproachable.
Clad in his military uniform, he exuded a duality of righteousness and roguishness, the medals on his chest glinting brilliantly in the sun.
With the scent of blossoms on his shoulders and a military cap on his head, he looked every bit like a general returned from ancient battles.
Facing a sea of cameras, he showed no fear, his cold eyes possessing a dark, distant gaze, his posture casual and languid.
One by one, national leaders appeared and gave speeches.
Gongye stood shoulder to shoulder with the supreme leader, his expression relaxed, a slight curl to his lips as if all of this were of no concern to him.
As a microphone was handed to him, the leader began, "Comrades and friends, good afternoon. Under the watchful eyes of the entire nation, at the doorstep of the Gong family, a lineage of loyal patriots, we are here to bestow the highest honors upon our combat hero—Gongye.
A nation cannot be without heroes, a people cannot be without pioneers. In times of peace, there are always those who bear burdens for us.
He has, with his youth and his life, defended this prosperous nation..."
The leader's impassioned words brought many to tears.
Such a family, such a hero, such a heart-wrenching sacrifice – who could remain unmoved?
Online, every live stream was packed, trending, with comments flooding in, all expressing admiration.
"Without their struggles, where would our peace and tranquility be?"
"We are born under the red flag, raised in the embrace of spring breezes. The people have faith, the nation has strength, and the ethnic group has hope."
"Tears welling up, saluting our hero, thank you to our motherland."
"A salute to heroes, a salute to martyrs, we of this generation will strive for strength! May our country prosper and flourish!"
"The times need heroes, remember the heroes! The people have faith, the nation has strength, and the ethnic group has hope!"
...
Among the countless viewers, two were utterly stunned.
Xia Linfeng's hands trembled as he clutched his phone, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at the face he would never forget, even in death.
He had made quite a bit of money through live streaming these past few days. As the buzz grew higher and higher, his heart was filled with joy.
But this morning, a dark horse had suddenly appeared, snatching away all his attention.
Though he was resentful, he was powerless.
Seeing the entire internet abuzz with promotions for this event, he couldn't help but become curious.
To his surprise, upon clicking into the live stream, his very soul felt as if it were about to fly out of his body.
This was a face he would never forget.
He had seen this face twenty years ago. It belonged to the mysterious person who had given him ten million and entrusted Xia Wantang to his care.
He knew this mysterious person was no ordinary individual, but he had never imagined he would be so extraordinary.
Setting aside his personal achievements, the mere fact of this "red background" was enough to make countless people feel inferior.
What corporations or first families were compared to him? They paled in comparison.
Behind him was the nation, the solid backing built from countless achievements and honors, and the adoration of countless citizens.
If what he had done were to be exposed, he would be finished.
Xia Linfeng felt a chill run through him, his whole body trembling, his mind blank. Fear gnawed at him, spreading from the depths of his heart to his limbs.
Han Wenjuan was equally terrified.
These past few days, she had been closely following Xia Linfeng's online activities, watching him dominate the trending topics, feeling nothing but excitement and amusement.
Then, a dark horse had suddenly emerged today, directly stealing all of Xia Linfeng's spotlight.
Naturally, she had clicked into today's live stream.
When she saw Gongye's face, she was as shocked as if struck by lightning.
But she felt no fear, no dread.
Only a deep sense of unwillingness.
She could never have imagined that the mysterious person would be so formidable.
In that case, wouldn't Xia Wantang's status and standing become even more elevated?
She even thought further: no wonder Ling Yucheng would be attracted to someone as obscure as Xia Wantang.
Had he known Xia Wantang's true identity all along?
But none of that mattered now.
The most important thing was that her plan could only be half-fulfilled.
Xia Linfeng was finished, but Xia Wantang would be even more triumphant.
This made her extremely unwilling to accept it.
At the same time, police sirens wailed as they sped towards the Xia family residence.
...
The live broadcast continued.
After the national leader finished speaking, he reached for the medal on the tray to place it around Gongye's neck.
At this moment, Gongye made a move. He took a step back, evading the leader's gesture.
This action seemed to be within the leader's expectations. He readily withdrew the medal and had the microphone handed to Gongye.
Everything arranged for today was merely to please this hero. He could do as he pleased, as long as he didn't cause utter chaos.
The nation, the leaders, and the people were all very tolerant of their heroes.
Gongye took the microphone, and the entire venue fell silent.
Everyone expected him to say something about accepting the award or deliver some inspiring words.
He exhaled, but his expression suddenly darkened, becoming terribly grim.
His change in demeanor was evident to all present. Anyone with a modicum of sense could tell something was amiss.
Gongye spoke coldly, his voice devoid of emotion, as if discussing someone else's affairs.
"Hello everyone, I am Gongye. It is my duty to contribute to the nation, for I am a soldier. I care nothing for glory or medals, and have never held any award ceremonies.
Everything that has been done today is for my daughter.
Twenty years ago, I received a mission from the nation to eliminate an international drug trafficking terrorist organization.
During the mission, my identity information was inadvertently leaked, leading to the reprisal and massacre of my entire family. Not a single soul from the dozens of people in the Gong family survived.
But fortunately, my only daughter—Gong Zhijing, survived by chance. She was only a few months old at the time.
My mission had to continue. This terrorist force was too vast, and it might take ten, twenty years to eradicate them completely.
To protect my daughter, I had no choice but to conceal the news of her survival, sending her to be raised by a family and providing ten million in foster care fees, so that she could live hidden amongst the common people.
For the past twenty years, I have returned to the capital countless times, but I never dared to see her.
Her adoptive father is Xia Linfeng, and her adoptive mother is Han Wenjuan. Her name in the Xia family was Xia Wantang. She is now married to Ling Yucheng, the president of Tengkong Group.
I am very grateful to the Xia family for raising her. But this does not mean they can repeatedly bully and harm my daughter!
About a year ago, their company went bankrupt. To save their company, Xia Linfeng and Han Wenjuan made a deal with Du Jiasheng, the general manager of Jiasheng Group. As long as they drugged Zhijing and sent her to Room 206 of Zhongshe, Du Jiasheng would help them recover their company's interests."