Huo Shaoheng had not expected that that would be the thing Gu Nianzhi was bothered about. When he heard Gu Yanran’s narration, he was worried that Gu Nianzhi had been used by Gu Xiangwen to treat diseases…
No matter what, Gu Nianzhi had a special healing system, and he and Chen Lie knew only too much about it.
However, Gu Nianzhi cleverly used the genetic component’s bar charts of East Asians to expose Gu Yanran’s lies. It was only then that Huo Shaoheng breathed a sigh of relief.
He was still unwilling to think of what he should do if what Gu Yanran said was true.
“…What inheritable illness? You were going to trust a liar like Gu Yanran?” Huo Shaoheng lowered his head and took a sip of his pu’er tea. “She even wanted to lie to herself.”
Huo Shaoheng did not manage to convince Gu Nianzhi. Her brows, still furrowed, caused her brows to arch.
“But what she said actually made a little sense. If not, how could we explain my Aunt Gu Tian’s passing? And Gu Jing too…”
Huo Shaoheng leaned back on his seat at the dining table. He looked quickly at Gu Nianzhi’s troubled face.
He lowered his eyes, took his newspaper that he was reading, and said, “The reasons why the Gu family decided to adopt Gu Jing and Gu Yanran are still debatable. You wouldn’t believe whatever Gu Yanran said, would you?”
Gu Nianzhi’s heart skipped a beat. She drank a huge mouthful of milk and said contentedly, “What Huo Shao meant was that the Gus might not have adopted Gu Jing and Gu Yanran to treat the illnesses of their daughter.”
“What illnesses are there that would require other families’ children to treat?” Huo Shaoheng did not raise his head. He opened the newspaper. “At least, for me, I haven’t heard of such strange illnesses before, not even from Chen Lie.”
“It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist just because you haven’t heard of it before, and it also doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist just because Brother Chen doesn’t know about it.” Gu Nianzhi was stubborn about this.
Even though Gu Yanran had told numerous lies, on this topic Gu Nianzhi felt that whatever Gu Yanran had said did actually made sense. Therefore, she chose to believe Gu Yanran.
Huo Shaoheng looked at Gu Nianzhi.
Gu Nianzhi’s palm-sized face was stern. Her expression wiped away Huo Shaoheng’s smile.
“Alright, that makes sense. I was being narrowminded. Excuse me.” Huo Shaoheng actually apologized so gently!
Gu Nianzhi was taken aback. Her eyes opened widely; she stared at Huo Shaoheng for a good while.
“What’s wrong? Can’t I admit my mistakes now?” Huo Shaoheng looked at Gu Nianzhi, felt amused, and picked up his cup for another sip of pu’er. “Our frontline team of soldiers were all good at pointing out the mistakes of others and admitting to our own mistakes.”
“…”
This was so politically correct! Goodness!
“Fine, if what Gu Yanran said was true, then why don’t we think along this line – Why must they adopt a Japanese girl to treat the illness of the Gu family’s daughter?”
No matter what, Huo Shaoheng’s occupation dealt with highly confidential information. Therefore, the way he analyzed problems was more meticulous than others.
Gu Nianzhi understood. This was something she had failed to consider.
“What you were trying to imply was, what quality did Gu Jing, who was also Shizuko Kasahara, have that the Gu family had to adopt her to get – no matter what?”
Gu Nianzhi relaxed her brows. After being in the dark alone for so long, she felt like she was finally able to see light coming from the other end of the tunnel!
Seeing that Gu Nianzhi was able to follow the right direction in such a short time, Huo Shaoheng praised her. “Clever girl.”
However, after contemplating it for a while, Gu Nianzhi still insisted, “But if we have to know the reason why Gu Jing was adopted, I feel that we should find out about the inheritable illness that was passed down generationally in the Gu family. I feel that that illness would be the root of the problem.”
So no matter how long they have this discussion, the issue would still go back to the issue on that inheritable illness that had bothered Gu Nianzhi so much…
Huo Shaoheng sighed silently in his heart.
This little girl had really grown up. It was not easy to divert her attention anymore…
“I think, regarding this, you can discuss it with Chen Lie.” Huo Shaoheng set the newspaper on the dining table. “He would be more than happy to look into that for you.”
Chen Lie was too much of an enthusiast in his line of work.
Gu Nianzhi nodded, smiling. “Sure. I will call Brother Chen after I get back.”
“It might not be enough to just call. You should go and visit him personally.” Huo Shaoheng tapped his fingers lightly on the table. “Chen Lie would be more than happy to do a full-body checkup for you.”
“No problem.” Gu Nianzhi agreed enthusiastically, as she was reminded of her scary healing abilities. She felt that it was related to the inheritable illness from the Gu family.
“You can ask Xie Dezhao about the things you want to know about Gu Tian. He had an amazing impression of you.” Huo Shaoheng reminded Gu Nianzhi with a straight face.
Gu Nianzhi acknowledged and said with a sense of realization, “Oh yeah! I should get Gu Tian’s hospital records before comparing them to my check up! Then I would better understand the inheritable illness.”
Huo Shaoheng reminded her, “Then it would be much better if you went to the Special Forces headquarters every weekend. That way, Chen Lie would be able to follow up with your body conditions on a weekly basis.”
“No problem. As long as Brother Chen said that it was necessary, I would definitely be there.” Gu Nianzhi wanted to find out about the illness as soon as possible. She did not want to face the same fate…
After clearing the cutleries, Gu Nianzhi came out from the kitchen and looked at her watch. It was already ten o’clock at night.
“Huo Shao, could I please trouble you to take me back to the dormitory please?” She stood at the door and carried her laptop bag. Despite that she was wearing a thick coat, she did not look heavy. Even with the coat’s bulk, she had an amazing figure.
Huo Shaoheng did not try to talk her out of it. Standing up, he asked, “You’re alright already, yes?”
“Yes I am.” Gu Nianzhi spun around. “I was really tired after the hearing. But I got to take a nap, I had a nice bath, and I had something to eat. I’m alright now.”
Huo Shaoheng brought her out of the house. When they were entering the lift, Huo Shaoheng caressed her head and smiled, “You’re so energetic. You would definitely be different than your aunt. Did it ever cross your mind that maybe you don’t have that illness at all?”
“Is it possible? But I heard that it is inherited…”
Of course Gu Nianzhi would hope that she did not have the illness as well, but its hereditary nature was a scary thing. She did not dare to let her guard down.
“…Or maybe, your father had managed to treat you.” Huo Shaoheng said in his heart, but he did not say out aloud.
…
It was eleven o’clock at night. Huo Shaoheng sent Gu Nianzhi to her dormitory on time.
“Thanks for taking me back, Huo Shao.”
“You’re welcome.” Huo Shaoheng opened the door for her. “Get some rest. When you get back, I will come and pick you up to take you to the headquarters over the weekend.”
“Okay!” Gu Nianzhi agreed obediently. She waved at Huo Shaoheng’s car until it drove into the darkness.
The long day was finally over.
Gu Nianzhi patted her chest and turned around to walk up the stairs.
There was a little spot of red light at the dark corner of the dormitory’s doors.
Gu Nianzhi realized that someone was there. The red spot was the lit end of that person’s cigarette. The light showed it to be the face of He Zhichu.
He Zhichu had waited for her here?
She remembered what He Zhichu had said in the afternoon when they were parting ways, and Gu Nianzhi was relieved that she had come back on time.
“Professor He?” She walked up the steps and called softly.
He Zhichu emerged from the darkness and looked extremely lonely. When he saw Gu Nianzhi, his cold, aloof face broke out into a small smile.
“You’re back? Not bad. Huo Shaoheng kept his word.”
Gu Nianzhi whined, “How was it him?! Why isn’t it me?! What has it got to do with Huo Shao? Does Professor He not trust me?!”
He Zhichu looked at Gu Nianzhi and smiled with the cigarette still in his hand.
He knew very well that if Huo Shaoheng had not wanted to let Gu Nianzhi return on time, Gu Nianzhi wouldn’t have been able to leave even if she had wanted to…
However, he could not let Gu Nianzhi know about this.
“Good that you are back.” He mumbled. “It is late. Go up and rest. We can talk tomorrow.”
Gu Nianzhi stifled a yawn right then.
“Thank you. Professor He, I will be going up then.”
He Zhichu stood at the main entrance of the dormitory until Gu Nianzhi disappeared into the lift.
He walked down the steps alone, then smoked at the tree in front of the dormitory for a while.
He only left after seeing the lights in Gu Nianzhi’s dormitory room light up and go off.
…
After leaving from B University, Huo Shaoheng headed directly to the Headquarters of the Special Forces.
…
“Mr. Huo!” Yin Shixiong had been waiting for him to return.
Huo Shaoheng brought him into the office and indicated for him to close the door. “Anything the matter?”
Yin Shixiong saluted and said, “Sir! Have you seen the video footage of the trial?”
“Yes.” Huo Shaoheng sat down behind his table. “Have a seat.”
“Thank you, sir!” Yin Shixiong took a seat opposite Huo Shaoheng.
“Mr. Huo, since you’ve watched the trial, I won’t say much.” Yin Shixiong wanted to report the ongoings of General Ji and Senior Speaker Long.
“During the fourth hearing, Secretary Cao had been there three times already and had nothing but praises for Nianzhi. Today, after the final hearing, Secretary Cao specifically told Nianzhi to keep in touch. It was clear that he wanted to headhunt her.”
Huo Shaoheng opened his laptop with a complex expression. “The military secretarial office? Secretary Cao really admires Nianzhi…”
“Doesn’t he?! The military secretarial office is trusted the most by all the senior officers. Many ministers worked there previously!” Yin Shixiong knew that the secretary office in the military supreme council had the best system in the entire army.
“However, Nianzhi might not be willing to go there.” Huo Shaoheng shook his head. “Moreover, she might not be able to pass her political trial…”
Huo Shaoheng had used some tricks to make General Ji give them the green light and end Gu Nianzhi’s political trial previously, which was the reason why he could marry Gu Nianzhi so smoothly.
However, if Gu Nianzhi was to enter the secretarial office in the Military supreme council, she would definitely have to go through a thorough political trial and background check.
Yin Shixiong understood these rules as well and commented emotionally, “What a close call! When Gu Yanran said that Nianzhi was Japanese today, I had goose bumps all over myself!”
“Nianzhi is definitely not Japanese.” Huo Shaoheng was not worried about this. “She is Chinese. However… she was not born a citizen here.”
In terms of nationality, she should be considered as a foreigner who migrated into Hua Xia Empire and then got her citizenship.
They discussed Gu Nianzhi’s career progression after her graduation when a voice could be heard outside the door, “Reporting!”
“What’s going on?” Huo Shaoheng turned on the intercommunication speaker in his office.
Zhao Liangze’s voice came from the other end of the speaker. “Gu Yanran was wreaking havoc. She said she wanted to see her father. The people who were looking after him asked me if they could approve her request.”
The person in a vegetative state that they had been taking care of, thinking he was ‘Gu Xiangwen’, was still in the intensive care unit in Chen Lie’s office.
Knowing that that man was just Japanese, Huo Shaoheng’s eyebrows furrowed. “Ask Chen Lie to give them a receipt of the medical charges for his treatment. Give it to Gu Yanran.”
He had agreed to let Gu Yanran visit her father.
Zhao Liangze answered loudly and headed to Chen Lie’s office to pass the message.
Yi Shixiong asked softly, “Mr. Huo, you’re really letting Gu Yanran come and visit her father? I thought she had a full mental breakdown? How could she still remember her father?”
“Not interested.” Huo Shaoheng had only passed the command to Chen Lie.
That night, the man in vegetative state, Gu Yanran’s father, was transferred from the Headquarters of the Special Forces to a normal hospital in Di Capital.
Gu Yanran was led by two female police officers to the hospital the next day to visit her father.
When exiting the van, she saw a normal hospital. She asked in shock, “My father isn’t here. Is he?”
She thought, “Wasn’t he in the Intensive Care Unit in the headquarters of the Special Forces?”
“He was transferred here yesterday.” The female police officer led her emotionlessly. “It is cheaper here.”
Gu Yanran pursed her lips and followed the officer.
A skinny man was lying in the hospital bed in a simple hospital room. Gu Yanran looked at him and walked to his bed with no expression on her face.
Seeing this man’s face, remembering that what she went through during childhood with him was nothing but hunger, beatings, and humiliations—Gu Yanran closed her eyes and broke down in tears.
Her mother had rescued her from him and went to the Gu family. To her, it was a stark contrast in environment, like she had just arrived in heaven from hell…
She should not be asking for anything more in cases like this, but when she saw that there was a princess in this heaven of a place, and she had a father who was willing to spoil her so much…
“Why was there such an amazing father in this world?!” she thought. “Why was such an amazing father not her own father?!”
Her jealousy and extremity could not be balanced.
Therefore, when the opportunity was presented to her, she grabbed it without thinking.
Maybe she was no different than the evil man lying in this bed.
Why else should she still need him around?
He should go to hell by now…
Gu Yanran turned to leave the hospital and told the female officer, “I have no more money. Stop his life support.”
Removing the life support of a person in vegetative state was the equivalent to wanting him dead.
Since Gu Yanran was this man’s biological daughter, she would have some power to a certain extent to let them stop his life support.
However, it wasn’t her turn to talk yet.
Huo Shaoheng had sent people to Chiba Ken in Japan to investigate what had occurred during Shizuko Kasahara’s adoption process.
