Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Huo Shaoheng enunciated each word carefully, and although he spoke quietly, each word was bold and brash to the ear. Closing his eyes, General Ji’s expression gradually grew solemn as he pushed the pile of paper toward Huo Shaoheng. He took off his reading glasses and sighed before looking at Huo Shaoheng. “Fine. If this is truly a false charge, then I’m also prepared to fight against it. I wouldn’t be showing you these papers if I really had issues with you in this regard.”
The private use of fighter jets was truly a serious crime. Worst case, Huo Shaoheng could be sentenced to life imprisonment for the most serious level of “misfeasance.” Best case, Huo Shaoheng would be unable to avoid punishment. He could be demoted in rank if he suffered punishment. There was a great gulf between the rank of colonel and general, and many soldiers couldn’t overcome it in their entire lives. Because Huo Shaoheng had successfully risen through the ranks at such a young age, there were certainly many people displeased with him. As soon as he was demoted, there would be no way he could ever cross that threshold again, so no matter what the situation was, General Ji would be sure to protect Huo Shaoheng and never allow anyone to successfully bring him down. However, Huo Shaoheng had to be punished, so General Ji summoned him to his home and planned to lecture him. However, he ended up being checkmated by Huo Shaoheng instead.
No one would be happy to encounter such a thing, but even General Ji’s greatest grievances were dispelled by the data provided by Gu Nianzhi. “Nianzhi has truly made a great contribution to the nation. Don’t worry, I will not mistreat her at all in that regard. Anyone who has contributed to our nation and our military will be remembered by me, and also by the nation and all its citizens.” General Ji was a fair person when it came to punishment and rewards. “But you must also be careful about your methods.”
Huo Shaoheng still stood before General Ji’s desk with his arms folded behind his back. He didn’t look at the stack of papers but stared straight forward to reply calmly, “I can understand that some people have issues with me. There are many people dissatisfied with my position up here, but I believe in the military, my superiors, and our soldiers as well. Their eyes are sharp, so there is no way they’ll allow people with ulterior motives to succeed with their conniving plots.”
The words sounded good to General Ji’s ears. One of the important reasons why he appreciated Huo Shaoheng was that he wasn’t egotistical enough to proclaim himself as the best as soon as he made some minor achievements, nor did he refuse to trust his superiors and comrades. Huo Shaoheng was different because he had the strength and tenacity of a soldier, yet he possessed the smoothness and the ability to compromise of a politician. The person who could truly become the top leader of military needed to be able to excel in both aspects, so General Ji had always wanted to train Huo Shaoheng as his successor.
However, Huo Shaoheng was still too young and had grown wayward branches before the trunk had fully developed. He must be trimmed in order to become something great. General Ji was extremely dissatisfied with Huo Shaoheng in this situation because he had betrayed too many principles of a soldier for one woman. This made General Ji very dissatisfied and also worried him. He had been choosing candidates for so many years and finally found a successor that met all his requirements, so he would not allow an unimportant girl to ruin Huo Shaoheng’s future. As a result, he must be more strict with Huo Shaoheng than anyone else.
General Ji’s expression darkened as he frowned at Huo Shaoheng. “Nianzhi did make a great contribution, but you cannot make her the excuse for your mistakes. Tell me, did you do nothing wrong at all?”
Huo Shaoheng inclined his head slightly and didn’t hesitate to reply, “General Ji, I, Huo Shaoheng, have never done anything against the nation, military, or our citizens.”
“You really didn’t do anything wrong? Shaoheng, this is your final chance.” General Ji braced himself against the desk and squinted as he slowly rose. Leaning forward slightly, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s. In that moment, the true aura of this veteran of a hundred battles finally shone.
Huo Shaoheng was unperturbed and shook his head with confidence. “Reporting to Chief, no!”
General Ji lost his temper because he had given Huo Shaoheng a final chance, yet he was refusing to admit his mistakes and voluntarily admit fault. “Huo Shaoheng! As a soldier, you lied to your superior and went against orders for a woman! And you still dare to say you didn’t do anything wrong?! You dare to tell me that you never hid Gu Nianzhi’s true upbringing from me?!” This was the real reason General Ji was the most dissatisfied with Huo Shaoheng. A soldier was duty-bound to obey, and in General Ji’s eyes, Huo Shaoheng had made the most serious mistake possible.
Huo Shaoheng continued to reply loudly, “Reporting to Chief, no!”
“Still so tight lipped!” General Ji huffed as he took out Gu Nianzhi and Gu Xiangwen’s DNA report from a drawer and angrily threw it on the desk. “Look for yourself! Gu Nianzhi isn’t Gu Xiangwen’s daughter at all! Gu Yanran is! We’ve been going in the wrong direction the entire time! But you lied to me because of your self-interest and because you value personal relationships over your official duties! You lied to the military! Don’t think that you can squander my trust just because I appreciate you! Ask yourself, would I give you a hard time if you told the truth?! The real reason I don’t believe you can be with Gu Nianzhi anymore is because you lied to me about this important issue! Who knows what other mistakes you’ll make for her in the future?! Shaoheng, I am handing over such a large organization to you, and this is how you reassure us?!” General Ji vented in one breath, and the veins on his forehead bulged. For soldiers, the most fatal blow was violating orders and going against commands.
Huo Shaoheng finally understood the true reason for General Ji’s change in attitude. So it is because of Gu Nianzhi’s past. Luckily, he was already prepared. He had only kept it discreet in order to obtain their marriage request sooner and allow Gu Nianzhi to successfully pass through the complicated background check process. Since General Ji knew about it now, and they had already received their marriage request as well as passed Gu Nianzhi’s background check, he had nothing to worry about.
“I didn’t lie or go against orders by hiding it from you or the military,” Huo Shaoheng continued speaking evenly, and his demeanor was so normal, he didn’t seem to be concealing bad intentions at all.
General Ji stared at Huo Shaoheng and tried to understand what he was thinking. He frowned even harder. “You think I’m that big of an idiot? You’re saying you didn’t lie, so that makes it true? You dare to deny it with all this evidence? Shaoheng, you’re not this kind of person…”
“Don’t be angry, General Ji. I really haven’t lied to you. I believe that the DNA report you received is authentic, and that it proves that Nianzhi and that comatose Gu Xiangwen have no biological relations. But who can prove that comatose person is the real Gu Xiangwen?” Huo Shaoheng calmly laid down his trump card. He had begun to suspect that when he learned from Chen Lie that Gu Nianzhi and “Gu Xiangwen’s” DNA didn’t match. However, he truly had personal reasons because he needed to give Gu Nianzhi a temporary identity in order to pass the background check so she could marry him. Unfortunately, humans cannot win against fate. He had planned everything and even concealed it from General Ji. He never expected Gu Nianzhi to be the person to go against his plan… Marry her? She had already asked to break up. A look of disappointment flashed across Huo Shaoheng’s eyes.
General Ji was shocked speechless by Huo Shaoheng’s words. This was even more surprising than the day Huo Guachen told him Gu Nianzhi wasn’t Gu Xiangwen’s daughter. He nearly bellowed, “What do you mean?! But you personally rescued him?! If he’s a fake, then what was the point of all your fanfare?!”
Huo Shaoheng calmly looked at General Ji and nodded. “Yes, I personally brought him back to the Imperial Empire and did that because of Nianzhi’s identity. The situation was very urgent, and someone was trying to murder that comatose Gu Xiangwen as soon as we landed in Barbados. We didn’t have time to investigate the truth back then, so we could only bring him back first. I’m still investigating what the truth is. I still believe that Nianzhi is truly Gu Xiangwen’s daughter, but as to why the DNA doesn’t match, it could either mean that this Gu Xiangwen is fake or that there is still something we don’t know.”
“But his DNA matches Gu Yanran’s. How do you explain that?” General Ji’s heart slowly began to beat again. Although Huo Shaoheng’s reasons were very shocking, they weren’t completely unfounded. If what he was suggesting was true, then he truly hadn’t disobeyed orders or lied to him. General Ji could still trust Huo Shaoheng’s work. Sighing deeply, he was able to completely relax.
Huo Shaoheng nodded again. “Yes, the comatose Gu Xiangwen we brought back should be Gu Yanran’s biological father, so I believe that there is still something we don’t know. I originally planned to summarize all the contradictions and suspicious points before reporting to you in detail, but you asked me to go to the US to rescue Prime Minister Tan’s daughter as soon as I returned from Barbados, so I had no time to do this.” He spread his palms and went along with the momentum of convincing General Ji. “General Ji, I really want to know, who gave this DNA report to you?”
“Why do you need to know that?” General Ji squinted and appeared like an old fox.
“I won’t do anything, but you must be vigilant regardless of who this person is. Think about it. Aren’t there too many coincidences in play damaging our relationship? After all, everyone knows that you are my most powerful and only support.”
Huo Shaoheng’s words made General Ji feel completely satisfied and finally erased all his embarrassment and unease about being betrayed by Huo Shaoheng. Huo Shaoheng understood clearly that if this thorn remained in General Ji’s heart, then it would only bury itself deeper and become a serious enough scar to threaten their relationship. He had to remove and disinfect it, so he didn’t need to worry about future side effects.
General Ji truly treated Huo Shaoheng as his trusted vassal and opened up honestly. “Your father learned about this from Gu Yanran, and then I had someone deliver the DNA report to me.”
