Chapter 165: Persuading Him

Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Persuading Him

"I understand." Lu Zhengchuan nodded. He knew Mr. Qi might not have been willing to tell him, but he had to at least try.

Qi Hao left and headed for the backyard, while Lu Zhengchuan sat in the living room, sipping his tea.

He never imagined he would finally get news of his father right after returning victorious from the war.

His brow furrowed as he thought about what Commander Xu had told him.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Qi Hao returned.

"Zheng Chuan, my grandfather is asking for you."

Lu Zhengchuan rose to his feet. "Thank you."

"My grandfather doesn’t look too happy," Qi Hao warned him. "You should... choose your words carefully. Don’t make him angry."

Even Lu Zhengchuan himself was finding the news hard to accept, to say nothing of a veteran revolutionary like Mr. Qi.

Lu Zhengchuan walked briskly into the backyard. Sure enough, Mr. Qi was fishing by a small pond. He looked up. "What are you doing just standing there? Get over here."

"Sir." Lu Zhengchuan gave him a sharp military salute.

Mr. Qi looked at his upright and honorable demeanor, sighed with a hint of resignation, and said, "Sit."

Lu Zhengchuan glanced at the stool beside him and obediently sat down. "Sir, did you already know about my father?"

"I wouldn’t say I’ve known for long. Only found out about half a month ago," Mr. Qi said with a soft sigh. "Right now, the only ones who know about your father are a few of us old men at the top."

"Did Old Man Xu give you this information?" Mr. Qi’s brow furrowed slightly. "He may have told you, but I doubt he told any of his own younger family members. Old Man Xu at least has that much sense."

Lu Zhengchuan nodded. "Yes, Commander Xu mentioned as much in his letter."

"However, regarding your father, even if we wanted to keep this a secret, we probably couldn’t for long. There will always be foreign elements looking to exploit the connection between you and your father. They might even leak it intentionally. When that happens..." He sighed. "I’m afraid it will have a major impact on your career."

"After all, your father is abroad, an operative of Hua Country’s special forces. Foreign powers will want him to defect, so they’ll deliberately sow discord and spread rumors, hoping to shake our nation’s trust in him."

"And you, here in the country, will become a target for numerous foreign intelligence agencies. For example, you might suddenly get injured..."

Lu Zhengchuan’s expression turned serious. "I believe my father is an unwavering patriot and soldier. If he could spend twenty years carrying out his mission, then I can endure a little provocation and crisis. I won’t cause trouble for our country or for him."

Mr. Qi nodded in appreciation. "You truly are the promising young man I took you for. With a hero for a father, you’re not half bad yourself."

Mr. Qi couldn’t help but muse, "The truth is, your father went missing while on an overseas mission. For him to have climbed to such a high position... that was completely beyond anyone’s expectations."

"You’re a lucky one, kid."

"Once your father returns, he can finally be debriefed on his secret mission of all these years. He’ll certainly receive a Medal of Honor, and your own background will be considered completely unimpeachable. There will be plenty of room for you to rise through the ranks."

"However, that’s all on the premise that your father is actually willing to return."

Lu Zhengchuan understood the implication. "Sir, are you worried that my father has already defected?"

"Yes." ’It’s so much easier talking to a smart person,’ Mr. Qi thought, stroking his beard. He sighed. "You probably don’t know this, but your father now commands at least three thousand mercenaries, and we’re talking highly-skilled international soldiers-for-hire. The assets he controls are at least comparable to the revenue of a major city’s steel plant back home."

"The crucial point is, a factory’s revenue doesn’t all belong to the plant director. But your father’s income is entirely his own. That should give you an idea of just how immense his personal fortune is."

"With that much wealth, that many men at his command, and who knows how many houses he’s bought in countries all over the world... he’s been living in developed nations for over twenty years. Do you really think he’d be willing to give all that up to return to Hua Country, a backward nation that hasn’t even begun its economic reforms and is still based on a state-owned economy?"

"To put it bluntly, your father lives a better life than I do."

"He could practically be the king of a small country over there. Why would he come back to be constrained by rules and regulations? Besides..." Mr. Qi sighed softly. "You’ve seen the conditions here at home. He’d have to be a fool to return."

Lu Zhengchuan fell silent for a moment after hearing the old man’s words. "How do you know it’s my father?" he asked. "I thought no one ever knew the operative’s true appearance."

"...Your father contacted us himself." Mr. Qi stroked his beard. "It’s strange, really. In all these years, he’s never reached out, not even once."

"So if he’s suddenly making contact, what is he asking for?"

"He claims he’s had amnesia all these years. Do you believe that?" Mr. Qi’s expression was one of utter exasperation.

"I do. Why shouldn’t I?" Lu Zhengchuan countered. ’My gut tells me my own father is no fool. Since he knows his identity, he would have considered my situation here in the country.’

"Did he marry while he was abroad?"

"No."

"Any children?"

"That, we don’t know." Mr. Qi was getting tired of the questions. "If you’re that curious, go find Old Wang. You can use the military telegraph to contact him and find out for yourself. You might even help us figure out what your father really wants."

"But if you do that, and it turns out your father has malicious intent, and you fail to place justice before family... there will be plenty of people who will want you dead."

Lu Zhengchuan looked at him and chuckled softly. "Sir, you’re actually in favor of me contacting my father, aren’t you?"

Mr. Qi bristled, his eyes widening. "Don’t you spout nonsense! When did I ever say that? This concerns your own destiny. I’m not getting involved."

"Alright, I understand. Sir, I won’t disturb you any longer." Lu Zhengchuan stood, gave Mr. Qi another military salute, and turned to leave.

After Lu Zhengchuan had gone, Qi Hao appeared behind his grandfather.

"Grandpa... who exactly is Old Lu’s father?"

"Don’t you be nosy and ask about this matter. I only hope that a true patriot will not be persecuted." Mr. Qi’s expression was nowhere near as relaxed as it had been moments ago.

"Is it that serious?" Qi Hao frowned.

"For the time being, you should avoid associating with Xiao Lu."

Qi Hao bristled. "No way, Grandpa! He’s my friend! You said it yourself, he’s a patriot. Why should I keep my distance from him? It doesn’t matter who Zheng Chuan’s father is, he’s my brother!"

Qi Hao turned angrily and stormed out.

Mr. Qi didn’t try to stop him, just snorted softly. ’As if I don’t know your temperament, kid. If you actually listened to what I said, you wouldn’t be you.’

-

Lu Zhengchuan didn’t go to the base. He went home, acting as if nothing had happened.

On the way, however, he could clearly feel the eyes of several reconnaissance soldiers on him.

Lu Zhengchuan didn’t call them out. ’They’re our own men, why make things difficult for them?’ he thought. Besides, he didn’t believe things had gotten that bad.