Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Chen Liangdong wasn’t bothered by Gu Ziyu’s mockery. He was broad-minded. He flipped through some documents but didn’t pay much attention. He said, “Recently, you’ve been attempting to attack the cybersecurity system of Black Hawk Group. Your identity is a mystery. Since we have our eyes on you, either you serve the country or you’ll be under 24-hour surveillance.”
“Are you threatening me?” Gu Ziyu widened his innocent peach blossom eyes, incredulous.
“Yes!” Chen Liangdong smiled as he looked at him.
“A fifty-one-year-old man threatening a six-year-old kid. Do you have any shame?” Gu Ziyu couldn’t believe that this old man had even fewer scruples than in his past life.
Chen Liangdong touched his face, “If having shame won’t bring me a genius, then I can do without it. Wait… how do you know I’m fifty-one years old?”
Gu Ci also looked at Gu Ziyu. Perhaps due to Chen Liangdong’s concerns, his hair was graying, making him appear to be in his sixties. He had a scholarly and refined demeanor. Gu Ci hadn’t expected him to be only fifty-one years old.
He must have exhausted himself with worry.
Gu Ziyu sipped his latte in a sulking manner and didn’t answer. His thoughts raced as his goal had always been Black Hawk Group. Ji Cheng was the trump card he cultivated. If he joined the MSS, he would directly oppose Black Hawk Group. Wouldn’t it be more convenient to manipulate it from within? His biggest worry now was the lack of manpower. If he joined the National Security Bureau…
Entering the system was difficult, but getting out was equally challenging.
Once he entered, he would be trapped for life.
Chen Liangdong found the enigma of the child before him even more intriguing. The situation was turning out to be more interesting than he had imagined, with a greater challenge involved. “Gu Ziyu, you’re not like an ordinary person. Life only offers two or three choices for most people. But you’re different. Every path you choose, you can reach the pinnacle. I see ambition and desire in your young face. Money and power won’t be lacking for you when you grow up. So why not join the Ministry of State Security? It’s a place where you can showcase your abilities. You can save many people and families. You may not have dreams of being a hero, but as a man, you should be worthy of heaven, earth, and your own conscience. You can become that kind of person.”
This wasn’t the first time Gu Ziyu had faced Chen Liangdong’s gaze. In his past life, he had always dealt with Chen Liangdong—a person who was both his enemy and elder.
Throughout his life, he had never received the gaze of an elder. In his memories, Gu Ci was half-mad and half-awake, completely devoid of consciousness in his moments of madness and longing for Lu Zhiyuan when he was awake. His grandfather, Lu Ze, lay on his sickbed, his heart willing but his strength lacking. The education Gu Ziyu received was based on hatred. No one ever taught him what kind of person he should become.
The absence of his parents was the greatest regret and pain in his life, so in his past life, he didn’t understand Chen Liangdong’s expectations.
During this period of time with Gu Ci and Lu Zhiyuan, his deeply ingrained beliefs were shaken. At this moment, he could vaguely sense the good intentions behind Chen Liangdong’s expectations from his past life.
Chen Liangdong had always tried his best to pull Gu Ziyu back from the darkness, but Gu Ziyu pushed his hand away, preferring to sink into the darkness and guilt. There was nothing in this world that he longed for anymore.
No one loved him, and he didn’t love anyone either.
However, things were different in this life. He had Gu Ci and he had Lu Zhiyuan. His parents were living safely and healthily by his side. He had never experienced the feeling of having a home before.
Every time Lu Zhiyuan came downstairs for breakfast or lunch, Gu Ziyu, despite his annoyance at his hostility, felt a hidden sense of satisfaction in his heart. It was a feeling of reunion that he had never experienced before.
He had been emotionally deprived for so many years that he naturally didn’t understand Chen Liangdong’s expectations. But at this moment, Gu Ziyu kept asking himself, “Can I do it?”
Could he step out of the darkness? When Chen Liangdong engaged in a battle of wits with him, he was also guiding him. Chen Liangdong was the only person Gu Ziyu was willing to meet before his death.
Why did he want to meet him? Gu Ziyu didn’t understand, and he didn’t want to understand. Chen Liangdong said, “Ziyu, if you could start over, don’t step into the abyss again. Everyone has the right to happiness, and you can have it too.”
Chen Liangdong was the only teacher in Gu Ziyu’s life.
Gu Ci was also moved by Chen Liangdong’s words. It was her expectation for Gu Ziyu as well. Gu Ziyu lowered his head, and his thick, curly eyelashes trembled gently. As a mother knows her child best, Gu Ci said, “Director Chen, if Gu Ziyu joins the Ministry of State Security, will you protect him no matter what happens?”
“I swear by the honor of a soldier,” Chen Liangdong replied. “No matter what happens, I will ensure his safety.”
“Deal!” Gu Ci rubbed Ziyu’s head. “We agree.”
Gu Ziyu looked up, surprised, at Gu Ci, while Chen Liangdong suppressed his excitement. “Miss Gu, can you make the decision?”
“Yes!” Gu Ci thought for a moment. “I hope that you will no longer investigate his identity and background. I can only tell you that Ziyu is just a child. There may be mysteries surrounding him, but he has not harmed anyone.”
“Agreed!” Chen Liangdong made a compromise for the sake of the genius. He had prepared himself mentally as well. With his extensive experience in reading people, he could tell what kind of person Gu Ziyu was. Now that the child was under his care, he would be a good guide for Gu Ziyu’s growth and loyalty. He truly believed he could mold Gu Ziyu. “Ziyu, trust me, becoming a soldier in the Ministry of State Security, you won’t regret it. One day, you will take pride in it.”
“We’ll see about that,” Gu Ziyu said expressionlessly. “You see through me, yet you still want to keep me by your side. It’s your ability to make me loyal and proud that will determine the outcome.”
“I’m willing to bet and accept defeat!” Chen Liangdong snapped his fingers in excitement. A stack of thick contracts and agreements, prepared in advance, was brought in by his colleagues. “Congratulations, Ziyu, you’re the youngest soldier in the Ministry of State Security. Let’s sign the confidentiality agreement.”
After signing the contracts, Gu Ziyu became directly under the leadership of Chen Liangdong and received his identification card. Gu Ci was shocked for the first time by the efficiency of the relevant department’s work.
After registering their household registration, they received their freshly printed identification cards within half an hour. Chen Liangdong stepped in and resolved the dispute between Gu Ci and Gu Ziyu over trafficking. Gu Ziyu remained silent on the way back home.
Gu Ci asked, “Are you unhappy?”
Gu Ziyu shook his head. “In my past life, although Ji Cheng controlled Black Hawk Group, he actually served me. I was the true decision-maker of Black Hawk Group. But in this life, I unexpectedly find myself in a relentless battle with the Black Hawk Group… It’s a bit surprising.”
This sudden shift in fate caught him off guard. He was sprinting down a path completely opposite to his previous life, and he couldn’t seem to stop the car.
“We are both walking on a path opposite to our past lives,” Gu Ci said. “Mom would love to see you in a military uniform when you grow up. You’ll definitely look handsome.”
“When I grow up, I’ll be even more good-looking than Dad,” Gu Ziyu’s competitive spirit emerged inexplicably as he wanted to compare himself with Lu Zhiyuan.
Gu Ci remained silent.
As they returned home, Lu Zhiyuan was training his cornering skills, but Gu Ziyu had no interest in it. He went upstairs first, while Gu Ci sat on the steps, watching Lu Zhiyuan train. Lu Zhiyuan, in his training attire, looked handsome and dazzling.