Volume 1 Chapter 75 Future Prospects, Invitation Accepted

  "Secretary Li, you're looking for me?" Tan Yunning's face was calm and serene, like the faint scent of ink, exuding a refreshing elegance that belonged to the fragrance of ink. Her gaze was fixed on the man sitting in the boss chair, wearing a suit, with a rare smile.

  Li Xin looked up at the young man in front of him, his junior brother, who was only one year younger. Despite their age difference, they had a good relationship and could communicate freely. At that time, Li Xin had just started working for two years and was 24 years old, while his junior brother was 14. Due to his cold and arrogant personality, as well as his inability to handle interpersonal relationships in a roundabout way, he had offended many people, including a man with a very strong family background who was the same age as him and had also been working for two years, but was already a deputy department head. That night, Li Xin would never forget that if it weren't for this 14-year-old boy who exuded an aura of coldness and indifference, he probably wouldn't have risen to such a high position in his lifetime. As for what happened when the man lay naked with him on the same bed, one can only imagine.

  Li Xing listened to these words, looking at the handsome man standing in front of her. The boy who was full of vigor back then had now grown into a refined and charming man, but his personality seemed a bit colder. However, after entering the organization, he appeared steady and mature. In just half a year, many people had changed their impression of him, and now it could be said that many leaders looked favorably upon him. Throughout this period, the relationship between these two people remained unknown to anyone.

  After all, those were things from over ten years ago.

  A faint smile, with a hint of laughter at the corners of his eyes. Now, at thirty-four years old, he has risen to the position of Secretary of the Municipal Committee in SY City. Although it was due to his own efforts, more so, it was because of what happened back then, and that person who was ten years younger than him, yet spoke a phrase that became a guiding principle for him, making him much more composed on the official stage from then on, taking steady steps, one foot at a time, until he reached where he is today.

  They had exchanged contact information back then, although they hadn't been in touch for many years. However, when he received his call half a year ago, he was surprised and even more delighted.

  He knew he was also changing in the officialdom, but for this man who had given him a great favor that was more important than his life as soon as he entered the unit, he truly wished him all the best from the bottom of his heart and hoped he could grow up faster and climb higher.

  He is a person who absolutely knows how to repay kindness, if it wasn't for Tan Yunning back then, his life would probably have been lost long ago, and his reputation would probably be ruined.

  "Yun Ning, come sit down." The others in the office, including the secretary who had followed Li Xin all the way up, were very trustworthy and had even helped Li Xin fend off several kidnapping attempts. As his confidant, only Li Xin's secretary knew about Tan Yun Ning's relationship with Li Xin.

  Without hesitation, he came over and sat down. Tan Yunning had a kind of charm that made people involuntarily surrender to him. This was something he had always said, but Tan Yunning had never paid much attention to it. As a result, Li Xin, who had been praising him excessively, often couldn't help but want to slap Tan Yunning's head and see what was inside his brain.

  Because he is too steady, too calm and collected, not at all like a young man in his twenties. He lacks the restlessness and vitality that should be present at this age.

  Many times, he tried every means to create some trouble for this kid, even letting his wife introduce many blind dates to him, but none of them were successful. Every girl who went on a date with Tan Yun Ning would call his wife afterwards and complain nonstop. These girls weren't ordinary either, but Tan Yun Ning didn't give them any face at all. He wouldn't spare the girls, and would always end up spilling something on them - whether it was coffee, cake, or milk drinks. He just couldn't understand why this kid, who was already 24 years old, wouldn't consider finding a partner. Every day, he would walk around with a stern face, looking like an old man.

  "Tan Yun, have you been working smoothly recently?" Entering the department, because of his writing skills, he even solidified his position in just half a year and was promoted to the municipal party committee's propaganda department. His work won the hearts of several big bosses above him, and as a result, many times his speeches were not written by secretaries but directly handed over to Tan Yun.

  It's also fortunate that his secretary is a confidant, knowing the relationship between them. Otherwise, according to ordinary secretaries, it would be a common occurrence to trip up Tan Yunning.

  Because of his voice as the municipal party secretary, others will naturally not look for Tan Yunning's writings again, unless they want to surpass him in this position.

  "Just say it if you have something to say." Tan Yunning sat down, took the teacup handed over by Li Xin's secretary, and said thank you in a soft voice before saying a sentence in a light tone.

  Listening to this, Li Xin shook his head with some helplessness, but his voice revealed that he was in a great mood. "You little brat, we're old friends now, can't you be a bit more considerate when speaking to me?"

  As soon as this was said, Tan Yunning did not speak immediately, but instead looked up at the municipal party secretary in front of him, who had a smile and expectation on his face, and gave him a few glances.

  Li Xian had originally been full of expectation, thinking that this kid had finally listened to him and was going to change his attitude towards him a bit. But he hadn't expected to be looked at with such disdainful eyes, and suddenly his old face couldn't hold up.

  He's going to swear, thinking that at the age of 34 or 35, he has already taken the position of municipal party secretary, which is a remarkable achievement for someone so young. Everyone around him is very obedient to him, and his one sentence can make many officials rush to carry out his orders. But this kid is good, he took the initiative to come over, but he looks so calm and collected.

  "Alright, say what you need to. He knew that for the past half year, many times he hadn't left Lei Xin's side, secretly helping him, and in his heart, he had noted this kindness. However, he wasn't a person skilled at expressing himself, nor would he change himself completely just because someone was good to him."

  She let out a soft sigh, knowing that no matter what, she couldn't change this kid's icy face. She picked up the envelope that had been prepared beforehand and handed it to Tan Yun Ning, "This is something we discussed and decided on in our meeting, remember, it's not my personal wish, but everyone's intention."

  "Yesterday's secretary office meeting?"

  "You little scoundrel." Hearing him say this, I knew he wasn't going to refuse. Originally, when giving it to him, he seemed a bit hesitant, afraid that he would directly refuse and not give me any face-saving opportunity. Fortunately, I couldn't help but pat my chest in relief.

  Hehe, alright, you young man need to work hard now, it's already secondary school, when you come back here, primary school won't be suitable for you anymore.

  If he were not young and inexperienced, he believed his footsteps would go further than this.

  She nodded slightly, her eyes distant, her thin lips pursed, and said softly, "I'm trying, trying to be worthy of you."

  Please, I must have this opportunity, wait for me.

  Looking at Tan Yunning, who had only said a few words and was already distracted, if it were someone else, they would probably have been kicked out of the office long ago. Yet, this kid has the nerve to be completely unscrupulous in front of him.

  "If there's nothing else, I'll leave first." Tan Yunning stood up, and her intention was already very clear.

  Looking at Tang Yuning like this, Li Xin didn't know whether he should cry or laugh. This action has already made it clear that even if he was trying to persuade him to stay, he probably wouldn't have stayed anyway. "Go ahead, remember to work hard, I'll be waiting for you." Waiting for you, standing shoulder to shoulder with me, and even becoming my superior, moving towards an even higher position.

  ……

  At noon, Su Mo didn't go to the cafeteria with Ning Shi Yang and others, but stayed in the classroom.

  At noon in the classroom, there were no other classmates left, but Hao Gang, who had originally left the classroom, suddenly appeared inside.

  A plastic bag was placed in front of Sumo, and when he looked up, he saw a man with cold, hard lines on his face, reaching out to take the lunchbox beside him. "Why didn't you go eat?"

  "Done eating."

  Listening to this, Su Mo nodded and knew that they ate quickly. Although they were the envy of many people as international top-level dragon group members, only they themselves knew that their lives had been dedicated to the country and the dragon group since becoming a member. Every moment was spent fighting, not relaxing their vigilance for even a second.

  "Anything wrong?"

  "Uh-huh."

  "Speak." She had felt it for days, that Hao Gang had something he wanted to say to her.

  "...originally wanted to muster up the courage to tell Su Mo Ruo these past few days, but at this moment when she took the initiative to let him speak, he seemed a bit hesitant, and even her eyes were ones she didn't dare to look directly at."

  "Can... you go with me... to see someone?" Thinking of those longing eyes, he couldn't bear it and told her the purpose of his visit today.

  As soon as Su Mo said this, she seemed to have guessed why he had come here. It was how difficult it was for him to bow down and ask someone for a favor. In this world, there were only two people who could make him do so, and the possibility of the other person was not great anymore. Perhaps, that person had never existed in his world. However, the other person absolutely did exist.

  He also sensed the strangeness of Su Mo Ruo, and the strange feeling in his heart grew stronger. Why did he feel that the person in front of him was her many times? Many of his concerns seemed to be guessed by her, who else could have this ability besides her?

  "This will take you a few days, because the road is quite far, okay?" The last two words came out and even Hao Gang himself didn't realize how tense he was.

  Listening to these words and looking at those expectant eyes, Sumo Ruo remained silent for a long time.

  Will she have to go through her past again? Won't that disrupt their original life trajectory?

  "If this makes things difficult for you, then just forget I said it." Having said that, Hao Gang went out.

  "No... I didn't mean it." Lifting her head to gaze at Hao Gang's dejected back, Su Mo Ruo felt a pang in her heart and the words slipped out uncontrollably.

  Slowly turning his head, Hao Gang realized that Su Mo Ruo's personality should also be relatively cold and aloof. For these things, they were not close relatives or friends, she didn't help him with this matter, which was actually not unreasonable. But he also knew that her heart was kind, possibly because his emotions earlier had affected her decision. She said again: "No need, actually, rather than giving him such unrealistic hope, it's better to let him thoroughly lose hope. I believe time can slowly make him better."

  "Who did you say?" Unable to hold back, I asked anyway.

  "A person very important to me... is the one who gave me life."

  "Alright, I promise you."

  For a moment, he couldn't come back to himself, staring blankly at the girl in front of him, his heart pounding rapidly.

  ……

  Took a plane, asked for a week's leave from school. Su Mo was personally picked up by Wang Ming at the school, so it was easy to ask for leave directly from Wang Qiuyin. Together with Hao Gang, they set off towards that familiar yet strange city.

  After a transfer, they boarded a black sedan that had come specifically for them and headed out to the suburbs.

  After driving for more than an hour, I finally saw signs of human habitation in front of me. It was a small village, but the houses that stood here were all stylish and elegant villas, looking very comfortable and pleasant. The surrounding environment was great, with lush trees and the sound of cicadas, which added some heat to the sweltering summer, but after entering the village, stepping on the clean goose warm stone, I felt a coolness seeping in.

  The corners of her mouth curved into a faint arc, and her eyes gazed softly at the surroundings. This was once a familiar place to her, but now she was already a stranger here.

  "Come with me." Walking to a courtyard that looks slightly more independent, the entrance is a large iron gate. As soon as you enter, it's a lush green garden, looking beautiful and inviting.

  As Hao Gang stepped forward, Su Mo Ruo also stepped inside, along the way, the sound of running water could be heard, the cicada's cry, and other sounds were gone.

  "Who's back?" At the gate, an old man with white hair and a thin face that was almost just skin sat in a wheelchair, staring straight ahead at the outside, his face full of expectation. However, his eyes seemed somewhat strange, but for a moment, Sumo couldn't quite put her finger on what the problem was.

  Hao Gang stepped forward one step ahead of her, taking big strides to stand in front of the old man. His originally stern facial expression softened greatly upon seeing the old man, "Foster father, it's me."

  Listening to this voice, the old man's body suddenly stiffened, but his face looked calmer, with a faint smile on his face. "How did you come back? Aren't you busy lately?" He used to be the highest executive and commander of the Dragon Group, but he retired because of his age. However, after many years of living in the Dragon Group, he was very clear about what kind of existence it was. As a member of the Dragon Group, there was hardly any free time, let alone hearing that the recent task was very difficult.

  Hao Gang's face revealed a hint of a smile, making the originally cold and stern facial lines look much softer, nodded, "This mission has already ended."

  "How is it, I heard this task is a bit tricky." He had no children of his own, only an adopted son and daughter. The previous task had taken the life of his adopted daughter, leaving him with just one child now. Although he knew that as a member of the Dragon Squad, they should always be ready to make sacrifices without fear, in his heart, he was a father and naturally didn't want anything to happen to his son.

  Hao Gang once again brought out the pain in his adoptive father's heart, Mu Qing's departure was undoubtedly a heavy blow to him. Now that he is left alone, he hopes to spend more time accompanying the lonely old man.

  "Who else did you bring?" The old man's eyes may not be sharp, but his insight was still very keen. Although he couldn't see, he felt that there was another stranger present. However, this stranger didn't make him feel uneasy, which made him wonder. People who could make him feel at ease were few and far between; he had always been eccentric and had few friends.

  The old man's words made Hao Gang stop in his tracks, and he looked up at Su Mo with an apologetic expression in his eyes. "Sorry, I haven't seen my adoptive father for a long time, so I lost control."

  "It doesn't matter." Three light and indifferent words, sounding very distant.

  But these three words, when they entered the old man's ears, were different. His body shook violently, and he raised his unfocused eyes to look forward. His heart was racing with a tension he had never felt before in his life. There was some expectation, some panic, and he was afraid that this feeling was wrong again. "Xiao Gang, who did you bring back?"

  "A friend's adoptive father." Hao Gang pursed his lips and never told the old man about the role he had originally planned in his heart.

  "Friend?" Is it just a friend? He always felt that something was off, but couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

  "Uh-huh, yes, Uncle. A friend." She emphasized, unsure whether she was convincing the old man or herself.

  The old man nodded, looking in Su Mo's direction, "Little girl, let's go inside together." The enthusiasm from just now was instantly extinguished like a bucket of cold water, and he couldn't muster up any interest again. Even his tone seemed distant as he spoke.

  Listening to the sound, Hao Gang sighed, and only he and Mu Qing could make this adoptive father's tone a little better. Others have always been so distant and indifferent, while he and Mu Qing were also influenced by their adoptive father since childhood, so their personalities are extremely similar to those of their adoptive father.

  Sumo stood not far away, watching this scene. Her lips trembled, at this moment, she couldn't confirm whether the former Mu Qing truly existed in her world.

  "I have a younger sister who left us over a year ago... My adoptive father was very fond of this sister, and her departure had a huge impact on him, he even lost his sight... " Haogang didn't know why, but he just wanted to tell Su Moruo these things, although in the past he never liked to talk about them, but since meeting Su Moruo, everything has been different.

  "... you... you still have a... sister?" The last two words were almost inaudible.

  He looked at Su Mo Ruo, who was excited at this moment, with a hint of surprise, nodded, "Yes, my sister and I were raised by our adoptive father since childhood, we have always been very close..." Unfortunately, he closed his eyes, burying the pain in his eyes, from then on, his life became even more black and white, without any color, in his heart, there was only Long Zu, only the mission, he alone would bear the regret of Mu Qing's final moments, the regret that his adoptive father had once had.

  "Yeah, we grew up together."

  It feels like a knife has been used to cut off the connection between my heart and mouth, blood is gushing out, my brain is a complete blank, will I still have a chance to see Qing in this life?

  "What's wrong?" Looking at Su Moruo, Hao Gang felt that Su Moruo was even more strange. Many times when discussing some topics or when he was distracted, he felt that this girl knew his thoughts in general. Now, this feeling was even stronger. His eyes stared straight at Su Moruo, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

  "How old is your sister?" This was a matter of great concern to her.

  "I don't understand why she's asking this question, but I didn't refuse either. 'If calculated, my sister is also 20 years old this year.' As I said that, a hint of sadness flashed across my eyes."

  He keenly captured this hint of sadness, with a bad premonition in his heart, his eyes staring straight at Hao Gang, his gaze carrying absolute sharpness, "Then... where is she?"

  ...was asked again, his heart still ached as much as when she first left, the pain had made him lose the courage to continue living strongly many times.

  "Where is she?" Holding her breath and staring at Hao Gang, as if the next second would be the arrival of doomsday.

  His face was slightly pale, his eyes fixed on Sumo who was excited, and he didn't understand at all why she was so excited. "Why are you...so concerned." His throat had another sentence, but he didn't have the courage to ask it out loud. After all, the ghost story was just a legend, superstition.

  "It's gone." Two short words, soft and light, spoken in a voice so small that if you weren't paying attention, you might not even hear it.

  "Is... is it gone?" Her throat seemed to be blocked by something, and the waves of pain made her breathing a bit labored.

  "Hmm, she left because of a task."

  A mission? In her past life, in 1995, she indeed received a difficult task, to deal with the Golden Triangle drug lord, wanting to infiltrate the enemy's interior to gather intelligence. Because headquarters had received some information that felt the Golden Triangle was on the move, and as the best anti-terror operative, she had a great advantage in disguise, so they sent her undercover into the Golden Triangle. However, unexpectedly, an internal spy appeared, and at just 19 years old, she suffered severe injuries, almost dying from them, but fortunately, she was rescued in time.

  But now she stared at Hao Gang in front of her with wide eyes, "What's her name?"

  "...yearning for Qing."

  "Boom——" Mu Qing, it was actually Mu Qing, she had also existed in this world.

  Digression

  Sorry to keep everyone waiting, it's just 6,000 words haha.