Chapter 55 is over
When Ruan Xingfeng stepped into the abandoned warehouse again, the smell of rust and dust in the air instantly brought back memories of him being imprisoned there.
A cold, sticky feeling of suffocation seemed to wrap around his throat again. In the darkness, the images of the videos he had been forced to watch flashed through his mind again—twisted limbs, piercing cries, grinning masks. His breath hitched, and his body instinctively froze in place, his knuckles clenched white, and he could almost hear the sound of his blood freezing.
At that moment, a warm hand firmly grasped his cold fingertips. Liao Feng's palm was dry and strong, and the warmth seeped silently through his skin, like the first ray of sunlight breaking through the ice. Ruan Xingfeng took a deep breath, tilted his head to meet Liao Feng's calm gaze, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly.
But the next second, a massive crowd suddenly emerged from the shadows surrounding the warehouse. Their chaotic footsteps pounded like the sound of war drums, thumping against the concrete floor and echoing throughout the empty space. Armed with iron rods and sharp blades, their eyes fierce, they slowly closed in, forming an impenetrable circle.
Ruan Xingfeng's face turned pale, his throat tightened, and he subconsciously looked up at Liao Feng, his voice as light as a feather: "Sir..." The tension and inquiry in his eyes were clearly visible, but there was no timidity.
Liao Feng looked at him, instantly understood what he meant, and nodded almost imperceptibly.
The next second, the two of them attacked almost at the same time as if they were a symbiotic being with a tacit understanding!
Liao Feng's body was as fast as lightning. With a side kick, he sent the first person charging forward flying, knocking over a pile of discarded wooden crates. Ruan Xingfeng ducked to avoid the incoming iron rod. The dagger in his hand flashed with cold light, precisely slicing the opponent's wrist. A scream instantly ripped the air.
The battle erupted in an instant, quickly descending into a chaotic frenzy. The sounds of metal clashing, flesh pounding, grunts, and wails filled the air. Liao Feng's movements were fierce and swift, each strike striking directly at the vital points. Ruan Xingfeng, on the other hand, was even more agile. The dagger in his hands felt like a living thing, always striking at the right angles to deliver a fatal blow.
Soon, more and more people fell to the ground groaning. Ruan Xingfeng leaned over and deftly pulled the dagger out of the shoulder of an unconscious person.
Blood slid down the blade, illuminating his slightly pale profile. He panted, tilted his head to look at the tightly closed iron door deep in the warehouse, and said to Liao Feng, "Sir, please go in and meet him. I'll be outside, don't worry."
Upon hearing this, Liao Feng paused twisting someone's arm, then fiercely kicked the person towards the rusted steel door. A dull thud echoed through the warehouse, like a proclamation.
He glanced back at Ruan Xingfeng. The young man pursed his lips, his eyes resolute beneath his sweat-soaked forehead, like a hardened blade. Liao Feng finally nodded and said gravely, "Be careful." Then, striding forward, he walked towards the iron gate without hesitation.
He pushed open the heavy iron door and closed it behind him. The space inside seemed even more oppressive, with dust dancing in the beam of light slanting in from the high window.
Liao Chen was sitting leisurely on a dusty leather sofa with a playful smile on his lips.
"Brother, you're here." He said in a nonchalant tone, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
Liao Feng stood still, his eyes as cold as a knife: "I don't want to waste time talking to you. Your so-called subordinates and the remnants of the former leader have all been dealt with. Do you have anything else to say?"
Liao Chen chuckled and slowly stood up: "Still so direct." Before he finished speaking, he suddenly overturned the sofa as a cover, and a military dagger appeared in his hand, and he rushed forward!
The fight inside the gate was far more ferocious and fierce than that outside. Both men were top-notch fighters, and every clash unleashed astonishing power and murderous intent.
Liao Feng dodged the sharp blade that was piercing his throat, grabbed Liao Chen's wrist with his backhand, and threw him to the ground with a fierce over-the-shoulder throw! But Liao Chen rolled over to absorb the force, and the dagger flashed a cold light, sweeping straight at Liao Feng's lower body.
Finally, Liao Feng seized a flaw and completely subdued Liao Chen with a heavy blow, with his military boots firmly on his chest.
Liao Chen coughed up blood foam, but continued to smile, his eyes mad and paranoid. "Heh... You knew this would be the outcome, and you still dared to come? The hundreds, thousands, and millions of men under your command are no match for my brothers! I'm telling you, I'll make you experience... what it's like to watch your mother being gang-raped! The harm you and your parents have brought upon me... to my parents, I will take it back from you and your mother... a hundredfold!"
A storm suddenly arose in Liao Feng's eyes, and he exerted force with his feet. Liao Chen's ribs made a teeth-grinding crisp sound, and he fainted completely.
Only then did Liao Feng feel a sharp pain and a sense of emptiness on his lips. He raised his hand to wipe away the blood—his fangs, a symbol of the lion clan's glory and the power of carnivores, had been shattered by Liao Chen in the fierce battle.
But the intense pain seemed to be isolated by numb nerves. He seemed not to feel it. He just turned around expressionlessly and walked out of the suffocating warehouse.
The sounds of fighting outside the door had subsided. Ruan Xingfeng stood alone among the scattered crowd, panting and leaning on his dagger. Sweat and blood soaked his hair and clothes. He heard the door open and suddenly looked up, his eyes eagerly meeting Liao Feng.
When he saw the scars and blood on Liao Feng's lips, Ruan Xingfeng's pupils suddenly contracted, and all his fatigue seemed to be washed away by shock and anger in an instant.
"Sir!" He threw down the dagger and ran over. He knew what Liao Feng's fangs symbolized, and he also knew it would be painful, just like the pain he felt when he cut off his own deer antlers.
Liao Feng caught him steadily, put his arms around his waist and buried his head in his shoulder to absorb the scent of Ruan Xingfeng. At this time, Xu Nuoyan and Ran Yian also came over. "There is someone in there, don't let him die," Liao Feng heard the voice and looked up at the two of them and said.
The two nodded, Ran Yian went in, and Xu Nuoyan stayed to treat Liao Feng's wound.
"Your fangs are really broken, Liao Feng, can you please stop being so impulsive? Last time it was your eyes, this time it's your teeth. Your body has really suffered with you," Ruan Xingfeng supported Liao Feng with worry in his eyes, and Xu Nuoyan complained while bandaging him.
Soon Song Xuexi also hurried over. Seeing that her brother had lost his fangs, her heart sank. She was also a carnivore and understood how important fangs were to carnivores. If a carnivore did not have fangs, then he would lose the qualifications to be a carnivore.
"Brother...you are a herbivore, the only herbivore that eats meat," she said in her usual joking tone. Liao Feng raised his head and rolled his eyes at her, but he also felt regretful for his impulse in his heart. But he really couldn't let Liao Chen die. He couldn't let him die so easily.
He still remembered how his mother looked when she died, how mentally ill she was during that time, and how Liao Chen's father had taken over his father's body and abused him.
At that time, he was in pain hundreds of times more than himself. He was mentally helpless and would never forget the physical pain. He would never let Liao Chen and his mother go.
"Have you found that woman?" As soon as these words were spoken, the whole place fell silent. Song Xuexi nodded and said, "I found her, but brother, do you really want to do this?" She could imagine the scene. She had seen bloody, violent and obscene scenes, but she still did not agree. This kind of thing was too inhumane.
"What else? You think you're not human anymore? You've forgotten what I saw when I was a teenager. How disgusted and heartbroken I felt at that time, and how desperate my mother was. Xuexi, I don't want forgiveness. I want complete revenge. I can't let go of what they've done to me and my parents. I'm not a kind person. I won't let this matter go."
Ruan Xingfeng's arm on his back stiffened for a moment. He could guess what would happen from Liao Feng's words. He also felt it was inhumane, but how could he persuade Liao Feng? Should he say: My parents are still alive. Although your parents have passed away, my parents can be your parents?
If he said such words, what was the difference between him and an animal? He had never told Liao Feng about his pain and could not empathize with him, so he chose to remain silent.
"Well, I will bring him to you next month. You should have a good rest during this time." Song Xuexi remembered the time when Liao Feng's mother smiled gently and touched her head, and the serious yet loving look of Liao Feng's father. What inhumanity? They used their inhumanity on Liao Feng, turning the young man who should have been shining and had a happy family into a madman.
After returning, Liao Feng took a short rest and then continued to work. His relationship with Ruan Xingfeng once again reached a deadlock - although Ruan Xingfeng got Liao Feng's new contact information, he still didn't dare to contact him actively.
Meanwhile, Liao Feng was busy as hell. The last time he did something too blatant, it caused a lot of discussion in society.
He didn't want to implicate anyone, so he was the administrative person in charge of all actions and took sole responsibility for any problems.
The only thing Liao Feng felt was a pang of guilt when he thought of Ruan Xingfeng's legal situation.
It was because of him that Ruan Xingfeng took such a huge risk. This had a very negative impact on someone who had just taken office.
Ruan Xingfeng might be in dire straits right now, especially the older generation in the clan who are conservative and can't keep up with the changes of the times. They probably won't let him go easily.
Liao Feng once wanted to go to the herbivores to see him, but he was worried that this would only bring more trouble to Ruan Xingfeng.
In the end, he gave up the idea of visiting - even if he went, there would be nothing he could do.
His little deer no longer needed his protection. Ruan Xingfeng's status was even higher than his.
That day, Ruan Xingfeng was going to inspect a kindergarten in the city center. When his assistant handed him the itinerary, he stared at the word "kindergarten" in a daze.
Xia Qu is already in kindergarten. She was two years old then, and three years have passed in a flash. She should be five now.
I wonder if the kid still remembers him.
Thinking of that soft little figure, he felt a warmth in his heart, but also mixed with sadness.
If he had his current status and position at that time, Xia Qu might not have been snatched away.
His biggest regret was that he failed to win her custody.
He once thought that Liao Feng hadn't tried his best. But after everything he had experienced in the past three years, he finally understood that it wasn't that Liao Feng hadn't tried hard, nor that he was incapable, but that the previous head of state had restricted many things behind the scenes, restricting him in every way.
Ruan Xingfeng's gaze lingered for a moment on the line "City Center Kindergarten" on the itinerary, and his fingertips unconsciously paused on the paper.
This brief pause was almost imperceptible, and then he resumed his usual speed of flipping through documents, as if that moment of distraction had never happened.
The assistant standing nearby was a sharp and meticulous young lady named Goat. Although she noticed the president's slight pause, she did not become suspicious.
In her and her colleagues' understanding, President Ruan Xingfeng has a pragmatic style and a mysterious past, and his connection with kindergartens is probably limited to industry research.
She just confirmed in her heart: inspecting subordinate member units and paying attention to the growth environment of young groups is a routine and necessary work arrangement.
"President, the car is ready." The assistant stepped forward and spoke clearly.
"Okay." Ruan Xingfeng responded in a steady voice. He stood up and completely hid the trace of personal emotion under his well-fitting suit.
The motorcade arrived at the kindergarten in a low-key manner. The kindergarten's director was already waiting, and the atmosphere was more like an internal industry exchange than a political reception.
The colorful decorations in the garden and the children's laughter form a strange mixture with Ruan Xingfeng's calm and professional scholarly temperament.
Accompanied by the zoo director, Ruan Xingfeng began his inspection. He was professional and focused, carefully examining the zoo's food regimen, inquiring about the safety standards of the fodder, fruits, and vegetables, and observing activities tailored to the animals' natural needs.
Occasionally he would squat down and communicate at eye level with a nervous lamb or a curious little rabbit. His tone was gentle, but his questions were to the point, concerning their comfort and sense of security.
What the surrounding association staff and park workers saw was exactly this picture: a rigorous and compassionate industry leader fulfilling his duties.
They saw his concern for the healthy growth of the next generation and the meticulousness and sense of responsibility that belonged to a technocrat.
No one would have thought that when that professional gaze swept across those innocent little figures, there was such a private and deep pain hidden behind them.
As he walked through the bustling playground, a five-year-old girl in a pink dress stumbled after a ball and nearly bumped into his entourage. The assistant next to him instinctively wanted to step forward to stop them, but Ruan Xingfeng raised his hand slightly to signal that it was unnecessary.
He stopped.
Everyone thought that the president was just protecting the child out of his natural love for her and wanted to prevent her from being frightened.
Ruan Xingfeng lowered his head and looked at the girl who raised her little face, looking a little at a loss.
The sunlight shone on her furry ears and clear eyes. In an instant, a huge wave of memories almost overwhelmed him - he seemed to see Xia Qu, at the same age, staggering towards him in the same way.
His Adam's apple rolled slightly, but his facial expression remained professionally calm. He even nodded slightly to the apologetic headmaster next to him, indicating that it was okay.
"Run slower and be careful." He tried to keep his voice as calm as possible, without sounding unusual, as if it were just an ordinary reminder from an elder.
The kindergarten teacher hurried forward, comforted the child gently and took the child away.
Ruan Xingfeng's gaze followed the child's back for a second, then quickly retracted, as if to confirm she was alright. He turned to the director, his tone returning to normal, "How often do we replace the protective padding in the outdoor area? We need to ensure the absolute safety of all the cubs during activities."
The inspection concluded in a pragmatic atmosphere. After exchanging views with the park management on a few specific issues, Ruan Xingfeng politely said goodbye and got into his car.
The car door blocked out the vibrant noise outside. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. The panicked yet pure look of the fawn girl just now overlapped with the smiling face of Xia Qu in his memory.
The city scenes outside the car window flew by, and he sat silently, completely sealing his unknown, poignant fatherly love and regrets beneath a mask of calm professionalism. His past remained a secret. His pain remained unnoticed.
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