Chapter 46 Family Reunion
Ruan Xingfeng, who stayed behind, quietly returned home the next morning. The night's journey hadn't left much fatigue on his face, but instead a settled coldness and determination.
The huge guilt he felt towards Liao Feng gnawed at his heart, but he knew that it was meaningless to indulge in emotions at this moment. The best way for him to make amends was to completely eliminate the source of all these tragedies.
At six in the morning, just as the sky was getting light, Ruan Xingfeng appeared alone in the study of the President's residence. He had no attendants or bodyguards with him, only a seemingly light document bag that actually weighed over a thousand pounds.
He walked steadily and his eyes were calm. His calmness and maturity beyond his age made him look nothing like a young man of only 25 years old.
The Führer was surprised at first, then instantly filled with rage! His entire plan, his years of planning, were all ruined by this young man's betrayal!
He originally hoped to use Ruan Xingfeng's knife to get rid of Liao Feng, and then easily deal with Ruan Xingfeng, but he didn't expect the knife to be so sharp, and in the end the tip of the knife turned and pointed at himself!
Now, this person who messed up everything actually dares to come alone?
"Your Excellency," Ruan Xingfeng spoke first, his voice steady and unwavering. He tossed the briefcase in his hand onto the large desk in front of the president. "Here lies the evidence of every shady deal, murder, frame-up, and market manipulation you've committed since taking office. Every single one of them is enough to bring ruin upon you and bring you to your death countless times over."
He even sat down calmly opposite the head of state, with a casual attitude but with an unquestionable arrogance.
"I'm giving you two choices now." Ruan Xingfeng's gaze was like an icy knife as he stared directly at the Führer. "First, hold a press conference and solemnly announce your retirement due to health reasons. Enjoy your retirement in peace. I will ensure that the people of the entire empire remember you as a good Führer who 'retired after a successful career.'"
"Secondly," he paused, his tone becoming even colder, "I will make all this information public. You will be forced to step down and stand trial. And, I promise you—"
Ruan Xingfeng leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, yet it carried a deadly threat: "You will definitely not survive the second day of the trial. Your former 'friends' will be happy to silence you forever."
These understated yet extremely cruel words completely ignited the Führer's rage!
"You—!" The leader stood up suddenly, shaking with extreme anger. He pointed at Ruan Xingfeng, his face livid. "We should be in the same group! Ruan Xingfeng! We agreed to overthrow Liao Feng together! You went back on your word! You ungrateful bastard! Without the initial funding and information I provided, would you be where you are today?!"
His roar echoed in the empty study, filled with anger and resentment of betrayal.
Ruan Xingfeng listened to his roar quietly, his expression not even a flicker. It was not until the leader stopped panting that he spoke slowly, his voice tinged with a hint of cold sarcasm:
"In the same group? Mr. Leader, have you forgotten that the 'truth' you showed me was a lie from the very beginning? You used me to deal with Liao Feng, treating me like a pawn, a disposable knife. Between you and me, there has only been exploitation and deception. How can we be 'in the same group'?"
"As for gratitude?" Ruan Xingfeng sneered, "The little 'help' you gave me was merely a trivial cost to further your own conspiracy. And what you took from me... was far more."
He was referring to Liao Feng's health, Liao Feng's reputation, and his own distorted beliefs and happiness during that time.
"Now," Ruan Xingfeng leaned back in his chair, regaining his composure, "the choice is yours. Do you want to leave with dignity, or... die in disgrace, with your body torn to pieces?"
"In the end, you are wrong about one thing. Liao Feng and I are not enemies. No matter whether I know the truth or not, I will not really hurt Liao Feng, and I will never let you hurt Liao Feng." After saying that, he closed his eyes and waited for the leader's choice.
After a long time, when the metal shell of the pistol was pressed against his forehead, the leader's answer was very obvious. Ruan Xingfeng opened his eyes and looked at the leader quietly. His expression was too calm, as if the person with the pistol pressed against his head was not him.
"If this is the choice of the Führer, don't blame me for being rude." He turned around and glanced at the window of the building opposite. Before the Führer could react, the sniper opposite opened fire and shot him in the head.
Ruan Xingfeng looked coldly at the person who fell in front of him, feeling a little sorry. If only Liao Feng were there, he would probably be very happy.
"Finally, you're mistaken about one thing." Ruan Xingfeng's voice was as cold as ice, and it was crystal clear in the dead silence of the study. "Liao Feng and I have never been enemies."
He slowly opened his eyes. There was no trace of fear in those clear deer eyes, only a calmness that was almost indifferent, as if he was stating a self-evident fact.
"Whether I know the truth or not, I will never truly hurt him. And I certainly won't let someone like you hurt him in the slightest."
As soon as he finished speaking, he even closed his eyes again, as if he was not waiting for a life-or-death decision, but just waiting for a long-expected and boring result.
After a few suffocating seconds, the cold metal casing of the pistol hit his forehead hard.
The Führer's choice is self-evident: he chose the most foolish and desperate approach.
Ruan Xingfeng opened his eyes again and stared silently at the leader, whose face was twisted with fear and anger. His expression was too calm, even with a barely perceptible hint of pity, as if the person with the gun pointed at his head wasn't him, but the other person.
"If the leader's choice is... this." Ruan Xingfeng's tone remained eerily calm without even a ripple. "Then don't blame me for being rude."
Just as the leader was slightly stunned by his words and had not yet understood where the threat came from.
Ruan Xingfeng didn't even turn around, but just moved his eyes slightly and glanced at a window of a tall building in the distance behind the head of state.
Bang--!
An extremely slight, silenced gunshot suddenly broke the silence of the early morning!
The next second, a glaring bloody hole appeared between the Führer's eyebrows. The ferocity and astonishment on his face froze forever. His arm, which had been holding the gun high, drooped limply, and his body fell straight backward, landing heavily on the carpet with a dull thud.
Everything happened in a flash.
Ruan Xingfeng didn't even blink. He just watched coldly as the man who once held sway over the world, who had toyed with him and Liao Feng at his will, collapsed before him like a bag of garbage, blood slowly spreading from the back of his head.
The study was filled with the faint smell of gunpowder and blood.
Ruan Xingfeng slowly stood up and straightened his neatly draped shirt. He walked to the window and nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly, toward the distant building.
Then, he looked down at the leader who had already died on the ground, and the only thought in his mind was:
"What a pity... If Liao Feng saw it with his own eyes, he would probably... be very happy."
This thought flashed through his mind, with a hint of indescribable complex emotions, but was quickly covered by the cold reality.
The problem is solved. The obstacle is removed.
He took out the encrypted communicator and calmly said two words:
"Clean up."
After saying this, he turned around without hesitation, stepped through the blood, and walked out of the study that symbolized the highest power of the empire, leaving the chaos and death behind him to professionals to deal with.
The leader was killed in the early morning, and the news was strictly blocked, like a stone thrown into a deep pool. The surface was calm, but there were undercurrents beneath the water.
At noon, the new head of state, a politician with relatively open-minded ideas who had long been secretly supported by the Nguyen Xingfeng and Li Mingyuan camps, quietly arrived at the center of power and began the tense transfer of power.
The whole process was faster than one could imagine, which shows how thorough the preparations Ruan Xingfeng and his team had made were.
In the afternoon, at the Herbivore Association headquarters.
Far from the solemnity of the RCB building, the atmosphere here resembled a noisy, chaotic, anxious, and uncertain marketplace. Representatives of various herbivores bickered endlessly, arguing fiercely over newfound power and the future direction. Some were radical, some conservative, some simply seeking self-preservation, and some with ulterior motives.
Ruan Xingfeng's arrival brought a moment of silence to the noisy venue. He was still wearing the same well-tailored suit, but his aura was different.
The murderous decisiveness in the head of state's study in the early morning injected an invisible but perceptible cold pressure into his calm appearance.
He walked up to the podium and swept his eyes calmly over the audience.
"First of all, we succeeded. The Protection Law and the Rights Law have been signed. This is our first step." His voice was clear and calm, transmitted throughout the venue through the microphone.
He then began to meticulously explain the association's future structure, charter, and how to effectively utilize the new law to fight for their rights. He spoke logically, strategically, and with a long-term vision.
At first, everyone listened quietly, but soon different voices began to emerge.
"Why do we have to proceed gradually? We've suffered so much, we should make those carnivores pay immediately!" an excited antelope representative shouted. "We rabbits just want safe pastures, not to get involved in your political struggles!" another voice retorted. "This chairmanship should belong to our respected elders. You're too young!" a voice echoed from the corner, tinged with clear jealousy and defiance.
The scene became chaotic again.
Ruan Xingfeng stopped speaking. He just stood there, quietly watching the noisy crowd in the audience.
There was no anger or anxiety in his eyes, only a kind of...almost tired indifference.
He gave them time to reason with him, but they seemed more accustomed to solving problems with their voices and emotions.
A few minutes later, he sighed softly into the microphone. The sound was not loud, but strangely, it made the venue quiet again.
"I've finished explaining the reasoning." His voice remained steady, but with a hint of undeniable chill. "It seems some people prefer to communicate more directly."
He raised his hand and made a simple gesture.
Suddenly, the door of the conference room was pushed open, and a team of well-trained security personnel in black uniforms and sharp eyes quickly entered.
They silently controlled all the exits of the entire venue. Their movements were clean and neat, with a distinct military style.
The representatives who had shouted the loudest just now, especially the one who proposed that a "highly respected" senior be the president, were immediately "asked" to leave the venue by two security personnel on the left and right.
There was no rough dragging, but the absolute power suppression and indifferent attitude were more deterrent than any roar.
"What are you doing?! This is violence! Dictatorship!" the people who were taken away shouted in horror.
Ruan Xingfeng didn't even glance over there, and his gaze turned to the representatives who were silent in the audience.
"Now," he said calmly, as if he had just dismissed a few noisy children, "does anyone else have questions about the association's charter, or about me being president?"
The venue was deathly silent. You could hear a pin drop.
Absolute force, at this moment, demonstrated its most direct and effective persuasive power. This was not bullying, but the establishment of order.
Eight o'clock in the evening sharp.
In the same conference room, the atmosphere was completely different: orderly and solemn.
A simple yet meaningful ceremony was held under the gaze of all the representatives.
Ruan Xingfeng first officially took over the position of president of the Herbivore Association.
Immediately afterwards, one of the oldest elders of the Linlu tribe stepped forward and placed a deer antler forehead ornament on his forehead, symbolizing the tribe leader's authority. He then became the new tribe leader of the Linlu tribe.
Finally, another old man dressed as a priest chanted prayers in the ancient language of the deer tribe and smeared sacred incense oil on his forehead. He was revered as the high priest of the sacred deer and became a spiritual symbol.
He possessed three identities, all rolled into one: political leader, tribal chieftain, and spiritual figure; he possessed almost every form of power a herbivore could possess.
At the end of the ceremony, the audience erupted in thunderous, heartfelt applause and cheers. Fear may have been the initial catalyst, but at this moment, hope and confidence shone in the eyes of more representatives.
They needed a strong leader, a strong man who could lead them out of the quagmire, and Ruan Xingfeng proved that he was that strong man with what happened within one day.
Ruan Xingfeng stood where the light converged, accepting the worship of the crowd. His young face remained expressionless, but his slightly clenched fists revealed the turmoil within him.
The road from the university dormitory to here was paved with thorns, lies, blood, and his every transformation. At the ceremony where Ruan Xingfeng took office as president, clan leader, and high priest, there were three other figures who were equally dazzling.
Fu Hangxing, as Ruan Xingfeng's earliest and closest brother, was appointed as the association's chief diplomat and strategic executive with his outstanding diplomatic skills and adventurous spirit.
At the same time, he was unanimously elected as the new patriarch by his own race, the goat tribe. He stood on the right side of Ruan Xingfeng, smiling ostentatiously and proudly.
Zhou Yi, a technical genius and intelligence expert, is the "ghost" behind the entire plan, responsible for information security and the collection of key evidence.
He became the association's intelligence and cybersecurity minister, and it was also he who was recommended by the older generation to the position of hamster tribe leader. He pushed his glasses and stood to the left of Ruan Xingfeng with a steady look in his eyes.
Zhu Zhe, who seems gentle but has strong affinity and organizational skills, is responsible for personnel scheduling, internal management and logistical support, and is appointed as the General Manager of Administration and Internal Affairs.
He was also the new leader of his own race, the White Rabbits, and he stood aside with a warm and resolute smile on his face.
The four of them stood side by side, accepting the cheers of the crowd. At this moment, all the hardships they had endured, the nights they had endured, and the risks they had taken were transformed into supreme glory and worthiness.
They are an inseparable whole, the four pillars of the rise of herbivores.
A little after ten o'clock in the evening, in the association president's office.
Ruan Xingfeng was still reviewing documents under the lamp, and the huge office building was almost empty.
Just then, there was a soft, hesitant knock at the door.
Who could it be at this hour? He stood up with some confusion, walked to the door and opened it.
However, the moment he saw the person standing outside the door, Ruan Xingfeng froze, as if struck by lightning.
Standing at the door were his parents, whom he hadn't seen in years. Standing behind them, looking at him cautiously with a complex and red-rimmed expression, was none other than his younger sister, Ruan Yuexin.
Time has left traces on my parents' faces. My father's temples have turned gray, and fine lines have appeared at the corners of my mother's eyes.
They were dressed simply and looked dusty, their eyes filled with uneasiness, deep worry, and an almost unbelievable, cautious and great expectation.
Ruan Yuexin looked thinner, with a trace of unresolved sadness between her brows. It was obvious that what happened with Song Xuexi had made her very tormented, but at this moment, when she looked at her brother, there was more heartache and firm support in her eyes.
Ever since he ran away from home at the age of 20, a deep gap has existed between them.
He seldom goes home, and even seldom contacts them, for fear of bringing trouble to them and seeing their disapproving looks.
At this moment, facing my family so directly and unprepared, all my strength and hard shell collapsed in an instant.
A huge sense of bitterness suddenly rushed into his nose and eyes, and he lowered his head almost instantly, not wanting his family to see the tears that were about to burst out.
He wanted to call out "Dad, Mom, Yuexin," but his throat felt like it was blocked by hot sand, dry and painful, and he couldn't utter a single word. He just stood there stiffly, his shoulders trembling slightly.
It was Ruan's mother who spoke first, choking with sobs, her voice so soft as if she wasn't going to startle a butterfly: "Feng Wa'er...we saw you on the news...you...you've suffered so much..."
In one sentence, all of Ruan Xingfeng's defenses were completely shattered.
Father Ruan's eyes were also red and his lips were trembling. This usually taciturn man finally just reached out his hand and patted his son's arm heavily and tremblingly, saying everything without words.
At this moment, Ruan Yuexin took a step forward, her voice tinged with tears, but she tried to sound strong: "Brother...we all saw it. I'm sorry...before...before we didn't understand you enough...and let you bear so much alone..."
She did not mention her marital troubles. At this moment, she was just his sister.
Ruan Xingfeng couldn't hold back any longer, he raised his head, tears streaming down his face. He stretched out his hands, first hugged his parents tightly, then took his sister into his arms, tightly holding this small, warm family together.
He buried his face in his family's shoulders and cried silently, as if he wanted to vent all the pressure, grievances and loneliness of the past years.
All the wandering, all the dangers, all the grievances, at this moment, seem to have found a home.
The understanding and return of family members are the best gifts after this difficult battle, surpassing any power and status.
Outside the office, Fu Hangxing, Zhou Yi and Zhu Zhe did not actually leave. They quietly hid in the corner and watched this touching scene.
Zhou Yi silently handed a tissue to Fu Hangxing, who was also wiping his tears. Zhu Zhe whispered, "I told you that Uncle, Auntie, and Yue Xin would definitely come today... Let's go, let's not disturb their family reunion."
The three of them smiled at each other and left quietly. Ruan Xingfeng never forgot their contributions, and the family warmth that was lost and regained would be his most solid backing on his future path.
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